Ionian Sea

Lore & Background

The name "Ionian" comes from the Greek word Ionion (Ἰόνιον). Its etymology is unknown. Ancient Greek writers, especially Aeschylus, linked it to the myth of Io. In ancient Greek the adjective Ionios (Ἰόνιος) was used as an epithet for the sea because Io swam across it. According to the Oxford Classical Dictionary, the name may derive from Ionians who sailed to the west, however the word for Ionians is spelled with an omega (Ἴωνες) rather than an omicron as in the word for the Ionian Sea. There were also narratives about other eponymic legendary figures: according to one version, Ionius, son of Adrias (eponymic for the Adriatic Sea); according to another, Ionius, son of Dyrrhachus. When Dyrrhachus was attacked by his own brothers, Heracles, who was passing through the area, came to his aid, but in the fight the hero killed his ally's son by mistake. The body was cast into the water, which thereafter was called the Ionian Sea.

Reader's Guide

The sea is famous for the seafaring adventures of the Ancient Greek hero Odysseus, the warrior-king of the island of Ithaca. The Ionian Sea was regularly crossed since at least the 8th century BC, by ancient Greek colonizers who were establishing colonies in Italy. During the Roman period, it was the location of the Battle of Actium between Octavian and Mark Antony in 31 BC. A number of major naval engagements would be fought over the eastern section of the sea and its islands throughout the modern era, culminating in its control by the modern state of Greece. The western section of the Ionian Sea has been controlled by Italy since 1861. There are ferry routes between Patras and Igoumenitsa, Greece, and Brindisi and Ancona, Italy, that cross the east and north of the Ionian Sea, and from Piraeus westward. The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Ionian Sea as follows: On the North, a line running from the mouth of the Butrinto River (39°44'N) in Albania, to Cape Karagol in Corfu (39°45'N), along the North Coast of Corfu to Cape Kephali (39°45'N) and from thence to Cape Santa Maria di Leuca in Italy. On the East, from the mouth of the Butrinto River in Albania down the coast of the mainland to Cape Matapan. On the South, a line from Cape Matapan to Cape Passero, the Southern point of Sicily. On the West, the East coast of Sicily and the Southeast coast of Italy to Cape Santa Maria di Leuca.

Did You Know?

• Calypso Deep, at 5,109 m (16,762 ft), is the deepest point in the entire Mediterranean Sea.
• The Ionian Sea is one of the most seismically active areas in the world.
• The name 'Ionian' may derive from Ionians who sailed west, but the spelling differs—Ionians uses an omega (Ἴωνες) while Ionian Sea uses an omicron.
• According to one legend, the sea was named after Ionius, son of Dyrrhachus, whose body was cast into the water after being accidentally killed by Heracles.
• The Battle of Actium between Octavian and Mark Antony took place in the Ionian Sea in 31 BC.