Homer

Also known as: Altes / Melesigenes · Role: poet · First appears: The Phocais

While living with Thestorides, Homer composed the Lesser Iliad and the Phocais. One account says he became blind later and was thereafter called Homer. Accounts of his family differ: one names Maeon as his father, while another calls him “Homer, son of Meles.” He was also said to be earlier or younger than Hesiod, and akin to him; one account describes them as rivals who competed at Chalcis, where Hesiod won.

In the time of Hadrian, the Pythia declared that Homer was born in Ithaca to Telemachus and Epicasta, daughter of Nestor. In another contest account, the Hellenes called for Homer to be crowned, but King Paneides asked both poets to recite passages and awarded the crown to Hesiod. Xanthus and Gorgus commissioned an epitaph for their father Midas’s tomb and gave Homer a silver bowl for it; Homer dedicated the bowl to Apollo at Delphi.

At Argos, the leading Argives rewarded Homer with gifts and a statue, and decreed recurring sacrifices to him and a five-yearly sacrifice to Chios. At Delos, the Ionians made him a citizen of each of their states. At Ios, he slipped and fell, died three days later, and was buried there.

Relationship record

Life events

• Homer composed the Lesser Iliad and the Phocais while living with Thestorides.(The Phocais)
  • “While living with Thestorides, Homer composed the Lesser Iliad and the Phocais;”
• Homer became blind and was thereafter called Homer.(The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 1)
  • “He was named Homer later, when he became blind, this being their usual epithet for such people.”
• Hesiod won a contest of skill against Homer.(The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 1 · 📍 Chalcis)
  • With: Hesiod
  • “it is said that after a wonderful contest between the two poets, Hesiod won in the following manner”
• The Pythia declared in a response to Hadrian that Homer was born in Ithaca to Telemachus and Epicasta, daughter of Nestor.(The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 1)
  • “the priestess delivered a response in hexameters after this fashion: ‘Do you ask me of the obscure race and country of the heavenly siren? Ithaca is his country, Telemachus his father, and Epicasta, Nestor’s daughter, the mother that bare him, a man by far the wisest of mortal kind.’”
• The Hellenes called for Homer to be crowned, but King Paneides awarded the crown to Hesiod.(The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 2)
  • With: Hesiod
  • “After these verses had been spoken, all the Hellenes called for Homer to be crowned. But King Paneides bade each of them recite the finest passage from his own poems.”
• Xanthus and Gorgus commissioned Homer to compose an epitaph for their father Midas’s tomb.(The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 2)
  • With: Xanthus Gorgus Midas
  • “Now Xanthus and Gorgus, son of Midas the king, heard his epics and invited him to compose a epitaph for the tomb of their father”
• Xanthus and Gorgus gave Homer a silver bowl for his epitaph.(The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 2)
  • With: Xanthus Gorgus
  • “For these verses they gave him a silver bowl”
• Homer dedicated the silver bowl to Apollo.(The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 2 · 📍 Delphi)
  • “which he dedicated to Apollo at Delphi with this inscription:”
• The Argives rewarded Homer with gifts and a statue, and decreed recurring sacrifices to him and a five-yearly sacrifice to Chios.(The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 2 · 📍 Argos)
  • With: Diomedes Tydeus Oeneus Sthenelus Capaneus Eurypylus Mecisteus Talaus
  • “This praise of their race by the most famous of all poets so exceedingly delighted the leading Argives, that they rewarded him with costly gifts and set up a brazen statue to him, decreeing that sacrifice should be offered to Homer daily, monthly, and yearly; and that another sacrifice should be sent to Chios every five years.”
• The Ionians made Homer a citizen of each of their states.(The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 3 · 📍 Delos)
  • With: Ionians
  • “When the hymn was ended, the Ionians made him a citizen of each one of their states”
• Homer died after slipping and falling.(The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 3 · 📍 Ios)
  • “he slipped in a clayey place and fell upon his side, and died, it is said, the third day after.”
• Homer was buried in Ios.(The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 3 · 📍 Ios)
  • “He was buried in Ios”

The Phocais

• with Thestorides (They lived together.) “While living with Thestorides, Homer composed the Lesser Iliad and the Phocais;”

The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 1

• rivals with Hesiod “According to one account they flourished at the same time and even had a contest of skill at Chalcis in Euboea.”
• parent: Maeon “Dius by Pycimede, the daughter of Apollo had two sons Hesiod and Perses; while Apelles begot Maeon who was the father of Homer by a daughter of the River Meles.”
• cousins with Hesiod “Now some say that he was earlier than Hesiod, others that he was younger and akin to him.”

The Contest of Homer and Hesiod · Part 2

• parent: Meles “Homer, son of Meles, if indeed the Muses, daughters of great Zeus the most high, honour you as it is said, tell me a standard that is both”
• rivals with Hesiod “Hesiod dedicated this tripod to the Muses of Helicon after he had conquered divine Homer at Chalcis in a contest of song.”

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Extracted from the original text of Hesiod and Homerica. Made with Rho MD.