Archeologist Wilhelm Dörpfeld cooperated with Heinrich Schliemann on excavating the ancient cities of Olympia, Tiryns and, last but not least, Homeric Troy.

The rotated map

1853-1940

Wilhelm Dörpfeld

Ithaca

Samos

Zacynthos

Doulichion

Dörpfeld's low-lying once again meant 'close to the coast', but in order to make Ithaca the most western island, he rotated the compass and stated that ancient Greeks interpreted West differently than we do now.

Dörpfeld became convinced that Lefkada was ancient Ithaca, a theory he expounded in his book 'Alt-Ithaka', which was the first serious attempt to turn Lefkada into an island again. The problem with Dörpfeld was that he felt certain the palace of Odysseus had to be in the vicinity of Nidri, where he settled and lived until his death.

His love of Nidri, an admittedly lovely little village on Lefkada, blinded him to other possibilities and he failed to find the palace, which is mainly why his 'Ithaca = Lefkada' theory hasn't been widely accepted. For his efforts, Wilhelm was honoured with a statue in his beloved Nidri.

Obviously, Dörpfeld's ancient Ithaca is Lefkada, though his Samos is Ithaki, his Zacynthos Zakinthos and Kefallinia became his Doulichion.