Katabathron, or the chasm of Lake Kopais - Illustration from Views of Greece by Edward Dodwell

Katabathron, or the chasm of Lake Kopais , is an illustration from the collection Views in Greece from Drawings published by Edward Dodwell in 1821.

The katabathron of Lake Kopais is an impressive natural phenomenon, where the lake's waters mysteriously disappear into underground chasms. This fascinating spectacle has long intrigued locals and travelers, adding a touch of mystery to this fertile region of Boeotia.

The literal transcription of the notice accompanying this plate is reproduced below:

Lake Kopais, which is situated almost in the center of Boeotia, is surrounded by high mountains. The most remarkable are Parnassus, Helicon, Libethron, Tilphousion, and Phoenicicus, which give rise to the lower mountains of Edylion, Akontios, Laphystios, Kyrtonon, and Ptoon. The waters flowing from this great number of heights, as they descend into the intervening plain, form the lake which was known to the ancients as Kopais or Cephissis. The two principal rivers which feed the lake are the Cephissus and the Melas. The former rises at Lilæa in Phocis, and the latter at some distance from the ruins of Orchomenos. The lake is deep only in a few places, and in summer it is almost dry; It is, however, sometimes subject to overflows after heavy rains or when the snow melts on the surrounding mountains.

According to Pliny, the waters of the lake rose above their ordinary level generally once every nine years. It appears that after the flood of Deucalion, art and nature had combined the means to prevent the calamities caused by the overflow of this lake. I refer to the subterranean passages which were formed in Mount Ptoon, through which the superabundant waters or overflow of the Kopais flow into Lake Hyla, and thence into the Euboean Sea. These subterranean passages are now called Katabathra; ancient authors, among others Strabo and Pausanias, mention them. They pass through a limestone rock, which is full of natural caverns and clefts, which Strabo supposes to have been formed by earthquakes. He says that a flood which almost entirely overturned the city of Kopais caused an opening through which the waters of the lake forced a path underground thirty stades in length, at the end of which they fell into the sea near Larymna. The Katabathron of which this geographer speaks is probably the same as that represented in this plate. There are several others in the vicinity, but this is one of the largest. It is situated between the ruins of Akraiphinion and the modern city of Talanda, about nine miles distant from the former. There is seen in the rock a large perpendicular opening of an irregular shape, which, to all appearances, was the spontaneous work of nature, and which appears to be one hundred feet deep. It is easily descended by a winding path which the shepherds follow when they go to seek in this recess coolness and shelter from the burning rays of the sun. At the bottom is a deep pool of clear water, which arises from the waters filtering through the earth; The superabundance of water from this pond then enters a small opening or passage in the rock, and flows into the Opuntian Gulf, after having traveled underground for a space of about four miles. From there, I went to the side of the lake, in order to examine the mouths of the Katabathron, where the water is seen rushing in, and flowing into the rock by three natural openings.