Richmond Lattimore (1906–1984)

Included here are over a hundred poems and poetic fragments from thirty Greek lyric poets of antiquity as well as some anonymous verse spanning from the 7th to the 5th Century. It's a slim book--only 82 pages in paperback. Almost all of the above survive only in fragments found in pot shards, scraps of papyrus used to wrap mummies and quotations by grammarians and others. The most notable--or at least poets I’ve heard mentioned and seen anthologized elsewhere are: Archilochos of Paros, show more Solon (legendary statesman of Athens), Alcman of Sparta, Stesichorus of Hemera, Ibycus of Rhegium, Alcaeus of Mytilene, Anakreon of Teos (who is supposed to have influenced Aeschylus) Simonides of Ceos (to whom the famous epitaph for Sparta’s 400 who fell at Thermopylae is ascribed), Bacchylides of Ceos, Pindar of Thebes (famous for his Olympic Victory Odes) and Sappho of Lesbos, Praxilla of Sicyon and Corinna of Tanagra, notable woman poets.

Among the poets represented I regret most all we’ve lost by Archilochos and Sappho. Both of them despite the fragmentary nature of what survived come through as personalities and amazing poets--in what couldn't be a wider contrast. Archilochos was a mercenary with has been called a "nettle tongue;" there was a legend wasps hovered over his grave. In a translation of his poems by Davenport, I could definitely see the soldier--often biting, crude, lewd, blunt. That wasn’t as apparent in this edition by Lattimore. Sappho is the great lyric poet of antiquity. Plato called her the "tenth muse." She's Archilochos opposite pole, vernal, refined--but like him at times frank in speaking of desire. Her poems were preserved until nearly A.D 1000, at least according to A Book of Woman Poets, "when a wrathful church destroyed whatever it could find. In 1073 her writings were publicly burned in Rome and Constantinople by order of Pope Gregory VIII." Otherwise, I find it valuable to have collected in one place such a wide range of the notable Greek poets and I appreciate the introductions to each poet. Not knowing Greek, it’s hard for me to judge the translations--except that I’ve seen renderings of the famous epitaph to the Spartans and of Sappho and Archilochos I’ve liked better--but perhaps these are truer--I can’t know. I do know I didn't much like the Lattimore translation of Homer I encountered in high school and it took Robert Fitzgerald's translation for it to catch fire with me. show less

A superb translation of the New Testament from koine Greek. Lattimore was the dean of American Greek scholars. Because this is the work of one man, rather than a committee, it necessarily reflects Lattimore's particular understandings of certain thorny problems in the Greek. However, his scholarship and understanding pervade the entire volume.
Acquaintances of mine who are primarily New Testament specialists have complained that Lattimore lacked the background in second-temple Judaism to show more provide an authoritative translation. That may be so. However, the person who wishes to read the New Testament as literature can do far worse than this straightforward, readable, dare I say friendly, text.
Only the coming years will disclose if this translation stands the test of time or, if as with the work of so many other unknown scholars, it passes into obscurity. For now, I consult it often, and always with profit. show less

I was impressed to discover this translation is still in print. While these stories aren't much fun, they are the foundation upon which much was later built. They are the Orestia; Agamemnon, Libation Bearers & Eumenides. Enjoy?

I did Latin for Matric and my only exposure to classical drama was Plautus: boring is not the word and, to add insult to injury, he was supposed to be this penned these complete rip-roaring rib-ticklers. Did I ever crack a smile? I think not - except at the end of the period when the tedium was over. I don't even recall the name of the play but it doesn't matter - Plautus is uniformly unfunny, no matter how creative you try to be in your translation.

I was not disposed to enjoy classical show more drama then when I started University and had to read them for both my drama and my classics courses: I became a fan almost immediately however. So much depends on the translation and I have no hesitation of recommending Richmond Lattimore as one of the best translators of all time.

It might be regarded as a bit much to suggest that Shakespeare and Marlowe and Tourneur were all mere pale imitators of the great masters whose works they no doubt studied at school, but read this book of plays and see why I am tempted to state as much. show less