27 Important 'The Odyssey' Quotes By Homer

'The Odyssey' is an ancient Greek epic poem written by Homer in the 8th Century BC.

'The Iliad' is followed by the 'The Odyssey'. 'The Odyssey' contains the concluding part of the Trojan war and the story of Odysseus's journey back home.

After the Trojan War, Odysseus spent seven years on the island of the nymph Calypso. He breaks out of the island and journeys homewards. On his way, he comes across other adventures and dangers caused by the siren, Circe, and Poseidon. The main message of 'The Odyssey' is overcoming the obstacles of the journey of life. Odysseus suffered a lot by losing his men on his voyage, hurting his heart. Fate is often depicted by the actions of a person in this epic work. As Odysseus blinded Polyphemus, Polyphemus' father, Poseidon, sent storms to Odysseus's ships. 'The Odyssey' is a great piece of work, that even has icon status in literature, for the hero it depicts. You can hear and feel the suffering of the heart of the characters in this work of literature.  The word 'Odyssey' has thus been known as the voyage of a hero.

If you find our content interesting, check out our  'The Iliad' quotes and [Greek quotes].

Here you'll find the best Homer quotes, Poseidon quotes in 'The Odyssey' and Poseidon quotes from 'The Odyssey'.

1. "Among mortal men

you’re far the best at tactics, spinning yarns,

and I am famous among the gods for wisdom,

cunning wiles, too."

-Athena.

2. "Outrageous! Look how the gods have changed their minds

about Odysseus – while I was off with my Ethiopians.Just look at him there, nearing Phaeacia's shores

where he's fated to escape his noose of pain

that's held him until now."

-Poseidon.

3. "From us alone, they say, come all their miseries, yes,

but they themselves, with their own reckless ways,

compound their pains beyond their proper share."

-Zeus.

4. "Father Zeus, if you really willed it so—to bring me home over land and sea-lanes, home to native groundafter all the pain you brought me—show me a sign, a good omen voiced by someone awake indoors, another sign, outside, from Zeus himself!"

-Odysseus.

5. "Nevertheless I long—I pine, all my days—

to travel home and see the dawn of my return."

-Odysseus.

6. "Fly, dotard fly,

With thy wise dreams, and fables of the sky.

Go prophesy at home, thy sons advise:

Here thou art sage in vain--I better read the skies…"

-Eurymachus.

7. "[In] silence you must bear a world of pain, subject yourself to the cruel abuse of men."

-Athena.

8. "But you, Achilles,

there’s not a man in the world more blest than you—

there never has been, never will be one."

-Odysseus.

9. "But if you only knew, down deep, what pains

are fated to fill your cup before you reach that shore,

you’d stay right here, preside in our house with me

and be immortal."

-Calypso.

10. "But here's an unlucky wanderer strayed our way,

and we must tend him well. Every stranger and beggar

comes from Zeus."

-Nausicaa.

11. Once he hears to his heart's content, sails on, a wiser man.

We know all the pains that the Greeks and Trojans once endured

on the spreading plain of Troy when the gods willed it so—

all that comes to pass on the fertile earth, we know it all!"

- Siren's Song.

Below are some of the most important quotes from 'The Odyssey'.

12. Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns

driven time and again off course, once he had plundered

the hallowed heights of Troy."

- Chorus.

13. "My name is Nobody."

- Odysseus.

14. “There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.”

― The Odyssey.

15. "Some of the words you'll find within yourself, the rest some power will inspire you to say. You least of all I know we're born and reared without the gods' good will."

-Athena.

16. "We must see that he comes to no harm on his homeward journey, but when he is once at home he will have to take the luck he was born with, like other people."

-King Alcinous.

17. "O pride of words, and arrogance of mind!

Would'st thou to rise in arms the Greeks advise?

Join all your powers? in arms, ye Greeks, arise!

Yet would your powers in vain our strength oppose."

-Leocritus.

18. "You should be ashamed yourselves,

mortified in the face of neighbors living round about!

Fear the gods' wrath – before they wheel in outrage

and make these crimes recoil on your heads."

-Telemachus.

19. "Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing is bred that is weaker than man."

-Odysseus.

20. "Mentor, no more--the mournful thought forbear;

For he no more must draw his country's breath,

Already snatch'd by fate, and the black doom of death!"

-Odysseus.

21. "So, surrender to sleep at last. What a misery, keeping watch through the night, wide awake—you'll soon come up from under all your troubles."

-Athena.

22. "Much have I suffered, labored long and hard by now

in the waves and wars. Add this to the total—bring the trial on!"

-Odysseus.

23. "Why still awake? The unluckiest man alive! Here is your house, your wife at home, your son, as fine a boy as one could hope to have."

-Athena.

24. "Ah how shameless—the way these mortals blame the gods."

-Zeus.

25. "No winning words about death to me, shining Odysseus!

By god, I'd rather slave on earth for another man –

some dirt-poor tenant farmer who scrapes to keep alive –

than rule down here over all the breathless dead."

-Achilles.

Here you may find some of the finest quotes and examples depicting loyalty, even one may inspire you.

26. "All the nobles who rule the islands about... they court me against my will, they lay waste my house... I yearn for Odysseus, always, my heart pines away."

-Penelope.

27. "Three whole years

I deceived them blind, seduced them with this scheme."

-Penelope.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 'The Odyssey' quotes then why not take a look at our [ancient quotes] or ['Achilles' quotes].