Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/285

 SOCIOLOGY AND THE EPIC 271

reveals an active and all-seeing mind, capable of reproducing both the brighter and more sober tints of man's life in society.

Homer thus affords a truly historical document for the study of civilization, even though dates cannot be assigned which will accurately locate the Homeric age in human history. For the student of human culture the period of Homeric life is fairly well located. The importance of these documents cannot be questioned ; without Homer's evidence, our ignorance of our entire Aryan past would be indeed lamentable, in spite of the wonderful services of archaeology. Depending upon Homer's record, which we judge to be remarkably reliable, we are enabled to understand in generous measure one of the greatest embryonic civilizations of all time.

ALBERT G. KELLER.

YALE UNIVERSITY.