Angellight 888 at 15:53, March 8, 2009

2009-03-08T15:53:57Z

Irlandos: /* External Link */

2006-02-27T20:50:19Z

External Link

Irlandos at 12:00, January 30, 2006

2006-01-30T12:00:21Z

New page

'''Hellespont''' (i.e. "Sea of Helle"), was the ancient name of the [[Dardanelles]]. It was so-called from [[Helle]], the daughter of [[Athamas]], who was drowned here.

[[Herodotus]] tells us that c. [[482 BC]], [[Xerxes]], king of Persia and son of [[Darius]], had two bridges built across the width of the Hellespont at [[Abydos]] in order that his huge army, ostensibly made of 5 million men, could cross from Persia into [[Greece]]. These bridges were both destroyed by a storm (vii.34), but after the sea was punished by receiving 300 lashes and a pair of fetters thrown into it, engineers finished them. In addition to punishing the Hellespont, Xerxes had the heads of those responsible for building the bridges cut off. [[The Histories of Herodotus]] vii.33-37 and vii.54-58 gives details of Xerxes' building and crossing of the bridges.

The Hellespont was also the body of water which [[Hero and Leander|Leander]] would cross in order to tryst with his beloved, the priestess [[Hero and Leander|Hero]]. More recently, the Hellespont was famously swum by [[Lord Byron]].

At the opening of the straights a sea battle was fought in the [[First Balkan War]], between the Greek and Ottoman navies with the Greeks defeating the Turks. A few years later, the Turks successfully repelled a British naval invasion force inside the Hellespont at the Battle of Canakale.

==External Link==
*[http://www.fsmitha.com/h1/map13ga.html Map of Hellespont]

{{Credit wikipedia}}

[[Category:Geography of Greece]]
[[Category:Greek mythology]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:53, March 8, 2009
Line 14:		Line 14:
	[[Category:Asia Minor]]		[[Category:Asia Minor]]
	[[Category:Greek mythology]]		[[Category:Greek mythology]]
		+	[[Category:History of Anatolia]]
		+	[[Category:History of Greece]]

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 {{Credit wikipedia}}
-[[Category:Geography of Greece]]
+[[Category:Asia Minor]]
 [[Category:Greek mythology]]

Hellespont - Revision history

Angellight 888 at 15:53, March 8, 2009

Irlandos: /* External Link */

Irlandos at 12:00, January 30, 2006