THE ODYSSEY - THE LONG JOURNEY HOME

Almost three thousand years ago, long before cinema, television or printed books, stories travelled in a different way. They were spoken. Remembered. Performed. Passed from one generation to the next. From that ancient oral tradition emerged *The Odyssey*, one of the most influential stories ever told and traditionally attributed to the Greek poet Homer. We know surprisingly little about Homer himself. Historians cannot say with certainty exactly when he lived, where he lived, or even whether the great epics associated with his name were ultimately shaped by one poet or by generations of storytellers. What we do know is that *The Odyssey* endured. And at the centre of it is a remarkably simple idea: a man trying to get home. ## A War Is Over — But the Journey Is Just Beginning Odysseus is king of the Greek island of Ithaca. For ten years, he has been away fighting in the Trojan War. According to the epic tradition, he plays a key role in the deception that finally brings Troy down: the Trojan Horse. But victory does not bring peace. Odysseus still has to return to his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus, who was only a baby when his father left. The voyage should have taken a relatively short time. Instead, it becomes another ten-year ordeal. Along the way, Odysseus loses his ships, his companions and almost everything that once defined him. What remains is his determination to reach home. ## The Cyclops and the Price of Pride One of the most famous episodes in *The Odyssey* begins when Odysseus and his men enter a cave belonging to Polyphemus, a giant Cyclops. Trapped inside, Odysseus realises that brute strength will not save them. Instead, he uses deception. When Polyphemus asks his name, Odysseus replies: “Nobody.” After blinding the Cyclops, the Greeks escape beneath the bellies of sheep. It is one of the great examples of Odysseus using intelligence rather than strength. But then comes one of his greatest weaknesses. Pride. As the ship sails away, Odysseus reveals his real name. Polyphemus now knows exactly who has humiliated him. And Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea. From that point onwards, Odysseus's journey becomes even more dangerous. The episode tells us something important about the hero. Odysseus is clever. Resourceful. Brave. But he is also capable of allowing pride to undo his own success. That makes him more complicated — and perhaps more human. ## So Close to Home At one stage, Odysseus reaches Aeolus, keeper of the winds. Aeolus gives him a bag containing the dangerous winds that could drive his ship away from Ithaca. Home finally comes into sight. Then Odysseus falls asleep. His crew, believing the bag contains treasure, open it. The winds burst free and drive them back across the sea. Ithaca disappears again. It is one of the cruelest moments in the story. Home was there. Almost within reach. And then it was gone. ## Circe and the Comfort of Staying Odysseus later reaches the island of Circe. She transforms some of his companions into pigs, although Odysseus eventually forces her to restore them. But he does not immediately leave. He remains on her island for an entire year. Food, shelter and safety are available to him. After years of war and danger, staying must have been tempting. Yet Ithaca still waits. One of the recurring ideas in *The Odyssey* is that the obstacles preventing us from reaching where we belong are not always monsters. Sometimes they are comfort. Temptation. Fear. Or simply the temptation to stop trying. ## Into the World of the Dead Circe tells Odysseus that before continuing his journey, he must enter the realm of the dead. There he meets lost warriors, prophets and friends. Then he sees his mother. She had been alive when he left Ithaca. He did not know she had died. Odysseus tries to embrace her. His arms pass through her. Again he tries. Again there is nothing. For all his cleverness an

The Odyssey: The 3,000-Year-Old Journey Home