Why Pili?
Toponymic history of Pili in evia
Until recently, the official name of Pili Evia was Pelion-Pelio (neutral),
but in recent years, the name Pili has prevailed, thus distinguishing it from Pelion of Volos.
There are several versions of the origin of the name. According to one, the name is due to the geographical location of the settlement, a gateway (Pili means gate in Greek) to the Aegean. According to another version, the name is due to the nature of the soil, i.e., clay – mud (clay means “Pilos” in Greek), therefore comes the name of Pili.
Until recently, the official name of Pili Evia was Pelion-Pelio (neutral), but in recent years the name Pili has prevailed, thus distinguishing it from Pelion of Volos.
There are several versions of the origin of the name. According to one, the name is due to the geographical location of the settlement, a gateway (Pili means gate in Greek) to the Aegean. According to another
version, the name is due to the nature of the soil, i.e., clay – mud (clay means “Pilos” in Greek), therefore comes the name of Pili.
From studies that have been done on the Pelasgian language (ancient Greek language) for the area of central Greece by Apostolos Spilios, a researcher of Pelasgian language; he saw that there are words or word connectors, or first – and second syllables of words of Pelasgian origin.
Pe-li-as (a mythical king of Iolkos), Pi-le-as (Argonaut campaign –
Myrmidons – Achilles’s father) Pili (which means forest in the Pelasgian language), for the beautiful rich forest which surrounds our Pili. Ta-la and Talantia the ancient name of Istiaia but also A-Ta-lanti, Atalantos – the coastal location in Pili. Semantically misinterpreted words, which either from a parallax of the verbal type (spelling) or from a linguistic corruption (idiom) have, however, homonymous – phonetic affinity and sometimes conceptual affinity.
The twins of Pelia were born (melas – Pelios but also Pilios by
Homer is characterized as Pileas) where Pilion – Pili of North Evia.
CONCLUSION
Really, what could be the initial reason for the place name of Pili?
How far does it go in the depths of time?
The conclusion we come to is that we cannot limit the origin of the name Pilio-Pilion, only in cases of geomorphology or due to nature of the soil. Besides, Pili, as we will see, was still inhabited from the Mycenaean period, which means that the above cases of the Pelasgian interpretation has a reason to prevail toponymical or the affinity of the name with the well-traveled king of the Myrmidons, Pileas (Peleus).