Homer

The legendary poet Homer has a contentious history, now considerably refashioned by fiction. The works attributed to him were almost certainly shaped by multiple authors. And yet, his literary persona and creations influenced not just ancient poets like Virgil and Sappho, but also the way stories are crafted even today.

Homer is generally placed in the eighth or ninth century BCE, though this has been the subject of much debate. He may have hailed from the island of Chios, a claim that is supported by the Ionic dialect used in his poetry.