The Illiad

[MissMarplesNiece]

Over the last few months I've read a few of the novels about the Greek-Trojan war retold by from the point of view of the women involved (Madeline Millar, Natalie Haynes, Pat Barker).

I'd like to read the original Illiad - perhaps make it my long reading project for 2024. Has anyone here got a suggestion for an engaging translation?

DD1 studied The Iliad as part of her degree and she recommends listening to the audio book version on Audible.

I got the Emily Wilson translation for Christmas which I’m looking forward to reading. It’s had good reviews.

I thought the Penguin Classics one by Rieu, Jones & Jones was good for a beginner (like me). It has a brief plot outline before each book, so it's easy to follow the story. Penguin publish 2 or 3 translations though, so if you want this one make sure to check which one it is.

There's a book by Charlotte Higgins, "It's All Greek to Me", which is a good introduction to the classical Greek world. This is what led me to translation of the Iliad & the Odyssey for the first time. She has book-by-book outlines of the plot of both.

https://johnstoniatexts.x10host.com/homer/homertranslations.html

This is a retired academic's comparison of many Homer translations. The one I liked is the one by Emile Victor Rieu from 1950, although the modern Penguin edition has been heavily revised since then.

That looks a very comprehensive list @MaudGone .

Studied it at university and it's never left me though was already obsessed with Greek myth. We used the Richmond Lattimore translation

I would also recommend Lattimore, though I first read the updated Penguin Rieu translation and loved that. I think I found the prose a bit more readable. A friend (who isn't a classicist) liked the Fagles translation, which I haven't read. Nor have I read Emily Wilson's recent translation yet, but I thought her Odyssey was good.

As it was an oral or oral-derived poem, I also like PP's suggestion of listening on audiobook.

Emily Wilson's new translation is extremely well reviewed although I've not got round to it yet. And Charlotte Higgins is always worth reading. (Fun fact; they were at university together at the same college in the same year. As was I, although I am not now a successful classicist!)

I'm quite interested in the idea of an audio book version, although I don't normally use audio books.

Nothing to contribute on translations but with regard to the books that set you off, the late East German writer Christa Wolf also had a fairly significant novel on Cassandra.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassandra(novel)

My children studied it at school and they really loved it despite not normally being keen readers! Can't help with translation though as they read it in Italian.

I read it a long time ago and found it much more gripping and easier to read than I expected. Can't remember much detail though.

I started reading it a few months ago in the same situation - I’d read all the Madeline miller, Pat Barker books and loved them, and wanted to read more about the period / the stories / the myths. I hated it tbh, persisted about half way. I couldn’t get past the patriarchy 😭. When Briseis is mentioned as loot, as a possession, and passed around like a parcel? Didn’t want to read any more.

so I went and read The Power by Naomi Alderman where teenage girls develop the power to zap / electrocute men instead 😂.

I've read Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey and it was excellent, so I'm keen to read her new one of The Illiad. I'm waiting for it to come out in paperback though as it is cheaper and also will match my copy of The Odyssey!

I REALLY like your user name.

I REALLY wanted to be her when I was young.

😁😁

I’d also recommend the recent Emily Wilson translation having read her translation of The Odyssey. Her version was the set text when studying classics.
Her translation of The Iliad is supposed to be more accurate in places, especially in relation to how women are described, and the language is more accessible and less archaic than some older translations.

I’m about to start reading it, the hardback is beautiful. There is also an audiobook of it narrated by Audra McDonald which seems good.

For a first read, definitely Martin Hammond's prose version (Penguin Classics, 1987). It strikes a great balance between readability and faithfulness. Maybe a generational thing but I find the style quite timeless too -- which is not something you could say for Emily Wilson, much as I enjoyed her Odyssey!

Robert Fagles. His translation of the Odyssey is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read.

I believe Lawrence (T.E. Lawrence/Lawrence of Arabia, not the author of Sons and Lovers) translated it as well.