This biography, which draws on both THE ILIAD and THE ODYSSEY, brings Odysseus down to a manageable level that accords with Greek history of the time (second millennium B.C.), recreating him as the ruthless local chieftain on a small island, trying to survive in a society that was dominated by centuries-old traditions. In this telling of his life, the author--a professor of classics at CUNY--takes into account what is known of Greek life, including food, war, sex, and elaborate games of gift-giving and the exchange of hospitality.