The center of Homeric (Mycenaean) Ithaca, as everything seems to indicate, is located in southeastern Cephalonia (Kefalonia) and the "talking stones" have now been found.

Aerial photograph of a section of the Mycenaean-period processional road that connected the settlement center with the city’s necropolis in the area of Riza, Tzannata (SE Cephalonia – Heraeum plain). Excavation by Dr. Antonis Vasilakis, Honorary Ephor of Antiquities, former Ephor of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of Cephalonia, Ithaca, Zakynthos. Photo: Kostas Koklanos.

The evidence of Homeric topography as recorded in the Odyssey confirms that the center of Homeric Ithaca - as everything shows- located in SE Cephalonia and not on modern Ithaki, nor on Lefkada, nor on the Paliki peninsula, nor in any other part of Cephalonia, nor elsewhere.

The main reasons that led the ruling class of the Cephallenians in the Mycenaean period to choose SE Cephalonia as the administrative seat of their insular kingdom will be analyzed below.

Dedicated to all our fellow rowers, and especially to the memory of all those who “departed” along the way. Text & Copyright: Hettie Putman Cramer & Makis Metaxas

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Introduction

The purpose of this post—regardless of what you may have read in our earlier writings on the topography of Homeric Ithaca—is to provide the reader with the opportunity to evaluate, with their own knowledge and judgment, those passages of the Homeric epics that record the geographical position of Homeric Ithaca in relation to its wider surroundings, and to agree or disagree with our position that the center of Homeric Ithaca lay in SE Cephalonia.

Let us therefore turn to the matter itself.

Suppose you have not yet formed an opinion about where the center of Homeric Ithaca was located in Mycenaean times; or perhaps you have not had the time to study Homer’s descriptions in detail; or perhaps you have read them and already formed your own view; or finally, you may be one of the many who are completely confused by the multitude of theories about Homeric Ithaca. And suppose someone were to ask you:

• Where would you estimate—according to your own logic—that the center of Homeric Ithaca ought to have been located in the Mycenaean era? 
• Should it have been on Lefkada? 
• On modern Ithaki? 
• On Cephalonia? And if so, where exactly—on its western side, in its center, along its southeastern shores, or in the north?

If you were one of these people, what answer would you give?

Είναι ο μνημειώδης ηγεμονικός θολωτός τάφος των Τζαννάτων στην Ν.Α Κεφαλληνία ο τάφος του Οδυσσέα;

 Αεροφωτογραφία του μνημειώδους θολωτού τάφου των Τζαννάτων που ανέσκαψε ο αρχαιολόγος Δρ. Λάζαρος Κολώνας  την διετία 1992-1993 (Φωτ. Λάζαρος Κολώνας) 

Text : Hettie Putman Cramer & Makis Metaxas

Από την εποχή που εντοπίσαμε (3/9/1991) τον μνημειώδη θολωτό τάφο της μυκηναϊκής περιόδου στην θέση Μπούρτζι - Ρωγός στα Τζαννάτα Πόρου στην Ν.Α Κεφαλληνία στα πλαίσια της στοχευμένης  έρευνάς μας [1] για την θέση που θα πρέπει να βρισκόταν το άστυ της ομηρικής Ιθάκης και σε συνδυασμό με το περιεχόμενο των πρώτων επιστημονικών ανακοινώσεων που έγιναν μετά την ανασκαφή του μνημείου (1992-1993) από τον αρχαιολόγο Δρ. Λάζαρο Κολώνα και των όσων ακολούθησαν μέχρι σήμερα αιωρείται ένα καθοριστικό ερώτημα κρίσεως: 

Searching for the exact location of "clearly-seen" Ithaca, the capital of Odysseus’ Mycenaean island kingdom in Western Greece.

Dedicated to our friends, Eric & Susanne Metaxas. 

Text & Copyright: Hettie Putman Cramer & Makis Metaxas

Introduction

The search for Homeric Ithaca and the controversy over whether it could be definitely identified with the Ithaki of historical times appears to date back to very early in the historical era. Of the ancient writers, Strabo (C 454) is the one who tells us most about the doubt in the minds of the geographers and historians of antiquity when he says:

«Ού γάρ ευκρινώς αποδίδωσιν ο ποιητής ούτε περί της Κεφαλληνίας ούτε περί της Ιθάκης και των άλλων πλησίον τόπων, ώστε και οι εξηγούμενοι διαφέρονται και οι ιστορούντες.»

" For the poet [sc. Homer] does not express himself clearly concerning either Kephallenia or Ithaca or the other places nearby, with the result that both commentators and historians disagree with one another ". 

.

Lifting the veil that covered "lost" Αsteris; the "ghost island" of Homeric topography.

Dedicated to our children Ody, Phillip and Anna
Text & Copyright: Hettie Putman Cramer & Makis Metaxas

ASTERIS, 

‘THE ISLAND OF THE SUITORS’

There is a rocky island in the middle of the sea, 
[midway between Ithaca and rugged Samos,]* 
called Asteris. It is of no great size, but it has safe harbours, one on each side; 
and there the Achaians set their ambush [for Telemachos] and lay in wait.   (Od. 4.844-847)

ἔστι δέ τις νῆσος μέσσῃ ἁλὶ πετρήεσσα,
[μεσσηγὺς Ἰθάκης τε Σάμοιό τε παιπαλοέσσης,]*
Ἀστερίς, οὐ μεγάλη· λιμένες δ᾽ ἔνι ναύλοχοι αὐτῇ
ἀμφίδυμοι· τῇ τόν γε μένον λοχόωντες Ἀχαιοί.        (Od. 4.844-847)

The quest for Homeric Ithaca usually starts with what is theoretically the thorniest problem of Homeric geography, which has to do with the existence and precise position of the islet of Asteris. It is the island where the suitors vying for the throne of Ithaca spent twenty-eight days lying in wait for Telemachos with the intention of killing him on his way back from Pylos.

[ἐν δήμῳ Ἰθάκης].Στα βήματα του Οδυσσέα του Τηλέμαχου και του Εύμαιου (μέρος 2ον)

Ο Οδυσσέας, ταπεινός ζητιάνος, πιάνει το χέρι της περίλυπης Πηνελόπης. Πίσω της ο Τηλέμαχος και δύο γέροντες, ο Λαέρτης και ο Εύμαιος
 («Μηλιακό» ανάγλυφο π. 460-450 π.Χ(Εικόνα από το βιβλίο «ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΜΥΘΟΛΟΓΙΑ Θεοί & Ήρωες – Τρωικός πόλεμος – Οδύσσεια» της Σέρβη Κατερίνας)

Αφιερωμένο σε όλους τους φίλους και συνεργάτες μας που ιχνηλατήσαμε μαζί τους αυτά τα μονοπάτια και μοιράστηκαν μαζί μας σκέψεις ιδέες και συναισθήματα.
Text & Copyright: Hettie Putman Cramer & Makis Metaxas  

ἄστεος ἐγγὺς

Πρόλογος 

Σε προηγούμενη ανάρτησή μας που αφορούσε το  πρώτο μέρος της Ομηρικής τοπογραφίας για τα "εν δήμω Ιθάκης" http://homericithaca.blogspot.gr/2017/01/1.html  είχαμε γράψει χαρακτηριστικά οτι στις αναφερόμενες  στο έπος πεζοπορικές διαδρομές κρίνεται σε μεγάλο βαθμό η αξιοπιστία της Ομηρικής τοπογραφίας και ιδιαιτέρως για την πιθανολογούμενη αληθή σχέση της με το γεωμορφολογικό περιβάλλον της Ν.Α Κεφαλληνίας εκεί όπου για αρκετά χρόνια τώρα εξελίσσεται μια διεπιστημονική έρευνα για την ταυτοποίηση του σπουδαίου μυκηναϊκού κέντρου που έχει εντοπίσει η αρχαιολογική σκαπάνη από το 1991.

Τhe world famous lake-cave "Melissani" on Kefalonia: Τhe mysterious "Cave of the Nymphs", one of the unmistakable landmarks in Homeric Ithaca's landscape.

Athena: "But come now, to convince you I will show you the land of Ithaca... This is the spacious, vaulted grotto … where  was the dwelling of the “bees” [soul](Od. 13.344 - 351) 

ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε τοι δείξω Ἰθάκης ἕδος, ὄφρα πεποίθῃς...τοῦτο δέ τοι σπέος ἐστὶ κατηρεφές, … ἔνθα … τιθαιβώσσουσι μέλισσαι....  (Od. 13.344 - 351) 

The lake - cave of "Melissani" at Kefalonia (Karavomylos, Sami).One of the most beautiful lakes in the world !!!  Homer’s famed "Cave of the Nymphs", one of the distinctive landmarks that Athena conjures up to convince Odysseus that he is back in his homeland after twenty years away from Ithaca.(Od. 13.344-351)

Dedicated to our good friend, the historian Dr. Petros Petratos.
Text & Copyright: Hettie Putman Cramer & Makis Metaxas

Necessary reminder.

Before reading the following text, for better understanding, it is imperative to read as an introduction to the previous post: 

http://homericithaca.blogspot.gr/2016/02/the-talking-pictures-of-homeric_24.html

      When Odysseus arrives back in his homeland and Athena appears to him, he does not recognize her. So what does she do to persuade him that he really is back in Ithaca? She "scattering the mist to reveal the land’" and Athena shows him two of the most unmistakable landmarks of his homeland, which anyone who was familiar with them could not fail to recognize.

The ‘talking pictures’ of Homeric topography

     Text & Copyright: Hettie Putman Cramer & Makis Metaxas

       It is a fact that the reliability of Homeric topography has  been called in question since the early years of the historical era, and the argument still rages unabated today. The unending dispute over the authorship, date of origin, composition and subsequent revision of the Homeric epics has not allowed any firm conclusions to be drawn with regard to their dating.

Οι "ομιλούσες εικόνες" της Ομηρικής τοπογραφίας.

             σκέδασ᾽ ἠέρα, εἴσατο δὲ χθών· (Οδ ν 352)                                                                              "σκόρπισε η καταχνιά και φάνηκαν οι τόποι." 

               Text & Copyright: Hettie Putman Cramer & Makis Metaxas

[Αφιερωμένο στον Κεφαλλήνα Νομικό Φώτη Κρεμμύδα, μέγα χορηγό των αρχαιολογικών ερευνών και των πολιτιστικών δράσεων στον γενέθλιο τόπο του.]  

    Είναι γεγονός ότι η εγκυρότητα της Ομηρικής τοπογραφίας αμφισβητήθηκε από τα πρώιμα ιστορικά χρόνια και συνεχίζεται αμείωτη ως τις ημέρες μας. Η διαρκής αμφισβήτηση για την πατρότητα, τους χρόνους της γένεσης, της σύνθεσης ή της ανασύνθεσης των Ομηρικών επών δεν επέτρεψε την εξαγωγή στέρεων συμπερασμάτων καθιστώντας εκ προοιμίου αμφισβητήσιμη την κάθε νέα πρόταση.

Odysseus Kingdom and the location of Homer's Ithaca

 Text & Copyright: Hettie Putman Cramer & Makis Metaxas

Myceanaean  Greece 1250 B.C

The search for Homer’s Ithaca and the controversy over whether it could be definitely identified with the Ithaki of historical times appears to date back to very early in the historical era. Of the ancient writers, Strabo (C 454) is the one who tells us most about the doubt in the minds of the geographers and historians