The pattern of the Iliad,

An Epic is not made by piecing together a series of heroic lays, adjusting their discrepancies and making them into a continuous narrative. There is only one thing which can master the perplexed stuff of epic material into unity; and that is an ability to see in particular human experience some significant symbolism of mans general destiny. We do not appreciate what Homer did for his time, and is still doing for the world, unless we see the warfare and the adventure as symbols of the primary courage of life. And it is not his morals, but Homer sart that does that for us. Lascelles A bercrombie, The Epic. Much certainly, probably most, of what is suspected as copying by a later hand is deliberate and original; like the recurrence, with subtle variations, of the patterned figures in a tapestry or the carved figures in a processional frieze. For the genius of the epic this kind of repetition was an essential element in design. J. W. Mackail, Lectures on Greek Poetry.(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)About the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the aged text. Read books online for free at www.forgottenbooks.org