Sestos

Sestos was an ancient city on the Thracian Chersonese (today Gallipoli peninsula ) on the northern shore of the Hellespont ( Dardanelles ) in the current European Turkey.

Sestos was opposite of Abydos, which was on the Asiatic shore of the Hellespont. Between the two places was 480 BC Xerxes build the bridges of boats across the Hellespont for his campaign against Greece. Alexander the Great began in 334 BC on his army to Asia. Originally Thracian Sestos was inhabited since about 600 BC by Greek colonists from Lesbos. It belonged since 478 BC the Delian Confederacy and joined in the 4th century BC, several times the rule. Especially for Athens he was to secure the grain shipments from the Black Sea is of great importance.

In Greek mythology, Hero and Leander in Sestos and Abydos are located. In Homer it is part of the Trojan territory.