Odysseus, A Big Fish In A Small Pond.

[sandyRoe]

Ithaca, the island where he was king now has a population of around 3,000. What would it have been in the Bronze Age?

[Zacs-Master]

As it's mythological, it could have been whatever Homer wanted it to be, I suppose. There's doubt as to whether modern Ithaca is, in-fact, Odysseus's Ihthaca.

[Peter Pedant]

the whole thing about Schliemann was that the mythical places you know existed

I reckon probably the same size as now - half slaves possibly
That does mean a mod island sent one ship to Troy....

I have had a look at Athens er 500 y later
around 100 000 - give or take a factor of two

athens had around 400 triremes and it took 80 000 to service them - kinda half the city

the defeat at Syracuse - they lost the whole lot
and carried on for another 7 y

Anyweay good news for me
I have been looking for the word ekpleexis
the root of startle disease - Hyperekplexia

which I cdnt find in the accounts of the defeat of athens in 404 after the defeat at aegospotami - low moan from the piraeus when the loss of the fleet was reported
and that was because
the consternation - startle- shock was at the defeat at Syracuse
Plutarch Life of Nicias Plut. Nic. 30.1
so thanks
also has the acct that the enslaved Athenians at Syracuse
were redeemed by their captors if they cd quote Euripides a fave amongst the siciliams ( Plut. Nic. 29.3)

they returned to athens and thanked the old boy