"English Translators of Homer": A Review

https://whatisthequestion.wordpress.com/2025/07/12/english-translators-of-homer-by-simeon-underwood/

31•johngossman•3d ago

Comments

A_D_E_P_T•3d ago

Logue's War Music is easily the finest poetic work of the late 20th century, but it's not a full translation -- it only covers a few books, a fraction of the total Iliad -- and I think that it's better understood as a supplement to Homer. It works as a thing in itself, but it works 100x better if you're already familiar with the Iliad and are ready for a fresh perspective on a few select scenes.

Finishing the job would be a tremendous undertaking, on par with Ezra Pound's Cantos. It should eventually be attempted by somebody, though.

johngossman•3d ago

Totally agree. I re-read it yesterday. The latest edition has Books 1-9 and 16-19, plus some notes and scraps from the remainder. Albeit his versions of those books are mostly shorter than the original, it's more complete than I remember.

frereubu•8h ago

I think the thing I love most about Logue's retelling is that when reading it I hear the voices so clearly. I often think it's a shame that nobody (as far as I know) has put on a play of War Music.

johngossman•5h ago

Apparently it has been done. There were BBC readings and I found this:

https://variety.com/2009/legit/reviews/war-music-1200507311/

karaterobot•5h ago

> but it's not a full translation

If it's a translation at all, then we need a new word for when you change a text from one language into another language. I think 'retelling' is a perfectly good word to use here!

anactofgod•56m ago

Yes. Logue's are (brilliant) retellings, not translations. His source material were other English translations, since he was not literate in ancient Greek (as the article's author notes).

----------

See an East African lion Nose tip to tail tuft ten, eleven feet Slouching towards you Swaying its head from side to side Doubling its pace, its gold-black mane That stretches down its belly to its groin Catching the sunlight as it hits Twice its own length a beat, then leaps Great forepaws high great claws disclosed The scarlet insides of its mouth Parting a roar as loud as sail-sized flames And lands, slam-scattering the herd.

“This is how Hector came on us.”

----------

If only he were able to complete his retelling.

throw0101c•10h ago

For those unaware, Christopher Nolan is making a movie of Odyssey:

> An adaptation of the ancient Greek epic poem the Odyssey attributed to Homer, the film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, and chronicles his long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War as he attempts to reunite with his wife, Penelope. The ensemble cast also features Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal, among others.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Odyssey_(2026_film)

cheeseomlit•9h ago

Damn, as bad as the Troy movie was I thought Sean Bean was a great pick for Odysseus. Not so sure about Matt Damon

frereubu•8h ago

Never seen the film, but have always liked the idea of Brad Pitt as the overweeningly proud and self-involved Achilles.

throw0101c•8h ago

I can see the potential. His earlier ("serious") work is: The Rainmaker, Good Will Hunting, Rounders, The Talented Mr. Ripley.

More recently: Oppenheimer, The Last Duel, Ford v Ferrari. While The Martian is generally considered a comedy, I think he showed a man coping under pressure pretty well.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Damon_filmography

irrational•4h ago

> The Martian is generally considered a comedy

How general is generally? I’ve never heard anyone come close to suggesting it is a comedy.

crinkly•5h ago

It's a terrible film but enjoyable.

I'd rather someone did the Iliad in the style of Flash Gordon.

chrisdhoover•8h ago

I enjoyed The Return with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche

hungmung•8h ago

Ffs, no. We don't need this.

ajkjk•9h ago

I honestly wonder, what kind of person writes a book that compares translations without thinking to include ample examples? Are they intentionally trying to limit their audience?

madcaptenor•8h ago

I agree, but I'd imagine there are copyright issues with the newer translations.

retrac•4h ago

I'm no copyright lawyer. But quoting short passages from multiple translations for comparative literary purposes, is probably fair dealing/fair use.

billfruit•9h ago

Daniel Mendelsohn's new translation of Odyssey came out in April this year. He claims to have taken a more litteral approach following on the footsteps of Lattimore.

Did anyone here read it?

vonnik•7h ago

Fitzgerald and Green are the top two in my opinion.

aaroninsf•5h ago

I'd so much rather see a top-shelf adaptation of _The Song of Achilles_

tiahura•5h ago

In the age of AI, Butler deserves more recognition.

twoodfin•32m ago

This kind of link always makes me want to plug a 25 year-old episode of C-SPAN’s Book Notes, featuring Stanley Lombardo—beating a drum in rhythm with a reading of his then-recent Odyssey translation—and Christopher Hitchens, among others.

https://www.c-span.org/program/book-tv/discussion-of-homers-...

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