The Odyssey – Text (Second Edition)

Western civilization begins with the two greatest books of the ancient world, the Iliad and the Odyssey by the Greek poet Homer. Traditionally dated to the 8th century B.C., these epics were the most important influences in the formation of Greek culture.

The Odyssey was the original great adventure story and character study. The Iliad was the principal textbook in the schools of ancient Greece and Rome, and the primary authority in matters of ethics and morals, civic behaviour, and military tactics.