Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Homer (disambiguation), Homerus (disambiguation), and Homeric (disambiguation).
Homer
Marble terminal bust of Homer. Roman copy of a lost Hellenistic original of the 2nd c. BC.
Native name
Ὅμηρος
Born
c. 8th century BC
Died
Ios[1]
Language
Homeric Greek
Genre
Epic
Subject
Epic Cycle
Notable works
Iliad
Odyssey
Homer (/ˈhoʊmər/; Ancient Greek: Ὅμηρος[hómɛːros], Hómēros; born c. 8th century BC) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the most revered and influential authors in history.[2]
Homer's 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 poems are in Homeric Greek, also known as Epic Greek, a literary language which shows a mixture of features of the Ionic and Aeolic dialects from different centuries; the predominant influence is Eastern Ionic.[3][4] Most researchers believe that the poems were originally transmitted orally.[5] Despite being predominantly known for its tragic and serious themes, the Homeric poems also contain instances of comedy and laughter.[6]
Homer's epic poems shaped aspects of ancient Greek culture and education, fostering ideals of heroism, glory, and honor.[7] To Plato, Homer was simply the one who "has taught Greece" (τὴν Ἑλλάδα πεπαίδευκεν, tēn Helláda pepaídeuken).[8][9]
In Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, Virgil refers to Homer as "Poet sovereign", king of all poets;[10] in the preface to his translation of the Iliad, Alexander Pope acknowledges that Homer has always been considered the "greatest of poets".[11] From antiquity to the present day, Homeric epics have inspired many famous works of literature, music, art, and film.[12]
The question of by whom, when, where and under what circumstances the Iliad and Odyssey were composed continues to be debated. Scholars remain divided as to whether the two works are the product of a single author.[13] It is thought that the poems were composed at some point around the late eighth or early seventh century BC.[13] Many accounts of Homer's life circulated in classical antiquity; the most widespread account was that he was a blind bard from Ionia, a region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey.[14] Modern scholars consider these accounts legendary.[15]
^Cite error: The named reference Lefkowitz2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Learn about Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
^Hose, Martin; Schenker, David (2015). A Companion to Greek Literature. John Wiley & Sons. p. 445. ISBN 978-1118885956.
^Miller, D. Gary (2013). Ancient Greek Dialects and Early Authors: Introduction to the Dialect Mixture in Homer, with Notes on Lyric and Herodotus. Walter de Gruyter. p. 351. ISBN 978-1614512950. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
^Ahl, Frederick; Roisman, Hanna (1996). The Odyssey Re-formed. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0801483356. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
^Bell, Robert H. "Homer’s humor: laughter in the Iliad." hand 1 (2007): 596.
^Rutherford, R. B. (2010). Homer: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide. Oxford University Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-19-980510-5.
^Too, Yun Lee (2010). The Idea of the Library in the Ancient World. OUP Oxford. p. 86. ISBN 978-0199577804. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
^MacDonald, Dennis R. (1994). Christianizing Homer: The Odyssey, Plato, and the Acts of Andrew. Oxford University Press. p. 17. ISBN 978-0195358629. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
^Divine Comedy, Inferno, Canto IV, 86–88 (Longfellow's translation):
Him with that falchion in his hand behold,
Who comes before the three, even as their lord.
That one is Homer, Poet sovereign;
^Alexander Pope's Preface to his translation of the Iliad: "Homer is universally allowed to have had the greatest invention of any writer whatever. The praise of judgment Virgil has justly contested with him, and others may have their pretensions as to particular excellencies; but his invention remains yet unrivalled. Nor is it a wonder if he has ever been acknowledged the greatest of poets, who most excelled in that which is the very foundation of poetry."
^Latacz, Joachim (1996). Homer, His Art and His World. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0472083534. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
^ abCroally, Neil; Hyde, Roy (2011). Classical Literature: An Introduction. Routledge. p. 26. ISBN 978-1136736629. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
^Daisy Dunn (22 January 2020). "Who was Homer?". British Museum. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
^Wilson, Nigel (2013). Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece. Routledge. p. 366. ISBN 978-1136788000. Retrieved 22 November 2016. Romilly, Jacqueline de (1985). A Short History of Greek Literature. University of Chicago Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-0226143125. Retrieved 22 November 2016. Graziosi 2002, p. 15
surrounding Homer's life, they indicate little more than the centrality of Homer to ancient Greek culture. Some ancient accounts about Homer were established...
special-achievement Annie Award. In 2000, Homer and his family were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Homer Jay Simpson is the bumbling husband...
His books have been translated into many languages. Homer H. Hickam Jr. is the second son of Homer Sr. and Elsie Gardener Hickam (née Lavender). He was...
"The Home Depot's Sustainability Report for 2020Q4" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 24, 2021. Alt URL "Meet Homer: The Home Depot's...
inside-the-park homer". Retrieved May 27, 2019. Cohn, Lowell (April 21, 1988). "What the Eck?". San Francisco Chronicle. p. D1. "George Springer is the best homer-hitting...
52–57. Homer 1975, 20.103–104. Homer 1975, 21.414. Kundmueller 2013, p. 7. Homer 1975, 2.143–145. Homer 1975, 15.155–159. Homer 1975, 19.136. Homer 1975...
important to get wrong." Homer is married to actress Jane Denney and they have children. He is an Arsenal F.C. supporter. "Mark Homer". TV guide. Retrieved...
The Iliad of Homer, by George Chapman, at Project Gutenberg The Iliad of Homer, by Alexander Pope, at Project Gutenberg The Iliad of Homer, by William...
vacations. Homer was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 24, 1836, the second of three sons of Charles Savage Homer and Henrietta Maria Benson Homer, both...
especially his father John, the mine superintendent, who wants Homer to join him in the mines. Homer teams up with math geek Quentin Wilson, who shares an interest...
A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals...
disaster. Homer repeats his rhyme and blindly presses a button. Although Homer once more averts a meltdown, Amadopolis is irate to find that Homer's supposed...
67/10. The New York Times The Los Angeles Times "Homer & Eddie". Rotten Tomatoes. Homer and Eddie at IMDb Homer and Eddie at Rotten Tomatoes v t e v t e...
Homer Ferguson may refer to: Homer S. Ferguson (1889–1982), United States Senator from Michigan Homer L. Ferguson (1873–1953), American author and businessman...
the episode, Homer is falsely accused of sexual harassment and must clear his name. Dennis Franz guest stars as himself portraying Homer in a TV movie...
second and third season of the half-hour show, allowing Homer to cover a fuller range of emotions. Homer has since become one of the most influential fictional...
world.[citation needed] William H. Homer and George Barber discovered the Homer Saddle on 27 January 1889. Homer suggested that a tunnel through the...
Homer Township may refer to: Homer Township, Will County, Illinois Homer Township, Benton County, Iowa Homer Township, Buchanan County, Iowa Homer Township...
1968. The Homer was exclusive to Japanese Nissan dealerships called Nissan Prince Store, when Prince was merged with Nissan in 1966. The Homer name was...
worried about Homer after a near-fatal incident and his bad medical history. Angered by his wife's new measures to cut back financially, Homer spends the...
strange signals, Homer is hit in the head by the first pitch, knocking him out and forcing in the winning run. The team wins the title, and Homer, still unconscious...
later. Both Homer and Langley attended Columbia University, which had just relocated to its present-day Morningside Heights campus. Homer obtained a degree...