Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “The Odyssey,” in this the Samuel Butler translation, is one of two ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest works of literature still read by contemporary audiences.  It follows the Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his journey home after the Trojan War.

After the decade of war itself, his journey lasts for an additional perilous decade. In his absence, he is assumed dead, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must contend with a group of rude suitors competing for Penelope's hand in marriage.