Was Odysseus in 'The Odyssey' Based on a Real Person?

Christopher Nolan is bringing Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, to modern audiences. Thanks to state-of-the-art CGI, Odysseus’ escapades have never looked more realistic. But this appearance of realism also begs the question: did this famous hero from antiquity, who outsmarted sorcerers and monsters, actually exist?

It’s a difficult question to answer. While The Odyssey and Homer’s other epic poem, the Iliad, constitute the oldest surviving literary references to Odysseus’ actions during and struggles to return home after the Trojan War, scholars cannot agree on when exactly they were written. 

There are also unresolved debates about their authorship. Though both poems are commonly attributed to Homer, some believe that The Odyssey was actually written by someone else. Add to this the fact that the stories of Odysseus and the Trojan War likely predated the poems as untraceable oral traditions, and figuring out Odysseus’ historical identity becomes as difficult a task as the character’s own journey.  

Who Is Odysseus?

According to The Odyssey, Odysseus was born to Laertes, the King of Ithaca. His mother, Anticleia, was the daughter of Autolycus, a shapeshifting robber who was himself the son of the Greek god Hermes. Autolycus is also the grandfather of Jason, another legendary Greek hero who, along with his Argonauts, searched for the Golden Fleece.

Subsequent retellings of Odysseus’ story—including by the Greek playwright Euripides—give the character a different lineage, stating he is actually the son of Sisyphus, the king of Ephyra whom Zeus dooms to spend eternity pushing a boulder up a hill. 

Though equally poetic, each family tree emphasizes a different aspect of Odysseus’ personality and fate. Autolycus is known for his cunning and deceptiveness. Sisyphus, meanwhile, represents tragedy and futility, and his repetitive existence mirrors the meandering nature of Odysseus’ journey. 

Regardless, many historians believe that if Odysseus was a real person, he was probably not a descendant of Sisyphus or Autolycus, but rather a local ruler whose adventures were exaggerated by storytellers over the years.

Where Is Odysseus From?

Another way scholars have attempted to ascertain Odysseus’ historical identity is by locating the island of Ithaca itself—a matter which, like the date and authorship of the two poems, has been a subject of longstanding debate.

Some believe the island of Ithaca described in The Odyssey is simply the Greek island of the same name, located to the northeast of Kefalonia in the Ionian Sea. Archaeologists have found ancient coins on the island bearing Odysseus’ name and face, as well as an inscription indicating his worship during the 3rd century BCE.

In a study released in 2022, the Greek archaeologist Thanasis J. Papadopoulos argued that the remains of a Bronze Age palace located on modern-day Ithaca match descriptions of Odysseus’ palace offered by ancient sources.

Others believe ancient Ithaca was located elsewhere, not least because the island’s description in the Odyssey does not match modern-day Ithaca's appearance. The former is described as “low-lying,” while the latter is mountainous. Homer’s writing also states that Odysseus’ home lies at the westernmost edge of a group of islands, while the modern-day island of Cephalonia is further west than Ithaca. Consequently, some have suggested that Odysseus—if he existed—came from and ruled over another island, possibly Cephalonia or Lefkada. 

Though we may never be able to confirm whether Odysseus existed, experts have come a long way in figuring out which elements of Homer’s epic poems are fact and which are fiction, right down to confirming the existence of Troy itself. But even if the historical identity of Odysseus himself remains shrouded in mystery, the character’s influence on Western literature (and cinema) remains.

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