The Length of Homer's Epic Poem: How Long Is The Odyssey?

Homer's Odyssey is one of the two most famous ancient Greek epic poems (the first one was The Iliad). This is regarded as one of history's great stories, and it has had a significant impact on European literature. It is divided into 24 books and follows Odysseus, the ruler of Ithaca and one of the Trojan War Greek heroes, as he embarks on a long journey back to his "real place," or home, which is Ithaca. Continue reading to find out how long you will be hooked to this epic poem.

How Long Is the Odyssey?

The Odyssey is written in a dactylic hexameter, commonly known as the Homeric hexameter, and has 12,109 lines. Note that a hexameter is a type of line or rhythm with six stressed syllables, whereas a dactylic hexameter (used in ancient Greek poetry) usually consists of five dactyls and either a spondee (two long stressed syllables) or trochee (one long stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable). As to the page count, it depends on the format and translation of the version to be read. According to modern commercial listings, it can range from 140 to 600 pages.

How Long Is the Odyssey in Words?

The poem "Odyssey" consists of 134,560 words or an equivalent reading time of nine hours with an average reading speed rate of 250 words per minute.

Is the Odyssey Hard to Read?

Based on reviews, the Odyssey is not hard to read and is even easier when compared to the Iliad, Homer's other famous piece. As the original text of the poem is written in Greek, it is far easier to read if it is translated into a language that the reader is most familiar with.

How Long Is the Iliad?

The Iliad comprises 15,693 lines divided into 24 books. At 250 words per minute, the average reader will spend around 11 hours and 44 minutes reading this book.

Conclusion

The length of the story and the actual word count are factors to consider when deciding to read epic poems or novels. Below is the summary regarding the length of "the two most epic Greek poems:" The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer.

• The length of the Odyssey poem depends on the format, translation, and version, but the original is said to have 12,109 lines divided into 24 books.

• It is composed of 134,560 words or an equivalent reading time of nine hours to an average reader with a speed of 250 words per minute.

• In the story, the journey of Odysseus, or the Odyssey itself, took 10 years.

• The poem is generally not hard to read and when compared to the first one, The Iliad, it is easier to read, understand, and enjoy.

• The first epic poem, The Iliad, is composed of 15,693 lines and divided into 24 books.

In a nutshell, the length of the reading material would not matter to someone who is genuinely interested in reading and discovering the magnificent journey depicted in the epic poetry. What matters most in the end are the lessons learned from reading them.