Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter
The Poets of Mythology explained
This chapter discusses the mythical status of Homer, the traditional author of the Iliad and Odyssey, and the scholarly debate over the authorship and transmission of these epic poems.
What happens
This chapter discusses the mythical status of Homer, the traditional author of the Iliad and Odyssey, and the scholarly debate over the authorship and transmission of these epic poems. It describes Homer as a blind wandering minstrel and notes the uncertainty of his birthplace, as well as the theory that the poems were composed by multiple authors and preserved orally by professional reciters called Rhapsodists.
Themes in this chapter
Cultural Transmission and Education
The chapter explores how the Homeric poems were preserved and transmitted through oral tradition by Rhapsodists, highlighting the role of cultural transmission in maintaining national and patriotic legends.
Heroism and the Quest
The Iliad and Odyssey, attributed to Homer, are foundational works that celebrate heroic quests and adventures, such as those of Ulysses.
Characters to notice
- Ulysses
Central figure in Homer's Odyssey, whose adventures are recounted in the chapter on the Trojan war and the return of the Grecians.
Key passages
“The blind old man of Scio's rocky isle”
Byron refers to Homer as a blind elderly poet from the island of Scio.
This line from Byron emphasizes Homer's traditional depiction as a blind bard.
“Seven wealthy towns contend for Homer dead, Through which the living Homer begged his bread.”
Seven prosperous cities claim to be Homer's birthplace after his death, while during his life he wandered as a beggar.
An epigram highlighting the irony of posthumous fame versus the poverty of Homer's life.