Little is known about the life of Homer; the author credited with composing The Iliad and The Odyssey, and arguably the greatest poet of the ancient world. Historians place his birth sometime around 750 BC and conjecture that he was born and resided in or near Chios. Due to the lack of information about Homer the person, many scholars hold the poems themselves as the best windows into his life. What is undeniable is that the works of Homer proved to be the most influential not merely for the poets of ancient times but also for the later epic poets of Western literature.

There is much evidence to support the theory that The Iliad and The Odyssey were written by different authors, perhaps as much as a century apart. Differing historical details concerning trade also lend credence to the idea of separate authors. It is certain, that neither text was written down upon creation. Some scholars believe the name "Homer" was actually a commonly used term for blind men who wandered the countryside reciting epic poetry.

Although Homer has been credited with writing a number of other works, most notably the Homeric Hymns, the same uncertainty about authorship exists. It is assumed that much of the poet's work has been lost to time.