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• Homer was an ancient Greek poet who is credited with authorship of The Iliad and The Odyssey. The two epic poems are considered among the greatest masterpieces of Ancient Greece and have influenced Western literature for centuries. The Iliad and The Odyssey became the basis for Greek education during the Classical age and formed a standard for later writers including Aristotle, Plato and Socrates.

• Fast Facts

  1. Greek name was Homeros, which means "hostage" in Greek
  2. Homer was reportedly blind
  3. The Iliad is believed to be the oldest example of Western literature
  4. Homer's poems were likely recited orally and written down by later scholars
  5. Historical evidence suggests that The Iliad and The Odyssey were composed between 700 and 800 B.C

• One Man or Many

  There is very little biographical evidence on Homer, leading some scholars to question whether the man existed. Many scholars attest that Homer was not an actual historical figure and the works attributed to him were instead created by many people in the tradition of orally composed poetry. Later poems that depict stories of the Trojan War, Oedipus and other ancient Greek events that together, form the Epic Cycle have also been attributed to Homer, although again, there is dispute as to whether Homer composed any or all of the texts.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  The Odyssey | The Iliad | The Aeneid | Odysseus | Troy | Herodotus | Greek Gods

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