What is Homer's Odyssey about?

Homer's Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem in 24 books that tells the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, attempting to return home after the ten-year Trojan War. The journey takes another ten years. Twenty years total away from his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. The poem ends with his homecoming, the recognition between husband and wife, and the slaughter of the suitors who have moved into his house.

When is Christopher Nolan's Odyssey released?

Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's Odyssey opens in cinemas on 17 July 2026. The film is distributed by Universal Pictures. The lead cast includes Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, and Zendaya in an undisclosed role rumoured to be Circe.

Which translation of the Odyssey should I read?

Emily Wilson's 2017 translation (Norton) is the most readable modern English version and the one Nolan has cited as direct inspiration. If you prefer a more formal translation, Robert Fagles's 1996 version is excellent. Robert Fitzgerald's 1961 translation reads as poetry. Avoid the public-domain Victorian translations unless you specifically want their formality.

Do I need to read the Iliad before the Odyssey?

No. The Odyssey is designed to stand alone. The Iliad is referenced (the Trojan War, the wooden horse, the deaths of Odysseus's companions) but the Odyssey explains what you need in passing. If you have time and appetite, read the Iliad afterward for context.

What are the best modern retellings of the Odyssey?

Madeline Miller's Circe (2018) and Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad (2005) are the two most influential modern Odyssey-adjacent novels. Claire North's Ithaca trilogy (2022 onwards) gives a political-thriller take on Penelope's situation. For science-fiction adaptations, the Ulysses Universe trilogy reimagines the entire Odyssey as space opera.

Blog Category

Mythology

Homer's Odyssey explained. Greek mythology in modern context. The source material behind the trilogy, and the wider tradition it sits in.

30 articles in this category

This category covers Homer's Odyssey, Greek mythology, and the wider literary tradition the Ulysses Universe trilogy is in dialogue with. If you are coming to the trilogy without a background in classical literature, the articles here will give you everything you need. If you are coming with a background, you will find pieces that engage with the source material seriously rather than ornamentally.

We treat the Odyssey as a living text. Three thousand years of continuous retelling have shaped how the poem reads today. The articles in this category cover specific characters and scenes from the Odyssey (Polyphemus, Penelope, the bow contest), translation choices that matter (Emily Wilson, Robert Fagles, Stanley Lombardo), and the question of which modern retellings are worth your time before and after Christopher Nolan's 2026 film adaptation.

Where the trilogy's own world-building uses a Homeric source, we cross-reference. The Polyphemus articles link to the Polyphemus Station post in Behind the Scenes. The Penelope material connects to the Embroidery as Resistance essay. Homer is the foundation. Everything else is built on top.

Key takeaways

Homer's Odyssey is a 12,000-line epic poem composed around the 8th century BCE. It tells the story of Odysseus's ten-year journey home from the Trojan War.
Christopher Nolan's film adaptation releases 17 July 2026. Articles here cover the source material, the cast, and what Nolan is most likely to keep, change, or invent.
Emily Wilson's 2017 translation is the modern reference. Wilson is the first woman to translate the Odyssey into English and Nolan has cited her version as direct inspiration.
Modern retellings worth reading: Madeline Miller's Circe, Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad, Claire North's Ithaca trilogy.

Articles in Mythology

Mythology-6 min

Argos the Dog: The Most Heartbreaking Scene in the Odyssey

Twenty years. One old dog. A wagging tail. Three lines of Homer that have made readers weep for three thousand years. The Argos scene explained.

7 June 2026

Mythology-7 min

The Trojan War Explained: Cause, Key Events, and Aftermath

Ten years. A stolen queen. The wooden horse. The fall of Troy. Everything you need to know about the war that produced the Iliad, the Odyssey, and most of Greek heroic mythology.

6 June 2026

Mythology-6 min

Every Character in the Odyssey Explained

Odysseus, Penelope, Telemachus, Athena, Poseidon, Circe, Calypso, Polyphemus, the Sirens, and everyone else. A complete character guide to Homer's Odyssey.

5 June 2026

Mythology-6 min

The Odyssey Summary: Book by Book Breakdown

All 24 books of Homer's Odyssey summarised, with the major events, key characters, and themes of each. A complete chapter-by-chapter guide for readers and students.

5 June 2026

Mythology-6 min

Greek Mythology in Modern Culture: From Marvel to Hades to Nolan

Why ancient Greek stories keep showing up in contemporary entertainment. From the Percy Jackson franchise to Supergiant's Hades video game to Nolan's 2026 Odyssey adaptation.

4 June 2026

Mythology-5 min

The Best Greek Mythology Books for Adults (2026)

Twelve Greek mythology books worth reading in 2026, from accessible modern retellings to deep literary engagements. For adults coming to mythology fresh or returning after long absence.

3 June 2026

Mythology-6 min

Every Film and TV Adaptation of the Odyssey Ranked

From 1954 to Nolan 2026. Every major screen version of Homer's Odyssey ranked by ambition, faithfulness, and whether it's worth your time. Includes O Brother and Ulysses 31.

3 June 2026

Mythology-6 min

Athena: Goddess of Wisdom and Strategic Warfare

Born fully grown from Zeus's forehead. Patron of Athens. Adviser to heroes. The Olympian who exemplifies practical intelligence over brute force.

2 June 2026

Mythology-5 min

Poseidon: God of the Sea, Earthquakes, and Grudges

Ruler of the oceans. Shaker of the earth. Father of monsters and heroes. The Olympian with the longest memory and the most personal antagonisms in Greek mythology.

2 June 2026

Mythology-7 min

The 12 Olympian Gods Explained

Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Dionysus. The Olympian pantheon, what each god rules, and why they still matter.

1 June 2026

Mythology-5 min

Zeus: King of the Gods and Everything Wrong With Power

King of the Olympians. Wielder of thunder. Father of half the Greek heroes. Patron of justice. And the most morally complicated Olympian when you read closely.

1 June 2026

Mythology-7 min

10 Themes in the Odyssey That Still Matter Today

The hospitality test. The cost of cleverness. The price of pride. The Odyssey's themes were written 3,000 years ago and still appear in every conversation about home, identity, and what we owe each other.

31 May 2026

Mythology-7 min

Greek Mythology for Beginners: Where to Start

Zeus, Hera, Athena, Poseidon, and the rest. A clean starting point for adults coming to Greek mythology fresh, with reading recommendations for every level of depth.

31 May 2026

Mythology-6 min

The Odyssey vs The Iliad: What Connects Homer's Two Epics

Two poems. One war. One journey home. The same author. Why the Iliad and the Odyssey are the foundational texts of Western literature, and how they differ in structure, theme, and ambition.

30 May 2026

Mythology-6 min

Who Was Homer? The Poet Behind the Odyssey

The ancient Greek poet credited with the Iliad and the Odyssey. Whether he existed. Whether he wrote both. What we know, what we don't, and why it still matters.

30 May 2026

Mythology-7 min

How Does the Odyssey End? The Homecoming Explained

Twenty years of war and journey converge on a single afternoon in Ithaca. The bow contest. The slaughter of the suitors. The recognition with Penelope. How Homer's Odyssey actually ends.

29 May 2026

Mythology-6 min

Poseidon vs Odysseus: The Longest Grudge in Western Literature

Ten years of pursuit across the Mediterranean. One god, one mortal, one ongoing punishment. Why Poseidon hated Odysseus and what it cost both of them.

29 May 2026

Mythology-6 min

Calypso and Odysseus: Love, Captivity, and the Long Way Home

Seven years on a paradise island with a goddess who loved him. Why did Odysseus want to leave? The Odyssey's most ambiguous relationship and what it argues about home.

28 May 2026

Mythology-6 min

The Sirens in the Odyssey: What They Really Represent

Beautiful voices on a rocky island piled with the bones of dead sailors. Homer's most haunting threat. What the Sirens actually are, what they sing about, and why their image has survived 3,000 years.

28 May 2026

Mythology-6 min

Athena's Role in the Odyssey: Why She Favours Odysseus

Goddess of wisdom, strategy, and crafts. Patron of Odysseus and Telemachus. The single most active divine ally in Homer's Odyssey. Why she chooses him and what it costs her.

27 May 2026

Mythology-7 min

Circe in the Odyssey: Witch, Goddess, or Something Else?

Daughter of the Sun. Mistress of transformation. The witch who turned men into pigs and then became Odysseus's most useful ally. Circe's place in Homer is more complicated than the popular image suggests.

27 May 2026

Mythology-7 min

Penelope in the Odyssey: The Most Underrated Hero in Homer

Twenty years of waiting. One hundred and eight suitors at the door. A kingdom held together by patience and craft. Penelope is the Odyssey's quietest hero and arguably its sharpest.

26 May 2026

Mythology-57 min

The Definitive Guide to Homer's Odyssey

A reference guide to authorship, date, plot, characters, gods, monsters, themes, translations, and cultural legacy of Homer's Odyssey.

25 May 2026

Mythology-62 min

Odysseus: The Definitive Guide to Homer's Hero

A reference guide to Odysseus (Ulysses): origins, defining traits, the 10-year journey, relationships, death, and 3,000 years of literary afterlife from Homer to Nolan.

25 May 2026

Mythology-8 min

The Cyclops Polyphemus: Homer's Most Iconic Monster

The one-eyed giant who eats Odysseus's men, gets blinded with a sharpened stake, and triggers Poseidon's twenty-year grudge. Everything you need to know about literature's most famous monster.

20 May 2026

Mythology-6 min

Ulysses vs Odysseus: Why the Same Hero Has Two Names

Odysseus is the Greek name. Ulysses is the Roman one. Same character, two names, three thousand years of history. Here's the full story of how one of literature's most famous heroes got two identities.

19 May 2026

Mythology-7 min

Christopher Nolan's Odyssey: Everything We Know About the Source Material

What Christopher Nolan is actually adapting on July 17, 2026. The 12,000-line Homeric epic, what it covers, who's in it, and what Nolan is most likely to keep, change, and reinvent.

17 May 2026

Mythology-7 min

Books to Read Before Watching Christopher Nolan's Odyssey

Christopher Nolan's Odyssey hits cinemas July 17, 2026. The seven books on this list will get you ready, deepen the experience, and answer most of the questions the film will raise.

16 May 2026

Mythology-4 min

108: The Number That Haunts the Odyssey

108 cursed crew. 108 Suitors on Ithaca. Zeus has a sense of symmetry - and in the Ulysses Universe, numbers aren't coincidences.

23 March 2026

Mythology-12 min

Every Version of The Odyssey Ever Told: 3,000 Years of the Greatest Story

From Homer's original epic to Christopher Nolan's 2026 IMAX film - a complete timeline of every major Odyssey adaptation across literature, film, TV, animation, and games.

8 March 2026

Mythology

Key takeaways

Articles in Mythology

Argos the Dog: The Most Heartbreaking Scene in the Odyssey