| Year of O's Absence | Events | Book | |
| lst-2nd | 20 | council of gods, Athena's visit to Ithaka and council there | 1-2 |
| 3rd | 20 | Telemakhos visits Pylos | 3 |
| 4th-6th | 20 | Telemakhos visits Lacedaimon, plotting at Ithaka | 4 |
| 7th | 20 | 2nd council of the gods | 5 |
| 8th-11th | 20 | Ogygia-Kalypso (building of boat) | |
| 12-18th | 20 | safe voyaging of Odysseus | |
| 29th | 20 | Poseidon wrecks Odysseus' boat | |
| 30-31st | 20 | Odysseus drifts, lands on Phaiakia | |
| 32nd | 20 | Odysseus meets Nausikaa, Odysseus' reception on Phaiakia | 6-7 |
| [13-19] | Odysseus tells his story, from Zeus' wrecking his ship after his men ate the cattle of Helios to his arrival on Ogygia | 7 | |
| 33rd | 20 | Phaiakians entertain Odysseus and he recounts his earlier adventures | 8-12 |
| [1-10] | (Trojan war) | ||
| [10] | fall of Troy | ||
| [10-13] | Kikones, Lotos Eaters | ||
| [10-13] | Kyklopes-Polyphemos | ||
| [10-13] | Aiolia, Aiolos | ||
| [10-13] | Laistrygonians, Lamos | ||
| [10-13] | Aiaia, Underworld | ||
| [10-13] | Aiaia (Kirke) | ||
| [10-13] | Seirenes | ||
| [10-13] | (Prowling Rocks) Scylla and Kharybdis | ||
| [10-13] | Thrinakia,where Odysseus' men eat the cattle of the sun, the wrecking of his ship by Zeus, his arrival on Ogygia, land of Kalypso | ||
| 34th | 20 | Odysseus' arrival at Ithaka | 13 |
| 35th | 20 | O lands, stays with swineherd Eumaios | 13-14 |
| one more day here? | Telemakhos goes from Sparta to Pherai | 15 | |
| 36th | 20 | Telemakhos reaches Pylos, sails home, Odysseus stays with Eumaios | l5 |
| 37th | 20 | Telemakhos evades ambush, joins Odysseus and Eumaios | I5-16 |
| 38th | 20 | Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, goes among the suitors, fights a rival beggar, talks with Penelope, is recognized by Eurykleia | 17-19 |
| 39th | 20 | contest of the bow, killing of the suitors, Penelope accepts Odysseus as truly being her husband | 20-23 23 |
| 40th | 20 | souls of the suitors go to Hades, Odysseus visits his father, Athena makes peace between Odysseus and suitors' kinsmen | 23-24 |