What Did Homer Write About In The Iliad And The Odyssey?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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“The Iliad“ (Gr: “Iliás“ ) is an epic poem by the ancient Greek poet Homer, which

recounts some of the significant events of the final weeks of the Trojan War and the Greek siege of the city of Troy

(which was also known as Ilion, Ilios or Ilium in ancient times).

What were Homer's writings about?

Homer Known for Poetry Notable work Iliad Odyssey

What did Homer write about in The Iliad?

“The Iliad“ (Gr: “Iliás“ ) is an epic poem by the ancient Greek poet Homer, which

recounts some of the significant events of the final weeks of the Trojan War and the Greek siege of the city of Troy

(which was also known as Ilion, Ilios or Ilium in ancient times).

What was the purpose of the Iliad and the Odyssey?

The Iliad tells the story of

the Greek struggle to rescue Helen, a Greek queen

, from her Trojan captors. The Odyssey takes the fall of the city of Troy as its starting point and crafts a new epic around the struggle of one of those Greek warriors, the hero Odysseus.

Is Iliad a true story?

The Iliad isn't a documentary, and

it's definitely not a memoir

, since the actual events that inspired Homer's story happened hundreds of years before Homer was born.

What does Iliad mean in English?

1a :

a series of miseries or disastrous events

. b : a series of exploits regarded as suitable for an epic. 2 : a long narrative especially : an epic in the Homeric tradition.

What were Homer's greatest works?

Homer is the presumed author of

the Iliad and the Odyssey

, two hugely influential epic of ancient Greece. If Homer did in fact compose the works, he is one of the greatest literary artists in the world, and, through these poems, he affected Western standards and ideas.

What was the main focus of Homer's Iliad?

Iliad, epic poem in 24 books traditionally attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer. It takes the Trojan War as its subject, though

the Greek warrior Achilles

is its primary focus.

How old is Homer's Odyssey?

The Odyssey, attributed to Homer, is commonly dated to

around 800 BC

, written on the author's home Iona, now the oceanside coast of Turkey. Interestingly, there are some who feel that the story actually comes from around 1170. That's almost 400 years older than previously thought.

What is the moral lesson of the Iliad?

The moral message of the Iliad is that

having the courage to fight gives a man's life honor and meaning, but that war itself is tragic

. While Homer emphasizes honorable exploits of brave warriors, he also does not shy away from showing the human cost of war.

Why is it called the Odyssey?

The English word odyssey,

meaning long journey

, comes from this poem. The Roman name for Odysseus is Ulysses.

Why is the Odyssey so important?

The Odyssey is important because

it is one of the world's oldest surviving texts

. Reading it provides insight into the ancient Greek world. … It leads readers to reflect on concepts like fate and free will and features memorable characters like Odysseus, who is a strong but understandably human hero.

Who Killed Achilles?

Achilles is killed by an arrow, shot by

the Trojan prince Paris

. In most versions of the story, the god Apollo is said to have guided the arrow into his vulnerable spot, his heel. In one version of the myth Achilles is scaling the walls of Troy and about to sack the city when he is shot.

Did Troy actually exist?

Most historians now agree that ancient Troy was to be found at Hisarlik.

Troy was real

. … There also survive inscriptions made by the Hittites, an ancient people based in central Turkey, describing a dispute over Troy, which they knew as ‘Wilusa'.

Who killed Helen of Troy?

According to a variant of the story, Helen, in widowhood, was driven out by her stepsons and fled to Rhodes, where she was hanged by

the Rhodian queen Polyxo

in revenge for the death of her husband, Tlepolemus, in the Trojan War.

Why is the Iliad so important?

The Iliad, an epic poem by Homer, provides

a unique insight into both Greek history and the formation of a Greek identity

. … Beyond its significance for promoting a historical understanding of a Greek identity, The Iliad also serves as a lesson in warfare in modern days.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.