Greek mythology is a rich form of literature rooted in the ancient world. Stories about the gods often have human qualities and emotions, and are often depicted with a distinct human quality. Many stories depict heroes as human beings with mortal parents who act as bridges between the gods of God and humanity.
Homer
Homer is one among the most prominent mythological figures of Greece. He is a blind poet who wrote Iliad, Odyssey and the Epics. While his works are widely recognized as being masterpieces of Greek literature and are highly regarded, we do not know anything about his life or origin. His stories are all based on hypothetical events and he had no known descendants.
Homer's poetry differs from other canonical Epic poets. His work is characterized by its rapidity, plainspoken language, and uncomplicated narrative. The dactylic foot, which consists of a stressed syllable followed with two unstressed. This metrical foot is what probably contributed to his speed. Homer sounds like a master storyteller when he writes his epics.
Homers epic poem, The Odyssey, is filled with historical events. Numerous commentaries have attempted to explain these events. Homer's poems are still considered standard parts of Greek education.
Socrates
Athenians fought to preserve their past glory and ideas of wealth and beauty during the time of Socrates. Socrates challenged these ideas and stressed the importance the mind. While many Athenians admired Socrates for his defiance of the conventional wisdom of the day, many others were angry and hated him for his actions. Socrates was eventually accused of impiety and corruption of the youth of Athens, but he chose to defend himself in court.
Plato's day, the story was slightly different to the version attributed Xenophon. Xenophon, a military leader wanted to emphasize the characteristics of a statesman. He saw Socrates in a way that was both tolerant of ignorance and knowledge about oneself.