Homer's The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson discussion
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Kris
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Feb 17, 2018 08:42PM
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Glad to begin participating after lurking awhile, soaking up the good vibes and energy. I follow Sue's path to read The Iliad first and to get some of the big picture with Why Homer Matters. The recognition of fully astute minds and rich emotiomal life across so many centuries is so eerie. Despite the readily apprehensible human elements, it is such a challenge to conceive of a religion with such human like gods in their emotions while imbued with powers of modern fantasy superheroes. The role of Fate as something out of the gods' hands is still a head scratcher I look for help with. The geography of the world then takes some work to catch up with as well. Homer's reflections in so much that followed in history and literature gives me a growing sense of how foundational his work was. I got some dose of how Homer was studied in the typical schools in Byzantium for centuries in a recent read, and now I have Thucydides interpretation of historical aspects 3 centures after Homer in his History of the Pelopponesean War. For him the coalition of independent kingdoms and tribes that besieged Troy was a first step toward empire in the region. In the "Landmark" edition I got a lot of benefit from all the maps and commentary. To here see Thesally where Achilles was from, Mycenae where Agamemnon ruled, Pylos for Nestor, and so on. The later advance of Athens into a golden age from naval powers linked to colonization, mostly in the Ionian areas of the eastern Aegean, including the Hellespont and Troy regions. That war was again one coalition with another across the Aegean, though so much broader (with critical battles in Sicily) and much between Athens and Doric neighbors of Corinth and Sparta. The whole 25 plus year war can be seen as manipulated by the Persians through playing sides off against each other. It was kind of funny how Sparta ending up the winner didn't lead to much staying power. It took getting conquered by Philip and Alexander for the essence of Hellenic unity to emerge and the sense of the Trojan War to represent a precedent for close teamwork of the many diverse cities and regions we call Ancient Greece.
Michael wrote: "Glad to begin participating after lurking awhile, soaking up the good vibes and energy. I follow Sue's path to read The Iliad first and to get some of the big picture with Why Homer Matters. The re..."Super comment. Where's the Like button?
No LIKE button on comments. Just verbalizations--the good old, old-fashioned way. Which reminds me, I'd love to dispense with LIKE buttons altogether!(P.S. Hi, Michael!)
Thanks for encouragement from Ted, a history fsn, and our intrepid poet, Ken. I must say, Ken, that it was a surprising pleasure to experience the verse translation of Pope for a free audio version of the Iliad. Heroic couplets are somehow fitting for an heroic epic in verse. The iambic pentameter makes for shorter lines than the Greek (10 vs 15 or so), but the singy-songy cadences receed after awhile and there is good flow across the lines, almost the way rap can carry complex speech or narrative.
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Kris wrote: "Many welcomes, Michael -- and thanks so much for your wonderful comment. I'm so glad you are joining us -- your comment has reminded me that I have Landmark editions of Herodotus and Thucydides tha..."Yes, those Landmark editions of Her. & Thuc. - as I type as my desk, they look over my shoulder, wondering (forlornly?) if I will ever read them. I wonder too.
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Kris wrote: "Maybe we can inspire each other to read them -- or one of them -- some day?"Let's try to do that.
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Whoa! Just opened my brand new copy of Emily W.'s Odyssey to see that the Introduction is a whopping 91 pages! Epic!
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I'm so glad you're joining us, Janet -- your perspective is very welcome, plus it will be wonderful to celebrate your dissertation defense with you!
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Epic indeed! Plus a Translator's Note. And 4 maps. :)
Just joined and looking forward to this! By the way, what an amazing "Group page" organization and layout. So useful and full of information! Thank you for all the work that went into building it.Finished the Fagles translation of the Illiad recently. Time for a new translation of The Odyssey in a community that loves reading.
Glorious! Onward!
I've read The Odyssey more than a few times over the years, Fitzgerald being my trusty companion over that time. I'm really looking forward to this group read and a new perspective on an old favourite. Just wanted to add: what an amazing organizational talent you have Kris, for pulling this all together.
And, I've been gobbling up all the info, articles, already posted by group members. Phenomenal resources from everyone!
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Welcome, Gregg! It's a pleasure to meet you and to have you join us. We have amazing group members who have contributed so many wonderful resources and insights. I'm looking forward to rich discussions!
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So glad you're here, Julie! Your knowledge of Fitzgerald's translation will provide you with a wonderful basis for comparison as we discuss Wilson's translation. I'm excited to learn from your perspective!
Is this group still active, as Comments seem to stop after 2018?Will it be expanded to cover Emily Wilson's Iliad translation, to be published at end of this month (written in September 2023)
Hello wrapping up Wilson's translation of The Iliad with both her paperback and the audio and yes, looking forward to The Odyssey in the Fall.
Homer's The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson
Books mentioned in this topic
The Iliad (other topics)The Odyssey (other topics)
The World's Wife (other topics)
The Iliad (other topics)
The Odyssey (other topics)
