Halys

• A river in Asia Minor, flowing between Paphlagonia and Cappadocia, now Kisil-Irmak: secundum Halyn, Mel. 1, 19, 9; Plin. 6, 2, 2, § 6; 6, 3, 3, § 8: circa Halyn, Liv. 38, 16, 13: Croesus Halym penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim, Cic. Div. 2, 56, 115; cf.: Croeso fatalis Halys, Luc. 3, 272.—Acc.: Halym, also Curt. 4, 11, 3.—
• II A man's name, Stat. Th. 2, 574.—As a surname, Inscr. Grut. 877, 9.

HALYS (Ἅλυς, sometimes Ἄλυς: Kisil Irmak, i. e. the red river), the principal river of Asia Minor, has its sources in the Armenian mountains which form the boundary between Pontus and Armenia Minor, that is, at the point where the heights of Scoedises and Antitaurus meet. (Hdt. 1.72; Strab. 12. p. 546; Dionys. Perieg. 786; Ov. ex Pont. 4.10. 48.) At first its course has a southwestern direction, traversing Pontus and Cappadocia; but in the latter country it turns to the north, and, continuing in a north-eastern direction, discharges itself by several mouths into the Euxine, the latter part of its course forming the boundary between Paphlagonia in the west, and Galatia and Pontus in the east. (Strab. 12. p. 544; Ptol. 5.4.3; Arrian, Peripl. 16.) According to Strabo, the river Halys received its name from the salt-works in its vicinity (pp. 546, 561); but this is probably incorrect, as the name is often written, without the aspiration, Alys (Eustath. ad Dionys. Per. 784). Pliny (Plin. Nat. 6.2), making this river come down from Mount Taurus and flow at once from south to north, appears to confound the Halys with one of its tributaries (Iechel Irmak). According to Xenophon (Xen. Anab. 5.6.9), the breadth of the Halys is at least 2 stadia. At the time of the greatness of the Lydian empire the Halys formed the boundary between it and Persia, and on its banks Cyrus gained the decisive victory over Croesus. (Hdt. 1.53, 75. 84; Justin (Justin. 1.7; Cic. de Div. 2.5. 6; Lucan (Luc. 3.272.) The importance of the river is attested by the fact that Asia is frequently divided by it into two parts, Asia cis and Asia trans Halyn. (Strab. 12. p. 534, 17. p. 840.) Respecting the present condition of the river, see Hamilton's Researches, vol. i. pp. 297, 324, 411, vol. 2. p. 240

(Ἅλυς). The modern Kizil-Irmak, i. e. “Red River;” the greatest river of Asia Minor, rising in the Anti-Taurus range of mountains, on the borders of Armenia Minor and Pontus, and after flowing through Cappadocia and Galatia, and dividing Paphlagonia from Pontus, falling into the Euxine Sea between Sinopé and Amisus. In early times it divided the Indo-European races which peopled the western part of Asia Minor from the Semitic (Syro-Arabian) races of the rest of southwest Asia; and it separated the Lydian Empire from the Medo-Persian (Herod.i. 6).

• the eastern boundary of Croesus' empire: Hdt. 1.6, Hdt. 1.28, Hdt. 1.72, Hdt. 1.103, Hdt. 1.120
• crossed by Croesus: Hdt. 1.75
• its passage a part of the "royal road,": Hdt. 5.52
• crossed by Xerxes: Hdt. 7.26