The Odyssey is an epic poem.
Homer ( Ὅμηρος [ hómɛːros ] , Hómēros ) is the name ascribed by the ancient Greeks to the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey , two epic poems which are the central works of ancient Greek literature . Odysseus ( [ oʊˈdɪsiəs , _ oʊˈdɪsjuːs ] Ὀδυσσεύς , Ὀδυσεύς [ odysse͜ús ] ) , also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( [ juːˈlɪsiːz ] , [ ˈjuːlɪsiːz ] Ulyssēs , Ulixēs ) , was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer 's epic poem the Odyssey . Odyssey . It is , in part , a sequel to the Iliad , the other work ascribed to Homer . In the English language as well as many others , the word odyssey has come to refer to an epic voyage .