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Hippos (Hippus, Sussita in Aramaic, Hippum in Latin) was a Greco-Roman city on the Sea of Galilee. It was part of the Decapolis, or Ten Cities, a group of cities in Roman Palestine that were culturally tied more to Greece than to the Middle East. The name Hippos comes from the Greek word for "horse;" the local Aramaic name, Sussita, means "Mare." These names come from the shape of the hill and a ridge to its east, which from above resemble a horse's head and neck.
Hippos was located on a flat mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee. It was probably founded by Greek colonists in the Hellenistic era, in the late third or early second century BC. It is thought that when Jesus mentioned a "city on a hill," he may have been referring to Hippos.
During the Roman period the city was extensively rebuilt, with new temples and a street grid. According to Josephus, Hippos, the major pagan city on the Sea of Galilee, was the "sworn enemy" of Tiberias, the major Jewish city. In Byzantine times the city was gradually Christianized. Four churches were built, including a cathedral which was the seat of a bishop.
Unlike the other cities of the Decapolis, Hippos has not received much attention from archaeologists until recently. The first excavations were only caried out in 2000 by the University of Haifa. The project is expected to continue until 2009.
This information is from the University of Haifa excavation report (http://hippos.haifa.ac.il/generalinfo.html).
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