Changes

[[Image:Homer British Museum.jpg|thumb|Homer (British Museum)]]

[[Image:Homer British Museum.jpg|thumb|Homer (British Museum)]]

The '''Odyssey''' is an epic poem written by [[Homer]], a [[Greece|Greek]] poet, in the 8th century B.C. It recounts events that took place after the [[Trojan War]], part of which is described in Homer's other major work the ''[[Iliad]]''. The main themes of the [[poem]] are [[Odysseus]]'s journey home from [[Troy]] after winning the war and his trials along the way. During his journey he encounters many mythical beasts including a cyclops, which he blinds. Unbeknownst to Odysseus the cyclops is the son of the great sea god [[Poseidon]] who makes it his mission to stop Odysseus from ever reaching his home of [[Ithaca]]. He eventually does reach his home with the help of other gods, especially [[Athena]], and he reunites with his wife after dispatching her lecherous suitors.

The '''''Odyssey''''' is an epic poem written by [[Homer]], a [[Greece|Greek]] poet, in the 8th century B.C. It recounts events that took place after the [[Trojan War]], part of which is described in Homer's other major work the ''[[Iliad]]''. The main themes of the [[poem]] are [[Odysseus]]'s journey home from [[Troy]] after winning the war, and his trials along the way. During his journey he encounters many mythical beasts, including a cyclops, which he blinds. Unbeknownst to Odysseus, the cyclops is the son of the great sea god [[Poseidon]] who attempts to prevent Odysseus from ever reaching his home of [[Ithaca]]. He eventually reaches home with the help of other gods, especially [[Athena]], and he reunites with his wife after dispatching her lecherous suitors.

The story is surprisingly "modern" in feel.  It commences after most of the action has taken place and is told in "flashback".

The story is surprisingly "modern" in feel.  It commences after most of the action has taken place and is told in "flashback".

It is to this epic that the Roman writer [[Virgil]] pays tribute with the creation of his masterpiece the ''[[Aeneid]]'' (books I to XII), best known for its elegant use of hypermetric elision, multiple correspondence similes and [[litotes]].

The Roman writer [[Virgil]] paid tribute to this epic with the creation of his masterpiece the ''[[Aeneid]]'' (books I to XII), best known for its elegant use of hypermetric elision, multiple correspondence similes and [[litotes]].

==Inspirations of Modern Works of Art==

==Inspirations of Modern Works of Art==

Odysseus, under his [[Latin]] name Ulysses, has at various times served as the inspiration for other works of art, including a poem by [[Alfred Lord Tennyson]]<ref>See main article, [[Ulysses (Tennyson)]].</ref> (made famous for its ending line, in perfect [[iambic pentameter]] - "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield"), and a novel by [[James Joyce]] (received initially as literary [[pornography]]). More recently, it provided the inspiration for the Coen Brothers film ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?''.

Odysseus, under his [[Latin]] name Ulysses, has at various times inspired other works of art, including a poem by [[Alfred Lord Tennyson]] <ref>See main article [[Ulysses (Tennyson)]]</ref> (made famous for its ending line, in perfect [[iambic pentameter]] - "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield"), and the novel ''[[Ulysses]]'' by [[James Joyce]] (perceived initially as literary [[pornography]]). More recently, it provided the inspiration for the Coen Brothers film ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?''.

==External links==

==External links==

*[http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.html English prose translation] by Samuel Butler, 1900

*[http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.html English prose translation] by Samuel Butler, 1900

*[http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/homer/odysseytofc.htm English verse translation] by Ian Johnston

*[http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/homer/odysseytofc.htm English verse translation] by Ian Johnston

[[Category:Poetry]]

[[Category:Poetry]]

[[Category:Books]]

[[Category:Books]]

[[Category:Ancient Greece]]

[[Category:Ancient Greece]]