{{Short description|Ancient port of Athens}} {{more citations needed|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox settlement |name = Phalerum |native_name = Φάληρον |settlement_type = [[Neighbourhood]] of [[South Athens]], [[Greece]] |image_skyline = |image_caption = | pushpin_map = Greece | pushpin_map_caption = Location within [[Greece]] |coordinates = {{coord|37|56|1.98|N|23|41|6.85|E|display=inline}} | pushpin_relief =yes }} [[File:Attica 06-13 Paleo Faliro 04 beach.jpg|thumb|Phalerum Bay]] '''Phalerum''' or '''Phaleron''' ({{Langx|grc|Φάληρον}} ''{{Lang|grc-Latn|Phálēron}}'' {{IPA|grc|pʰálɛːron|}}; {{Langx|el|Φάληρο}} ''({{Lang|el-Latn|Fáliro}})'', {{IPA|el|ˈfaliro|}}) was a port of [[Ancient Athens]], 5&nbsp;km southwest of the [[Acropolis of Athens]],<ref>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Athens (Greece) |display=Athens |volume=2 |page=831 |first=James David |last=Bourchier}}</ref> on a bay of the [[Saronic Gulf]]. The bay is also referred to as "Bay of Phalerum" ({{langx|el|Όρμος Φαλήρου}} {{Lang|el-Latn|Órmos Falíru}}'').''

The area of Phalerum is now occupied by the towns [[Palaio Faliro]], [[Kallithea]], [[Moschato]] and [[Neo Faliro]], all of which are part of the Athens agglomeration.

Phalerum was the major port of Athens before [[Themistocles]] had the three rocky natural harbours by the promontory of [[Piraeus]] developed as alternative, from 491 BC.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.hellenicaworld.com/Greece/Geo/en/Faliro.html | title=Faliro |website=www.hellenicaworld.com}}</ref> It was said that [[Menestheus]] set sail with his fleet to [[Troy]] from Phalerum, as did [[Theseus]] when he sailed to [[Crete]] after the death of [[Androgeus (son of Minos)|Androgeus]].<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece'', 1.1.2</ref>

Recently, archaeologists have uncovered what appear to be traces of ancient Athens’s first port before the city’s naval and shipping centre was moved to Piraeus. The site, some 350 m from the modern coastline, contained pottery, tracks from the carts that would have served the port, and makeshift fireplaces where travelers waiting to take ship would have cooked and kept warm.

[[File:Olympias.1.JPG|thumb|right|''Olympias'', a modern reconstruction of an ancient trireme naval ship.]]

The Park of Maritime Tradition, a collection of preserved historic ships, is located at the site. At the southern tip is the permanent anchorage of the armored cruiser ''[[Greek cruiser Georgios Averof|HS Averof]]'' (now a floating museum), which was the admiralty ship of the [[Hellenic Navy]] during the [[Balkan Wars]] and [[World War I]]. Other museum ships include the Hellenic Navy destroyer ''[[USS Charrette (DD-581)|HS Velos]]'' (D16), the old cable ship ''Thalis o Milisios'' (Thales of Miletos)<ref>Formerly the US Army [[Mine planter (vessel)|cable ship]] ''Joseph Henry''</ref> and ''[[Olympias (trireme)|Olympias]]'', a modern reconstruction of an ancient [[trireme]] naval ship.

==Notable people== *[[Demetrius of Phalerum]], orator

== See also == * [[List of ancient Greek cities]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category-inline}}

{{Coord|37.933883|N|23.685237|E|source:kolossus-nlwiki|display=title}}

[[Category:Demoi]] [[Category:Bays of Greece]] [[Category:Ports and harbours of Greece]] [[Category:Geography of Attica]] [[Category:Ancient Athens]] [[Category:Landforms of Attica]] [[Category:Landforms of South Athens (regional unit)]]

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