In
,often tells of his role in the epic:
"The Muse inspired the bard to sing the famous deeds of
fighting heroes."
The
context is clear: the tale is divinely inspired by the gods for Homer, the poet-bard, to recite
as entertainment for the host and guests. Tales of heroes is the highest form of recitation, a
form of religion.
Heroism is a function of the guest-host relationship that
the Greeks held so sacred. Even Odysseus plays the role of the poet-bard in the frame tell as
he retells of his journeys to King Alcinous and the Phaeacians. Once Alcinous learns that
Odysseus has been to Hades, the kings wants to hear of other hero's deaths from the Land of the
Dead. So, heroism is passed on through stories from a poet to a host to honor the deeds of dead
or lost heroes and a way to preserve their memory in the form of poetry. The hero must be
remembered with gifts and tales:
"That's the man a
guest will remember all his days."
...and...
"...a hero's
welcome...[we...
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