[HarryT]

It's perhaps of interest to remind ourselves how these epic poems were actually performed. They weren't silently read, as we do today. In 5th and 4th century Greece there were professional "reciters of Homer" called "rhapsodes". They were itinerant public performers, travelling from town to town, giving dramatic public performances of Homer, probably accompanying themselves on a lyre (an instrument rather like a small harp). There were competitive performances by rhapsodes at all religious festivals, with large cash prizes and great prestige going to the winner.

Just as many people today look to the Bible for moral guidance, 5th century Greeks looked to Homer. Homer was regarded as the ultimate authority on all moral issues. The answer to any question about how to live a virtuous life could be found in the Iliad and Odyssey. That's another reason rhapsodes were such respected figures: they were moral teachers as well as performers.

Edit: 5th and 4th century BC, just to clarify!