Television Reports

Where was Homer's Ithaca? TV documentary on the award-winning "New Files" (Neoi Fakeloi) programme of Greece's SKAI TV.

At 23.00 on May 27 Greece's SKAI TV "New Files" (Neoi Fakeloi) broadcast the documentary "Where was Homer's Ithaca?". The programme included interviews with Robert Bittlestone, James Diggle and John Underhill, as well as with the Mayor of Lixouri Nopi Alexandropoulou and also the proponents of alternative theories. Viewers in Kefalonia were invited to meet Robert Bittlestone and to watch the programme live at Novita restaurant on the Lixouri seafront.

Odysseus Unbound extract (6 minutes, 38 Mb: right-click and save before viewing).

Full programme (Greek: 21 minutes).

Benaki Museum, 1 Koumbari St. & Vas. Sofias Ave., Athens

Odysseus Unbound: The Search for Homer's Ithaca

Robert Bittlestone, Chairman of Metapraxis Ltd.

James Diggle, Professor of Greek and Latin at Cambridge University

Elias Toumasatos, Director of the Corgialenios Library, Argostoli

Petros Stathatos, Chief Executive, Ekdoseis Polytropon

will speak about the Greek edition of Odysseus Unbound, newly published in Athens by Ekdoseis Polytropon, and they will summarise the progress of research in Kefalonia over the 5 years since the project began in 2003.

After the talk there will be a drinks reception at which guests can meet the authors and purchase signed copies of the book.

Numbers are limited and so those wishing to attend should reserve a place by contacting Ekdoseis Polytropon, email info@ekdoseispolytropon.gr or tel. 21036 34780.

An audience of over 150 delegates arrived at the Benaki Museum to attend the presentation, which was also filmed by Greece's SKAI TV and broadcast the next day. Click here to watch the news item.

A lively discussion ensued over the question and answer session as representatives from several of the Ionian Islands presented their own perspective on this historic debate. Our thanks are due to Aimilia Geroulanou, President of the Board of Trustees and grand-daughter of founder Antonis Benakis, for her opening remarks; to Deputy Director Irine Geroulanou for her support and enthusiasm; to Mayor of Paliki Nopi Alexandropoulou for her words of encouragement at the outset of the evening; and to Petros Stathatos and all the team at Ekdoseis Polytropon for organising the event.

In search of Odysseus's Ithaca. By Julian Rush, Channel 4 News

"It's one of the founding stories of Western civilisation - the epic journey home to Ithaca by Odysseus following his victory in the Trojan War. It's long been argued whether Homer's tale is pure myth. Now British businessman Robert Bittlestone has set out to prove that the Greek hero's homeland does exist. But his controversial hunch about Ithaca's actual location would only make sense by showing the region had been transformed, possibly by a massive earthquake. So in October, he set out to prove his theory by drilling a borehole on the Greek island of Kefallonia - with Channel Four News having exclusive access to the project. Our Science Correspondent Julian Rush reports on how the evidence found there may fundamentally change our view of the Ancient World."

- Click here to watch the Channel 4 News film (8 minutes: alternative direct link here)

- Download the film [26 Mb, right click and save before viewing]

- Watch the film on YouTube

History Channel broadcasts first film footage from Paliki

 

The History Channel's "Digging for the Truth" field archaeology program broadcast a documentary about Homer's Troy and Ithaca in the USA on March 20 and 21. The film is called "Troy: Of Gods and Warriors" and it includes the first footage of some of the sites identified in "Odysseus Unbound" on the island of Kefalonia. The legendary Josh Bernstein is the intrepid interviewer and the series is produced by an Emmy-award winning team from JWM Productions.

 

With the kind permission of The History Channel and JWM Productions, an extract of the Ithaca material will be posted on this website on March 28.

 

 

Now available - Watch the History Channel extract about Ithaca

First broadcast on Mar 20. Duration: 5 minutes.

 

 

 

Low resolution: right-click here to Save Target then play offline (15 Mb WMV file, use Windows Media player).

 

 

 

 

High resolution: right-click here to Save Target then play offline (37Mb MP4 file, use QuickTime player).

 

 

 

 

 

TV and radio coverage of today's announcement

Channel 4 Special Report - In search of Odysseus - by Julian Rush

- Watch the film [streaming video: click on 'Watch the report' on the Channel 4 web page]

- Download the film [9 Mb, right click and save before viewing]