Odysseus. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002

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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002.

Odysseus


(oh-DIS-yoohs, oh-DIS-ee-uhs) [Roman name Ulysses]A Greek hero in the Trojan War. Odysseus helped bring about the fall of Troy by conceiving the ruse of the Trojan horse. After Troy was ruined, Odysseus wandered for ten years trying to return home, having many adventures along the way. (See Circe, Cyclops, Penelope, Scylla and Charybdis, and Sirens.)	1
‡ The story of Odysseus’ journey home is told in the Odyssey of Homer. By extension, an “odyssey” is any long or difficult journey or transformation.	2

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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