A NCIENT COMMENTATORS, such as pseudo-Longinus (Subl. 13.3), noted the "very Homeric" nature of Stesichorus' poetry. It is clear that in some cases the authors were referring to the content or subject matter of Stesichorus' poems, in others to the style. Before the publication of the papyrus fragments of Stesichorus found at Oxyrhynchus, these generalising statements could not be confirmed apart from the fact that titles such as Iliu Persis could be classified as Homeric in content, or that phrases such as irorO cvOa VUKTOS O~ pEvaS (SLG S17 4-5) could be paralleled with the second half of a hexameter line. From the material now provided by the publication of the papyri we may reach a greater understanding of the poet's techniques in his epico-lyric compositions, and in particular the treatment of diction and themes derived from the epic tradition. That the Homeric epics continued to be recited in the seventh and sixth centuries, after the period of oral improvisation appears to have drawn to a close, ensured that many of the formulaic expressions of the epic tradition became part of the linguistic inheritance of the Greekspeaking people, if they were not already an inseparable part of the language. Thus a poet retelling or adapting legends from the heroic tradition would be able to imitate or alter formulaic phrases to suit his particular purpose, aware that his audience, attuned to the traditional association of a specific epithet with a specific noun, would probably be struck by the repetition of a familiar word-group in an unfamiliar context, or by the deliberate avoidance of an expected association of epithet and noun.' Similarly, the poet could repeat or adapt thematic material according to his purpose. Hence Stesichorus' choice of diction and themes should be examined in terms of verbatim imitation or deliberate altera-