Cycladia Travel Guides

History | Mythology

Lefkada Mythology

The island of Lefkada or Lefkadia owes its name to the steep, white cliffs of its southernmost cape Lefkata. There are many myths linked to this cape. This is where Apollo made his sister Venus jump from, in order to be released from her love for Adonis. Indeed, Venus was freed of her feelings and when she told her brother, he said that this happened because Zeus was using this exact rock as a place of rest and relaxation between his love-adventures. Many historical figures were actually released from their passions by jumping from the legendary rock, like the poetess Sapfo, who allegedly ended her life there because of her unrequited love for Faonas.

It’s also worth mentioning that the famous German archeologist Wilhelm Dörpfeld, who conducted a long series of excavations on the island, concluded that Lefkada was actually the Homeric Ithaca, home of Ulysses. The most striking proof was that Homer described Ithaca as an island reachable by foot and this could clearly be Lefkada, since it is connected to the mainland via a narrow land bridge.

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