
In fact, Homer refers to his protagonist throughout the epic as "wily Odysseus. Odysseus's most memorable quality is not his bravery or strength - though he is brave and strong - but rather his cleverness.The extraordinary length of Odysseus' return trip, which should take a matter of weeks, is due to his many antagonists, including the god Poseidon, the many mythical creatures he encounters, and Odysseus' often greedy and lazy crewmen. The journey of Odysseus from Troy to Ithaca takes ten years - the same amount of time that the Trojan War itself lasted.And many epics, probably including The Odyssey, were written to be performed to musical accompaniment. Archaic Greek art existed between the 8 th century BC and the second Persian invasion in 480 BC. For this reason, these two epic poems refer to the beginning of the Archaic period of Ancient Greek history. Some epics were composed in order to be performed from memory, and so they include poetic devices to make them more memorable. Researchers found that Homer wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey in 762 BC. The Odyssey is an epic, a very long poem on a single subject.The three most important aspects of The Odyssey: Movie Versions: Ulysses (1955) The Odyssey (1997) Major Symbols: Laertes' shroud Odysseus' bow the sea Ithaca


Major Thematic Topics: hospitality loyalty perseverance vengeance appearance versus reality spiritual growth Main Characters: Odysseus Penelope Telemachus Athena (Pallas) Polyphemus (the Cyclops) and King Alcinous Circe and Calypso The Odyssey ends as Odysseus wins a contest to prove his identity, slaughters the suitors, and retakes the throne of Ithaca.įirst Published: probably around 700 B.C. 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 return. The Odyssey is Homer's epic of Odysseus' 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War.
