The Odyssey of Homer

Homer’s epic chronicle of the Greek hero Odysseus’ journey home from the Trojan War has inspired writers from Virgil to James Joyce. Odysseus survives storm and shipwreck,the cave of the Cyclops and the isle of Circethe lure of the Sirens’ song and a trip to the Underworldonly to find his most difficult challenge at homewhere treacherous suitors seek to steal his kingdom and his loyal wifePenelope. Favorite of the godsOdysseus embodies the energyintellectand resourcefulness that were of highest value to the ancients and that remain ideals in out time. In this new verse translationAllen Mandelbaum–celebrated poet and translator of Virgil’s Aeneid and Dante’s Divine Comedy –realizes the power and beauty of the original Greek verse and demonstrates why the epic tale of The Odyssey has captured the human imagination for nearly three thousand years.