Alos, Greece

Alos or Halos (Ancient Greek: Ἅλος) was an ancient Greek city, located 10 km south from present-day Almyros. The city is mentioned by Herodotus as one of the places where the Persian king Xerxes stayed in the summer of 480 during his attack on Greece; Herodotus digresses upon a human sacrifice ritual. The site of the classical city, which was destroyed in 346 by Parmenio during the Third Sacred War, has been identified, but not excavated.

The city was refounded in 302 by Demetrius Poliorcetes. This Hellenistic city lies very close to the surface and is greatly disturbed, but several houses have been excavated by Dutch archaeologists. Greek colleagues have investigated a part of the city walls. This city was abandoned in the mid-third century, perhaps after an earthquake.

A Byzantine fort is the last building phase from Antiquity.

Literature

• M. J. Haagsma, Domestic Economy and Social Organisation in New Halos (2010)
• R. Reinders, New Halos. A Hellenistic Town in Thessalía, Greece (1988)
• R. Reinders and W. Prummel (eds.), Housing in New Halos. A Hellenistic Town in Thessaly, Greece (2003)

External links

• Halos Photos and simple map