The Cave of Euripides
Encyclopedia
The Cave of Euripides is a ten-chamber cave
in Peristeria
on Salamis Island
, Greece
, and the subject of archaeological
investigation. Its name comes from its long reputation as the place where the playwright Euripides
came for sanctuary to write his tragedies
.
In the 1990s excavations were made under the direction of Yannos G. Lolos, Assistant Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Ioannina
, Epirus
, in collaboration with the Department of Palaeoanthropology of the Greek Ministry of Culture.
onward, including pottery, stone implements and arrowheads; classical 5th century BC pottery; and Roman period pottery, figures, votive items and jewellery, generally suggesting its long-term use as a place of worship. The most notable discovery was a glazed skyphos
dating from the late 5th century BC and inscribed with the partial name of Euripides. In combination with location details described by ancient sources such as Philochoros, Satyros and Aulus Gellius
, this was interpreted as a votive offering to Euripides, and widely reported as confirmation of the site as his sanctuary.
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
in Peristeria
Peristeria
Peristeria may refer to:* Peristeria , a genus of orchids* Peristeria, Drama, a village in the Drama Prefecture, Greece* Peristeria , one of the volcanoes of the Santorini complex...
on Salamis Island
Salamis Island
Salamis , is the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about 1 nautical mile off-coast from Piraeus and about 16 km west of Athens. The chief city, Salamina , lies in the west-facing core of the crescent on Salamis Bay, which opens into the Saronic Gulf...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and the subject of archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
investigation. Its name comes from its long reputation as the place where the playwright Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
came for sanctuary to write his tragedies
Tragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
.
In the 1990s excavations were made under the direction of Yannos G. Lolos, Assistant Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Ioannina
University of Ioannina
The University of Ioannina is a university lying in the plains 5 km southwest of Ioannina, Greece. The campus is linked to the town by Greek National Road 5. It now hosts over 20,000 students in 17 faculties...
, Epirus
Epirus (periphery)
Epirus , formally the Epirus Region , is a geographical and administrative region in northwestern Greece. It borders the regions of West Macedonia and Thessaly to the east, West Greece to the south, the Ionian Sea and the Ionian Islands to the west and the country of Albania to the north. The...
, in collaboration with the Department of Palaeoanthropology of the Greek Ministry of Culture.
Discoveries
Finds dated from the late NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
onward, including pottery, stone implements and arrowheads; classical 5th century BC pottery; and Roman period pottery, figures, votive items and jewellery, generally suggesting its long-term use as a place of worship. The most notable discovery was a glazed skyphos
Skyphos
In classifying the pottery of Ancient Greece, a skyphos 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 , or they may be loop handles at the rim or that stand away from the lower part of the body...
dating from the late 5th century BC and inscribed with the partial name of Euripides. In combination with location details described by ancient sources such as Philochoros, Satyros and Aulus Gellius
Aulus Gellius
Aulus Gellius , was a Latin author and grammarian, who was probably born and certainly brought up in Rome. He was educated in Athens, after which he returned to Rome, where he held a judicial office...
, this was interpreted as a votive offering to Euripides, and widely reported as confirmation of the site as his sanctuary.