ancient region in the SW Peloponnesus bordering on the Ionian Sea
department of modern Greece in the same general area
See Messenia in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(mĭ-sēˈnē-ə, -sēnˈyə)
An ancient region of southwest Greece in the Peloponnesus on the Ionian Sea. It fought a series of wars against Sparta c. 736 to 371 B.C. The Romans conquered the area in 146 B.C.