THE ODYSSEY

The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is in part a sequel to the Iliad the other Homeric epic. The Odyssey is fundamental to the modern Western canon; it is the second-oldest extant work of Western literature while the Iliad is the oldest. Scholars believe the Odyssey was composed near the end of the 8th century BC somewhere in Ionia the Greek coastal region of Anatolia. The poem mainly focuses on the Greek hero Odysseus (known as Ulysses in Roman myths) king of Ithaca and his journey home after the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan War. In his absence it is assumed Odysseus has died and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must deal with a group of unruly suitors the Mnesteres or Proci who compete for Penelope's hand in marriage.