HALICARNAS'SUS (originally called Zephyria) was one of the Greek cities of Asia Minor, situated on the Ceramic gulf. It was founded by a colony from Thezene, and was one of the cities of the so-called Doric Hexavolis, from which confederacy, how ever, it was eventually excluded.. Halicarnassus was the largest and most powerful of the tides of Carla. aml by its situation and the inaccessible position of its citadel, was reputed a place of great strength: but the people, owing to the enervating inthietke of the climate, were of a weak and effeminate character; and during the Persian conquests, readily yielded to the dominion of the conquerors. During this period (about 500 n.c.), however, a domestic tyrant, Lygdainis. rose to supreme power as a vassal of Persia; and under his descendants the city, without forfeiting the Greek character. or ceasing to cultivate the Greek literature and arts, remained faithful to the Persian interest. Artemisia, the daughter and successor of Lygdamis, actually COID a naval squad ron in the fleet of Xerxes, at the battle of Salamis. Alexander the'treat, provoked by
the obstinacy with which the city held out against him, commanded that it should he destroyed by fire; but the inhabitants took refuge in the citadel,•which successfully resisted his arms. The city was afterwards rebuilt, but it never recovered its ancient importance or prosperity. In the days of the Roman empire, it bad sunk into compara tive political insignificance, its only title to consideration at that time being the cele brated mausoleum, erected iu memory of one of the rulers, named Mausolus, by his sister (who had also been his wife and successor) Artemisia. Haliearnassus was the birthplace of two of the most eminent of the Greek historians, Herodotus and Dionysius. The site of the city is occupied by the modern Boudrouni. For an account of the dis covery of the ancient remains of the city, and of the discntombment of the mausoleum, sec MAUSOLEUM.