The Impact Of Homer's Influence On Modern Literature

Many have deemed Homer and Hesiod the “founding fathers” of Greek epic poetry and philosophical writings. Both writers’ careers flourished around 8th century B.C, and were immense influences in the world of Greek philosophy. Hesiod focuses on more traditional origins of life for his stories and ensures that the creation of the world and its rulers are embodied in his works. Homer has been considered one of the most influential philosophical writers for centuries by recognized philosophers. He wrote about principles in battle, governance, counsel, sports, the home and life in general that the Greeks looked to in praise. While both of the authors were similar in writing style, they differ vastly in the messages of their poems.

The Odyssey by Homer is a great text that manipulates the skill of storytelling bringing out the meaning of being human, the spiritual and physical homecoming. It is an archetypal epic expedition essential for understanding ourselves and other modern texts following the same pattern. The text brings out the ancient Greek beliefs and customs that are essential in studying Western Literature through the evaluation of different characters, and the themes manifested are essential in establishing a good foundation for any literature student. The themes therein such as leadership skills, folly, retaliation, mythology, death, ogres, temptation seduction, deceit, and warfare make the text an essential student companion in the quest of comprehending literature.

Literature is one of the most powerful and revealing aspects of a society. In ancient Greek society, Homer’s The Odyssey provides a detailed insight into the values of this intricate culture. In particular, this epic discusses the ways in which the deathless gods influence the fates of the mortals. The overall impact of the gods’ power is the mental straining that emerges from the unrelenting conflict of man versus immortal. Likewise, the actions and misfortunes of others also catalyze this extremely significant and powerful mental battle. Homer’s The Odyssey reveals the values of ancient Greece by portraying the intrapersonal struggles between a person’s self-determined honor and his/her worthiness in the eyes of the Gods. This underlying

The Merriam-Webster defines a hero as “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability.” Does that mean every single hero has to have great strength and have the skill and style of Superman? To try to define the word hero is useless because it can be interpreted in too many ways. Presidential candidates, philanthropists, and even religious leaders are considered heroes by many. Odysseus is seen as the first real hero put on paper and seen taking “the hero’s journey” just like the heroes we look up to in everyday life, such as Abraham Lincoln. With such a tall, lean, magnificent structure, Abraham Lincoln at 6’ 5’’ looks like a true hero, and that’s not all of it. A man not only with the perfect

of Homer’s literary skill and of the impressions he intends to leave with us. This is clear even in the

Being part of the oldest surviving pieces of literature, displays its importance of being saved and handed down throughout time and suggests one of the reasons why it is considered canonical. It has gained status from many generations of readers. Homer was “one of the most translated authors of the late twentieth century.” (Robson, 2014, p.240) and Homer holds authority still today, through frequent study and reworks of Homeric poetry, Robson suggests “The regard that previous generations, as well as our own, have had for the Iliad provides a compelling reason to believe that it is an important work of art.” (Robson, 2014,

    Most people think of a hero as a strong, superior, good-looking person that could never make a mistake. However, in a story called The Odyssey, a connection to real life reveals imperfections to be common in heroes. Each person has their low points and highlights, regardless of their “rank”. The author and epic poet, Homer, exemplifies our main character, Odysseus, to take on this idea of a hero and a father figure throughout his writing. Monsters were also used to excite a reader and still are a vital archetype used today. The time period took place in Ancient Greece, allowing Greek culture to relate to the poem. Different aspects of such culture and history may have influenced the works and creativity of Homer as well. A major point includes The Trojan War because it focuses in on Odysseus’ journey to bring Helen back home by devising a plan to destroy warriors in the city. Acknowledge this factor when reading The Odyssey, for not only evidence of heroism, but also other major points of archetypes, in which the device reflects the insights of readers in modern time and what is seen from Ancient Greek culture.

Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey follows Odysseus on his long journey home. The Epic also includes the stories of Odysseus’ family left behind: the travels of his son, Telemachus, and how plenty, of what we would now call “home wreckers”, suitors pressured his wife, Penelope, into marrying one of them. The characters are beautifully crafted and the story is truly epic. All the elements presented can bring in any reader from any century, the Cyclops, the Gods, the trickery of Penelope, and the disguises of Odysseus, are all legendary literary hooks . There are many things to learn—about writing, about the world around us, the world ahead of us, and the past behind us—from The Odyssey. (26) It is undeniably evident that this ancient text has

During their reading of the Iliad and the Aeneid, scores of readers only see the two great poets commenting on the nature of war and destruction. What countless do not see, however, are there passionate outcries on behalf of the tragic heroes and humanity itself. The author of the Iliad, Homer, has been theorized by some to be a collection of writers working in collaboration. Nevertheless, this author had an immeasurable effect on ancient Greek culture. The Aeneid was written by Virgil, who was born in 70 BCE and had two other works in addition to his epic masterpiece. Through their use of tragic heroes in The Iliad and The Aeneid, Virgil and Homer comment on humanity’s flaws, the oftentimes seemingly hopeless future and the courage

There is an unending amount of wholesome literature to be found in the world, all simply unique and ranging in genre, but all equally impactful and molding the lives throughout human history. One writer, in specific, has greatly contributed to this historic compilation with his timeless epic, The Odyssey. Homer’s The Odyssey was passed down from generation to generation for centuries before ever being written down. Word of mouth is the only reason we have many works like those of Homer.

Homer’s two tales, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are both incredibly well known and widely taught across the world and at many different levels of education. Some call Homer the “greatest poet to ever live” and although this can be disputed his works truly speak for themselves and have braved the test of time quite well. This paper will cover who/whom Homer is as a person, or persons, and the time period of his writings, the truths versus the dramatizations of the Iliad and Odyssey, how the author’s perspective and writings portray ancient Greek culture, along with how the two of them interact with our culture today.

Two epic poems: one telling a grandiose tale of battle and the other describing a hellish journey home for one of the soldiers. This is what is in store for readers when they enter the rich world of Homer’s legendary poems: The Iliad and The Odyssey. These poems, highly regarded by almost all who have read it, are considered some of the most influential pieces of literature ever written, and for good reason. The Iliad and The Odyssey have been some of my personal favorite reads, just behind Animal Farm and 1984, due to its captivating style of prose, which made even the smallest of events interesting in some way. There were no dull moments, and I could confidently say that the entire experience was one that left me completely satisfied. These poems have forever changed the world of literature, and it is not hard to see why.

Hesiod and Homer are two extremely important philosophers who impact the rest of the philosophers and their opinions to this day. After going into depth and focusing on these two philosophers, I noticed a good amount of interesting similarities in their mythologies along with a couple of differences. As both of these men are known for their creations of very popular stories (The Iliad and The Odyssey for Homer and Theogony for Hesiod) through divine inspiration, a common theme in both of their mythologies is how important honor is to the gods and how consequences will follow if justice isn’t served. These philosophers have distinct differences in their beliefs as well. While Hesiod focuses on the creation and beginning of all things,

Homer and Ovid are two of the oldest, most influential poets that have ever lived. Although they are both poets, they have several differences in their writings. Homer, a Greek poet, is most famous for his epic poems Iliad and Odyssey. Ovid, a Roman poet, is most famous for Metamorphoses a 15 book poem containing over 250 myths. To compare and contrast these two poets and their writing styles, I will use Achilles’ battle with Hector in Homer’s Iliad book 22 and compare it with Achilles’ battle with Cycnus in Ovid’s Metamorphoses book 12. The comparison of these battles will give us a better understanding of these poets different views on the Trojan War.

The ancient Greeks and Romans contributed to western civilization in many different forms of literature and architecture. Both of these cultures produced a variety of literary works which are still studied today. One of the biggest contributions to literature was from the author known as Homer. Homer was known for two of ancient Greece’s most epic poems, The lliad and The Odyssey. Both of these poems have had a profound impact on western literature and continue to influence teachers and authors today. “The lliad and The Odyssey have provided not only seeds but fertilizer for almost all the other arts and sciences in