Ismara

Ismara (Ancient Greek: Ἴσμαρος, Ismaros [ismaros]) is a city of the Cicones, mentioned in the Odyssey.

Homeric Ismaros

After their departure from Troy, Odysseus and his companions stop at Ismaros.[1] They sack the town, and attack the Cicones, the inhabitants of the adjacent region. They kill the men and divide the women and treasures among themselves, then begin to feast, despite Odysseus' advice that they leave immediately. The Cicones, who have left in search of help, come back in the morning in great numbers. Odysseus manages to escape, although he loses several men in the process. He embarks with the survivors and continues his journey home to Ithaca.

While at Ismaros, Odysseus spares Maron, the son of Euanthes and the priest of Apollo, and his family. Because of this, Maron gifts him a "goatskin bottle of black wine", some gold, and a mixing bowl. The wine was a strong and divine drink, as for each cup of wine, 20 times as much water was added to it to dilute it. He uses this wine to lull the Cyclops Polyphemus to sleep.[2]

References

  1. ↑ The Essential Homer: Selections from the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer and Stanley Lombardo, page 299: "... From Ilion the wind took me to the Cicones In Ismaros. I pillaged the town and killed the men."
  2. ↑ Homer (2007). The odyssey of Homer. New York, NY: Harper Perennial Modern Classics. ISBN 0-06-124418-X.
  • Durando, Furio. Greece, a guide to the archaeological sites (2004).


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