Cave Of Euripides
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The Cave of Euripides is a narrow cave, approximately 47 meters deep with ten small chambers, on a hillside overlooking the
Saronic Gulf The Saronic Gulf ( Greek: Σαρωνικός κόλπος, ''Saronikós kólpos'') or Gulf of Aegina in Greece is formed between the peninsulas of Attica and Argolis and forms part of the Aegean Sea. It defines the eastern side of the isthmus of C ...
in the area of Peristeria on the south coast of
Salamis Island Salamis ( ; ) or Salamina () is the largest Greece, Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about from the coast of Athens' port of Piraeus and about west of Athens center. The chief city, Salamina (city), Salamina, lies in the west-facing core of ...
,
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. Its name derives from its reputation since ancient times as the place where the playwright
Euripides Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...
came to write his
tragedies A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsis, or a "pain ...
. The ancient authors
Philochorus Philochorus of Athens (; ; 340 BC – 261 BC), was a Greek historian and Atthidographer of the third century BC, and a member of a priestly family. He was a seer and interpreter of signs, and a man of considerable influence. Biography Philocho ...
and Satyrus described Euripides as a misanthrope who avoided society by lurking in a cave. The second century Roman author
Aulus Gellius Aulus Gellius (c. 125after 180 AD) was a Roman author and grammarian, who was probably born and certainly brought up in Rome. He was educated in Athens, after which he returned to Rome. He is famous for his ''Attic Nights'', a commonplace book, ...
claimed to have visited the "grim and gloomy cavern" during his visit to Athens (Attic Nights XV.20).


Archaeology

In the 1990s, excavations were carried out under the direction of Yannos G. Lolos, Assistant Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the
University of Ioannina The University of Ioannina (UoI; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων, ''Panepistimio Ioanninon'') is a public university located in Ioannina, Greece. The university was founded in 1964, as a charter of the Aristotle University of ...
,
Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...
, in collaboration with the Department of
Palaeoanthropology Paleoanthropology or paleo-anthropology is a branch of paleontology and anthropology which seeks to understand the early development of anatomically modern humans, a process known as hominization, through the reconstruction of evolutionary kinshi ...
of the Greek Ministry of Culture. Finds date from the late
Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
onward. They include stone implements and arrowheads; Mycenaean burials; 5th century BC Attic black glaze pottery; Roman period coins and
votive A votive offering or votive deposit is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally ...
figurines; and jewellery from the Frankish period, generally suggesting its long-term use as a place of refuge and worship. The most notable discovery was a fragmentary black-glaze
skyphos A skyphos (; : skyphoi) is a two-handled deep wine-cup on a low flanged base or none. The handles may be horizontal ear-shaped thumbholds that project from the rim (in both Corinthian and Athenian shapes), or they may be loop handles at the rim ...
dating from the late 5th century BC, with the letters ΕΥΡΙΠΠ, clearly part of the name Euripides, carefully inscribed in letters of the
Hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...
or
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
period. Lolos interpreted the cup as a votive offering to Euripides, confirmation of the devotion his poetry inspired in later periods. Lolos also uncovered the foundations of a small rural sanctuary about 70 meters southwest of the cave, on the trail from the shore. Based on a marble phallus and other finds, he interpreted it as a sanctuary of
Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ...
, the patron god of Greek theatre.


Access

The cave, unsignposted, is located between the settlements of Peristeria and Kolones, about 350 meters northwest of the north end of Euripides Street, up a clear footpath. There is a steel door.


References


The Cave of Euripides on Salamis
, 1996 expedition report, Yannos Lolos

G. Lolas (in Greek).
Important Archaeological Sites, Aristotles' Lyceum And Cave Of Euripides, Found in Greece Archaeologists Say
Embassy of Greece, Washington, DC, 14 January 1997

''New York Times'', January 13, 1997


External links

Euripides Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...
Places in Greek mythology
Euripides Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...
Euripides Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...
Ancient Attica Ancient Greek theatre Landforms of Attica Landforms of Islands (regional unit) Euripides {{Attica-geo-stub