This article is about the cave in Greece. For the Corycian Cave in Turkey, see Corycus.
The entrance to Corycian Cave in Parnassus National Park, Greece
The Corycian Cave (/kəˈrɪʃən/; Greek: Κωρύκιον ἄντρον, romanized: Kōrykion antron)[1] is located in central Greece on the southern slopes of Mount Parnassus, in Parnassus National Park, which is situated north of Delphi. The Corycian Cave has been a sacred space since the Neolithic era, and its name comes from the mythological nature spirits the Corycian nymphs, which were depicted as looking like beautiful maidens and were said to inhabit the cave. More specifically it is named after the nymph Corycia; however, its name etymologically derives from korykos, "knapsack". A modern name for the cave in some references is Sarantavli, meaning "forty rooms" due to the fact that the cave has many caverns that go deep into Mt. Parnassus. The Corycian Cave was used primarily as a place of worship for Pan, the god of the wild, as well as the Corycian nymphs, Zeus, and is also thought to be the ritual home of Dionysus.[2] Also in mythology, Zeus was imprisoned in the Corycian Cave by the monster Typhon.
Today, the Corycian Cave is a notable tourist attraction for those who travel to Delphi. Tourists often hike past the Corycian Cave as they travel on ancient trails up Mt. Parnassus to have a much broader view of the landscape of the Livadi Valley below.
In modern times, the cave has been a place of refuge for the surrounding population during foreign invasions e.g. from the Persians (Herodotus, 8.36) in the 5th century BC, the Turks during the Greek War of Independence, and from the Germans in 1943.
^Κωρύκιον. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.
The CorycianCave (/kəˈrɪʃən/; Greek: Κωρύκιον ἄντρον, romanized: Kōrykion antron) is located in central Greece on the southern slopes of Mount Parnassus...
Hetum I. In the CorycianCave (now Cennet ve Cehennem), 20 stadia inland, says Strabo, the best crocus (saffron) grows. He describes this cave as a great hollow...
Corycia. They were the three Naiads (nymphs) of the sacred springs of the CorycianCave of Mount Parnassus in Phocis, and the patrons of bees. The nymphs had...
Cilician cave", an apparent allusion to the Coryciancave in Turkey. In Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, Typhon is called the "dweller of the Cilician caves", and...
in Attica. The Cave of Pan at Oinoe near Marathon in Attica. The CorycianCave on Mount Parnassus in Central Greece. The Daphni Cave at Daphni Monastery...
Parnassus", and that the victory was cheered by the "Corycian nymphs", who were associated with the Coryciancave on the slopes of Parnassus above Delphi. Plutarch...
of Dodecanese Cave of Trypas Kefalas – near Kefala, Kalymnos Isl, Prefecture of Dodecanese CorycianCave Dirou Cave complex (water cave) – near Areopoli...
referred to the Muses as "Corycides" (or "Corycian nymphs") after a cave on Mount Parnassos, called the CorycianCave. Pausanias referred to the Muses by the...
Hirémy-Hirschl (1898) Young oread, on German porcelain plate (late 19th century) The Cave of the Storm Nymphs by Sir Edward John Poynter (1903) Echo, an Oread (mountain...
hiding on Mount Parnassus. Parnassus was sacred to the god Dionysus. The CorycianCave, located on the slopes of Parnassus, was associated with Hermes and...
and fitted them in their proper places, after stealing them from the Coryciancave where they were being guarded by Delphyne. According to a Roman tradition...
contains finds from the necropolis of Delphi, from houses, from the Coryciancave, as well as several other finds of unidentified origin. Three funerary...
river god Anigros, were believed to cure skin diseases The Corycian Nymphs Coryciancave, Delphi, Phocis daughters of the river god Pleistos • Kleodora...
imprisoning him under Mount Etna.(see CorycianCave) List of sinkholes of Turkey "Cennet Cehennem Mağarası (Heaven and Hell Cave)". Archived from the original...
the most famous, was said to have been inspired by the nymphs of the CorycianCave. His oracles, of which specimens are extant in Herodotus and Pausanias...
sinews from his hands and feet. Disabled, Zeus is taken by Typhon to the CorycianCave in Cilicia, where he is guarded by the "she-dragon" Delphyne. Hermes...
Poseidon gave him the land of Delphi, the Delphian nymphs gifted him the Coryciancave, and Artemis set her dogs to patrol and safeguard the land. Some others...
Lycoreia. Corycia was one of the Thriae nymphs of the springs of the CorycianCave, which was named after her. She was related to the nymph Castalia who...
renal upsets. Greek saffron from the CorycianCave of Mount Parnassus was also of note: the color offered by the Corycian crocus is used as a benchmark in...
and the Arima mountains in Cilicia, near the Calycadnus river, the Coryciancave and the Sarpedon promontory. The b scholia to Iliad 2.783, mentioned...
daughters of the river god Anigros, were believed to cure skin diseases The Corycian Nymphs • Coryceia • Cleodora • Daphnis • Melaina The Cyrtonian nymphs local...
Global Information