High on the terraced slopes of Mount Exoghi in northern Ithaki (Ithaca), in a quiet corner of the Ionian Islands, archaeologists have been steadily uncovering a site long associated with Homeric legend. Known since the 19th century as Aghios Athanasios – the so-called “School of Homer” – this rocky plateau is now offering something more tangible than poetic tradition: archaeological evidence of a sanctuary dedicated to Odysseus, Ithaca’s mythic king.

Recent excavations by a research team from the University of Ioannina, led by Professor Emeritus Giannos G. Lolos, suggest the site functioned for centuries as a place of cult worship – a hero shrine, or “heroön,” where Odysseus was venerated not as a fictional character, but as a deified or semi-divine ancestral figure. The complex, known today as the “Odysseion,” may or may not correspond to the elusive palace described in Homer’s “Odyssey,” but its cultural and historical significance is no less remarkable.

Whether Odysseus was based on a historical ruler, a composite memory of the Mycenaean past, or purely a literary invention, the material remains uncovered here suggest that his story – and his symbolic legacy – remained very real, not only to the inhabitants of ancient Ithaca, but to the people of the wider Greco-Roman world.

A Sacred Landscape?

The sanctuary at Agios Athanasios occupies a commanding position on the eastern flank of Mount Exoghi, overlooking the fertile valleys and coastal inlets of Afali, Polis, and Friki. It is a landscape that once sustained Final Neolithic communities (late 5th-4th millennium BC), Bronze Age settlements, and later Hellenistic and Roman towns. Today, it offers more than just a breathtaking view – it provides a tangible link between myth and memory.

The complex as it exists today is arranged across two main terraces, or “andira,” hewn into the bedrock and connected by carved stone stairways. On the upper terrace, archaeologists have identified the remains of a 3rd-century BC Hellenistic tower, a fortified structure likely used both as a lookout and for ceremonial functions. Below it, the lower andiros contains the foundations of a large, rectangular building flanked by niches in the stone – which archaeologists believe may have been used for placing votive offerings.

Such an architectural layout strongly supports the interpretation of the site as a hero shrine – a space where Odysseus was worshipped not merely as a character from myth, but as a potent ancestral figure. Across the ancient Greek world, similar cultic sanctuaries served as places of remembrance, where legendary founders or kings were honored in rites that fused communal identity with sacred devotion.

Inscriptions in Clay

The strongest evidence for a cult of Odysseus comes from a group of recently discovered inscribed artifacts. Among thousands of roof tile fragments dating to the Hellenistic and early Roman periods, 14 stamped tiles bear Greek and Latin inscriptions — including, crucially, pieces that mention Odysseus by name.

One tile fragment carries the genitive form [ΟΔ]ΥCCEOC – meaning “of Odysseus,” perhaps to denote ownership or dedication. Another bears the partial inscription ΟΔΥC[CEI, likely a votive phrase meaning “to Odysseus.” These finds echo an earlier discovery: a Late Hellenistic clay mask unearthed in the nearby Cave at Polis Bay, inscribed with ΕΥΧΗΝ ΟΔΥCCΕΙ – “a vow to Odysseus.”

Such inscriptions support the identification of Agios Athanasios with a sanctuary to Odysseus mentioned in a late 3rd-century BC inscription from Magnesia in Asia Minor (IG IX 1 2 4, 1729). Together, they build a strong case for a long-standing cult centered on Ithaca’s legendary king.

Over 100 coins from various cities across the Hellenistic and Roman world (3rd century BC to 2nd century AD) have also been recovered, suggesting the site attracted visitors from far beyond the island. A cache of votive items – including 34 fragments of clay figurines, dozens of loom weights, gold and bronze jewelry, and eight fragments of “perirantherias,” sacred water/purification basins, commonly found in sanctuaries — adds to the picture of a thriving, perhaps even pan-Mediterranean, pilgrimage destination.

Among the most evocative finds is a miniature bronze bust, strikingly similar to Odysseus’s image on 4th–3rd century BC Ithacan coins. With its sharply defined features, beard, and distinctive “pileus” (or “pilos” in Greek) – the pointed cap traditionally associated with travelers – it offers both a visual and symbolic anchor for the sanctuary’s dedication.

A Site Older than Homer

Centuries before Homer’s verses were ever committed to parchment – likely in the late 8th century BC – the people of the Aegean lived in the shadow of the Mycenaean world. This was the Late Bronze Age (c. 1400–1200 BC): a time of fortified citadels, administrative complexity, extensive trade networks, and monumental tombs.

The site at Agios Athanasios pushes Ithaca’s historical horizon back into that Mycenaean past.

Beneath the Hellenistic structures of the Odysseion, archaeologists have uncovered the remnants of an earlier installation: massive cyclopean walls, and a deep subterranean cistern built in corbelled masonry — an engineering hallmark of Mycenaean architecture. This cistern, described by archaeologist Dr. Christina Marabea as “one of the few of its kind known in the Aegean,” would have provided reliable freshwater year-round – an essential feature on a mountainous island with limited natural springs.

Pottery sherds from the 14th and 13th centuries BC, including pieces of Late Mycenaean “kylikes” (stemmed drinking cups), suggest the site was in use during the height of Mycenaean civilization, when palatial centers like Mycenae, Pylos, and Tiryns flourished.

While no definitive palace remains – such as a central “megaron” (a ceremonial hall found in Mycenaean palaces) – have yet been discovered, the strategic setting, monumental water infrastructure, and Bronze Age ceramics point to a site of significant regional power.

“This was not a minor settlement,” says Professor Lolos. “The scale of the installation, especially the cistern, suggests a node of regional importance – a place from which resources were managed and territory controlled.”

Odysseus’ Lost Palace?

The idea that Aghios Athanasios could be the site of Odysseus’s palace isn’t new. Since the early 20th century, scholars have proposed various locations across Ithaca and neighboring islands – some favoring Polis Bay, others looking further afield. The identity of Homeric Ithaca itself remains a matter of debate.

In 2010, the site’s earlier excavator, Professor Thanasis Papadopoulos, declared: “according to the facts as they are presented today, movable or immovable, that are of great significance, with every scientific reservation, we believe that we stand before the palace structure of Odysseus and Penelope, the only palace of the Homeric Epics that has yet to be uncovered.”

Whether or not this is truly the seat of the legendary king remains an open question. But the latest discoveries have reignited the conversation, grounding ancient myth in a material reality that spans centuries of ritual memory and local identity.

This may well have been a place where the memory of Bronze Age kingship endured – and where later generations etched Odysseus’s name into the sacred landscape.

Ritual, Remembrance – and Penelope

Not all the finds from the Odysseion point to public ritual or civic cult. Some artifacts hint at more intimate acts of devotion – particularly those associated with the domestic and female sphere. Among them are clay loom weights and spindle whorls that may have been offered in prayer, petition, or thanksgiving.

In a hero shrine, such objects would have carried symbolic significance. Their presence likely evokes Penelope, Odysseus’s famously patient and crafty wife. Her endless weaving and unweaving of Laertes’s funeral shroud became the ultimate symbol of marital fidelity and cunning. The textile-related offerings may represent a ritual echo of that story – performed by women seeking protection, solidarity, or wisdom in their own lives.

Though Odysseus is the shrine’s namesake, these quieter traces of personal devotion suggest a broader emotional terrain – one that includes longing, resilience, and return.