8. It appears from Homer, that both the country and the city had the name of Lacedæmon; I mean the country together with Messenia. When he speaks of the bow and quiver of Ulysses, he says,
“A present from Iphitus Eurytides, a stranger, who met him in Lacedæmon,”[150]
and adds,
“They met at Messene in the house of Ortilochus.”
He means the country which was a part of Messenia.[151] There was then no difference whether he said “A stranger, whom he met at Lacedæmon, gave him,” or, “they met at Messene;” for it is evident that Pheræ was the home of Ortilochus:
“they arrived at Pheræ, and went to the house of Diocles the son of Ortilochus,”[152]
namely, Telemachus and Pisistratus. Now Pheræ[153] belongs to Messenia. But after saying, that Telemachus and his friend set out from Pheræ, and were driving their two horses the whole day, he adds,
“The sun was setting; they came to the hollow Lacedæmon (κητώεσσαν), and drove their chariot to the palace of Menelaus.”[154]
Here we must understand the city; and if we do not, the poet says, that they journeyed from Lacedæmon to Lacedæmon. It is not otherwise improbable that the palace of Menelaus should not be at Sparta; and if it was not there, that Telemachus should say,