How long was odysseus away from home And the Homeric tradition had it 20 years away from home: about 10 in Troy during the Trojan War, and another 10 traveling back to Ithaca. That’s the biggest clue to explaining one of the most well-known stories in all of ancient Greek literature, and that’s where we start. Odyssey begins after the Trojan War, when Odysseus still fights to return to his home island and his wife and son.
His odyssey stretches out so long on the way home, however, thanks to a cycle of storms, hostile gods, monsters, enslavement and the errors of his own men.
When he finally arrives in Ithaca, his wife Penelope has been waiting 20 years, and his son has come of age. So it’s 20 years away from Ithaca, but that just scratches the surface.
The Short Answer: Odysseus Was Gone for 20 Years
Odysseus was traditionally absent from Ithaca for two decades.
The timeline can be divided into two major periods:
| Period | Approximate length | What happened |
| Trojan War | 10 years | Odysseus fought with the Greek forces at Troy |
| Journey home | 10 years | He encountered storms, monsters, gods, and other obstacles |
| Total absence | 20 years | Odysseus finally returned to Ithaca |
The Trojan War itself is generally accepted as taking ten years, a duration associated with Greek epic traditions. Once Troy was destroyed, Odysseus set out on his return and an additional ten years were needed before he arrived home. Hence in accounts of the Odyssey the figure quoted is 20 years away.
That 20 year figure is one of the most interesting context clues in the poem because it is not just a man on a journey, it is a man who is returning to a place that has changed while he was gone.
Why Was Odysseus Away for So Long?
The voyage from Troy to Ithaca should have appeared to be a quick jaunt – perhaps a matter of weeks or months. But the length of Odysseus’s return is due to a string of perilous and supernatural misadventures.
Following the Greek victory in conquering Troy, Odysseus and his crew began the journey home by sea. Little did they know that their journey by sea was going to be filled with many side-tracked routes.
Some of the encounters listed in the epic include:
- The Cicones
- The Lotus-Eaters
- The Cyclops Polyphemus
- Aeolus, keeper of the winds
- The Laestrygonians
- Circe
- The Underworld
- The Sirens
- Scylla and Charybdis
- The cattle of Helios
- Calypso’s island
But these episodes are not isolated in themselves. All of these separate adventures are adding to the time it will take the hero to reach home. The voyage gets increasingly perilous for Odysseus. By the time he reaches the Phaeacians, he has lost all of his crew.
The First 10 Years: Odysseus and the Trojan War
In order to understand his total non-attendance, you need to go back prior to the time of the Odyssey itself.
Odysseus took part in the Greek war against Troy. In the usual account the war continued for ten years, but Homer’ Iliad covers only a few days of the last year of it rather than the whole ten years.
Odysseus was not simply another soldier.
He was noted for his intelligence, persuasion, shrewdness, and practical skill. According to an ancient tradition, he was involved in many of the major episodes of the Trojan War, particularly the use of the Trojan horse.
Why did Odysseus leave Ithaca?
Odysseus was summoned to fight the Greeks in Troy. The stories tell us that he was hesitant to leave home and Penelope, but he was driven to abandon everything for the journey. When Odysseus left, Penelope was left with a new-born infant, or perhaps a very small toddler, and that is significant as the story unfolds because Telemachus (at least in his early childhood) is raised without his father. By the time Odysseus finally arrives back in Ithaca, he isn’t quite the boy he left behind.
The Second 10 Years: The Long Journey Home
Homer’s Odyssey is mainly concerned with the second half of Odysseus’s absence. Odysseus tries to sail home after the fall of Troy. But he does not arrive in Ithaca, in the expected time, but becomes involved in a remarkable series of adventures.
The poem presents the journey as lasting approximately ten years.
The Cicones
One of the first episodes involves the Cicones at Ismarus.
Before you go… Odysseus and his men plunder the town, but they stay too long. Reinforcements arrive for the Cicones and they attack, sending the Greeks running. The episode sets up a key theme of the story: Odysseus is undoubtedly very clever, but he and his men can still make mistakes and be caught out.
The Lotus-Eaters
Their next stop was at the Lotus-Eaters. The lotus-eaters affected those who ate it by making them unwilling to leave, to go back home. Odysseus has to drag them back to the ships so they can get back on the way home.
This is an important episode because it introduces one of the poem’s recurring themes – that of comfort versus homecoming.
Odysseus’ home is more than a place on a map. It is also where his family, his identity, his duties lie.
The Cyclops and Poseidon’s Anger
One of the most well known episodes is when Odysseus encounters the Cyclops Polyphemus. Polyphemus traps Odysseus and the men inside his cave but Odysseus finally manages to come up with a plan to escape by blinding the Cyclops and hiding the men beneath the sheep. Odysseus then makes a foolish mistake.
He reveals his name to Polyphemus who is the son of Poseidon (the god of the sea) and he calls on his father to curse Odysseus.
The gods punish Odysseus with a long and treacherous trip. The World History Encyclopedias account of the myth explains that the curse of Polyphemus is the curse which makes Odysseus’ journey so complicated. This myth even explains why Odysseus does not just simply sail straight home after leaving Troy.
Aeolus and the Winds: Home Was Almost Within Reach
The second most frustrating moment for Odysseus involves Aeolus, god of the winds. Aeolus gives Odysseus a flask of winds, which would most certainly wreck Odysseus’s voyage. The wind that would drive the ships toward Ithaca is released, and Odysseus is very close to completing the journey home.
The crew supposedly can see Ithaca.
Odysseus is exhausted and falls asleep while the crew opens the flask, thinking it is filled with valuables. The winds blow the ship away from Ithaca and back to Aeolus. This is a great example of how close Odysseus really is to home before circumstances prevent him from reaching his destination.
Circe, the Underworld, and More Delays
The venture proceeds by way of experiences that carry the story far past a simple ‘journey.’ Circe simply turns Odysseus’ males into animals – after which Odysseus ultimately returns as her visitor and stays with her for a very long time. Eventually Circe sends him on his method in the direction of the Underworld to satisfy the useless prophet Tiresias.
This part of the story is essential as a result of now the journey takes on new layers.
Odysseus is thrown into the face of prediction, loss of life, reminiscence and his personal actions and he should now show his mettle quite than just endure.
The Sirens and the Dangers of the Sea
Odysseus also encounters the Sirens, who sing sweet melodies that sing sailors to their doom. Knowing this, Odysseus orders his crew to plug their ears with beeswax and orders Odysseus himself to be tied to the mast so that he can listen to the Sirens but without steering the boat toward any danger. This episode reveals one of Odysseus’ hallmark traits: he’s not just strong-willed, he can anticipate temptations, and develops a counter in order to prevent himself from giving in. There are still plenty of other dangers to come, including Scylla and Charybdis, two of the most famous nautical perils in Greek mythology.
Why Did the Journey Take a Full 10 Years?
The ten-year return voyage is not caused by one single event.
Instead, the epic builds the delay through multiple layers:
Divine opposition
Poseidon becomes hostile toward Odysseus after the Cyclops episode. His anger makes the sea itself a recurring obstacle.
Human mistakes
Odysseus’s companions repeatedly make decisions that create problems, including opening Aeolus’s bag of winds and later consuming the cattle sacred to Helios.
Supernatural encounters
The travelers encounter beings and places that do not belong to the ordinary human world.
Odysseus’s own decisions
Odysseus is highly intelligent, but he is not portrayed as flawless. His decision to reveal his identity to Polyphemus is particularly consequential.
Extended stays
Not every delay comes from a storm or battle. Odysseus spends significant periods with figures such as Circe and Calypso.
Together, these circumstances transform what might have been a relatively straightforward voyage into a decade-long struggle.
Calypso and the Final Stage of the Journey
One of the most signifi cant bottlenecks has to do with Odysseus’s adventures on the island of Ogygia, where the lovely nymph Calypso holds him hostage. Calypso tempts him with her companionship and, in some version of the tale’s interpretation, with a life he can have that’s in some ways more than typical mortal aging, and is (despite her offer) still not enough for Odysseus to stay. Until the gods get involved.
They send Hermes to break the news to Calypso that she must let Odysseus go.
By that time, Odysseus has been gone from home nearly the whole twenty years he’s been gone. The emotional tension in the story then is not simply whether he will survive-but whether there will be a home left to return to.
What Happened in Ithaca While Odysseus Was Gone?
Odysseus’s absence is disastrous. While Penelope stays in Ithaca, many would-be suitors wrongly assume Odysseus is dead. They come to court Penelope and take control of Odysseus’s estate, to spend his wealth, and behave as though Odysseus’s power is there to be usurped.
Penelope is able to prolong her wait for Odysseus by a ruse involving the burial shroud she weaves for Laertes, Odysseus’s father: she works on it during the day, unpicking some of it at night.
Telemachus is also in a difficult situation: he has been brought up without his father and must deal with the suitors while trying to discover whether Odysseus is still alive. The 20-year absence of the poem’s eponymous hero is therefore catastrophic for more than just Odysseus himself.
Odysseus Finally Returns to Ithaca
Having spent a while with Calypso, Odysseus reaches the land of the Phaeacians. They listen to his story and are willing to help him. The Phaeacians take him back to Ithaca while he is sleeping and he ends up in his own land when he wakes.
But Homer does not end the story at this point.
Odysseus must still take back his home, and Athena disguises him as a beggar so that he can see things without them knowing who he is. With Telemachus he then begins to hatch a plan for the usurpers. His return to his home is just the beginning of his re-established life.
How Long Was Odysseus Actually Home Before the Events of the Odyssey?
The confusion arises because the Odyssey doesn’t tell the whole story – that Odysseus did not keep a trip diary and it’s not listed chronologically. The poem begins close to the end of the ten-year return journey (with much of the earlier adventures narrated retrospectively by Odysseus). In fact, it covers only a relatively short period of the final part of his journey, and narrates the earlier adventures through flashbacks and stories. One scholar’s breakdown describes the main action as spanning some 42 days, although the journey as a whole lasts ten years.
Was Odysseus Gone for 10 or 20 Years?
Yes, each number is accurate, for a different part of the story.
How long does it take if you’re asking about, ‘How long was it from Troy to Ithaca?’ If you’re asking about, ‘How long was it from Troy to Ithaca?’, then its about 10 years.
If you wonder what his “not ever being” really is, it’s twenty years.
That’s why it sometimes seems that summaries are not in agreement.
The Trojan war is the first ten years, the return trip was the second.
A simple way to remember it is:
10 years at Troy + 10 years of wandering = 20 years outside Greece.
Common Misunderstandings About Odysseus’s Timeline
Mistake 1: Saying the Odyssey lasts 20 years
The larger story covers a 20-year absence, but the Odyssey primarily concerns the final stage of Odysseus’s return and his restoration in Ithaca.
Mistake 2: Saying Odysseus spent 20 years traveling
He did not spend all 20 years at sea.
The first ten years belong to the Trojan War. The following decade concerns his difficult return journey.
Mistake 3: Assuming the Trojan War is fully described in the Odyssey
The Iliad and Odyssey are separate epics. The Iliad focuses on events during the Trojan War, while the Odyssey centers on Odysseus’s return and events in Ithaca.
Mistake 4: Treating every location as historically verified
The Odyssey combines mythological storytelling with geography and legendary places. Modern attempts to map Odysseus’s route remain interpretive rather than definitive, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding ancient Mediterranean geography.
Why the 20-Year Absence Matters to the Story
No, the number 20, is more than a timing point. It is why Odysseus’ homecoming feels even more like the homecoming of a stranger. Telemachus had little memory of his father as an adult; Penelope has fought off suitors for many years to retain control of her husband’s estate; Laertes, the oldest of Odysseus’ family, has grown old; and the palace itself has been taken over by others.
Odysseus comes home in one piece, but he still has to regain his footing.
This is the reason disguise is such a key element in the final books: Odysseus can’t just walk right in and claim his throne. His absence has effectively alienated the people and the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long was Odysseus away from home?
Odysseus was away from Ithaca for approximately 20 years. Ten years were spent fighting in the Trojan War, followed by another ten years during his difficult journey home.
How long did Odysseus take to get home after Troy?
His return journey traditionally lasted 10 years. During that time, he encountered the Cyclops, Circe, the Sirens, Calypso, dangerous seas, storms, and several other obstacles.
Was Odysseus gone for 20 years or 10 years?
Both figures describe different parts of his absence. He was away from Ithaca for 20 years in total, consisting of approximately ten years at Troy and ten years attempting to return home.
How old was Telemachus when Odysseus returned?
Telemachus was an infant or very young child when Odysseus left for the Trojan War. By the time Odysseus returns, Telemachus is a young man. The precise age depends on how the mythological chronology is reconstructed.
Why couldn’t Odysseus return home sooner?
His return was repeatedly delayed by storms, divine hostility, dangerous encounters, supernatural events, crew mistakes, and extended stays with figures such as Circe and Calypso.
Did Odysseus immediately return to being king?
No. After reaching Ithaca, he initially disguises himself as a beggar and investigates the situation in his household. He eventually reveals his identity and confronts the suitors with help from Telemachus.
Is the journey of Odysseus based on a real historical voyage?
The Odyssey is an epic poem of Greek mythology, and its locations combine recognizable Mediterranean geography with ancient Greek mythology and mythological elements. Modern attempts to identify a precise real-world route remain speculative rather than universally accepted.
Final Takeaway
How long was Odysseus away?
The standard answer is 20 years. The first ten years he led the Greek armies during the Trojan War and the second was taken up by his 10-year voyage home.
The latter fact is the key to understanding much of the emotional substance of Homer’s story: Odysseus is not returning to the same household he left.
Telemachus has come of age, Penelope has held out for him for so long, and his home has been reoccupied by others who think he’s dead. In fact, his travels are essentially a story about a man coming to terms with returning home after a long journey that has covered two decades of wars, wanderings, losses, seduction, and doubt. His return is the reason Homer’s story is so emotionally charged.
