Pentelicus

Pentelikon, formerly Brilessos or Brilettos (the name Pentelicus does not appear until Pausanias in the second century AD)

103254766-105375.jpg103254766-105376.jpg

A mountain, 3,638 feet above sea level in Attica (eastern Greece), ten miles northeast of Athens. The name is derived from the district (demos) of Pentele at the foot of the southwestern slopes. The mountain was famous for its white marble, which was first worked shortly before 500 BC and thereafter was used for most of the chief buildings and sculptures of Athens. The ancient quarries, which can still be seen, are mostly on the south side; their modern counterparts lie both to the south and the north. Another product of the mountain was honey. A sanctuary of Athena stood on the summit, and a cave dedicated to the Nymphs has been discovered lower down.