Annotated Bibliography

Biles, Zachary. “Perils of Song in Homers "Odyssey".” Phoenix, vol. 57, no. 3/4, 2003, p. 191.,

doi:10.2307/3648513.

Perils of Song in Homer’s Odyssey discusses the use of epic song at critical moments

during the poem. Scholars have interpreted this use as Homer’s way of glorifying the recitation

of song within the text, which in turn glorifies his own profession. But Biles interprets the songs

as another conflict Odysseus and his son must overcome. By defying the fate that the Muses

predict for them, they are able to carve their own destiny.

This text is unique because it argues against the widely assumed theory that Homer

inserted Muses into his work because he was a singer of stories himself. The author discusses

every instance of song throughout the poem, and makes comparisons to Homer’s other work, the

Iliad, to further his point.

The usefulness of this text comes from its discussion of the widely perceived “character”

of Homer - or rather, what people throughout the years have assumed about him. Because of

Homer’s mysterious origins, theories about Homer are just as important as the few facts we do

have.

“Homer.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 22 May 2017,

www.biography.com/people/homer-9342775.

Due to the oral nature of his works and the timeframe in which they originated, very little

is known about Homer. In fact, Homer’s status as a single person is up for debate - some believe

that the Iliad and the Odyssey were created by a group of people. His birthdate and place of birth
are also disputed, ranging from 1200 to 750 BC in more than seven cities. A characteristic that is

widely assumed to be true about him is his blindness, based on what is likely an author surrogate

character in the Odyssey, Demodokos.

This website sums up all the information we have on Homer in an clear and easy to read

style. However, due to the subject being as mysterious as it is, the bulk of the article ends up

being speculation.

To accurately study any artist, it is important that one understands the context in which

they made art. Although Homer’s background is a mystery, there are prevailing theories that are

worth studying for this purpose.

Homerus, and Jasper Griffin. Homer, Iliad. Clarendon, 1995.

The Iliad takes place during the Trojan War, a conflict between the people of Ancient

Greece and Troy. While there are many scenes of battle, the Iliad is truly about Achilles,

Greece’s most powerful hero, and the tragedy that befalls him when his best friend Patroclus dies

in the war.

This poem does not define its main character as blatantly as the Odyssey does. In fact,

Achilles spends a large portion of the story withdrawn from battle, angry at his situation. In this

way, the Iliad explores character in a more subtle manner, because the story concerns more than

him.

The Iliad, alongside the Odyssey, is one of the only two works that are still attributed to

Homer. Both of these poems had an immeasurable impact on Western art and storytelling. The

Iliad in particular changed the way we understand war and the way tell stories about it. As such,

it is necessary that it be analyzed when studying Homer’s life and style of writing.
Kullmann, Wolfgang. “Gods and Men in the Iliad and the Odyssey.” Harvard Studies in

Classical Philology, vol. 89, 1985, p. 1., doi:10.2307/311265.

Gods and Men in the Iliad and the Odyssey explores the differences in depictions of gods

in both of Homer’s works. In the Iliad, gods directly contribute to man’s challenges and

successes, at times tangling humans up in their own problems. However, in the Odyssey, man is

held responsible for his own shortcomings, and the gods simply uphold justice. Further stressing

this idea is the inclusion of drama between gods that has nothing to do with the main plot.

This text includes many examples from the works in question, which is helpful when

considering this kind of subtle detail in characterization. It also examines what effect these

interpretations have had on later literature involving the gods, which makes the ideas in the paper

easier to understand.

This paper is useful in understanding the historical context in which this poem was told.

It analyzes both the general attitude towards the gods, and Homer’s changing interpretation of

them.

Stanford, William B. Homer, Odyssey. Bristol Classical Press, 2001.

The Odyssey tells the story of the hero Odysseus’ return home from the Trojan war.

While his wife and son at home protect his throne back home, Odysseus fights off mythical

creatures and gods. After ten long years, Odysseus returns to Ithaca and claims the throne.

Compared to the Iliad, the Odyssey has a much more defined “happy” ending, with every

conflict being resolved by the end. This reflects its general difference in outlook - the Iliad is
through and through a tragedy, while the Odyssey seems to hold fast to the idea that man can

overcome any challenge presented to him.

The Odyssey is the sequel to the only other work of Homer, the Iliad. Homer is

remembered despite having only two works to his name because of how influential both of them

were. The Odyssey defined not only our idea of a hero, but also the way we write stories.