Σπηλιά Πυθαγόρα

Cave of Pythagoras

Useful Information

Location:	Marathokampos 831 02, Samos. From western end of Kampos Marathokamou follow road inland 3.5 km to restaurant Pythagoras' Cave. (37.7283509, 26.6593376)
Open:	no restrictions. [2024]
Fee:	free. [2024]
Classification:	Cave Church Karst Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	A=300 m asl.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Iamblichus (1818): Life of Pythagoras, London : A.J. Valpy, & the translator T. Taylor. archive.org
Address:	Cave of Pythagoras, Tel: +30-.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

Σπηλιά του Πυθαγόρα (Cave of Pythagoras) or shorter Σπηλιά Πυθαγόρα (Pythagoras' Cave) is a small cave in a narrow gorge. From the coast near Kampos Marathokamou a road leads in serpentines up the gorge surrounded by almost vertical limestone walls. The cave is actually signposted from the coast, it’s a 3.5 km drive on a narrow but paved road. The road crosses the gorge at a hairpin bend and leaves it on the other side; there is a restaurant named after the cave in the bend. There is a small car park and the trailhead of the long staircase to the caves and the cave church. As the staircase was built for worshippers, it leads to the church Παναγιά Σαραντασκαλιώτισσ (Virgin Mary Sarandaskaliotissa) or Παναγιά Φανερωμένη (Virgin Mary Apparition). Sarandaskaliotissa translates "forty steps", so there was probably originally a staircase with 40 steps. A legend say that But this small chapel was built into the entrance of a cave and qualifies thus as a cave church. The cave was painted white for some reason, so it’s easy to keep it apart from the other cave.

Some say there are two caves, which is for most people straight forward, as there is an overhanging cliff with two cave passages. To count caves always in the same way, the speleologists have defined what may be called the same cave and what are separate caves. But there are cases which are nevertheless hard to interpret, and this is obviously one of them. If you say the overhanging cliff is not part of the cave, there are two separate entrances and two caves. But if you define the line of the portal as cave entrance, it separates into two branches inside and is one cave. Wikipedia has used the first interpretation, the speleological definition follows the second.

Be careful inside the bigger cave. There is a railing and behind the railing a vertical shaft follows. The vertical shaft is only for cavers and to enter it requires a permit from the Ministry of Culture. However, be careful and do not enter accidentally.

Walking back down there is a turnoff to the left leading to another small chapel. This one is called Αγίου Ιωάννη Θεολόγου (Saint John the Theologian). It is actually not a cave church, but was nevertheless built on the cliff, the rear wall is the cliff.

Downstairs another bend, there is another turnoff on the left which leads steep uphill to a second cave, which is often called The Real Pythagoras Cave. This is a comment for the fact that the white-painted cave at the church is thought to be the Cave of Pythagoras by many visitors. And the trail to this cave is hardly visible, just a steep footpath, while the way to the church is a comfortable staircase. For this reason, it is completely overlooked by many visitors. In this cave, according to legend, Pythagoras (*580-✝495 BC) found refuge when he was persecuted by Polycrates, the tyrant of Samos. A spring at the site is said to have provided him with drinking water. He is said to have both lived and taught his students there. However, this happened in the 6th century BC, and the whole story is actually a legend. But it was first mentioned by Iamblichus in his De Vita Pythagorica (On the Pythagorean Life). He lived in the 3rd century, so he reported a legend or probably oral history, of events 800 years earlier. There is also another version of the legend, that Pythagoras was chased by supporters of the Milesian philosopher Anaximander (*611-✝547 BC). Some say he hid here because his teachings were secret. And another local legend tells that these caves provided refuge for monks during Arab raids in the Middle Ages.