The Odyssey

The Odyssey's exact dates and the nature of its composition are subjects of endless controversy; however, most scholars believe it to have been composed slightly after the Iliad. Although many support the ancient attribution of the two epics to one author, some contend that a different 'Homer' composed each of the two works. Odysseus' long journey from Troy to his home at Ithaca comprises, scholars believe, a number of different myths, most likely assembled by the poet to represent the journey of one hero. Seductive women, terrible monsters, and divine wrath merge to make Odysseus' perseverance all the more striking, his unmatched strength and wits all the more heroic and captivating. Elibron Classics presents the Odyssey in translation by T.E. Shaw (Colonel T.E.Lawrence).