Gods,Heroes,Myths Greek Mythology Homer's epics,Expeditions

The "Cyclops Cave" at Heraclea isle of the Cyclades

Heraklia, located in the Small Cyclades, southeast of Naxos, is home to an ancient story that traces its origins to Homer's Odyssey. In the center of the island is a well "hidden" cave with rich decorations, which the locals call the "Cyclops Cave". There they have built a pilgrimage for Saint John, thanks to an icon found by a shepherd.

According to tradition, the cave was the home of the mythical Polyphemus, the Cyclops son of Poseidon. When the Cyclops was blinded by Odysseus and realized that the latter had escaped with his men, he furiously started throwing rocks into the sea, trying to sink Odysseus' ship. The two rock islands of Heraklea, Mikros and Megalos Avelas otherwise known as Avelonisia, were created from the thrown rocks, which are located in front of the deserted beach of Alimia.

The island of τηε Phaeacians and the... petrified Pontikonissi isle

Poseidon, who had been pursuing Odysseus even more after he blinded Polyphemus, was enraged when Odysseus' ship approached Ithaca. He sent a storm that drove him away to the island of the Phaeacians, today's Corfu. In fact, he transformed his ship into stone forming the Pontikonissi islet. When Odysseus later sailed from the island of the Phaeacians to Ithaca it is said that Poseidon threw a rock at the palace of king Alcinous who dared to assist Odysseus. According to another version of the myth, Poseidon threw a rock at Odysseus forming the islet in front of Paleokastritsa.

Odysseus' Bay in Parga

According to the epic of "Telegonia", which is considered the continuation of the Odyssey, Odysseus wandered further after taking revenge on the suitors. Following an oracle, Odysseus arrived in Thesprotia, where he landed in a bay, near present-day Parga and the village of Valanidorachi, also known as the "bay of Odysseus". It is a sandy and shallow beach, where even today one can enjoy the peace and tranquility offered by the secluded small beach.

From there Odysseus set out with an oar on his shoulder marching inland until he met a villager who did not recognize it as an oar and called it a "winnower", meaning the tool that separates the wheat from the chaff. There Odysseus sacrificed a wild boar, a ram and a bull and thus was forgiven by the god Poseidon.

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