Final answer:
In Homer's time, a range of weapons was used, including swords, spears, bows and arrows, and shields. The spear was ancient, beginning with stone and advancing to metal tips in the Sumerian and Egyptian era, and iron weapons came into fashion following the Bronze Age collapse.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Iliad refers to the use of bronze weapons during the time of the Trojan War, which suggests a Bronze Age context. However, in Homer's time, which is estimated to be around the 8th century BCE, there were a variety of weapons in use. By this time, the primary materials used for weapons had shifted from bronze to iron due to the Bronze Age collapse. The spear is the most ancient of these weapons, used for both hunting and warfare for thousands of years. Initially with stone tips, the development of metallurgy saw spears made with copper or bronze heads and sometimes shafts.
By the time of Homer, swords, spears, bows and arrows, and shields were common in warfare. The Warrior Vase from Mycenae even depicts soldiers with full armor, including helmets, cuirasses, greaves, shields, and spears. However, decorative bronze daggers with inlays discovered in grave shafts suggest that opulent, ceremonial weapons were also a part of this era's arsenal. The transition to iron weapons was a significant advancement, as indicated by findings of iron ingots and tools serving both as currency and as means to equip soldiers.