[gothic-l] Re: Schliemann & The Illiad as Fiction

[Nikolai]

> Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2001 20:08:51 EDT
> From: Alburysteve at aol.com
> Subject: Schliemann & The Illiad as Fiction
>
> be somewhat hyperbolic.  Somewhere on the spectrum between
> "absolute proof"
> and "total rubbish" lies the historic value of pre-literary
> heroic epics like
> the Illiad, Beowulf, and Hildbrandslied (to remain strictly on
> topic).  They
> should be valued for this and enjoyed for their intended
> purpose: to teach
> and give joy to their listeners.
>
> Hexametrically yours,
>
> Steve O'Brien

To trust in Any text written before the empirical age is
completely risky. The world was an extremely conjectural, biased
place, moreso than it is now, and heavily religiously
influenced.
 And since none of us were alive during the composition of any
of these works, it would be nothing more than personal opinion,
not fact, as to whether any of it is legit or whether it is
there only to teach and give joy. And since not every single
piece of archaeological evidence yet to be discovered has been
discovered, it would be highly arrogant to arrive at any
"factual" conclusion as to a piece of literatures validity of
being wholly fictional or not.

No one knows whether or not there is any fact to those stories.
Not you. Not I. You are basing your answer off of something you
have arrived at within your own mind, perhaps (most likely) from
earlier years of being steered by someone who also had similar
viewpoints. Just because someone else of accreditation thought
of a particular perspective does not mean it is fact. Because
That person was not alive during the construction of the
stories, either.

So... it is rather arrogant to inform someone else of
something's "intended purpose" when you, like the rest of us,
really have no idea... only educated guesses.

Realistically yours,
Nikolai
^^O^^



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