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Odysseus
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Arnold Bocklin: Odysseus and Polyphemus
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.
Interactive map introduction for Odysseus's Voyage, with instructions and a Start Journey button over a faded map of the Mediterranean region. 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
Illustration of a Greek warrior in armor next to large text reading "Who's who in the ODYSSEY" on a blue background.
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.
At a Glance
Odysseus slaying the suitors, detail of a red-figure skyphos from Tarquinii, c. 450 bc; in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Ger.
Odysseus summary
Quizzes
Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens, Greece.
From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology
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
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
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Arnold Bocklin: Odysseus and Polyphemus
Arnold Bocklin: Odysseus and Polyphemus Odysseus and Polyphemus (1896), by Arnold Bocklin (1827–1901); from a private collection.

Odysseus

Greek mythology
Also known as: Ulixes, Ulysses
Written by
Gitanjali Roy
Gitanjali Roy is deputy managing editor, Encyclopaedia Britannica. She has over two decades of editorial experience across digital and broadcast media.
Gitanjali Roy
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Odysseus, hero of Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey and one of the most frequently portrayed figures in Western literature. According to Homer, Odysseus is king of Ithaca, son of Laertes and Anticleia (the daughter of Autolycus of Parnassus), and father, by his wife, Penelope, of Telemachus. (In later tradition, Odysseus is instead the son of Sisyphus and fathered sons by Circe, Calypso, and others.) A favorite of the goddess Athena, Odysseus is both wise and...

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