the Homeric question

The Homeric question concerns how the ancient Greek epic poems, *The Iliad* and *The Odyssey*, were created. Scholars debate whether Homer was a single, historical poet or a collective of many poets over time. They also explore how much of the stories were originally oral traditions passed down before being written down. Essentially, the question seeks to understand the origins, authorship, and development of these foundational works of Western literature, balancing ideas of individual genius versus communal storytelling and cultural evolution.