Guide Note

The Odyssey is ancient Greek epic poem attributed to the blind poet Homer. The story begins after the Fall of Troy as the hero Odysseus tries to make it back home to Ithaca to be reunited with his wife and son.

Fast Facts

Poet: Homer
Genre: Epic Poem
Originated: 8th century BC
Originally composed in the oral tradition
Written in Dactylic Hexameter
Divided into 24 books
Is often thought of as the sequel to The Iliad
The first four books are known as the "Telemachy"

Plot Synopsis

Beginning in medias res, or "the middle of the plot", The Odyssey picks up ten years after the Fall of Troy as the hero Odysseus is being held captive on an island by the nymph Calypso.

After escaping the island (with the help of the gods Athena and Zeus) and surviving a battle with the sea god Poseidon, Odysseus lands in the kingdom of the Phaeacians who vow to help him reach Ithaca. During his stay with the Phaeacians, Odysseus is compelled by the princess Nausicaa to recount the incredible events that led up to his imprisonment on the island of Calypso.

Odysseus then proceeds to tell the stories of his many adventures since the Fall of Troy, including his run-in with the Cyclops Polyphemus, his battle with the sea monster Scylla, the temptations of the Sirens and his escape from the Land of the Lotus Eaters.

At the same time, Odysseus' wife Penelope and son Telemachus are being harassed by a number of suitors who are trying to usurp the throne in his absence.

After returning to Ithaca with the help of the Phaeacians, Odysseus reunites with his son and destroys the suitors who have overrun his palace.

Categories

Entertainment | English | Literature | Books | Fiction | Novels

View Note History

The Odyssey

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Odyssey
Project Gutenberg: The Odyssey Online Book
Mythweb: Odysseus
eNotes: Odyssey Summary and Essays
The Robot Wisdom Pages: Homer's Odyssey Resources
Fan Site: Homer's Odyssey
Amazon.com: The Odyssey Books and Merchandise

The Odyssey Free Online Versions

Project Gutenberg: The Odyssey by Homer
The Internet Classics Archive: The Odyssey by Homer
Bibliomania: The Odyssey of Homer
The Literature Network: The Odyssey by Homer
Malaspina University-College: Homer: The Odyssey (e-text)

Audio

Homo Ecumenicus: Homer Odyssey Calypso and Ulysses
LibriVox: The Odyssey by Homer
music.com: Homer Odyssey

The Odyssey Study Guides

SparkNotes: The Odyssey
Temple University: Study Guide for Homer's Odyssey
GradeSaver: The Odyssey Study Guide
CliffsNotes: The Odyssey Book Summary and Study Guide
DavidClaudon.com: The Odyssey by Homer: a study guide

The Odyssey Literary Analysis and Criticism

Sexual Fables: Homer's Women
Die Roepstem: "The meaning of Tradition in Homer's Odyssey" (2006)
The Internet Classics Archive: Poetics by Aristotle
Bartleby.com: Return of Ulysses
Electronic Antiquity: "Incorporating the Other: the Catalogue of Women in Odyssey" (1994)
eNotes: Odyssey Summary and Essays

The Odyssey Quotations

The Quotations Page: Homer Quotes
Thinkexist.com: Homer quotes
BrainyQuote: Homer Quotes

The Odyssey Author Information

Temple University Classical Epic: Homer
Wikipedia: Homer
CummingsStudyGuides.net: Homer Biography
Bartleby.com: Homer, The Columbia Encyclopedia

The Odyssey Merchandise

Amazon.com: The Odyssey Books and Merchandise
Barnes & Noble: The Odyssey Books
Powell's Books: The Odyssey Books
CafePress.com: The Odyssey T-Shirts and Gifts
eBay: The Odyssey Merchandise and Books

The Odyssey News and Articles

Google News Search: Homer's Odyssey
Topix News Search: Homer's Odyssey

The Odyssey Fan Sites, Blogs and Message Boards

Fan Site: Homer's Odyssey
PBS: Online NewsHour Forum: Odyssey
The Classics Pages: Odyssey Game
Why Homeschool: Homer's Odyssey
Mobile Read Forums: Homer's Odyssey

The Odyssey Adaptations

The majority of the following links are to IMDb, which has pop-ups

The Odyssey Culture and Humor

Wikipedia: Geography of The Odyssey
BBC-Film Network: Homer's Odyssey (Time: 00:15)
Whoosh.org: The Odyssey vs. ULYSSES
YouTube: The Simpsons Odyssey (Time: 06:24)
YouTube: Homer's Odyssey (Time: 02:08)
YouTube and Google Video: The Odyssey Search
Metroactive Movies: "Southern Odyssey" (2000)

Related Searches

The Iliad | Homer | The Aeneid | Aeschylus | Orestia | Odysseus | Penelope | Telemachus | O Brother Where Art Thou | Troy | Sirens | Ithaca | Calypso | Nausicaa | Poseidon | Athena | Mount Olympus | Epic of Gilgamesh | rhapsode | Trojan War | Joel Coen | Ethan Coen | Epic Poem

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