The Importance Of The Iliad And The Odyssey

During the Dark Age of Greek history (1100-750 B.C.E.), a famous author named Homer developed two works, which served as documentation for the time period, called The Iliad and The Odyssey that would influence future Greek and Western history to this day, serve as the basis for Greek education after the Dark Age, and offer many valuable themes useful for Greek and Western civilizations. The Iliad is thought to have been composed first between the two books, and it bases on Achilles (the hero of the Greeks), the Trojan war, and the sufferings and losses of war. The Odyssey came after and its main character is Odysseus with the basis being homecoming from war. Both books were a good past for Greeks after hundreds of years of the Dark Age, and their uplifting and numerous themes are what made them so important to Greek education and life after the Dark Age.

It is thought that Homer most likely got inspiration for The Iliad from stories that had been passed down through generations, originally …show more content…
His journey back home took ten years, and he was believed to be missing in action the whole time. He returns home and is very proud to find that his wife, Penelope, took care of the family and preserved their household for such a long time. It showed how some women did not only do the usual housework at this time, but some, in fact, were expected to achieve just as much as the men. Along with Penelope’s achievements, Odysseus’ journey brought along many great values too. It showed the how far the will of a man can go as he journeyed for 10 years to get back home. The journey tested Odysseus, and he can out as a hero. The main value of the story comes out to be that “virtue is a better policy than vice” because Odysseus chose the right path and completed his trek. It showed how courageous one man can be, and it shows the limits of man at his