Homer was born in either Smyrna (Izmir) in Turkey or on the Greek island of Chios, some theories suggest Homer came to Chios to teach children. The poet created his works 'Iliad' and 'Odyssey' around 750 BCE, shortly after the invention of the Greek alphabet, not necessarily by Homer. The 'Iliad' chronicles the events of the Trojan War and the 'Odyssey' narrates Odysseus' epic trip home. The books are the oldest in Greek literature.

Homer

Daskalopetra, Chios

Homer's school, Ithaki

Blind?

Homer

Some say it indicates the poet must have been performing with closed eyes and was most probably blind, like the singer Demodocus mentioned by Homer in the 'Odyssey', but it's all just speculation. One thing, however, we can be sure of, everything Homer wrote or sang about must have been from hearsay. Therefore, Homer would have needed confirmation for each story, in order to be accurate and acceptable to his audience.

At least 2 dialects are used in Homer's poems, which has caused some speculation whether Homer refers to just one person or two, though the people of Chios are convinced Homer must have lived there as both dialects were spoken simultaneously. In a village called Daskalopetra (Teacher's rock) you can visit the rock where Homer might have performed his poems.

On the Ionean island of Ithaki stands the 'school of Homer' and some argue Homer must have lived there due to his geographical and historical knowledge of the region. In Greek the name 'Homeron' can either mean 'He who has to follow' or 'He who does not see', but in this case it most probably means 'He who did not witness', since the books were written 500 years after the story took place.