"they are not anywhere near the level of discourse and complexity of the classics."
Yeah, I don't understand. Why? Could you explain this further?
The Founders were writing about their contemporary politics in a direct and literal manner. They were having direct discussions about things in the here and now. The classics were written as metaphor, with simile and indirect reference being the methods used. This meant that the classics’ writers had to disguise their intent, motivation, and final literary destination. Thus the flowery prose and indirect references to the events of their time.
While the Founders knew that if caught they would be punished severely as well, they had faith enough in their cause that they stood behind their words publically.
There are reasons other than time that we don’t know who Homer actually was. Political persecution is nothing new.