The Mysterious Homer, Author of The Odyssey and The Iliad

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The Mysterious Homer, Author of The Odyssey and The Iliad

A sketchy figure by the name of Homer is given credit for the two great epic poems of ancient Greece. The Odyssey and The Iliad influenced Greek culture, education, and morality. Little is known about Homer and many scholars question whether he existed at all. (Encarta) Some say two different unknown authors wrote the two poems. (Britannica) Others say that many oral poets were responsible for the finished products. (Britannica) In this report I will discuss the theories that support the existence of an author named Homer. I will present the theories concerning his place of origin and those concerning the century he was likely to have lived in. I will also discus the artifacts that help to date the period and the region where Homer wrote the two great epics.

It is probable that Homer lived in Ionia. Ionia is the central part of the western seaboard of Asia Minor. In the earliest known manuscripts, both The Iliad and The Odyssey are written in Ionic dialect. (Britannica) In The Odyssey, Homer is very vague about the posi...

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