Phantasia (poet) facts for kids

Phantasia was an ancient Egyptian woman. Some old stories say she wrote the original ideas for two famous Greek poems. These poems are the Iliad and the Odyssey. Most people think the poet Homer wrote them.

The Story of Phantasia

A scholar named Eustathius of Thessalonica told a story about Phantasia. He said she was the daughter of Nicarchus from Memphis, an ancient city in Egypt. Phantasia was a talented poet. She wrote poems about the great Trojan War and the adventures of a hero named Odysseus.

Phantasia's Books and Homer

Phantasia left her books at the temple of Hephaestus in Memphis. Later, the famous poet Homer came to this temple. He convinced the priests to let him copy Phantasia's books. After reading them, Homer then wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey. Some people even believed Homer himself was Egyptian. Others thought he visited Egypt and learned from the people there.

Who Told This Story?

This story about Phantasia is not very well known. It's considered one of the many fictional tales about Homer's life. An earlier writer named Photius of Constantinople also mentioned this story. He said it came from Ptolemy Chennus, a Greek writer from long ago.

See also

• Eustathius of Thessalonica, Commentary on the Odyssey 1.2.