With Christopher Nolan's hit film The Odyssey bringing Homer's epic back to the big screen, millions of moviegoers will once again follow Odysseus (known in Latin as Ulysses) through storms, shipwrecks, monsters, and impossible choices as he struggles to return home after the Trojan War.
But what if his greatest adventure didn't end when the film did?
According to one of Portugal's oldest and most enduring legends, it didn't.
Instead, it ended in Lisbon.
A Hero Lost at Sea... and Found in Portugal
Most people know the story.
After helping the Greeks win the Trojan War through the famous Trojan Horse, Odysseus set sail for his kingdom of Ithaca. Instead of a quick journey home, he wandered lost in the Mediterranean for ten years, battling the Cyclops, resisting the Sirens, escaping the enchantress Circe, surviving Scylla and Charybdis, and enduring the wrath of Poseidon.
Homer's Odyssey ends with the hero finally reaching Ithaca, where he defeats the suitors courting his faithful wife Penelope.
But the Romans believed there was another chapter.
Long before Lisbon became the capital of Portugal, many claimed that Ulysses had sailed beyond the Pillars of Hercules (today's Strait of Gibraltar) into the Atlantic. Guided by the gods, he reached the mouth of the Tejo River, where a bolt of lightning struck the earth.
Seeing this as a sign from Zeus, Ulysses founded a town on that spot.
According to legend, Lusus was the companion of the hero Ulysses. While Ulysses is traditionally credited with founding ancient Lisbon, Lusus is said to have settled the surrounding lands, giving his name to Lusitania, the Roman province that covered much of modern Portugal. Although mythical rather than historical, Lusus became a powerful symbol of Portuguese identity, immortalized by Luís de Camões in Os Lusíadas. The 16th century poem is inspired by The Odyssey . Even today, Portugal is poetically called Lusitânia, and Portuguese people are often referred to as Lusos.
He named it Olissipo. Over centuries, Olissipo would become Lisbon.
Was Lisbon Really Founded by Ulysses?
Probably not.
Historians believe Lisbon is far older than Heroic civilization, with archaeological evidence showing settlement by prehistoric peoples twell before Homer's time. The Phoenicians established an important trading port here centuries before the Romans arrived.
During the Roman period—and into the Middle Ages— writers embraced the story that Lisbon's name derived from Ulyssippo or Olissipo, linking the city's origins to one of the greatest heroes of classical literature.
Whether historically true or not, the legend became part of Lisbon's identity.
Even today, you'll occasionally see references to "the city of Ulysses."
Why the Legend Still Matters
Every great city seems to have an origin story.
Rome had Romulus and Remus.
Athens had Athena.
Lisbon has Ulysses.
It's a fitting founder.
Odysseus wasn't famous because he was the strongest warrior. He survived because he was clever, curious, adaptable, and endlessly resilient.
Those same qualities would come to define Portugal.
Centuries later, Portuguese navigators would venture into the unknown Atlantic, facing many of the same dangers imagined by Homer, storms, sea monsters (or so they believed), and uncharted waters at the edge of the known world.
The connection between Ulysses and Portugal became symbolic: a nation shaped by the sea, exploration, and extraordinary journeys.
Walking Through the Legend
Stand today at one of Lisbon's famous miradouros overlooking the Tejo River.
Watch the sunlight shimmer across the water.
It's easy to imagine a weather-beaten Greek ship slowly entering the broad estuary after years of wandering.
Some historians suggest the story persisted precisely because the Tejo feels like a natural place to end a voyage.
Protected, beautiful, and commanding the entrance to the Atlantic, it would have seemed almost mythical to ancient sailors.
Whether Ulysses ever stood here hardly matters. The setting is convincing enough.
The Odyssey Continues
Christopher Nolan's film will introduce a new generation to one of history's greatest stories.
After the credits roll, many viewers will naturally think of Ithaca, Penelope, and the long voyage home.
But travelers coming to Portugal might discover another ending entirely.
One where the greatest wanderer of Greek mythology never stopped exploring.
One where his final great adventure brought him to the hills overlooking the Tagus.
And where, according to legend, he founded one of Europe's most captivating cities.
History may debate the facts.
Lisbon has always embraced the story.
Perhaps that's the most fitting ending of all.
"Ulisses" is the opening poem of Fernando Pessoa's famous 1934 book Mensagem (Message),
The myth is the nothing that is everything.
The same sun that opens the heavens is a brilliant, mute myth—the dead body of God, alive and naked.
He who arrived here did so by not existing.
Without existing, He sufficed for us.
By not coming, He came—and created us.
Thus the legend flows, entering reality and proceeding to fertilize it.
Below, life—a mere half—dies of nothingness.
If You Go: Quick Guide to Ancient Sites in Lisbon
One of the city's most fascinating—and least-visited—attractions is the Núcleo Arqueológico da Rua dos Correeiros, tucked beneath the Millennium bcp building just off Rua Augusta. Hidden beneath the bustling pedestrian streets of the Baixa lies nearly 2,500 years of Lisbon's history, with Phoenician, Roman, medieval, and post-earthquake remains layered one atop another. Visitors walk through ancient streets, Roman fish-salting tanks, walls, wells, and foundations that reveal how Olissipo evolved into modern Lisbon. It's one of Europe's most remarkable underground archaeological sites, yet many tourists stroll directly above it without ever realizing it's there.
Then climb the hill to the magnificent Ruins of Carmo. Left roofless after the devastating 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the Gothic church has become one of the city's most evocative landmarks. Today it houses the Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, where artifacts spanning thousands of years—from prehistoric tools to Roman inscriptions and medieval tombs—tell the story of Lisbon's remarkable past. Standing beneath its soaring stone arches, open to the sky, it's easy to imagine the many civilizations that have called this city home
- São Jorge Castle – Built on the city's highest hill, the castle occupies a site that has been fortified since Iron Age times. Romans, Visigoths, Moors, and Portuguese kings all used this strategic location.
- Roman Theatre Museum (Museu de Lisboa – Teatro Romano) – Dating from the 1st century AD, this remarkably preserved Roman theatre once seated around 4,000 spectators and offers one of the best glimpses into Roman Olisipo.
- Lisbon Cathedral (Sé de Lisboa) – Constructed in the 12th century atop earlier Roman and Moorish structures, archaeological excavations beneath the cathedral reveal Roman roads, houses, and Islamic remains.
- Roman Galleries (Galerias Romanas da Rua da Prata) – Hidden beneath downtown Lisbon are vaulted Roman tunnels and reservoirs built nearly 2,000 years ago. They are only opened to the public a few days each year, making them one of the city's most fascinating archaeological treasures.
- Casa dos Bicos Archaeological Centre – Home to remains of Roman fish-salting tanks and exhibits on ancient Lisbon, the museum also explores the city's development from Roman times through the Middle Ages.
Whether you're a fan of mythology, history, or simply love a good story, Lisbon reminds us that the best cities are built not only on stone—but also on legends that continue to inspire travelers thousands of years later.