Why Odysseus Is The Worst Hero

What if the world’s most famous homecoming was really a nightmare of monsters, gods, and one very stubborn king trying to get back to Ithaca? In our new series Tristan Hughes and classicist Dr. Emily Hauser dive into Homer’s Odyssey, an epic of shipwrecks, sorcery, giants and divine meddling, where Odysseus is never quite sure whether the next shore will save him or destroy him. They trace his journey from the ruins of Troy to Calypso’s island, the Phaeacians, Circe, the Cyclops, and even the Underworld, asking what kind of hero Odysseus really is, and why his story has lasted for more than 2,500 years. Ahead of the release of Christopher Nolan's new epic film, get across the story and all the key characters and plot lines, including rich historical context. We're going on *TOUR* to Australia and New Zealand! - grab your tickets here. 0:00 Introduction 1:51 What is the Odyssey? 3:47 Who was Homer? 6:03 The Bronze Age origins of the text 8:14 Why were hero stories so popular in ancient Greece? 10:07 What did a hero mean to the ancient Greeks? 12:05 The geopolitical landscape of the Odyssey 13:51 The mystery of Ithaca's location 15:57 Odysseus's background and early life 18:07 Odysseus and the Trojan War conscription 20:23 Odysseus's role and cunning at Troy 23:26 The dark aftermath of the fall of Troy 25:23 What does polytropos mean? 27:00 Calypso's island and the start of the epic 28:04 The Telemachy and the fates of other heroes 30:42 The role of the gods in the Odyssey 31:56 Washing up on the island of the Phaeacians 41:10 Odysseus reveals his identity 43:40 Leaving Troy and the lotus eaters 45:38 Trapped by Polyphemus the Cyclops 49:45 The curse of Poseidon 51:23 Landing on Circe's island 56:55 Summoning the dead in the underworld 1:01:25 The threat of the suitors at home Presented by Tristan Hughes. Producers are Joseph Knight & McKenna Fernandez, senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Editor is Natasha Hughes. Channel manager is Vilde Øksnes. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original docu