The hills are located across a fertile plain from the ancient city of
Philippi, known for the
Battle of Philippi, a Roman-era civil war battle that took place in 42 BC. They are located in the ancient country of
Sintice, between the
Strymon and the
Xiropotamos rivers, and are covered with
oriental plane and
chestnut trees. Towns in the Pangaion hills include
Nikisiani and
Palaiochori, which are mainly agricultural and produce crops such as
grain and
tobacco. The town of Palaiochori contains the ruins of an ancient
castle on a peak overlooking the town.
Gold and
silver were mined in the area in ancient times. The Athenian tyrant
Pisistratus was exiled in the mountains. The rich gold and silver deposits in the region encouraged the Athenians to establish a colony in 465 BC at a site known as the Nine Roads (
Ennéa Hodoí). The colonists were massacred by nearby Thracians and the colony was abandoned, though the Athenians later returned to the area with their colony at
Amphipolis. Pangaion is frequently mentioned by ancient Greek and Latin sources. It was famous for its gold and silver mines, as well as for shipbuilding timber and the oracle of
Dionysus. According to
Pseudo-Plutarch, the mountain range was named after Pangaeus, son of
Ares and Critobule, who
killed himself after accidentally
sleeping with his own daughter. The municipality of
Pangaio is named after this mountain range and the seat of the municipality is
Eleftheroupoli. ==See also==