Samos: the birthplace of Pythagoras

The Eupalinos Tunnel, an underground aqueduct carved in the sixth century BCE simultaneously from opposite sides of a mountain, remains a masterpiece of ancient engineering that met in the middle with minimal error margin.

A few minutes away, the Sanctuary of Hera, an ancient temple of which only one column stands today, was one of the largest temples ever built in the Greek world.

Continuing, one visits the village of Pythagorio, which takes its name from the celebrated mathematician born on the island in the sixth century BCE.

Toward evening, the vineyards of Samos, cultivated on terraces since antiquity, produce a sweet Muscatel wine celebrated in classical Greek texts.

The engineers who excavated the Eupalinus Tunnel calculated their excavation direction without modern instruments, managing to have the two teams starting from opposite sides of the mountain meet with only a few meters' deviation.

Pythagoras left Samos in adulthood to settle in southern Italy, yet the island still proudly claims the birthplace of antiquity's most celebrated mathematician.