The story of Odysseus' perilous journey home after the fall of Troy relates allegorical tales of goddesses and sirens, capture and escape, and maneuvering between Scylla and Charybdis. After ten years of travel, Odysseus finally reaches Ithaca to find his family in turmoil. The saga of his efforts to make things right is one of the oldest works of Western literature, and it still offers powerful lessons for modern times.