For those who don’t recall their Homer, Odysseus was the cunning king of Ithaca and the central figure of the Odyssey, Homer’s epic account of a ten-year voyage to return home after the Trojan War. Famous for blinding the Cyclops, resisting the Sirens, and devising the ruse of the Trojan Horse, Odysseus has come to symbolize intelligence, perseverance, and the yearning for home. His island kingdom- long debated among scholars- is most commonly identified with today’s Ithaca.
New and significant insights into Ithaca’s historical and cultural evolution have emerged from a research program by the University of Ioannina at the major archaeological site of Agios Athanasios- also known as the “School of Homer”- in the northern part of the island, which is also known as Ithaki. The program, ongoing since 2018, focuses on managing, further documenting, and presenting findings from earlier systematic excavations (1994–2011) directed by the late Associate Professor Litsa Kontorli-Papadopoulou and Professor Emeritus Athanasios Papadopoulos. The current phase is led by Professor Emeritus Giannos G. Lolos, with key contributions from Dr. Christina Marambea of the University of Ioannina.
Fragment of pottery from excavation. Credit: EUROKINISSI
The site- referred to as the “School of Homer” since the early 19th century- is centered on a rocky formation on the eastern slopes of Exogi, in an area rich in freshwater springs. The remains span two artificial terraces connected by cut-stone staircases and extend to lower levels. The upper terrace is dominated by the remains of a Hellenistic tower (3rd century BC), while the lower terrace features a large rectangular building.
Evidence of human activity at the site dates back to the Final Neolithic period (late 5th to 4th millennium BC), while Late Bronze Age pottery fragments- dating to the 14th and 13th centuries BC- indicate significant habitation during the Mycenaean era, the period traditionally associated with Odysseus.
One of the most remarkable discoveries is a well-preserved underground fountain or cistern with corbelled stone walls- among the few of its kind known in the Ionian- which likely dates to the Mycenaean palatial phase.
Image of Ithaca harbor. Credit: Eurokinnissi
The settlement appears to have been part of a wider network of 7–8 Mycenaean sites in northwestern Ithaca, suggesting it may have been the core of a regional center during the Late Bronze Age.
Finds from later periods include ritual basins, over 30 clay votive offerings, spindle whorls, gold and bronze jewelry, and more than 100 coins from cities across the Hellenistic and Roman worlds- evidence of sustained activity and pilgrimage.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS AT THE ODYSSEION OF ITHACA. Credit: Press Office, Ministry of Culture / EUROKINISSI
Of particular note are 14 stamped roof tiles and inscribed fragments, one of which bears the name [OD]YSSEUS and another a dedication likely reading ODYS[SEI] (“to Odysseus”)- indicating formal cult worship of the hero. A miniature bronze bust of Odysseus, consistent with his depiction on 4th–3rd century BC Ithacan coins and Roman-period portraits, supports the identification of the site as a sanctuary.
Taken together, the evidence points to the identification of the site as the Odysseion- a hero shrine dedicated to Odysseus, referenced in a 2nd-century BC decree from Magnesia in Asia Minor, which also mentions the Odysseia, athletic and cultural games held in his honor.
Nearly a century after a votive inscription reading “EUKHEN ODYSSEI” (“a vow to Odysseus”) was found in a fragment from the Polis Bay cave, these new finds confirm that worship of the hero persisted well into the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The architectural, epigraphic, and ritual material reveals a sanctuary of major local and regional significance- one that helped embed the legend of Odysseus into the religious and civic life of ancient Ithaca.
