IX of XII · The Twelve Islands
Ios
The poet’s riddle
They say Homer died on Ios because he could not answer some boys.
Chapter I
The myth
“What we caught we left behind; what we didn’t catch we carry with us.”
In his old age, Homer asked the oracle who his parents were. The answer was a warning: the island of Ios would receive him when he died, and he should beware the riddle of some youths.
On Ios he came across some boys returning from fishing and asked them what they had caught. They replied: “What we caught we left behind; what we didn’t catch we carry with us.” The poet who had sung of the Trojan War could not solve it, and he died soon after. To this day, on a hill on Ios, there is a tomb that tradition calls Homer’s.
Chapter II
On Contadora
1983first meeting of the Contadora Group, on this island
In January 1983, the foreign ministers of Colombia, Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela met on this island in search of a way out of the wars in Central America. That meeting produced the Contadora Declaration, and the island’s name became bound to the word peace.
Homer sang of war; on Contadora, a few people sat down and talked in order to end one.
Chapter III
Your ritual
In your room you’ll find the fishermen’s riddle. If you solve it before you leave, leave your answer in writing at the front desk: there’s a small prize for whoever wins where Homer lost.
The room
A table by the window
White and dome blue, plenty of light, and a writing table by the window. A room for reading, taking notes, and letting ideas come on their own.
Reference images: the photo shoot on Contadora will replace them. The room details (size, beds, view and capacity) will be published with the real data.
Book this island
IX · Ios
The poet’s riddle. Choose your dates and we will show you direct availability, with no middlemen.
Next islandX MilosWhat the islands keep