Cave of Euripides, Archaeological cave in Salamis, Greece

The Cave of Euripides is an archaeological site on Salamis Island featuring multiple chambers that extend into the hillside. The cave sits on the south coast of the island and overlooks the Saronic Gulf.

The cave was occupied from the Neolithic period through the 5th century BC, as shown by tools and burials from different eras. Later it became associated with the playwright Euripides, who may have spent time there.

The cave's name comes from the tradition, recorded by Philochorus and Satyrus, that Euripides withdrew here to write. Aulus Gellius wrote that he visited the "grim and gloomy cavern" in the 2nd century AD. Excavators found a black-glaze cup inscribed with the letters ΕΥΡΙΠΠ, read as a votive offering to the playwright.

Access is by a marked footpath between the villages of Peristeria and Kolones that ends at a steel door at the entrance. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes since the path is uneven and the cave interior is rocky and dark.

Excavations in the 1990s uncovered pottery fragments including a piece bearing the playwright's name, suggesting possible religious reverence. Such finds hint that ancient visitors may have left offerings in honor of the famous writer.