In Antiquity

Athenaion
Al'ma-Kermen
Bulganak
Gurzufskoye Sedlo
Dandake
"Ancient Chersonesos"of Strabo
"Another Harbor of the Chersonesites"
Eupatorion
Kalos Limen
Kara-tobe
Kerkinitis
Kermen-kyr
Kermenchik
Ktenous
Lagyra
Lampas
Napites
Neapolis
Palakion
Roman strongholds
The Sanctuary on the Isthmus of the Saki Lake
Symbolon Limen
"Walls"
Ust'-Al'ma
Chabaioi
Charax

In the Middle Ages

 
Palakion

In Strabo's (I century BC - I century AD) words, the great Scythian king Skilouros ordered Palakion to be built for the purpose of struggling with the Greeks. May he call the fortress in honor of his son Palakos? There is a gravestone of some citizen of Chersonesos who was killed at the walls of Palakion in that violent time being probably a participant of the wars of Diophantos. That is, in fact, all we know about Palakion.

However, may the name of Palakion be related to the "Napians", one of the legendary Scythian tribes? As the great ancient historian Diodor of Sicily put it, "...according to the Scythian legends, once a maiden, who was born by the Earth, appeared among them. The upper part of her body up to the waist was female, and the lower part was of snake. Copulated with her, Zeus produced a son, Scythian by name, who exceeded all his predecessors' glory and called the people Scythians after his name. Among the descendants of this king were two brothers recognized by their valor: one was called Palos, another Napos. They made glorious feats and divided the kingdom between them, and the peoples were called from their names: the Palians and the Napians. After a short time, descendants of these kings who were recognized by the bellicosity and strategic talents, conquered a large country behind the river of Tanais (Done) to Thracia (the territory of modern Bulgaria) and, having directed the military operations at the other side, spread their power to the Egyptian river of Nile..." (Diod. Bibl. 2. 43. 3-4).

According to Plinius, later on started an internal conflict, in result of which the Napians were devastated either by the Palians or by the other Scythian tribes.

Palakion probably was the name of one of the three Late Scythian strongholds, Kermenchik, Kermen-kyr, or Bulganak.


© N. Khrapunov.


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