Greeks probably founded Idalion around 1220 B.C, while the cult of Amyklaios Apollo suggests that many of them came from the area of Laconia. The town was divided into three sections - the west acropolis (“Ambeleri”), the east acropolis (“Moutti tou Arvili”) and the lower city between them. The first inhabitants settled on the west acropolis, but the town later expanded northward and eastward, coming to number some 10,000 inhabitants by 500 B.C. A sanctuary dedicated to Aphrodite was located on the east acropolis. The Phoenicians occupied Idalion in around 450 B.C.The city was placed under the rule of the King of Kition and begun to decline.
After the defeat of the Phoenicians by Ptolemy 1st Soter in 312 B.C. Idalion fell under Ptolemaic rule and became a town of little significance in a vast kingdom. It was nevertheless noted as a centre for the production of monumental sculpture with its own individual style that influenced many regions in the island.
The area Idalion is situated in is now known as Dali.