Injuries to the head and neck in Homer's Odyssey

Abstract

The Odyssey and the Iliad are the most prominent works of ancient Greek epic poetry, and we have retrieved injuries to the head and neck mentioned in the Odyssey. We studied the texts both in ancient Greek and the translations in modern Greek and English and searched for references to trauma to the head and neck. We recorded the injuries, the attacker and defender, the weapons used, the site, and the result. There were 11 injuries of the head and neck, nine of which were fatal.