Is the Island of Ithaca in ‘The Odyssey’ a Real Place?

In "The Odyssey," composed by Homer in the seventh century B.C., the Trojan War hero Odysseus embarks on a grueling 10-year journey to return to his kingdom on the Greek island of Ithaca.

Although a real island called Ithaca exists in the Ionian Sea, discrepancies found between the island described in Homer’s epic and the modern island have led scholars to question whether Odysseus’ homeland actually exists.

In "The Odyssey," Homer describes Ithaca through Odysseus’ eyes. Slightly different translations exist, but most share these common ideas:

• Ithaca is close to three other islands. • It is low-lying. • It is the farthest island out to sea facing west. Some scholars point out that these descriptions of mythological Ithaca do not align with its modern-day counterpart, also known as Ithaki. Modern Ithaca is mountainous, not low-lying; its neighboring islands don’t exactly match Homer’s descriptions; and it is not the westernmost island in the group—that distinction belongs to Cephalonia. These geographical inconsistencies have fueled competing theories.

One idea, championed by archaeologist Wilhelm Döerpfeld (1853–1940), posits that Homeric Ithaca is actually the island of Lefkada, located north of Ithaca. This is based on an interpretation of Homer’s words that states Ithaca is the farthest out to sea to the north, not west.

Other scholars have held that Odysseus' home was Cephalonia, given its westernmost location. Or, as author Robert Bittlestone (1952–2015) argued in 2005, Odysseus lived on Paliki, a flat peninsula on the western coast of Cephalonia.

Bittlestone believed that Paliki was once separated from Cephalonia by a narrow marine channel, making it an island in its own right during the late Mycenaean period—the era in which Odysseus’ story is traditionally set. Subsequent geological research suggests that such a channel might indeed have existed around the 12th century B.C. Bittlestone also located multiple sites on Paliki that could fit Homer’s descriptions of Ithaca.

Not everyone is convinced by these alternatives. Tim Severin (1940–2020), a British explorer and historian, investigated the sailing routes described in "The Odyssey," attempting to match Homer’s descriptions with actual landmarks. His work argues against both Lefkada and Cephalonia, and suggests modern Ithaca is Homer’s intended island.

Archaeological evidence and ancient inscriptions suggest that inhabitants of the region have believed Ithaca to be Homer’s intended location since antiquity. And coins depicting Odysseus suggest he was worshiped as a hero on the island by at least the third century B.C.

Archaeologists have scoured the island looking for evidence that ties it to Homer’s epic and have found several promising leads. This includes a Mycenaean-era stone cistern, featuring stamped roof tiles that bear traces of Odysseus’ name, and ruins of a large complex of buildings that might have been a Mycenaean palace.

Ithaca is real, but whether Homer's poetic island vision corresponds precisely to today's Ithaca remains unresolved. What is certain, however, is that the island’s inhabitants embraced Odysseus as part of their heritage, weaving the hero and his exploits into their collective identity for generations.