About The Odyssey

The Odyssey, the second of the epic texts attributed to Homer, and also a major founding work of European literature, is usually dated to around the 8th century BC. It is an epic poem, effectively a sequel to The Iliad, written in Ancient Greek but assumed to be derived from earlier oral sources, telling the story of Odysseus’ wanderings and his eventual return from the Trojan War to his home island of Ithaca.

The cultural background to the poem indicates a Bronze Age setting around 400 to 500 years before the Homeric literary period itself. The poem contains elements of myth and legend as well as sheer literary invention, and covers the ten years of its hero’s adventures from the destruction of Troy to his return to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus.

Of particular interest is the role of women in the Bronze Age culture described, represented in a sense by Odysseus’ guardian deity, Athene, the goddess of mind. Odysseus is an archetype of the person of intellect who uses brains and eloquence rather than brawn to outwit opponents and impress peers, and therefore sets the scene for later Greek Classical culture. Source: Poetry in Translation website.

The Odyssey has been made into several films over the years. Right now, director Christopher Nolan is making a new film of this great work which is due to be released in July 2026. The film looks brilliant, and it leads us back to the original poem.

We are delighted to offer a unique short course on The Odyssey in English translation with expert Jan Parker. She will look at the fascinating character of Odysseus himself, in his original context, in Homer’s poem. For Homer, Odysseus is the consummate storyteller, shimmering variously depending on his audience. So what will happen when he returns after ten years away? How will he resume his place as head of the household, as father, son and husband to those he left so long ago?

Three lectures and seminars, live online, led by Dr Jan Parker, University of Cambridge. Wednesdays, 6.00-8.00 pm British Summer Time, 6 May to 13 May 2026.

Lectures

Lecture 1. Odysseus' other women: Human and magic. Odyssey, Books 5-6, 9-12

Lecture 2. Return to Ithaca and to those he left behind. Odyssey, Books 3-4, 14, 16

Lecture 3. Penelope … and aftermath. Odyssey, Books 19-24

Course Dates

Wednesdays, weekly, 6 May to 20 May 2026.
18.00-20.00 British Summer Time
19.00-21.00 Central European Summer Time
Morning or lunchtime in the Americas

Set Reading

Homer, The Odyssey (Oxford World’s Classics, 2018) or on the Poetry in Translation website, trans. A. S. Kline (2004). You also buy a printed or audio version of this translation from Poetry in Translation.

Course Fees (all include VAT at 20%)

£130.00 Full price
£115.00 CAMcard holder
£115.00 student or pensioner on a low income

Dr Jan Parker is a Senior Member of the Faculty of English, University of Cambridge. Her latest book is The Iliad and Odyssey: The Trojan War, Tragedy and Aftermath (London, 2021) and article 'The Hero Returns' ARGO: The Hellenic Journal https://www.hellenicsociety.org.uk/publications/argo/ (October 2025).

To book, please click on the image below.