Homer was an ancient Greek poet estimated to have lived between the 8th and 12th centuries BC. His primary works, the epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, are two of the most important works of Western literature and would have been considered indispensable reading for a classicist like Erasmus. Though his work was likely transmitted orally during his lifetime, Homer is widely considered to be one greatest and authors and poets and the father of classical Greek culture.