In
Greek mythology, Oeta is chiefly celebrated as the scene of
Heracles' death and funeral pyre. The remains of a 3rd-century BC
Doric temple dedicated to Heracles and his funeral pyre (Πυρὰ Ἡρακλέους), as well as an altar and ruins of adjacent buildings, still survive at the entrance of the Katavothra plateau at a height of 1,800 m, near Pavliani. The temple complex remained in use until late
Roman times. The ruins of the medieval town of
Siderokastron are located to the east of the village. With the establishment of the independent
Kingdom of Greece, on 20 April 1835 Pavliani became the seat of the Municipality of
Rodontia (Δήμος Ροδοντίων) of the
Phocis and Locris Prefecture. The municipality comprised the nearby villages of Gardikaki (
Oiti),
Sklithraki, and
Koumaritsi. The village was also the site of the
Battle of Pavliani on 3 June 1943, by the forces of the
Greek Resistance against an Italian army column. A monument dedicated to the fallen of the battle stands at the entrance of Kato Pavliani. Pavliani remained an independent community until the
2011 local government reform, following which it is part of the municipality of
Lamia, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 38.468 km2. Population was 498 in the 2011 census, of whom 367 in Ano Pavliani and 131 in Kato Pavliani. == Population ==