Halicarnassus
/ˌhælɪkɑːrˈnæsəs/noun
An ancient Greek city on the coast of Caria in southwestern Anatolia, located at modern Bodrum, Turkey.
Did you know?The city’s most famous tomb, built for the Persian satrap Mausolus, was so spectacular that his name became the modern word “mausoleum.”
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Classical Antiquity
Carian
Unknown
“The city’s original Carian name is not securely recoverable; the surviving name is generally treated as pre-Greek or of uncertain origin.”
5th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Ἁλικαρνασσός (Halikarnassos)
“The Greek form of the city’s name, used for the important coastal city in Caria.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
Halicarnassus
“The Latin form adopted for the ancient city.”
Late Antiquity
Greek/Latin
Halicarnassus
“The name continued in historical and geographical writing after the city’s political prominence declined.”
15th Century onward
Turkish
Bodrum
“The settlement became known as Bodrum, a name ultimately associated with the city’s medieval fortress.”
Modern English
English
Halicarnassus
“A historical name for the ancient city, chiefly encountered in archaeology, classical history, and discussions of the Mausoleum.”