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I believe it will help you better to understand the broad humour of
the Iliad, which we shall presently reach, if you will allow me to
say a little more about the general characteristics of the poem.
Over and above the love and war that are his main themes, there is
another which the author never loses sight of--I mean distrust and
dislike of the ideas of his time as regards the gods and omens. No
poet ever made gods in his own image more defiantly than the author
of the Iliad. In the likeness of man created he them, and the only
excuse for him is that he obviously desired his readers not to take
them seriously. This at least is the impression he leaves upon his
reader, and when so great a man as Homer leaves an impression it
must be presumed that he does so intentionally. It may be almost
said that he has made the gods take the worse, not the better, side
of man's nature upon them, and to be in all respects as we
ourselves--yet without virtue. It should be noted, however, that
the gods on the Trojan side are treated far more leniently than
those who help the Greeks.


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