Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography/Ialysus
IA′LYSUS Ἰάλυσος, Ἰάλυσσος, or Ἰήλυσσος: Eth. Ἰαλύσσιος), one of the three ancient Doric cities in the island of Rhodes, and one of the six towns constituting the Doric hexapolis. It was situated only six stadia to the south-west of the city of Rhodes, and it would seem that the rise of the latter city was the cause of the decay of Ialysus; for in the time of Strabo (xiv. p. 655) it existed only as a village. Pliny (v. 36) did not consider it as an independent place at all, but imagined that Ialysus was the ancient name of Rhodes. Orychoma, the citadel, was situated above Ialysus, and still existed in the time of Strabo. It is supposed by some that Orychoma was the same as the fort Achaia, which is said to have been the first settlement of the Heliadae ia the island (Diod. Sic. v. 57; Athen. viii. p. 360); at any rate, Achaia was situated in the territory of Ialysus, which bore the name Ialysia. (Comp. Hom. Il. ii. 656; Pind. Ol. vii. 106; Herod, ii. 182; Thucyd. viii. 44; Ptol. v. 2. § 34; Steph. B. s.v.; Scylax, Peripl. p. 81; Dionys. Perieg. 504; Ov. Met. vii. 365; Pomp. Mela, ii. 7.) The site of ancient Ialysus is still occupied by a village bearing the name Ialiso, about which a few ancient remains are found. (Ross, Reisen auf den Griech. Inseln, vol. iii. p. 98.) [ L. S. ]