Jacques des Courtils and Laurence Cavalier The City of Xanthos from Archaic to Byzantine Times Xanthos is located on the Lycian coast, but not along the sea. Today, the coastline occurs about seven kilometers from the city, as the crow flies. The city is built on rocky heights overlooking the Xanthe River. Because of the alluvium carried by the river, the coastline gradually receded, and in Antiquity, the sea probably was closer to the city, but separated from it by marshland. Although Xanthos was near the sea, it was not a harbor. Located in the middle of the widest part of the Xanthe valley, the city covers about 75 acres. It occupies the southern flank of a large, rocky hill traditionally labeled the "Roman acropolis", which I prefer to call the "upper hill" (435 feet above sea level) . On the southwest, a lower hill (225 feet above sea level) can be seen. It is known today as the "Lycian acropolis", and is the genuine acropolis of the city, in the true sense of that word . Half of the city lies upon a gentle slope on the south and southeastern side of this acropolis. The city, located on a steep cliff overlooking the Xanthe River, is bounded by the river bank on the west, by the north flank of the upper hill on the north, by a small valley on the east, and by a steep slope on the south. The end of the coastal plain, which lay submerged in Antiquity and is still marshy today, reaches the southern foothill. Thus the city could only be approached from the north or the east, where it was protected by the natural slope of the land. According to Herodotus I, 176, the city was occupied by the Persian army in the middle of the sixth century BC. At that time, it was the most important town in Lycia. During the following two centuries of rivalry between the Persians and the Greeks, Xanthos was ruled by a family of so-called "dynasts" until its annexation by the Hecatomnids. In Hellenistic times, Xanthos was controlled first by the Antigonids, and then by the Lagids during the whole of the third century; it then passed to the Seleucids, and finally came under Rhodes's control prior to the liberation of Lycia by the Romans. The Lycian League existed until Roman times. At the dawn of Rome's power, Xanthos was no longer a leading city, but nonetheless remained one of the six major Lycian towns. The Sanctuary of Leto, located three kilometers from Xanthos and administered by the city, still remained the federal sanctuary of the Lycians. In Roman times, Xanthos was a simple provincial city, and was still known as a bishopric at the beginning of the Byzantine era. Today it is hard to imagine what Xanthos looked like in Antiquity . Until recent times, excavation focused on the larger buildings. One can hardly imagine the general layout of the city because of the thick Mediterranean undergrowth which today conceals much of the site. The only visible remains are the city wall, which dates back to several diffferent periods, the Lycian acropolis, clearly isolated from the rest of the town, the Roman baths, theater, and agora, two large Byzantine basilicas, several pillar-tombs which are the main features of the site, and the foundations of the famous Nereid Monument, which also is a tomb, today located in the British Museum. A closer inspection permits us to discern two large perpendicular axes and two large public squares located in the very center of the site: these spaces probably date to later Roman times.