Great Greek Myths: The Odyssey

Ten years after the sack of Troy by the Greek army, Zeus is alone on Olympus, left alone in his palace by the other gods. His daughter Athena is the only one remaining at his side. She tries to convince her father to help Odysseus, the last Greek fighter who has not yet returned home to Ithaca.

10 years earlier, as the Greek warriors had just razed Troy. Devastated by this 'war for nothing' which has caused so many deaths, Odysseus is indignant against the gods, guilty of having let this carnage happen. He wishes for nothing more than to return to his kingdom, the island of Ithaca.

Odysseus and his companions are trapped in the Cyclops’ cave. But he is a man with a plan. He carves out a stake and, after having drunk Polyphemus under the table, drives it into his one eye.

In Ithaca, Queen Penelope endures the presence of Suitors who covet her hand, and the throne of her husband Odysseus – who disappeared more than 10 years ago.

A year has passed. It is time for Odysseus and his men to leave the witch Circe’s island and return to Ithaca. To do so, they must first go to meet the prophet Tiresias in the Underworld. Only he can tell them what to do to appease Poseidon's wrath.

Odysseus' fleet tries to avoid Charybdis, the first sea monster ready to swallow them, but Scylla, a horrible multi-headed creature, destroys three of his ships. The last few hours have been grueling, and the sailors want to rest on the island of Helios, which is now in sight.

Odysseus has been living out peaceful days with Calypso for 7 years. But waves of nostalgia wash over him, and the memories of his wife, his son and his island never cease to torment him. Hermes, sent by Zeus, under pressure from Athena, comes to ask Calypso to let the king of Ithaca leave.

The Suitors, informed by Melantho – one of Penelope's servants – learned that the queen had fooled them. They locked her up in the gynaeceum. Meanwhile, Odysseus meets Athena who tells him that he is indeed in Ithaca.

Penelope is now forced to choose a husband among the Suitors. She offers them a test to decide who among them is the most worthy: with the bow of Odysseus, they must shoot an arrow and pass it through twelve axes.