Summary The gods have gathered again on Olympus. Poseidon is notably absent, and Athena once more advocates Odysseus’ case. Zeus agrees to send his son Hermes immediately to Ogygia in order to liberate the king of Ithaca from Calypso. Zeus advises Athena to help Telemachus return home unharmed, escaping the […]

Read more Summary and Analysis Book 5 – Odysseus — Nymph and Shipwreck

Summary When they arrive at Sparta, Telemachus and Pisistratus are warmly welcomed. Telemachus is moved to tears by Menelaus’ recollections of his friend Odysseus. The king and queen recall some of Odysseus’ exploits at Troy but postpone serious talk until the next day. In the morning, Menelaus expresses outrage at […]

Read more Summary and Analysis Book 4 – The King and Queen of Sparta

Summary As Telemachus and Athena (still disguised as Mentor) arrive at Pylos, they come upon a huge ceremony in which some 4,500 people offer 81 bulls in sacrifice to Poseidon. Telemachus feels awkward and embarrassed by his youth and inexperience, but under Athena/Mentor’s guidance, he makes a favorable impression on […]

Read more Summary and Analysis Book 3 – King Nestor Remembers

Summary When the assembly gathers the next day, wise old Aegyptius points out that the group has not met in session since King Odysseus left for the Trojan War some 20 years before. He commends the citizen who was bold enough to call for the meeting. Encouraged, Telemachus effectively makes […]

Read more Summary and Analysis Book 2 – Telemachus Sets Sail

Summary Homer opens The Odyssey with an invocation to the Muse of epic poetry and asks for her guidance in telling the story of a man who has experienced many twists and turns of fate and has suffered many hardships. Odysseus, the reader is told, is the only Greek survivor […]

Read more Summary and Analysis Book 1 – Athena Inspires the Prince

Human Beings and One Faithful Dog Odysseus The central figure in the epic, he employs guile as well as courage to return to Ithaca, defeat the suitors, and resume his proper place as king. Penelope Wife of Odysseus and mother of their son, Telemachus, she is shrewd and faithful in […]

Read more Character List

Introduction An epic is a long narrative poem in an elevated style that deals with the trials and achievements of a great hero or heroes. The epic celebrates virtues of national, military, religious, political, or historical significance. The word “epic” itself comes from the Greek epos, originally meaning “word” but […]

Read more About The Odyssey

Introduction After an invocation to the Muse of poetry, the epic begins in medias res (“in the middle of things”). Odysseus has been gone from Ithaca for about 20 years — the first 10 spent fighting the Trojan War, the last 10 trying to get home. Meanwhile, Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, […]

Read more Poem Summary

The Odyssey is Homer’s epic of Odysseus’ 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. While Odysseus battles mystical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus stave off suitors vying for Penelope’s hand and Ithaca’s throne long enough for Odysseus to […]

Read more The Odyssey at a Glance