Life of Homer (Pseudo-Herodotus) facts for kids

The Life of Homer is an ancient book that tells the story of the famous Greek poet, Homer. We don't know who truly wrote it, so the unknown author is often called Pseudo-Herodotus. This name means "false Herodotus" because the book starts by claiming it was written by the well-known historian Herodotus.

The book begins with these words:

Herodotus of Halicarnassus wrote the following history of Homer's background, upbringing and life, and sought to make his account complete and absolutely reliable.

Even though it's written in an old Greek style called the Ionic dialect, experts have long known that it wasn't actually written by Herodotus. That's why the author is called "Pseudo-Herodotus." This name is used for anyone who writes something and pretends it's by Herodotus.

The book also tries to figure out when Homer lived. It says Homer was born 168 years after the Trojan War. It also claims he was born 622 years before Xerxes I of Persia invaded Greece in 480 BC. This calculation suggests Homer was born in 1102 BC. However, the real Herodotus believed Homer lived much later, around 850 BC.

Homer's Amazing Story

The Life of Homer cleverly connects the poet to places famous in his poems and legends. It says Homer was the son of Cretheis of Argos and a woman from Cyme in Aeolis (part of modern-day Turkey). Homer's birth name was Melesigenes, and he was born in nearby Smyrna.

Homer's Travels and Blindness

Homer traveled with his teacher to Ithaca, where he stayed with a man named Mentor. Later, Homer included a character named Mentor in his epic poem, the Odyssey, to thank his host. Homer already had eye problems, and he became blind during his trip back from Ithaca, in a city called Colophon. After losing his sight, he started writing poetry to earn a living.

Becoming a Famous Poet

Homer first tried to get support from the city of Cyme but didn't succeed. So, he moved to Phocaea. There, another teacher named Thestorides offered him food and a place to stay. In return, Thestorides wanted the right to write down Homer's poems. Homer had to agree and recited his famous works, the Iliad and the Odyssey, to Thestorides.

Thestorides later moved to Chios and began performing Homer's poems as if they were his own. He became very famous. When Homer heard about this, he also traveled to Chios and found work as a tutor. Thestorides quickly left. While in Chios, Homer wrote some of his works meant for children, like the Batrachomyomachia, which means "Battle of the Frogs and Mice."

Homer's Final Journey

Towards the end of his life, Homer traveled to Samos. He died on the island of Ios while on a journey to Athens.

Special Facts About the Book

The Life of Homer is special because it claims that people knew how to write during Homer's time. It also says that his poems were written down as he recited them (Dalby 2006, p. 29). This is different from other old stories about Homer's life.

The book also includes 17 short poems, called epigrams, that are said to be written by Homer. Some of these epigrams also appear in other ancient texts, like the Contest of Homer and Hesiod.

See also

• The Kiln, one of the poems Homer supposedly recited in the Life story.