Odyssey I, Books 1-12

by Homer, Augustus Taber Murray (Translator), George E. Dimock (Revised by)

The Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer (eighth century BCE) are the two oldest European epic poems. The latter tells of Odysseus s journey home from the Trojan War and the temptations, delays, and dangers he faced at every turn.

Genres: Classics, Poetry, Fiction, Mythology, Literature, Ancient, Fantasy

496 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 701

About the author

Homer (Greek: Όμηρος born c. 8th century BC) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the most revered and influential authors in history.
Homer's Iliad centers on a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles during the last year of the Trojan War. The Odyssey chronicles the ten-year journey of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, back to his home after the fall of Troy. The poems are in Homeric Greek, also known as Epic Greek, a literary language which shows a mixture of features of the Ionic and Aeolic dialects from different centuries; the predominant influence is Eastern Ionic. Most researchers believe that the poems were originally transmitted orally. Despite being predominantly known for its tragic and serious themes, the Homeric poems also contain instances of comedy and laughter.
Homer's epic poems shaped aspects of ancient Greek culture and education, fostering ideals of heroism, glory, and honor. To Plato, Homer was simply the one who "has taught Greece" (τὴν Ἑλλάδα πεπαίδευκεν). In Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, Virgil refers to Homer as "Poet sovereign", king of all poets; in the preface to his translation of the Iliad, Alexander Pope acknowledges that Homer has always been considered the "greatest of poets". From antiquity to the present day, Homeric epics have inspired many famous works of literature, music, art, and film.
The question of by whom, when, where and under what circumstances the Iliad and Odyssey were composed continues to be debated. Scholars remain divided as to whether the two works are the product of a single author. It is thought that the poems were composed at some point around the late eighth or early seventh century BC. Many accounts of Homer's life circulated in classical antiquity; the most widespread account was that he was a blind bard from Ionia, a region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey. Modern scholars consider these accounts legendary.

French: Homère, Italian: Omero, Portuguese, Spanish: Homero.

Reviews

[Genni · Rating 5 out of 5]

If The Iliad is in part a study of man's affect on events, then The Odyssey is the complementary study of the affect of events on man. An adventure story is the perfect avenue to explore this....it also revisits and provides closure for beloved characters from The Iliad.

[Michael Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loeb volumes are handy-sized little books that have the English translation on the right hand page and the original language on the left (green volumes are Greek and red are Latin Classics). The lines mostly match up so one can look from match up the translation.

The Odyssey, along with Homer’s other book, the Iliad, define the words “classic” and “epic.” Murray’s translation is well done and Dimock’s revision and notes are helpful. The Greek font is pleasant to read. A story everyone should read at least once, if only to be familiar with all the illusions from it in Western Civilization.

[Ryan Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So even though this was slightly difficult to understand at times, I actually really enjoyed the story. I normally don’t love classics and especially being forced to read books, but this was easily an exception. The world was so interesting to read about, as well as Odysseus’ journeys. I would recommend this book for someone who wants to read a classic.

[Matt Pitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: I still love the translation and have gained a new appreciation for how handy these volumes are. A hardback you can hold in one hand is a rare feat.

I can't read Classical Greek, but it was fun to be able to look at it from time to time and try to pick out pieces here and there. I was surprised how much I enjoyed Murray's translation which is not one I recall hearing about before but is absolutely first rate in terms of clarity, readability, and Homeric gravitas.

[SócUnaFada · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,5

Després d'això, quan vagi a dormir diré que vaig a colgar-me.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful piece of literature. This is definitely one of my favorite things to read in high school and in college.
Odysseus has a hard time trying to get home, but he never gives up; even after being stuck on the island with Calypso, he still dreamed of seeing his wife and his homeland.
I wish people nowadays could have this strength, loyalty and morals. The world would be a better place with more people like him.

[John Isles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would not go quite so far as T.E. Lawrence in describing The Odyssey as the oldest book worth reading, but worth reading it certainly is, and I'm very glad to be rereading it, this time in Robert Fitzgerald's accurate verse translation along with the Loeb edition of the Greek text. I fault the Loeb only for the shortness of its Introduction (ten pages, half of them bibliography), the small number of footnotes, and the lack of other explanatory materials.

[Dania Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was really good. I enjoyed it because it was interesting of all the things of the gods and their stories. I enjoyed reading it because it had alot of adventure, and it also had challenges. The book was sometimes confusing at parts, but it got me confused because i was absent and when i came back i didnt get the story. But after all this the book was really good it had alot of good parts and sad parts.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobooks...there were 24 books in all. Excellent story, the whole thing! I truly enjoyed it. Reading about Greek mythology has always been a favorite of mine. They are classic tales that will be around forever.

[Hank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the detail, the prose, and the chance to delve into a bit of ancient Greek fiction. One of the inspirations to our modern fantasy.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know, I know Odysseus was a favorite but if "Athena's eyes shined brightly" one more time....

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took a long time to get through it but the stories were excellent and the prose is very special.

[Elizabeth Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foundation reading...have re-read both the Iliad and the Odyssey multiple times. We also read it some of it in Greek, but I'm lousy at languages and really struggled.

[Jonathon Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tale!

[Richard Ratzlaff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read throughout. Pacing was good, which is surprising.

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing the Iliad, I wanted to jump right into the Odyssey. I had read it back in college, but that was now 15 (yipe!) years ago and I felt that I would approach it with more appreciation of the background, both in terms of the characters I'd become more familiar with in the Iliad and in terms of my increased understanding of ancient Greek culture.

One thing I'd forgotten was how long it takes for Odysseus to appear--not until Book 5, about one-sixth of the way into the epic. I suspect I got a lot more out of the first four books this time around, since they deal with Odysseus's son, Telemachus, visiting other Greek heroes looking for information on his dad. He first travels to Pylos to see Nestor. I may have recognized the name Nestor when I was reading in college, but only after reading the Iliad did I get to know this character, certainly one of Homer's favorites. He (Nestor) is the oldest of the warriors at Troy, and frequently goes into long speeches about how things were done "back in the day." He is both full of sage advice and a windbag, somewhat like Polonius in Shakespeare's Hamlet. After Nestor, Telemachus journeys to Sparta to see Menelaus. I was certainly more familiar with his backstory 15 years ago, but this time I thrilled at the tale of his adventures in Egypt. Could these be distant echoes of the early Greek settlers in the Nile delta, who began trading with the Egyptians and learning of their ancient culture?

When we do catch up with Odysseus, he is pining for home while stuck on the Ogygia, the isle of Calypso. Eventually he does make his way back to civilization with the Phaeacians. Much of the rest of this first half of the poem is taken up with Odysseus's narration of his own adventures to the court of the Phaeacians. This is where most of the familiar elements of the Odyssey take place, such as the Cyclops, Circe, and the Scylla and Charybdis. The high point to me is the journey to the land of the dead in Book 11. Here Odysseus meets famous figures from the past, including Teiresias (the prophet in the Oedipus tales), Heracles, and his now-deceased former comrades like Achilles and Ajax. He also meets his mother in a very poignant scene. It gives me goosebumps thinking back on some of these encounters. For instance, when Odysseus praises Achilles for having become a sort of leader in Hades's realm, he responds (paraphrasing), "I'd rather be a lowly thrall on earth than a king among the dead." The concept of these scenes is so good, and the execution is perfect. They fully justify the modern use of the term "epic."

A word about this edition. W.B. Stanford's notes and commentary are excellent. He gives exactly the sort of information I am curious about. For instance, he might note Sanskrit or Old Irish cognates of rare words, or summarize what is known about (e.g.) ancient Greek houses. The notes in my edition of the Iliad were sufficient, but Stanford's are so much better.

On to the second half of the poem!

[cyranoiones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weirdest damn book. First off, I could not read the words. After matching alphabets on the wiktionary, I determined that it was not written in English. So learned a whole new alphabet, read from cover to cover, and not a thing about the Simpsons! Nada. And where was Homer? Or his operas? Anyway, some dude's kid wants to find out what happened to his dad. Dude apparently gets lost and fights a bunch of monsters. Sounds vaguely familiar with a Simpson's episode. To top it off, the book ends in the middle -- I need to buy the next volume, apparently? Anyway, I think this is really a 1/5 stars book, but I hate to rate anything about Homer Simpson as less than 5. Geeze. I hope the next volume is at least in English!

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read selections from the Odyssey in college for a Humanities class, but this is the first time I am reading the entire book. I did not remember that it actually begins with the story of Telemachus, Odysseus' son, pining for his father and agonizing over the depredations of the suitors for Penelope. I also did not remember that most of the adventures of Odysseus are not in the story's "real time," but are recalled by him after he has escaped from Calypso. He may be brave and he certainly loves his homeland and family, but he's a foolhardy, boastful jerk who sacrifices all of his crew.

[Jonathan Jonsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prose rendering by Murray flows really well. It's great to have the facing Greek, I wouldn't be able to read it on my own, but I know enough Greek to pick up some of the stylistic features and word choices after reading the English, which is always fun. The Loeb edition does what it aims to do, it offers an easy introduction to the text. There is no critical apparatus and very few footnotes - but that's perfect for a first time reading, I don't need 2000 years of scholarship at this point, I just want to enter the world.

[Yente Austerlitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

οἱ δʼ αἶψʼ οἰχόμενοι μίγεν ἀνδράσι Λωτοφάγοισιν·
οὐδʼ ἄρα Λωτοφάγοι μήδονθʼ ἑτάροισιν ὄλεθρον
ἡμετέροις, ἀλλά σφι δόσαν λωτοῖο πάσασθαι.
τῶν δʼ ὅς τις λωτοῖο φάγοι μελιηδέα καρπόν,
οὐκέτʼ ἀπαγγεῖλαι πάλιν ἤθελεν οὐδὲ νέεσθαι,
ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ βούλοντο μετʼ ἀνδράσι Λωτοφάγοισι
λωτὸν ἐρεπτόμενοι μενέμεν νόστου τε λαθέσθαι.
τοὺς μὲν ἐγὼν ἐπὶ νῆας ἄγον κλαίοντας ἀνάγκῃ,
νηυσὶ δʼ ἐνὶ γλαφυρῇσιν ὑπὸ ζυγὰ δῆσα ἐρύσσας.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the tale of a strong man who fought through so much to get back home. It was not my taste of literature, but it succeeded in entertaining me. Strong morals, and a very very very interesting plot.

[Mamnoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

my mother says to read homer

[lydie holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

read with my students and loooooved it!!!!!!

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a joy it is to read.

[XAVIEE 1234 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Traducció en vers de Carles Riba, edició de 1953. Cal fer una mica d'exercici lingüístic, però es una meravella.

[Heidi Rothert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a book last year that raved about it book the Odyssey so I had to read it. it was hard to muscle through in the beginning, but I enjoyed it more as I went.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2 ✨️

[shell · Rating 3 out of 5]

9th grade.
Read for school. Translated by Robert Fitzgerald. We didn't read the whole thing though. we read a much more condensed version. It was about 75 pages in our English textbook. So idk. It is obviously a really famous piece of literature and it's well written and you know. But I just thought it was ok. Ok. Bye.

[James Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here we are once again, with the poet imploring the Muse to sing her song about the adventures ensuing the the fall of Troy. Having just finished rereading The Iliad which told of the rage of Achilles and the Trojan War, I find The Odyssey a much more congenial book, seemingly modern in structure and outlook, even as it tells of events before the beginning of history as we know it. It tells the journey of Odysseus on his way hhome from Troy, a journey that takes him ten years. Odysseus is a man who, according to none other than Zeus, "excels all men in wisdom," (1.79). Odysseus has offended Poseidon, the god of the seas, by blinding his son Polyphemus the Cyclops; and, Poseidon, in retaliation has driven Odysseus off-course and delayed his return home to Ithaca. Athena rouses the rest of the gods and takes up Odysseus case. It is thus that we find Athena going to Ithaca and, in the form of Mentes, helping Odysseus' son Telemachus as part of her plan. We also meet Penelope, the wise and patient wife of Odysseus, who has been fending off the suitors who have been pursuing her in Odysseus absence. Telemachus tells Athena: "And mother . . . she neither rejects a marriage she despises nor can she bear to bring the courting to an end -- while they continue to bleed my household white."(1.289-91). The situation is untenable and calls for action. With Athena's assurance that his father is still alive, Telelmachus may take the necessary action. We find ourselves in a very different kind of poem than The Iliad, but one that promises suspense and excitement. Key themes that appear and will reappear as we continue include the idea of the heroic journey, both for Odysseus and Telemachus, and the growth of the character of Odysseus, who is described by Athena as he endures his captivity under Calypso's power:

But he, straining for no more than a glimpse
of hearth-smoke drifting up from his own land,
Odysseus longs to die . . .
(1.69-71)

[Denise Nieves · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Odyssey was a great book! Sometimes it had me confused because I didn't understand what they were trying to say ,but in the end I understood some what everything . The only thing that matters is that Odysseus went home with his son and wife. This book was awesome it teaches us how things are hard in life. One day we will go threw hard times ,others times they will be easy! I loved how Odysseus in the end showed the suitors of with the bow went he shot it! Also when his wife didn't believe it was him. Even when she said she wasn't going to ask him any questions or anything ,but at last she discovers it was him. (pg.712)