Through The Ages - Card - Homer

This is a series of blogs written about each card in Through The Ages.  To find more, simply click on "Cards" label.

Homer

History

Homer famously wrote to pieces of literature which defined Western Civilization: The Iliad and The Odyssey.  Exactly when he lived and much of his life lies in mystery.  He was born sometime before 800 BC, possibly as far back as 1200 BC.  There even remains the possibility the figure of "Homer" never existed, although obviously someone wrote the poems.

Whomever Homer was, and whatever his life may have been, the two epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey shaped Greek Culture tremendously.  These two poems laid down the foundation of Western Civilization and expansion.

Homer's contribution to Western Civilization is practically limitless.  The two epic poems are still studied today in Western literature.  In modern cultures we have made movies and TV Shows based off the stories or the characters in them.  Though Homer may remain unknown to us, his greatest works live on.
Game Stats

As a card, Homer is not particularly impressive.  He remains in the lower half of popularity.  he


Opinions
Opinions

Homer, more so than other Age A leaders, is one I want to like but can't.  He just falls somewhat short.  The card appears to tackle two big problems at once: boosting military strength and providing culture.  However, like most Age A leaders, it is too early for both.  Players need to concentrate on their economy in the first Age, and Homer provides a distraction from that goal.  He diverts resources to the military when it is needed the least.

One benefit of Homer is he does help to counter Julius Caesar's military aspect.  However, Homer's ability to provide culture increases the likelihood the player is to be targeted by culture actions later in the game.  As a card, Homer is lackluster.

Reference

1 http://dev.history.com/topics/homer