PANGAION, MOUNT

also spelled Pangeon, Pangaeum, Pangaeos, or Pangaios, Modern Greek Pangaon ros, mountain, at the mouth of the Struma River, northeastern Kavlla noms (department), Macedonia, Greece. Its highest point is 6,417 feet (1,956 m). The upper slopes are formed by fracturing of marble rock; gold and silver mineral deposits are found at lower elevations. It is rich in forest and streams and is surrounded by the fertile alluvial plain of the Struma, on which crops such as tobacco, cotton, rice, and olives are cultivated intensively. In ancient times, the peak was the home of a cult of Dionysus. The ancient Thracians exploited its gold and silver, trading their metals for goods supplied by the Amphipolitans and Neapolitans. Its famed wealth led to constant strife in the region, however, until Philip II of Macedon gained control in the 4th century BC. Situated on the east side of the mountain are the monastery of Eikosiphoinssis, containing some ancient manuscripts, and the church of Zoodochos Pighi, founded in the 6th century AD. The usual base for the ascent of Mount Pangaion is either of the towns of Elevtheroupolis or Pravion.