Hey, weren’t the Homer’s Greeks blond and red haired?
Well, in the Homeric epics some characters are explicitly described with light hair. Achilles, the hero of the Iliad, is called “xanthos” (ξανθός), often translated as “blond” or “fair-haired” (e.g., Iliad 1.197). Menelaus, king of Sparta, is also “xanthos” (Iliad 3.284), and Helen, his wife, is implied to have fair features, possibly light hair, aligning with idealized beauty.
Odysseus is sometimes interpreted as having reddish or auburn hair based on later traditions (e.g., Odyssey 13.431, where his hair is described as thick and wavy, though color is ambiguous).
The Greeks of Homer’s time were likely diverse in appearance, with dark hair (brown or black) being most common, as seen in archaeological depictions and genetic data. Blond or red hair existed but was rare, reserved for standout figures or mythological idealization. Red hair, in particular, was less common than blond and often associated with specific regions or mythic traits (e.g., Thracians, who lived north of Greece, were sometimes noted for reddish hair in later texts like Xenophon’s Anabasis).