In Homer’s Odyssey, written in the seventh century BCE, a mysterious civilization called the Phaeacians helps Odysseus on his journey home to Ithaca from Troy. What do we know about these enigmatic people? Many scholars agree that the evidence indicates that the Phaeacians were a civilization based on Corfu (Kerkyra). Why can we say that?
The Phaeacians in the Odyssey
First, consider what the legendary information in the Odyssey tells us about this nation. They lived on an island called Scheria. Homer portrays these people as being rich and relatively powerful, and advanced. The narrative features a magnificent palace adorned with bronze walls and surrounded by exquisite gardens.
A confederation of thirteen kings rules over the Phaeacians, and appears to be at peace with each other. The narrative also presents them as being hospitable and generous. In fact, the kings give Odysseus an impressive treasure to take back with him to Ithaca, and they send him home in one of their automatic ships.
According to Homer, the Phaeacians were capable merchants and were said to know the entire world. Their ships were fast and could magically steer themselves.
Where was Scheria?
There is some controversy surrounding Scheria’s location. Nevertheless, the ancient sources provide us with enough evidence to establish with some confidence the land of the Phaeacians.
Scheria was the last place that Odysseus visited before he finally managed to get home to Ithaca. He arrived at Scheria after sailing for over two weeks from Ogygia, usually identified as Malta.
Therefore, we can surely say that Scheria was on the western side of Greece. The Phaeacians are described as the “farthermost of men,” and Odysseus is referred to as a stranger there. Yet, the people know who he is.
This suggests that Scheria was outside Odysseus’ kingdom, not among the Greek islands of the Ionian Sea, yet it was not excessively far away. The fact that one of the Phaeacian ships can reach Ithaca in a single night reaffirms this conclusion.
Corfu, the home of the Phaeacians
Given these facts, a reasonable identification of Scheria would be the island of Corfu. This is far enough from Malta to justify the eighteen days of sailing, and it is also close enough to Ithaca to reach it in a single night.
Yet at the same time, Corfu is far enough away from Ithaca and the other islands in that area to be described as “the farthermost of men” in the context of the islands in the vicinity of Greece.
The ancient historian Thucydides of the fifth century BCE confirms this, writing:
“Also they sticked not sometimes to boast how much they excelled in shipping, and that Corcyra [Corfu] had been once inhabited by the Phaeacians who flourished in glory of naval affairs, which was also the cause why they the rather provided themselves of a navy.”
According to this, Corfu (formerly called Corcyra) was the island of the Phaeacians. This is the earliest available tradition about Scheria’s identity, and was firmly held in ancient times. As already seen, it is perfectly consistent with the route described in the Odyssey.
The Phaeacians and the archaeology of Corfu
How does the archaeological evidence relate to Corfu’s identity as the land of the mysterious Phaeacians? The Odyssey, of course, is set just after the Trojan War. Based on the traditional date of the Trojan War, this would imply that the Phaeacians must have been a Bronze Age civilization that inhabited Corfu.
However, the reality is more complicated than this. It is widely recognized that Homer’s Odyssey actually reflects conditions of a later period, particularly the era of Greek colonization. This was between the eighth and sixth centuries BCE.
This setting ties in especially well with the Phaeacians. How so? Excavations on Corfu have not revealed any major naval civilization on the island in the Bronze Age. The affluent Phaeacians were not the prosperous Bronze Age Corfu civilization, as no such civilization existed.
This does not mean that the Phaeacians were fictional. As noted, Homer’s Odyssey broadly reflects the historical reality of the era of colonization, between the eighth and sixth centuries BCE. In the early part of that period, Corfu was inhabited by the Liburnians.
The historical Liburnians were indeed famed for being excellent sailors and traders. They were also known for dominating the Adriatic Sea during the height of their power. It was in the eighth or seventh century BCE, before the Corinthians invaded Corfu. Their ships were also known for being quick and agile, which aligns with Homer’s descriptions of the Phaeacians.
Therefore, given the available evidence, what can we conclude? The mysterious Phaeacians can likely be identified as the Liburnians, the ancient inhabitants of Corfu in the Iron Age.
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