Poets in Search of Reality: A Historical Study on How Poets and their Societies Needed the Muses and their Epiphanies in Ancient Greece

Greek poets reflected upon the epiphany – the presence - of the Muses in their poems in Ancient Greece. This study aims to determine why poets reflected upon the epiphany of the Muses in their poems. Since Greek poetry was performed in front of a public, it focusses on the social demands to question the epiphany of the Muses in Ancient Greece. Specifically, it investigates how various political and military crises may have created social demands to reflect upon the Muses’ epiphanies. To test the hypothesis that crises created needs for poets to question the reliability and presence of the Muses, the circumstances of poets’ lives and careers are investigated. Biographical and autobiographical literary evidence, in combination with archaeological and iconological evidence, supports the idea that crises led to a demand to reflect upon the Muses’ epiphanies. This suggests that disruptive experiences such as war and diseases impacted the trustworthiness of divine inspiration and divine...Show moreGreek poets reflected upon the epiphany – the presence - of the Muses in their poems in Ancient Greece. This study aims to determine why poets reflected upon the epiphany of the Muses in their poems. Since Greek poetry was performed in front of a public, it focusses on the social demands to question the epiphany of the Muses in Ancient Greece. Specifically, it investigates how various political and military crises may have created social demands to reflect upon the Muses’ epiphanies. To test the hypothesis that crises created needs for poets to question the reliability and presence of the Muses, the circumstances of poets’ lives and careers are investigated. Biographical and autobiographical literary evidence, in combination with archaeological and iconological evidence, supports the idea that crises led to a demand to reflect upon the Muses’ epiphanies. This suggests that disruptive experiences such as war and diseases impacted the trustworthiness of divine inspiration and divine knowledge.Show less

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Poets in Search of Reality: A Historical Study on How Poets and their Societies Needed the Muses and their Epiphanies in Ancient Greece