Readers of Homer’s Odyssey have long imagined Odysseus’s hometown of Ithaca as a separate island. However, two scholars suggest this conventional belief is incorrect, positing that Ithaca is actually a peninsula on the Greek island of Kefalonia.

Professor James Diggle from the University of Cambridge and Professor John Underhill of the University of Aberdeen argue that Homer never depicted Ithaca as an island.

Instead, the epic poet consistently employed Greek terminology meaning “land,” “homeland,” or “territory” to describe Ithaca, even in contexts that have historically been interpreted as indicating it was surrounded by water.

“While Homer frequently mentions Ithaca, he never designates it as an island,” states Professor Diggle.

“Rather than using the term ‘island’ (νῆσος/nisos), Homer and his characters opt for terms like ‘land’ (γαῖα/gaia), ‘homeland’ (πατρίς/patris, πατρὶςαἶα/γαῖα/patrisgaia), and ‘region’ (δῆμος/dimos). Even the word νῆσος could easily fit within the poem’s structure.”

Homer introduced the notion of Ithaca’s δῆμος, a term that recurs in his poetry, notably when Odysseus returns to his homeland after a ten-year journey.

At that moment, a sailing vessel neared the land.

Forcis Bay is located in Ithaca.

Old man of the sea: it has two capes…

“Though this translation suggests that Ithaca might be an island, Homer’s original wording indicates:Ithaca’s δῆμος is home to Forchis Bay,” implying that Ithaca is indeed part of the land the ship approaches.

The scholars claim that the larger island referred to is Kefalonia, particularly its western peninsula, Paliki, identified as the realm ruled by Odysseus as the leader of the Cephalenians.

The idea was first put forth by researcher Robert Bittlestone in his 2005 book Odysseus Unbound, asserting that Paliki aligns perfectly with Homer’s depiction of low-lying terrain adjacent to three other named islands, a description that does not apply to the contemporary mountainous island now referred to as Itaki.

The challenge was that Paliki had to function as an independent island, once separated from the rest of Kefalonia by a channel that was subsequently filled by ancient earthquakes and landslides around 1200 BC.

Professor Underhill dedicated two decades to investigating this theory through geological surveys, ultimately concluding that the waterway no longer exists.

Two reinforcing lines of evidence emerged: geological findings and linguistic analysis.

Recent excavations at Paliki, including a site named Livadi Swamp, posited as Odysseus’s port, have yielded substantial evidence that it was a significant Bronze Age locale.

“We confidently integrate geoscience, Homeric texts, and writings from Strabo to provide a coherent explanation aligning with Robert Bittlestone’s foundational concept that Paliki is indeed the location of Homer’s Ithaca,” asserted the researchers.

For more detailed insights, refer to their published paper in the online journal Antigone.