687. The Odyssey: Hero of the Trojan Horse (Part 1)
7/12/20261 hr 12 min
How does The Odyssey, one of the greatest stories of all time, unfold? What historical events may it be based on? And, where might Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s epic, have faced his various trials in real life?
Join Tom and Dominic as they unravel the legendary story of Homer’s Odyssey, and its historical precedents.
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Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations.
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Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton
Social Producer: Harry Balden
Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude
Senior Producer: Callum Hill
Executive Producer: Dom Johnson
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsDominic Sandbrook· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Tell me the tale of a man, muse, who had so many roundabout ways to wander, driven off course after sacking Troy's hallowed keep. Many the peoples whose cities he saw and whose ways of thinking he learned. Many the toils he suffered at sea, anguish in his heart as he struggled to safeguard his life and the homecoming of his companions. But he did not save his companions even so, though he longed to, for their heedlessness destroyed them, theirs and nobody else's. Fools that they were, like children who devour the sun God Hyperion's cattle. And so he took from them the day of their homecoming. Goddess, start where you will. Daughter of Zeus, share the tale with us too. So that was the opening of Homer's great epic, The Odyssey, brilliantly translated by friend of the show, Daniel Mendelsohn. And there was only one person who, uh, was capable of reading that for us, and we're very grateful to the tremendous classical actor, Russell Crowe, for reading those words. And