Homer’S Two Tales, The Iliad And The Odyssey, Are Both

Homer’s two tales, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are both incredibly well known and widely taught across the world and at many different levels of education. Some call Homer the â€Å"greatest poet to ever live† and although this can be disputed his works truly speak for themselves and have braved the test of time quite well. This paper will cover who/whom Homer is as a person, or persons, and the time period of his writings, the truths versus the dramatizations of the Iliad and Odyssey, how the author’s perspective and writings portray ancient Greek culture, along with how the two of them interact with our culture today. Homer is a name that needs little introduction, but to understand ones works you must first possess the right knowledge of†¦show more content†¦The proof for such a theory comes from the diversity of narrative style, ethics, vocabulary, theology, geographical perspective, and written construction across the two epics, yet there is still mu ch mystery to this day. My informed viewpoint on Homer and the epics written is that â€Å"Homer† was likely a few people, 2 – 3, who over time wrote down the stories they heard and made them fit together and passed it on. Then the last person gathered up all the previous peoples works formed two large epic poems, made up of both fact and fiction. First of Homers two poetic epics is the Iliad, based on the Trojan War. It is definitely the more realistic of the two poems yet is still heavily influenced by fictitious elements such as divine intervention and the mythical creatures mentioned. The Trojan War is considered to be historical fact by most this day and age with Homer’s account being one of the most influential, but how accurate is his information? Bronze Age Greece is the setting for most of the Iliad; scholars have criticized whether the location and events were fact for decades. Yet fairly recently one man has discovered that the Iliad presents an accurate account of the geography of Ancient Troy. His nameShow MoreRelatedSimilarities Between Achilles And Odysseus1110 Words   |  5 Pagesand Odysseus in Homer’s, Iliad and Odyssey) Humanity has always strived for greatness, and is destined to continue this attempt till the world stops spinning. Through the art of storytelling, and literature, we have weaved images of what the ideal human should be. Countless works of literature depict such humans as â€Å"heroes†, due to the inspiration they stir within our imperfect souls. Truly epic heroes shape future stories, and remain influential despite the weathering of time. Two heroes of epicRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s Epic Of The Iliad And Odyssey903 Words   |  4 PagesWith this personal narrative, I will analyze two themes from Homer’s epic’s pertaining to the Iliad and the Odyssey. I have chosen hospitality (Xenia) and shame (Aidos) as the subject of interest, and will focus on these as a main source of the topic. Xenia is the ancient Greek word for â€Å"hospitality†, which is the consideration and kindness shown to those who are far from home and/or associates of the person bestowing xenia upon them. The rituals of hospitality created and conveyed a reciprocalRead More Use of Epithets In Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey Essay774 Words   |  4 PagesUse of Epithets In Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey Throughout The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer’s use of the epithet in describing Odysseus becomes essential as a means of characterizing the hero. Homer uses several epithets, or nicknames, along with the name â€Å"Odysseus† as the story unfolds in both tales. Three of these include the descriptive epithet â€Å"wily Odysseus,† the laudative epithet â€Å"Odysseus, the great tactician,† and the patronymic epithet â€Å"Odysseus Laertiades.† Besides their obviousRead MoreHomer s The Iliad And The Odyssey Essay1590 Words   |  7 Pagesauthor who gave a visible, written form to two of the greatest and highly respected epic stories of the world of the ancient Greeks, the Iliad and The Odyssey. However, none are certain of the time in which Homer lived. It is believed now that, if Homer was at all more than myth himself, he did not create the two stories, rather he organized or edited the poems in a written form (Bloom). Regardless of Homerâ₠¬â„¢s involvement with the two stories, these ancient tales are distinct and characterized by the worldRead MoreThe Penelopiad Analysis958 Words   |  4 Pagesnovel ‘The Odyssey’ . 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Unlike modern western civilization, the Ancient Greeks didn’t believe in immortality through an afterlife, but naturally, they still sought something permanent, something to give themRead MoreGreek Mythology And The Mythology850 Words   |  4 Pagesan individual is in. The Greeks and Romans are both very polytheistic civilizations. They believe in a multitude of gods and creatures, and they have gods for fertility, elements, war, medicine, and a multitude of others. The mythology of these two cultures is exceedingly similar, although for those looking for a more interesting view on the subject, Greek mythology is far superior to Roman mythology. The time period in which mythological tales were told began over one hundred years ago in 19