And then, that hour the star rose up,
the clearest, brightest star, that always heralds
the newborn light of day, the deep-sea-going ship
made landfall on the island…Ithaca, at last.
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 13, lines 105-108. These powerful words describe Odysseus’ moment of arrival in Ithaca, as the brightest star heralds the dawn. The "star" is actually the planet Venus, the brightest object in the night sky other than the moon. After sailing from Troy, spending years of struggle at sea, and battling cannibilistic giants and Cyclops, Odysseus finally arrives to his homeland of Ithaca.