lso, to the living.

A touch of Homer as literary critic we should not pass by, as he does
not often take that part. Alcinous, praising the tale of Ulysses, says:
"Form of words is thine, and a noble meaning, and a mythus, as when a
minstrel sings." Three important qualities of poetry are therein set
forth: beauty of language, nobleness of content, and the fable in its
totality--all of which belong to the preceding narrative. Moreover,
Alcinous draws a sharp contrast with that other sort of storytellers,
mere liars, "of whom the dark earth feeds many," who go about
"fabricating lies, out of which we, looking into them, can get
nothing," can draw no meaning. Such at least is our view of this
passage (line 366) about which there is a difference of opinion among
commentators. At any rate we catch a glimpse of Homeric literary
criticism in Homer, who states the requirements of good poetry, and
contrasts them with the "liar" or fabricator of yarns, which are
certainly devoid of the noble spirit or worthy content.

So Ulysses is asked to begin his Trojan story, always more interesting
than that catalogue of women, at which everybody began to yawn. "It is
not yet time to go to sleep," cries Alcinous, "the night here is
unspeakably long," and still further, "I would hold out till daylight,"
listening to thy story.

II. The Trojan Past, then, is the theme; we are to behold the ghosts of
those who were famous during the War at Troy, and immediately
afterwards, both men and women. But the women are not here given a
special portion to themselves, but are woven into the general
narrative. This part of the Book is sung for the men, the opposite sex
is withdrawn into the background; still they will be duly mentioned,
since the whole conflict is over a woman. Moreover Alcinous wishes to
hear what the heroic men are doing in the future world, whither too he
must go.

1. Three Greek shades will pass before us, Agamemnon the Leader,
Achilles the Hero, and Ajax the man of strength. We shall find them
placed in a certain contrast with Ulysses, who is shown greater than
any of the three. All have been overwhelmed by fate through their own
folly or weakness, while Ulysses still lives, the master of fate, and
beholds them in Hades. Such is his triumph, which the shades themselves
declare.

First comes the soul of Agamemnon, the great King, who has the bond of
authority in common with King Alcinous. He tells the story of his own
murder i