Thousands of years ago an amazing story was first told. And it’s been a classic ever since: The Odyssey. The epic of the hero, Odysseus’, journey home is the original adventure story, full of battles, gods, and monsters. The Odyssey with Dan Snow, Channel 5 2026
What does it tell us about the reality of life in ancient Greece. And is there a chance that some of it could be true? ibid.
I have to get out there – on the water. ibid.
Essentially, The Odyssey is a book about getting home … You’ve got Odysseus, he’s one of the Greek kings, he’s been fighting a war for ten years. He’s desperate to get back to his island kingdom of Ithica to see his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus. ibid.
The journey which should have taken a week was quickly turning into a nightmare. ibid.
It is a book about terrible weather … and Odysseus’ journey goes from bad to worse. ibid.
[comment]: The Homeric epics – we think of them as myths. But they’re also history. Odysseus Returns I, History 2026
Nothing was ever found in Ithaca. ibid.
I remember him [Makis Metaxas] asking, Could this be Odysseus’ tomb? ibid.
One tiny image. But in this image – that is Odysseus! ibid.
For thousands of years, historians have believed the home of the Greek hero, Odysseus, was on the island of Ithaca. ibid. caption
Coming to the conclusion that the centre of Homeric Ithaka was indeed on Kefalonia. ibid. Makis’ wife recalls previous searches for Homeric Ithaka
This is the rock I used to climb when I was young – the Raven Rock. ibid. Maxis
Homer when he speaks about Ithaca, he speaks about the Gorge, he spreaks about the Cave of Nyphs, he speaks about the Mountain, he speaks about the Ravens Crag. So these main milestones, topography, it exists in Kefalonia. ibid.
When I realised that the Reithron Harbor was the Gorge, I knew exactly then where I should look for to find the city. ibid.
I was looking for six months, and my feeling was, Here it is. ibid.
1992: We start to excavage this grave. ibid.
We found these two, let’s say, sarcophagus ... We saw stones bones, jewellery, mixed up … things from copper and from gold. ibid.
The bones of the last king buried there was still there … Under these bones they found some important findings. ibid. Makis’ wife
We found one very nice seal … the design, and something goes in my mind … I knew this was the Odyssey. ibid. Makis
The Odyssey 19:224-9: I can picture him now. Great Odysseus wore a purple woollen cloak, with double folds, and on it was golden broach with a double clasp. On the front was a curious design. A hound held a dappled fawn in its front paws, biting it as it writhed, trying to flee. ibid. narrator
We found here the bones of Odysseus. ibid.
[Makis]: How come all these years we haven’t found where Ithica is? Odysseus Returns II
If that’s real, that would be unique. ibid. expert on seals
The evidence that was coming eventually convinced him [Dr Lazaros Kolonas, archaeologist]. ibid. team member
In 2020, the tomb Makis found in Kefalonia closed to the public. ibid. caption