Homer, an ancient Greek poet, is believed to have been born around the 8th century BCE. He is credited with composing the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are central to ancient Greek literature. The Iliad focuses on the conflict between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles during the Trojan War, while the Odyssey narrates the ten-year journey of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he returns home after the fall of Troy. Both epics explore themes of human struggle, with the Odyssey particularly highlighting Odysseus's perseverance against divine punishment. The poems are written in Homeric Greek, a literary language that combines elements of the Ionic and Aeolic dialects, primarily influenced by Eastern Ionic. Scholars generally agree that these works were initially transmitted orally.The Iliad and the Odyssey have significantly influenced ancient Greek culture and education, promoting ideals of heroism and honor. Plato referred to Homer as a key figure in educating Greece, while Dante Alighieri's Virgil called him the 'Poet sovereign.' Despite the enduring legacy of these works, the authorship and historical context of the poems remain subjects of scholarly debate. Most researchers believe they were composed in the late 8th or early 7th century BCE. Ancient traditions often depicted Homer as a blind bard from Ionia, but modern scholars consider these accounts to be largely legendary.Only the Iliad and the Odyssey are definitively attributed to Homer today, although various other works were once associated with his name, including the Homeric Hymns and the Batrachomyomachia. These attributions are not widely accepted as authentic. Ancient biographical traditions about Homer include claims of his blindness, his residence in Chios, and various tales of his life and death. The most notable ancient biographies are the Life of Homer by Pseudo-Herodotus and the Contest of Homer and Hesiod, which recounts a fictional poetry contest between the two poets.The study of Homer dates back to antiquity, with early critiques focusing on his portrayal of the gods. The Iliad and the Odyssey were used as educational texts in ancient Greek and Hellenistic cultures, leading to extensive commentaries that sought to clarify their content. During the Hellenistic and Roman periods, some scholars interpreted the poems as allegories containing hidden wisdom. Byzantine scholars later produced significant commentaries on Homer, with Eustathius of Thessalonica's work being particularly extensive.The first printed edition of the Homeric poems was published in 1488. Modern scholarship has evolved, with various theories regarding the poems' origins and transmission. The 'Oral-Formulaic Theory,' developed by Milman Parry and Albert Lord in the 20th century, posits that the poems were composed through oral performances using traditional formulas. Contemporary scholars largely agree that the Iliad and the Odyssey were not written by the same author, citing differences in narrative style and perspective. The dating of the poems remains debated, with estimates ranging from the 8th to the 7th century BCE.Scholars also examine the historical context of the Homeric epics, questioning the existence of the Trojan War and the society depicted within the poems. The Iliad is set against a backdrop resembling the Greek world before the poems' composition, with references to customs and material culture from various periods. Archaeological discoveries, such as those by Heinrich Schliemann, have contributed to the understanding of the historical Troy, while the decipherment of Linear B has shed light on the Bronze Age Aegean civilization. The language of the Homeric epics is a constructed literary form, primarily based on Ionic Greek, and employs various poetic techniques characteristic of oral tradition.The Homeric poems were likely written down between the 8th and 6th centuries BCE, with the division into 24 books attributed to Hellenistic scholars. The collection and organization of the poems are traditionally linked to Pisistratus in the late 6th century BCE. By around 150 BCE, the texts had become relatively stable, and subsequent scholars, particularly in the Library of Alexandria, contributed to establishing a canonical version of the works. Today, scholars utilize a range of medieval manuscripts and papyri to study the texts, reflecting ongoing debates about their authenticity and textual integrity.