The Idea of the Muse in Hesiod and Homer The custom of appealing to the muses at the outset of a work is a curious one by today's standards; very few modern authors feel the need to ask a metaphysical being to help them write. It is important to understand why the Greek chose to ask for guidance from the muses, but it is also important to realize the underlying implications of such an appeal. …showed first 75 words of 1036 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1036 total…to the Gods, like that of the Renaissance, and countless other examples leading right up to the present, such as religious icons. There is also that which eschews the otherworldly influence, or corrupts it for its own gains. We see the roots of these two vastly different attitudes towards the idea of the Gods in the works of Hesiod and Homer, where their appeals to the muses smack of sycophancy and hegemony, respectively. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**