Homer · 8th century BC (traditional)

Odyssey

Name: Odyssey
Author: Homer

Ὀδύσσεια

The Odyssey, about 12,100 lines of hexameter in twenty-four books, follows Odysseus' return from Troy to Ithaca and the efforts of his son Telemachus and his wife Penelope to hold out against the suitors who have taken over his house. Odysseus himself tells the story of his wanderings (Cyclops, Circe, the Underworld, the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, the cattle of the Sun) at the court of the Phaeacians in books 9-12. Citations are by book and line (9.366), and the sections here, of roughly 80 to 200 lines each, follow the natural scenes of the poem.

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Text: Greek original with English translation, 121 passages, about 132900 words in English.
Translator: Augustus Taber Murray (1919)
Edition: Augustus Taber Murray (ed.), Homer, The Odyssey, Loeb Classical Library, London: Heinemann; New York: Putnam, 1919, vols. 1-2 (Greek text, based on the Oxford Classical Text, and English translation, as digitised by Perseus)
Cite as: Homer, Odyssey 1.1 (by book, line)

Contents · 121 passages

1.1–95Invocation; the gods in council1012 words
1.96–199Athena visits Telemachus1162 words
1.200–324Athena's counsel to Telemachus1397 words
1.325–444Phemius sings; Telemachus faces the suitors1259 words
2.1–145Telemachus calls the assembly1638 words
2.146–238The omen of the eagles1070 words
2.239–381Mentor's rebuke; Telemachus prepares to sail1532 words
2.382–434Athena makes ready the ship543 words
3.1–101Telemachus lands at Pylos1099 words
3.102–200Nestor tells of the Achaeans' return1068 words
3.201–328Nestor tells of Agamemnon's death1407 words
3.329–403Athena departs; the night at Pylos840 words
3.404–497The sacrifice to Athena; departure for Sparta1057 words
4.1–112Telemachus at the house of Menelaus1230 words
4.113–232Helen recognises Telemachus1316 words
4.233–305Helen and Menelaus tell of Odysseus at Troy777 words
4.306–424Menelaus in Egypt: Eidothea and Proteus1344 words
4.425–624Menelaus seizes Proteus2256 words
4.625–714The suitors plot an ambush993 words
4.715–847Penelope's grief; Athena sends a phantom1440 words
5.1–147Hermes is sent to Calypso1577 words
5.148–227Calypso lets Odysseus go874 words
5.228–281Odysseus builds the raft567 words
5.282–381Poseidon's storm; Ino's veil1175 words
5.382–493Odysseus reaches Scheria1262 words
6.1–84Athena sends a dream to Nausicaa900 words
6.85–144Nausicaa's washing and ball game; Odysseus wakes653 words
6.145–250Odysseus meets Nausicaa1158 words
6.251–331The way to the city902 words
7.1–77Athena guides Odysseus to the palace823 words
7.78–132The palace and gardens of Alcinous546 words
7.133–239Odysseus before Arete and Alcinous1164 words
7.240–347Odysseus tells of Calypso1160 words
8.1–92The assembly; Demodocus sings997 words
8.93–130Odysseus weeps; the games begin386 words
8.131–255Euryalus' taunt; Odysseus throws the discus1390 words
8.256–369The song of Ares and Aphrodite1242 words
8.370–453The dance; gifts for the stranger906 words
8.454–586Demodocus sings of the wooden horse1472 words
9.1–61Odysseus begins his tale; the Ciconians677 words
9.62–104The Lotus-eaters456 words
9.105–230The land of the Cyclopes; the cave1366 words
9.231–344Odysseus and the Cyclops Polyphemus1269 words
9.345–394The wine and the name Noman591 words
9.395–472The blinding and escape from the cave889 words
9.473–566Odysseus taunts the Cyclops1024 words
10.1–79Aeolus and the bag of winds885 words
10.80–132The Laestrygonians593 words
10.133–209Circe's island; the stag841 words
10.210–273Circe turns the men to swine694 words
10.274–332Hermes and the moly687 words
10.333–465Circe frees the men; a year with Circe1405 words
10.466–574Circe's instructions; the death of Elpenor1138 words
11.1–89The voyage to the land of the dead966 words
11.90–149Teiresias prophesies644 words
11.150–224Anticlea798 words
11.225–332The women of old1102 words
11.333–384Alcinous asks for more567 words
11.385–464Agamemnon870 words
11.465–567Achilles and Ajax1149 words
11.568–640Minos, Orion and the great sinners797 words
12.1–141Circe's counsel1490 words
12.142–200The Sirens661 words
12.201–259Scylla and Charybdis645 words
12.260–328The cattle of the Sun732 words
12.329–402The slaughter of the cattle of the Sun810 words
12.403–453The shipwreck; Charybdis; Calypso552 words
13.1–121Farewell to the Phaeacians; the voyage home1309 words
13.122–184Poseidon turns the Phaeacian ship to stone705 words
13.185–286Odysseus awakes on Ithaca1120 words
13.287–371Athena reveals herself940 words
13.372–440Athena's plan; Odysseus disguised as a beggar755 words
14.1–108Odysseus at the hut of Eumaeus1231 words
14.109–190Eumaeus on his master; Odysseus swears he will return943 words
14.191–359The false tale of the Cretan1861 words
14.360–456Eumaeus doubts; supper1127 words
14.457–533The cloak; night in the hut888 words
15.1–91Athena goes to Sparta981 words
15.92–181Menelaus' gifts; the omen of the eagle977 words
15.182–300Pylos; Theoclymenus1314 words
15.301–379Odysseus tests Eumaeus866 words
15.380–492Eumaeus tells his story1220 words
15.493–557Telemachus lands on Ithaca701 words
16.1–153Telemachus comes to the hut1663 words
16.154–219Odysseus is recognised by his son729 words
16.220–320Father and son plan the suitors' death1124 words
16.321–481The suitors' ambush fails; Penelope rebukes Antinous1781 words
17.1–183Telemachus returns to the town1945 words
17.184–289Odysseus and Eumaeus on the road; Melanthius1176 words
17.290–359Argos the dog753 words
17.360–491Odysseus begs among the suitors1511 words
17.492–606Penelope sends for the stranger1231 words
18.1–109Odysseus and Irus1272 words
18.110–301The suitors' gifts; Penelope appears2027 words
18.302–428Melantho and Eurymachus1409 words
19.1–95Odysseus and Telemachus remove the arms1087 words
19.96–163Penelope questions the stranger756 words
19.164–316The stranger's tale of Crete1723 words
19.317–507Eurycleia washes the stranger; the scar2075 words
19.508–604Penelope's dream1080 words
20.1–121Odysseus cannot sleep; the omens1349 words
20.122–239The morning of the feast1284 words
20.240–394The suitors' feast; Ctesippus and the omen1657 words
21.1–100Penelope fetches the bow1071 words
21.101–187The axes are set up; the suitors try the bow989 words
21.188–244Odysseus reveals himself to the herdsmen652 words
21.245–358Odysseus asks for the bow1264 words
21.359–434Odysseus strings the bow848 words
22.1–88The slaying of the suitors begins: Antinous1024 words
22.89–204The slaying of the suitors: Amphinomus and Melanthius1253 words
22.205–309The slaying of the suitors: Athena as Mentor1097 words
22.310–380Leiodes, Phemius and Medon817 words
22.381–501The hall cleansed; the maids punished1258 words
23.1–84Eurycleia wakes Penelope939 words
23.85–162Penelope in the hall843 words
23.163–287Penelope's test of the bed1401 words
23.288–372Odysseus tells his tale; the dawn916 words
24.1–97The suitors in Hades1066 words
24.98–202Amphimedon's story1132 words
24.203–411Odysseus and Laertes2338 words
24.412–548The kinsmen of the suitors; peace restored1496 words

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English translation by Augustus Taber Murray (1919). Original text: Augustus Taber Murray (ed.), Homer, The Odyssey, Loeb Classical Library, London: Heinemann; New York: Putnam, 1919, vols. 1-2 (Greek text, based on the Oxford Classical Text, and English translation, as digitised by Perseus).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.

Odyssey

Contents · 121 passages

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