Retelling The Odyssey
Greek
Introduction
This is the Mythopouch retelling of The Odyssey, Homer's epic of wandering, homecoming, identity, loyalty and restoration. It is a modern educational version for readers aged 15 and up, written in original Mythopouch wording rather than as a translation of the ancient Greek or of Samuel Butler.
The complete retelling is 123 pages. It follows the full arc from Telemachus in the occupied palace, through Odysseus's wanderings and return, to Penelope's recognition and the final peace on Ithaca. Reference chapters provide pronunciation guidance, themed discussion questions and character tables.
What this retelling is
The retelling is organised internally into seven volumes plus an appendix:
Vol. 1 - The Wanderer, Chapters 1-5
Vol. 2 - The Adventures, Chapters 6-10
Vol. 3 - The Sorceress and the Dead, Chapters 11-14
Vol. 4 - Shipwreck, Chapters 15-17
Vol. 5 - The Return, Chapters 18-21
Vol. 6 - The Reckoning, Chapters 22-25
Vol. 7 - Vengeance and Peace, Chapters 26-29
Appendix - Reference Materials, Chapters 30-32
The main narrative modernises dialogue, description and transitions for readability. Chapters 27 and 28 are explicitly labelled Mythopouch Epilogues and should not be read as events contained in Homer's surviving poem. The source and interpretation note at the beginning of the PDF explains this distinction.
How to use it with the Sources page
Use The Odyssey Sources page when you want the historical public-domain source witness. Mythopouch provides Samuel Butler's 1900 prose translation, published by A. C. Fifield, as the downloadable source.
Use this Retellings page when you want a modern continuous educational reading in contemporary language. The retelling follows the narrative structure of the Odyssey while modernising dialogue, description and transitions. Interpretive additions and post-epic Mythopouch material are identified rather than presented as Homer's wording.
Butler commonly uses Latinised names such as Ulysses, Minerva and Neptune. The Mythopouch retelling uses the more familiar Greek forms Odysseus, Athena and Poseidon.
Summary
A modern 15+ Mythopouch retelling of The Odyssey, following Telemachus, Odysseus's wanderings, his return to Ithaca, the reckoning with the suitors, Penelope's recognition and the restoration of peace.
Copyright Note
Mythopouch original educational wording. Copyright Mythopouch 2026. Homer's Odyssey and Samuel Butler's 1900 translation are public-domain source material. This retelling is not Butler's translation and does not reproduce a modern copyrighted translation.
Sources & Retellings Cultural Context Notice
Mythology developed across different cultures, periods and traditions, and there is rarely one universally accepted version of a story. Mythopouch approaches these traditions with respect while remaining faithful to the complexity of the surviving material. Retellings and educational content may interpret or adapt historical sources, but are not presented as definitive accounts of any culture, religion or belief system.