Composition of the Iliad and Odyssey: What Happened
Sometime around 750 to 700 BC, the two great epic poems of ancient Greece, the Iliad and the Odyssey, took the form in which they have survived. Tradition credits them to Homer, a poet said to come from Ionia on the coast of Asia Minor, though almost nothing certain is known about him, and scholars still debate whether he was a single person. The poems grew out of centuries of oral storytelling, when singers performed long tales of heroes from memory, using repeated phrases and formulas to help them compose as they went. The Iliad tells of the anger of Achilles during the final year of the Trojan War. The Odyssey follows the hero Odysseus on his ten-year journey home from Troy. The arrival of the Greek alphabet allowed these works to be written down. The Homeric epics became the foundation of Greek education, religion and identity, quoted by everyone from schoolchildren to philosophers. They remain the oldest surviving works of Western literature and have shaped storytelling for nearly three thousand years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey?
Tradition credits both poems to Homer, a poet said to come from Ionia in Asia Minor. Almost nothing certain is known about him, and scholars still debate whether he was one person.
When were the Iliad and the Odyssey written?
The poems probably took their surviving form around 750 to 700 BC. They grew out of centuries of oral storytelling, and the arrival of the Greek alphabet allowed them to be written down.
What is the Iliad about?
The Iliad tells the story of the anger of the hero Achilles during the final year of the Trojan War, including his quarrel with Agamemnon and his fight with the Trojan hero Hector.
What is the Odyssey about?
The Odyssey follows the hero Odysseus on his ten-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, facing monsters, gods and temptations, while his wife Penelope waits for him.
Why are Homer's epics important?
They are the oldest surviving works of Western literature and were the foundation of Greek education and identity. They have shaped storytelling, art and language for nearly three thousand years.
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