Homer and the Odyssey

Did Homer write The Odyssey and The Iliad, and what is known about the life of this famous Greek writer, when did he live, where was he born, and was he blind?

Detail from A Reading from Homer (1885) by Lawrence Alma-TademaDetail from A Reading from Homer (1885) by Lawrence Alma-Tadema

If people are aware of one thing about the ancient Greek poet Homer, it is that he was blind. In fact, he may not have been blind at all as very little is known for sure about his life. We don’t know where he was born, although Ithaca is one of several places that claim him as a son. Another is the island of Chios, where he is regarded as having been a blind beggar poet. We don’t know when he lived, but it was sometime around the 9th century BC. 

Did Homer Write The Odyssey and The Iliad?

Did he even write the two works with which he is credited, The Iliad and The Odyssey? As with the works of Shakespeare, there are people who believe it unlikely that one mind can have come up with such a rich and creative body of work. For some time it was thought that Homer might have been two different writers, collaborating on the works, although the latest linguistic analyses suggests that both of them are indeed the work of one author.

The Greek Shakespeare

Also as with Shakespeare, they are not original works but based on a mix of history and myth, blended with the art of a supreme storyteller. And in Homer’s day, storytellers is literally what people were. The epics were related orally, not written down, so the author had to be an actor too – and have a phenomenal memory.

The Iliad

The Iliad is set at the end of the Trojan War, three centuries before Homer was born. That is, if there was such a war. There is no absolute proof of the existence of Troy, although it may prove to be at Truva, in Turkey, where excavations were begun by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1870. He certainly believed that he had found the site of Troy, although Schliemann was always more noted for enthusiasm than accuracy. Research at Truva still continues.

The Odyssey

The better-known of the two epic poems attributed to Homer is The Odyssey, where again an intriguing mix of legend, history and heroism leaves scholars guessing as to what is truth and what is fiction. The book follows the story of Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, who had been fighting in the Trojan Wars and set off on his voyage home, which was so eventful as to make a Hollywood action movie look tame.

The Story of The Odyssey

Roman bust of HomerRoman Bust of Homer

Odysseus’s journey took him ten years, as one of his first encounters was with the one-eyed giant Cyclops, who holds the men prisoner in a cave. In order to escape, Odysseus blinds the Cyclops after getting him drunk. Unfortunately for Odysseus, Cyclops is the son of Poseidon, the Sea God, and if there is one person you don’t wish to anger when you have a long sea voyage across the Aegean, from Western Turkey to the Ionian Islands, it is the God of the Sea.

Needless to say, when he does eventually make it home, after encounters with sirens and whirlpools, shipwrecks and lotus-eaters, his adventures are still not over. He has to regain his Palace on Ithaca from those who have taken advantage of his absence and moved in. Is there a happy ending? Sorry, no spoilers here!

Some other history, writers, and artists pages

  • Great Greek Poets: Cavafy, Sappho, George Seferis, Odysseus Elytis

    There are many great Greek poets, with two authors winning the Nobel Prize for Literature and names include Sappho, Cavafy, George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis.

  • The Royal Tombs and Archaeological Site of Vergina in Macedonia

    The archaeological site of Vergina in Macedonia is famous for the royal tombs which were the burial place of King Philip II, father of Alexander the Great.

  • The Icon Painter

    Icon painting is a centuries-old tradition in Crete and the rest of Greece, and Greece Travel Secrets meets a modern-day icon painter in Elounda on Crete.

  • The Greek Gods

    The home of the Greek Gods was the top of Mount Olympus, and among the better-known Gods and Goddesses in the Greek pantheon were Zeus, Poseidon and Aphrodite.

  • Sir Arthur Evans, archaeologist at Knossos on Crete

    Sir Arthur Evans is the archaeologist famous for the excavations he made at the royal palace of Knossos on Crete.

  • Photos of Greece

    Greece Travel Secrets found these beautiful photos of Greece and the Greek islands by Athens-based photographer Milan Gonda.

  • A History of Athens

    A History of Athens from the first people to live on the Acropolis through the Golden Age of Pericles and Alexander the Great to the military junta.

  • Heinrich Schliemann

    Heinrich Schliemann was a German archaeologist who explored sites connected with Homer, including Troy, Mycenae, and Ithaca, and made some extraordinary finds

  • Greek Literature

    Greek literature has influenced the world, from the works of Homer, called the world's first novelist, through its great poets and dramatists to modern authors.

  • Greek Drama

    The Golden Age of Greek drama saw playwrights including Aeschylus, Sophocles, Aristophanes and Euripides all writing, and you can still see a play at Epidavros.

  • Greek Architecture

    This beginner's guide to Greek architecture explains how to tell your Ionic from your Doric columns, and what to look for in temples and Byzantine churches.

  • Cretan Writers and Artists

    The most famous Cretan writers and artists include the painter El Greco and the author of Zorba the Greek, Nikos Kazantzakis.

  • Battle of Crete

    The Battle of Crete during World War 2 inspired several books and took place with an airborne invasion over Maleme on the north coast of the island.

  • Alexander the Great

    Alexander the Great was the son of Philip II of Macedonia and gave Greece the greatest empire it has ever known.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Latest Posts

RSS

  1. Nobel Foundation Returns Mycenaean Gold Ring to Greece

    An ancient gold ring dating back to Mycenaean times was recently returned to Greece by Sweden’s Nobel Foundation, according to an announcement of the Greek Culture Ministry. The Mycenaean signet ring…

    Read More

  2. Greece’s Kastellorizo to Host 1st Rock Solid Trail Race in June

    Kastellorizo, one of Greece’s smallest islands located in the Dodecanese, is getting ready to host the 1st Rock Solid island trail race, scheduled to take place during June 11-12.

    Read More

  3. EU: Greece Among Winners of Natura 2000 Awards for Nature Protection

    Greece is among the six winners of the 2022 edition of the Natura 2000 Awards, an event that recognises conservation success stories across the EU and raises awareness on the Natura 2000 protected are…

    Read More

  4. Greece Takes First Step to Create Museum of Underwater Antiquities in Piraeus

    The Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) has handed over under a concession deal a 1934 silo on the port of Piraeus and the surrounding space to the Greek Culture Ministry so that it may be converted into a M…

    Read More

  5. Hydra Travel Writing Classic

    Peel Me a Lotus by Charmian Clift is a Hydra travel writing classic, describing her family’s life on this tiny Greek island near Athens in the 1950s.

    Read More

  6. The Churches of Thessaloniki

    The churches of Thessaloniki are remarkable and include UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, Byzantine masterpieces, and a church dating from the 5th century.

    Read More

  7. Blue Flag: Greece 2nd in the World for its Clean Beaches

    Greece’s beaches are among the world’s cleanest with the region of Halkidiki and the island of Rhodes in the lead this year, according to the 2022 Blue Flag quality award list for beaches, marinas and…

    Read More

  8. Lipsi Municipality Says No to Sunbeds on Island’s Beaches

    The Municipality of Lipsi is saying “no” to sunbeds on the island’s beaches and is encouraging travelers to enjoy eco-conscious summer holidays this year in order to live authentic experiences. “We ar…

    Read More

  9. Ioannina to Launch Food Council to Define its Gastronomic Identity

    The Municipality of Ioannina, the capital of the Region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, has launched action to associate the city’s gastronomy with the destination’s brand-name and identity. “Adding t…

    Read More

  10. Athens National Garden Refurbishment is Underway

    The Athens Municipality recently completed the first phase of a 4.2-million-euro refurbishment project aiming to upgrade the National Garden, one of the Greek capital’s landmark sites. The refurbished…

    Read More