Artas (Ancient Greek Ἄρτας; ruled c. 430 – 413 BC) was an Iapygian king of the Messapians.
The Messapians or Messapii were inhabited, in historical times,Herodotus ( Ζ΄ 170), says they came from Crete - the south-eastern peninsula or "heel" of Italy (Salento, modern Apulia), known variously in ancient times as Calabria, Messapia and Iapygia.
The whole group settled at Delphi but soon came to be unable to sustain themselves so they proceeded to move first to Iapygia in Italy and then to Bottiaea in Thrace.
Iapygia |