In short, it is difficult to give someone a birth date when he was born before there was a calendar. The Olympic Games of classical Greece marked an epoch, with 776 BC as a starting point by which to measure out four-year periods for the event. Part of the problem is that Homer lived before a chronological dating system was in place. 484–425 BC), often called the father of history, placed Homer several centuries before himself, around 850 BC.

But others believe the poetic style of his work indicates a much later period. Guesses at his birth date range from 750 BC all the way back to 1200 BC, the latter because The Iliad encompasses the story of the Trojan War, so some scholars have thought it fit to put the poet and chronicler nearer to the time of that actual event. Much speculation surrounds when Homer was born because of the dearth of real information about him. This is often considered to be the greatest literary mystery. However, Homer’s works are designated as epic rather than lyric poetry, which was originally recited with a lyre in hand, much in the same vein as spoken-word performances.Īll this speculation about who he was has inevitably led to what is known as the Homeric Question-whether he actually existed at all. The stories have repetitive elements, almost like a chorus or refrain, which suggests a musical element. Homer’s style, whoever he was, falls more in the category of minstrel poet or balladeer, as opposed to a cultivated poet who is the product of a fervent literary moment, such as a Virgil or a Shakespeare. A variation on the group idea stems from the fact that storytelling was an oral tradition and Homer compiled the stories, then recited them to memory. Some scholars believe him to be one man others think these iconic stories were created by a group.

The Greek epic poet credited with the enduring epic tales of The Iliad and The Odyssey is an enigma insofar as actual facts of his life go. He is famous for the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey, which have had an enormous effect on Western culture, but very little is known about their alleged author. The Greek poet Homer was born sometime between the 12th and 8th centuries BC, possibly somewhere on the coast of Asia Minor.

Odyssee by Homer