Ios Homer Tomb

 

The Tomb of Homer in Ios, Greece: Homer was among the greatest poets in ancient Greek historian who wrote epics like Odyssey and Iliad. Legend has it that it was on the island of Ios where Homer took his last breath and now he lies buried in his grave at Plakoto, at the northernmost part of the island on a hill. Some say that Homer’s mother, Clymene, was from Ios and that is why Homer chose to spend his last days there.

Some say he died succumbing to a sickness that developed after he had a fall, others that Homer was unable to solve a riddle posed to him by the locals and so they had to kill him. Homer supposedly died somewhere between 1100 and 900 B.C. His tomb was supposedly discovered by Pasch Van Krienen who was a government representative during the Russian Naval Brigade.

To get to the grave, you can either take a motorbike or a car from the port or from Chora and make your way up to Pano Kambos, an extremely fertile valley full of vineyards and olive trees and then to Koulida. From there, if you leave the asphalt road and take the path to the left you will be on your way to the Plakoto beach. Just a few meters short of that is the path that will lead you to the ancient ruins of graves that are from the Hellenistic period of which one is supposedly that of Homer’s.

Ios Lighthouse

Overlooking the deep blue waters of the sea, the stone-built lighthouse of Ios stands on the top of an impressive rock before the entrance of the island’s port. The building has been renovated and the only way to visit the secluded lighthouse is on foot, by taking a dirt path starting at Koumpara. The wild landscape view from up there is truly mesmerizing and definitely worth the effort!

Ios Odysseas Elytis Theatre

Odysseas Elytis Theatre in Ios, Cyclades: Odysseas Elytis was a famous Greek Nobelist poet who wrote modern poetry. The Odysseas Elytis Amphitheatre was named after the poet himself and is located at the top of the hill of Chora in Ios behind the whitewashed windmills that stand there.

Though the amphitheater is made of marble in the ancient Greek style, it was constructed relatively recently as compared to other architectural wonders of Ios. It is a colossal structure and can hold up to 1100 people at any given time. Every year, most of the cultural events of the island are held here while the grandest celebrations are that of the Homeria festival commemorated in memory of Homer, one of the greatest poets of all times.

The events are organized by the municipality of Ios. During the summer musical concerts, plays and other performances take place at this theatre. This open-air theatre was actually one of the favorite places of Odysseus himself. It is built on top of the hill, surrounded by breathtaking sights of Ios. You should definitely visit whether you enjoy a performance or not.