Explore the Municipality

History

The Municipality of Igoumenitsa is the biggest one of the Regional Unit of Thesprotia, having been formed by the merger of 5 former municipalities: Igoumenitsa, Margariti, Parapotamos, Sivota and Perdika. With a history that stretches back centuries, our Municipality gives the visitor a sense of travelling back in time, where the legend and the reality shift back and forth, upgrading the overall experience.

Mythology

It seems that in our region has wandered and spent many years of his adventurous life the resourceful Odysseus. According to the unknown –to most of us- end of Odyssey, Odysseus, after his blissful reunion with Penelope, talks about a prophecy taken from Teiresias, on his going to Hades. Once again he has to leave his beloved Ithaca for a new and unknown destination in hinterland, where people are unaware of sea and ships, oars and salt.

According to a version of the story, Odysseus, after having killed the suitors, has to confront their relatives that came seeking revenge. Neoptolemus, King of Epirus and appointed judge in this dispute, forced the tormented Odysseus to leave his home country for another 10 years. Fulfilling the prophecy, he journeyed through Epirus and came upon the kingdom of Thesprotis, with an oar on his shoulder. He realizes that this must be the end of his adventure, when he meets a wayfarer that mistakes his oar for a winnowing fan. As Teiresias indicated, Odysseus plants the oar in the earth, sacrifices a ram, an ox and a boar to Poseidon and rejoices that from this point forward, he will be able to enjoy a calm and peaceful old age in Ithaca and a gentle, painless death far from the sea.

Another view of Odysseus’ ultimate trip is being offered by the epic cycle “Thesprotis” or “Telegony”, according to which Odysseus weds the Thesprotian queen Callidice and led her troops into battle against Brygoi. 9 years later, their son, Polypoites, on his mother’s death inherits the thesprotian throne and Odysseus finally made his way back to Ithaca.