Homer Alpha 1

Abstract

Since Christian August Lobeck it had been established as a matter of fact that «Orpheus» was a post-Homeric invention of the «Orphics» and that all poetry handed down under the name of Orpheus was a forgery and falsification borrowed from the verses of Homer and Hesiod. In order to reach a decision in this question of priority the following paper is divided into two distinct parts. Part one deals with expressions and poetical elements of the so-called proem of the Iliad, showing that with regard to the analysis (in its form given to it by P. Von der Mühll) the proem is part of the work of the last «Homeric» poet, the composer of the Iliad and Odyssey in the form in which we have them. Part two is based on the author’s studies on Orpheus and the pre-Homeric epic tradition and the result attained is that Orpheus was a singer of the Mycenaean World. As a consequence of this the author was finally in a position to identify the last Homeric poet as a member of the famous γένος Λυκομιδῶν in Phlya in Attica. This Genos of priests and soothsayers had of old a genuine Orpheus-tradition, especially hymnic poetry devoted to Demeter. This result of the second part agrees with that one of the first; that the proem as part of the last poet’s work is composed of second-hand poetry. Thence it emerges that the ancient tradition, underlying Hippolytos’ and Tzetzes’ assertion, is the right one and cannot be overthrown in favour of a modern —but meanwhile obsolete— theory.