SOCIOLOGY AND HOMER 45
Old Testament. It is of overwhelming interest to the science of society to know the past of the particular race to which Homer's productions belong. In spite of archaeological progress, the lacuna which, as we have seen, Homer fills so adequately, is one whose existence would be a great scientific calamity. Here Homer narrows the boundaries of our ignorance to no slight degree, and so notably aids science toward the formation of some generalizations as to the origin and life of human society. From the foregoing it would appear that the gain from the sociological study of Homer lies all on one side. This is far from true. To take only the most general consideration : the great service to Homeric study of the science of society lies in the application of the comparative method to what has hitherto been regarded as quite apart and sui generis. Homeric society and Homer himself are thereby rescued from an unnatural and untenable position of exceptionality into which some enthu- siastic and uncandid writers, notably Gladstone, have tried to force them, and are thrown into line with the general course of human evolution. This is a gain to humanity's organized knowl- edge of itself, and it cannot be a loss to these venerable and noble productions themselves ; nor to others which have been placed, unhappily, in a similarly false position.
ALBERT G. KELLER.
YALE UNIVERSITY.
