We continue our series on the Odyssey by finishing our deliberation on the role of the divine in driving the story. After we turn our attention to uncovering the man, the hero, the legend at the centre, Odysseus. Diving into his character arc and events portrayed in the poem (with the exception of his homecoming), we shall try to draw several conclusions that make Odysseus an atypical hero.  

Primary Sources

The Odyssey - Homer (translated by Robert Fagles)

The Odyssey - Homer (translated by Emily Wilson)

The Aeneid - Virgil (trans. David West)

Secondary Sources

Hattusili: the Hittite Prince Who Stole an Empire - Trevor Bryce

Warriors of Anatolia: A Concise History of the Hittites - Trevor Bryce

1117 B.C. The Year Civilisation Collapsed - Eric Cline

Love, War and Diplomacy - Eric Cline

Children of Athena - Charles Freeman

Alexander to Actium - Peter Green

Byzantium Unbound - Anthony Kaldellis

The Greeks: Lost Civilisations - Philip Matyszak 

The Brotherhood of Kings - Amanda Podany

Weavers Scribes and Kings - Amanda Podany

The Hittites - Damien Stone 

The Hellenistic Age - Peter Thonemann

Ramesses the Great: Egypt's King of Kings - Toby Wilkinson

Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature - Emily Wilson

Modern Depictions

The Odyssey (1968) - 8 episode European/Italian Broadcast

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) - Coen Brothers film recasting elements of the Odyssey in the Deep South of the USA

The Simpsons (S13 Ep. 14) - A Comedic look at the Odyssey with Homer Simpson cast in the role of the Odysseus

The Return (2025) - Depicting the final few books of the Odyssey when Odysseus finally washes up on the shores of Ithaka

The Odyssey (2026) - Christopher Nolan's vision of the Odyssey