# The Odyssey: Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original

**Author:** Homer
**Tags:** Epic poetry, Greek, Odysseus (Greek mythology), Homer, Translations into English
**Price:** Free
**Formats:** DOCX, EPUB, FB2, PDF, TXT
**Downloads:** 37
**Added:** 10.07.2026
**URL:** https://samolit.com/books/95918

## Description

Homer's Odyssey stands as one of the towering achievements of Western literature, and this edition presents the epic in prose form, offering readers unfamiliar with ancient Greek a direct and accessible pathway into its enduring story. Following the fall of Troy, the resourceful hero Odysseus struggles for ten long years to return home to Ithaca, facing monsters, divine wrath, and seductive temptations along the way. Meanwhile, his faithful wife Penelope and his son Telemachus contend with a houseful of arrogant suitors who assume Odysseus is dead and vie for her hand and his kingdom. Rendered by the accomplished translator and scholar Samuel Butler at the turn of the twentieth century, this version deliberately abandons verse for prose, aiming to capture the narrative clarity and everyday vigor of the original rather than its poetic ornamentation. Butler brought to the task his own controversial theories about the poem's composition and authorship, lending the translation a distinctive, opinionated character. The result is a vivid, readable rendering that has introduced generations of English readers to themes of homecoming, loyalty, cunning, and perseverance at the heart of this foundational epic.