The Odyssey (/ˈɒdəsi/; Greek O
 Ὀδύσσεια Odýsseia O
 pronounced  in Classical O
Attic) O
is O
one O
of O
two O
major O
ancient Greek epic O
poems attributed O
to Homer. O
It O
is O
in O
part O
a O
sequel O
to O
the Iliad O
the O
other O
work O
ascribed O
to O
Homer. O
The Odyssey is B-PER
fundamental O
to O
the O
modern Western O
canon O
and O
is O
the O
second O
oldest O
extant O
work O
of O
Western O
literature; O
the Iliad is O
the O
oldest. O
Scholars O
believe O
the Odysseywas O
composed O
near O
the O
end O
of O
the O
8th O
century O
BC O
somewhere O
in Ionia O
the B-LOC
Greek O
coastal O
region O
of Anatolia. O
The B-LOC
poem O
mainly O
focuses O
on O
the O
Greek O
hero Odysseus (known O
as Ulysses in Roman myths) O
king O
of Ithaca O
and B-LOC
his I-LOC
journey O
home O
after O
the O
fall O
of Troy. O
It O
takes B-LOC
Odysseus O
ten B-PER
years I-PER
to O
reach Ithaca after O
the B-LOC
ten O
year Trojan O
War. In O
his O
absence O
it O
is O
assumed O
Odysseus O
has B-PER
died I-PER
and O
his O
wife Penelope and O
son Telemachus must B-PER
deal B-PER
with O
a O
group O
of O
unruly O
suitors O
the Mnesteres (Greek O
 Μνηστῆρες) O
or Proci O
who O
compete O
for O
Penelope's O
hand O
in B-PER
marriage. I-PER
The Odyssey continues O
to O
be O
read O
in O
the Homeric O
Greek and O
translated O
into O
modern O
languages O
around O
the O
world. O
Many O
scholars O
believe O
the O
original O
poem O
was O
composed O
in O
an oral O
tradition by O
an aoidos (epic O
poet/singer) O
perhaps O
a rhapsode (professional O
performer) O
and O
was O
more O
likely O
intended O
to O
be O
heard O
than O
read. The O
details O
of O
the O
ancient O
oral O
performance O
and O
the O
story's O
conversion O
to O
a O
written O
work O
inspire O
continual O
debate O
among O
scholars. O
The Odyssey was O
written O
in O
a O
poetic O
dialect O
of O
Greek—a O
literary O
amalgam O
of Aeolic O
Greek O
 Ionic O
Greek O
and O
other Ancient O
Greek O
dialects—and O
comprises O
12 O
110 O
lines O
of dactylic O
hexameter. Among O
the O
most O
noteworthy O
elements O
of O
the O
text O
are O
its non O
linear plot O
and O
the O
influence O
on O
events O
of O
choices O
made O
by O
women O
and O
slaves O
besides O
the O
actions O
of O
fighting O
men. O
In O
the English O
language as O
well O
as O
many O
others O
the O
word odyssey has O
come O
to O
refer O
to O
an O
epic O
voyage. O
The Odyssey has O
a O
lost O
sequel O
the Telegony O
which O
was O
not O
written O
by O
Homer. O
It O
was O
usually O
attributed B-PER
in O
antiquity O
to Cinaethon O
of O
Sparta. O
In B-PER
one I-PER
source I-PER
 the Telegony was B-LOC
said O
to O
have O
been O
stolen O
from O
Musaeus O
by O
either O
Eugamon O
or O
Eugammon O
of O
Cyrene O
(see Cyclic O
poets). O
Synopsis O
Exposition O
The Odyssey begins O
ten O
years O
after O
the O
end O
of O
the O
ten O
year Trojan O
War (the O
subject O
of O
the Iliad) O
and O
Odysseus O
has O
still O
not O
returned B-PER
home O
from O
the O
war. O
Odysseus' O
son Telemachus is O
about B-PER
20 O
years B-PER
old I-PER
and O
is O
sharing O
his O
absent O
father's O
house O
on O
the O
island O
of Ithaca with O
his O
mother Penelope and O
a O
crowd O
of B-PER
108 I-PER
boisterous I-PER
young O
men O
"the O
Suitors" O
whose O
aim O
is O
to O
persuade O
Penelope O
to O
marry O
one O
of O
them B-PER
all I-PER
the O
while O
reveling O
in O
Odysseus' O
palace O
and O
eating O
up B-PER
his I-PER
wealth. O
Odysseus' O
protectress O
the O
goddess Athena B-PER
requests O
to Zeus O
king O
of B-PER
the gods O
to O
finally O
allow O
Odysseus O
to O
return O
home O
when O
Odysseus' B-PER
enemy O
the O
god O
of O
the O
sea Poseidon B-PER
is O
absent O
from Mount O
Olympus. O
Then O
disguised O
as B-LOC
a Taphian chieftain I-LOC
named Mentes O
she O
visits O
Telemachus O
to O
urge O
him O
to O
search O
for B-PER
news I-PER
of O
his O
father. O
He O
offers O
her O
hospitality; O
they O
observe O
the O
suitors O
dining O
rowdily O
while O
the O
bard Phemius performs O
a O
narrative O
poem O
for O
them. O
Penelope O
objects O
to O
Phemius' O
theme O
the B-PER
"Return I-PER
from O
Troy" O
 because O
it O
reminds O
her O
of O
her B-LOC
missing O
husband O
but O
Telemachus O
rebuts O
her O
objections O
asserting O
his B-PER
role O
as O
head O
of O
the O
household. O
That O
night O
Athena O
disguised O
as O
Telemachus O
finds O
a B-PER
ship I-PER
and O
crew O
for O
the B-PER
true I-PER
prince. O
The O
next O
morning O
Telemachus O
calls O
an O
assembly O
of O
citizens O
of B-PER
Ithaca I-PER
to O
discuss O
what O
should O
be O
done O
with B-LOC
the I-LOC
suitors. O
Accompanied O
by O
Athena O
(now O
disguised O
as Mentor) O
he O
departs O
for O
the O
Greek O
mainland O
and O
the O
household O
of Nestor O
most O
venerable O
of O
the O
Greek O
warriors O
at O
Troy O
now O
at O
home O
in Pylos. O
From O
there O
Telemachus O
rides O
overland O
accompanied B-LOC
by O
Nestor's O
son Peisistratus B-PER
to Sparta O
where O
he O
finds Menelaus and Helen O
who O
have B-LOC
somewhat O
reconciled. O
While B-PER
Helen O
laments B-PER
the O
fit O
of O
lust O
brought O
on O
by O
Aphrodite O
that O
sent O
her O
to O
Troy O
with O
Paris O
Menelaus O
recounts O
how O
she O
betrayed O
the O
Greeks O
by O
attempting B-PER
to O
imitate O
the O
voices O
of O
the O
soldiers' O
wives O
while O
they O
were O
inside O
the Trojan O
Horse. O
Telemachus O
also O
hears O
from O
Helen O
who O
is O
the O
first O
to B-PER
recognize I-PER
him O
that O
she O
pities B-PER
him O
because O
Odysseus O
was O
not O
there O
for O
him O
in O
his O
childhood O
because O
he B-PER
went O
to O
Troy O
to O
fight O
for O
her O
and O
also O
about O
his O
exploit O
of B-LOC
stealing I-LOC
the O
Palladium O
or O
the O
Luck O
of O
Troy O
where O
she O
was O
the O
only O
one O
to O
recognize O
him. O
Menelaus B-LOC
meanwhile O
also O
praises O
Odysseus O
as O
an O
irreproachable O
comrade O
and O
friend O
lamenting O
the B-PER
fact O
that O
they O
were O
not O
only O
unable O
to O
return O
together O
from O
Troy O
but O
that O
Odysseus O
is O
yet O
to O
return. O
Both O
Helen O
and O
Menelaus B-LOC
also O
say B-PER
that I-PER
they O
returned O
to Sparta after O
a O
long B-PER
voyage I-PER
by O
way O
of Egypt. O
There O
on O
the O
island B-LOC
of Pharos O
Menelaus O
encountered O
the B-LOC
old O
sea O
god Proteus O
who O
told O
him O
that B-PER
Odysseus I-PER
was O
a O
captive O
of O
the O
nymph Calypso. B-PER
Incidentally O
Telemachus B-PER
learns O
the O
fate O
of O
Menelaus' O
brother Agamemnon B-PER
king B-PER
of Mycenae and I-PER
leader O
of O
the B-PER
Greeks I-PER
at O
Troy O
he B-PER
was I-PER
murdered I-PER
on O
his B-LOC
return I-LOC
home O
by O
his O
wife Clytemnestra and O
her O
lover Aegisthus. O
The O
story O
briefly O
shifts O
to O
the O
suitors O
who O
have O
only O
just O
now O
realized O
that O
Telemachus O
is O
gone; O
angry O
they O
formulate O
a O
plan O
to O
ambush O
his O
ship B-PER
and I-PER
kill O
him O
as O
he O
sails O
back O
home. O
Penelope O
overhears O
their O
plot O
and O
worries O
for O
her O
son's O
safety. O
Escape B-PER
to O
the O
Phaeacians O
The O
second O
part O
recounts O
the O
story O
of O
Odysseus. O
After O
he O
has O
spent O
seven O
years O
in O
captivity O
on Ogygia O
the B-PER
island I-PER
of Calypso O
she O
falls O
deeply O
in O
love O
with O
him O
even B-LOC
though O
he O
has O
consistently O
spurned O
her O
advances. O
She O
is O
persuaded O
to O
release O
him O
by O
Odysseus' O
great O
grandfather O
the O
messenger O
god Hermes O
who O
has O
been O
sent B-PER
by I-PER
Zeus O
in O
response O
to O
Athena's O
plea. O
Odysseus O
builds O
a O
raft O
and O
is O
given O
clothing O
food O
and O
drink B-PER
by O
Calypso. O
When B-PER
Poseidon O
learns O
that O
Odysseus O
has O
escaped O
he O
wrecks O
the O
raft B-PER
but I-PER
helped O
by O
a O
veil O
given O
by O
the B-PER
sea I-PER
nymph Ino O
Odysseus O
swims O
ashore O
on Scherie O
the O
island O
of O
the O
Phaeacians. O
Naked O
and O
exhausted B-PER
he O
hides O
in O
a O
pile O
of O
leaves O
and O
falls O
asleep. O
The O
next O
morning O
awakened O
by O
the O
laughter O
of O
girls O
he O
sees O
the O
young Nausicaa O
who O
has O
gone O
to O
the O
seashore O
with O
her O
maids O
to O
wash O
clothes O
after O
Athena O
told O
her O
in O
a O
dream O
to O
do O
so. O
He O
appeals O
to O
her O
for O
help. O
She O
encourages O
him B-PER
to O
seek O
the O
hospitality O
of O
her O
parents O
 Arete and Alcinous (or O
Alkinous). O
Odysseus O
is O
welcomed O
and O
is O
not O
at O
first O
asked O
for O
his O
name. O
He O
remains O
for O
several O
days B-PER
takes O
part O
in O
a pentathlon O
and O
hears O
the O
blind O
singer Demodocus perform O
two O
narrative O
poems. O
The O
first O
is O
an O
otherwise O
obscure O
incident O
of O
the O
Trojan O
War O
the O
"Quarrel O
of O
Odysseus O
and Achilles"; O
the O
second O
is O
the O
amusing O
tale O
of O
a O
love O
affair O
between O
two O
Olympian B-PER
gods O
 Aresand Aphrodite. O
Finally O
Odysseus O
asks O
Demodocus O
to O
return O
to O
the O
Trojan O
War O
theme O
and O
tell O
of O
the Trojan O
Horse O
a B-PER
stratagem I-PER
in O
which O
Odysseus O
had O
played O
a O
leading O
role. O
Unable O
to O
hide O
his O
emotion O
as O
he O
relives O
this O
episode O
Odysseus B-PER
at O
last O
reveals O
his O
identity. O
He O
then O
begins O
to O
tell O
the O
story O
of O
his O
return O
from B-PER
Troy. I-PER
Odysseus' O
account O
of O
his O
adventures O
After O
a O
failed O
piratical O
raid O
on Ismaros in O
the B-LOC
land B-PER
of I-PER
the Cicones O
Odysseus O
and O
his O
twelve O
ships O
were O
driven O
off O
course O
by B-LOC
storms. O
Odysseus O
visited O
the B-PER
lethargic Lotus B-PER
Eaters who O
gave O
his O
men O
their O
fruit O
that O
would O
have O
caused B-PER
them O
to O
forget O
their O
homecoming O
had O
Odysseus O
not O
dragged O
them O
back O
to O
the O
ship O
by O
force. O
Then O
they O
entered O
the O
cave O
of O
the Cyclops Polyphemus on O
the O
underbellies O
of O
sheep O
escaping O
by O
blinding O
him O
with O
a O
wooden O
stake. O
While O
they O
were O
escaping O
however O
Odysseus O
foolishly O
told Polyphemus his O
identity O
and O
Polyphemus O
told O
his O
father O
Poseidon O
that O
Odysseus B-PER
had O
blinded O
him. O
Poseidon O
then O
cursed O
Odysseus O
to O
wander O
the O
sea O
for O
ten O
years O
during O
which B-PER
he O
would O
lose O
all O
his O
crew O
and O
return O
home B-PER
through I-PER
the O
aid O
of O
others. O
After O
the O
escape O
Odysseus O
and O
his O
crew O
stayed O
with Aeolus O
a O
king O
endowed O
by O
the O
gods O
with O
the O
winds. O
He O
gave O
Odysseus O
a B-PER
leather O
bag O
containing O
all O
the O
winds O
except O
the O
west O
wind O
a O
gift O
that O
should O
have O
ensured O
a B-PER
safe O
return O
home. O
Just O
as O
Ithaca O
came O
into O
sight O
the O
greedy O
sailors O
naively O
opened O
the O
bag O
while O
Odysseus O
slept O
thinking O
it O
contained B-LOC
gold. O
All O
of O
the O
winds O
flew O
out O
and O
the O
resulting O
storm O
drove O
the B-PER
ships I-PER
back O
the O
way O
they O
had O
come. O
After O
unsuccessfully O
pleading O
with O
Aeolus O
to O
help O
them O
again O
they O
re O
embarked O
and O
encountered O
the O
cannibalistic Laestrygonians. O
All O
of O
Odysseus' O
ships O
except O
his O
own O
entered O
the O
harbor O
of O
the O
Laestrygonians' O
Island O
and O
were O
immediately O
destroyed. B-PER
He O
sailed O
on O
and O
visited O
the O
witch O
goddess Circe. O
She O
turned O
half O
of O
his O
men O
into O
swine O
after O
feeding O
them O
cheese O
and O
wine. O
Hermes O
warned O
Odysseus O
about O
Circe O
and O
gave O
Odysseus O
a O
drug O
called moly which O
gave O
him O
resistance O
to O
Circe's O
magic. O
Odysseus B-PER
forced O
the O
now O
powerless O
Circe B-PER
to O
change O
his O
men O
back O
to O
their O
human O
form. O
They O
remained O
with O
her B-PER
on I-PER
the O
island O
for O
one O
year O
while O
they O
feasted O
and O
drank. O
Finally O
guided O
by O
Circe's O
instructions O
Odysseus O
and O
his O
crew O
crossed O
the O
ocean O
and O
reached O
a O
harbor O
at O
the O
western O
edge O
of O
the O
world O
where O
Odysseus O
sacrificed B-PER
to O
the O
dead. O
He O
first O
encountered O
the O
spirit O
of O
Elpenor O
a O
crewman O
who O
had O
gotten O
drunk O
and B-PER
fallen I-PER
from O
a O
roof O
to O
his O
death O
which O
had O
gone O
unnoticed O
by O
others O
before B-PER
Odysseus O
and O
the O
rest O
of O
his O
crew O
had O
left O
Circe. O
Elpenor's O
ghost O
told O
Odysseus O
to O
bury O
his O
body O
which O
Odysseus O
promised B-PER
to O
do. O
Odysseus O
then O
summoned O
the O
spirit O
of O
the O
prophet Tiresias for O
advice O
on O
how O
to O
appease O
Poseidon B-PER
upon O
his O
return O
home. B-PER
Next O
Odysseus O
met O
the O
spirit O
of O
his O
own O
mother O
who O
had O
died O
of O
grief O
during O
his O
long O
absence. O
From O
her O
he O
got O
his O
first B-PER
news I-PER
of O
his O
own O
household O
threatened O
by O
the O
greed O
of O
the O
Suitors. O
Finally O
he O
met O
the O
spirits O
of O
famous O
men O
and O
women. O
Notably O
he O
encountered O
the O
spirit O
of O
Agamemnon O
of O
whose O
murder O
he O
now O
learned O
and O
Achilles O
who O
told O
him O
about O
the O
woes O
of O
the O
land O
of O
the O
dead O
(for O
Odysseus' O
encounter B-PER
with O
the O
dead O
see O
also Nekuia). O
Returning O
to O
Circe's O
island O
they O
were O
advised O
by O
her O
on O
the O
remaining O
stages B-PER
of O
the O
journey. O
They O
skirted O
the O
land O
of O
the Sirens O
who O
sang O
an O
enchanting O
song O
that O
normally O
caused O
passing O
sailors O
to O
steer O
toward O
the O
rocks O
only O
to O
hit O
them O
and O
sink. O
All O
of O
the O
sailors O
had O
their O
ears O
plugged O
up O
with O
beeswax O
except O
for O
Odysseus O
who O
was O
tied O
to O
the O
mast O
as O
he O
wanted O
to O
hear O
the O
song. O
He O
told O
his O
sailors O
not O
to O
untie O
him O
as O
it O
would O
only O
make O
him B-PER
want I-PER
to O
drown O
himself. O
They O
then O
passed O
between O
the O
six O
headed O
monster Scylla and O
the O
whirlpool Charybdis O
narrowly O
avoiding O
death O
even O
though O
Scylla O
snatched O
up O
six O
men. O
Next O
they O
landed O
on O
the O
island O
of Thrinacia. O
Zeus O
caused O
a O
storm O
which O
prevented O
them O
leaving. O
While O
Odysseus O
was O
away O
praying O
his O
men O
ignored O
the O
warnings O
of O
Tiresias B-LOC
and O
Circe B-PER
and O
hunted O
the O
sacred O
cattle O
of O
the O
sun O
god Helios as O
their B-PER
food O
had O
run O
short. O
The O
Sun O
God O
insisted O
that O
Zeus O
punish O
the O
men O
for O
this O
sacrilege. O
They O
suffered O
a O
shipwreck O
as O
they O
were O
driven O
towards O
Charybdis. O
All O
but O
Odysseus O
were O
drowned; B-PER
he O
clung O
to O
a O
fig O
tree O
above O
Charybdis. O
Washed O
ashore O
on O
the O
island O
of Ogygia O
he O
was O
compelled O
to O
remain O
there B-PER
as O
Calypso's O
lover O
bored O
homesick O
and O
trapped O
on O
her O
small O
island O
until O
she O
was O
ordered O
by B-LOC
Zeus I-LOC
via O
Hermes O
to O
release O
Odysseus. O
Odysseus O
did O
not O
realise O
how O
long O
it O
would O
take O
to O
get O
home O
to O
his O
family. O
Return O
to O
Ithaca O
Having O
listened O
with O
rapt O
attention O
to B-PER
his O
story B-PER
the Phaeacians O
who O
are O
skilled O
mariners O
agree O
to O
help O
Odysseus O
get O
home. O
They O
deliver B-LOC
him O
at O
night O
while O
he O
is O
fast O
asleep O
to O
a O
hidden O
harbour O
on O
Ithaca. O
He O
finds O
his O
way O
to O
the O
hut O
of O
one O
of B-PER
his I-PER
own I-PER
slaves O
the O
swineherd Eumaeus. O
Athena O
disguises O
Odysseus O
as O
a O
wandering O
beggar O
so O
he O
can B-LOC
see I-LOC
how O
things O
stand O
in O
his O
household. O
After O
dinner O
he O
tells O
the O
farm O
laborers O
a O
fictitious B-PER
tale O
of B-PER
himself I-PER
He O
was O
born O
in Crete O
had O
led O
a O
party O
of O
Cretans O
to O
fight O
alongside O
other O
Greeks O
in O
the O
Trojan O
War O
and O
had O
then O
spent O
seven O
years O
at O
the O
court O
of O
the O
king O
of O
Egypt; B-LOC
finally O
he O
had O
been O
shipwrecked O
in Thesprotia and O
crossed O
from O
there O
to O
Ithaca. O
Meanwhile O
Telemachus O
sails O
home O
from O
Sparta O
evading O
an O
ambush B-LOC
set O
by O
the O
Suitors. O
He O
disembarks O
on O
the B-LOC
coast I-LOC
of O
Ithaca O
and O
makes O
for O
Eumaeus's O
hut. O
Father O
and B-PER
son I-PER
meet; O
Odysseus O
identifies O
himself O
to O
Telemachus O
(but O
still O
not O
to O
Eumaeus) O
and O
they O
decide O
that O
the B-LOC
Suitors O
must O
be O
killed. B-PER
Telemachus O
goes O
home O
first. O
Accompanied B-PER
by O
Eumaeus O
Odysseus O
returns B-PER
to O
his O
own O
house O
still O
pretending B-LOC
to O
be O
a O
beggar. O
When O
Odysseus' O
dog O
(who O
was O
a B-PER
puppy I-PER
before I-PER
he O
left) O
saw O
him O
he O
becomes O
so B-PER
excited I-PER
that B-PER
he O
dies. He O
is O
ridiculed O
by O
the O
Suitors O
in O
his O
own O
home O
especially O
by B-PER
one I-PER
extremely O
impertinent O
man O
named Antinous. O
Odysseus O
meets O
Penelope O
and O
tests O
her O
intentions O
by O
saying O
he O
once O
met O
Odysseus O
in O
Crete. O
Closely O
questioned O
he O
adds O
that O
he O
had O
recently O
been O
in B-PER
Thesprotia I-PER
and O
had O
learned B-PER
something O
there O
of O
Odysseus's O
recent O
wanderings. O
Odysseus's B-PER
identity B-LOC
is O
discovered O
by O
the O
housekeeper O
 Eurycleia O
when O
she O
recognizes O
an O
old O
scar O
as O
she O
is O
washing O
his O
feet. O
Eurycleia B-PER
tries O
to O
tell O
Penelope O
about B-PER
the O
beggar's O
true O
identity O
but O
Athena O
makes O
sure B-LOC
that I-LOC
Penelope O
cannot O
hear O
her. O
Odysseus O
then O
swears O
Eurycleia O
to O
secrecy. O
Slaying O
of O
the O
Suitors B-PER
The O
next O
day O
at O
Athena's O
prompting O
Penelope O
maneuvers O
the O
Suitors O
into B-PER
competing O
for O
her O
hand B-PER
with O
an O
archery O
competition B-LOC
using O
Odysseus' O
bow. O
The O
man O
who O
can O
string O
the O
bow B-PER
and I-PER
shoot O
it O
through O
a B-PER
dozen O
axe O
heads O
would O
win. O
Odysseus O
takes O
part O
in O
the O
competition O
himself O
he O
alone O
is O
strong B-PER
enough O
to O
string O
the O
bow O
and O
shoot O
it O
through O
the O
dozen O
axe O
heads O
making O
him O
the O
winner. O
He B-PER
then I-PER
throws O
off O
his O
rags O
and O
kills O
Antinous O
with O
his O
next O
arrow. O
Then O
with O
the O
help O
of O
Athena O
Odysseus O
Telemachus O
Eumaeus O
and Philoetius the O
cowherd O
kill O
the O
rest O
of O
the O
Suitors O
first O
using O
the O
rest B-PER
of O
the O
arrows O
and O
then O
by O
swords O
and O
spears O
once O
both B-PER
sides B-PER
have I-PER
armed B-PER
themselves. I-PER
Once O
the O
battle O
is O
won O
Odysseus O
and O
Telemachus O
also O
hang O
twelve O
of O
their O
household O
maids O
whom O
Eurycleia O
identifies O
as O
guilty O
of O
betraying O
Penelope O
having O
sex O
with O
the O
Suitors O
or O
both; O
they O
mutilate B-PER
and O
kill B-PER
the I-PER
goatherd Melanthius O
who O
had O
mocked O
and O
abused O
Odysseus O
and O
also O
brought O
weapons O
and O
armor O
to B-PER
the I-PER
suitors. I-PER
Now O
at O
last O
Odysseus O
identifies O
himself O
to O
Penelope. O
She O
is O
hesitant O
but O
recognizes O
him O
when O
he O
mentions O
that O
he B-PER
made I-PER
their O
bed O
from O
an O
olive O
tree O
still O
rooted O
to O
the O
ground. O
Many O
modern B-PER
and I-PER
ancient O
scholars O
take O
this B-PER
to I-PER
be O
the O
original O
ending O
of O
the Odyssey O
and O
the O
rest O
to O
be O
an O
interpolation. O
The O
next O
day O
he O
and O
Telemachus O
visit O
the O
country O
farm O
of O
his O
old O
father Laertes O
who O
likewise O
accepts O
his O
identity O
only O
when O
Odysseus O
correctly O
describes O
the O
orchard O
that O
Laertes O
had O
previously O
given B-PER
him. O
The O
citizens O
of O
Ithaca O
have O
followed O
Odysseus O
on O
the O
road O
planning O
to O
avenge O
the O
killing O
of O
the B-PER
Suitors I-PER
their O
sons. O
Their O
leader O
points O
out O
that O
Odysseus O
has O
now O
caused O
the O
deaths O
of O
two O
generations B-LOC
of O
the O
men O
of B-PER
Ithaca I-PER
his O
sailors O
not O
one O
of O
whom O
survived; O
and O
the O
Suitors O
whom O
he O
has O
now O
executed O
(albeit O
rightly). O
Athena B-PER
intervenes I-PER
as O
a "dea" O
ex O
machina O
as O
it O
were O
and O
persuades O
both O
sides B-LOC
to O
give O
up O
the vendetta. O
After O
this O
Ithaca O
is O
at O
peace O
once O
more O
concluding O
the Odyssey. O
Character O
of B-PER
Odysseus I-PER
Odysseus' O
name O
means O
"trouble" O
in O
Greek O
referring O
to O
both O
the O
giving O
and O
receiving O
of O
trouble—as O
is O
often O
the B-LOC
case O
in O
his O
wanderings. O
An O
early O
example O
of O
this O
is O
the O
boar O
hunt B-PER
that I-PER
gave B-PER
Odysseus I-PER
the O
scar O
by O
which O
Eurycleia O
recognizes O
him; O
Odysseus O
is O
injured O
by O
the O
boar O
and O
responds O
by O
killing O
it. O
Odysseus' O
heroic O
trait O
is O
his mētis O
or O
"cunning O
intelligence" O
he O
is O
often B-PER
described I-PER
as O
the O
"Peer O
of Zeus in O
Counsel". O
This O
intelligence B-PER
is O
most O
often O
manifested O
by O
his O
use O
of O
disguise O
and B-PER
deceptive O
speech. O
His O
disguises O
take O
forms O
both O
physical O
(altering O
his O
appearance) O
and O
verbal O
such B-PER
as O
telling O
the Cyclops Polyphemus that O
his O
name O
is Οὖτις O
"Nobody" O
then O
escaping O
after O
blinding O
Polyphemus. O
When O
asked O
by O
other O
Cyclopes O
why O
he O
is O
screaming O
Polyphemus O
replies O
that O
"Nobody" O
is O
hurting O
him O
so O
the O
others O
assume O
that O
"If O
alone O
as O
you O
are O
none O
uses O
violence O
on O
you O
why O
there O
is O
no O
avoiding O
the O
sickness O
sent O
by O
great O
Zeus; O
so O
you O
had O
better O
pray O
to O
your O
father O
the O
lord O
Poseidon". The O
most O
evident O
flaw O
that O
Odysseus O
sports O
is O
that O
of O
his O
arrogance O
and O
his O
pride O
or hubris. As O
he O
sails O
away O
from O
the O
island O
of B-PER
the I-PER
Cyclopes O
he O
shouts O
his O
name O
and O
boasts O
that O
nobody O
can O
defeat O
the O
"Great O
Odysseus". O
The O
Cyclops B-PER
then O
throws O
the O
top O
half O
of O
a O
mountain O
at O
him O
and O
prays O
to O
his O
father O
Poseidon O
saying O
that O
Odysseus O
has O
blinded O
him. O
This O
enrages O
Poseidon O
causing O
the O
god O
to O
thwart O
Odysseus' O
homecoming B-PER
for O
a O
very O
long O
time. O
Structure O
The Odyssey was O
written O
in dactylic O
hexameter. O
It O
opens in O
medias O
res O
in B-PER
the I-PER
middle O
of O
the O
overall O
story O
with O
prior O
events O
described O
through flashbacks or O
storytelling. O
This O
device O
is O
also O
used O
by O
later O
authors O
of O
literary O
epics O
such O
as Virgil in O
the Aeneid O
 Luís O
de O
Camões in Os O
Lusíadas and Alexander O
Pope in The O
Rape O
of O
the O
Lock. O
The O
first O
four O
books O
of O
the O
poem O
trace Telemachus' O
efforts O
to O
assert O
control O
of O
the O
household O
and O
then O
at O
Athena's O
advice O
his O
efforts O
to O
search O
for O
news O
of O
his O
long O
lost O
father. O
Then O
the O
scene O
shifts O
Odysseus O
has O
been O
a O
captive O
of O
the O
beautiful O
nymph Calypso B-PER
with O
whom O
he O
has O
spent O
seven O
of O
his O
ten O
lost O
years. O
Released B-PER
by O
the O
intercession O
of O
his O
patroness Athena O
through O
the O
aid O
of Hermes O
he O
departs O
but O
his B-PER
raft I-PER
is O
destroyed O
by O
his O
divine O
enemy Poseidon O
who B-PER
is I-PER
angry O
because O
Odysseus O
blinded O
his O
son O
 Polyphemus. O
When O
Odysseus O
washes O
up O
on Scherie O
home O
to O
the Phaeacians O
he O
is O
assisted O
by O
the O
young Nausicaa and O
is O
treated O
hospitably. O
In O
return O
he O
satisfies O
the O
Phaeacians' O
curiosity O
telling B-PER
them O
and O
the O
reader O
of O
all O
his O
adventures O
since O
departing O
from O
Troy. O
The O
shipbuilding O
Phaeacians O
then O
loan O
him O
a O
ship O
to O
return O
to Ithaca O
where O
he O
is O
aided O
by O
the O
swineherd Eumaeus O
meets O
Telemachus O
regains O
his O
household O
kills O
the O
Suitors O
and O
is O
reunited O
with O
his O
faithful O
wife O
 Penelope. B-LOC
All O
ancient O
and O
nearly O
all O
modern O
editions O
and O
translations O
of B-LOC
the Odyssey are O
divided O
into O
24 O
books. O
This B-PER
division O
is B-PER
convenient I-PER
but O
it O
may O
not O
be O
original. O
Many O
scholars believe O
it O
was O
developed O
by Alexandrian editors O
of O
the O
3rd O
century O
BC. O
In O
the Classical O
period O
moreover O
several O
of O
the O
books O
(individually O
and O
in O
groups) O
were O
given O
their O
own O
titles O
the O
first O
four O
books O
focusing O
on O
Telemachus O
are O
commonly O
known O
as O
the Telemachy. O
Odysseus' O
narrative O
Book O
9 O
featuring O
his O
encounter O
with O
the O
cyclops O
Polyphemus O
is O
traditionally O
called O
the Cyclopeia. O
Book O
11 O
the O
section O
describing O
his O
meeting O
with O
the O
spirits O
of B-PER
the I-PER
dead I-PER
is O
known O
as O
the Nekuia. O
Books O
9 O
through O
12 B-PER
wherein O
Odysseus O
recalls O
his O
adventures O
for O
his O
Phaeacian O
hosts O
are O
collectively O
referred O
to O
as O
the Apologoi O
Odysseus' O
"stories". O
Book O
22 O
wherein O
Odysseus O
kills O
all O
the O
Suitors O
has O
been O
given O
the O
title Mnesterophonia O
"slaughter O
of O
the O
Suitors". O
This B-PER
concludes O
the O
Greek Epic O
Cycle O
though O
fragments O
remain O
of O
the O
"alternative O
ending" O
of O
sorts O
known B-PER
as I-PER
the Telegony. O
This Telegony aside O
the B-PER
last O
548 O
lines O
of O
the Odyssey O
corresponding O
to O
Book O
24 O
are O
believed O
by O
many O
scholars O
to O
have O
been O
added O
by O
a O
slightly O
later O
poet. Several O
passages O
in O
earlier O
books O
seem O
to O
be O
setting O
up O
the O
events O
of O
Book O
24 O
so O
if O
it O
were O
indeed O
a O
later O
addition O
the O
offending O
editor O
would O
seem O
to O
have O
changed O
earlier O
text O
as O
well. O
For O
more O
about O
varying O
views O
on O
the O
origin O
authorship O
and O
unity O
of O
the O
poem O
see Homeric O
scholarship. O
Geography O
of O
the Odyssey O
The O
events O
in O
the O
main O
sequence O
of O
the Odyssey (excluding O
Odysseus' O
embedded O
narrative O
of O
his O
wanderings) O
take O
place O
in O
the Peloponnese and O
in O
what O
are O
now O
called O
the Ionian O
Islands. There O
are O
difficulties O
in O
the O
apparently O
simple O
identification O
of Ithaca O
the O
homeland O
of O
Odysseus O
which O
may O
or O
may O
not O
be B-PER
the I-PER
same O
island O
that O
is O
now O
called O
Ithake. O
The O
wanderings O
of O
Odysseus O
as O
told O
to O
the O
Phaeacians O
and O
the O
location B-LOC
of I-LOC
the I-LOC
Phaeacians' O
own O
island O
of Scheria O
pose O
more O
fundamental O
problems O
if O
geography B-LOC
is O
to O
be O
applied O
scholars B-PER
both O
ancient O
and O
modern O
are O
divided O
as O
to O
whether O
or O
not O
any O
of O
the O
places O
visited O
by B-PER
Odysseus I-PER
(after Ismaros and O
before O
his O
return O
to Ithaca) O
are O
real. O
Influences O
on O
the Odyssey B-LOC
Scholars O
have O
seen O
strong O
influences O
from O
Near O
Eastern O
mythology O
and O
literature O
in O
the Odyssey. Martin O
West has O
noted O
substantial O
parallels O
between O
the Epic O
of B-PER
Gilgamesh and I-PER
the Odyssey. Both B-LOC
Odysseus O
and Gilgamesh are O
known O
for O
traveling O
to O
the O
ends O
of O
the O
earth O
and O
on O
their O
journeys O
go O
to O
the O
land O
of O
the O
dead. O
On O
his O
voyage O
to O
the O
underworld O
Odysseus O
follows O
instructions O
given O
to O
him O
by Circe O
a O
goddess O
who O
is O
the O
daughter O
of O
the O
sun O
god Helios. O
Her O
island O
 Aeaea O
is O
located O
at O
the O
edges O
of O
the O
world O
and O
seems O
to O
have O
close O
associations O
with O
the O
sun. O
Like O
Odysseus O
Gilgamesh O
gets O
directions O
on O
how B-PER
to I-PER
reach O
the O
land O
of O
the O
dead O
from O
a O
divine O
helper O
in O
this O
case O
the O
goddess Siduri O
who O
like O
Circe O
dwells O
by O
the O
sea B-LOC
at I-LOC
the O
ends O
of O
the O
earth. O
Her O
home O
is O
also O
associated O
with O
the O
sun O
Gilgamesh O
reaches O
Siduri's O
house O
by B-PER
passing I-PER
through O
a O
tunnel O
underneath O
Mt. Mashu O
the O
high O
mountain O
from O
which O
the O
sun O
comes O
into O
the O
sky. O
West O
argues O
that O
the O
similarity O
of O
Odysseus' O
and O
Gilgamesh's O
journeys O
to O
the O
edges O
of O
the O
earth O
are O
the O
result O
of O
the O
influence O
of O
the O
Gilgamesh O
epic O
upon O
the Odyssey. O
In O
1914 O
paleontologist Othenio O
Abel surmised B-LOC
the O
origins O
of O
the O
cyclops O
to O
be O
the O
result O
of O
ancient O
Greeks O
finding O
an O
elephant O
skull. O
The B-PER
enormous O
nasal O
passage O
in O
the O
middle O
of O
the O
forehead O
could O
have O
looked O
like O
the O
eye O
socket O
of O
a O
giant O
to O
those O
who O
had O
never O
seen O
a O
living O
elephant. Classical O
scholars O
on O
the O
other O
hand O
have O
long O
realized O
that O
the O
story O
of O
the O
cyclops O
was O
originally O
a O
Greek folk O
tale O
which O
existed O
independently O
of The O
Odyssey and O
which O
only O
became O
embedded O
in O
it O
at O
a O
later O
date. O
Similar O
stories O
are O
found O
in O
cultures O
across O
Europe O
and O
the O
Middle O
East. According O
to O
this O
explanation O
the O
cyclops O
was O
originally O
simply O
a O
giant O
or O
ogre O
much O
like Humbaba in O
the Epic O
of O
Gilgamesh; the O
detail O
about O
it O
having O
one O
eye O
was O
simply O
invented O
in O
order O
to O
explain O
how O
the O
creature O
was O
so O
easily O
blinded. O
Themes B-LOC
Homecoming O
An B-LOC
important I-LOC
factor O
to O
consider O
about O
Odysseus' O
homecoming O
is O
the O
hint O
at O
potential O
endings O
to O
the O
epic O
by O
using O
other O
characters O
as B-LOC
parallels I-LOC
for O
his O
journey. For O
instance O
one O
example O
is O
that O
of Agamemnon's O
homecoming O
versus O
Odysseus' O
homecoming. O
Upon O
Agamemnon's O
return O
his O
wife O
 Clytemnestra O
and O
her O
lover O
 Aegisthus B-PER
kill O
Agamemnon. O
Agamemnon's O
son O
 Orestes O
out O
of O
vengeance O
for O
his O
father's O
death O
kills O
Aegisthus. O
This O
parallel O
compares O
the O
death O
of O
the O
suitors O
to B-PER
the I-PER
death I-PER
of O
Aegisthus O
and O
sets B-PER
Orestes I-PER
up O
as O
an O
example O
for Telemachus. Also B-PER
because O
Odysseus O
knows O
about O
Clytemnestra's O
betrayal O
Odysseus B-PER
returns B-PER
home I-PER
in O
disguise O
in O
order O
to O
test O
the O
loyalty O
of O
his O
own O
wife O
 Penelope. Later O
Agamemnon O
praises O
Penelope O
for O
not O
killing O
Odysseus. O
It O
is O
because O
of B-LOC
Penelope O
that O
Odysseus O
has O
fame O
and O
a O
successful O
homecoming. O
This O
successful B-PER
homecoming O
is O
unlike Achilles O
who O
has B-PER
fame I-PER
but O
is O
dead O
and O
Agamemnon O
who O
had O
an O
unsuccessful O
homecoming O
resulting O
in B-PER
his I-PER
death. I-PER
Wandering O
Only B-PER
two O
of O
Odysseus's B-PER
adventures O
are O
described B-PER
by O
the O
poet. O
The O
rest B-PER
of I-PER
Odysseus' O
adventures B-PER
are O
recounted O
by O
Odysseus O
himself. O
The O
two O
scenes O
that O
the O
poet O
describes O
are O
Odysseus O
on Calypso's O
island O
and B-PER
Odysseus' I-PER
encounter O
with O
the O
Phaeacians. O
These O
scenes O
are O
told O
by O
the O
poet O
to O
represent O
an B-PER
important I-PER
transition O
in O
Odysseus' O
journey O
being O
concealed O
to B-PER
returning I-PER
home. Calypso's O
name O
means O
"concealer" B-PER
or O
"one O
who O
conceals O
" O
and O
that O
is O
exactly O
what O
she B-PER
does I-PER
with O
Odysseus. Calypso B-PER
keeps B-PER
Odysseus I-PER
concealed O
from O
the O
world O
and O
unable O
to O
return O
home. O
After O
leaving O
Calypso's O
island O
the O
poet O
describes O
Odysseus' B-PER
encounters O
with O
the O
Phaeacians—those O
who O
"convoy O
without O
hurt O
to O
all O
men"—which O
represents O
his O
transition O
from O
not O
returning O
home O
to O
returning O
home. Also B-PER
during O
Odysseus' B-PER
journey O
he O
encounters O
many O
beings O
that O
are O
close O
to O
the O
gods. O
These O
encounters B-PER
are O
useful O
in O
understanding O
that B-PER
Odysseus O
is O
in O
a O
world O
beyond O
man O
and O
that O
influences O
the O
fact O
he O
cannot O
return O
home. These O
beings O
that O
are O
close O
to O
the O
gods O
include O
the O
Phaeacians O
who O
lived O
near O
Cyclopes B-PER
 whose O
king O
 Alcinous O
is O
the O
great O
grandson O
of O
the O
king O
of O
the O
giants O
 Eurymedon O
and O
the O
grandson O
of O
Poseidon. Some O
of B-PER
the I-PER
other O
characters O
that O
Odysseus O
encounters O
are Polyphemus who O
is O
the O
cyclops O
son O
of O
Poseidon; O
God O
of O
Oceans O
 Circe who O
is O
the O
sorceress O
daughter O
of O
the O
Sun O
that B-LOC
turns I-LOC
men O
into O
animals O
Calypso O
who O
is O
a O
goddess O
and O
the Laestrygonians who O
are O
cannibalistic O
giants. O
Guest O
Friendship O
Throughout O
the O
course O
of O
the O
epic O
Odysseus B-PER
encounters O
several O
examples O
of O
guest O
friendship O
which O
provide O
examples O
of O
how O
hosts O
should O
and O
should O
not O
act. One O
example O
of O
good O
guest O
friendship O
is O
that B-PER
of I-PER
the O
Phaeacians. O
The O
Phaeacians O
feed O
Odysseus O
give O
him O
a O
place O
to O
sleep O
and O
give O
him O
a O
safe O
voyage O
home O
which O
are O
all O
things O
a B-PER
good I-PER
host O
should O
do. O
He O
also O
encounters O
some O
bad O
hosts. O
For O
instance O
the O
cyclops's O
"gift" O
to O
Odysseus O
was O
that O
he O
would O
eat O
him O
last. He O
was O
not O
a O
very O
good O
host. O
Another O
host O
that O
was O
not O
well O
versed O
in B-PER
guest I-PER
friendship O
was O
Calypso O
who O
did O
not O
allow O
Odysseus O
to O
leave O
her O
island. Another O
important O
factor O
to O
guest O
friendship O
is O
that O
kingship O
implies O
generosity. O
It O
is O
assumed O
that O
a O
king O
has B-PER
the I-PER
means O
to O
be O
a O
generous O
host O
and O
is O
more O
generous O
with O
his O
own O
property. This O
is O
best O
seen O
when O
Odysseus O
disguised O
as O
a O
beggar O
begs B-PER
Antinous O
one O
of O
the O
suitors B-PER
for O
food O
and O
Antinous O
denies O
his O
request. O
Odysseus O
essentially O
says O
that O
while O
Antinous O
may O
look O
like O
a O
king O
he O
is O
far O
from O
a O
king O
since O
he O
is O
not O
generous. O
Testing O
Another O
theme O
throughout O
the Odyssey is O
testing. This O
occurs O
in O
two O
distinct B-PER
ways. O
Odysseus O
tests O
the O
loyalty O
of B-PER
others O
and O
others O
test O
Odysseus' O
identity. O
An O
example O
of O
Odysseus O
testing B-PER
the O
loyalties O
of O
others O
is O
when B-PER
he I-PER
returns O
home. Instead O
of O
immediately O
revealing O
his O
identity O
he O
arrives O
disguised O
as O
a O
beggar O
and O
then O
proceeds O
to O
determine O
who O
in O
his O
house O
has O
remained O
loyal O
to O
him B-PER
and I-PER
who O
has O
helped O
the O
suitors. O
After O
Odysseus O
reveals B-PER
his O
true O
identity O
the O
characters O
test B-PER
Odysseus' O
identity O
to O
see O
if O
he O
really O
is O
who O
he O
says O
he O
is. For O
instance O
Penelope O
tests O
Odysseus' O
identity O
by O
saying O
that O
she O
will O
move O
the O
bed O
into O
the O
other O
room O
for O
him. O
This O
is O
a O
difficult O
task O
since O
it O
is O
made O
out O
of O
a O
living O
tree O
that O
would O
require B-PER
being O
cut O
down O
a O
fact O
that O
only O
the O
real O
Odysseus O
would B-PER
know O
thus O
proving O
his O
identity. O
For O
more O
information O
on O
the O
progression O
of B-PER
testing O
type B-PER
scenes O
read O
more O
below. O
Omens O
Omens O
occur O
frequently O
throughout O
the Odyssey O
 as O
well O
as O
many O
other O
epics. O
Within O
the O
Odyssey O
omens O
frequently O
involve O
birds. It O
is O
important O
to O
note O
who O
receives O
the O
omens O
and B-PER
what I-PER
these O
omens O
mean O
to O
the O
characters O
and O
to O
the O
epic O
as O
a O
whole. O
For O
instance O
bird O
omens O
are O
shown O
to O
Telemachus O
Penelope O
Odysseus O
and O
the O
suitors. Telemachus O
and O
Penelope O
receive O
their O
omens O
as O
well O
in O
the O
form O
of O
words O
sneezes O
and O
dreams. However O
Odysseus O
is O
the O
only O
character O
that O
receives O
thunder O
or O
lightning O
as O
an O
omen. This O
is O
important O
to O
note O
because O
the O
thunder O
came O
from O
Zeus O
the O
king O
of O
the O
gods. O
This B-PER
direct I-PER
relationship B-PER
between B-PER
Zeus O
and O
Odysseus O
represents B-PER
the O
kingship B-PER
of O
Odysseus. O
Type O
scenes O
in O
Homer's Odyssey O
Finding O
Scenes O
Finding O
scenes O
occur O
in B-PER
the Odyssey when I-PER
a O
character O
discovers O
another O
character O
within O
the O
epic. O
Finding O
scenes O
proceed O
as O
followed O
1. O
The O
character O
encounters O
or O
finds O
another O
character. O
2. O
The O
encountered O
character O
is O
identified O
and O
described. O
3. O
The O
character O
approaches B-PER
and O
then O
converses B-PER
with O
the O
found O
character. O
These O
finding O
scenes O
can O
be O
identified O
several O
times O
throughout O
the O
epic O
including O
when O
Telemachus O
and Pisistratus find Menelaus when O
Calypso O
finds O
Odysseus O
on O
the O
beach O
and O
when O
the O
suitor Amphimedon finds O
Agamemnon O
in O
Hades. O
Omens O
Omens O
are O
another O
example O
of O
a O
type O
scene O
in O
the Odyssey. Two O
important O
parts O
of O
an O
omen O
type O
scene O
are O
the O
recognition O
of O
the O
omen O
and O
then O
the O
interpretation. In O
the Odyssey specifically O
there O
are O
several O
omens B-PER
involving O
birds. B-PER
All O
of B-PER
the I-PER
bird O
omens—with O
the O
exception O
of O
the O
first O
one O
in O
the B-PER
epic—show I-PER
large O
birds O
attacking O
smaller O
bird. Accompanying O
each O
omen O
is O
a O
wish; O
this O
wish O
can O
be O
either O
explicitly O
stated O
or O
implicitly O
implied. For O
example O
Telemachus O
wishes O
for O
vengeance and O
for O
Odysseus O
to O
be O
home O
 Penelope O
wishes O
for O
Odysseus' O
return O
 and O
the O
suitors O
wish O
for O
the O
death O
of O
Telemachus. The O
omens O
seen O
in O
the Odyssey are O
also O
a O
recurring O
theme O
throughout O
the O
epic. O
Testing O
While O
testing O
is O
a O
theme O
with O
the O
epic O
it O
also O
has O
a O
very O
specific O
type O
scene O
that O
accompanies O
it O
as O
well. O
Throughout O
the O
epic O
the B-PER
testing I-PER
of O
others O
follows B-PER
a O
typical O
pattern. B-PER
This O
pattern O
is O
1. O
Odysseus O
is O
hesitant O
to O
question O
the B-PER
loyalties O
of O
others. O
2. O
Odysseus O
then O
tests O
the O
loyalties O
of O
others O
by O
questioning O
them. O
3. O
The O
characters O
reply O
to O
Odysseus' O
questions. O
4. O
Odysseus O
proceeds O
to O
reveal O
his O
identity. O
5. O
The O
characters O
test O
Odysseus' O
identity. O
6. O
There O
is O
a O
rise O
of O
emotions O
associated O
with O
Odysseus' O
recognition O
usually O
lament O
or O
joy. O
7. O
Finally O
the O
reconciled O
characters O
work O
together. O
Guest O
Friendship O
Guest O
Friendship O
is O
also O
a O
theme O
in O
the Odyssey O
 but O
it B-PER
too I-PER
follows O
a O
very O
specific O
pattern. O
This O
pattern O
is O
1. O
The O
arrival O
and O
the O
reception O
of B-PER
the I-PER
guest. O
2. O
Bathing O
or O
providing O
fresh O
clothes O
to O
the O
guest. O
3. B-PER
Providing I-PER
food O
and O
drink O
to O
the O
guest. O
4. O
Questions O
may O
be O
asked O
of O
the O
guest O
and O
entertainment O
should O
be O
provided O
by O
the O
host. O
5. O
The O
guest O
should O
be O
given O
a O
place O
to O
sleep O
and O
both O
the O
guest O
and O
host O
retire O
for O
the O
night. O
6. O
The O
guest O
and O
host O
exchange O
gifts O
the O
guest O
is O
granted O
a O
safe O
journey O
home O
and O
departs. O
Another O
important O
factor O
of O
guest O
friendship O
is O
not O
keeping O
the O
guest O
longer O
than O
they O
wish O
and O
also O
promising O
their O
safety O
while O
they O
are O
a O
guest O
within O
the O
host's O
home. O
Cultural O
impact O
The O
Odyssey is O
regarded O
as O
one O
of O
the O
most O
important O
foundational O
works O
of western O
literature. It O
is O
widely O
regarded O
by O
western O
literary O
critics O
as O
a O
timeless O
classic. O
Straightforward O
retellings O
of The O
Odyssey have O
flourished O
ever O
since O
the Middle O
Ages. Merugud O
Uilix O
maicc O
Leirtis ("On O
the O
Wandering O
of O
Ulysses O
son O
of O
Laertes") O
is O
an O
eccentric Old O
Irish version O
of O
the O
material; O
the O
work O
exists O
in O
a O
12th O
century O
AD O
manuscript O
which O
linguists O
believe O
is O
based O
on O
an O
8th O
century O
original. Il O
ritorno O
d'Ulisse O
in O
patria O
first O
performed O
in O
1640 O
is O
an O
opera O
by Claudio O
Monteverdi based O
on O
the O
second O
half O
of O
Homer's Odyssey. The O
first O
canto B-LOC
of Ezra O
Pound's The O
Cantos (1917) O
is O
both O
a O
translation O
and O
a O
retelling O
of O
Odysseus' journey O
to O
the O
underworld. The O
poem O
"Ulysses" O
by O
Alfred O
Lord O
Tennyson O
is O
narrated O
by O
an O
aged O
Ulysses O
who O
is O
determined O
to O
continue O
to O
live O
life O
to O
the O
fullest. The O
Odyssey (1997) O
a O
made O
for O
TV O
movie O
directed O
by Andrei O
Konchalovsky O
is O
a O
slightly O
abbreviated O
version O
of O
the O
epic. O
Other O
authors O
have O
composed O
more O
creative O
reworkings B-PER
of O
the O
poem O
often O
updated O
to O
address O
contemporary B-PER
themes O
and O
concerns. Cyclops by Euripides O
the O
only fully B-PER
extant satyr O
play O
 retells O
the O
episode O
involving Polyphemus with O
a O
humorous O
twist. A O
True O
Story O
written O
by Lucian of O
Samosata O
in O
the O
2nd O
century O
AD O
is O
a O
satire O
on O
the Odyssey and O
on O
ancient O
travel O
tales O
describing O
a O
journey O
sailing O
westward O
beyond O
the Pillars O
of O
Hercules and O
to O
the Moon O
the O
first O
known O
text O
that O
could O
be O
called science O
fiction. O
James O
Joyce's modernist novel Ulysses (1922) O
is O
a O
retelling O
of The O
Odyssey set O
in O
modern O
day Dublin. O
Each O
chapter B-LOC
in O
the O
book O
has O
an O
assigned O
theme O
technique O
and O
correspondences O
between O
its O
characters O
and O
those O
of O
Homer's Odyssey. Homer's O
Daughter by Robert O
Graves is B-LOC
a O
novel O
imagining O
how O
the O
version O
we O
have O
might O
have O
been O
invented O
out O
of O
older O
tales. O
The O
Japanese O
French O
anime Ulysses B-PER
31 (1981) O
updates O
the O
ancient O
setting O
into O
a O
31st B-LOC
century space O
opera. Omeros (1991) O
an O
epic O
poem O
by Derek O
Walcott O
is O
in O
part O
a O
retelling O
of O
the Odyssey O
set O
on O
the Caribbean island O
of St. O
Lucia. B-PER
The O
film Ulysses' O
Gaze (1995) O
directed O
by O
Theo O
Angelopoulos O
has O
many O
of O
the O
elements O
of O
the Odyssey set O
against O
the O
backdrop O
of O
the O
most O
recent O
and B-PER
previous O
Balkan O
Wars. O
Similarly O
 Daniel O
Wallace's Big O
Fish O
A O
Novel O
of O
Mythic O
Proportions (1998) O
adapts O
the O
epic O
to O
the American O
South O
while O
also O
incorporating tall O
tales into O
its O
first O
person O
narrative B-LOC
much O
as B-PER
Odysseus I-PER
does O
in O
the Apologoi (Books O
9 O
12). O
The Coen O
Brothers' O
2000 O
film O O
Brother O
Where O
Art O
Thou O
 is O
loosely O
based O
on O
Homer's O
poem. Margaret O
Atwood's O
2005 O
novella The O
Penelopiad is O
an O
ironic O
rewriting O
of The O
Odyssey from Penelope's O
perspective. Zachary O
Mason's The O
Lost O
Books O
of O
the O
Odyssey (2007) O
is O
a O
series O
of O
short O
stories O
that O
rework O
Homer's O
original B-PER
plot O
in O
a O
contemporary O
style O
reminiscent O
of Italo O
Calvino. The O
Heroes O
of O
Olympus O
by Rick O
Riordan O
is O
based O
entirely O
off O
of O
Greek O
mythology O
and O
includes O
many O
aspects O
and O
characters O
from O
the Odyssey. O
Ever O
since O
the O
ancient O
times B-PER
various O
authors O
have O
sought O
to O
imagine O
new O
endings O
for The O
Odyssey. O
In O
canto O
XXVI O
of O
the Inferno O
 Dante O
Alighieri meets O
Odysseus O
in O
the eighth O
circle O
of O
hell O
where O
Odysseus O
himself O
appends O
a O
new O
ending O
to The O
Odyssey in O
which O
he O
never O
returns O
to Ithaca and O
instead O
continues O
his O
restless O
adventuring. Nikos O
Kazantzakis aspires O
to O
continue O
the O
poem O
and O
explore O
more O
modern O
concerns O
in O
his O
epic O
poem The O
Odyssey O
A O
Modern O
Sequel O
which O
was O
first O
published O
in O
1938 O
in O
modern O
Greek. O