On the Cave of the Nymphs in the Odyssey Facts for Kids

Porphyry's On the Cave of the Nymphs in the Odyssey (Ancient Greek: Περὶ τοῦ ἐν Ὀδυσσείᾳ τῶν νυμφῶν ἄντρου, Latin: De Antro Nympharum) is an old book by a philosopher named Porphyry. He was part of a group called Neoplatonists. In this book, Porphyry explains a special part of Homer's famous story, the Odyssey. He believes this part is a hidden message, or an allegory, about the universe and the human soul.

Understanding the Nymphs' Cave
- The Cave as a Symbol
- Odysseus' Journey and the Soul
Publication History
See also

Understanding the Nymphs' Cave

Porphyry's book, On the Cave of the Nymphs in the Odyssey, looks closely at lines 102 to 112 from book 13 of the Odyssey. These lines describe a cave on Odysseus' home island, Ithaca.

Here is what the Odyssey says about the cave:

and at the head of the harbor is a slender-leaved olive
and near by it a lovely and murky cave
sacred to the nymphs called Naiads.
Within are kraters and amphoras
of stone, where bees lay up stores of honey.
Inside, too, are massive stone looms and there the nymphs
weave sea-purple cloth, a wonder to see.
The water flows unceasingly. The cave has two gates,
the one from the north, a path for men to descend,
while the other, toward the south, is divine. Men do not
enter by this one, but it is rather a path for immortals.

Porphyry wasn't sure if this cave was real or just something Homer made up. But he said it was important as a symbol, no matter what.

The Cave as a Symbol

Porphyry connected this cave to Plato's allegory of the cave. He also linked it to the Mithraeum, which was a special cave used in a Roman mystery religion for the god Mithras. Porphyry saw the cave as a symbol for the entire world.

Naiads and Water

The Naiads are nymphs linked to flowing water. Porphyry said they were very important to how the ancient Greeks understood the universe.

Bees and Honey

Porphyry also found many links between bees, honey, and Greek ideas. Honey was like nectar, the food of the gods. It was also used in special offerings called libations.

The Two Gates

The two gates of the cave are important. Porphyry connected their positions to the zodiac (star signs) and ancient Greek astronomy. The north gate was for humans, and the south gate was for gods. These gates also related to the north and south winds.

The Olive Tree

An olive tree grew outside the cave. Porphyry linked this tree to Athena, the goddess of wisdom. He thought it was important that the tree was outside the cave (the world) but still very close to it.

Odysseus' Journey and the Soul

Porphyry agreed with another philosopher, Numenius of Apamea. They both believed the Odyssey was a symbolic story about people's journey through genesis. Genesis (Greek: γένεσις) means 'origin' or 'birth'. Porphyry saw the cave of the nymphs as a symbol for how the soul connects to this journey of life, especially at the end of Odysseus' long travels.

Publication History

The original Greek text of Porphyry's book was first printed in 1518 by Janus Lascaris. The first English translation was made by Thomas Taylor in 1823. More recent English versions include one from 1969 and Robert D. Lamberton's translation from 1983.

On the Cave of the Nymphs in the Odyssey facts for kids

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