Legend says that the Greek warrior Odysseus was the king of Ithaca and one of the fighters hidden inside the wooden horse who brought the long battle of Troy to an end.
It all happened about 3,000 years ago and the main source is a story written several centuries later by the Greek poet and author Homer. His work was probably based on stories handed down through the generations.
So was Odysseus a myth – or a man?
A wander around Ithaca provides some fascinating clues – and is a great way of exploring the wonderful small island.
The best place to start is Stavros, the largest village in the northern part of the island. A bust of stern-faced Odysseus takes pride of place in a square, relics from ancient times are in Stavros Museum and there are information panels about Odysseus.
Two sites nearby enable visitors to walk in the footsteps of the king, his wife Penelope and their son Telemachus (if they existed).
On a hillside about a mile out of the village, on the road to Exogi, are ancient ruins known as the School of Homer. Archeologists spent 16 years investigating the site and in 2010 made an announcement that stunned historians: “We’ve found the Palace of Odysseus.”
They claim it is a Mycenean palace from the 8th century BC when Odysseus was said to be king of Ithaca. The location and views “fit like a glove” the descriptions given by Homer.
Visitors can enjoy the views as they climb the broken steps between the terraces, walk through the rooms, see the well, clamber on to what is left of the dressed-stone walls and wonder. Was this where Penelope waved goodbye to her husband as he and his small army set off for Troy – and where she faithfully waited 20 long years for his return?
There’s a model of what the palace may have looked like in Stavros. On the beach just down the road from Stavros on Polis Bay is another intriguing site – a cave which may have been used to worship gods as long ago as four or five thousand years. And there are links to Odysseus too.
The cave is named after Dimitrios Loizos, a man who became rich in the 19th century after finding a hoard of treasure trove there. His discoveries triggered the interest of archaeologists and a series of finds were made in the 1930s. They included engraved shells, stones and tiles that suggested goddesses like Athena, Hera and the Nymphs were worshipped there.
Three findings may link Loizos’ Cave to the island’s legendary king. A number of sections from a mask or bust of a woman are engraved with what may be a prayer to Odysseus.
The remains of a number of finely-made bronze vases with tripod legs dated to the 9th century BC fit the descriptions of treasure Odysseus is said to have taken home from his adventures.
And a 6th century BC clay plate bears the engraved image of a rooster, an emblem of Hermes, messenger of the gods, who legend says was Odysseus’s great grandfather.
Weather damage means that visitors cannot go into the cave but many of the findings are in the island’s museums (see below).
Now to Vathy, the capital, where there is an unusual two-sided statue of Odysseus. On one side a noble king looks out to sea and the future. On the other a weary man is paddling his way home.
Not far away is the “Cave of the Nymphs” where it is claimed Odysseus hid his treasure. It’s signposted and reached along an unmade road and a path, but is not accessible.
About 20 years ago archaeologists found figurines of nymphs and Pan, god of the wild and companion of nymphs, some pots and two rings. In a deeper, second cave the bones of deer were found. It is thought the rings may have belonged to priestesses and that the deer were sacrificed to the gods.
A blocked tunnel that may have led to the beach is another clue. The shape of the two chambers was consistent with Homer’s description of the cave where Odysseus hid his treasure and the tunnel could have been the path from the bay where he landed. Mythology says there were two entrances, one for gods, one for mortals.
Elsewhere on Ithaca, bronze coins bearing the head and name of Odysseus have been found on the highest mountain, Mt Aetos. Clay vessels and fossilised bones in a cemetery were discovered in ruins on the top of remote Pilikata Hill, north of Stavros. That led to a suggestion that the king’s palace could have been there.
The story of Odysseus and the role Ithaca possibly had in ancient Greek history has been the subject of controversy for hundreds of years. The long saga still hasn’t ended.
Museums:
Archaeological Museum of Ithaca
Tuesday - Sunday 08.30 - 15.00.
Closed on Mondays.
Entrance is free.
The museum in Vathy has an extensive collection of finds from prehistoric to Roman times, a small bronze bust of Odysseus and about 1,000 potteries.
Stavros Museum
Tuesday - Sunday 08.30 - 15.00.
Closed on Mondays.
Contains various finds from Northern Ithaca, including the cave at Polis, prehistoric settlements and the Roman era.
Naval and Folklore Museum
Opening times vary.
Exhibits, from tools to furniture, clothes and naval uniforms show how the people of Ithaca lived in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Includes pictures of the earthquake devastation in 1953.
Banner image credit: Arnold Böcklin [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
