Homer Biography

Homer is the man who, according to legend, wrote the two great epics of Greek history: the Iliad (the tale of Achilles and the Trojan War) and the Odyssey (about the travels of Odysseus). Both books are considered landmarks in human literature, and Homer is often cited as the starting point of Western literary and historical tradition.

The details of Homer’s life are a mystery. Some scholars believe that no such man ever existed, and that the works credited to him were actually told and gathered by many people over many centuries. Other stories give various birthplaces and ages for Homer and suggest he was a wandering poet or minstrel. Homer is usually said to have been blind, a point on which nearly all the legends agree.