Homer's epic poem the Odyssey begins ten years after the fall of Troy. It describes Odysseus' long and eventful journey back to his home on Ithaca and to his beloved wife, Penelope.
Soon after Odysseus and his men set sail, their ships are blown off course and land on the shores of Lotus-Eaters.
There, two of Odysseus' men eat a substance that will make them forget about their homeland. In another episode, Odysseus is captured by the one-eyed Cyclops Polyphemus. Odysseus blinds him and manages to escape but unfortunately earns the wrath of Poluphemus' father, Poseidon, who curses Odysseus to spend ten years at sea.
Next, the men land on the island of Aeolus, the wind god, who gives Odysseus a sack of winds to help him return home. Unfortunately, his companion opened the sack before time and it blew them off course once more.
On subsequent islands, they encounter the cannibalistic giant Laestrygonians and the witch Circe who turned some of the men into pigs.
Reaching the western edge of the world, Odysseus communes with his dead mother then sails past the Sirens lashed to the mast so he can hear their beautiful song safely. He also comes across the monstrous Scylla and the whirlpool Charybdis.
During a brief stay on the island of Thrinacia, the men ate the sacred cattle of Helios. Cursed once more, this time all men died in a shipwreck except Odysseus.
He landed on the island of the nymph Calypso who kept him captive for seven years until Hermes persuaded her to let him go. Odysseus built a raft and started his departure home. When he arrived back in Ithaca, he discovered his house was overrun by suitors trying to marry Penelope.
Disguised as a beggar, he seized his old bow and slaughtered all the suitors.
After twenty long years, he is finally home.