[New-Poetry] The Iliad of Homerina

[Roger Day]

and yet you could spin it both ways. In my schoolboy version of
history, I seem to recall the Spartans used to prepare themselves for
battle in ways that may seem excessive to us - grooming themselves for
their lover, death. The nearest modern parallel might be the French
paras at Dien Bien Phu who used to shave before battle - I've read
that the VC used to be able to smell their enemy. Should we apply our
standards to those of a distant time and place?

Still, if historicism is to be used, I think  external corroborating
evidence should be made available to support whatever hypothesis is
advanced.

Roger
On 12/18/06, JforJames at aol.com <JforJames at aol.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> In a message dated 12/17/2006 12:23:54 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> Rsgwynn1 at cs.com writes:
>
> http://www.slate.com/id/2155360
>
> Was Troy real—and was the author of The Iliad a woman?
>
> The Victorian novelist and translator Samuel Butler thought the same thing
> about The Odyssey
>
> It did seem to me in reading The Odyssey that there was excessive attention
> to the life styles of rich and powerful. (Not that this is strictly of
> femine interest). Usually the first thing Homer seems to versify about when
> Odysseus lands somewhere and is taken in
> is how well the hero is bathed, oiled and dressed, what 'the good things
> that are laid at hand'
> to eat, the copious bowls of wine passed around in front of the hearth, etc.
> Elements of hospitality and the ability to provide creature comforts are
> important markers in the narrative.
> Finnegan
>
>
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