Notably, Ithaca is mainly known by its reference to Homer’s Odyssey, a fact that surely attracts many visitors for this reason. The first signs of human existence on the island appear in the Neolithic Age (4000 – 3000 BC). Ithaca was even inhabited in the 3rd millennium BC, and this is evidenced by traces of walls, buildings and streets of that time. Between the periods 2000 – 1500 BC, new inhabitants came to the island. Afterwards, during the Mycenaean Era (1600-1100 BC) the island flourished culturally and began to dominate the area. Markedly, the Ithacans seem to have had a large state in the Ionian Sea and were great sailors and explorers throughout the Mediterranean. By comparison to the previous years, the island loses its glamor by the end of the Mycenaean Era and Kefalonia acquires its dynamics. During the period 800-180 BC, the island had an independent administration as a city-state and minted its own coins depicting Odysseus. Ithaca is inhabited both in the Hellenistic Period (336-30 BC) and in the Roman Era. However, in the following centuries its population decreases due to the constant pirate raids. Important to realize is that the control of the island changed many hands. Particularly, in the period 1185 – 1479 the island belongs to the Kingdom of Sicily and then in 1484 – 1503 the control of the biggest part of the island was in the hands of the Ottomans and the rest of the Venetians. With the treaty signed between the Venetians and the Ottomans in 1503, Ithaca became administratively part of the Republic of Venice, remaining under its control until 1797.