Homer is a legendary ancient Greek epic poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. Smyrna was one of several cities that claimed to be the birthplace of the poet and at the source of the Meles River was a cave where the residents claimed he composed his poems. The city had a temple with a square portico in honor of Homer, which they called the Homerium. According to Strabo, they also called their bronze coins Homerium.