Sestos

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The Ancient Map of Gallipoli Peninsula

Hero and Leander

Sestos was an ancient Greek town of the Thracian Chersonese, the modern Gallipoli peninsula in European Turkey. Situated on the Hellespont opposite Abydos, it was the home of Hero in the legend of Hero and Leander. Sestos was an Aeolian colony, as it was founded by settlers from Lesbos. The ruins of the town are near to Eceabat.

Xerxes' army crossed at this point on a bridge in 480 BC, and most of Alexander the Great's forces went the other way here by boat in 334 BC.

In 1810 Lord Byron swam from Sestos to Abydos in four hours, recreating Leander's feat. This event is commemorated every year with an annual swim event that recreates the crossing.^[1]

The Siege of Sestos

In 479BC-478BC, after the Greek victories (against Persia) at Plataea and Mycale, Greek forces under the command of Xanthippus besieged and defeated the Persian garrison at Sestos allowing the Greeks to conquer the city. As a result, Persian influence along the Hellespont was significantly reduced. This served the dual goal of denying Persian land forces access to the Greek mainland, while restoring Athenian trade to Black Sea ports such as Byzantium.

References

Coordinates: 40°13′N 26°23′E / 40.217°N 26.383°E / 40.217; 26.383

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