The Echinai

In our search for Doulichion the small islands of the Echinai play an important part. Homer always mentions the Echinean islands in combination with Doulichion.

The Echinai

Integrated islands

Uninhabited

To accommodate 40 ships, as mentioned in the catalogue of ships, Doulichion must be enormous compared to the tiny Echinades. Since the islands that Odysseus led (Zakinthos, Samos, Ithaca, Crocyleia and Aigilips) only sent 12 ships, finding an island large enough won't be easy.

So, to find the Echinai is to find Doulichion. The Echinades can be found close to the south-west coast of Akarnania. Literally, the Echinades means sea urchins. They are very small islands and some say that Doulichion is one of these islands but, even now, the islands are uninhabited.

There are 3 groups of islands in the Echinades, the Drakoneres, the Modia and the Ouniades. Some of the islands might have been integrated into the sediment of the delta of the Acheloös river (Achelous), but they can't possibly have been very large.