about the author

Nearly thirty-two hundied years ago, long before

the Greeks ever had a written language, Homer lived

and told his stories. Hc was a bard-a wandering poet

who kept his country's great legends alive by rcciting

them over and over.

Most people believe that Homer was blind. Perhaps

he was able to compose and remember all his poems

bccause he could see nothing to distract him from his

thoughts. When he arrived at a village, or at the home

of a wcalthy man, all work stopped. A great feast was

held, and everyone sat around afterward to listen to

Homer's stories. The men and womcn, gods and god-

desses he spoke about were part of Greece's legcndary

history. In their own way, his stories becamc one of

the things that held this nation of dty-states together.

Although Homer must have composed many poems

during his hfetime, he is best known for the lliad, his

story of the Trojan War, and the Odyssey, the story of

the wanderings of the hero Odysseus. Together, these

two books are counted among the finest works ever

comp.

osed bv man.