Σπήλαιο του Λοΐζου

Loizos Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Ithaca 283 01. On the island Ithaca, at the Polis bay. (38.4400190, 20.6379970)
Open:	closed. [2024]
Fee:	closed. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	closed
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1868	Dimitrios Loizos from Ithaca discovers the cave.
1930s	excavations conducted by the British School at Athens.
1953	cave destroyed by earthquake.

Description

"In what ship, my dear father, did your crew bring you to Ithaca? Of what nation did they declare themselves to be - for you cannot have come by land?"
"I will tell you the truth, my son", replied Ulysses. "It was the Phaeacians who brought me here. They are great sailors, and are in the habit of giving escorts to anyone who reaches their coasts. They took me over the sea while I was fast asleep, and landed me in Ithaca, after giving me many presents in bronze, gold, and raiment. These things by heaven’s mercy are lying concealed in a cave, and I am now come here on the suggestion of Minerva that we may consult about killing our enemies. First, therefore, give me a list of the suitors, with their number, that I may learn who, and how many, they are. I can then turn the matter over in my mind, and see whether we two can fight the whole body of them ourselves, or whether we must find others to help us."
Homer (800 B.C.): The Odyssey Book XVI online With kind permission. Smile

There are discussions if Ulysses actually existed and/or if the descriptions in Homer’s books were real places. This cave was always considered to be the cave where Ulysses had hid the "presents in bronze, gold, and raiment". But despite all these speculations and questions without answers, this cave definitely was a center for the worship of the first Hellenic culture in the bay. In Loizos Cave sherds with carved inscriptions testifying to the worship of Hera, Athena and Artemis were found. In this cave twelve tripods were found, similar to those Ulysses is supposed to have received from the Phaeacians.

The Σπήλαιο του Λοΐζου (Loizos’ Cave) was named after Dimitrios Loizos from Ithaca, who discovered the cave in 1868. He discovered an ancient Greek burial containing a knife, sword and coins. According to local lore, he became quite rich selling those antiquities. The cave is also known as Σπήλαιο Πόλης (Polis Cave), because it is located at the northwestern side of Polis Bay. Again, according to local lore, it was visited by Heinrich Schliemann, who was excavating on the island at that time. But actually the connection to Ulysses was discovered much later during extensive excavations conducted by the British School at Athens in the 1930s. They discovered a number of Mycenaean (1600-1200 BC) and Early Protogeometric (1070/40-1000 BC) finds, and fine Geometric (900-700 BC) bronze tripods. So the archaeologists believe the cave was an important center for cult activity, an active and thriving place of worship and social gathering for many centuries. The special find which fueled the Odysseus discussions was a fragment of a female terracotta theatrical mask from the 2nd century BC inscribed with the name Odysseus. The inscription ΕΥΧΗΝ ΟΔΥΣΣΕΙ is translated "Bedlam of Odysseus", "Prayer to Odysseus", or "Thank You Odysseus". Probably just a fan article, actually Homer wrote his books 600 years earlier, and they actually happened several centuries before he wrote the books. The findings are studied and exhibited at the Αρχαιολογική Συλλογή Βορείου Ιθάκης (Archaeological Collection of Northern Ithaca) in Stavros.

Unfortunately, the cave was destroyed during the infamous 1953 earthquake. Only some underwater parts of the cave remain. In other words, there is nothing to visit or to see, there is actually no cave. Nevertheless, there are brown monument signs leading to the location, a footpath, an educational sign explaining the archaeological importance and a Google Maps entry (permanently closed). It is even a geopoint of the geopark, although there is no special geology involved. Visitors are disappointed and annoyed when they can't see anything, and as a result, there are numerous bad reviews. So, again, this site does not exist, we recommend visiting the museum in Stavros instead.