Homeric Ithaca
In recent centuries many archaeologists and researchers had the opinion that Homer's Ithaca was any of either islands of Cephallonia, Corfu, Paxi, or Lefkada, while a few believed that the ancient island sunk into the sea, or that it existed only in Homer's imagination. The main oppositional opinion comes from the German Dorpfeld (1927) who claims that Homeric Ithaca is the island of Lefkada, and he considers that Ithaca was the Homeric "Same" and Cephallonia was "Doulichium". But in this theory there is a geographical contradiction since the Homeric orientation changes and the narrow channel between Ithaca and CephalIonia becomes an open sea almost 20 miles wide. Homer also clearly determines that the position of Ithaca is closer to the north than the island nearby (Cephallonia), and the descriptions of other areas such as the islet Asteris and the southern part of Ithaca as well as the route taken by Ulysses and Telemachus, come to an absolute contrast to the Dorpfeld theory. Another main point against his theory is that Homeric Ithaca was definitely an island, but at that time Lefkada was a peninsula of the Greek mainland; several centuries later in 627 B.C. the Corinthians eliminated the isthmus changing Lefkada to an island.
The first to begin a series of investigations on the present island of Ithaca was J. Paulmier de Grentesmenit in the 17th century, but the first who worked on scientific bases was William Gell in 1806 who had the opinion that the ruins of Aetos correlate to the ancient city. Some of the archaeologists and researchers of the 19th century who shared his opinion were Dodwell, Holland, Mcdler, Kendrick, Goodisson, Kruse, Schreiber, Triesch, Ruhie von Likiestern, Crifford, Mure, Grivas, Liehetrut, Ansted, and Wordsworth. Others like Leake (1806), Bowen (1850), Partsch (1888), Thomopoulos (1908), Gandar,Bursian ,Lolling and Reisth claim that the ancient city was located in the northern peninsula at the area of Stavros.

In their efforts to locate Homeric Ithaca, certain archaelogists came to believe that Odysseus island was Kefalonia and not the present island of Ithaki. The excavations carried out at the Brouzi locale in Tzanata caused quit a stir in Kefalonia and Thaki. Artefacts found there are highly significant and unique in the Greek area: An impressive domed tomb of a distinguished person dating from 1400-1050 BC, various desecrated tombs, gold jewelry and seals. Undoubtedly the area has all the conditions that would indicate the presence of a powerful Mycenean centre (thick vegetation, water, proximity to the Mount Ainos, fir-forest and sheltered harbor near the mainland of Greece) and experts have high hopes of being able to pinpoint the site of Odysseus City and Palace.

The domed tomp at Tzanata village

Investigations are continuing .....

    Homer lived around the 8th century B.C., at least three centuries after Ulysses' time. The possible places of his origin are Smyrna, Chios, Colophon, Pylos, Argos, Athens and Ithaca. According to tradition Homer lived on Ithaca when he was very young, learning the island so well that he was later able to describe it in the Odyssey with such great detail.  Ithaca was the capital of a Kingdom which consisted of the islands Cephallonia, Zante, Lefkada, Dulicchium, Echinades and the mainland just opposite. The ancient people of Televoes controlled the islands until they were conquered by Arcicious who married Chalcomedousa and had a son named Laertes who became Ulysses' father.   The name Ulysses means angry and his coat of arms was the dolphin. From his youth he was distinguished for his prudence and courage which was cultivated over the years. Winning the favor over other suitors, he married Penelope and had a son named Telemachus.  Ulysses became King while Laertes was still alive. He  tried to avoid participating in the war against Troy but was unable to refuse. Finally, he followed the armies of the other Hellenic Kingdoms with twelve ships under his flag. The Trojan War lasted for ten years (1193-1184 B.C.) and its ending was attributed to Ulysses' idea, of the famous Trojan Horse. 

    During this long period, especially the last years, suitors came to the island and lived in the palace passing their time in idle amusements while pressing Ulysses' wife Penelope to choose one of them for a husband. Penelope promised she would announce her decision as soon as she finished weaving a shroud for old Laertes.To gain time she would unweave at night what she wove during the day. Ulysses, after being informed about the situation, decided to take revenge by killing the suitors in a short fight. He was helped by his son Telemachus and a few faithful servants. There are several stories about Ulysses death. Some believe that he was killed by his son Telegonos who carried his father's corpse to Circe, his mother, or that he left Ithaca and went to Sicily where he stayed until he died. Others say that he abdicated under the people's pressure, left the island and stayed on Ilis for a while,   returned to Ithaca only to leave again, went to Thesproty where he married Queen Callideki and returned to Ithaca after her death.

    Some of the words Homer used to describe Ulysses are: brave, courageous, bold, artful, crafty, witty, tender, mild, eloquent, exquisite, magnanimous, able, prudent and a devoted husband. He characterizes Penelope as an example of female virtue, prudence, morality and conjugal faith and devotion. Some libeled writers, mainly Roman, depict Penelope as a prostitute claiming  that she was mistress of the god Hermes and all the suitors in the palace, that  she gave birth to a son who was named Pan (everybody, from all) and on his return Ulysses immediately expelled Penelope from the island. It was also said that after Ulysses' assassination by his son Telegonos, Penelope married Telegonos, and his mother married Telemachus, Penelope's son. Interesting is the interpretation that Penelope's suitors were really representatives of the people who rose against the monarchy forming a kind of bolshevism which was unusual during the Hellenic period.