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Originally published in 1952, this book is based upon the J. H. Gray lectures for 1949, delivered in Cambridge, which dealt with the Iliad as a historic event, with discussion on the circumstances of its composition and first performance, its effect on Greek civilisation, and its intrinsic nature. The text presents the content for all three lectures: 'The Poet's Circumstances'; 'The Poet's Descendants'; and 'The Creative Poet'. A detailed appendix section is also included, together with illustrative figures and indices. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in perspectives on the Iliad and its historical context.
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T H E P O E T OF T H E I LI A D
THE
POET OF THE ILIAD BY
H. T. WAD E-GERY Wykeharn Professor o f Ancient History in the University o f Oxford
T H E J . H. G R A Y L E C T U R E S
FOR
1949
CAMBRIDGE AT THE U N IV E R S IT Y P R E S S
1952
CAMBRI DGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, Sao Paulo, Delhi, Mexico City Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8ru , UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781107624016 © Cambridge University Press 1952 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 1952 First paperback edition 2013 A catalogue recordfo r this publication is available from the British Library isbn
978-1-107-62401-6 Paperback
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To V. W.-G. -------&KOVTI 6e in 439 show how we must understand 445: ‘Agamemnon and the seven kings in company.’ The remainder o f 439 (Kcrra OTpcnov etc.) is perhaps illustrated by ix 10-12: the party goes round with the summoners. See the next note.
83
NOTES TO A P PE N D IX A
107 (p. 52)
The verb xplveiv is frequent in Homer. Sometimes it comes close to EiacKpivetv (n 362, xvi 198-9) and that is what Jacoby wishes it to mean here: d iv id in g in to p a rts . The word naturally takes this meaning when it has a direct object which indicates the w h o le b o d y o f men (dividing th e w h o le into parts). Here no direct object is expressed (though we may readily supply one, from Toi in 444, in just this sense). I do not deny that this may be the sense here: the essential thing is that (if so) this d iv id in g into p a rtie s is something preliminary to (not identical with) the final marshalling in the Skamandros plain. More often the direct object indicates a small p a r t which is chosen from a larger whole: the sense is then to ‘select’, ‘pick out’, ‘detail’ a ship’s crew, an dlite, an ambush (1 309, vt 188, x 417, often in O d y s s e y ) , and that is what I am suggesting that it means here (the verb being absolute, its object unex pressed). The kings rush around sin g lin g m en o u t. If that is the action which the poet specifies, there is no difficulty in visualizing it, nor in understanding it: what I think ‘too curious’, is to ask, realistically, its precise purpose. Its general purpose is, clearly, to repair morale. W e should compare the still graver col lapse described in ix 1-8, where once again Agamemnon mistrusts the efficacy o f the routine summons and therefore accompanies the summoners in person. 108 (p. 53) The poet counts by ships in xvr 168-70, th