Answer:
- their oral nature(pre-written word)
- there is no completely accurate record of who Homer(or any epic author) really was
- the numerous storytellers who regaled audiences with the stories
Step-by-step explanation:
An epic is a story told or narrated in a big way consisting of heroes, armies, gods, demi-gods and the forces of nature that are located over sweeping landscapes. An epic usually tells of the heroe' s journey and achievements and failures or woes on the journey.
Epics are oral tales or poems that were narrated orally through traditional methods which were handed down from one generation to the other before they started writing them down. Most epics are mytholical histories that talk about great figures from history and historical events. An example of a historical epic is the "Trojan War".
Oral epic traditions are passed down from one generation to another. As epics are passed on the language and story is refined or fine tuned to suit each generation.
The authors of epic poems like Homer who wrote "Illiad" and "Odyssey" have conflicting records and information of their lives and times. The accuracy of who they really were is often conflicting.