Homer was believed to have been born between the 12th and 8th centuries BC and may have lived on the coast of Asia Minor. Little is known about his life beyond what can be gleaned in his stories, and there have been many assumptions made based on his writing and the characters that appear in his work. It is generally accepted that The Iliad (Folio, 2025) was written first and The Odyssey (Folio, 2025) was written later in Homer’s life. Although these are the only two works attributed to Homer, many others have been linked to him, including the Homeric Hymns.
Emily Wilson is a classicist, scholar and translator. She is renowned for her literary critical work on ancient literature and philosophy and its later receptions, and for her metrical translations of ancient Greek and Roman poetry. In 2017, her lyrical new translation of Homer's The Odyssey in iambic pentameter verse garnered widespread acclaim, as did her verse translation of The Iliad, published in 2023. She serves the Chair of the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also the College for Women Class of 1963 term professorship in the Humanities. Her contributions have significantly influenced contemporary understanding and appreciation of ancient Greek and Roman texts and their resonances in subsequent cultures.