The Odyssey Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original

Homer’s Odyssey stands as one of the foundational epics of Western literature, composed in ancient Greece around the 8th or 7th century BC. The poem follows Odysseus, king of Ithaca, on his arduous ten‑year journey home after the Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters a series of extraordinary challenges—from the one‑eyed Cyclops and the enchantress Circe to the deadly Sirens and the six‑headed monster Scylla. Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, his faithful wife Penelope and their son Telemachus must contend with a throng of arrogant suitors who have overrun their home, consuming Odysseus’s wealth and pressing Penelope to remarry. The epic weaves together these two parallel narratives, exploring themes of cunning, loyalty, perseverance, and the deep human longing for home and belonging.

This prose translation by Samuel Butler, first published in 1900, was expressly prepared for readers who cannot access the original Greek. Butler’s version is notable for its clear, direct style and for his controversial theory that the poem was actually composed by a young woman—Nausicaa—in Sicily. While scholars have largely set aside that claim, the translation itself remains a lively and accessible entry point into Homer’s world. The Odyssey continues to reward modern readers with its timeless portrait of human endurance, its vivid cast of gods and mortals, and its profound meditation on what it means to find one’s way home—physically, morally, and emotionally.