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Illustration of a Greek warrior in armor next to large text reading "Who's who in the ODYSSEY" on a blue background.

Who Are the Characters of Homer's Odyssey?

And how do you really pronounce Telemachus?
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Media Editor: Kira Helm
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
    “If for a day joy masters me / Think not my wounds are healed.”
    Countee Cullen's Poem “Confession”: Reading and Analysis
    Color illustration of Countee Cullen in profile, set against a purple background with white floral and maplike designs.
  • Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library; CC-BY-SA 4.0 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
    Learn about the First Folio edition (1623) of William Shakespeare's plays and its allure for collectors and scholars. In addition, take a look at the Hinman collator, a machine originally developed to help scholars detect minute differences between copies of the First Folio.
    Examine the First Folio Edition of William Shakespeare's Plays and Consider Its Allure for Collectors and Scholars
    Examine the First Folio Edition of William Shakespeare's Plays and Consider Its Allure for Collectors and Scholars
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
    Watch as Homer plunges the reader into the saga of Odysseus's return from the war.
    The Odyssey: Odysseus Remembers Ithaca
    The Odyssey: Odysseus Remembers Ithaca
  • © Open University (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
    Learn how Odysseus (or Ulysses) has been portrayed in literature, art, and cinema.
    How has Odysseus (or Ulysses) been represented in literature, art, and cinema over the ages?
    How has Odysseus (or Ulysses) been represented in literature, art, and cinema over the ages?
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
    Learn about the fate of Agamemnon, according to Homer's Odyssey, Book XI, by listening to his ghost telling Odysseus how he was murdered.
    Listen to Agamemnon's Ghost Telling Odysseus How He Was Murdered
    Listen to Agamemnon's Ghost Telling Odysseus How He Was Murdered
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
    Learn from classicist Gilbert Highet and these dramatizations about three themes that tie together Homer's Odyssey. This 1965 video is a production of Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.
    Examine Three Themes That Tie Together Homer's Odyssey
    Examine Three Themes That Tie Together Homer's Odyssey
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
    “Tell me, Muse…”
    Media Editors: Meg Matthias , Lee Goldstein
    Telling the Story of Homer's Odyssey with Translator Emily Wilson
    Engraved bust of Homer, a bearded man in a conical cap, overlaid on a painting of a galley with rowers and winged figures.
Related Articles: Circe , Homer , Odysseus , Odyssey: A Reader’s Guide to Homer’s Epic , Penelope , Scylla and Charybdis , Telemachus , Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey , Gods and Monsters in Homer’s Odyssey , Explained: Controversies About Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

News •

Hollywood Music In Media Awards Nominations: ‘Michael,’ ‘The Odyssey’ & More • Nov. 2, 2026, 11:00 AM ET (Deadline)
Cruise company had troubled history before abandoning passengers in Cambodia • Oct. 29, 2026, 2:36 PM ET (NBC)
Inflation at the movies: Runtimes are longer, from 'The Odyssey' to 'You Can See Everything' • Oct. 22, 2026, 1:13 PM ET (AP)

Transcript

Odysseus (oh-DISS-ee-uhs) Odysseus Odysseus Penelope (puh-NEH-luh-pee) Penelope Penelope Telemachus (tuh-LE-muh-cuss) Telemachus Telemachus Menelaus (men-nuh-LAY-us) Menelaus Menelaus Nausicaa (nah-SIH-kay-uh) Nausicaa Nausicaa Tiresias (tye-REE-see-us) Tiresias Tiresias Athena (uh-THEE-nuh) Athena Athena Zeus (ZOOSE) Zeus Zeus Poseidon (puh-SIGH-dun) Poseidon Poseidon Hermes (HER-mees) Hermes Hermes Circe (SIR-see) Circe Circe in Greek: KIR-kee KIR-kee KIR-kee Cyclops (SIGH-klops) Cyclops Cyclops in Greek: KEE-klo-pus KEE-klo-pus KEE-klo-pus Polyphemus (paw-luh-FEE-mus) Polyphemus Polyphemus Scylla (SILL-uh) Scylla Scylla in Greek: SKILL-uh SKILL-uh SKILL-uh Charybdis (kuh-RIB-dis) Charybdis Charybdis
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