History and mythology, geography and folklore, literary texts: all have helped in
determining this route. But we should not forget that Homer was above all a poet, that
three thousand years have passed since the epics were composed and that many books have
been written on the geography of the Odyssey with more than 70 bold theories claiming that
Ulysses, starting from Greece, visited the ends of the earth, America, the North Sea, the
Black Sea and other remote places.
Nevertheless in this research, from the poetic description and the sources, the positive
elements leading to specific lands today appreciably outnumber those that are open to
question. It is moreover an astonishing fact that so many place names have survived over
the centuries: the hill of Circe - Monte Circeo, the cave of Calypso, the islands of
Aeolus, the rock of the Cyclops, Cythera, Cape Maleas, Ithaca, where Ulysses' voyage began
and ended. impressive too is the vitality of tradition in today's local populations that
feel as if they have lived the wanderings of Ulysses.
Let us try to follow him in our imagination.
Ulysses left Ithaca with 12 ships and joined the rest of the Achaean fleet at Aulis in
Boeotia. There had been consultations beforehand between the kings of the Achaean cities
in different parts of Greece, in Sparta, Pylos and above all 'gold-rich'
MYCENAE (1), for head of the
expeditionary force was King Agamemnon of Mycenae.
Following consultations at Mycenac the Achaean fleet massed at Aulis, whence Ulysses
came like the other kings. As soon as favourable winds began blowing, after the sacrifice
of lphigenia, the armada set sail for Troy.
Sailing eastwards the Achaeans dropped anchor at DELOS (2), the sacred isle where
Apollo and Artemis were worshipped. Its ruler was King Anios, son of Apollo, who with his
prophetic powers foretold that the Achaeans would capture Troy ten years hence and gave
them directions on how to reach the city.
The siege of TROY (3) lasted ten years. In the tenth year the Achaeans captured the
city using, on Ulysses' advice, the ruse of the Wooden Horse. And then began the voyage
home. Ulysses left Troy with his ships and his first port of call was Thrace, the land of
the Ciconians, who were allies of the Trojans. He captured their capital ismaros, now
identified as the citadel of Aghios Georgios near present-day MARONEIA (4).
After Ismaros, Ulysses veered south, homeward bound. But stong norther lies around Cape
Maleas and Cythera westwards course for Ithaca, and the storm-battered hero reached North
Africa, the land of the Lotus-Laters, identified as DJERBA (5) in Tunisia.
From the land of the Lotus-Eaters Ulysses sailed on to the land of the Cyclops, which
Italian researchers locate near Etna, at ACI REALE (6) in eastern Sicily. There Ulysses
blinded Polyphemus, incurring the wrath of the Cyclop's father, the god Poseidon, whose
vengeful harassments prevented him from reaching Ithaca for many years.
Continue.....
