This book review evaluates Jonathan S. Burgess's Tradition of the Trojan War in Homer and the Epic Cycle (2001), which examines Homer's Iliad and Odyssey in relation to the Epic Cycle and the broader tradition of Trojan War mythology. The reviewer summarizes Burgess's central arguments — including his claim that Homer drew heavily from oral texts and had limited influence on the Archaic cycle — while critically assessing the book's scholarly tone, structure, and accessibility. The review praises the work's analytical rigor but questions its practical value and readability for a general intellectual audience.
In Tradition of the Trojan War in Homer and the Epic Cycle, Jonathan S. Burgess provides a detailed account of the poetry of Homer — how that poetry was both influenced by, and itself influenced, the poetry of subsequent eras, as well as the myths, truths, and even exaggerations surrounding the Trojan War. Burgess employs analytical, scientific, and detail-oriented research to establish what he considers a vital argument regarding the Trojan War myths and how they have been elaborated upon over the centuries.
The poetry Burgess focuses on most closely is Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Tying these two poems to the different cycles, or eras, that have occurred in literary history appears to be the major theme of the book. He argues, repeatedly, that Homeric poems exerted an influence on the Epic Cycle, but that they were not quite as influential on the Archaic cycle. Burgess advances the theory that Homer was heavily influenced by oral texts — to such a degree that he quoted from those texts in his poetry (p. 134).
The author writes: "In this study I have tried to situate the Trojan War poems of the Epic Cycle within the context of the tradition of the Trojan War, particularly in relation to the Homeric poems" (p. 172). That manipulation of Homer's poems to justify his argument seems rather contrived, to say the least. Most literary experts would probably disagree with Burgess's assertion that "we actually find little evidence of early Greek artists and poets being inspired by the Iliad or the Odyssey" (p. 173).
The book is presented as a study of the making of Homer's poetry and how his work — especially the Iliad and Odyssey — became associated with the Epic Cycle genre. Burgess states, "Indeed, eventually the whole genre of epic poetry became equated with Homer" (p. 130).
One of the specific questions Burgess raises in his book is whether the sack of Troy was a historical event or merely a myth. He speculates that while we know a city was sacked during that period, there is no way of confirming that the city was actually Troy. He suggests that Epic Cycle poetry, influenced by Homer, first put forward that identification. On the other hand, he also argues that Homer — who began composing his poetry during the early part of the Epic Cycle — could himself have been influenced by stories circulating orally at that time.
"Critique of the book's dense academic style"
"Final judgment on the book's overall value"
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