Read
Choose a full translation or a short retelling and read at your own pace.
Homer, with room to explore
Spend some time
with the Odyssey.
We’ve gathered 24 translations, the Ancient Greek, thousands of reading notes, art and scholarship in one place. Read the poem and follow whatever catches your attention.
Available now on Android, iPhone, and iPad.
Free to start. Books I, II and IX are free; one purchase unlocks the rest. No subscription or app account.
The library
A poem, and a lot to spend time with.
- 24translations in 11 languages, plus Ancient Greek
- 3,285reading notes across all 24 books
- 258historical artworks and objects
- 52journal articles referenced alongside the poem
Compare
See how translators handle the same passage, with the Ancient Greek close by.
Follow a thought
A word can lead to an ancient custom, a recurring image, or a scholar’s reading of the scene.
Come back
Try another translation. Different wording can bring out a detail you passed over the first time.
Notes and scholarship
Follow the detail that interests you.
Skald has 3,285 reading notes on passages across all 24 books: Greek wordplay, translation choices, everyday life, recurring phrases and more. Some notes speak to a particular translation, so fresh notes can surface as you reread or change editions.
References to 52 journal articles give you somewhere to go next. For 40 of them, you can follow a direct link to the full text online; the others have a citation and DOI link.
Getting started
Start with a translation.
Or a short retelling.
Read a full translation from the start, or get your bearings with a retelling. The three telling depths offer a quick outline, a fuller account of the scenes, or a longer reading. Each retelling keeps its source details.
-
1
Find your place
The central movement of a book, ready when you need to return quickly.
-
5
Follow the scenes
More turns, people, and consequences while keeping the path clear.
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20
Take the long way
A fuller source-grounded telling made for a sustained reading session.
The labels describe telling depth and are not guarantees of an exact reading time.
24 translations in 11 languages
Read it in another voice.
Choose from 13 English translations, two in French, and one each in Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Hebrew and Modern Greek. Keep the Ancient Greek beside your reading and compare how translators approach the same passage. In the reader, choose Parallel mode to read two translations together.
Tap a Greek word to open its word card, which gives the meaning and form and, for names, the pronunciation. Translation comparisons include notes on the choices behind the wording.
Follow the journey
Find your bearings.
Follow the voyage on the map and see what happens to the fleet.
Open a map or note, spend a little time with it, and return to your passage.
236 artworks and objects · 48 museums and collections
See what others saw in the poem.
The museum gallery has 236 artworks and objects from 48 museums and collections. Another 22 historical works appear alongside the reading, bringing the library to 258 distinct works. Explore paintings, prints and ancient objects connected to the story and its world. Some picture an Odyssey scene; others help explain a custom, a craft or an everyday object. Open a work for its collection, source and rights details.
You can also browse the Art Atlas on the web. Collection links open when you’re online.
Keep reading offline
Take the library with you.
The text, reading notes, translations, Ancient Greek with its word cards, maps and bundled art live on your device. Read on a flight, on a train, or wherever you happen to have some time.
Read, compare, and find your place without a connection.
Reading
stays ready offline
stays ready offline
Article links and external museum, catalog and reference pages need an internet connection. Your saved passage and preferences stay in app storage. See app privacy for details.
Reading across centuries
A little closer to ancient lives.
A meal, a welcome for a stranger, a boat taking shape, someone waiting at home. Spending time with these details can bring the people in the poem a little closer.
Generations of readers
Translators, artists and scholars have spent centuries thinking about the Odyssey. Their work gives us more to notice and more to think about as we read.
Time to follow an idea
Stay with a passage for a minute or an hour. Follow a note into the art or scholarship, then come back to the story whenever you’re ready.
Another reading
There is more here than you are likely to explore in one reading. Try a second translation, or a third, and see which details catch your attention this time.
For curious adults and parent-led reading. The poem includes violence and mature themes.
Product updates
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A few questions
Before you start
Is the whole Odyssey included?
Yes. Books I, II and IX are free to read in full. One purchase unlocks the other 21 books.
What do the 1-, 5-, and 20-minute labels mean?
They mark three levels of telling depth: a quick return to the shape of a book, a fuller sequence of scenes, and a sustained source-grounded telling. They are not exact reading-time guarantees.
Which translations are included?
Skald includes 24 translations: 13 in English, two in French, and one each in Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Hebrew and Modern Greek. Ancient Greek is included separately. Explore the translations on the web.
What language is Skald in?
The app’s interface, notes and retellings are in English. The 24 translations are in 11 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Hebrew and Modern Greek.
Can I read the original Greek?
Yes. You can place the Greek beside a retelling or translation, follow corresponding passages, and tap any Greek word to open its word card. The meanings come from a Homeric dictionary stored on your device.
Does Skald work offline?
The bundled reading library and reading tools work offline. External catalog and reference pages and online sharing services need a connection.
Is this a subscription?
No. Books I, II and IX are free. A one-time purchase unlocks the remaining 21 books; the store shows your local price. A student or teacher price is available on your own attestation. People who bought Skald before it became free keep their access to the whole library.
Where is Skald available?
Skald is available on Android, iPhone, and iPad in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the 27 member states of the European Union.
What will product updates email me?
Occasional news about app updates and new reading material. You can unsubscribe whenever you like.
Who publishes Skald?
MannaMila LLC publishes Skald independently. It is not affiliated with a film studio, publisher, museum, or modern translator.
Available on Android, iPhone, and iPad
Start with a book of the Odyssey.
Books I, II and IX are free. Pick a translation and see what catches your attention.
Free to start One purchase unlocks every book No subscription or app account