For almost 3,000 years, The Iliad and The Odyssey have thrilled people with tales of adventure in ancient Greece. The stories of Helen and Paris, the Greek gods, the Trojan War, Achilles and of Odysseus' ten years quest to return home after the war are known all over the world among all cultures. But so much about the life of Homer, responsible for the epic poems, remains a mystery. Despite the controversies surrounding him, Homer is still honored as one of civilization's greatest poets. His poems were so vivid that 19th century archeologists used descriptions in The Iliad to locate the city of Troy.