Key words: classical tradition, Greek philosophy, idealism, José Saramago’s The Cave, metaphysics, Plato, Platonic images, Plato’s cave, Portuguese literatura, Portuguese novel, José Saramago

The cave by José Saramago has as a certain reference the image of the cave of book VII of Plato's Republic and, however, Saramago is not an idealistic or metaphysical writer. This article, taking advantage of the applicability with which Plato endowed his image, defends the urge to be open to the messages sent by the earth, by matter, the urge not to become prisoners in the golden caves of the Western society and, finally, the urge to find our freedom in Nature, phýsis, and not far or beyond, metá, it.