There are some very famous historical figures that we think of and that we know as real people. But there are very serious doubts about this.
Their images are most likely collective and almost fictional. There are practically no mentions of their real life in historical documents, and the question of whether they really are people who lived in the past is still the subject of scientific discussions.
For example…
Homer
From school we learned that Homer, who lived in Ancient Greece, was the author of the epic poems Iliad (the oldest monument of European literature) and Odyssey. It turns out whether he was a real person is a question historians are struggling with. Actually, nothing is reliably known about the life and personality of the great poet - where he was born, the date of his birth (several dates are indicated), in which year the works were written.
There is a version that under the name of Homer (according to one version, the name means "blind") was composed and edited by many generations of poets and writers, whose names have not survived.
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Robin the Hood
One of the most beloved characters of the people for many centuries. This is understandable: Robin Hood, according to legend, robbed the rich and gave everything to the poor. Key words "according to legend" - the name of Robin Hood appeared in many literary works, the most popular of which was the version of Walter Scott. However, the identity of the prototype of these ballads and legends has not been precisely established.
In the XII century there was a term Robehod, but all bandits indiscriminately were branded with it. Apparently, the beautiful legend was feeding on this practice.
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
The legend of King Arthur, the beautiful Guinevere and the faithful knights is one of the most romantic and beautiful legends in Britain. Historians agree that a prototype for a legendary hero most likely existed; maybe there were even several of them. But the image that we are accustomed to thanks to popular culture, including cinema - with a beautiful wife who cheated on Lancelot, and the brave knights of the Round Table - existed only in the literary works of ancient times.
It is curious that Arthur is the hero of the British (Celtic) epic and fought with the ancestors of the current British. Nevertheless, he firmly entered the English culture.
Wilhelm Tell
We know about the glorious fighter for freedom from the tyranny of the Swiss people thanks to the work of Johann Schiller and the opera by Rossini. Many will immediately call him a well-aimed shooter and tell how he was forced to shoot with a crossbow at the apple on the head of his own little son. There is even a monument to him in Altdorf. Only now the historicity of his personality is disputed, since, apart from oral traditions, there is no other evidence of his life.
Sherlock Holmes
For several decades after the release and frenzied success of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works on Sherlock Holmes, it was believed that such a man really solved mysterious crimes in Victorian England. However, Holmes was completely invented, and the address on Baker Street did not exist at the time of writing.
The creation of a series of works about detective Conan Doyle was prompted by his acquaintance with the doctor Joseph Bell from Edinburgh, who was fond of chemistry and especially poisons. Bell was famous for his ability to guess the character and past of a person by the smallest details.
William Shakespeare
Evidence for the existence of the great poet and playwright is based on the mention of his name in historical documents. Doubts about the historicity of Shakespeare are expressed mainly because there is no evidence of his education, and after all, the poet's vocabulary, judging by the works, ranges from 17,500 to 29,000 words. The literary genius grew up in a family where they could not read and write, and Shakespeare's daughters were illiterate. In addition, not a single Shakespearean manuscript has survived.
Proponents of this theory are inclined to believe that behind the name of William Shakespeare was a group of poets and writers who did not want to make their names public.
King Solomon
The main source of information about the life and rule of Solomon is the Bible. He is credited with possession of untold riches, supreme wisdom and justice, as well as some magical qualities - understanding the language of animals, power over jinn.
No other direct historical evidence of Solomon's existence has been found.
Marlboro cowboy
In the 50s in the United States and in the 90s in Russia, it never occurred to anyone that a brutal cowboy with a beautiful history was an invention of advertisers. The tobacco companies came up with the most masculine and stern image to promote filter cigarettes, which were considered purely feminine in those days. And the cowboy Marlboro, who did not hesitate to smoke such cigarettes in public, was followed by others. Cigarette sales skyrocketed. By the way, four men who appeared in the Marlboro advertisement died of lung cancer, including due to smoking Marlboro cigarettes.
Uncle Sam
During the First World War, American propaganda posters depicted a stern and sturdy old man, Uncle Sam, who called on volunteers to join the army. To be honest, we don't know who believed that Uncle Sam really existed. It seems to us that everyone knew that the posters depicted a collective image, which was previously used in the UK. And the stern Sam got his face from the cartoonist James Montgomery Flagg, who created it in 1917.