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July 31, 2026Short & citedBlog
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Screen & Stage • Literature

The Odyssey

The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem traditionally attributed to Homer.

Updated July 31, 20261 min readCited sources

The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem traditionally attributed to Homer. It follows Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he tries to return home after the Trojan War.

What it is

The Odyssey is one of the foundational works of Western literature, composed in Homeric Greek and divided into 24 books. It tells the story of Odysseus’s long, dangerous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, facing storms, monsters, and divine interference along the way.

Key details

The poem is usually dated to the late 8th or early 7th century BC. Modern scholarship often treats the Iliad and the Odyssey as separate works that may not have been composed by the same author. The Latin form of Odysseus’s name is Ulysses.

Why it matters

The Odyssey is considered a central surviving work of ancient Greek literature and a foundational text in the Western canon. It is widely studied in Canadian schools and universities as a key part of the Western literary tradition.

In short

  • The Odyssey is an epic poem traditionally attributed to Homer.
  • It follows Odysseus’s journey home after the Trojan War.
  • The poem is divided into 24 books and dates to around the late 8th or early 7th century BC.
  • It is a foundational work of Western literature, studied widely in Canada.
Canadian angle

The Odyssey is widely studied in Canadian schools and universities as a foundational work of ancient Greek literature and Western literary tradition.

Quick questions

Who wrote The Odyssey?
It is traditionally attributed to Homer, though many scholars say its exact authorship is uncertain and that it may come from long oral traditions.
What is The Odyssey about?
It is about Odysseus’s dangerous, delayed journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
When was The Odyssey written?
It is usually dated to the late 8th or early 7th century BC, with some scholars placing its composition around 725–675 BCE.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer
    Supports: Traditional attribution to Homer; scholarly uncertainty; approximate date of composition of the Iliad and Odyssey.
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey
    Supports: Summary of plot, 24-book structure, Odysseus as central character, and dating.
  3. Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/topic/Odyssey-epic-by-Homer
    Supports: Authorship attribution, plot summary, 24-book structure, and date range.
  4. Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Homer-Greek-poet
    Supports: Homer as presumed author and general historical context.
  5. British Museum — https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/who-was-homer
    Supports: Conventional dating of the Iliad and Odyssey to the late 8th or early 7th century BC.
  6. LibreTexts — https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Literature_and_Literacy/Classics/The_Odyssey_(Homer)
    Supports: Odyssey as a sequel to the Iliad, 24-book structure, and composition near the end of the 8th century BC.