Ithaca Ιθάκη
Vathi, South Ithaca
Geography
Coordinates:	38°21′N 20°39′E / 38.35, 20.65
Island Chain:	Ionian Islands
Area:[1]	117. 812 km² (45 sq.mi.)
Highest Mountain:	Nirito (806 m (2,644 ft))
Government
Greece
Periphery:	Ionian Islands
Prefecture:	Kefalonia and Ithaka
Capital:	Itháki, Ithaca
Statistics
Population:	3,084 (as of 2001)
Density:	26 /km² (68 /sq. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. This article is about the group of islands west of Greece For the ancient region in western Anatolia see Ionia. Kefalonia and Ithaka ( Κεφαλονιά και Ιθάκη) is a Nomos ( Prefecture) in Greece, containing the Ionian islands mi. )
Postal Code:	283 00, 283 01
Area Code:	26740
License Code:	KE
Website
www.ithaki.gr

Ithaca or Ithaka (in Greek, Ιθάκη, Ithaki) is an island in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, with an area of 118 km² (45 sq. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The Ionian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία miles) and three thousand inhabitants. It is an independent municipality of the prefecture of Kefalonia and Ithaka, and lies off the northeast coast of Kefalonia. Kefalonia and Ithaka ( Κεφαλονιά και Ιθάκη) is a Nomos ( Prefecture) in Greece, containing the Ionian islands The municipality of Ithaca includes some smaller islands as well. The capital, Itháki (Vathý), has one of the world's largest natural harbors.

Contents 1 Origin of Name 2 History 2.1 Mycenaean Era 2.2 Hellenistic Era 2.3 Ottoman Era 2.4 French Era 2.5 Modern Ithaca 3 Home of Odysseus? 4 Geography 5 Notable people 6 Municipality 6.1 Communities and villages 7 Further reading 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

Origin of Name

There are various interpretations as to the origin the name Ithaca, it is believed that it comes from:

• Ithacos, the hero from mythology;
• the Greek word "ithy" which means "cheerful;"
• the Greek adjective "ithys" which means "straight" (or, metaphorically, just or true)^[2]
• the Phoenician word "utica" which means "colony. "

The name Ithaca has remained unchanged since ancient times, but it has been noticed that in written documents of different periods, it has also been referred to by other names such as:

• Nerikii (7th century BC);
• Val di Compare (Valley of the Bestman), Piccola (Small) Cephallonia, Anticephallonia (Middle Ages till the beginning of the Venetian period);
• Ithaki nisos (island), Thrakoniso, Thakou, Thiakou (Byzantine period);
• Fiaki (Turkish period);
• Teaki (Venetian period); and
• Thiaki (before the Venetian period, also called so by the sailors and has remained the name used by the inhabitants).

History

The origin of the first people to inhabit the island, which was during the last years of the Neolithic Period (4000-3000 BC), is unknown. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The traces of buildings, walls and a road from this time period prove that life existed and continued to do so during the Early Hellenic era (3000-2000 BC). In the pre-Mycenaean years (2000-1500 BC), some of the population migrated to the southern part of the island. The buildings and walls that were excavated showed the lifestyle of this period had remained primitive.

Mycenaean Era

Further information: Mycenaean Greece

During the Mycenaean period (1500-1100 BC), Ithaca rose to the highest level of its ancient history. Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese The island became the capital of the Cephalonian states, which included the surrounding lands, and was referred to as one of the most powerful states of that time. The island of Kefalonia, also known as Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia (Ancient Greek Κεφαλληνία Modern The Ithacans were characterized as great navigators and explorers with daring expeditions reaching further than the Mediterranean Sea.

The epic poems of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey, may shed some light on Bronze-Age Ithaca. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the The Iliad ( Greek: Ἰλιάς (Ancient Ιλιάδα (Modern is together with the Odyssey, one of two ancient The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Those poems are generally thought to have been composed sometime within the 8th to 6th centuries BC, but are based on older mythological and poetic traditions; their depiction of the hero Odysseus, and his rule over Ithaca and the surrounding islands and mainland, may preserve some memories of the political geography of the time. grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs

After the end of the Mycenaean period, Ithaca's influence diminished, and it came under the jurisdiction of the nearest large island.

Hellenistic Era

Further information: Hellenistic Greece

During the ancient Hellenic prime (800-180 BC) the Corinthians neglected the small and barren island. The Hellenistic period of European history was the period between the death of Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon in 323 BC and the annexation Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. Independent organized life continued in the northern and southern part of the island. In the southern part, in the area of Aetos, the town Alalcomenae was founded. From this period, many objects were found during excavations, which were of important historical value. Among these objects were the coins imprinted with the name Ithaca and the image of Odysseus and that it was self-governed. grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs

According to the different periods, the conquerors and the circumstances, the population of the island kept changing. Although there is not definite numerical information until the Venetian period, it is believed that from the Mycenaean to the Byzantine period the number of inhabitants was several thousand, who lived mainly at the northern part of the island. The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica During the Middle Ages, the population decreased due to the continuous invasions of the pirates, which forced the people to live on the mountains establishing settlements.

Ottoman Era

Further information: Ottoman Greece

In 1479, Turkish forces reached the islands and many of the people fled from the island out of fear of the Turkish occupiers. Most of Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire from the 14th century until its declaration of independence in 1821. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Those that remained hid in the mountains to avoid the pirates who controlled the channel between Cephallonia and Ithaca and the bays of the island. The island of Kefalonia, also known as Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia (Ancient Greek Κεφαλληνία Modern In the following five years, the Turks, Toques and Venetians laid claim to the islands diplomatically. The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica Possession of the islands was finally given to the Turkish Empire from 1484 to 1499. During this time, the Venetians had strengthened into a major power with an organized fleet. The Venetians pursued their interest in the Ionian Islands, and in 1499 a war between the Venetians and the Turks started. This article is about the group of islands west of Greece For the ancient region in western Anatolia see Ionia. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the The allied fleets of the Venetians and the Spanish besieged Ithaca, and the other islands. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The fleets prevailed, and from 1500 the Venetians controlled the islands. According to a treaty of 1503, Ithaca, Cephallonia and Zante belonged to the Venetians, and Lefkada to the Turks. Lefkada, or Leucas (Λευκάδα le̞fˈkaða Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: Λευκάς Leukás; Santa Maura is a Greek

French Era

A few years after the French Revolution, the Ionian area came under the rule of the First French Republic (1797-1798), and the island became the honorary capital of Cephallonia, Lefkada, and part of the Greek mainland, which formed the French départment of Ithaque (the prefecture was at Argostoli on Kefalonia). The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an The First Republic in France, officially the French Republic (République française was proclaimed on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Ithaque ( French for Ithaca) was one of three short-lived French départements in present Greece. Argostoli (Modern Αργοστόλι Ancient/Katharevousa -ον -on) has been the capital and administrative centre of Kefalonia, Greece, since The island of Kefalonia, also known as Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia (Ancient Greek Κεφαλληνία Modern

The population welcomed the French, who took care in the control of the administrative and judicial systems, but later the heavy taxation they demanded, caused a feeling of indignation among the people. During this short historical period, the new ideas of system and social structure greatly influenced the inhabitants of the island. At the end of 1798, the French were succeeded by Russia and Turkey (1798-1807), which were allies at that time. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Corfu became the capital of the Ionian States, and the form of government was democratic with a fourteen-member senate in which Ithaca had one representative. Corfu (Κέρκυρα Kérkyra, ˈkʲe̞ɾkʲiɾa Κέρκυρα or Κόρκυρα Corcyra Corfù is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea

The Ithacan fleet flourished when it was allowed to carry cargo up to the ports of the Black Sea. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey In 1807, according to an agreement with Turkey the Ionian Islands once again came under the French rule (1807-1809 AD). The French quickly began preparing to face the English fleet, which had become very powerful, by building a fort in Vathy.

It is worth pointing out the role, which it played during the struggle of the Greeks against the Turks. Prominent citizens of Ithaki participated in the secret "Filiki Etairia" which was instrumental in organizing the Greek Revolution of 1821, and Greek fighters found refuge there. In addition, the participation of Ithacans during the siege of Messologi and the naval battles with Turkish ships at the Black Sea and Danube were significant. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj

To summarize, the island has been inhabited since the 2nd millennium BC. It was the capital of Cephalonia during the Mycenaean period. The island of Kefalonia, also known as Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia (Ancient Greek Κεφαλληνία Modern "Lion Gate" redirects here For other uses see Lions' Gate (disambiguation. The Romans occupied the island in the 2nd century BC, and later it became part of the Byzantine Empire. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The Normans ruled Ithaca in the 12th and 13th century, and after a short Turkish rule it fell into Venetian hands. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica

Ithaca was then occupied by France under the 1797 Treaty of Campo Formio. The First Republic in France, officially the French Republic (République française was proclaimed on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The Treaty of Campo Formio was signed on October 17, 1797 (26 Vendémiaire Year VI of the French Republic by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Ludwig It was liberated by a joint Russo-Turkish force in 1798, before becoming part of the Septinsular Republic. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Septinsular Republic ( Επτάνησος Πολιτεία, Repubblica Settinsulare) was an island Republic that existed from 1800 to 1807 under It became a French possession again in 1807, until it was liberated by the United Kingdom in 1809. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 Under the 1815 Treaty of Paris, Ithaca became a state of the United States of the Ionian Islands, an amical protectorate of the United Kingdom. The Treaty of Paris of 1815 was signed on November 20, 1815, following the defeat and second abdication of Napoleon. Many countries are made up of a number of subnational entities called states (or related terms in languages other than English The United States of the Ionian Islands (Ηνωμένον Κράτος των Ιονίων Νήσων ( Enomenon Kratos ton Ionion Neson) Stati Uniti delle Isole Ionie was a In International law, a protectorate is a autonomous territory that is "protected" by a stronger state or entity hense the protector which engages to protect Under the 1864 Treaty of London, Ithaca, along with the islands, were ceded to Greece as a mark of cordiality with Greece's new king, the Anglophile George I. The Treaty of London in 1864 was in regards to the United Kingdom ceding the United States of the Ionian Islands to Greece. An Anglophile is a person who is fond of English culture and England in general George I King of the Hellenes (Γεώργιος A' Βασιλεύς των Ελλήνων Georgios A' Vasileus ton Ellinon; 24 December 1845 &ndash 18 March 1913 was ^[3]

Modern Ithaca

Much of the island's architecture was destroyed in an earthquake in 1953. In the 1970s, Kalamos split from the province and became part of the prefecture of Lefkada, and the province of Ithaca became a non-provincial municipality. Kálamos (Greek Κάλαμος known in antiquity as Karnos ( Καρνος) is a mountainous Greek island in the Ionian Sea. Lefkada, or Leucas (Λευκάδα le̞fˈkaða Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: Λευκάς Leukás; Santa Maura is a Greek

Home of Odysseus?

Main article: Homer's Ithaca

Since antiquity, Ithaca has been identified as the home of the mythological hero Odysseus. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program This article is about artificial satellites For natural satellites also known as moons see Natural satellite. grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs In the Odyssey of Homer, Ithaca is described thus (13.21-27):

"I dwell in shining Ithaca. The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the There is a mountain there,

high Neriton, covered in forests. Many islands

lie around it, very close to each other,

Doulichion, Same, and wooded Zacynthos--

but low-lying Ithaca is farthest out to sea,

towards the sunset, and the others are apart, towards the dawn and sun.

It is rough, but it raises good men. "

It has sometimes been argued that this description does not match the topography of modern Ithaca. Three features of the description have been seen as especially problematic. First, Ithaca is described as "low-lying" (χθαμαλὴ), but Ithaca is mountainous. Second, the words "farthest out to sea, towards the sunset" (πανυπερτάτη εἰν ἁλὶ . . . πρὸς ζόφον) are usually interpreted to mean that Ithaca must be the island furthest to the west, but Kefalonia lies to the west of Ithaca. Lastly, it is unclear which modern islands correspond to Homer's Doulichion and Same. For the plant see Dulichium (genus. Dulichium, Dolicha, or Doliche (Δολίχη was a place noted by numerous ancient writers

The Greek geographer Strabo, writing in the 1st century AD, identified Homer's Ithaca with modern Ithaca. Strabo ( Greek: Στράβων 63/64 BC – ca AD 24 was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher. Following earlier commentators, he interpreted the word translated above as "low-lying" to mean "close to the mainland", and the phrase translated as "farthest out to sea, towards the sunset" as meaning "farthest of all towards the north. " Strabo identified Same as modern Kefalonia, and believed that Homer's Doulichion was one of the islands now known as the Echinades. The Echinades ( Greek: per Herodotus, Thucydides, and Strabo) are a group of islands in the Ionian Islands, off the coast of Ithaca lies farther north than Kefalonia, Zacynthos, and the island that Strabo identified as Doulichion, consistent with the interpretation of Ithaca as being "farthest of all towards the north. "

Strabo's explanation has not won universal acceptance. In the last few centuries, some scholars have argued that Homer's Ithaca was not modern Ithaca, but a different island. Perhaps the best known proposal is that of Wilhelm Dörpfeld, who believed that the nearby island of Leukas was Homer's Ithaca. Wilhelm Dörpfeld (or Doerpfeld) ( 26 December 1853 &ndash 25 April 1940) was a German Architect, best known Lefkada, or Leucas (Λευκάδα le̞fˈkaða Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: Λευκάς Leukás; Santa Maura is a Greek ^[4]

It has also been suggested that Paliki, the western peninsula of Kefalonia, is Homer's Ithaca. Paliki (Παλική Palikē) is a peninsula of Kefalonia, one of the Ionian Islands of western Greece, at. This identification has been proposed several times; in a recent book, Odysseus Unbound, Robert Bittlestone argues that at the time the Odyssey was composed, Paliki was an island, separated from Kefalonia by a narrow channel. According to Robert Bittlestone's Odysseus Unbound (2005 written with the assistance of Professor James Diggle of Cambridge University and Professor John Underhill of One of the main points of the book attempts to suggest that Ithaki has no sunset views. However, the northern part of Ithaki has a much higher elevation than Kefalonia; and it is flatter than the other Ionian Islands.

Despite any difficulties with Homer's description of the island, in classical and Roman times the island now called "Ithaca" was universally held to be the home of Odysseus; the Hellenistic identifications of Homeric sites, such as the identifications of Lipari as the island of Aeolus, are usually taken with a grain of salt, and attributed to the ancient tourist trade. Lipari ( Latin: Lipara; Ancient Greek: Meligunis; Italian: Lipari Sicilian: Lìpari is the largest of the Aeolian For the Click beetle Genus, see Aeolus (beetle. Aeolus ( Greek:, Ailos Modern Greek

The island has been known as Ithaca from an early date, as coins and inscriptions show. Coins from Ithaca frequently portray Odysseus, and an inscription from the 3rd century BC refers to a local hero-shrine of Odysseus and games called the Odysseia. ^[5] The Archaeological site of "School of Homer" on modern Ithaca is the only place between Lefkas-Kefalonia-Ithaca Triangle where Linear B has been found, commonly near royal facilities. Modern scholars generally accept the identification of modern Ithaca with Homeric Ithaca, and explain discrepancies between the Odyssey's description and the actual topography as the product of lack of first-hand knowledge of the island, or as poetic license.

Geography

There is also a strait situated in the western part of the island called the Strait of Ithaca. Strait of Ithaca (Greek Στενό Ιθάκης Steno Ithakis) is a Strait separating the islands of Kefalonia to the west and Ithaca to the The capes in the island include Exogi, the westernmost but not in land, Melissa to the north, Mavronos and Agios Ilias to the east, Schinous, Sarakiniko and Agios Ioannis, the easternmost to the east and Agiou Andreou, the southernmost in the south. Bays include Afales Bay to the northwest, Frikes and Kioni Bays to the northeast and Ormos Gulf and Sarakiniko Bay to the southeast. Kioni Bay is positioned in the northeast of the Greek island of Ithaca, around the bay from the village of Kioni The tallest mountain is Nirito (806 m), the second tallest is Merovigli (669 m).

Lazaretto Islet (or Island of The Saviour) guards the harbor. The church of The Saviour and the remains of an old gaol sit on the island. Jail, or gaol (especially in Canada, Australia and NZ[http //www ^[6]

Notable people

• Odysseas Androutsos (1788-1825), hero of the Greek War of Independence
• Lorentzos Mavilis (1860 - November 28, 1912 in the Ioannina area)
• Marino Lucas (1869-1931), Greek-Australian businessman
• Ioannis Metaxas (1871–1941), general and dictator of Greece
• Anthony JJ Lucas (1862-1946), Greek-Australian businessman

Municipality

The municipality includes islands other than Ithaca including two near Cape Melissa, Arkoudi and Atokos to the northeast and the numerous islands in the Echinades Islands group (the larger ones being Drakonera, Makri, Oxeia, Petalas, and Vromonas) to the east near the mainland of Aitoloakarnania. Odysseas Androutsos (also Odysseus Androutsos Οδυσσέας Ανδρούτσος was a hero of the Greek War of Independence. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Ioannina (Ιωάννινα, often el Γιάννενα or el Γιάννινα / is a city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a metropolitan population of Marino Lucas/Marinos Lekatsas (1869? - 1931 was a Greek-Australian businessman originally residing in Greece and subsequently Melbourne, Hobart and General Ioannis Metaxas (Ιωάννης Μεταξάς ( April 12, 1871 January 29, 1941) was a Greek General and Anthony John Jereos Lucas (Lekatsas (1862-1946 was in influential Greek Australian businessman noted for his philanthropic activities and construction of numerous public and For the settlement in northwestern Ilia, see Arkoudi Greece to get the next two lines --> Nearest islands and islets The Echinades ( Greek: per Herodotus, Thucydides, and Strabo) are a group of islands in the Ionian Islands, off the coast of to get the next two lines --> to get the next two lines --> Panorama The island can be seen as far to get the next two lines --> to get the next two lines --> Aetolia-Acarnania, ( Greek: Αιτωλοακαρνανία, Aitoloakarnanía, also Aetoloacarnania and Etoloakarnania) is one Its largest towns are Itháki (pop. 1,816), Perachóri (354), Stavrós (325), Platreithiá (210), and Kióni (171).

Communities and villages

• Aetos
• Afales
• Agios Ioannis
• Agia Saranta
• Anogi
• Exogi
• Frikes
• Kalivia
• Kathara
• Kioni
• Kolieri
• Lachos
• Lefki
• Marmaka
• Perachori
• Piso Aetos
• Platrithia
• Rachi
• Stavros
• Vathy (Itháki)

Further reading

• Bittlestone, Robert; James Diggle and John Underhill (2005). Odysseus Unbound: The Search for Homer’s Ithaca. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-85357-5.  

• Tzakos, Christos I. . Ithaca and Homer: The Truth, The Advocacy of the Case, Translator: Geoffrey Cox.  

See also

• List of traditional Greek place names

References

External links

• Official website (Greek)
• Mapquest - Ithaca *Coordinates: 38°21′0″N, 20°39′0″E
• Ithaki Metasearch (Powerful search engine named in honour of Ithaka)

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