Σπήλαιο Φερεκίδης

Ferekidis Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Syros-Ermoupoli Municipality 841 00, Greece. From Ermoupoli road to Ano Syros, stay on road 2.7 km, turn right to Richopo. From the hamlet 1.3 km/30 minutes walk, elevation gain 80 m. (37.4689562, 24.9380458)
Open:	no restrictions. [2024]
Fee:	free. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Ferekidis Cave, Syros-Ermoupoli Municipality 841 00, Tel: +30-.
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History

Description

There are several names, or better transliteration for this cave, Σπήλαιο Φερεκίδης (Ferekidis Cave), also Σπηλιά Φερεκύδη (Spiliá Ferekýdi, Ferekidi Cave) and Pherecydes' Cave. The cave is reached on a trail from Richopo after a 1.4 km/30 minutes walk. This short walk is first a normal trail which goes a little downhill. Finally, at the cave, it goes rather steep uphill, almost a climb. It really is very easy climbing, but surefootedness and a head for heights are necessary. Also, you should avoid rainy weather because the rocks get slippery.

According to legend, Pherecydes, a poet, mythographer and philosopher and the teacher of Pythagoras, resided in this cave in the 6th century BC. Actually, very little is known about his life and death. All the facts like that he was a student of Pittacus, or a well-traveled autodidact who had studied secret Phoenician books, are more or less guesses and wishful thinking of historians. But he actually wrote a book on cosmogony, known as the Pentemychos or Heptamychos. He is considered the first writer to use prose instead of verse for philosophical ideas. Most of it is lost, but a long fragment discovered on an Egyptian papyrus, and short fragments preserved in quotations from other ancient philosophers survived.

Pherekydes. Son of Vavyos, theogonic poet and philosopher from the island of Syros. He developed his own cosmological theory which was influenced by Orphic ideas, the theory of Thales, the mythological Theogony of Hesiod and the beliefs of the priests of ancient Egypt. According to him there are 3 cosmogonic elements, Zas, Chronos and Chthonii, 3 Gods who "were eternal", that is, they always existed in the Universe and from them the first divine generation, the so-called "Pentamychus", was born. He wrote in the Ionic dialect. In the 6th century BC, the tyrant of Samos Polycrates extended his rule to Syros as well. Through this rule Pherekydis found himself in Samos where he taught the great Pythagoras. Such was the love and gratitude of Pythagoras to his teacher, that when he was informed of the death of Pherekydis, he did not hesitate to come to Syros to take his body and insist that it be buried in Delos, since the priests at the time regarded him as an atheist and a rebel against the then religion (Ambelas T.). He measured the Sun and is considered the inventor of the first sundial.
SOURCE: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It is a small cave with a round portal opening eastwards towards the sea. There is a single room about 8 m wide and 10 m deep, the ceiling forms a sort of barrel vault, most of the cave is high enough to stand upright. The view is great, on the trail as well as from the cave. Unfortunately, there is a rubbish compactor and landfill at the foot of the hill and loose rubbish, mostly plastic bags, gets blown away and litters the whole area. So the path is quite littered, but the cave is higher up and there is no rubbish here.