Homer
Lived sometime between the 8th and 9th Centuries B.C.. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest poets in the history of Western Europe based, primarily, on the Iliad and the Odyssey. He made his living as a rhapsode, a traveling singer of verses (a rapper?). Tradition holds that Homer was blind, however there is no evidence for this other than the fact that Demodocus was portrayed as a blind rhapsode in Odyssey. It is commonly held that Homer collected oral histories, folklore, and mythology and blended them into his epic poems. Homer means, literally, "hostage" and some scholars have taken this to mean that the Homer, as such, did not exist; but that the works which bear his name are merely collected folk tales.
Regardless of the history of Homer, it is clear the Homeric view of the world was decidedly a fan of the Greek Nobility. His poems portrayed god-like heroes who appealed to the warrior aristocrat class. He celebrated the archetype of the noble warrior.
The Iliad is a poem of passion. It covers the adventures of Greek (Achaian) warriors during a couple of months during the tenth year of the Trojan war. During the poem, Achilles stands as the symbol of the Greek nobility. Achilles uses his passion to serve Greek civilization. Achilles is a reflective warrior who is blinded by is pride. Through this work, Homer provides an uncritical endorsement of the Greek Nobility.
Homer felt that poetry should give the reader vicarious satisfaction. Homer provided this satisfaction through battles which, through passion and sacrifice, Hellenism prevailed.
The Odyssey, while somewhat critical of the privileges of nobility, Homer still portrayed the nobility in a positive manner. Through the Odyssey, Homer reinforces the belief that the Nobility were the only ones who the gods spoke to; therefore, the nobles were the only ones capable of ruling or fighting for Greece.
An excerpt from "The Odyssey"
So saying, he quickly bound up his tunic with his belt, and went to the sties, where the tribes of swine were penned. Choosing two from thence, he brought them in and slew them both,
[75] and singed, and cut them up, and spitted them. Then, when he had roasted all, he brought and set it before Odysseus, hot upon the spits, and sprinkled over it white barley meal. Then in a bowl of ivy wood he mixed honey-sweet wine, and himself sat down over against Odysseus, and bade him to his food, and said:
[80] "Eat now, stranger, such food as slaves have to offer, meat of young pigs; the fatted hogs the wooers eat, who reck not in their hearts of the wrath of the gods, nor have any pity. Verily the blessed gods love not reckless deeds, but they honor justice and the righteous deeds of men. [85] Even cruel foremen that set foot on the land of others, and Zeus gives them booty, and they fill their ships and depart for home--even on the hearts of these falls great fear of the wrath of the gods. But these men here, look you, know somewhat, and have heard some voice of a god [90] regarding my master's pitiful death, seeing that they will not woo righteously, nor go back to their own, but at their ease they waste our substance in insolent wise, and there is no sparing. For every day and night that comes from Zeus they sacrifice not one victim nor two alone, [95] and they draw forth wine, and waste it in insolent wise. Verily his substance was great past telling, so much has no lord either on the dark mainland or in Ithaca itself; nay, not twenty men together have wealth so great. Lo, I will tell thee the tale thereof; [100] twelve herds of kine has he on the mainland; as many flocks of sheep; as many droves of swine; as many packed herds of goats do herdsmen, both foreigners and of his own people, pasture. And here too graze roving herds of goats on the borders of the island, eleven in all, and over them trusty men keep watch. [105] And each man of these ever drives up day by day one of his flock for the wooers, even that one of the fatted goats which seems to him the best. But as for me, I guard and keep these swine, and choose out with care and send them the best of the boars."
For the complete text of the Odyssey head to the Perseus Project.
Hesiod
A contemporary of Homer, Hesiod was an Iron-Age farmer and shepherd. His writing style was more mundane than Homer's, as was the choice of subject matter. Hesiod's major works, Works and Days and Theogony dealt with the day to day life of the time. Works and Days, for instance, deals with farm tasks. Hesiod uses those tasks to symbolize his view of justice. Through this approach, Hesiod is able to safely criticize the injustices the nobility inflicts upon the common Greek.
Hesiod uses his poetry to evangelize the work ethic. He holds that work is self-ennobling. Through work, one can fulfill their potential as they move toward aratae. Hesiod was a student of Homer's work, but believed them to be lies, especially Homer's glorification of war (agon).
Hesiod argues that if the nobles alone knew Themis (the will of the gods) and Deke (human justice) corruption is inevitable.
Due to the glorification of the nobility, the works of Homer have gained and maintained favor. Yet, this split in worldviews continues throughout Greek and Western civilization. As Homeric ideas glorify the privileged, Hesiod glorified the commoner.
An excerpt from "Works and Days" (trans. by M.L. West)
When you want to escape debt and joyless hunger by turning your blight-witted heart to trade, I will show you the measure of the resounding sea -- quite without instruction as I am in either seafaring or in ships; for as to ships, I have never yet sailed the broad sea, except to Euboea from Aulis, the way the Acheans once came when they waited through the winter and gathered a great army from holy Greece against Troy of the fair women. There to the funeral games for warlike Amphidamas and to Chalcis I crossed, and many were the prizes announced and displayed by the sons of that valiant; where I may say that I was victorious in poetry and won a tripod with ring handles. That I dedicated to the muses of Helicon, in the original place where they set me on the path of fine signing.
For the complete text of this work, head to The Perseus Project.