Grotte corycienne du Parnasse (grotte de Pan et des Nymphes)

Delphes (mont Parnasse)

High on Mount Parnassus, above Delphi, opens a very large cave surrounded by fir trees. The Greeks called it the Corycian cave and held it sacred. Pausanias, in the 2nd century AD, writes that it is consecrated to the Corycian nymphs and above all to Pan, and that he saw nothing more worthy of a visit. A French excavation led by Pierre Amandry, around 1969-1971, found there potsherds, iron and bronze rings, small bronzes and bone flutes. It also yielded terracotta figurines and more than 20,000 knucklebones of sheep and goats, the number of which varies according to the sources, between 22,000 and 25,000. The knucklebones probably served for divination. The notice of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Phocis dates traces of use and worship from the Neolithic. The academic Jennifer Larson places the first offerings and literary allusions in the 7th century BC and the most intense use around 550-350 BC. Nine inscriptions from the cave attest the cult of the Nymphs and Pan. During the Persian invasion of 480 BC, the inhabitants of Delphi took refuge there. Larson also suggests libations of honey, but this is a hypothesis.

Éphorie des antiquités de Phocide — la grotte corycienne (SearchCulture.gr) ↗

Getting there: About 11 km from Delphi, on Mount Parnassus, by a path of the European E4 network (about 4 hours on foot from Delphi) or by a tarmac road close to the entrance. The cave is not lit: a powerful torch is needed. These details date from 2021 according to showcaves.com and have not been rechecked. Coordinates taken from showcaves.com.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound