Having read the Iliad several times, your advice on translations is so valuable. I really struggled through the first translation I bought! It has been so many years since I last read it - around twenty 🙈- but watching your journey with it has made me want to pick it up again. This is all great advice. I think it’s valuable to bear in mind the vast difference in values and mindset when approaching ancient literature. You will find many similarities which will bring you closer to the ancient civilisations and you will recognise their humanity. But there will also be ideas and events which are very alien to modern sensibilities. Great advice Shelly!
Thanks, Jack! I would be very interesting in hearing your thoughts after you revisit The Iliad. The slow, building plot is excellent, but I couldn’t appreciate it while I was wrestling with translations. “Modern sensibilities” you worded that perfectly. The mindset has to adjust with the antiquity which may be lost on some readers. Thanks again, Jack.
Great video! Your recommendations about getting the same translation for a class or a group is really important. It makes life easier for everyone. I learned that the hard way with The Inferno by Dante. Once we all got the same translation, the reading became such a pleasure.
Jorge, thank you! Quite honestly, I threw in that tip because I imagined a very chaotic classroom if everyone had a different translation. Glad I got it right!
Thank you for a great introduction to this wonderful Poem. I reached the end and wondered where was the story of the Wooden Horse, had I missed it, but I knew I would need to read it more than once so hopefully maybe next time, and with the newer translations it is much more accessible than previously, really liked the video, so thanks again
What a great intro, Shelly! I think this is a great resource. Great point on the deaths and the grieving. It's been years since I've read this and I still recall those scenes.
Some great information. I like how you made sure to address students and how they need to get the required version. It sounds like I would need to approach it the way I did Wolf Hall.
That’s exactly the approach I had to take - like Wolf Hall. The Iliad challenged me more because I didn’t have a character list to fall back on. Gah! From my understanding, The Odyssey will have a more streamlined narrative which I’m excited for. ☺️
Thank you Shelly for sharing your experience. I bought a translation to French and I don’t have a clue what I’ll find in there but I’ll keep in mind that I may have to pick a different one!
I remember seeing beautiful metaphors like "the wine dark sea," though maybe that was the Odyssey. I became really mad years later when I read "the purple sea" in a really bad translation. I lived in Greece in the Navy back in the eighties and went to all the Greek archaeological sites in Greece, Turkey, and Italy. I visited the Troy Battlefield and got photos of poppies blooming, then saw them mentioned by Homer. I have downloaded nearly five thousand photos of Greek pottery, some of which have depictions from Homer on them. I am hoping when I do reread the Iliad and Odessey, I will find all these scenes, though I am a little confused about Achilles. Apparently he doesnt die in the Iliad, so why are Odysseus and Ajax fighting over his armour? I have visited Sarpedon's home town in Xanthos in southern Turkey. Sarpedon did an anti war speech. I also photographed Odysseus's bath tube at Nestor's Palace from the Odessey in the southwestern Pelopponese, and I have, of course, visited Mycenae many times.
Wonderful! This is a great way of finishing a month spent with The Iliad. It’s true that this book requires a different mind set than a contemporary book. Thanks again for the kind words. 😊
Didn’t you know?! Kind words are a requirement when chatting about you! I just loved the read and, now with the right mindset, am excited to read The Odyssey.
Lol, reading classics is so humbling! Some are so difficult to read. And you make a great point on translations. That's why I love the library, because I can get different translations to try them out before buying a copy.
Very true about classics and translations. Weirdly, my library had very few copies of The Iliad. I'm sure an academic library would have more to offer.
I had to wonder why I was reading The Iliad too! I think some of us just like a challenge and are life long learners. Looking forward to The Odyssey as I have heard I will like it better!
Wow this was fascinating *&* super helpful thanks for the links 👍i really hope i get on with it 🤫im similar to you (need to know every character & connection etc) but have learned that some classics defo require letting go for sure! - i have the Fagle, C.Alexander & R.Lattimore. Hopefully get to it before end of Jan, it would be great to read the Odyssey after with your group 🙂
Melissa, yay! I’m so glad you found some value in this video! ☺️ I think you’ll get along with The Iliad just fine especially considering your not a newbie to classics.
You gotta go with the prose translations of these Greek texts… just get the narrative down & if you want to hear the music/rhythm of the language listen to the story. Really cool video. And definitely very helpful for a broad set of readers. Btw, check out The War Nerd Iliad for an interesting take on the classic.
Thank you! I'll definitely check out War Nerd Iliad. As for classic adaptations, I'm most excited to dive into the work of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker. The discussions on translations was the most helpful to me when I picked up The Iliad.
