As its identify suggests, “The Odyssey” facilities on Odysseus, the king of Ithaca.
Though Odysseus is ostensibly the hero, he is depicted as a morally complicated character. He is an archetypal trickster — sharp, persuasive, and crafty — which helps him win the favor of Athena, the goddess of knowledge. Nevertheless, his deception and conceitedness additionally earn him a strong enemy in Poseidon, the god of the ocean.
Earlier than the occasions of “The Odyssey,” Odysseus fought within the Trojan Battle alongside his mates and Greek allies, together with Menelaus and Agamemnon. (Extra on them later.)
The battle lasted for 10 years and at last ended when Odysseus, impressed by Athena, proposed hiding in a hole picket horse to breach Troy’s defenses. The Greek military brutally sacked the town and emerged victorious — however whereas all the opposite troopers returned dwelling with spoils of battle, Odysseus and his crew remained misplaced at sea.
“The Odyssey” famously begins “in media res,” or “in the course of issues.” When the epic poem introduces Odysseus, he has already been attempting to succeed in his homeland for 10 years.
