What Thracian city does Odysseus sack after leaving Troy?
Answer
Ismarus
Answer
Ismarus
The Thracian city Odysseus sacks after leaving Troy is Ismarus, home of the Cicones. In Odyssey Book 9, storms blow Odysseus and his twelve ships off course to the city during their return voyage.
The attackers kill many of the Cicones, seize their women and possessions, and celebrate on the shore. Odysseus urges his men to leave immediately, but they ignore him. The surviving Cicones call for reinforcements from inland, returning in much greater numbers with chariots and infantry. They defeat the exposed Greeks and force them back to their ships.
The raid also connects Ismarus with the episode involving Maron, a priest of Apollo. Odysseus spares Maron and his family, and Maron rewards him with powerful wine that later helps him defeat Polyphemus. Ismarus is sometimes written Ismaros, and its exact archaeological location remains uncertain, although ancient sources place it in southeastern Thrace near Lake Ismaris.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026