History

As you set out for Ithaka hope your road is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery.  Laistrygonians, Cyclops, angry Poseidon -- don't be afraid of them:  you'll never find things like that on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high, as long as a rare excitement stirs your spirit and your body.  Laistrygonians, Cyclops, wild Poseidon -- you won't encounter them unless you bring them along inside your soul, unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.  May there be many summer mornings when, with what pleasure, what joy, you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time; may you stop at Phoenician trading stations to buy fine things, mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony, sensual perfume of every kind -- as many sensual perfumes as you can; and may you visit many Egyptian cities to learn and go on learning from their scholars

so you're old by the time you reach the island wealthy with all you've gained on the way, not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.   Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.  Without her you wouldn't have set out.   She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have fooled you.  Wise as you will have become, so full of experience you'll have understood by then what these Ithakis mean.  ~  by Kavafis

The smallest island the ionian Islands. lthaki is famous as the island of Odysseus in which Homer relates the misadventures of Odysseus, king of lthaki. The Odyssey begins on Mount Olympus, in the palace of Zeus, king of gods, where a discussion takes place regarding the woes of humans and their determination to blame it on the gods. Athene, daughter of Zeus, appeals to her father to help Odysseus, who through no fault of his own, has been kept prisoner on the island of Ogygia for seven years by Calypso, daughter of the god Atlas.  After receiving sanction to help Odysseus, Athene visits Telemachus, Odysseus' son, to motivate him to begin searching for his father. Penelope, Odysseus' wife, is besieged by suitors who wish to marry her. She has no desire to remarry because she still laments for Odysseus and prays that he will return. Meanwhile, Calypso is sent word that she must release Odysseus and allow him to return home. His journey home is-not without incident either. However with the help of Athene. Odysseus finally arrives in lthaki. Athene sends for Telemachus and he returns home. Odysseus and Telemachus, united at last, expels the suitors who have made themselves free with all that Odysseus owns.  When he has accomplished this, Odysseus finally reunites with Penelope. Thus the story of Odysseus and his long and troublesome return home comes to an end.

In modern terms Ithaki is synonymous to "destination" a place of family, food, drink and joy, a place to which you will always return, a place you will call home.