Ithaca
Ithaca, whence Ulysses departed and to which he
returned after an absence of twenty years. Ithaca, Ulysses' kingdom, the seat of his
palace where suitors caroused while he was gone, wooing his wife Penelope who faithfully
and patiently awaited his return. His son, Telemachus, who had in the meanwhile grown to
manhood, likewise awaited his father's return. When Ulysses reached Ithaca he appeared to
his son and with his help annihilated the suitors. Reunited with his wife and son he
reigned again in Ithaca after wandering for twenty years.
So far Ulysses' palace on Ithaca has not been found.Some archaeologists
believe it stood on Mount Aetos, on the west side of the large bay of Ithaca, at the
far end of which is the present town of Vathy, identified as the Homeric city of
Ithaca. This bay is believed to have been the Homeric harbour of Phorcyna, west of
which, 4 km from Vathy, is the Cave of the Nymphs, near which the Phaeacian ship
left Ulysses when it brought him home from Corfu. Ruins of a Mycenaean city and
fortifications with Cyclopean walls have been found on Mount Aetos. Other scholars
locate the Homeric city at the village of Stavros, where excavations conducted by the
University of Ioannina are in progress. The visitor can take guided tours of these sites
and attend re-enactments of episodes of the Odyssey, recitations from the Homeric
epics and performances of plays, dance and music organized by the local government and
cultural societies of Ithaca.
(Provided by the Greek National Tourist Organization, Los Angeles Office)
