HALAESA

halaesa, an ancient town on the north coast of sicily, about 14 m. e. of cephaloedium [cefalu], to the east of the modern castel di tusa, founded in 403 b.c. by archonides, tyrant of herbita, whose name it sometimes bore: we find, e.g. _halaisa archonida_ on a coin of the time of augustus (_corp. inscrip. lat._ x., berlin, 1883, p. 768). it was the first town to surrender to the romans in the first punic war, and was granted freedom and immunity from tithe. it became a place of some importance in roman days, especially as a port, and entirely outstripped its mother city. halaesa is the only place in sicily where an inscription dedicated to a roman governor of the republican period (perhaps in 93 b.c.) has come to light. (t. as.)