The Fall of Alos occurred in 1201 BC when the Thessalian army of King Podarces invaded Phthia and captured the town of Alos after spirited resistance by its garrison.
As the Phthian king Achilles aggressively expanded his realm into Euboea, his erstwhile peaceful neighbors joined forces against him, hoping to spare their own lands from a similar fate. King Podarces of the Thessalians concluded that battle would decide the crisis, while Achilles' former protector Lycomedes of the Dolopians believed in vindication through conflict. While Achilles was preoccupied with subduing the Abantes in southern Euboea, King Podarces led a large Thessalian army into Phthia and attacked the town of Alos, which was defended by a small force of 543 troops under Sthenelos. Sthenelos, in the spirit of his lord Achilles, opted to fight to the death rather than submit to the invaders without a fight. He deployed most of his troops to face Podarces' main body, but he neglected to adequately guard his rear, from which another Thessalian force planned to attack. Sthenelos was unable to shift his troops to the rear in time to prevent the Thessalians' entry, but his rearguard intercepted the Thessalian flank attack, resulting in two separate battles within Alos. Despite spirited resistance, Sthenelos' main force was overrun, and his rearguard - while successful in inflicting heavy losses on the Thessalians, came to be overwhelmed. Sthenelos recovered from his injuries in time to wound Podarces and then charge into the enemy ranks to die an honorable death, while his garrison was soon overwhelmed. The fall of Alos was a minor defeat for Phthia, and Achilles and his army recaptured Alos that same year, avenging the defeat by destroying Podarces' army.