Mr. Murray's Fourth Lecture

Mr. Gilbert Murray delivered the fourth of his series of lectures on "Greek Traditional Poetry" in the Fogg Lecture Room last evening.

Mr. Murray first showed the significance of the word "logos," or man's words, which in early times contained practically the sum of human knowledge. In those days when a book was written it was considered the property of the author; it was to be kept from the public and especially from the professional writer. All things that were worth being recorded were termed "grammata" by the Greeks and the writer was a "grammaticos." As a book was intended solely for the author it was written in a form that was practically impossible for another man to decipher. Hence arose the practice of a writer attaching to himself a disciple, who would be instructed to read his master's book. This was a prime necessity in order that records might be handed down. The best instance of this sort of a traditional book is Callisthenes' "Life of Alexander." With this as an example we may follow the various forms which such books have taken. There are not only widely differing translations in the various languages, but every copy of the book varies from every other.

It is interesting to trace the various evidences of expurgation as we have them in the "Iliad," to show the spirit of the Homeric Age. All indications prove that the "Iliad" was considerably expurgated, whereas the "Odyssey" underwent a less stringent process of revision. Although all the early myths point to many barbarous practices among the ancient Greeks, we see slight traces of them in the "Iliad." The poem is practically free from pictures of human sacrifice or torture, whereas in the "Odyssey" we have one situation very nearly approaching torture.

The spirit of the "Iliad" is not savage, but essentially chivalrous. The spirit in which it is written is too human to permit torture and practically the only instance we have of human sacrifice is when Achilles slays the twelve Trojan youths over the body of Hector. This, however, is passed over hurriedly, and Achilles still remains a noble hero, and the "Iliad" the book of heroes.