The poem follows a clever hero's prolonged voyage home after a distant war, narrating shipwrecks, encounters with gods and monsters, and temptations that delay his return, while his son and household endure intrusive suitors and dwindling fortunes. Divine meddling and mortal resourcefulness alternate as the hero faces hostile islands, enchantresses, and perilous trials, and the son undertakes his own search for news and allies. The narrative interweaves sea-borne adventures with scenes of domestic strain and finally resolves in a stealthy homecoming, tests of loyalty, and a forceful restoration of the household's order.