Homer


 * A Man of Epic Proportions**
 * by Casey**

“Sing through me, O Muse, of that man, who wandered far and wide…” So begins the great bard Homer as he starts into his epic tale of heroism. As the composer of //The Iliad// and //The Odyssey,// he set the foundation for all future heroic poetry. The epic works credited to Homer, a bard from Ancient Greece, are some of the most influential in all of history.

Homer is credited by the Greeks as the author of some of the most famous epic poetry, although historians still debate over his existence. His epics were “oral poems” that were spoken from generation to generation (Wright). Therefore, there were most likely many other contributors to his pieces. Ancient Greek tradition states that Homer wrote in the 12th century BC, while archaeologists deduce that he lived at a later date, around the 8th or 9th century BC. He is suspected to have inhabited an Ionic settlement, either Chios or Smyrna, and he worked as a court singer or storyteller ([|Homer]). Obviously his real passion was weaving together masterpieces, singing and storytelling as a bard.

In Ancient Greece, bards were a very popular form of entertainment. They would chant and recite poems and stories to large audiences. Often the bard would have to adapt to his audience, and the story he told would be improvised and changed every time he performed. Many bards were considered blind, because of their “other” sight that provided their story-telling talent. Lengthy epics were popular, so a bard must possess phenomenal memory capacity. Passing on tales from generation to generation, bards became a huge part of Ancient Greek culture ([|Heroic Poetry]).

Epic poetry, also called heroic poetry, has been found all over the world, from ancient to modern times. They often look back to a “heroic age,” with superior beings. Focusing on a hero who performs dangerous and seemingly impossible feats, these tales are usually a mix of historical fact and legend (Hadas ). The heroes and heroines show qualities such as bravery, courage, and love. Though they may seem perfect, the epic will show their human side, too. ([|Heroic Poetry]) Heroic and epic poetry exemplify literary styles and bardic tradition ([|Taylor]).

Considered the “finest epic poems,” the Iliad and the Odyssey are Homer’s most well-known works. These epics do spark debate over how Homer could have written both of them because the styles of the poems are so drastically different. //The Iliad// shows the falling of human pride; good men die, and even the gods bicker; moral disorder dots the world and the graphic dynamics of war are shown. Intelligence triumphs over brute strength in the contradicting epic, //The Odyssey//. Comic episodes appear in the story, and the gods punish the sinners and grant the good men rewards. Adventure is felt with the dynamic subplots. How could these two stories be written by the same man? Many say that //The Iliad// was written during Homer’s youth, while //The Odyssey// was composed with his maturity. Homer gave epic poetry a true definition after creating the works of //The Iliad// and //The Odyssey// ([|Homer]).

Homer has been making an impact since ancient times. In Greece, schoolboys had to memorize large portions (or even the entire work) of the Iliad and the Odyssey. These stories have become models for the epic style of writing. Now these masterpieces are “classics” and are included in nearly all teachers’ and philosophers’ curricula. Translated and interpreted and shortened, these stories are available to the entire world. We will never stop learning from Homer’s influential works (Hadas ).

Homer has influenced our world more than most people realize. He has created an ageless literary style of writing that still gets taught in modern times. So as that surfer tells you how epic the waves are today, think about how “epic” Homer’s work truly was.

Works Cited

Baker, Rosalie F. "What is an epic? Sing through me, o muse, of that man, who wandered far and wide." //Calliope// May 2007: 9+. //Gale Student Resources In Context//. Web. 7 Dec. 2010. Hadas, Moses. "Homer." //DISCovering Authors//. Detroit: Gale, 2003. //Gale Student Resources In Context//. Web. 9 Dec. 2010. "Heroic Poetry." //Encyclopædia Britannica//. //Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition//. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. < http://school.eb.com/eb/article-9040202 >. "Homer." //Thinkquest//. Web. 07 Dec. 2010. . Taylor, Jennifer. "Ancient Greek Civilizations." //Minnesota State University//. 1998. Web. 09 Dec. 2010. . Wright, Anne. //Philosophy and Writing: Inside Ancient Greece//. Armonk, NY: Sharpe Focus, 2008. Print.