PALLE´NE
PALLE´NE (
Παλλήνη,
Hdt. 7.123;
Thuc. 4.120; Scyl. p. 56;
Strab. vii. p.330, x. p. 447, xii. p. 550;
Ptol. 3.3.13; Procop.
Aed. 4.5;
Steph. B. sub voce Pomp. Mela, 2.2.9;
Plin. Nat. 4.17: Eth.
Παλλήνιος), the westernmost of the three headlands of Chalcidice, which run out into the Aegean.
It is said to have anciently borne the name of
PHLEGRA (
Φλέγμα, Herod.
l.c.), and to have witnessed the conflict between the gods and the earthborn Gigantes. (
Pind. N. 1.100,
Isthm. 6.48;
Apollod. 1.6.1; Lycophr. 1408;
Strab. vii. p.330;
Steph. B. sub voce Heyne (
Annot. in Apollod. l.c., comp.
Dissert. de Theog. Hes. in Com. Gott. vol. ii. p. 151), who has identified these burning plains with Pallene, observes, without mentioning any authority, that the very aspect of the spot, even at the present day, proves the agency of earthquakes and subterranean fires; this statement is not confirmed by modern travellers: on the contrary, Dr. Holland states that the peninsula is, in part at least, of primitive formation, and this is confirmed by Virlet (
Expèdition Scientflque de Morée, p. 37, 1839) in his general view of the geological structure of continental Greece. (Daubeny,
Volcanoes, p. 334.)
The modern name of the peninsula is
Kassdndkra, which, besides affording excellent winter pasture for cattle and sheep, also produces
[p. 2.536]an abundance of grain of superior quality, as well as wool, honey, and wax, besides raising silkworms. (Leake,
Northern Greece, vol. iii. p. 163.)
A list of the towns in Pallene is given under
CHALCIDICE [
E.B.J]
