Odyssey to find hero’s hometown ends

LONDON – The long-lost city of Ithaca, home of the legendary hero Odysseus in the Iliad and Odyssey, is on the island of Cephalonia off the western shore of Greece, three British researchers announced Thursday.

The original contours of Ithaca have been distorted over the millenniums by a series of earthquakes that raised land levels, converting it into a peninsula of Cephalonia called Paliki.

The researchers said the topographical changes hid the identity of Ithaca from generations of researchers tracing the epic journey of Odysseus around 1200 BC.

The team, led by Robert Bittlestone, has identified the geographical locations of 26 specific Ithaca locations mentioned by Homer, they said.

“The Odyssey fits Paliki like a glove,” Bittlestone said here at a news conference for “Odysseus Unbound,” a new book describing the discovery.

The next step is to dig for traces of Odysseus’ castle and city as soon as the group can secure sufficient funding.

The search for the location of Ithaca has been in progress at least since the time of the first century Greek historian Strabo, who placed it east of Cephalonia, on the modern day island of Ithaca.

Researchers conceded much work remains to be done to prove their contention that this is where Odysseus completed his 10-year journey home from Troy.