Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer’s The Odyssey
Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey into Homer’s The Odyssey is a daily read-along podcast for anyone who’s ever thought, “I should really read The Odyssey someday.”
Every day for one year, host Landen Celano reads one page from The Odyssey, (using Butcher & Lang English prose translation), then follows it with smart, spoiler-aware commentary: close reading, Greek mythology context, Homeric weirdness, and whatever tangents the text demands.
If you’re here because you’re hyped for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Odyssey film: welcome. This show isn’t about the movie. It’s about finally experiencing the ancient story itself, in order, one page at a time.
Read along on YouTube (the text appears on screen), or grab the same Butcher & Lang translation from Project Gutenberg. Want a more traditional audiobook experience? Patreon subscribers get commentary-free audio at the end of each chapter.
New episodes daily. Despite rain, sleet, snow, and hydra encounters.
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Episodes
Episodes
2 days ago
2 days ago
Defiance hardens into dismissal, and the will of the few overpowers the voice of justice. What was called before the people is now cast aside.
In this passage from The Odyssey, Book II, Leocritus answers Mentor with open contempt, mocking the idea that the wooers could ever be restrained—even by Odysseus himself. He urges the assembly to disperse and predicts that Telemachus’ journey will come to nothing. The people comply, abandoning the gathering, while the wooers return unchallenged to Odysseus’ house.
Left without public support, Telemachus withdraws alone to the seashore. There, apart from the crowd, he washes his hands in the sea and prays directly to Athene, reminding her of her command and confessing his frustration at being delayed by the arrogance of the wooers.
This moment matters because public justice has failed. With the assembly dissolved and Ithaca silent, Telemachus’ hope turns fully toward divine aid—and the journey he was promised must now be secured in secret.
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New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com
Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm
Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw
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Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.
If you like this show, be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!
3 days ago
3 days ago
The argument gives way to intention, and Telemachus sets his course aloud. With the assembly listening, he turns from protest to preparation.
In this passage from The Odyssey, Book II, Telemachus asks plainly for a ship and companions so he may sail to Pylos and Sparta in search of news of his father. He lays out his resolve with care: if Odysseus lives, he will endure; if Odysseus is dead, he will return to honor him properly and bring his mother’s waiting to an end. His words are met by Mentor, Odysseus’ trusted companion, who rises to rebuke the people of Ithaca for their silence and their failure to restrain the wooers’ abuse.
This moment matters because Telemachus publicly commits to action, and the blame widens beyond the suitors. Ithaca itself is called to account for allowing injustice to stand unchallenged.
⸻
New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com
Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm
Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw
⸻
Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.
If you like this show, be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!
4 days ago
4 days ago
A warning is answered with contempt, and prophecy is met with scorn. Where the gods have spoken, the wooers choose defiance.
In this passage from The Odyssey, Book II, Eurymachus dismisses the omen of the eagles and openly ridicules the seer Halitherses, rejecting both divine signs and the possibility of Odysseus’ return. He escalates the threat against Telemachus, insisting the wooers will continue their courtship without restraint and will not be deterred by youth, prophecy, or fear of the gods. Penelope’s marriage is framed not as choice, but as a prize to be won through endurance and force.
This moment matters because it seals the wooers’ guilt. Having heard prophecy and mocked it, they knowingly choose excess and injustice, hardening the path toward the reckoning that has now been plainly foretold.
New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com
Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm
Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw
Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.
If you like this show, be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!
5 days ago
5 days ago
Defiance meets warning, and the gods answer words with signs. Telemachus refuses to surrender what little authority he has left—and the heavens respond.
In this passage from The Odyssey, Book II, Telemachus rejects Antinous’ demand that he force Penelope from the house, invoking both human law and divine consequence. As he calls upon Zeus for justice, two eagles appear above the assembly, tearing at one another in a terrifying omen that leaves the people stunned. The seer Halitherses interprets the sign plainly: Odysseus is near, and ruin is coming for the wooers.
This moment matters because divine judgment enters the conflict openly. What was argued in words is now sealed by prophecy, and Ithaca is warned that the cost of inaction will soon be paid.
New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com
Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm
Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw
Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.
If you like this show, be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!
6 days ago
6 days ago
The charge is completed, and delay is named as defiance. Antinous finishes his account with a mixture of admiration and accusation, turning clever endurance into a weapon against the house of Odysseus.
In this passage from The Odyssey, Book II, the wooers recount how Penelope prolonged their courtship by weaving a burial shroud by day and secretly undoing it by night, deceiving them for years before her ruse was uncovered. Antinous frames her intelligence and craft—gifts of Athene—as both remarkable and ruinous, arguing that so long as Penelope refuses to choose a husband, the suitors will continue to consume Telemachus’ inheritance without restraint.
This moment matters because it exposes the standoff at the heart of Ithaca. Penelope’s ingenuity preserves her autonomy and loyalty, yet it also entrenches the siege of her household, leaving Telemachus caught between admiration, loss, and an ever-narrowing path forward.
New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com
Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm
Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw
Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.
If you like this show, be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!
7 days ago
7 days ago
Emotion overtakes restraint, and Telemachus’ plea ends in grief before the eyes of Ithaca. His tears silence the assembly—if only for a moment.
In this passage from The Odyssey, Book II, Telemachus casts down the staff of speech and weeps, stirring pity among the gathered people. The stillness is broken only by Antinous, who turns the blame away from the wooers and squarely onto Penelope. He accuses her of deliberate deception, recounting how she has delayed remarriage by promising to choose a husband only after completing a funeral shroud for Laertes.
This moment matters because the conflict shifts shape. What Telemachus frames as injustice, Antinous reframes as manipulation—introducing Penelope’s famous ruse and hardening the division between the prince and the men who consume his house.
New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com
Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm
Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw
Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.
If you like this show, be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!
Sunday Feb 01, 2026
Sunday Feb 01, 2026
Private suffering is carried into the open, and silence finally breaks. Standing before the gathered Achaeans, Telemachus claims the floor and gives voice to the wrongs that have consumed his home.
In this passage from The Odyssey, Book II, Telemachus addresses the assembly for the first time, explaining that he has not summoned them for news of the war or matters of state, but because of the devastation within his own household. He speaks of Odysseus’ absence, the relentless abuse of hospitality by the wooers, and his own helplessness in the face of their power, calling on the people of Ithaca—and the gods themselves—to witness the injustice.
This moment matters because it transforms personal grief into public accusation. Telemachus no longer suffers in isolation; he demands recognition, judgment, and accountability before the whole community.
New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com
Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm
Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw
Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.
If you like this show, be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!
Saturday Jan 31, 2026
Saturday Jan 31, 2026
Morning brings action at last. With the coming of rosy-fingered Dawn, Telemachus rises transformed—armed, resolute, and ready to step into public life where his father once stood.
In this opening passage of The Odyssey, Book II, Telemachus summons the first assembly Ithaca has seen since Odysseus sailed for Troy. Taking his father’s seat among the elders, he draws the gaze of the people, strengthened by Athene’s favor and surrounded by signs of growing authority. The aged Aegyptus speaks first, recalling losses from the war and expressing cautious hope for the reason behind this long-delayed gathering.
This moment matters because it marks Telemachus’ entrance into civic life. Private grievance gives way to public speech, and Ithaca itself is called to witness what has been left unresolved since Odysseus’ departure.
New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com
Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm
Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw
Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.
If you like this show, be sure to check out The Countdown of Monte Cristo — wherever you listen to podcasts!