Leukas was an ancient Greek city located on the island of Lefkada in the Ionian Sea, off the western coast of mainland Greece. Situated on the northern part of the island, it was connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. According to tradition, this connection was originally natural, but the Corinthians cut a canal through it in the 7th century BC, effectively making Leucas an island. This canal made navigation easier and allowed ships to avoid the dangerous waters around the southern cape. The island was famous for the Leucadian Rock (modern Cape Lefkatas), a dramatic white cliff on the southern tip of the island. According to legend, this was where the poetess Sappho leapt to her death out of unrequited love for the ferryman Phaon. Historically, the cliff was where criminals or people seeking purification would be thrown from the heights, landing in the sea where boats would rescue them. If they survived.