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Homer, (flourished 9th or 8th century BCE, Ionia?), was an ancient Greek poet and presumed author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Though almost nothing is known of his life, tradition holds that Homer was blind. The ancient Greeks attributed to him the great epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. Modern scholars generally agree that he composed (but was not the original creator of) the Iliad, most likely relying on oral traditions, and at least inspired the composition of the Odyssey.

The Iliad, set during the Trojan War, tells the story of the wrath of Achilles. The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus as he travels home from the war. The two epics provided the basis of Greek education and culture in the Classical age, and they have remained among the most significant poems of the European tradition. The method of their composition has been long debated.

From https://www.britannica.com/summary/Homer-Greek-poet. 

For more information about Homer:

Previously on The Quarantine Tapes:

Daniel Mendelsohn about Homer, at 14:10: https://quarantine-tapes.simplecast.com/episodes/the-quarantine-tapes-096-daniel-mendelsohn

The Iliad, translated by Robert Fagles: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/537250/the-iliad-by-homer-translated-by-robert-fagles-introduction-and-notes-by-bernard-knox/

“Englishing the Iliad: Grading Four Rival Translations”: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/englishing-the-iliad-grading-four-rival-translations

“Robert Fagles, the Art of Translation No. 2”: https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/930/the-art-of-translation-no-2-robert-fagles