Odyssey dated... maybe

[Gaius Decius Aquilius]

The usual cosmic phenomena used to date a supposed historic event approach. Which the Odyssey may be... but...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25337041

The approach may be quite valid for all I know. You decide for your self, which you will do anyway.

Anyway, since I learned the Tooth Fairy was a fraud I have been a bit skeptical, so I put this here in OT.

R. Izard

[DanM]

Seems like a logical approach. Total Solar eclipses are rare, and the date corresponds pretty good.

[Matthew Amt]

Ridiculous. Even IF--and it's a pretty darn big "IF"--you take all those vague references literally, all they did was to check for dates immediately around the "traditional" date for the Trojan War. But those dates, along with every other date for the Late Bronze Age, are all based on the Egyptian King List, which is hopelessly flawed. All the dates have to be chopped by a good 300 years, possibly more.

If these astronomers want to dig around in the 9th century for a possible date rather than the 12th, I might listen. Otherwise, it's just another desperate attempt to shore up a ludicrous dating system.

Try this:

http://www.centuries.co.uk/

Khairete,

Matthew

[Robert Vermaat]

I agree. The supposed reference is too vague to even be proof of a complete eclipse, and even if it were, the story was written down centuries after the supposed fact - how on earth are we to judge where historical detail ended and where poetic imagery began?
To even attempt filtering a date out of such a text is hazardous, to claim you have the exact time when Mr. O walked across his doorstep after having been gone for decades is ludicrous.

Honey? I'm Homer - eh.. home!