In which we take a step back to relate Odysseus’ journey If no one can agree on its physical geography, Odysseus’ imaginary journey is easy to retrace. And for just as long other people have been calling efforts to map the Odyssey a complete waste of time. Homer fans have been trying to figure this out-and squabbling over their findings-for as long as the Odyssey has been in the canon. But how does Odysseus’ trek across the wine-dark sea map onto an actual map of the Mediterranean? The Odyssey, if you strip away enough allegory and myth, might serve as a travel guide for the Aegean Sea: which islands to avoid if you hate escape rooms, which cruises to skip if you always forget to pack earplugs, where to get that beef that angers the gods. All quotations from the Odyssey are taken from Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation.
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