Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

Odysseus: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Facts

Also Known As Ulysses • Ulixes
Role In Trojan War

Photos and Videos

Arnold Bocklin: Odysseus and Polyphemus
Hendrik Van Balen: Odysseus as a Guest of the Nymph Calypso
Ancient Roman mosaic showing Ulysses (Odysseus) tied to the mast of a ship with five crew members, from the House of Dionysus and Ulysses at Dougga, Tunisia.
Pieter Lastman: Odysseus and Nausicaa
Ancient Greek vase painting showing Odysseus seated between Eurylochos, who wears a helmet and cloak, and Perimedes, as they consult the shade of Tiresias.
Odysseus and the Sirens
Matt Damon as Odysseus stands in Greek armor on a foggy encampment with ships in the background, in a publicity still from The Odyssey (2026), directed by Christopher Nolan.
Odysseus slaying the suitors, detail of a red-figure skyphos from Tarquinii, c. 450 bc; in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Ger.
Etching by Theodoor van Thulden showing Odysseus and his men blinding the giant Polyphemus with a stake as he lies on the ground, with sheep in the background.
Etching by Theodoor van Thulden showing Odysseus receiving a sack from Aeolus, surrounded by armored men and figures aboard a ship, with classical architectural elements in the background.
A large wooden Trojan horse is labeled with a blue box reading "FICTION" and an arrow pointing to it, illustrating myth versus reality in Homer's Odyssey.
Illustration of a Greek warrior in armor next to large text reading "Who's who in the ODYSSEY" on a blue background.
Engraved bust of Homer, a bearded man in a conical cap, overlaid on a painting of a galley with rowers and winged figures.
How has Odysseus (or Ulysses) been represented in literature, art, and cinema over the ages?
Take a Seat at the Phaeacian Feast and Listen to Odysseus Tell of His Blinding Cyclops Giant Polyphemus
See All Videos, Images and Interactives →

Related Topics and References

Topics

Related Quizzes

James Barry (1741-1806) painting title: The Education of Achilles, oil on canvas by James Barry, c. 1772; in the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut. 102.9 x 128.9 cm Alternate title: Chiron and Achilles
Gods, Goddesses, and Greek Mythology
Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens, Greece.
From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology
mythology. Greek. Hermes. (Roman Mercury)
A Study of Greek and Roman Mythology
Portrait of Plato (ca. 428- ca. 348 BC), Ancient Greek philosopher.
An Odyssey of Grecian Literature