O·dys·se·us /əʊˈdɪsiəs/ in ancient Greek stories, the King of Ithaca and husband of Penelope, who is the main character in the poem The Odyssey by Homer. He spent ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and another ten years travelling home after the war. He is known for being brave, clever, and good at tricking people in order to get what he wants. In ancient Roman stories his name is Ulysses. → see also Iliad, The, Trojan War, the