The Never-Ending Story: Who Is Odysseus?

The Odyssey begins with a big empty space where Odysseus should be. His home, his familiy, his household are all suffering for want of him. But where is he--and more importantly, who is he? That's the poem again and again and today, we begin trying to answer it. If there's one thing everyone remembers from this poem it's the adventure stories in the middle: the Cyclops, Circe, the Lotus Eaters. We embark on those stories now, beginning with the moment when Odysseus finally chooses to reveal his true identity to his hosts the Phaeacians...and perhaps also to himself. SIGNUPS OPEN: Register for Spring courses at The Ancient Language Institute https://ancientlanguage.com/youngheretics/ Pre-order my new book, Light of the Mind, Light of the World: https://a.co/d/2QccOfM Subscribe to my joint Substack with Andrew Klavan (no relation): https://thenewjerusalem.substack.com Subscribe to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com Peter Struck's interactive Odyssey Map: https://www2.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/homer/index.php?page=odymap Simon Netchev's Odyssey Map: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15906/odysseus-ten-year-journey-home Selective attention test (the basketball gorilla): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo EPiC, a concept album by Jorge Rivera-Herrans: https://solo.to/jayherrans And check out Rivera-Herrans's Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jayherrans/?hl=en