On 12/1/06, Daniel P. B. Smith wikipedia2006@dpbsmith.com wrote:
I think a lot of this stuff was pop culture in its time....
Homer was a superstar performer, and he probably riffed on his lyre like Bruce Springsteen. I've always heard that educated Greeks did not believe the gods and goddesses were real....
So true, but it wasn't just a system of belief; it was a an educational tool couched in entertainment. In the pre-broadcast & electronic transmission eras, social gatherings whittled the hours away around the campfire. Homer couldn't protect his stuff by copyright, and less gifted wannabe's toured provincal venues bootlegging his material.
Nobs01