Homer

The Greek poet Homer is believed to have been born sometime between the 12th and 8th centuries BC somewhere along the coast of Asia Minor. Though very little is known about this enigmatic figure, he is renowned for his epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey. The Iliad tells the tale of the siege of Troy, the Trojan war, and Paris’ kidnapping of Helen – the world’s most beautiful woman. The Odyssey, set in the period after the fall of Troy, traces the trajectory of the life and exploits of the Greek hero, Odysseus. The Iliad has a strictly formal structure while The Odyssey adopts a more colloquial style. Both epics are laden with startling insights into early human society and human nature.