Iliad Lesson Plan

Why does the poet invoke the divine Muses at the beginning of the poem?

The invocation of the gods is a familiar trope in classical literature. It is a staple above all of the genre of epic poetry, but makes its first known appearance in the poems of Homer. However, Homer was not the originator of this custom: the original reason for making such an invocation was the belief that is the gods (especially the Muses, who are divinities of the arts) drive the talents and the inspiration of poets.

There is a special expression invented just to describe how Homer’s epic poems begin: "in media res". Why do you think the poet chooses to begin his narrative in this way?