Book contents
- Rediscovering Homer
- Rediscovering Homer
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- Note on Greek Names and Translations
- … and a Note on Homer
- Chronological Timeline of Early Greece
- Prologue
- Chapter 1 Two Poems, One Hero
- Chapter 2 History, Heroes, and Monuments
- Chapter 3 The Vanishing Poet
- Chapter 4 War and Violence
- Chapter 5 The Ties That Bind Us
- Chapter 6 Might Makes Right?
- Chapter 7 Making a Living
- Chapter 8 Gods, Fate, and Free Will
- Chapter 9 The Afterlife of the Epics
- Chapter 10 The Past Is Not the Past
- Further Reading
- Index
Chapter 3 - The Vanishing Poet
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 October 2026
Book contents
- Rediscovering Homer
- Rediscovering Homer
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- Note on Greek Names and Translations
- … and a Note on Homer
- Chronological Timeline of Early Greece
- Prologue
- Chapter 1 Two Poems, One Hero
- Chapter 2 History, Heroes, and Monuments
- Chapter 3 The Vanishing Poet
- Chapter 4 War and Violence
- Chapter 5 The Ties That Bind Us
- Chapter 6 Might Makes Right?
- Chapter 7 Making a Living
- Chapter 8 Gods, Fate, and Free Will
- Chapter 9 The Afterlife of the Epics
- Chapter 10 The Past Is Not the Past
- Further Reading
- Index
Summary
Chapter 3 examines the problem of Homer and the making of the epics. It surveys ancient traditions about Homer, the realities of oral composition, and the long processes by which Iliads and Odysseys took shape. It considers standardization, the transition from voice to page, and the role of epic as public memory, explaining why an ‘author’ figure became necessary.
Information
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- Chapter
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- Rediscovering HomerThe Human Experience in the Odyssey and the Iliad, pp. 59 - 81Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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