How Did Scholars Figure Out That Homer’s Epics Were Oral, Not Written, Literature?

In the late 19th century, few believed that anyone, literate or not, could have memorized something as long as the Iliad or Odyssey. (The main argument at the time was whether “Homer” was one person or many; the two sides were the Unitarians and the Analysts.) Who established that Homer’s verse was recited by heart? A clever Harvard professor, helped by some Bosnian bards. – JSTOR Daily