The Odyssey

1. An ancient Greek epic by Homer that recounts the adventures of Odysseus during his return from the war in Troy to his home in the Greek island of Ithaca. (See Odysseus and Troy under “Mythology and Folklore”; see also Penelope, Circe, and Cyclops.)

Figuratively, an “odyssey” is any difficult, prolonged journey.

Example Sentences

I’d like to know if he’s read “The Odyssey.”

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He will also be seen in Nolan’s upcoming Homer adaptation “The Odyssey.”

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His next film, a star-studded adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey,” opens July 16, 2026, and sold out shows a year in advance.

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In Homer’s “The Odyssey,” for instance, a bridge to the spirit world is reached only after a complex series of sacrifices and offerings — a potent mix of sweet wine and the blood of a lamb.

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The ancient Greek kingdom of Pylos is nowhere near as familiar in today’s popular consciousness as city-states with names like Corinth or Thebes, but it did get a shout-out from Homer in both the Iliad and the Odyssey.

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