Homer
Sign in to saveHomer (; , ; possibly born ) was an ancient Greek poet who is widely credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Although his life and authorship remain obscure, Homer was highly revered in ancient Greek society and is considered one of the most influential authors in history.
AI overview
Homer was an ancient Greek poet credited with writing the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that became foundational to ancient Greek literature. Though details about his life and authorship remain unclear, he is considered one of the most influential authors in history and was deeply revered in ancient Greek society.
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Key facts
- Writer.name
- Homer
- Writer.image
- Homer British Museum.jpg
- Writer.caption
- Marble terminal bust of Homer. Roman copy of a lost 2nd-century BC Hellenistic original
- Writer.native_name
- Ὅμηρος
- Writer.native_name_lang
- grc
- Writer.birth_place
- Ionia
- Writer.death_place
- Ios
- Writer.genre
- Epic
- Writer.subject
- Epic Cycle
via Wikipedia infobox
Key dates
- Born
- 900 BCE
- Died
- 800 BCE
via Wikidata · CC0
Article
21 sectionsContents
- Biography, identity, and biographical traditions
- Works attributed to Homer
- History of Homeric scholarship
- Ancient
- Modern
- Contemporary
- Historicity of the Homeric epics and Homeric society
- Style and language
- Textual transmission
- See also
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Editions
- Interlinear translations
- English translations
- General works on Homer
- Influential readings and interpretations
- Commentaries
- Dating the Homeric poems
- Further reading
- External links
Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an ancient Greek poet who is widely credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Although his life and authorship remain obscure, Homer was highly revered in ancient Greek society and is considered one of the most influential authors in history.
The Iliad centers on a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles during the last year of the Trojan War. The Odyssey chronicles the ten-year journey of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, back to his home after the fall of Troy. The epics depict man's struggle, the Odyssey especially so, as Odysseus perseveres through the punishment of the gods. The poems are in Homeric Greek, also known as Epic Greek, a literary language that shows a mixture of features of the Ionic and Aeolic dialects from different centuries; the predominant influence is Eastern Ionic. Most researchers believe that the poems were originally transmitted orally. Despite being predominantly known for their tragic and serious themes, the Homeric poems also contain instances of comedy and laughter.