Homer's Ithaca

Homer’s Ithaca, Rediscovered

About

In Search of Odysseus and his home of Ithaca

Explore the ongoing search for Odysseus’s true legacy in Kefalonia, where Maki and Hettie's quest turns legend into living debate.

Discover the Story

History

Unravelling Homer’s Ithaca Myth, Memory, and Place

Exploring the Mystery Behind Odysseus’ Legendary Homeland

The Epic Journey

In the 8th century BC, Homer wrote the Odyssey, but the epic’s events are set around 1200 BC after the Trojan War, following Odysseus’ ten-year journey home to Ithaca.

Archaeological Evidence

Finds like Troy, Mycenae, and the Linear B tablets suggest Homer’s stories were based on real places and events, with digs at sites such as Tiryns supporting this link.

Oral Tradition

Homer’s epics are believed to be rooted in historical memory, passed down through generations before being written in the 8th century BC. This means the stories may preserve details from real events, even if mythologized.

Scholarly Debate

For centuries, scholars have debated which Greek locations match those described in the Odyssey. While many real islands and cities fit the geography, no significant settlement has been found that confirms the true Ithaca, which remains undiscovered.

The Epic Journey

In the 8th century BC, Homer wrote the Odyssey, but the epic’s events are set around 1200 BC after the Trojan War, following Odysseus’ ten-year journey home to Ithaca.

Archaeological Evidence

Finds like Troy, Mycenae, and the Linear B tablets suggest Homer’s stories were based on real places and events, with digs at sites such as Tiryns supporting this link.

Oral Tradition

Scholarly Debate

Discovery

Uncovering The Royal Tholos Tomb of Tzannata

Tracing clues that point to a Mycenaean capital beneath Kefalonia’s soil

A Major Discovery

In August 1991, a Royal Tholos Tomb was found in Tzannata, Kefalonia. It is the largest Mycenaean tomb in northwestern Greece and an important archaeological site.

Geography and the Odyssey

Research by Makis Metaxas and his team shows that many locations described in Homer’s Odyssey match features of Kefalonia, lending weight to the idea that this island could be Homeric Ithaca.

Piecing Together the Past

Over centuries, shifting island names and evolving oral traditions have obscured Homer’s original geography. This project shares research and discoveries aimed at revealing the true Ithaca and advocating for the protection of its historic sites.

Explore the ongoing search for Odysseus’s true legacy in Kefalonia, where Makis Metaxas’s quest turns legend into living debate.

Discover the Story