Homer Biography and Quotes
Born: 800 BC
Commemoration: 701 BC
Nationality: Greek
99
Years Old
Famously Known For
Homer is famous for being the first person to write The Iliad and The Odyssey. The impact of the stories are still felt to date.
Early Life
Homer is said to have been born between the 12th century and the 8th century at a place near the coast of Asia Minor. As he grew he became more passionate about writing poems and tales that touched on different aspects of life.
Personal Life
Little is known about the famous poet. It is believed that Homer had no wife and neither did he have any children.
Career
Homer is credited for being the author of The Odyssey which is one of the greatest poetry works ever written. In the Odyssey, he talks about a blind bard who is believed by many scholars to be Hoer himself. The blind bard, Demodocus, recounts the events that happened during the reign of Troy.
Many scholars believe that Homer wrote The Iliad while he was young and The Odyssey when he grew old. The stories were first narrated orally before undergoing changes and finally getting recorded by writing.
The two epic poems are probably the oldest poems that have been kept in the most original form and preserved for future generations. He is credited for being the author of the Homeric Hymns. This is a collection of poems that touched on different topics and issues that were affecting people at that time.
In The Iliad, it described the attack and conquest of Troy during the last moments of the Trojan War. The poem describes how the magnificent city of Troy was subdued by men who were using Trojan horses. The poems depict a period in which the ruled people were at the mercy of their rulers and higher powers.
In The Odyssey, it points to a character by the name Odysseus who was travelling back home with his family. Odysseus is painted out as a man who was from the famous Trojan War. It also talks about how his wife was being lured by men to marry him when her husband was at war.
Death
Homer is believed to have died at 701 BC.
