Największa zagadka antyku? Homer to nie jedna osoba! Marek Węcowski o tajemnicy Iliady i Odysei

👉 Learn more about history on Polityka.pl: https://www.polityka.pl/podkasty/poli... Who was Homer and why have his works remained among the most important texts in European culture for almost 3,000 years? Are "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" merely required reading for schools, or are they stories that help us understand the modern world? Agnieszka Krzemińska's guest is Professor Marek Węcowski from the Faculty of History at the University of Warsaw, author of the book "Homer for Our Times." We explore who Homer really was, the literary differences between "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," and why both epics have resurfaced throughout history in times of great crisis. The conversation also covers: ancient Greece, the Trojan War, and heroes such as Achilles, Odysseus, and Helen of Troy. We consider whether Homer was one person, or whether there were two authors of the epics, and how archaeological discoveries are changing our perspective on the origins of Greek literature. We also discuss how ancient literature arose, the nature of oral culture, and why contemporary scholars are increasingly questioning traditional notions of the origins of these works. One of the most interesting themes is Homer's therapeutic power. "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" helped American veterans of the Vietnam War cope with trauma. Why does the story of Odysseus prove surprisingly relevant today? Finally, we discuss how ancient culture functions in contemporary pop culture, why Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" evokes so much emotion, and whether the debates surrounding new interpretations of Homer are something entirely new. This is a conversation about history, literature, and timeless questions about war, memory, homecoming, and human nature. ✅ 3 things you'll learn in this episode 1. Why do "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" still help us understand the modern world? 2. Who was Homer really, and why do scholars argue about the authorship of his epics? 3. What does modern archaeology say about the birth of ancient Greek literature? ✅ Timeline: 00:00 - Highlights 02:05 - Are we living in Homeric times, and what does that mean? 09:06 - Is Odysseus more relevant to us now than before? 10:16 - "I've grown up writing about Homer" 19:46 - Did Homer even write his own works? 31:20 - Differences in the Iliad and the Odyssey - written by different people? 38:30 - Homer: an individual or a group of writers? 46:15 - The latest film about Odysseus - why is Nolan stirring controversy? For more information, check out the Polityka Historical Helper: "Gods and Heroes. Odysseus and Other Heroes: Revisions of Mythology." Available at: https://sklep.polityka.pl/ 👉 Sign up for Polityka's weekly historical newsletter: https://www.polityka.pl/newslettery/