Homer

Very little about Homer can be confirmed with certainty, and even his dates are usually given only approximately, often around the 8th century BCE. Ancient tradition connects him with the Iliad and the Odyssey, the foundational Greek epics that became central to later literature, education, and myth.

The Iliad tells of conflict, pride, and loss during the Trojan War, while the Odyssey follows Odysseus on his long and dangerous journey home. Together, these poems helped define heroic storytelling and introduced characters and scenes that have echoed through drama, poetry, novels, and modern retellings.

Because so much is uncertain, Homer remains both a literary giant and a mystery. That mix of legend and lasting influence is part of what makes him so fascinating: whether one imagines a single poet or a name attached to an older oral tradition, the works associated with Homer still stand at the beginning of Western literature.