Claim: The Odyssey is an epic poem.

The Odyssey '' ' -LRB- -LSB- ˈɒdəsi -RSB- Ὀδύσσεια Odýsseia , -LSB- o.dýs.sej.ja -RSB- in Classical Attic -RRB- is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer . It is , in part , a sequel to the Iliad , the other work ascribed to Homer . The Odyssey is fundamental to the modern Western canon , and is the second-oldest extant work of Western literature ; the Iliad is the oldest . Scholars believe the Odyssey was composed near the end of the 8th century BC , somewhere in Ionia , the Greek coastal region of Anatolia .   The poem mainly focuses on the Greek hero Odysseus -LRB- known as Ulysses in Roman myths -RRB- , king of Ithaca , and his journey home after the fall of Troy . It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan War . In his absence , it is assumed Odysseus has died , and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must deal with a group of unruly suitors , the Mnesteres -LRB- Greek : Μνηστῆρες -RRB- or Proci , who compete for Penelope 's hand in marriage .   The Odyssey continues to be read in the Homeric Greek and translated into modern languages around the world . Many scholars believe the original poem was composed in an oral tradition by an aoidos -LRB- epic poet/singer -RRB- , perhaps a rhapsode -LRB- professional performer -RRB- , and was more likely intended to be heard than read . The details of the ancient oral performance and the story 's conversion to a written work inspire continual debate among scholars . The Odyssey was written in a poetic dialect of Greek -- a literary amalgam of Aeolic Greek , Ionic Greek , and other Ancient Greek dialects -- and comprises 12,110 lines of dactylic hexameter . Among the most noteworthy elements of the text are its non-linear plot , and the influence on events of choices made by women and slaves , besides the actions of fighting men . In the English language as well as many others , the word odyssey has come to refer to an epic voyage .   The Odyssey has a lost sequel , the Telegony , which was not written by Homer . It was usually attributed in antiquity to Cinaethon of Sparta . In one source , the Telegony '' was said to have been stolen from Musaeus by either Eugamon or Eugammon of Cyrene -LRB- see Cyclic poets -RRB- .