This book examines the enduring appeal of Odysseus in artistic representation from antiquity to the present. The volume aims to provide a sense of how this character changes from ancient Greek myth through modern poetry, and how this capacity for change both perpetuates the motif of a mutable and devious character while reflecting essential anxieties over what it means to be a person. Why Odysseus? demonstrates that Odysseus was already a figure of dynamic reception in Homer’s Odyssey, then examines his varied uses in antiquity, his resurgence in the twentieth century, and his flexibility in modern reception. It concludes with the challenges of translating the character from one period to the next. Why Odysseus? explores how a uniquely indeterminate character becomes an important “shifting signifier” for reflecting different periods’ and peoples’ values on what it means to survive—and sometimes thrive—in a world that is definitively non-heroic.

Joel P. Christensen is Provost, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Professor for Classics at the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. Previously, he served as Professor of Classical and Early Mediterranean Studies at Brandeis University, where he also served as Senior Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Chair of Classical Studies, and Chair of the Brandeis Faculty Senate. Joel previously taught for nine years at the University of Texas at San Antonio. His research interests include early Greek poetry, myth, and literary theory. With Elton Barker, Joel has published Homer’s a Beginner’s Guide (2013), Homer’s Thebes (2020), The Many-Minded Man: The Odyssey, Psychology, and the Therapy of Epic (2020), Storylife: On Epic, Language, and Living Things (2025), and has recently edited The Oxford Critical Guide to Homer's Odyssey (2026).