Homer's Ogygia

John Vella MSc (Leicester) PhD Student, Mediterranean Institute, University of Malta, Malta. 9th. Annual International Conference on Mediterranean Studies, 21-24 March 2016, Athens, Greece. Background • Epic poetry and legends are thought to be imaginary (fiction).

• Homer’s Odyssey: • Maltese legend: Ulysses stay on Ogygia Gozo was the Island of and Calypso. Calypso. • Are Homer’s places, • Is there tangible characters and events evidence which proves imaginary? it was not fiction?

• What do place-names (toponyms) in both epic and legend tell? • Is there tangible proof that changes the imaginary into factual history?

• to identify intangible and tangible evidence from different sources

• intertwining intangibles and tangibles sources: do they provide tangible proof?

Dating:

• when did the Odyssey take place; • when was Homer writing the Odyssey • what was happening in the Mediterranean at that age;

Context:

• what was the context of the Italy location at the time of the Odyssey

Sicily

Tunisia Gozo

Malta © John Vella, Malta 2016 Closer look at context (2/3): Calypso’s Cave, Ġgantija and other megalithic structures, Bronze Age dolmen

© John Vella, Malta 2016 Analysis (2/2) - Where did the research look for evidence? Evidence was searched among: • Toponym/s • Archaeological remains from late Neolithic and Bronze Age • Astronomical - alignment of megalithic structures • Oral lore / Local legends • Language • Biblical – as recorded history • Pictographic / Works of art

© John Vella, Malta 2016 Findings (1/2) Many things in the Odyssey (Book V) and in Gozo are common:-  crafts,  skills,  natural context,  historic context*  maritime skills  and most of all toponyms (*earlier Maltese historiography is proved wrong)

The toponyms and places indicated in the Odyssey correspond exactly with the toponyms and places on Gozo- Malta Island.

These are supported by evidence found in local legends, written or published sources / documents, archaeology, astronomy and art

• This study found enough tangible evidence which transforms Homer’s epic poetry ‘Odyssey’* from an imaginary / fictional narrative into a historical record.

(* Book V)

© John Vella, Malta 2016 Conclusions 2/2 • Toponymy (the study of place-names), linguistic and scientific, informs on unrecorded, excluded or long forgotten history; • A trans-disciplinary approach bears better results than a mono- disciplinary approach or the repetition of traditional subjective historiography.