Homer, the ancient Greek poet, is said to have been blind since boyhood. He wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey between 800 and 700 BCE. Homer's epic poems were not dictated to him, but were instead performed in front of crowds. It's thought he based the role of Demodokus, a travelling blind minstrel in Homer's Odyssey, on himself. Homer's poetry was so popular that it formed the basis for what we know today as European history writing. He told stories of war and romance that are still relevant today. His work included descriptions of battles and scenes from daily life that can help us understand how people lived more than 2000 years ago. In addition to being one of the world's most important poets, Homer is also famous for having inspired other poets and writers, including Virgil, Dante, and Shakespeare. Homer's actual name is unknown. What is known about him comes from literary sources which often differ from each other. For example, some say he was a cobbler from the small town of Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey), while others claim he was a rich man from Crete who used his wealth to hire soldiers. No archaeological evidence has yet turned up to support any of these theories. What is known for sure is that he was a male of aristocratic family background who enjoyed the patronage of kings. Some believe he was even related to King Agamemnon of Mycenae, but this conjecture has not been proven either.