Definition: Ancient Greek writer of whom we know next to nothing about, including (maybe) his name; Homer is the name assigned to the writer of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two ancient Greek texts that describe the events of the Trojan War (somewhere around 1300-1200 BC, if you believe in that sort of thing). From internal references, modern historians believe that the two texts were written in the 8th century BC, somewhere in Asia Minor, maybe Ionia.

Related Resources:

Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece included the best of art and politics of humankind: some of the finest sculpture in the world, and the roots of the world's democracies.

Game of the Week: Troy
What do you know about the ancient site?

Elsewhere on the Web:

The Great Homer Nodding
Did one man compose the entire Iliad and Odyssey? How? From your About guide to Ancient History, N.S. Gill

<Back to Last Page> <Full Glossary>