Homer, Greek Homeros c.8th century BC
Greek epic poet, a major figure of Ancient Greek literature

Homer was regarded in Greek and Roman antiquity as the author of the Iliad (dealing with episodes in the Trojan War) and the Odyssey (dealing with Odysseus's adventures on his return from Troy). He was thought to be a blind poet, and was traditionally associated with Ionia, directly across the Aegean from mainland Greece, where four city-states had claims to be his birthplace: the mainland cities of Smyrna, Colophon and Ephesus, and the island of Chios.

It is now believed that the poems were developed from orally transmitted poems, which were much modified and extended by several hands. They are usually dated to the 8th century BC, although the Odyssey is probably later than the Iliad. The texts were further modified at a later date, especially sections of the Iliad such as the 'Catalogue of Ships' in Book II, which underwent changes to suit the political aspirations of Athens. The 33 so-called 'Homeric Hymns' are almost certainly from a later age, and are no longer attributed to Homer.

Bibliography: P Vivante, Homer (1985); W A Camps, An Introduction to Homer (1980); Jasper Griffin, Homer (1980); Alan J B Wace and Frank H Stubbings (eds), A Companion to Homer (1962)