Conversely, other writers used the ambiguity of the Homeric epics to challenge traditional authority.
took this critique to its logical extreme in True Stories . By creating an overtly impossible novella and populating it with Homeric figures, Lucian parodied the historians and poets who claimed to tell the "truth". His work highlights the burgeoning recognition of prose fiction as a distinct genre, one that exists in the "generic space" between myth, poetry, and history. Cultural Significance in the Imperial Period Homer between History and Fiction in Imperial G...
Some authors of the period, such as in his Geography , staunchly defended Homer's historical and geographical accuracy. Strabo viewed Homer as an expert geographer and a reliable source of information, arguing that the poet’s fictional embellishments were built upon a solid core of factual history. By treating Homer as an "ideal historian," Strabo sought to preserve the authority of the Homeric past as a foundational pillar of Greek knowledge. Homer as the "Divine Liar" Conversely, other writers used the ambiguity of the
The debate over Homer’s "truth" was a means for Imperial Greeks to negotiate their status within the Roman world. By analyzing Homeric authority, they explored: His work highlights the burgeoning recognition of prose