Odysseus, the cyclops, a few sirens and a six-headed serpent will soon return to the silver screen when Christopher Nolan's adaptation of "The Odyssey" releases in theaters July 17. One of humanity's most endearing stories, the myth was first recorded nearly 3,000 years ago and is one of two epics attributed to the Greek poet, Homer. 

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The story follows Odysseus as he returns to Ithaca following the Trojan War. Along the way, he faces a variety of challenges and treacherous monsters in a decade-spanning adventure that has inspired countless remakes and retellings.

Among those keeping "The Odyssey" alive in the modern era is Robert Groves, professor of practice at the University of Arizona College of Humanities, who teaches classics and enjoys reading the epic poem in the original Greek alongside his students. According to Groves, the ancient tale has remained a part of human culture in part due to the relatability of the plot: Everyone wants to go home and see their loved ones. The tale may be set in the Greek world and filled with monsters, but it's about family, identity, who we love and where we call home.

Ahead of The Odyssey's most recent retelling, Groves discussed what makes the story timeless, what lessons modern audiences can learn from the Homeric epics, and the challenges inherent to adapting classic literature.

Q: What parts of "The Odyssey" are you most excited to see on the big screen?

A: I am really excited, because it is my understanding that Christopher Nolan is leaning into the narrative complexity of the story. "The Odyssey" does not start at the beginning. It starts in the middle with Odysseus trapped on an island and his son and wife in danger. Over the course of the story, we come to understand what led to that moment, and it's the complexity of that storytelling that makes "The Odyssey" a classic text.

I am also excited about the inclusion of Odysseus' son, Telemachus. This is a kid who has grown up without his father for 20 years, and he really needed him. In many ways, that is the emotional core of the story, and I think a lot of modern adaptations have tried to cut that out to focus on Odysseus the man. They end up losing quite a lot.

Q: What aspects of the story do you think are the hardest to adapt, or are most misunderstood?

A: One of the things that people often misunderstand about Homer, "The Odyssey" and the classics generally is that they assume that a good adaptation is going to be totally true to the text. In fact, going back to the ancient world, these texts were always meant to be played with.

Since the time "The Odyssey" was first written down, people have adapted and made it their own. We don't get upset when Virgil remakes Odysseus in his own way, or when Dante does it. We don't need to get upset if people of a different background or race are cast in a role, because this is a story that is fundamentally about human characters. It is a normal part of myth that people are reinterpreting and remaking it for their audiences. 

I think one of the things a filmmaker has to do is balance historical accuracy with the language of cinema so that the audience understands and recognizes what is going on. Even in the Greek world, there are 100 different versions of Odysseus and his adventures, who his parents are, and how the story goes. The ancient Greeks themselves would argue about that. 

Q: What does "The Odyssey" teach us about the human condition?

A: I think the first lesson "The Odyssey" tries to impart is that humans are responsible for a lot of their own problems. Zeus even says it on Mount Olympus, and it's true of Odysseus, who creates many of his own problems through hubris and a desire to achieve great things. He and his men repeatedly suffer for that, and I think that is a reminder that Odysseus is not an unambiguously good guy.

Odysseus is morally complicated, like all of us. Even when we do great things, we are still fallible. We are still problematic. I think that should serve as a reminder that we should always be thinking about our "best options" and what may be the right action at a given moment. Life always has something in store for us, and we can certainly make things worse if we don't make the right decisions.