14 episodes
ODYSSEY: THE PODCAST Jeff Wright
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4.9 • 66 Ratings
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Odyssey: The Podcast is a serialized telling in contemporary language, of Homer’s Odyssey. Over twenty-three hours, master storyteller Jeff Wright delivers a fast-paced, literate, and addictive performance. Each episode features a continuation of the story arc, followed by engaging commentary on the social, cultural and political contexts helpful to maximizing your fun with Homer’s story. Odyssey: The Podcast works brilliantly as a free-standing story, or as a sequel to Trojan War: The Podcast.
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EPISODE 1 PENELOPE
STORY 0:00 – 1:15:00 Odysseus – “the polytropus man” – sets sail for home. Adventures at Ismarus and in the Land of the Lotus Eaters follow. A detailed flashback takes us to Ithaka, to explore Penelope’s three duties in her husband’s absence: stewardship, sexual fidelity, and raising an heir. The episode concludes with Odysseus and...
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EPISODE 2 CYCLOPS
STORY 0:00 – 1:03:45 This episode includes all of the adventures – the horror, the comedy, and the strategy – inside the cyclops Polyphemus’ cave. The episode concludes with Odysseus being cursed, followed by a short primer on how to curse one’s enemies, Bronze Age style. POST-STORY COMMENTARY: UNDERSTANDING XENIA 1:03:45 – 1:25:37 The Odyssey’s...
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EPISODE 3 AEOLUS and THE LASTRYGONIANS
STORY 0:00 – 45:00 The Great Wanderings continue, and disaster follows disaster. First Odysseus squanders opportunity for easy homecoming via King Aeolus’ magical bag of wind. And then Odysseus loses most of his ships and crew, in the Lastrygonian harbor of death. POST-STORY COMMENTARY: THE ODYSSEY AS LITERATURE’S DEFINING QUEST STORY 45:00 – 1:13:00 I...
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EPISODE 4 CIRCE
STORY 0:00 – 56:00 Odysseus’ crew arrive on Circe’s island, where they are transformed into pigs (most likely for behaving like pigs). After rescuing his crew, Odysseus decides to postpone his homecoming a full year, unwilling to resist the pleasures of the Circe’s “gorgeous bed”. POST-STORY COMMENTARY: MARITAL FIDELITY IN THE BRONZE AGE 56:00 –...
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EPISODE 5 ODYSSEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD
STORY 0:00 – 53:00 Odysseus visits the underworld and has some interesting conversations with the dead. His mom warns him about the deteriorating situation in Ithaka; Agamemnon warns him about the fidelity of wives (an Odyssey “recurring theme); and Achilles shares his post-life existential crisis: “was all of my earthly kleos really worth anything?”. POST-STORY...
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EPISODE 6 SIRENS, SCYLLA, CHARYBDIS and SOME COWS
STORY 0:00 – 58:55 Odysseus listens to the Sirens. I pause to provide a historical review of how Sirens evolved over time, following Homer’s Odyssey. Odysseus then chooses between Charybdis and Scylla, and I pause to relate a seriously twisted “Scylla back-story”. And finally, we witness the incredibly disturbing deaths of all of Odysseus’ remaining...
Customer Reviews
Simply the Very Greatest Renditions
I’ve been through both Trojan War and Odyssey TWICE.
Third times soon—then I’ll really be educated!
Thank You, Jeff Wright!
PS Join me as a Gold contributor.
Engaging and accessible introduction to a classic
I was first exposed to Jeff’s work in a university Intro to Classics course, where this podcast was used to enhance our reading of the Odyssey. Not only is the podcast an accurate yet modern interpretation of the source text, it’s also very engaging! Jeff is a great storyteller, and even those who haven’t been exposed to many greek myths or Homer’s classics will find the podcast entertaining!
So enjoyable
I have tried to read Homer (and listen to readings of Homer) multiple times over the years. Not always approachable or enjoyable... After recently read (and loving) Daniel Mendelsohn’s “An Odyssey”, however, I decided I needed to revisit Odysseus. This podcast is a delight and has added to my enjoyment and learning immensely. Such a great storyteller and commentator. Thank you for making this so much fun for the listener!