«THIS WAS THE MOST TERRIBLE SCENE I SAW IN ALL MY TRAVELS.»
Thus Odysseus comments on the image of his men falling victim to the terrible Scylla. Armed with a tenacious determination to survive and guided by an insatiable will to know, Odysseus faces even this trial with courage and cunning, just as he has overcome the dangers of monsters and enchantresses, and has defied gods and storms. When he finally reaches the longed-for shores of Ithaca, a terrible battle and the thankless toil of revenge still await him. Love for his wife Penelope and for the son he did not see grow up will guide him in this final undertaking.
The Odyssey is much more than an epic: it is the foundational journey of Western literature. Written almost 3000 years ago, it is universally recognized as the most influential work of all time. It is not read like a novel: it is THE novel.
Prose version by SAMUEL BUTLER
Illustrations by CALPURNIO
