Why is The Iliad and The Odyssey are important?

Answer 1

For the Ancient Greeks the Iliad and The Odyssey told them how Greece had come to be the dominant power in the western Mediterranean, and also showed them what sort of people their gods were, and how those gods behaved.

The Iliad and the Odyssey (and possibly some other epics, which have now been lost) were what the Greeks had instead of history books, and also what they had instead of a Bible.

If you want to see just how important these poems were for Greeks during the Classical period, read Plato's dialogue Ion. This shows how the Greeks turned to the Iliad for advice on everything: what is the correct way to pray, which is the best way to bake bread, or mend your chariot (fix your car) - it is all in the Iliad (or the Odyssey).

It may seem funny to us these days that people would go to the Iliad to find out how to fix a broken chariot wheel - but things haven't changed so much. There are still people in America who think you can teach Archaeology, and even genetics, from the Bible.

Are great works of literature that helps us understand life in ancient Greece.

Answer 2

it is roughly what the greek culture is based on

Answer 3

Homer wrote the Iliad so he and others could remember it. He did not want the story to get muddled if it were shared by mouth.

Answer 4

Because it was the first epic poem written by the Greeks. Later Greek drama writers took from the Illiad and Odyssey for their own writings.

Answer 5

These books are very important because if they were lost most of the Ancient Greek's culture would be lost especially in the Trojan War era.

Answer 6

because darel told me so