Editing Homer (section)

== Aoidoi ==
The process of becoming an aoidos offers a fascinating insight into how Homer - or the tradition associated with him - might have developed the monumental epics of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Just as the Yugoslav guslari learn their craft by absorbing and memorizing a vast repertoire of songs from established singers, Homer too would have begun his poetic career by learning a wide array of existing narratives and songs that celebrated the heroic deeds of the past. This process would not only involve memorization but also the mastery of the techniques of oral composition, such as the use of formulaic expressions and the ability to adapt stories to the needs of the moment. The themes that dominated the repertoire of an aoidos were those that resonated across the Greek world. Stories of the '''Seven Against Thebes''', the '''Argonauts''', and especially the '''Trojan War''', were of particular significance due to their widespread appeal and the opportunity they provided for exploring universal themes of heroism, fate, and the gods' involvement in human affairs. While the tradition likely included shorter songs focusing on individual heroes or specific episodes, the innovation of the Homeric tradition was to weave these into a comprehensive and cohesive narrative. The Iliad and The Odyssey, with their thousands of verses, represent a monumental expansion of these narrative forms. The length of the Homeric epics suggests they were designed for performance across multiple evenings. This extended format allowed for a depth of character development, thematic exploration, and narrative complexity that shorter songs could not achieve. It also necessitated exceptional memory and improvisational skills from the performer, who had to keep an audience engaged over such an extended period.

The performance of epic poetry was a communal event, where the shared cultural memory and values of the audience were reinforced and celebrated. The lengthy performance would be an occasion of social gathering, with the audience's reactions and engagement influencing the presentation. The interaction between the aoidos and the audience, with the former adapting the narrative to the latter's expectations and reactions, might have contributed to the evolution of the epics. Over time, certain versions of stories became canonized within the oral tradition, possibly reflecting the preferences of the audience as much as the skill of the poet. The notion that Homer may have started as an aoidos learning and then expanding upon existing narratives supports the view of the Homeric epics as fluid texts. Rather than being the fixed work of a single author, they were part of a living oral tradition, continually adapted and reinterpreted with each performance. The methodology of oral-formulaic composition, identified by Parry and Lord, highlights how the epics' construction from formulaic expressions and thematic motifs enabled their transmission and adaptation. This approach facilitated the creation of lengthy narratives like the Iliad and Odyssey, as it provided a framework for organizing and generating content in real-time performance.

The tradition of multi-night performances of epic tales, such as those attributed to Homer, was deeply embedded in the social and cultural practices of ancient Greece. These performances were more than just entertainment; they were integral to communal life, serving educational, religious, and social functions. Understanding the setting and hosting of these tales involves looking at the venues, occasions, and societal structures that supported such elaborate oral performances. One common setting for the performance of epic poetry was the symposium, a social gathering of the Greek elite where participants would drink, dine, and engage in intellectual conversation and entertainment. An aoidos or bard would perform part of an epic tale as part of the evening's entertainment, captivating the audience with stories of heroism and the divine.  Large-scale public festivals, often dedicated to the gods, provided another venue for epic performances. These events could draw large audiences from across the Greek world, making them ideal occasions for the performance of Pan-Hellenic tales like The Iliad and The Odyssey. The Panathenaic Festival in Athens, for example, included recitations of Homer's epics as part of its celebrations. Wealthy patrons or aristocratic households often sponsored poets and musicians, providing them with the means to dedicate their lives to their art. In return, performers would entertain their patrons and guests, including performing epic tales during private gatherings or public events. Performers of epic tales were often professional bards who traveled from place to place, sharing their repertoire with different communities. Their skills in memorization, improvisation, and performance were honed through years of practice and were highly valued in society.

The singer does not acquire a song from another singer by simple memorization. He adjusts what he hears to his existing store of phrases, typical scenes, and themes, and he tends to replace what is unfamiliar to him with something he already knows, or to expand it by adding familiar material that it happens to lack. Every singer in a living oral tradition tends to develop what he acquires. There is an element of improvisation, as well as of memory, in his appropriation of fresh material; and judging by the practice of singers studied from the middle of the 19th century onward in Russia, Serbia, Cyprus, and Crete the inclination to adjust, elaborate, and improve comes naturally to all oral poets. The whole plot consists of the progressive accumulation of minor motifs and major themes, from simple ideas ('the hero sets off on a journey' or 'addressing his enemies') through typical scenes (assemblies of gods or men), and standardized themes (recognition and reconciliation).

The date at which the Homeric epics became 'fixed' (given its authoritative written form) is debated, but is generally believed to have been in the 8th century BCE; in some of the earliest Linear B transcriptions there are hints of hexameter verse, dating to ~730 BCE. Some scholars think it was writing that permitted the creation of these epic tales in the first place; though others argue that the poet was not literate. It's clear that the use of writing was ancillary, and Homer and the Homeric tradition belonged to oral poetics. Partial texts of the epics were likely in use by the so-called Homeridae and '''rhapsodes''' (professional reciters - who were no longer creators of verse and had abandoned the lyre of their predecessors). It's possible that the first standardized text appeared to support rhapsodic competitions during Athenian festivals in the 6th century BCE. Historical distortions are still discernable even after this date.