The Portland daily press., 1884-11-10
HOMER's uLaAD.
Rev. Mr Dalson'. saturday Lectures.

Rev Mr.. Dalton's Saturday Lectures.
The largest audience ever seen at these lee
tures was present at the first of this years Sc
ries, which given in St. Stephen church,
Saturday afternoon, upon Homer's Had. The
Iiiad, said the lecturer, is tho oldest poem in
the world, having been composed in the ninth
or tenth century before Christ Homer is,
therefore, called the Father of Poets, and Is
easily the first as we'll, for be not only was be-
fore, but was, and still IS, and probably will
always be, above all others. He ia the most
original, the most fresh, varied, vigorous,
abundant and versatile Of all poets. He is like
the rising of the rosy dawn, like the return of
the Spriug, like giant reaoy to run race.
He is natural, direct, simple. perspicuous, and
rapid as river. He is prolific in images
which spring up like the flowers of the field,
and are drawn from Nature in all her mooos.
from the four seasons, from the birds Of the
air, the beasts of the forest, and human life
10 all its phases. There is no repetition, but
yon are ever led into fresh fields and pastures
new. No two men, no two conflicts, no two
opsets, no two victories, no two defeats, or
deaths are alike. Variety in society ia every
where. Over ether and very pretentious
writer's you fall asleep in half an hour. Over
Homer you cannot sleep, but are aroused. till
every faculty is alive and on the alert, forbid
ding sleep. The scene OF the poem is one Of
war in the plains before Troy in Asia Minor,
between the rivers Simois and ScamaLder.
The cause of the war was the abducting Of
Helen, the most beautiful of the Grecisn
princesses. The theme of the poem is "Tbe
Wrath of Achilles" rs announced in the first
line of the poem, Achilles wrath to Greece
the direfnl spring Of woes unnum5ered."
This wrath was aroused by the wrong done
Achilles bv Agamemnon who wrested from
Achilles Brissis, beautiful captive taken in
war, au act Of revenge iustgated By Achilles
compelling Agamemnon TO restore his captive
Chr, seis to her father Chryses, priest OF Apollo.
Achilles retired TO his tent aud remains there
many days, during which the Greeks suffer
many defeats and much loss Of blood. Thetis
complained of Aeamemnon's cruel Injustice
to Jupiter, who promises that the Greeks shall
not be victorious till Achilles wrongs are
avenged. Agamemnnn in despair advises the
Greeks to abandon the contest, but the retire at
of the army is prevented by the eloqueDce OF
ULYSSES. A short truce is granted, during
which the forces of the Greeks are described
by the poet, theiI leaders being pointed ont
By Helen TO Pram, King of Troy. The truce
is soon broken, and the Greeks are sore pressed.
Psris encounters Mepelaus, whom he had
WrOngeQ, ana escapes uedJn DV tue AID OF
Venus. Other contests follow between Ajax
and Hector, Diomed and Mare, Patrocbus and
Hector, who Stayed Patreclus, the dearest
friend of Achilles, who loses his armor with
his friend. The loss is retrieved by Vulcan,
who makes one superior to the lost suit. Ar
rayed in this, Achilles takes the field to
avenge the death of his friend, and soon en-
counters Hector, whom he slays. The shield
Of Achilles wrought by Vulcan is described at
length rs a marvel of beautiful workmanship
picturing every phase Of ancient life and MAT
neT. The poem closes With description of
the fanera games celebrated In honor OF
Patroclus, aud with the visit of Priam to
AcnIlles' tent to recover the body of his sou
Hector. The old king is successful, aud the
funeral OF Hector ends the poem. Such is the
narfative-the most Interesting episodes Of
which relate to the quarrel of the chiefs, the
spet ches to the assembly of warriors, the cata-
lOeue OF the ships, Melen's description Of the
Greek leaders, the parting of Hector aud At
dromache; the dnels between Paris aud Ment-
laus, Ala and Hector, PatrocIus and Hector;
the meeting OF Diomed with Glaucus, an old
fried aud guest; the terrible havoc made by
Achilles on his return 10 the field, the games
he celebrated and the rain be inflicted ou
Troy and the house OF PrianJ. All these epi-
sodes are made subservient to the main story
aud the development of the principal plot.
The plan is never lost sight of, and all is told
SO as to heigh'en the effect both of Achilles
wrath and Achilles prowess. Hector proves
superior to all other Greeks only the more
10 show how superior Achilles is to him
One mind evidently orgiua ed aud developed
the plot, and the authors Indebtedness to early
ballads was similar to that of Shakespeare TO
early italian novels, and Homer was original
in the same nSe as 81 a. espt are.
The IlIad WIS 10 the Greeks what the Old
Testament is to US, kind of Bible, The source
of their religious belief; the fount4iu-head of
the mythology which Was never enlarged or
contracted. The manners of the Greeks were
no less affected by the poet, and the impress
OF the Iliad was seen every where in Greek
life and society, in their religion, their art,
their wars, aud their daily domestic life. AL,
exander visited the tomb of Achilles before he
entered on his victorious career And the
tapestry of Napoleon's infant couch was pic
tured with Scouts from the Had. Nor art
warriors the only ones to derive inspiration II
from this marvellous source All nations vie
With each other to houor him, whom DSnte
with the consent of the civilized world, calls
"ALtissina Poetd," the greatest of poets. For
proofs of tnls,y have only to look about you.
II you turn your gaze to the heavens over your
head at night, 1t Is He who has given names
to the planets which first attract your gszs-
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune. II
YOU look at the navies of the world, you will
find the proudeet ships named after Homer's
heroes, AgamemnoD, Ajax, Achilles, Diumed,
Hector aud the rest. II you visit the most
celebrated galleries Of art, you fnd the great
sculDtors and painters constantly depicting
these heroes, the fair Brisseis, besuteous Belen,
tender Andromache, Achilles sitting in his
tent Hector defending Troy. and Priam pres
trate before the conqueror of his son Go 10
the universities of the Old World or the New,
and TONER is studied ID them all and bv Ali
considered the frst OF authors, thus confirm
ing the judgment OF Aristotle, the greatest Of
ancient critics,
All statesmen will agree with Gladstone in
eulogising him, all scholars will assign him
the place OF honor iu their libraries Nor il
there any sign of the decadence Of his popular
ity and influence. As long as beauty excites