The OdysseyThe Odyssey, translated by T. E. Lawrence, an epic 12,000-line poem composed over 2,700 years ago, is the first adventure story in Western literature. It describes the ten-year wanderings of Odysseus in his quest to return home after the Trojan War. Hounded by the sea-god Poseidon and championed by the goddess Athene, he encounters giants, sorceresses, and sea monsters before finally reaching his beloved Ithaca. There he must endure the taunts of the Suitors to his queen, Penelope, who have taken up residence in his palace. At once enchanting fairy tale and gripping drama, the Odyssey is eminently readable, not least for the rich complexity and magnetism of its hero. An inspiration to writers as diverse as Virgil, Swift, and Joyce, the Odyssey has proved enormously influential and continues to captivate readers of all ages. |
Contents
Section 1 | 13 |
Section 2 | 29 |
Section 3 | 45 |
Section 4 | 64 |
Section 5 | 94 |
Section 6 | 112 |
Section 7 | 124 |
Section 8 | 136 |
Section 14 | 241 |
Section 15 | 258 |
Section 16 | 274 |
Section 17 | 287 |
Section 18 | 303 |
Section 19 | 315 |
Section 20 | 332 |
Section 21 | 344 |
Section 9 | 155 |
Section 10 | 174 |
Section 11 | 192 |
Section 12 | 212 |
Section 13 | 227 |
Section 22 | 357 |
Section 23 | 372 |
Section 24 | 383 |
Section 25 | 399 |
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Common terms and phrases
Achaeans Aegisthus Alcinous amongst answered Antinous Argives Athene Atreus Atrides beasts cave Circe cloak clothes Collector's Library Collector's crew cried Cyclops daughter Dawn dead dear death divine drink Dulichium earth Eumaeus Eupeithes Eurycleia Eurylochus Eurymachus evil eyes fate father feast feet flung friends gave gifts Goddess godlike Gods gold grief guest Hades hall hands head hear heart heaven Hephaestus honour Icarius immortal island Ithaca kill King knees Laertes land Laodamas Library Collector's Library lord maids Melanthius Menelaus mind mother Nestor never night noble oars Odysseus palace Penelope Phaeacians Polybus Poseidon pray Pylos replied round sailed sheep ship sleep spear spoke stood stranger suitors sure swineherd sword tears Teiresias Telemachus tell Theoclymenus things throne took Troy tunic turned Wherefore wife wind wine woman women words Zeus