Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer’s The Odyssey

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Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey into Homer’s The Odyssey is a daily read-along podcast for anyone who’s ever thought, “I should really read The Odyssey someday.” Every day for one year, host Landen Celano reads one page from The Odyssey, (using Butcher & Lang English prose translation), then follows it with smart, spoiler-aware commentary: close reading, Greek mythology context, Homeric weirdness, and whatever tangents the text demands. If you’re here because you’re hyped for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Odyssey film: welcome. This show isn’t about the movie. It’s about finally experiencing the ancient story itself, in order, one page at a time.  Read along on YouTube (the text appears on screen), or grab the same Butcher & Lang translation from Project Gutenberg. Want a more traditional audiobook experience? Patreon subscribers get commentary-free audio at the end of each chapter. New episodes daily. Despite rain, sleet, snow, and hydra encounters.

  1. 19H AGO

    The Question Spoken Aloud (Homer’s The Odyssey, Book III – Part 4)

    Silence gives way to courage, and the reason for the journey is finally named. Strengthened by divine prompting, Telemachus speaks not as a guest, but as a son seeking truth. In this passage from The Odyssey, Telemachus answers Nestor openly, declaring his origin and the private purpose of his voyage. He asks plainly for news of Odysseus—not rumor, not comfort, but truth—whether his father fell in battle or was lost upon the sea. Appealing to Nestor’s shared past with Odysseus at Troy, Telemachus asks for honest witness, invoking bonds of memory and obligation forged in war. This moment matters because Telemachus completes the crossing from doubt to declaration. He no longer circles his question in fear; he names his father, names his loss, and demands knowledge worthy of remembrance.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw   Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.

    5 min

  2. 1D AGO

    The Prayer Before the Question (Homer’s The Odyssey, Book III – Part 3)

    Ritual comes before inquiry, and reverence opens the way to speech. Before names are asked or stories exchanged, the gods are honored. In this passage from The Odyssey, Athene accepts the golden cup and prays to Poseidon on behalf of Nestor, his sons, and all the people of Pylos, asking recompense for their sacrifice and safe passage for herself and Telemachus. Telemachus follows her example, joining the rite. Only after the feast is shared and hunger satisfied does Nestor, lord of chariots, turn to the strangers and ask who they are and why they have crossed the sea. This moment matters because it establishes order and trust. The bond of hospitality is sealed through sacrifice and prayer, creating the space in which truth may now be spoken and memory called forth.   ⸻   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com   Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm   Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod   Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw   ⸻   Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.

    11 min

  3. 2D AGO

    Welcomed to the Feast of Poseidon (Homer’s The Odyssey, Book III – Part 2)

    Hesitation yields to hospitality, and uncertainty is met with ritual grace. Guided by Athene’s quiet assurance, Telemachus steps forward into a gathering shaped by reverence and memory. In this passage from The Odyssey, Athene encourages Telemachus to trust both his own voice and the favor of the gods. Together they enter the assembly of Pylos, where Nestor sits among his sons and companions preparing a great sacrificial feast. The strangers are received at once with courtesy: hands are clasped, seats are offered upon fleeces by the shore, and portions of meat and wine are set before them. Peisistratus, Nestor’s son, invites Athene to lead the prayers to Poseidon and honors Telemachus as a fellow worshiper of the gods. This moment matters because Telemachus is no longer merely a seeker but a guest bound by sacred custom. Before words are exchanged and questions asked, he is folded into a community where reverence, generosity, and memory still govern human bonds.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw   Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.

    8 min

  4. 3D AGO

    Arrival at Pylos (Homer’s The Odyssey, Book III – Part 1)

    Land rises at dawn, and the journey finds its first answer in ritual and welcome. From the open sea, Telemachus steps into a world shaped by memory, sacrifice, and living witnesses to the war he never knew. In this opening passage of The Odyssey, Book III, Telemachus and his companions reach Pylos at sunrise and find the people gathered along the shore, offering black bulls to Poseidon in a vast communal sacrifice. As the ship is moored and the sails furled, Telemachus comes ashore under Athene’s guidance. She urges him forward without shame, reminding him that this journey was made for knowledge—and that Nestor, veteran of Troy, holds counsel worth seeking. This moment matters because the voyage achieves its first purpose. Telemachus has crossed from secrecy into hospitality, from isolation into shared memory, and now stands at the threshold of living history.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw   Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.

    10 min

  5. 4D AGO

    The Ship Takes the Sea (Homer’s The Odyssey, Book II – Part 14)

    Night gives way to motion, and resolve is answered by the wind itself. With no farewell and no delay, Telemachus leaves Ithaca behind at last. In this passage from The Odyssey, the crew boards in silence as Athene takes her place at the stern beside Telemachus. The lines are loosed, the mast is raised, and the white sail fills as the goddess sends a favorable west wind across the wine-dark sea. Libations are poured to the deathless gods, and through the night and into dawn, the ship cuts forward on its appointed course. This moment matters because the journey truly begins. What was planned in secrecy is now carried by wind and wave, and Telemachus’ search for his father moves beyond thought into action.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw   Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey. If you like this show, be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!

    12 min

  6. 5D AGO

    The Night Escape (Homer’s The Odyssey, Book II – Part 13)

    Darkness becomes cover, and the long-prepared moment finally arrives. As Ithaca sleeps, the work of gods and mortals converges in silence. In this passage from The Odyssey, Athene completes the final preparations for Telemachus’ departure. She draws the ship down to the sea, gathers the crew, and lulls the wooers into heavy sleep, scattering their cups and ending their night of excess. Disguised once more as Mentor, she summons Telemachus from the house and leads him swiftly to the harbor, where his companions wait at the oars. This moment matters because delay is ended. What was planned in secrecy now moves under cover of night, and Telemachus steps fully into motion—leaving Ithaca behind without farewell or witness.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw   Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.   If you like this show, be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!

    13 min

  7. 6D AGO

    Oaths in the Dark (Homer’s The Odyssey, Book II – Part 12)

    Fear gives way to obedience, and secrecy is sealed by oath. On the eve of departure, love and resolve collide in the quietest corners of the house. In this passage from The Odyssey, Eurycleia pleads with Telemachus to abandon his journey, fearing both the dangers of the sea and the schemes of the wooers left behind. Telemachus answers gently but firmly, revealing that his purpose comes from a god and binding her by oath to keep his departure hidden from Penelope. With the vow sworn, preparations continue in silence, and Telemachus returns to the hall as if nothing has changed. Beyond the house, Athene moves swiftly through Ithaca in Telemachus’ likeness, summoning a willing crew and securing a ship from Noëmon. What was planned in secret is now quietly set into motion. This moment matters because concealment becomes protection. Bound by loyalty and guided by a god, Telemachus’ journey advances beyond the reach of those who would stop it.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw   Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.   If you like this show, be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!

    8 min

  8. FEB 10

    Secret Stores for a Silent Departure (Homer’s The Odyssey, Book II – Part 11)

    Mockery sharpens into menace, and Telemachus answers it not with words, but with preparation. While the wooers imagine his failure, he quietly readies himself to leave them behind. In this passage from The Odyssey, Telemachus withdraws from the jeering hall into his father’s treasure-chamber, a place preserved in hope against Odysseus’ return. There, surrounded by stored wine, oil, and wealth untouched by the suitors, he enlists the faithful Eurycleia to help him prepare in secret. He orders provisions for a journey meant to be unseen—twelve jars of wine and barley-meal sealed for the road—timed for the night when his mother sleeps. This moment matters because intention becomes action. No longer arguing before men or gods, Telemachus moves quietly, deliberately, and alone—beginning the journey that will carry him beyond Ithaca’s stalled world.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw   Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.   If you like this show, be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!

    9 min
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About

Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey into Homer’s The Odyssey is a daily read-along podcast for anyone who’s ever thought, “I should really read The Odyssey someday.” Every day for one year, host Landen Celano reads one page from The Odyssey, (using Butcher & Lang English prose translation), then follows it with smart, spoiler-aware commentary: close reading, Greek mythology context, Homeric weirdness, and whatever tangents the text demands. If you’re here because you’re hyped for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Odyssey film: welcome. This show isn’t about the movie. It’s about finally experiencing the ancient story itself, in order, one page at a time.  Read along on YouTube (the text appears on screen), or grab the same Butcher & Lang translation from Project Gutenberg. Want a more traditional audiobook experience? Patreon subscribers get commentary-free audio at the end of each chapter. New episodes daily. Despite rain, sleet, snow, and hydra encounters.

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