To prepare for this summer’s release of Christopher Nolan’s retelling of Homer’s Odyssey, we have something special for you.

Epic: The Musical

Epic: The Musical (often stylized simply as EPIC) is a multi-part musical project written, composed, and produced by Puerto Rican artist Jorge Rivera-Herrans. It is presented as a concept musical comprised of a series of nine albums — called “sagas” — that together retell and reinterpret the famous ancient Greek epic The Odyssey by Homer.

Instead of a traditional Broadway production with a stage run, Epic has been released as a sequence of fully sung-through albums, with songs that narrate the entire journey of Odysseus — king of Ithaca — as he attempts to return home after the Trojan War. Each saga focuses on a distinct section of the journey and incorporates characters, themes, and mythic encounters drawn from Greek mythology.

Jorge Rivera-Herrans serves not only as the creative force behind the musical but also as the voice of Odysseus in many of the songs. The project has gained a significant online following, especially on platforms like TikTok and Spotify, and has attracted praise for its storytelling depth, musical diversity, and imaginative retelling of a classic myth.

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The Mythological Foundation: The Odyssey

To understand Epic: The Musical, it helps to know its mythological source — Homer’s Odyssey — one of the oldest and most important epic poems in Western literature.

• The Odyssey follows Odysseus, a Greek hero who struggles to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
• His journey spans ten years and features encounters with gods (such as Athena and Poseidon), monsters (like the Cyclops Polyphemus), enchantresses (like Circe), temptresses (like the Sirens and Calypso), and other supernatural beings.
• Themes include cleverness and intelligence, the will to survive, the nature of home and identity, and the relationship between mortals and gods.
• The poem also considers deep philosophical questions about fate, honor, mortality, and human suffering — all set within the rich tapestry of Greek mythology.

Homer’s Odyssey was originally composed in ancient Greek around the 8th century BCE and would have been performed orally (sung or recited) before becoming a written text. The story has influenced countless works of literature, art, and performance throughout history.

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How Epic: The Musical Adapts and Represents Greek Mythology

1. Overall Narrative Structure

Epic: The Musical faithfully follows the shape of the myth as told in the Odyssey, beginning with events immediately after the Trojan War and ending with Odysseus’s dramatic return to Ithaca. The nine sagas each correspond to a different part of his journey or a major encounter from the original myth.

These nine sagas are:

1. The Troy Saga – The fall of Troy and Odysseus’s departure.
2. The Cyclops Saga – The blinding of Polyphemus the Cyclops.
3. The Ocean Saga – The trials and storms at sea.
4. The Circe Saga – Enchantment by the sorceress Circe.
5. The Underworld Saga – Odysseus’s journey to the Underworld.
6. The Thunder Saga – Confrontation with Poseidon’s wrath.
7. The Wisdom Saga – Trials of mind and spirit.
8. The Vengeance Saga – Transformation and danger.
9. The Ithaca Saga – The final return and the contest for Penelope’s hand.

Each saga, through a handful of songs, walks the listener through mythic episodes drawn from or inspired by various moments of the Odyssey — intimately linking the music to Greek mythic tradition.

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2. Characters from Greek Mythology in Epic: The Musical

The musical brings to life a mythological cast of heroes, gods, monsters, and mortals. Many of them come directly from Greek myth, especially as depicted in Homer’s narrative:

• Odysseus — The hero of the story and the protagonist of both the Odyssey and Epic.
• Penelope — His loyal wife in Ithaca, who waits for him during his long absence.
• Telemachus — Odysseus’s son, struggling to lead in his father’s absence.
• Athena — The goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, a protector and guide for Odysseus.
• Poseidon — God of the sea and antagonist due to Odysseus’s blinding of Polyphemus.
• Circe — A powerful enchantress who temporarily turns Odysseus’s men into animals.
• Polyphemus — The giant Cyclops whose eye Odysseus blinds, sparking Poseidon’s ire.
• Others — Including mythic figures such as sirens and combinations of godly and mortal ensembles.

These are not mere names but dramatic presences in the music, each given thematic and musical weight that reflects their personalities and roles in mythic lore.

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Musical and Storytelling Techniques Inspired by Myth and Modern Media

1. Musical Representation of Mythic Elements

Rivera-Herrans uses a leitmotif technique (inspired by compositions like Peter and the Wolf) to give each mythological character or force a distinctive musical identity. In this way:

• Odysseus is represented by a guitar (sometimes shifting types depending on his emotional state).
• Athena is represented by piano lines that emphasize wisdom and calm.
• Poseidon uses trumpet and brass motifs symbolizing power and danger.
• Circe shows up through rich string textures.
• Other gods and creatures receive their own musical signatures.

This method — assigning musical motifs to characters — closely echoes the Greek chorus tradition of ancient drama, where certain musical and vocal patterns signal divine or narrative forces.

2. Use of Modern Influences for Mythic Storytelling

Although rooted in ancient myth, Epic also draws from modern storytelling forms like video games, animation, and anime. These influences shape:

• Progression — Each saga feels akin to a chapter or level in a game, providing a narrative arc tied to Odysseus’s growth and challenge.
• Action and conflict — Songs like battle sequences or confrontations with monsters feel reminiscent of boss battles in games.
• Character dynamics — Emotional and psychological depth is emphasized through expressive lyrics and motifs, much like character arcs in anime or modern musicals.

This blending of ancient mythic content and contemporary narrative styles gives Epic fresh immediacy while still honoring its classical sources.

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Key Mythological Episodes Covered in Epic: Musical

Although every saga is worth study, here are several pivotal myth episodes that Epic: The Musical adapts with particular narrative intensity:

The Trojan War and Aftermath

The opening saga revisits the end of the Trojan War, including Odysseus’s role in the Trojan Horse ruse and the moral decisions he faces afterward — especially concerning the infant son of Hector.

The Cyclops Encounter

One of the most memorable parts of the Odyssey occurs when Odysseus and his crew enter the cave of Polyphemus, a one-eyed giant. Odysseus blinds Polyphemus and escapes, only to earn the wrath of Poseidon, Polyphemus’s father. This fight becomes a central conflict in the story.

Circe’s Island

In this mythic episode, the enchantress Circe transforms men into animals. This encounter reveals themes about temptation, identity, and transformation and forces Odysseus to confront choices about loyalty and human nature.

The Underworld

Odysseus journeys into the Underworld (a realm of the dead) to seek counsel from the prophet Tiresias. This mythic venture deepens the emotional and philosophical range of the musical, confronting Odysseus with ghosts of his past and questions about fate and mortality.

Return to Ithaca

The final saga — The Ithaca Saga — dramatizes Odysseus’s long-anticipated return, his showdown with Penelope’s suitors, and the emotional reunions that define the climax of both the Odyssey and Epic.

Each of these episodes brings Greek myth to life in musical form — not just retelling the events, but interpreting them with emotional and musical nuance.

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Thematic Depth and Mythic Meaning in Epic: The Musical

Beyond plot, Epic: The Musical engages deeply with the themes of Greek mythology:

1. Fate vs. Free Will

Like the Odyssey, Epic wrestles with whether Odysseus’s journey is guided by divine fate or human choice — and how much control he truly has over his destiny.

2. Heroism and Humanity

Odysseus is not just a war hero; he is a complex, flawed human being. Epic explores his internal struggles — guilt, longing, violence, and love — through songs that make these ancient emotions feel vividly modern.

3. Mortals and the Divine

Greek mythology thrives on the tension between humans and gods. Through its musical storytelling, Epic highlights how gods can be both guides and obstacles — from Athena’s wisdom to Poseidon’s fury — just as they do in myth.

4. Home and Identity

Ultimately, Epic — as with the original myth — is about the meaning of home, the cost of returning to it, and how a journey transforms a person. This universal theme resonates in both ancient and modern contexts.

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Why Epic: The Musical Matters

Epic: The Musical is far more than a retelling of a famous story. By grounding itself deeply in Greek mythology, and specifically the Odyssey, Jorge Rivera-Herrans has crafted a work that:

• Reimagines a cornerstone of ancient literature for the 21st century.
• Uses music and modern narrative techniques to explore age-old human questions.
• Connects audiences emotionally to mythic characters who are still relevant today.
• Demonstrates how myth can be retold, reinterpreted, and re-envisioned in a way that honors its roots while innovating boldly.

Whether you come to Epic for its mythological richness, its musical craft, or its emotional storytelling, it stands as a testament to how ancient Greek myth continues to inspire and resonate — nearly three millennia after it was first sung.

Visit our old blog post about how a BBC News poll voted The Odyssey as the most influential literature of all time to learn more about Homer’s Odyssey and its importance to history. Or visit the Fandom page about Epic: The Musical.