In this paper I shall explore a hitherto neglected dimension of the Greeks’ complex relationship with the sea: its use and perception as ‘a place of no return’ and an ‘away-place’. These terms are used in modern waste management to denote places where people throw things away permanently and thus expect never to deal with them again. Literary and archaeological sources will be reviewed with a view to exploring the occasions on which sea-dumping was regarded as a socially acceptable action, the kinds of objects that were permanently disposed of, as well as the range of different types of people who committed their unwanted items to the depths of the sea. I shall also discuss which qualities of the sea may have made it ideal as a place of no return in the eyes of the ancient Greeks and how far the ‘garbology’ approach contributes to a new understanding of the sea.
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