The Odyssey
Also known as: The Song of Odysseus
"The resilience of the human spirit, the longing for home, and the necessity of cunning, endurance, and wisdom in the face of fate and adversity."
Summary
The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus’ perilous ten-year journey home after the fall of Troy. Along the way, he faces trials from monsters, sorcery, the gods, and the underworld itself. His wife Penelope resists the advances of suitors, and his son Telemachus searches for news of him. Ultimately, Odysseus returns in disguise, slays the suitors, and reunites with his family. The poem explores themes of exile, homecoming, temptation, cunning intelligence, and the struggle between human will and divine power.
Themes
Major Characters
Notable Quotes
"Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns, driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy."
Book 1, Line 1
"There is nothing more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends."
Book 6
"So, surrender to sleep at last. What else could you suffer? Fate is too strong for you."
Book 12
Notable Translations
First full English translation, Elizabethan style.
Heroic couplets, highly stylized.
Literal, faithful translation.
Poetic, accessible, widely used in schools.
Popular modern verse translation.
First major English translation by a woman, praised for clarity and fresh perspective.