Homer is known to CC 101 students as the author of the Odyssey, but surprisingly enough, not much more is known about his life story. Even his place of birth and gender are a mystery to us.
A recent article published in the National Geographic suggests that Homer wasn’t a person, but a tradition. Adam Nicolson, author of Why Homer Matters, writes that the works attributed to him actually go back a thousand years earlier than originally believed.
I think it’s a mistake to think of Homer as a person. Homer is an “it.” A tradition. An entire culture coming up with ever more refined and ever more understanding ways of telling stories that are important to it. Homer is essentially shared.
Check out the article here for the latest press on this Core celebrity.
