This episode delves into books 6-10 of The Odyssey. Odysseus has finally found a helping hand on his journey home, but before he can go, he must tell the story of where he came from. Lotus eaters, cannibals, cyclops, and the seductively terrifying Circe highlight this portion of the story. The "Homeric Question" is also examined. Who was the author of The Odyssey and how was the story originally told? Themes of grief, memory, forgetting, guest rite, greek colonization, marital fidelty, and more are discussed.

Homer's The Odyssey is one of the oldest and most enduring stories in all of civilization. Set in the aftermath of the legendary Trojan War, Odysseus, one of it's great heroes, has been lost at sea for decades. As he struggles to return home, the epic poem asks us important questions about history, memory, choice, kindness, leadership, violence, and much more. Even thousands of years later, The Odyssey still matters.

If you're reading along, the next podcast will cover books 11-16!

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Episode 164: The Odyssey Part II - The Wanderer (Books 6-10)