Homer, the poet of the legendary tales, of The Iliad and The Odyssey is one of the reasons I wanted to write. I first read The Iliad and was completely enthralled by the richness of the characters, the storyline and narrative. Being an oratorical piece, it took some time to get into the flow of the story, but then the imagery took over. Just reading the description of Akhilles shield was magical. I would love to share it all with you but it is quite long, but here is some of it:
‘He made earth, sky and sea, the tireless sun, the full moon and all the constellations with which the skies are crowned, the Pleiades, the Hyades, great Orion and the Bear, also called the waggon. This is the only constellation never to bathe in Ocean Stream, but always wheels around in the same place and looks across at Orion the Hunter with a wary eye.’
The whole section is a beautiful description with scenes from skies to the earth, humans going about life and war. It was the combination of the story of the gods and that of the mortals which, for me, makes it intriguing. The plight of humans controlled by the whims of the gods. Hmmm… somethings haven’t changed. Just look at our politicians. But I digress.
Whether you believe the man did not exist, there is too much compelling evidence to suggest otherwise. Granted, both epic stories are fictional, but from the number of non-fiction books and documentaries made, it must have some basis in truth. Why would money and time be spent on it?
Two years ago I went to the site of Troy (Ilium) and despite the inclement weather, it was incredible. The place is so much bigger than I expected and part of those famous walls are still there. A pity Schliemann wasn’t astute enough not to destroy a large proportion of it but then archaeology during his time didn’t have the standards or practices that are in place now.
The extraordinary thing about Homer is his story is based on some facts. During this period 1300 BC, it was the riches of Asia Minor that compelled the invasion. (Why does that sound familiar? History keeps been repeated and no one learns from it.)
Anyway, if you are interested, there is a lot of information out there or you can ask me and I will answer to the best of my ability. Please keep in mind I am an amateur and still learning. And read Homer if you haven’t.
Luciana Cavallaro 