“In Homer there is a recurring celebration of art, but it is not seen as anything we need to discuss or debate. It is there to celebrate the deeds of great heroes and divinities or as a manifestation of the excellence of the owner of the art (like Menelaus) or to foster enjoyment among those who contemplate it. There is no sense in Homer that poesis is something that needs defining or critical evaluation. What makes a work of art good is self-evident—it moves those who are exposed to it to admiration.”
— Ian Johnston, Lecture on Plato's Republic
But what if Homer discussed it with his compatriots and just didn't include any such discussion in his work? Shakespeare never uses the word “Bible” in his plays or poems, but he surely knew it. (Query: What lost works have been subsequently found and, though adding only a scrap to our complete textual knowledge of a subject, have altered our understanding immensely?)
by Sean B. Palmer