Palakion (Παλάκιον), according to Strabo, was a Scythian fortress in the steppes of Crimea. The only information about it is from an inscription on the gravestone of a dweller of Chersonesos who died in a battle at the walls of Palakion.
Strabo suggests that Palakion, Chabon (Chabaioi) and Scythian Neapolis were named after sons of Scythian ruler Skilurus (Palakus, in the case of Palakion).
Peter Simon Pallas speculated that the name of Balaklava is a corruption of 'Palakion'. There is no historical evidence to this.
References
- ^ "Palakion", Der Neue Pauly. Herausgegeben von: Hubert Cancik,, Helmuth Schneider (Antike), Manfred Landfester (Rezeptions- und Wissenschaftsgeschichte). Brill Online, 2015. (retrieved 9 September 2015)
- "Palakion", at the website of the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos
- "История Балаклавы".
- Chabaioi (Chabon)
- "Balaklava" at sevastopol.info
- ПАЛАКИЙ, ПАЛАКИОН, город, Toponymic Dictionary of Sevastopol (Топонимический словарь Севастополя), EdwART. 2011.