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Article: Homer
- Article from:
- Myths and Legends of the World
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Macmillan Reference, USA. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Homer
Two of the greatest works of ancient literature
—
the
Iliad
and the
Odyssey
—
are credited to a Greek poet named Homer. However, Homer is a shadowy figure, and some scholars doubt that he ever existed. They suggest that the two epics, which tell of the Trojan Warf and the events surrounding it, were woven together by generations of storytellers. Others, however, believe that one poet
—
perhaps Homer
—
could have gathered traditional legends and stories told for centuries and created the two great works of literature.
In any case, the ancient Greeks named Homer as the author of the
Iliad
and the
Odyssey
Stories about the poet suggest that he lived in Ionia, a ...