this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2025
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This is actually false in a literal translation sense. That's the interpretation/implication of the title. Similar to how you would interpret the title of a biography called, "Abraham Lincoln", as "The story (of the life) of Abraham Lincoln", despite the latter not being the actual title.
In this case, the title is literally "Odysseyus" where "-us" is the nomative (subject) case case marker required in Latin. The English literal translation is, therefore, simply "Odyssey", his name.
Because it's an epic story, however, it matches English and general writing conventions to translate it as "The story/journey/epic/tale/what-have-you of Odyssey."
Over time, especially in English, "O/odyssey" has taken on a more generic term, as well. So, adding the extra stuff in an interpreted translation (vs. literal translation) also helps differentiate the title of the book from a generic odyssey that might be a grand adventure by/with a different main character.