Music fills the hall, but not all who hear it are at ease. As the wooers settle into indulgence, their feast crowned with song, the distance between celebration and grief becomes impossible to ignore.

In this passage from The Odyssey, Book I, the minstrel Phemius performs for the wooers, compelled to entertain the very men who consume Odysseus’ household. Sitting beside the disguised Athene, Telemachus quietly reveals his resentment and sorrow—speaking of his father’s absence, the damage done in his name, and the bitterness of a hope that feels increasingly fragile.

This moment matters because Telemachus finally gives voice to his loss, transforming silent longing into spoken resolve and setting the stage for the questions that will define his path forward.

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!

A quiet gesture of courtesy breaks through the disorder of Odysseus’ hall. Amid the noise and excess of the wooers, Telemachus notices a lone stranger at the gate and is moved by thoughts of his absent father.

In this passage from The Odyssey, Book I, Telemachus welcomes Athene—still in disguise—into the household with formal hospitality, offering her a seat, food, and wine apart from the suitors. His careful attention to custom and his unease among the men who dominate his home reveal both his youth and his emerging sense of responsibility.

This moment matters because it shows Telemachus acting with the dignity of a host, hinting at the leadership he longs to claim and the legacy he hopes his father will one day restore.

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Be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!

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.

A plan takes shape among the gods, and action finally replaces delay. With Odysseus’ return now agreed upon, Athene proposes a division of labor that will set both father and son on their paths homeward.

In this passage from The Odyssey, Athene urges Zeus to send Hermes to Ogygia to command Calypso to release Odysseus, while she herself prepares to intervene in Ithaca. Disguised as a mortal stranger, she descends from Olympus to stir resolve in Telemachus and confront the disorder consuming his father’s household.

This moment matters because it marks the first direct intervention of the gods in human affairs—Odysseus’ long return is no longer abstract, and Telemachus’ story is about to begin.

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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.

A divine argument sharpens the fate of a man far from home. As the gods debate justice and mercy, the suffering of Odysseus is brought fully into view—lonely, trapped, and aching for the sight of his own land once more.

In this passage from The Odyssey, Book I continues with Athene speaking in defense of Odysseus before Zeus, recounting his isolation on a distant island and the sorrow that nearly breaks his will. Zeus responds by clarifying the true source of Odysseus’ torment: the enduring anger of Poseidon, born from the blinding of the Cyclops Polyphemus, and tempered only by the limits of divine consensus.

This moment matters because it sets the terms of Odysseus’ return—his survival assured, his journey still contested, and the gods themselves poised to intervene.

⸻

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

⸻

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.

A poet’s invocation opens the door to a long-delayed homecoming, shaped as much by divine will as by human error. In this opening passage of The Odyssey, the Muse is called upon to tell of Odysseus—his wanderings after Troy, the losses of his companions, and the single mistake that sealed their fate. While the rest of the Greek heroes have returned home, Odysseus remains stranded, held by the nymph Calypso, as the gods quietly turn their attention back toward him.

Set during a council of the gods in Book I, this passage establishes the moral framework of the epic: mortals suffer not only by fate, but by their own choices. Zeus reflects on the recent death of Aegisthus—killed by Orestes despite clear divine warnings—underscoring a central theme of responsibility that will echo throughout the poem.

This is the moment where the story formally begins: Odysseus is remembered, judged, and finally set back into motion.

⸻

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.

What if you finally read The Odyssey, one page at a time?

Welcome to Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer’s The Odyssey, and more, a daily read-along podcast for anyone who’s ever meant to read one of the most influential stories ever written… and never did.

Starting Monday, January 20, 2026, this show releases one new episode every day for a full year.

Each episode features:

• A reading of one page from The Odyssey
• Followed by commentary exploring the story as it unfolds

Using Butcher & Lang's public-domain English prose translation, this podcast offers a natural, accessible way to experience Homer’s epic without pressure and without homework.

Along the way, expect:

• Story breakdowns and close reading
• Greek mythology and mythic characters
• Cultural and historical context
• Personal reflections and unexpected tangents

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can read along on YouTube, where the text appears on screen. Patreon subscribers can also enjoy commentary-free audio at the end of each chapter for a clean audiobook-style experience.

Whether you’re discovering The Odyssey for the first time, revisiting it because it keeps showing up in modern culture, looking for a daily literary ritual, or just here because Christopher Nolan is adapting this story... consider this is an invitation to take the long way home.

New episodes every day.

Support the show and get bonus content at patreon.com/gruntworkpod

Available on our website our wherever you listen to podcasts: https://theodysseypodcast.podbean.com