Ogygia (;
Ōgygíē , or
Ōgygia ), is an island mentioned in
Homer's
Odyssey, Book V, as the home of the
nymph Calypso, the daughter of the
Titan Atlas, also known as
Atlantis (
Ατλαντίς) in ancient Greek. In Homer's
Odyssey Calypso detained
Odysseus on Ogygia for 7 years and kept him from returning to his home of
Ithaca, wanting to marry him.
Athena complained about Calypso's actions to
Zeus, who sent the messenger
Hermes to Ogygia to order Calypso to release Odysseus. Hermes is Odysseus's great grandfather on his mother's side, through
Autolycos. Calypso finally, though reluctantly, instructed Odysseus to build a small raft, gave him food and wine, and let him depart the island.