From ancient epic to modern life: ‘The Odyssey’ endures
- Laurie Dionne Babcock
- Culture
- Contributors: James Greco, Photos
7 – minute read
When theater lights dim and Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” fills movie screens this month, audiences will watch Odysseus battle monsters, gods and his own restless mind on a long voyage home.
For nearly three millennia, Homer’s epic has captured a universal experience: leaving home, facing the unknown and returning transformed. College students forging their own paths toward independence might find the journey deeply familiar.
FGCU360 spoke with a student and faculty members across literature, philosophy and history at Florida Gulf Coast University about why the story endures.
Storytelling and identity
For those who haven’t read it, the legendary poem follows the adventures of Odysseus during 10 years of wandering after the fall of Troy in the Trojan War. In Zainab Cheema’s “Introduction to Early World Literature” course, the work remains a favorite among students.
“I can testify that Homer’s epic still retains its incredible popularity,” says the assistant professor in the Department of Language and Literature and co-chair of the World Literature Program, pointing to its themes of adventure, survival and love of home.
“Tell me about a complicated man,” Emily Wilson’s translation opens — a line Cheema says resonates with students.
“Odysseus is liar, trickster, politician, warrior and lover,” she says. “But he is also incredibly brave, resourceful, wise, ferociously intelligent, goal-oriented and loyal. These characters feel incredibly lifelike and realistic, even today.”
The fantastical elements — monsters, gods and magical islands — are secondary to the emotional core of the story. The real journey is internal, shaped by choices, Cheema says.
“While Odysseus returns home, the years he has lost can never be restored. We connect with that because it teaches us that there are consequences to the decisions we make.”
In class discussions, students often find themselves reflected in Odysseus, his wife, Penelope, and their son, Telemachus. Students come to see self-examination and critical thinking as a part of their own growth, Cheema says.
The students’ journey
For Honors College student Diane Celeste, the story felt personal. Reading the poem in Cheema’s class, the hospitality and tourism management major found herself drawn to Penelope’s resilience. In Odysseus’ absence, his wife must fend off men who attempt to take his place. Penelope’s struggle to stay loyal to her husband made Celeste think deeply about her own dating life.
“I’m a hopeless romantic at heart and a sucker for a good love story,” she says.
She also sees a modern parallel in Odysseus’ journey with students networking and trying to find jobs or internships.
“Every student strives to have Odysseus’ attributes.” Being smart and persuasive is good, but too much pride can become a downfall, she says.
The epic’s more difficult themes — rivalry and exclusion — also mirror modern student experiences. Celeste points to the suitors harassing Penelope as an ancient example of behavior that persists today, such as cyberbullying.
For Celeste, engaging with “The Odyssey” didn’t stop in the classroom. She sought out new interpretations and retellings, including the musical soundtrack “Epic” by Jorge Rivera-Herrans, the novel “Circe” by Madeline Miller and the graphic novel “The Odyssey” by Gareth Hinds.
Odysseus “is the textbook definition of what a hero in literature is,” Celeste says. “Being a hero doesn’t always mean being perfect. It means having extraordinary attributes or abilities. His flawed actions have consequences, and it’s so exciting to see him get out of these situations.”
Battling the monsters within
For Minh Nguyen, a professor of philosophy, “The Odyssey” endures because “‘it has never finished saying what it has to say,’” Nguyen says, quoting writer Italo Calvino.
In courses like “Introduction to Philosophy” and “Contemporary Moral Issues,” Nguyen encourages students to wrestle with the same questions that haunt Odysseus: What does it mean to live well? What kind of person should we be?
“‘The Odyssey’ explores the human condition in profound ways,” he says. “It raises questions about home and belonging, appearance versus reality, free will and responsibility, and self-knowledge and identity. We continue returning to it and discovering new meanings.”
For philosophy students, Odysseus’s journey offers a study in ethical decision-making: Heroic yet flawed, he struggles with pride, deception and temptations that test his resolve. Nguyen says these are timeless human problems — that’s why modern students often recognize themselves in ancient literature.
Ultimately, “The Odyssey” offers a blueprint for what philosophers call “the examined life.”
“An examined life requires enduring suffering, embracing personal growth and pursuing self-knowledge,” Nguyen says. Facing adversity with courage and hope and taking responsibility for one’s own actions, as Odysseus does, “are important skills for FGCU students to have and exercise as they chart their own paths through an uncertain world.”
What the past still has to say
Understanding why stories like Homer’s were preserved helps students see how history matters. It’s one reason Dawn Dyer, a history instructor, is excited about Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of the epic. She hopes it will spark new interest in her favorite subject, much like his 2023 film “Oppenheimer” did in her classes.
“It’s pretty astounding to think how old that story is — nearly 2,800 years — and yet people are still retelling it.”
Homer’s “The Odyssey” is one of the earliest surviving works of the Greek oral tradition. Long before it was written down, the epic was sung and retold by generations of storytellers. Its rhythms and repetition made it easier to remember and pass down.
Dyer teaches “U.S. History Since 1877,” where she helps students connect far-reaching forces like war, power, identity and resilience to individual choices. Like Homer’s epic, American history echoes recurring patterns of power, conflict and belonging. “We need critical thinkers who can confront new problems and draw on the past” to develop solutions, Dyer says.
And Odysseus’s journey home — or “nostos,” the root of the word nostalgia — speaks to a universal longing. As Matt Damon says as Odysseus in the movie’s trailer, “No one can stand between me and home.”
“Who doesn’t love to return home?” Dyer asks.
