The Odyssey is set in a fantasy world – but the ancient Greeks mapped it onto what they knew

Universal Studios The ancient Greeks would have enjoyed current controversies about the “historical accuracy” of Christopher Nolan’s new adaptation of The Odyssey. The Greeks loved arguing about the “truth” of Homer’s stories. They weren’t precious about their myths. Greek storytellers could – and did – criticise them. They competed to make people see old stories in new ways. For the ancient Greeks, their deep past – the time of gods and monsters – was a paradox. On the one hand, it was full…