The Odyssey

Long ago, there was a great Greek warrior named Odysseus, the king of Ithaca. He was clever, brave, and known for his wisdom. After fighting for ten years in the Trojan War, Odysseus wanted to go home to his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. But the journey home was long and dangerous. It would take him another ten years to return.

The Curse of Poseidon

After the war, Odysseus and his men set sail. But they angered Poseidon, the god of the sea, when Odysseus hurt Poseidon's son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. As a punishment, Poseidon made the seas wild and stormy, sending Odysseus off course again and again.

The Lotus-Eaters

One of the first islands Odysseus and his men visited was home to the Lotus-Eaters. These people gave Odysseus’s crew a sweet fruit called the lotus. Anyone who ate it forgot their home and wanted to stay forever. Odysseus had to drag his men back to the ship to continue their journey.

The Cyclops

Next, they landed on an island where the Cyclopes lived—giant one-eyed creatures. They entered a cave filled with cheese and sheep, but it belonged to the Cyclops Polyphemus, who trapped them and began eating the men. Odysseus made a clever plan. He gave Polyphemus strong wine, and when the Cyclops was drunk, Odysseus blinded him with a sharp wooden stake. They escaped by hiding under the bellies of the sheep.

As they sailed away, Odysseus foolishly shouted his name to Polyphemus, who called on his father Poseidon to curse him.

The Bag of Winds

Odysseus then met Aeolus, the god of the winds, who gave him a bag containing all the bad winds. With only the good wind blowing, they almost reached Ithaca. But just before they arrived, his curious men opened the bag, thinking it was treasure. A terrible storm blew them far away.

The Laestrygonians and Circe

Next, they arrived in a land of Laestrygonians, giant cannibals who destroyed many ships and ate many men. Only Odysseus’s ship escaped.

Then they found the island of Circe, a witch who turned Odysseus’s men into pigs. With the help of the god Hermes, Odysseus resisted her magic and forced her to turn his men back into humans. They stayed there for a year.

Journey to the Underworld

To return home, Circe told Odysseus he must go to the Underworld to speak with the blind prophet Tiresias. In the land of the dead, Odysseus saw the ghost of his mother and many fallen heroes. Tiresias warned him not to harm the Cattle of the Sun God, or his journey would become even harder.

Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis

Sailing again, Odysseus passed the island of the Sirens, whose beautiful singing lured sailors to their death. He plugged his men’s ears with wax and tied himself to the mast so he could listen without jumping overboard.

Then came two more dangers: Scylla, a six-headed monster, and Charybdis, a deadly whirlpool. Odysseus chose to sail closer to Scylla, losing six men but saving the ship.

The Cattle of the Sun God

Despite Tiresias’s warning, Odysseus’s men killed the sacred cattle of the sun god Helios. In anger, Helios asked Zeus to punish them. A storm sank their ship, and all his men died. Odysseus was left alone.

Calypso’s Island

Odysseus floated to the island of Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso kept him as a prisoner. She loved him and offered to make him immortal if he stayed. But Odysseus longed for his home. After seven years, the gods told Calypso to let him go. She helped him build a raft, and he sailed away.

The Phaeacians

Odysseus was washed ashore in the land of the Phaeacians. He was found by Princess Nausicaa and taken to the king and queen. There, he told them his story. Moved by his tale, they gave him gifts and finally sent him home.

Return to Ithaca

Odysseus arrived in Ithaca at last, after twenty years. But everything had changed. His wife Penelope was still waiting for him, but many suitors were living in his palace, trying to marry her and take his kingdom. They thought Odysseus was dead.

Odysseus disguised himself as a beggar to see who was loyal. His son Telemachus, now a young man, helped him. His old dog Argos recognized him and died happily. His old nurse recognized a scar on his leg and kept his secret.

Penelope’s Test

Penelope had stayed faithful. She delayed choosing a new husband by saying she would choose when she finished weaving a shroud. But each night, she secretly undid her weaving.

Now she made a final test. She said she would marry the man who could string Odysseus’s bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe heads. None of the suitors could do it—but the beggar (Odysseus in disguise) did it easily.

Then he threw off his disguise and, with Telemachus’s help, fought and killed all the suitors.

Peace at Last

Penelope wasn’t sure it was really Odysseus. So she tested him one last time by talking about their bed—something only the real Odysseus would know. He passed the test, and they were joyfully reunited.

Peace was restored in Ithaca. After twenty years of war, storms, and struggles, Odysseus was finally home.