Tell me, O Muse, of that man of many turnings who traveled far and wide  after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the people with whose customs and thinking he became acquainted; many things he suffered at sea while seeking to save his own life and to       achieve the safe homecoming of his companions....
The Ship of Odysseus		Odysseus Blinding Polyphemus

By Janet Karman

These sites will help you to delve more deeply into the history and infuences of this rich epic poem.