Homer

About Homer

Homer, the presumed author of the foundational Greek epic poems, the *Iliad* and the *Odyssey*, remains one of history's most influential figures, ranking #18 globally by MIT's HPI. Attributed to an epic poet of the late 8th century BCE, his works established paradigms for Western literature, morality, and mythology, shaping cultural narratives for millennia. These narratives, which detail the Trojan War and Odysseus's long journey home, are crucial components of classical education and Western civilization's intellectual heritage.

Despite this immense historical importance, Homer's modern digital footprint is relatively small compared to his influence. In 2025, his annualized Wikipedia pageviews totaled 1.2 million. This places him at an Attention Gap of approximately 1x, indicating his modern attention is roughly proportional to his historical rank, which is a notable success for an ancient figure. However, a direct contrast with later writers shows the disparity: J. R. R. Tolkien, ranked #89 in importance, draws 2.9 million views, while Homer's #18 rank only garners 1.2 million.

This figure shows stable interest, with a modest year-over-year increase of +4.1%. However, recent attention is waning, as indicated by a -13% drop in momentum between Q1 and Q3 of 2025, suggesting that while foundational, contemporary engagement is slightly decelerating.