<P> The Odyssey (/ ˈɒdəsi /; Greek: Ὀδύσσεια Odýsseia, pronounced (o. dýs. sej. ja) in Classical Attic) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer . It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer . The Odyssey is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second - oldest extant work of Western literature; the Iliad is the oldest . Scholars believe the Odyssey was composed near the end of the 8th century BC, somewhere in Ionia, the Greek coastal region of Anatolia . </P> <P> The poem mainly focuses on the Greek hero Odysseus (known as Ulysses in Roman myths), king of Ithaca, and his journey home after the fall of Troy . It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten - year Trojan War . In his absence, it is assumed Odysseus has died, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must deal with a group of unruly suitors, the Mnesteres (Greek: Μνηστῆρες) or Proci, who compete for Penelope's hand in marriage . </P>

The odyssey is an example of what kind of story