The Odyssey is a text.
Odyssey . The Odyssey is fundamental to the modern Western canon , and is the second-oldest extant work of Western literature ; the Iliad is the oldest . The poem mainly focuses on the Greek hero Odysseus ( known as Ulysses in Roman myths ) , king of Ithaca , and his journey home after the fall of Troy . Among the most noteworthy elements of the text are its non-linear plot , and the influence on events of choices made by women and slaves , besides the actions of fighting men .