PREFACE.

preface.

thisvolumeisintendedforanintroductiontothestudyoftheepics.whilethesimplicityanddirectnessoftheepicstyleseemtomakesuchabookunnecessary,thefactthattomanypersonsofliterarytastessomeofthesegreatpoemsareessible,andthattomanymorethepleasureofexploringforthemselves"therealmsofgold"isrenderedimpossiblebythecaresofbusiness,hasseemedsufficientexcuseforitsbeing.thoughthebeautyoftheoriginalisofnecessitylostinacondensationofthiskind,anendeavorhasbeenmadetopreservethecharacteristicepithets,andtoretainwhatmr.arnoldcalled"thesimpletruthaboutthematterofthepoem."itisbelievedthatthesketchprefacingeachstory,givingbrieflythelength,versification,andhistoryofthepoem,willhaveitsvaluetothosereaderswhohavenotaccesstotheepics,andthattheselectionsfollowingthestory,eachrecountingacompleteincident,willgiveabetterideaoftheepicthancouldbeformedfrompassagesscatteredthroughthetext.

theepicoriginatedamongtribesofbarbarians,whodeifieddepartedheroesandrecitedlegendsinpraiseoftheirdeeds.asthehymndeveloped,thechorusandstropheweredropped,andthenarrativeonlywaspreserved.theword"epic"wasusedsimplytodistinguishthenarrativepoem,whichwasrecited,fromthelyric,whichwassung,andfromthedramatic,whichwasacted.

asthenationpassedfromchildhoodtoyouth,thelegendsoftheherothateachwanderingminstrelhadchangedtosuithisfancy,werecollectedandfusedintoonebysomegreatpoet,whobyhispowerofunificationmadethiswrittenepichisown.

thisistheoriginofthehinduepics,the"iliad"andthe"odyssey,"the"kalevala,"the"shah-nameh,""beowulf,"the"nibelungenlied,"the"cid,"andthe"songofroland."

theconditionsfortheproductionoftheprimitiveepicexistbutonceinanation'sgrowth.itslaterepicsmustbewrittenonsubjectsofnationalimportance,chosenbythepoet,whoarrangesandembellisheshismaterialaccordingtotherulesoftheprimitiveepic.tothisclassbelongthe"aeneid,"the"jerusalemdelivered,"andthe"lusiad."dante'spoemisbroader,foritistheepicofmediaevalchristianity.miltonlikewisesought"higherargument"than

"wars,hithertotheonlyargument

heroicdeemed,"

andcrystallizedthereligiousbeliefsofhistimein"paradiselost."

thecharacteristicsbothoftheprimitiveandthemodernepicaretheiruniformmetre,simplicityofconstruction,concentrationofactionintoashorttime,andtheuseofepisodeanddialogue.themaindifferenceliesintheimpersonalityoftheprimitiveepic,whoseauthorhassoskillfullyhiddenhimselfbehindhisworkthat,assomeonehassaidofhomer,"hisheroesareimmortal,buthisownexistenceisdoubtful."

althoughthehistoricaleventschronicledintheepicshaveineverycasebeensodistortedbythefancyofthepoetsthattheycannotbeacceptedashistory,theepicsarestorehousesofinformationconcerningancientmannersandcustoms,religiousbeliefs,formsofgovernment,treatmentofwomen,andhabitsoffeeling.

constructeduponthenoblestprinciplesofart,andpervadedbytheeternalcalmoftheimmortals,thesepoemshaveanespecialvaluetous,whohavescarcelyyetrealizedthatpoetryisanart,andarefeverishfromtheunrestofourtime.ifbythehelpofthisvolumeanyreaderbeenabledtofindaportionofthewisdomthatishiddeninthesemines,itspurposewillhavebeenaccomplished.

mythanksareduetomr.johna.wilstachfortheuseofselectionsfromhistranslationofthe"divinecomedy;"toprof.j.m.crawford,fortheuseofselectionsfromhistranslationofthe"kalevala;"tohenryholt&co.,fortheuseofselectionsfromrabillon'stranslationof"lachansonderoland;"torobertsbrothers,fortheuseofselectionsfromedwinarnold's"indianidylls;"toprof.j.c.hall,fortheuseofselectionsfromhistranslationof"beowulf;"andtoa.c.armstrong&son,fortheuseofselectionsfromconington'stranslationofthe"aeneid."theselectionsfromthe"iliad"andthe"odyssey"areusedwiththepermissionofandbyspecialarrangementwithhoughton,mifflin&co.,publishersofbryant'stranslationsofthe"iliad"andthe"odyssey."specialthanksareduetomisselizag.browningofthepubliclibraryofindianapolis,tomissflorencehughesofthelibraryofindianauniversity,andtomisscharitydye,ofindianapolis.