The Odyssey, or the tale of Odysseus, is one of two great Ancient Greek epics of Homer. The king of Ithaca, Odysseus, is attempting to sail to his native land ten years after leaving for the Trojan war. While Odysseus has been gone, noblemen have loitered at his palace, trying to win his wife Penelope's hand. Odysseus goes through an amazing series of trials while wandering, thanks to the wrath of Poseidon. With the goddess Athene's help, he returns to home, battles and defeats the suitors, and becomes king again.
Written in 535 B.C., the Odyssey was common Greek heritage. It provided moral examples that the Greeks could follow, like the fidelity of Penelope and Odysseus' sense of responsibility. Homer also gave women a prominent position in his epic, most obvious in Athene's heroic role. His work gave women more respect in the eyes of the Greeks. Homer's work also influenced many other poets, including Virgil, and continues to serve as an example for poets today. Although the Odyssey and its counterpart, the Iliad, were forgotten in medieval times, they were reintroduced in 15th century Italy. They helped humanism emerge during the Renaissance. Ultimately, the Odyssey provided the Greeks with valuable information about mortality, early history, and Olympian theology. It is one of the foundations of the world's cultural heritage.
* Mesopotamia (Gilgamesh) *Greece (Odysseus) *Rome (Aeneas) *England (Romeo and Juliet) *America (the Kennedys)