The Odyssey

The Odyssey follows Odysseus, king of the island of Ithaca, as he struggles to return home after the fall of Troy. The poem opens years after the war: his wife Penelope is besieged by suitors competing for her hand and his property, and his young son Telemachus sets out to seek news of his father. Meanwhile Odysseus is held on the island of the nymph Calypso. When he finally reaches the court of the Phaeacians, he recounts his earlier adventures, including encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the enchantress Circe, the Sirens, and a journey to the land of the dead, all while pursued by the anger of the sea god Poseidon and aided by the goddess Athena.

The poem explores homecoming, loyalty, hospitality, cleverness and the bond between parents and children. Odysseus is a hero of wit as much as strength, and the story's structure, beginning in the middle and moving through tales within tales, feels surprisingly modern.

Composed in Greek hexameter verse and divided into twenty-four books, the Odyssey is traditionally attributed to Homer, though who he was and how the poems took shape remain debated. It has been studied and retold for nearly three thousand years and has inspired countless works, from ancient drama to James Joyce's novel Ulysses, as well as many translations, films and stage versions.

The Odyssey is a classic by Homer. On BookClassics you can read it free online in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Russian. A free audio excerpt is also available. You may also like The Iliad, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and A Martian Odyssey.

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