How Did The Odyssey's Impact On Greek Life

From 1100 B.C.E - 750 B.C.E., the Greeks suffered through a period of time during which the population declined and food production dropped. Historians refer to this period in history as the Dark Age. The Dark Age was very grim for the Greeks, but numerous developments managed to emerge out of this period. In fact, near the end of the Dark Age, one of the greatest poets of all time began his work. His name was Homer. Throughout Greek history, we can see the tremendous impact that Homer and his ideas had on the people of Greece and their education. While most historians believe that Homer’s works are not true accounts of Greek history, the Greeks studied his epics as legitimate facts of history. The Greeks didn’t have a lot of true history recorded in their time, so Homer decided to fabricate his own. The history that he designed gave the Greeks a past to be proud of. Hearing about the great warriors that fought in Greek wars allowed the people to enjoy their heritage and feel like they were part of a prominent country with a strong history. Homer’s works
An excerpt from the Iliad narrates the act of a father, Hector, going off into battle and leaving his son and wife behind. His wife begs him to stay with her in safety, but he shows the qualities of audacity and bravery by saying that he needs to go. In Greek society, an act like this would be respected greatly. He also shows great love for his family by comforting his wife and kissing his son. Obviously Greek families cared about each other and loved each other. Through this work of literature, one can see that in Greek society a man’s duty was to fight in wars, and a woman’s duty was to stay in the house. It was probably hard for many people to stick to their duties, but Greeks showed great sacrifice and selflessness by performing their job for the well-being of their