Encyclopedia Mythica
http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/europe/greek/
A wealth of information on Greek mythology and legend that should provide adequate background.
Robert Fagles on PBS
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/jan-june97/odyssey_3-3.html
An interview with the translator and scholar about The Odyssey's lasting impact on Western culture.
The Odyssey, Mapped
http://www.googlelittrips.com/GoogleLit/9-12/Entries/2006/9/15_The_Odyssey_by_Homer.html
An account of some of the scholarly disagreement about the locations mentioned in the Odyssey, and an attempt to map them.
Homeric Epithets
http://www.pitt.edu/~edfloyd/oralhomer.html
A little bit...
