Homer, the blind poet credited with writing the Iliad and the Odyssey, was a legendary figure even in Classical Greece. It is unclear whether Homer even existed and, if so, when he lived; the most likely theory argues for the eighth century B.C. In the early fifth century B.C., artists began to invent a likeness of Homer. By the Hellenistic period, known for an interest in representing unique individuals, imaginary portraits of the poet took on a recognizable form, known today in numerous extant versions. Among them, this head, sculpted by an artist of the early Roman period, is a masterpiece. Marks on the neck indicate that it may once have been inserted into a life-size seated statue, probably as part of a gallery of famous men-mainly poets, playwrights, and philosophers-often found in libraries and gardens, both civic and private.

Intricate, deep carving, especially pronounced in the dense beard and hair, arched eyebrows, and furrowed face, conveys intensity and passion and evokes the baroque style of sculpture that originated in the city of Pergamon in the second century B.C. The band that runs around Homer's head is a sign of his poetic prowess; by the time this sculpture was made, literary recitation was a competitive exercise rewarded with fillets like this one. Homer's legendary blindness, implied here by his deeply lidded eyes and raised brow, was often a characteristic of seers. The advanced age of the bard, expressed through his balding head, sinewy neck, and copious wrinkles, is meant to under-score his wisdom as well as his connection to the distant past-Homer's works provided a link to the earlier, golden age of heroes, making him all the more venerable.

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