Iliad | Overview

Background: The Homeric Tradition
While the Iliad is considered by many to be one of the greatest works of literature ever composed, surprisingly little is known of its author. The poet known as “Homer” is shrouded in mystery. Until the eighteenth century, tradition unquestionably held that Homer was a blind poet who told tales of a time long past even in his own day. It has generally been agreed that Homer lived and worked in the city of Smyrna, located in what is now Turkey. The earliest mention of...

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