The Odyssey

King of Ithaca, hero of the Trojan War

The cleverest of the Greek heroes, whose ten-year journey home from Troy is one of the greatest stories ever told. Odysseus's cunning was his greatest weapon.

Faithful wife of Odysseus

The wife of Odysseus who waited twenty years for his return, fending off 108 suitors through clever stratagems. Mythology's greatest symbol of faithfulness and intelligence.

Sorceress goddess of transformation

A powerful sorceress who lived on the island of Aeaea. Circe transformed Odysseus's men into swine and later became his lover and advisor.

Nymph who held Odysseus captive

A beautiful nymph who kept Odysseus on her island Ogygia for seven years, offering him immortality if he would stay. He chose mortality and home instead.

The Cyclops blinded by Odysseus

Polyphemus was the one-eyed giant Cyclops, son of Poseidon, who trapped Odysseus's men in his cave and ate six of them before Odysseus blinded him and escaped.

Six-headed sea monster

A terrifying sea monster with six heads on long necks, each with three rows of teeth. She lived in a cliff cave opposite the whirlpool Charybdis, creating an impossible choice for sailors.

Monstrous whirlpool

A massive whirlpool monster that swallowed and regurgitated the sea three times daily, destroying any ship caught in its pull. She sat opposite Scylla in the Strait of Messina.

Island kingdom of Odysseus

A small, rocky island in the Ionian Sea that was the homeland of Odysseus. His desperate longing to return to Ithaca drove his ten-year journey after the Trojan War.