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Anonymous user: Very free interpretation (not adaptation) that in many ways improves on the original. No childish gods, no rambling digressions. Visually spectacular. The dialogue is a bit cringeworthy now and then, but it does have flashes of brilliance. Only for the most broad-minded admirers of Homer - or those who find the Greek bard unsatisfactory. PS Caveat: the Director's Cut is gratuitously gory!… (more)
Jitsusama: An ancient classic revolving around Greek Myth. A great help to better understand the mythology of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
Fagle’s translation is less poetic than others, some may find it more readable.
A must-read for all but not recommended without some guidance. From the very dawn of civilization, Homer provides us with a manifold source of knowledge to gain in a great variety of fields. They are powerful echoes from a deep past but are easily misinterpreted. Since it was the first of its kind and cannot be fully understood without historical, social, evolutionary context.
Homer’s work goes beyond the telling of common themes of glory and valor. His epic poems revolutionized storytelling. One gets the distinct feeling that he made a conscious effort to have myth serve literature, not the other way around. The flat if superhuman characters of earlier myths, say the Gilgamesh Epos, the Atra-Hasis, or Enuma Elis, their one-dimensional recalling of events, their lack of sophisticated literary techniques that were considered sufficient to serve a myth of creation are replaced and superseded by Homer’s sophisticated literary structure with its well-developed characters exuding, for the first time, human qualities in such complexity that make them so recognizable. Homer’s characters have become ambassadors for eternity to come. Just consider Helen’s statement to Hector, “On us two Zeus has set a doom of misery, so that in time to come we can be themes of song for men of future generations”- Book 6. A prophetic statement, indeed.
It is often said that we (the West) are all Greek, well then we (writers and authors) are all Homerians. ( )
A must-read for all but not recommended without some guidance. From the very dawn of civilization, Homer provides us with a manifold source of knowledge to gain in a great variety of fields. They are powerful echoes from a deep past but are easily misinterpreted. Since it was the first of its kind and cannot be fully understood without historical, social, evolutionary context.
Homer’s work goes beyond the telling of common themes of glory and valor. His epic poems revolutionized storytelling. One gets the distinct feeling that he made a conscious effort to have myth serve literature, not the other way around. The flat if superhuman characters of earlier myths, say the Gilgamesh Epos, the Atra-Hasis, or Enuma Elis, their one-dimensional recalling of events, their lack of sophisticated literary techniques that were considered sufficient to serve a myth of creation are replaced and superseded by Homer’s sophisticated literary structure with its well-developed characters exuding, for the first time, human qualities in such complexity that make them so recognizable. Homer’s characters have become ambassadors for eternity to come. Just consider Helen’s statement to Hector, “On us two Zeus has set a doom of misery, so that in time to come we can be themes of song for men of future generations”- Book 6. A prophetic statement, indeed.
It is often said that we (the West) are all Greek, well then we (writers and authors) are all Homerians. Period ( )
the last paragraph of the introduction made me audibly gasp Wilson understands this poem perfectly and her translation is 'simple' but heart-wrenching ( )
Five excellent Homeric similes using "As... even so" construction:
1. As a mountain falcon, swiftest of all birds, swoops down upon some cowering dove - the dove flies before him but the falcon with a shrill scream follows close after, resolved to have her - even so did Achilles make straight for Hector with all his might, while Hector fled under the Trojan wall as fast as his limbs could take him. [Book 22]
2. As a fire raging in some mountain glen after long drought - and the dense forest is in a blaze, while the wind carries great tongues of fire in every direction - even so furiously did Achilles rage, wielding his spear as though he were a superhuman force, and giving chase to those whom he would slay, till the dark earth ran with blood. [Book 20]
3. As two swart oxen both strain their utmost at the plow which they are drawing in a fallow field, and the sweat steams upwards from about the roots of their horns - nothing but the yoke divides them as they break up the ground till they reach the end of the field - even so did the two Ajaxes stand shoulder to shoulder by one another. [Book 13]
4. As when the mighty sea that thunders on the beach when the west wind has lashed it into fury, it has reared its head afar and now comes crashing down on the shore; it bows its arching crest high over the jagged rocks and spews its salt foam in all directions, even so did the serried phalanxes of the Danaans march steadfastly to battle. [Book 4]
5. As when a man gives a great ox-hide all drenched in fat to his men, and bids them stretch it; whereon they stand round it in a ring and tug till the moisture leaves it, and the fat soaks in for the many that pull at it, and it is well stretched - even so did the two sides tug the dead body hither and thither within the compass of but a little space - the Trojans steadfastly set on dragging it into Ilion, while the Achaeans were no less so on taking it to their ships; and fierce was the fight between them. [Book 17] ( )
Achilles' baneful wrath resound, O Goddess, that impos'd Infinite sorrows on the Greeks, and many brave souls los'd. [George Chapman]
Achilles' wrath, to Greece the direful spring Of woes unnumber'd, heavenly goddess, sing! [Alexander Pope]
Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. [Samuel Butler]
An angry man—there is my story: the bitter rancour of Achillês, prince of the house of Peleus, which brought a thousand troubles upon the Achaian host. [W.H.D. Rouse]
The Wrath of Achilles is my theme, that fatal wrath which, in fulfillment of the will of Zeus, brought the Achaeans so much suffering and sent the gallant souls of many noblemen to Hades, leaving their bodies as carrion for the dogs and passing birds. [E.V. Rieu]
SING, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus and its devastation, which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaians, hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls of heroes, but gave their bodies to be the delicate feasting of dogs, of all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished since that time when first there stood in division of conflict Atreus' son the lord of men and brilliant Achilleus. [Richmond Lattimore]
Sing, MOUNTAIN GODDESS, sing through me That anger which most ruinously Inflamed Achilles, Peleus' son, And which, before the tale was done, Had glutted Hell with champions—bold, Stern spirits by the thousandfold; Ravens and dogs their corpses ate. [Robert Graves]
Anger be now your song, immortal one, Akhilleus' anger, doomed and ruinous, that caused the Akhaians loss on bitter loss and crowded brave souls into the undergloom, leaving so many dead men—carrion for dogs and birds; and the will of Zeus was done. [Robert Fitzgerald]
Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses, hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls, great fighters' souls, but made their bodies carrion, feasts for the dogs and birds, and the will of Zeus was moving toward its end. [Robert Fagels]
Rage: Sing, Goddess, Achilles' rage, Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks Incalculable pain, pitched countless souls Of heroes into Hades' dark, And left their bodies to rot as feasts For dogs and birds, as Zeus' will was done. [Stanley Lombardo]
The rage of Achilles—sing it now, goddess, sing through me the deadly rage that caused the Achaeans such grief and hurled down to Hades the souls of so many fighters, leaving their naked flesh to be eaten by dogs and carrion birds, as the will of Zeus was accomplished. [Stephen Mitchell]
Sing, goddess, the anger of Achilles, Peleus' son, the accursed anger which brought the Achaeans countless agonies and hurled many mighty shades of heroes into Hades, causing them to become the prey of dogs and all kinds of birds; and the plan of Zeus was fulfilled. [Anthony Verity]
The rage sing, O goddess, of Achilles the son of Peleus, the destructive anger that brought ten-thousand pains to the Achaeans and sent many brave souls of fighting men to the house of Hades and made their bodies a feast for dogs and all kinds of birds. For such was the will of Zeus. [Barry Powell]
Wrath—sing, goddess, of the ruinous wrath of Peleus' son Achilles, that inflicted woes without number upon the Achaeans, hurled forth to Hades many strong souls of warriors and rendered their bodies prey for the dogs, for all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished; sing from when they two first stood in conflict— Atreus' son, lord of men, and godlike Achilles. [Caroline Alexander]
Goddess, sing of the cataclysmic wrath of great Achilles, son of Peleus, which caused the Greeks immeasurable pain and sent so many noble souls of heroes to Hades, and made men the spoils of dogs, a banquet for the birds, and so the plan of Zeus unfolded - starting with the conflict between great Agamemnon, lord of men, and glorious Achilles. [Emily R. Wilson]
Quotations
Last words
Such was their burial of Hektor, breaker of horses.
A must-read for all but not recommended without some guidance. From the very dawn of civilization, Homer provides us with a manifold source of knowledge to gain in a great variety of fields. They are powerful echoes from a deep past but are easily misinterpreted.
Since it was the first of its kind and cannot be fully understood without historical, social, evolutionary context.
Homer’s work goes beyond the telling of common themes of glory and valor. His epic poems revolutionized storytelling. One gets the distinct feeling that he made a conscious effort to have myth serve literature, not the other way around. The flat if superhuman characters of earlier myths, say the Gilgamesh Epos, the Atra-Hasis, or Enuma Elis, their one-dimensional recalling of events, their lack of sophisticated literary techniques that were considered sufficient to serve a myth of creation are replaced and superseded by Homer’s sophisticated literary structure with its well-developed characters exuding, for the first time, human qualities in such complexity that make them so recognizable.
Homer’s characters have become ambassadors for eternity to come. Just consider Helen’s statement to Hector, “On us two Zeus has set a doom of misery, so that in time to come we can be themes of song for men of future generations”- Book 6. A prophetic statement, indeed.
It is often said that we (the West) are all Greek, well then we (writers and authors) are all Homerians. ( )