Xanthus, ancient city of Lycia, W Asia Minor, in present Turkey. On the Xanthus River, it was besieged and taken by the Persians (c.546 B.C.) and centuries later (c.42 B.C.) by the Romans. Both times the inhabitants destroyed their city before surrendering. Sir Charles Fellows excavated the ruins. Many works of art from Xanthus, such as the archaic sculptured reliefs and the Nereid monument, are now in the British Museum.

or Xanthos

Ancient city of Lycia, Anatolia. Situated near the mouth of the Xanthus (modern Essubcommaen Csubcommaayinodot) River in present-day southwestern Turkey, its ruins include a theatre, temples, and tombs. A number of pieces were taken for the British Museum. The ancient city was twice besieged and destroyed: in 540 BC by the Persians of the Achaemenian dynasty and in 42 BC by the Romans. The ruins were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.

Learn more about Xanthus with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Xanthus (Greek: Ξάνθος Xanthos yellow,blond) may refer to:

In Greek mythology:

• Xanthus is a son of Phaenops who was killed by Diomedes.
• Xanthus is the name of one of Achilles' horses; see Balius and Xanthus.
• Xanthus is the name of one of Hector's horses.
• Xanthus is one of the Mares of Diomedes.
• Xanthus is the gods' name for Scamander.
• Xanthus was a son of Pan who was allied with Dionysus.
• Xanthus was a Theban king, the son of Ptolemy. He was killed by Andropompus or Melanthus.
• Xanthus was the lover of Alcinoe, who left her family to be with him.
• Xanthus was the name of the great river of Troy.
• Xanthus was the son of Erymanthus and father of Psophis.

Xanthus may also refer to:

• Xanthos, an ancient Lycian city.
• Xanthus (historian), a logographer who wrote a history of Lydia.
• Xanthus Russell Smith, an American artist.
• Xanthus, the antagonist in the musical People Are Wrong!.
• Xanthus, the fictional character in Robert Newcomb's fantasy series Blood and Stone.
• Xanthus, the name of Aristotle Bolt's estate in the 1975 Disney movie Escape to Witch Mountain.

References

• Xanthus Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology