Drakodospilos, in the area of St. John Trypate at Karyes village is an interesting monument. Chios has many caves - A. Stefanos records 57 at various parts of the island - all unexplored excepting those at Aghio Galas, Lithi and Olympoi, which have been reconnoitered. Apart from the tremendous impression the natural decoration of this unexplored and virtually inaccessible cavern makes, there is an inscription inside which A. Stefanos read as: "I, the righteous man in desperate sorrow set fire to myself". What it is astonishing is that there is a similar inscription, having the same content and in the same lettering, at four different points of the region, exactly aligned in the west-east orientation, as if the suicide wished to record his act for posterity. |