writing this, I came across a comment in The Times13 that the Romans “were commonly able to recite the Aeneid, a 10,000-line poem, word for word; generals would know the name of every soldier in their armies; orators would deliver three-hour speeches without notes.” The same was true among the Greeks. At their dinner parties Greek men were expected to show off their learning by reciting the poems of Homer. They were also performed at great festivals, such as the Panhellenic games at Olympia and Nemea.