Odysseus (Armand Assante), the king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Ithaca, is called to service in the Trojan War after the birth of his son Telemachus, much to the dismay of his wife Queen Penelope (Greta Scacchi). Odysseus is worried that he may not return, and tells Penelope that she should remarry by the time Telemachus is a man if he does not return.

Arriving at the Underworld, Tiresias (Christopher Lee) torments Odysseus, recognizing his courage and wit, but criticizes his ego and foolishness. After Odysseus sacrifices a goat into the River Styx, Tiresias tells Odysseus on how to get home with one of the obstacles being an isle where Scylla and Charybdis lives. As he is running in terror from the underworld, he meets his mother Anticlea (Irene Papas), who committed suicide due to the pain of losing her son. She informs him that there are multiple suitors planning to marry Penelope for her money and power.