Background The Odyssey is a sequel (the second book in a series). It is the second of Homer’s two great epic poems. Part one is called The Iliad

The Iliad The Iliad is the story of the Trojan War which might actually have taken place around 1250 B.C. This poem is a tale of myth and magic, not history.

The gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece are important characters. They take sides in the war and help the human characters.

According to myth, the war started this way: Paris was a prince in the city of Troy. Three goddesses asked him to judge who among them was the most beautiful. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, offered Paris a reward if he chose her. She said he could have Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. However, Helen was married to Menelaus, the King of Sparta, a city in Greece. When Paris visited Sparta, Aphrodite made Helen fall in love with him.

Helen ran away with Paris. Menelaus and his brother, Agamemnon, led a Greek army against Troy to bring her back. The war that followed is called the Trojan War after the name Troy.

The Iliad takes place during the last months of the Trojan War. Its hero is Achilles, a mighty Greek warrior. The Iliad ends with the funeral of Hector, a Trojan hero who is killed by Achilles. The story tells of many heroes on both sides. One of the Greek heroes is named Odysseus.

The Odyssey The Odyssey is named for Odysseus. Odysseus is the King of Itacha, an island off the coast of Greece. According to the myth, Odysseus did not want to fight at Troy. He did not want to leave his wife, Penelope, and his baby son, Telemachus.

Odysseus had to be tricked into joining the Greek army. Once he was involved in the fighting, however, he proved to be brave and clever. In fact, Odysseus thought of the trick that finally won the war for the Greeks. The Odyssey is mostly about Odysseus’ adventures after the Trojan War. In one adventure, he makes an enemy of Poseidon, the Sea God. Poseidon punishes him by making him wander the seas, never allowing him to reach home.

Epic Poem or Story An Epic Poem or story is a larger than life story that contains many adventures or a long journey.