Homer's Iliad: Key themes and literary analysis

¶ … oral composition? What signs of oral composition does the Iliad exhibit? Discuss how oral poetry may preserve information about the past.

Oral composition is a scholarly term which is defined as a text which was created in a primarily or wholly oral culture. Texts which have been translated into written text are also examples of oral composition as they were originally made, or composed, in the oral tradition. Scholars have yet to prove empirically whether The Iliad stems from the oral tradition although it is widely believed that they were originally, and perhaps even in Homer's time, orally composed (Morris 1986). Ancient Greece was a primarily oral culture and became a literary culture over time. It is likely that the story that is told in The Iliad began in the oral tradition, that it was passed down as allegedly historically accurate but was then written down by Homer when that technology became available or even later. The language choices used the repetitiveness within the epic poems contributes to the conclusion that this was an oral composition. Within oral poetry, the community in which the composition is written will be influenced by an also influence that community. It shows components of the society, such as their religion and social constructs within the context of a fictional account. Stories which are compelling, such as this type, are shared throughout cultures, including in ones which are not able to read the text themselves. In this way, modern societies are able to know about the past through a fictional story and to understand it through the lens of their own concurrent understanding.

2. What memories does The Iliad preserve of the Mycenaean world?

The Iliad illustrates important factors of the Mycenaean world, particularly in terms of warfare and in terms of their religious practices. Historical artifacts show that this population tended towards violence and were adept soldiers in times of war. Homer's work shows the level of honor which was attributed to these soldiers and to the reasons behind their decisions to go to war (Finely 1977). Further, the text illustrate was the Mycenaean population believed from a religious perspective. It shows what was expected of people with religious beliefs and the level of importance that was placed upon adhering to traditions, such as the proper treatment of a dead body in the case of Achilles and his treatment of the body of Hector.

3. To what extent is the world we find in The Iliad historical? Can Homer's Iliad be used to supplement archaeological finds to tell us about the Mycenaean world, to reconstruct a world extant during the Dark Ages or give us some information about Greece in the 8th century BC?