Chios is the only city mentioned in the Homeric epics. In the 3rd rhapsody of the Odyssey, Homer characterizes Chios as “paipaloessa”, meaning full of rocks, thus proving that the poet was well aware of its morphology. But he also knew its geographic location, as in the same rhapsody, he gives distinctive details when he narrates that Telemachus arrives at Pylos, meets king Nestor and inquires about his father. King Nestor recalls that after the fall of Troy, they stopped at Lesvos to decide the course of the return journey, whether they would cross the Chios straight, between the coast of the island and of Asia Minor, or whether they would sail south, between Chios and Psara.