46 
boy were of the exploits at Troy, and 
that he had finifhed both his poems about 
half a ceritury after the town was taken. 
But the manners which he defcribes can- 
not be adduced as a proof of the age in 
which he hved; for by the rules of his 
art as an epic poet, it would have been 
abiurd if, writing ef an ancient event, 
he had not adapted the characters of his 
perfonages to the times in which he laid 
the plan of his poems. Virgil, who wrote 
fo long after him, gives the fame fimple 
raanners to his heroes. All tragic poets, 
3m ancient and in modern times, have 
endeavoured to fuit the manners and fen- 
timents of their characters to the coun- 
try and the era in which they are fup- 
pofed to have lived. Why then should 
we fuppofe that Homer might not do the 
fame? and that, though living himfelf in 
a pohfhed age, he had the good tenfe 
not to afcribe to the rough warriors of 
Zlmm the refined manners of his own 
contemporaries. It was eafier for him 
to give to his heroes the lefs polifhed caft 
of an age long before his own, than to 
have anticipated, in idea, a ftate of re- 
finement in language, in metre, and in 
the arts, which Greece could not have 
attained till 2 confiderable time after. 
There are fuch internal evidences in his 
poems of refinement, as ftand in direct 
contradiction to the roughneis of his 
characters. The invocation of the Mufes 
in the fecond book, demonftrates that 
he lived long after the fiege of Troy; 
and this would feern almeft imcontrover- 
tibly corroborated by an expreffion which 
he ufes, and which has been noticed by 
Velleius Paterculus, “ that mankind was 
but half fo ftrong in his age, as in that 
of which he wrote.” This expreffion, 
grounded on the fuppofed gradual dege- 
neracy of our nature, difcovers the long 
interval between the poet and his fub- 
jeét. The various articles of elegance 
and luxury defcribed in the Odyfley, be- 
tray a much later age.than is ufually 
affigned him; and infer that he mutt 
have lived in more civilized times than 
can be confiftent with the fimplicity 
which he attributes to his heroes. ‘The 
appearances of luxury and elegance in 
the Aineid, are nothing compared to 
thofe in Homer ; and although the Greek 
orders of architecture might not then 
be invented, yet the ideas of magnifi- 
cence confpicueus in his palaces might 
have been borrowed from the practice of 
much later periods than thofe he deicrihes, 
from times more polifhed im arts, as well 
as more civilized in manners. - 
+ 
Lyceum of Ancient Literature. 
[Feb. 1, 
This conclufion will appear the more: 
reafonable, when we confider the lan- ~ 
guage-of Homer, which, with the excep- 
tion ofa few words, isequal to the Greek : 
of the prefent times. The formation of 
the language into Tenfes, Cafes, and 
Numbers, was already perfeét and com-' 
pleted. “This evidently proves that the 
Greeks had, long before his time, arrived 
ata confiderable ftate of improvement. 
It was impotlible that the language fhoyld 
attain fuch excellence, as to require little 
amendment or addition, unlefs thote whe 
{poke it had alfo acquired equal excel- 
lence m the arts of focial life and of civil 
government. It is the real perception of 
things, which gives birth to their refpec= 
tive ideas in the mind, and thefe again to 
outware expreilions, by words combined 
ito fignificant fentences. That the ufe 
ofa language to exprefs all the improve- 
ments of civilization, dheald precede the 
actual: birth and progrefs of civilization 
itfelf, is a paradox that no man can urge 
who has not adopted fome hypethetis, 
incontiftent with the real trnth.. Homer, 
certainly wrote in the dialect which pre- 
vailed in Afra, down to the moft mproved 
times of the Grecian colonies there. And 
we cannot fuppofe that the language of 
thofe Tonic fettlers, fhould become any 
way fixed and pure, till long after the fet- 
tlement of the colomfts themfelves. But 
without entering any further into this dif> 
pute, it is enough to fay, that we mut 
full have recourfe: to the Arundelar 
marble, which affords the beft computa- 
tion of thofe early ages;—and this by. 
placing Homer when Diogenetus ruled in 
Athens, makes him flourih a little before 
the Olympiads were eftabliflied; about 
three hundred years after the taking of 
Troy, and one thoufand before the chrif- 
tian era. . 
The queftion refpeéting the Country of 
Homer, is-one ef full greater dithiculty. 
The internal evidence of the Poems may, 
and, as we have feen, occationally do, ferve 
to contradict thofe affertions, whieh afiign 
him a peried inconhiftent with the ele- 
eance of lis language, and the refinement 
of his ideas. But the number of places 
which have difputed the honour of having 
given him birth, renders it mipoilible at 
this diftance of time, fatisfactorily to af- 
certain the -precife place. ‘To mention 
all the cities and provinces which fe- 
verally fet up a claim, to collect all the | 
ridiculous aflertions and documents which 
have been advanced as proofs from each, 
would require the minute curiofty and 
patient elaboration of his ancient com- 
mentater 
