Ithaca and Kefalonia Fight Over True Homeland of Odysseus

Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster adaptation of The Odyssey has not only introduced millions of cinema-goers to Homer’s epic journey, but has also renewed interest in one of Greece’s longest-running archaeological debates.

In a feature published by The Independent, architect and author Jane Cochrane argues that the film’s release has revived the decades-old dispute over whether the Ionian island of Ithaca or neighbouring Kefalonia was the true homeland of the legendary Greek hero Odysseus.

Drawing on more than 40 years of visiting and researching Ithaca, Cochrane says the island’s archaeological heritage has been overlooked despite discoveries that she believes closely resemble Homer’s descriptions of Odysseus’ palace.

Ithaca’s archaeological evidence

According to Cochrane, the centre of the debate is the archaeological site of Agios Athanasios, also known as the School of Homer, in northern Ithaca.

She recounts how archaeologists Professors Litsa Kontorli-Papadopoulou and Thanasis Papadopoulos from the University of Ioannina began excavating the site in 1994 in search of the palace described in The Odyssey.

Cochrane reports that the team uncovered a Mycenaean-style megaron, stone stairways carved into the cliff and a corbelled well dating to the Late Bronze Age. She writes that the excavators believed the complex could represent the administrative centre—or even the palace—of Homer’s Odysseus.

Competing claims from Kefalonia

The report also revisits the competing theory advanced by British author Robert Bittlestone in his 2005 book Odysseus Unbound.

Bittlestone argued that Homer’s Ithaca was actually the Paliki peninsula on Kefalonia rather than the modern island of Ithaca.

Cochrane rejects that interpretation and cites the work of the late classics professor George Huxley, who concluded that although Odysseus ruled over a wider Ionian kingdom that included Kefalonia and Zakynthos, his royal seat was located on modern-day Ithaca.

Years of neglect

A major focus of Cochrane’s report is the condition of the Agios Athanasios excavation.

She says funding for the archaeological project was withdrawn after researchers announced in 2010 that they may have identified a Bronze Age palace matching Homer’s description.

According to Cochrane, the site has remained largely abandoned since 2011. Protective covers were destroyed during severe storms in 2020 and have not been replaced, leaving important archaeological remains exposed to weather damage and vulnerable to looting. She also says vegetation now threatens parts of the ancient Mycenaean well.

Fresh discoveries

Despite years of limited activity, Cochrane reports that archaeologists examining previously unsorted finds have recently identified roof tiles bearing inscriptions of the name Odysseus.

She also notes that Greece’s Ministry of Culture has recognised Agios Athanasios as a site of hero worship dedicated to Odysseus during the second century BC.

While acknowledging that archaeologists have not conclusively proven the site was Odysseus’ palace, Cochrane argues that the discoveries underline its significance within the Homeric tradition.

Nolan’s film renews international attention

Cochrane concludes that the worldwide attention generated by Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey could provide an opportunity to secure greater recognition and protection for Ithaca’s archaeological heritage.

She argues that Agios Athanasios deserves increased funding, conservation and interpretation for visitors, regardless of whether it can ever be definitively identified as the palace of Odysseus.

With global audiences once again captivated by Homer’s epic, Cochrane says the renewed spotlight could encourage authorities to preserve one of Greece’s most important Bronze Age archaeological sites before further deterioration occurs.

(Source: Jane Cochrane, writing for The Independent)

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