Ulysses in Ithaca, a journey through time

We now reach the top of the hill to admire one of this area’s most beautiful views and horizons. 

The Odyssey is one of the “nostoi” (or retellings) recounting the adventures of the Homeric heroes after the war. The poem’s fame is certainly linked to its main character, who represents modern man, even according to the common notion. One characteristic of Ulysses is undoubtedly the traditional heroic benignity, being good-looking and ethically virtuous, to which he adds an extraordinary practical sense and great curiosity. These qualities, combined with his incredible genius, make him capable of successfully solving any obstacle.

The Odyssey can be seen as a ‘continuation of the Iliad’: at the death of notable characters such as Achilles, Hector or Patroclus, enemies or the heroes themselves announce regret, very different from our current conception of death, the going to a better world, an honour granted only to a few lucky relatives, friends or humans loved by the gods. In Homer’s classical tales, the dead regret the same sunlight that we can now admire from this promontory because it is the thing that reminds the deceased most of life, love, revenge, and man’s primal instincts. In fact, in front of these romantic views, it is possible to feel attachment to the land and bond with the place. These innermost feelings bring us closer to the characters, who, even though they lived thousands of years ago, felt the same emotions that we feel today. 

Amidst the classic Mediterranean colours that radiate deep emotions, we can imagine a story that, although perhaps invented, has been able to make people dream for millennia. So it is then that we say goodbye, with maritime scents and panoramas in our hearts and a romantic classical literary feeling in our minds.