A new study argues that Odysseus’ Ithaca (Ancient Greek: Ιθάκη) was not a separate island, challenging one of the oldest beliefs in Homeric scholarship. Researchers say Homer’s text points instead to Paliki, a western peninsula on the larger Ionian island of Cephalonia (Ancient Greek: Κεφαλονιά), rather than the modern island of Ithaki.
The study was led by Professor James Diggle CBE, emeritus professor of Greek and Latin at the University of Cambridge. It was published in the digital journal “Antigone.” The research was also carried out with Professor John Underhill of the University of Aberdeen, who examined the geological evidence.
For centuries, readers have linked Homer’s Ithaca with the Greek island now known as Ithaki. But Diggle and Underhill argue that the ancient poems do not support that view. They say the evidence from language, geography and geology points to Paliki, a western peninsula on the larger island of Cephalonia.
Homer’s language offers a clue
Diggle closely studied Homer’s references to Ithaca in the “Odyssey.” He found that Homer had many chances to call Ithaca an island. But he did not use the normal Greek word for island when describing Odysseus’ homeland.
Instead, Homer used broader terms that mean land, homeland, country, or territory. The researchers say that choice matters. It suggests Ithaca may not have been understood as a separate island in the poem.
The point is important because Homer does use the word for island elsewhere. That makes the silence around Ithaca harder to dismiss. Diggle argues that the wording was deliberate, not accidental.
One key passage comes when Odysseus finally returns home after years at sea. Many translations describe the ship as approaching an island called Ithaca. But Diggle says the Greek wording is more precise. It describes a bay in the territory of Ithaca.
That difference may seem small. But it changes the geography. It suggests Ithaca was a region on the island of Cephalonia rather than a separate island in its own right.
Paliki fits the description
The study identifies Paliki (Ancient Greek: Παλική) as the strongest candidate for Homeric Ithaca. Paliki lies on the western side of Cephalonia. It is lower than much of the surrounding land and faces west.
Those details match the way Odysseus describes his homeland in the “Odyssey.” He says his land is low-lying and lies toward the west. The researchers say modern Ithaki does not fit that description as well. It is more mountainous and faces east.
New research argues Homer’s Ithaca may not have been an island at all.
Professor James Diggle CBE says the “Odyssey” never clearly calls Odysseus’ homeland an island. Instead, the text may point to Paliki, a western peninsula of Cephalonia. pic.twitter.com/CGyjHciXZ7
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) July 6, 2026
The study also points to the “Iliad,” where Odysseus is described as the leader of the Cephallenians. That link has often been treated loosely. But the researchers say it becomes more meaningful if Ithaca was part of Cephalonia.
Their argument builds on an earlier theory by Robert Bittlestone. In his 2005 book “Odysseus Unbound,” Bittlestone proposed that Homeric Ithaca was located on Paliki. He argued that Paliki had once been separated from the rest of Cephalonia by a sea channel.
Geology reshapes the debate
Underhill’s geological research tested that idea over many years. His work found that Paliki was not a separate island in the Bronze Age. The land studies did not support the idea of an ancient marine channel between Paliki and Cephalonia.
At first, that might appear to weaken the Paliki theory. But the researchers say it actually solves a major problem. If Homer never called Ithaca a separate island, then Paliki did not need to be one.
The study also revisits the ancient writer Strabo, who described a narrow part of Cephalonia that could be flooded from sea to sea. Earlier scholars read this as evidence of a channel. Underhill’s work suggests Strabo was more likely describing streams and floodwater across low ground, not an open passage of sea.
That finding brings the geological evidence closer to the language of Homer. It supports the idea that Ithaca was a territory on Cephalonia, not a separate island beside it.
A long-running mystery continues
Recent archaeological work has also renewed interest in Paliki. Excavations at early Bronze Age sites, including the Livadi marsh area, suggest the peninsula was an important settlement zone in the period linked with Homeric tradition.
The study does not prove that Odysseus was a real person. It also does not treat the “Odyssey” as a simple map. But it argues that Homer’s poems may preserve real geographic knowledge of western Greece.
The researchers say their findings offer a clearer explanation of a long-standing puzzle. Modern Ithaki has carried the name of Ithaca for centuries. Yet Homer’s own words may point somewhere else.
The study’s conclusion is direct: Homer’s Ithaca was probably not a separate island. Instead, it was likely a territory on Paliki, a peninsula that forms part of the island of Cephalonia.
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