Odysseus Unbound facts for kids
Odysseus Unbound is a book published in 2005. It was written by Robert Bittlestone. Two experts, James Diggle (who studies ancient languages) and John Underhill (who studies rocks and the Earth), also helped with parts of the book. This book tries to figure out where the island of Homer's Ithaca really was. Ithaca is the home of the hero Odysseus in the famous ancient Greek story, the Odyssey. The book suggests that Paliki, a part of the island of Kefalonia, was actually a separate island during the time of the Trojan War. It argues that this separate island was the Ithaca mentioned in Homer's story.
Contents
Odysseus Unbound: Searching for Ancient Ithaca
For a very long time, people have wondered if the places in Homer's Odyssey were real. Some people think Homer made up the geography. Others believe his descriptions were based on real places. "Odysseus Unbound" is one of many books written by people outside of universities. These books try to find Homer's Ithaca using clues from the Odyssey itself.
The Main Idea: Paliki as Ithaca
The main idea of Bittlestone's book is that Paliki was once an island on its own. Today, Paliki is a peninsula, meaning it's almost surrounded by water but still connected to a larger landmass. The book suggests that a narrow strip of land connecting Paliki to Kefalonia was underwater thousands of years ago. If this is true, then Paliki would have been a separate island. The book then argues that this ancient island of Paliki matches Homer's descriptions of Ithaca.
How the Book Was Received
"Odysseus Unbound" received many reviews. Some experts thought the idea was very good. For example, Mary Beard, a well-known expert on ancient history, said there was "a very fair chance indeed" that Bittlestone was right. Another historian, Peter Green, called the idea "almost certainly correct." These positive reviews focused on the strong evidence that Paliki might have been a separate island long ago.
However, not everyone agreed with all parts of the book. Some reviewers felt that the book made claims that were too strong or exaggerated. They thought the book did not take seriously enough the idea that modern-day Ithaca could still be Homer's Ithaca.
Criticisms of the Book
Some critics, like G. L. Huxley and Christina Haywood, pointed out issues. They said that even if Paliki was once a separate island, the book didn't fully prove it was Homer's Ithaca. Christina Haywood felt that Bittlestone "was carried too far by his enthusiasm." Mary Beard, even though she believed Paliki was an island in ancient times, thought that the end of the book became too imaginative. She criticized Bittlestone for trying to find every single geographical detail from the Odyssey on Paliki.
