Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
11 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
15 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
21 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
22 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Greece Samos Prefecture Pythagoras Cave

Pythagoras Cave

Cave on extinct volcano, once home to famous mathematician Pythagoras.

Samos Prefecture, Greece

Added By
anhie
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Pythagoras’ cave.   http://www.flickr.com/photos/37606287@N00/...
Pythagoras’ cave.   http://www.flickr.com/photos/37606287@N00/...
Stairs leading up to the cave   http://www.flickr.com/photos/37606287@N00/...
Base of Mount Kerkis   http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonsterg/46...
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

On the Greek island of Samos is a cave system that was once home and classroom to famous mathematician and philosopher, Pythagoras. The cave is located on Mount Kerkis, an extinct volcano that forms the second-highest peak in the East Aegean.

Though Pythagoras' theorems have been fundamental to our understanding of mathematics, relatively little is known about the man who first proved that, in a right triangle, a2 + b2 = c2. According to local legend, however, Pythagoras fled to these caves when he was being hunted by the infamous tyrant, Polycrates, around 400 B.C.

During this time, it is believed that Pythagoras inhabited one small cave and used a nearby larger cave as his classroom. One can only imagine the types of lessons Pythagoras taught while living on Mount Kerkis. After all, in addition to being a mathematician, Pythagoras was also the founder of the esoteric religious movement known as Pythagoreanism.

Rooted in both mathematics as well as mysticism, Pythagoreanism has been described as "a philosophical school, a religious brotherhood, and a political association." Though it is known that the Pythagoreans followed many of the religious and ascetic beliefs of their master, much of their practices have been shrouded in secrecy.

Today, most of the caves on Mount Kerkis are open to the public. Visitors can explore the old home of Pythagoras, nearby chapels, as well as a series of stalactites which "holy water" allegedly drips from.

Related Tags

Volcanoes Caves Mathematics Eccentric Homes Repositories Of Knowledge Ecosystems Geology Homes

Know Before You Go

About 3 km from Campos village, located in the Marathokampos region (southwestern Samos). The cave sits at the foot of Mount Kerkis. A nearby nude beach Sitea, overlooks Turkey

Community Contributors

Added By

anhie

Published

November 30, 2009

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.samosguide.com/listingview.php?listingID=128
  • http://www.travel-to-samos.com/page.php?page_id=92
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagoreanism
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagoras
  • http://votsalakia.net/blog/2008/01/27/pythagoras-of-samos/
Pythagoras Cave
Campos, 831 02 Marathokampos
Samos Prefecture, 831 02
Greece
37.726024, 26.600601
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Rock of Kalikatsou

Patmos, Greece

miles away

Cave of Zeus

Kuşadası, Turkey

miles away

Kuşadası

Kuşadası, Turkey

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Greece

Greece

Europe

Places 222
Stories 23

Nearby Places

Rock of Kalikatsou

Patmos, Greece

miles away

Cave of Zeus

Kuşadası, Turkey

miles away

Kuşadası

Kuşadası, Turkey

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Greece

Greece

Europe

Places 222
Stories 23

Related Stories and Lists

Why Beans Were an Ancient Emblem of Death

mathematics

By Anne Ewbank

Related Places

  • Troglodyte dwellings in Iran’s village of Kandovan.

    Kandovan, Iran

    Troglodyte Village of Kandovan

    Modern-day cave dwellers carve elaborate homes out of volcanic debris.

  • The entrance to the Devil’s Well

    Caprarola, Italy

    Pozzo del Diavolo (Devil's Well)

    Was this cave created by Hercules's wrath, the devil, or volcanic activity?

  • Ice stalagmites.

    Tulelake, California

    Crystal Ice Cave

    Each winter this underground cave forms a dazzling ice palace.

  • Mount Banahaw.

    Quezon, Philippines

    Mount Banahaw

    This volcano in the Philippines is believed to have miraculous healing powers.

  • Looking out onto la Civita, the city center, from an ancient grotto in Sassi di Matera.

    Matera, Italy

    Sassi di Matera

    People have been living in the cave houses on this Italian hillside since the Neolithic era.

  • Narusawa Ice Cave

    Narusawa-mura, Japan

    Narusawa Hyoketsu (Ice Cave)

    A 70-foot-deep ice cave formed by lava from Mt. Fuji on the edge of Japan's "Suicide Forest." 

  • The aptly named Giant Rock.

    Landers, California

    Giant Rock

    A regular looking rock with an unbelievable history.

  • Quetzalcoatl’s Nest

    Naucalpan, Mexico

    El Nido de Quetzalcóatl

    An Aztec snake god has taken the material form of an apartment complex.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.