Homeric Soundings The Shaping of the Iliad

The Iliad came into existence to be heard from start to finish. While this is generally accepted in theory, the poem has not been properly studied in light of what this means in practice. Many connections, which are not obvious when the poem is read, become prominent if it is approached as an oral and aural creation, particularly if the poem is divided into three segments, probably a product of three night-long sessions of performance. This book contends that the shapings that these soundings, or sample explorations, bring into focus extend from details of wording and theme to the entire moral, religious, and political significance of the Iliad.

This book combines the exploration of the "ethics" of the Iliad with its poetic and narrative techniques, which extend all the way from touches of phrasing to the shaping of whole scenes often separated by thousands of lines. these two approaches to the Iliad - through "form" and through "content" - are found to be inextricably worked together, which is why the book consists of "soundings"or sample explorations, where larger arguments branch out from noticing details in the formaion of particualr passages. Homer was an archaic poet, and even if he could write he surely created the poems to be heard. It has generally been held that this rules our the possiblity of intricate complexities - the discoveries of many re-readings. This book maintains the contrary position: the kind of artistry uncovered, especially the long-distance interconnections, would be more rather than less accessible if perceived aurally. Furthermore, this then opens up further opportunities for shapings, patterns that would be more apparent when heard in real time than they are inside the uniform format of printed pages. These surroundings should interest those experienced in other literatures and cultures. All Greek quotations are also given in translation.