---

Modern Description: The village of Trianda occupies the site of the commercial area of Ancient Ialysos, a prosperous independent Dorian city and one of the three major ancient settlements of the island. Its territory included some of the most fertile areas of the island and extended over all of its northern part from Soroni (west) to Archaneglos (east), and up to the northern point of the island where the new city of Rhodes was laid out in the 4th century BC. The exact site of the ancient town of Ialysos is not known with certainty, but its acropolis was on the summit of Mount Philerimos behind and to the south. The city was famous in Antiquity for the Diagóridai, a family of oligarchs who also produced a number of Olympic victors: Diagóras, the most famous pugilist in antiquity, won the boxing competition no fewer than three times; three of his sons and two of his grandsons were also Olympic victors. He was celebrated by Pindar in his seventh Olympian Ode, of 464 BC: the ode, which tells the story of the island's identification with Helios, is an important source of Rhodian mythology. Tribute is still paid to Diagóras' fame: the new airport of Rhodes is also named after him.
A winding road (signed) climbs up from Trianda through dense pine woods to the panoramic acropolis of ancient Ialysos on the flat limestone summit of Mount Philerimos (267m). (Open Apr–Oct 8.30–7.30; Nov–Mar 8.30–2.30; closed Mon.) In spite of its importance in Antiquity, there is less for the modern visitor to see here than at either Lindos or Kameiros. A strange atmosphere prevails, due partly to the lifeless and over-restored mediaeval buildings which occupy much of the ancient sanctuary. On entering the enclosure, the remains of the late 4th century BC Temple of Athena Ialysia (probably built over the site of an earlier temple) are visible directly in front of the monastery buildings. The stylobate is preserved, perfectly oriented to the cardinal points, and nearby are the drums of fluted columns, some of which retain vestiges of coloured stucco. The rich finds from the ritual deposit (displayed in the Rhodes Museum) date the beginning of worship here to the 9th or 8th century BC. In the 6th century AD an Early Christian basilica with three aisles was built over the temple. Its southern apse, just southeast of the temple, encloses a cruciform baptismal pool. Steps for immersion set in its floor are clearly visible, as well as remnants of its lining in Proconnesian marble.
The treasure of the site (currently closed) is the ancient spring and the *Doric, colonnaded water-fountain, deep down the southern side of the acropolis amidst a stand of plane trees. Steps descend steeply for 50m, from the southern extremity of the archaeological enclosure, down to the elegant Hellenistic structure which dates from the mid 4th century BC and was reassembled in 1926 by Italian archaeologists. The colonnade is about 9m long, with the fountain tanks behind faced in marble with decorative lions' heads both on the rear wall, just above water level, and on the front: some of these were perforated and functioned as a spout. One of the antae bears a scarcely legible inscription with regulations for the use of the fountain. The water, which rises close by, is particularly soft.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ialysus
Wikidata ID: Q29963099
Trismegistos Geo: 13150
Manto: 9719448

Info: McGilchrist's Greek Islands

(From McGilchrist’s Greek Islands, © Nigel McGilchrist 2010, excerpted with his gracious permission. Click for the books)

---