Delving into a 3,000-year-old mystery using astronomical clues in Homer’s “The Odyssey,” researchers said Monday they have dated one of the most heralded events of Western literature: Odysseus’ slaughter of his wife’s suitors upon his return from the Trojan War...According to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, [the slaughter occurred] on April 16, 1178 BC.

This follows closely on the heels of last month’s discovery near Mt. Etna, Sicily, of stone tablets that seem to conclusively date another of Odysseus’ most famous exploits—the deception and blinding of Polyphemus, the Cyclops.  A translated excerpt from one of the tablets follows:

March 23, 1168 BC.

Dear Diary,

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!!!!!

Me fucking blinded!!!!!!!

Yours,
Polyphemus

Tags: literature, greece, polyphemus, classics, eyeball stabbing, the odyssey, history