A city on the northern coast of Krete (Crete).
Arriving on his home island of Ithaka (Ithaca) and disguised as a beggar, Odysseus met his wife Penelope and made up a story about how the met Odysseus on the island of Krete. Blown off course by a storm, Odysseus was forced to anchor at Amnisos. According to Odysseus (i.e. Homer) the harbor of Amnisos was difficult but had the distinction of being the location of the cave of Eileithyia (Eilithyia), goddess of childbirth.
The existence of the cave or temple of Eileithyia was confirmed by the traveler-historian Pausanias and the geographer Strabo. The harbor of Amnisos was used by King Minos to support his sea-domineering fleet, which might seem to contradict Homer's assertion that the harbor was difficult. In the period of time between Minos (2000 BCE) and Odysseus (1440 BCE), the eruption of the volcano on the island of Thera could have easily altered the physical characteristics of the harbor at Amnisos as well as many other anchorages on the northern coast of Krete.
Latitude North, Longitude East
35.3211, 25.2000
| References: Homer, Odyssey book 19, line 188 Strabo, Geography book 10.4.8 Pausanias, Description of Greece book 1.18.5 |