Around for some 3,000 years, The Odyssey is the ultimate and one of the oldest tales of our civilisation about travel. Obviously, the story isn’t exactly a fun trip for those involved, what with the gods jumping in to add a good decade onto a simple journey home, but that’s besides the point.
Without the monsters and horrific circumstances Odysseus and his crew encountered, a trip around the Mediterranean makes for the perfect travel itinerary. Given how in-focus the world depicted by Homer’s poems is right now, and after watch The Odyssey, more people than ever are looking to explore the coastlines of the Ancient Greek world.
Box-Office Blockbuster Inspiring Wanderlust
The story of the summer, for a few weeks, at least, was the rampant success of the first-ever all-IMAX film, The Odyssey. Ostensibly drawn from Homer’s epic poem, the massive film format depicts many idyllic locations, giving every trailer a tremendous amount of appeal in the aesthetic department, helping its early box-office surge.
Of course, also helping the early ticket sales was the premise. The title promises a look at an adaptation of the famous works and to bring that ancient setting to life with amazing costumes, sets, and structures. The film surged past $1 billion in a month, proving the popularity of the themes, story, and Ancient Greece.
Even now, it’s been far too long since a well-backed, well-written, faithful film based on an Ancient Greek myth has made it to the big screen. At least this cinematic experience inspired more people to pick up the book, with poetry sales seeing a huge boost to over £8 million in the first 30 weeks of the year.
Interest in the setting isn’t just expressed at the box office and bookstore, though, as it’s even a hit in online bingo. At the bingo sites with bonuses available to new and existing players, Age of the Gods Bingo is a hit. Featuring Zeus, Hades, Athena, and Ares, the respective might of these gods is reflected in their payouts in the themed game.
Going on Your Own Odyssey
The Odyssey is based around the eastern coasts of the Mediterranean. Of course, some of the places visited are fictional, but many historians are confident about a fair few locations being real. Zooming in, we’re generally looking at the span from Turkey to Tunisia, Italy, Greece, the archipelago of Malta, and the Iberian Peninsula.
At the chronological beginning of Odysseus’ tale, he’s leaving Troy after a ten-year siege as the hero who masterminded the Trojan Horse. That ancient city is said to be modern-day Çanakkale in Turkey. For one of the most famous encounters, some believe that Menorca is the place to go.
On their way home, Odysseus and his crew find themselves in a cave of Cyclops, one of whom is Polyphemus. Trapped in the cave, Odysseus outwits the giant by telling him his name is “Nobody” before blinding him to escape. That cave is rumoured by some historians to be on the Balearic Islands, with Menorca a contender for its sprawling caves by the coasts and the gluttony of ancient sites and standing stones.
Among the other prominent destinations to visit on an Odyssey tour, Corfu, formerly known as Corcyra, was said to be home of the Phaeacians. However, if this is the case, Calypso’s island to the west is seemingly myth or lost to time. Of course, the ultimate destination aligns with Odysseus, with the island of Ithaca still a stunning place to visit.
Of all of the movies to come out this year, it’d be tough to argue against The Odyssey as being the one that’ll best inspire your next trip. Given the region in which the story’s set, it’s just an easy extra excuse to get over there.
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