The Parnassos Literary Society was founded on June the 24th, 1865, by the four sons of numismatist Pavlos Lambros: Michael, Spyridon, Konstantinos and Dionysios.
The first seat of Parnassos was their father’s house. A few years later, the Society, despite the fact that its founders were still high school pupils, acquired a great renown, which was to a great extent due to the high social status of Pavlos Lambros. It was at his suggestion that the great Greek historian Konstantinos Paparrigopoulos, then rector of the Athens University, accepted to become Honorary President of the Society.
On March the 17th, 1875, Parnassos was recognized, by royal decree, as a legal person. During that first decade of its existence, the Society had already been linked to 80 scientific associations in Greece and abroad.