Odyssey
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
The Odyssey is, along with the Iliad, one of the two major Greek epic poems traditionally said to be written by Homer. It is said to be written in Greece about 900 BC.
The poem is the story about Odysseus's ten-year-long voyage home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. (Most of the Trojan War is told in the Iliad.) At the same time, his wife Penelope has to fight off a lot of men who want to marry her; and his son Telemachos searches for him.
Along the way, Odysseus and his men have to fight monsters and many other dangers. The main events (places he goes, creatures and people he meets) of Odysseus' journey are:
- the Kikones
- the Lotus Eaters
- the Cyclops Polyphemus
- Aeolus, King of the winds
- the Laistrygones
- the sorceress Circe
- the Underworld
- the Sirens
- the sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis
- Helios' cattle
- the nymph Calypso
- the Phaeacians
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[change] Story
[change] The Cyclops
On his journey home after the Trojan War, Odysseus lands on the island of the Cyclops Polyphemus. They come to the cave where Polyphemus lives. But then Polyphemus comes back and he does not let them leave his cave, and he also eats some of Odysseus' men. Odysseus then thinks of a plan to get away. He tells Polyphemus that his name is "Nobody", and gives him wine to drink. When he is sleeping, Odysseus and his men make a wooden pole (a big stick), and use it to destroy the Cyclops Polyphemus's only eye, so he could not see them anymore. The next morning Polyphemus lets his sheep out of the cave, but touches their backs so no one of the men could ride out on them. But Odysseus and his men hold themselves on the underside of the sheep, and so they get out. When Polyphemus realizes that Odysseus got away, he called the other Cyclopes for help. They asked him what happened, and he said "Nobody hurt me.", and so the other Cyclopes went away again. When Odysseus was on his ship again, he called out to Polyphemus and told him who he was. Polyphemus was very angry and threw a rock at them, but it did not hit the ship. Then, as revenge, he asked his father Poseidon that all of Odysseus' men should die and that Odysseus should only come home to Ithaca after ten years.
[change] The Sirens
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Odysseus and his ship have to pass the Siren's island. The Sirens were always singing very beautifully, so sailors would try to go to them, but their ships would get destroyed, and they would die. Odysseus tells his men to put wax in their ears, so they will not hear the song of the sirens. He also tells his men to bind him to the ship's mast, so he cannot go to the sirens when he hears their song. His men can then look at Odysseus and see when he cannot hear the sirens anymore, because he is calm again. Then they can take the wax out of their ears, and free Odysseus.
[change] Calypso
After escaping from the sea, and the death of his men, Odysseus comes to the island Ogygia. On this island lives the nymph Calypso, and Odysseus stayed with her for seven years. But then the god Hermes came and told her that the gods said that she had to let Odysseus go. Calypso promised Odysseus immortality (that he would live forever) if he stayed, but he wanted to go back to his wife Penelope. So Odysseus built a raft and left her.
[change] The Phaeacians
After a storm, Odysseus comes to the island of the Phaeacians. There he is found by the king's daughter Nausicaä. Nausicaä brings him to the palace of her father, King Alkinoos. During his time there, Odysseus tell the story of his journey. After this, Alkinoos gives Odysseus a ship and sends him home to Ithaca.
[change] Return Home
Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, where he disguises himself as a beggar. He goes to his home and meets his son Telemachus. Together they kill the Suitors. Later the families of the Suitors come to kill Odysseus for revenge. But the goddess Athena makes them stop and give up the fight.
[change] Notes
- The English word Odyssey, meaning "long journey," comes from this book.
- The Roman name for Odysseus is Ulysses.
- James Joyce's 1922 book Ulysses is based on the book by Homer, but it is much different.
