The Odyssey (Greek: Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems believed to have been composed near the end of the 8th century BC. It is the second oldest surviving work of Western literature (the Iliad being the oldest). Both the Odyssey and the Iliad are ascribed to the Ancient Greek poet Homer.

Homer, the major figure in ancient Greek literature, has been universally acclaimed as the greatest poet of classical antiquity. It is not possible to supply for Homer a biography in the accepted sense of a life history, since there is no authentic record of who he was, when and where he was born, how long he lived, or even if one and the same oral poet was responsible for the two long epic poems universally associated with his name.

One thing, however, is certain: both epics were created without recourse to writing. The poet would have performed these lengthy poems from memory. At the time of the Odyssey’s creation, the inhabitants of the Greek lands had lost all knowledge of the written language of their ancestors and had not yet acquired a familiarity with Phoenician alphabetic writing from which classical Greek literacy derived. This illiterate environment also explains the absence of all contemporary historical record of the authors of the two great epic poems.

Homer’s poem mainly centers on the Greek hero Odysseus (known as Ulysses in Roman myths). Odysseus' name means "trouble" in Greek, referring to both the giving and receiving of trouble—as is often the case in his wanderings. Odysseus was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca. He is the husband of Penelope and the father of Telemachus. Odysseus' heroic trait is his mētis, or "cunning intelligence". 

One key example of Odysseus’ intelligence is evident in his actions during the Trojan War. For ten years, the Greeks had waged war against the city of Troy, but had been unable to take it. After the deaths of many heroes, including the Achaeans Achilles and Ajax, and the Trojans Hector and Paris, Odysseus devised the stratagem of the Trojan Horse.

According to Odysseus’ plan the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside. The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night. The Greeks entered and destroyed the city of Troy, decisively ending the war.

Although brilliant, Odysseus is also flawed. The most evident flaw that Odysseus sports is that of his arrogance and his pride, or hubris. Odysseus’ pride is one of the key factors that puts in motion the events of The Odyssey. The action of the story focuses on the return of Odysseus and his men to Ithaca after the Trojan War; a journey lasting ten years.