The Odyssey - Homer - This is Alexander Pope's translation of The Odyssey; one of the oldest existing works of literature, and one of two epic poems attributed to Homer. It follows Odysseus and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats - shipwrecks, battles, monsters and the implacable enmity of the sea-god Poseidon - Odysseus must test his bravery and native cunning to the full if he is to reach his homeland safely. But even there, in his absence he has been assumed dead and a group of unruly suitors are competing for his wife's (Penelope) hand in marriage. The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the Iliad, the poem is divided into 24 books. It follows the Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his journey home after the Trojan War. After the war itself, which lasted ten years, his journey lasted