Homer

:For other uses, see Homer (disambiguation).

Historical Aspects of the Poems

See main article Troy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another significant question regards the tales' possible historical basis. The commentaries on the Iliad and the Odyssey written in the Hellenistic period (3rd to 1st century BC) began exploring the textual inconsistencies of the poems. Modern classicists continue the tradition.

Related Topics:
Hellenistic - 3rd - 1st century BC

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The excavations of Heinrich Schliemann in the late 19th century began to convince scholars there was a historical basis for the Trojan War. Research (pioneered by the aforementioned Parry and Lord) into oral epics in Serbo-Croatian and Turkic languages began to convince scholars that long poems could be preserved with consistency by oral cultures until someone bothered to write them down. The decipherment of Linear B in the 1950s by Michael Ventris and others, convinced scholars of a linguistic continuity between 13th century BC Mycenaean writings and the poems attributed to Homer.

Related Topics:
Heinrich Schliemann - 19th century - Trojan War - Serbo-Croatian - Turkic languages - Decipherment - Linear B - 1950s - Michael Ventris - 13th century BC - Mycenaean

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~