The Odyssey tells of the journey of the Greek hero, Odysseus, back to his home in Ithaca after the end of the Trojan War. Also attributed to Homer, this is usually paired with the Iliad and, together with the Iliad, regarded as one of the great achievements of Western literature.

It consists of twenty-four books, the first four of which are sometimes known as the Telemachia, because Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, is the principal figure.

The difference in style of the Iliad and Odyssey has caused some critics to assert that the latter is not the work of Homer; this is accounted for, however, by the difference of subject, and it is most likely that the Odyssey has also been written by Homer. It is perhaps a later work, written in the poet’s old age.

The Odyssey is even more popular; for the Odyssey is a domestic romance —the romance of the wandering Odysseus and his faithful wife, Penelope.

Presented here is the story of the Odyssey as available in English in the public domain.