Pythion or
Pythium was an ancient city of
Perrhaebia in
Thessaly, situated at the foot of
Mount Olympus, and forming a
Tripolis with the two neighbouring towns of Azorus and
Doliche. Pythion derived its name from a temple of
Apollo Pythius situated on one of the summits of Olympus, as we learn from an epigram of Xeinagoras, a
Greek mathematician, who measured the height of Olympus from these parts (ap.
Plut. Aemil. Paul. 15). Games, were also celebrated here in honour of Apollo. (
Steph. B. s. v. Πύθιον.) Pythion commanded an important pass across Mount Olympus. This pass and that of
Tempe are the only two leading from
Macedonia into the northeast of Thessaly. The site is occupied by a modern town of the same name, but virtually no remains of the ancient town have been discovered there. (
Liv. xlii. 53; Plut., Steph. B., ll. cc.;
Ptol. iii. 13; § 42)