Leon Allatios (1588-1669), a scholar of the 17th century, originated from Chios where he was born. At the age of 12 he left the island and went to Rome in order to receive higher education. He was to spend most of his life in the ‘Eternal City’. He embraced Catholicism and would sign in Latin or Italian. Cardinal Biscia appointed him counselor on religious matters, while Pope Alexander VII made him his honorary chamberlain and general manager of the Vatican Library. A prolific writer, he published a total of 59 books. In his book De Patria Homeri (On Homer's Homeland), published in 1640 in the French city of Lyon and written in Latin, he developed his theory on Homer's origin from Chios. He supported this view based on an ancient coin found in the collection of Cardinal Francisco Barberini depicting Homer on one side and the Sphinx holding a coin with the poet on the other.