The Serpent of Kychreus at Kynosoura

Attika · Grekland · Natural site

In the middle of the sea battle a serpent rose among the Greek ships. The Athenians knew it: the hero Kychreus, who never left his island.

The narrow headland of Kynosoura reaches into the strait where the battle of Salamis was fought in 480 BC. According to the Athenian account, in the middle of the fighting a great serpent appeared among the Greek ships, and the crews recognised him: Kychreus, the island's first king, son of Poseidon, who had once killed the dragon ravaging Salamis and had guarded his island in serpent form ever since. That he fought on their side was taken as the explanation for the victory. The Athenians gave him divine honours, held the festival of the Kychreia and raised a hero shrine to him on the island. It is among the oldest Attic legends of a dead man returning to one fixed place.

FAQ

Where is The Serpent of Kychreus at Kynosoura located?

The Serpent of Kychreus at Kynosoura is in Attika, Grekland.

More haunted places in Attika