Palici
Part of The Encyclopedia of Southern Italy.
Palici (Grk. Palikoi) (sing. Palicus): Gods who presided over the thermal springs and geysers of Palice (Palakia) in Sicily. This pair of brothers also were said to have the power to avenge any broken oaths which were sworn upon their sacred waters. Their shrine was considered a sanctuary for escaped slaves. The Palici are identified variously as sons of Adranus, a local Sicilian fire-god, Zeus and Thaleia, or Hephaestus and Aetna.
It is likely that the Palici were already being worshipped by the native Sikels before the arrival of the Greeks on Sicily. Their shrine was already well-established before their worship was Hellenized. There is evidence to suggest that during its early stages, the shrine at Palice was the scene of human sacrifices.
The Palice shrine centered on a pair of sulfurous thermal springs known as the Deilloi, said to be the “brothers of the Palici.” It was here that men would toss in tablets upon which they had written solemn oaths. If the tablets floated, the oath was considered honest. If they sank, however, it was a sign of dishonesty and perjury. The culprit was said to be instantly struck down with blindness or death.