The "Iliad" and "Odyssey."

The "Iliad," written during the early life of Homer, is one of the earliest, and considered the finest, of epic poems. It relates the adventures of the Greek heroes during the last year of the Trojan war.

The "Odyssey," written during the old age of Homer, relates the adventures of the hero Ulysses while returning from the Trojan war. It is, in point of characters and story, a sequel to the "Iliad."

These poems were the ultimate standard of appeal on all matters of religious doctrine and early history among the Greeks. In the time of Socrates, there were Athenians who could repeat both poems by heart. Long after the Greeks lost their independence, the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey" continued to maintain an undiminished hold upon their affections.

In two legends of the Trojan war, "The Anger of Achilles" and "The Return of Ulysses," Homer found the subjects for the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey." In late years there has been much controversy as to the existence of Homer: many scholars regard the poems as the development from early recitals, and many others think the two had different authors. The period of Homer's life is unknown, and the siege of Troy took place a long time antecedent to it.