Josephus on Homer's unwritten poems
Josephus, defending the antiquity of Jewish records in Against Apion, argues that even Homer — the oldest Greek writing anyone agrees on — did not leave his poems in writing; their memory was preserved in songs and put together afterwards. The Iliad's opening wrath is shown beside the argument.
Passages side by side
“However, there is not any writing which the Greeks agree to he genuine among them ancienter than Homer's Poems, who must plainly he confessed later than the siege of Troy; nay, the report goes, that even he did not leave his poems in writing, but that their memory was preserved in songs, and they were put together afterward, and that this is the reason of such a number of variations as are found in them.”
“The wrath sing, goddess, of Peleus' son, Achilles, that destructive wrath which brought countless woes upon the Achaeans, and sent forth to Hades many valiant souls of heroes, and made them themselves spoil for dogs and every bird; thus the plan of Zeus came to fulfillment,from the time when first they parted in strife Atreus' son, king of men, and brilliant Achilles.”