THE ILIAD - HOMER (trans. EMILY WILSON)

Longtime readers, by which I mean no one, will remember that, a few years ago, I read Wilson’s translation of THE ODYSSEY and really loved it. It was the first translation of that poem into English by a woman and Wilson has now done the same for the other book in Homer’s oeuvre. I love these things. I’m a longtime Greek myths guy and have read the Iliad and Odyssey a couple of times each over the years. I still prefer the Odyssey, I think it’s more exciting and interesting and I like Odyssus as a character more than anyone in the Iliad but Wilson does quite a highlighting why this poem is so interesting. Her translation does not match line-for-line with the Greek like Smith and Miller’s but she does render it in iambic pentameter, which makes it move swiftly. I read large portions of it outloud to my daughter and it reads really well. There is so much strange stuff in here, trying to wrap one’s head around the Greek worldview. I was really caught by how confusing I found their talk of fate and destiny. Most characters know their fates, they know Troy will fall and many of them, especially Hector and Achilles, know they will die before the end. Even the outcome of every individual battle and one-on-one fight is controlled to some extent by the Gods who sometimes seem like they can do whatever they want and hand victory to whomever pleases them, and other times seem like they cannot change certain fates. There is much talk about wining glory from bravery and heroic deeds, but we also see, again and again, the gods themselves breath courage into men and to aid their hand in actions that bring men glory. Hard to center as a modern person. Wilson has great notes that help one understand some of the Greek subtleties and mythological background and the essay at the beginning, like the one she wrote for the Odyssey, is amazing and thorough and interesting. I would love to own a copy of both of these to read aloud again to my daughter when she’s old enough to understand.