- Anciet Greece was primarily characterized by the influence of its two city-states – Athens and Sparta. Although Athens and Sparta are geographically adjacent to one another, both have fostered different ways of living – the former known for its superfluity and the latter for its stark plainness. Athens, for its part, is highly engrossed in academic fields of arts and sciences.
Although military service is available in Athens, it is not compulsory for all people in the city-state. However, women are severely limited in Athens, in that they were disallowed from tending to businesses, forbidden from participating in wars and engaging in educational endeavors. Sparta stands as perhaps as the ultimate opposite of Greece. Spartan men are compulsorily required by the city-state to enter military service; women in Sparta merely had the role of becoming mothers to men bound to become soldiers for the city-state. Moreover, Athens harbor the interest of controlling the rest of Ancient Greece, while Sparta merely focused on itself and provided military assistance, whenever necessary.
- Homer is among the most prominent poets in Ancient Greeks that flourished during the 8th century BC. There are many disagreements among accounts presented by historians regarding exact details about the life of Homer, hence making him a mysterious figure. Some historians, in fact, claimed that Homer may be a blind man because the meaning of his name is closely related to blindness. Moreover, historians have contended several conflicting detals against the life of Homer, thus leading to more disagreements regarding his true identity.
- Both the Iliad and Odyssey have reflected the kind of life Greeks lived during the time of Homer, hence making it a highly influential account making up for a valuable time in the history of Greece. With the Iliad and Odyssey being epics, Homer was able to emphasize a historical account of Greek life through the exploits of a hero, most notably Odysseus in both works. The Iliad and Odyssey were set in crucial parts of Greek history, such as the Trojan War and the Fall of Troy. Thus, the Iliad and Odyssey both stand as important pieces of literature in understanding Greek history.
