“There is no benefit when music stands secret and hidden.” — Lucian

One of Homer’s two great epics is the Odyssey. As the title suggests, it is the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, hero of the Trojan War, and his desperate journey to return home to his kingdom and family after the war is over. Unlike the Iliad, the story of Odysseus (or Ulysses, in Latin) deals not with subjects of war but rather with themes of nostos (homesickness, root of the word nostalgia), wandering, strange lands, and great tests. It also tackles the home life left behind by the war heroes and how their absence has affected their homes and loved ones.

This is a curated selection of stories & verses from the great epic so that you can narrate its key moments with your lyre, adding one of the most significant and compelling stories of the ancient world to your repertoire.

Song list: Invocation to the Muse ✦ Demodocus, the Blind Bard ✦ The Lotus Eaters ✦ Polyphemus ✦ Aeolus ✦ Circe ✦ The Underworld ✦ The Sirens ✦ Scylla and Charybdis ✦ Return to Ithaca ✦ The Slaying of the Suitors

“This Sheet Music Book is our latest addition to our effort to enrich the available educational resources for lyre and lyre-like musical instruments,” Nikolaos Koumartzis, the series’ director, explains.

This book is part of the Lyre Sheet Music series, which features some of the greatest lyre players around the world, including Lina Palera, Thanasis Kleopas, Michael Levy, and Theodore Koumartzis.

Pages: 40 | Dimensions: 9 x 12 inches | sheet music for lyres or kitharas with 7 or more strings

_Credits
Nikolaos Koumartzis, D.Phil. (editor-in-chief)
Fotis Giantsios, M.Litt. (research director)
Lina Palera (composer)