The Odyssey of Homer

My Review of the Richard Lattimore Translation of Homer's Odyssey- Since I finished reading the Richard Lattimore Translation of the Odyssey I wanted to do a book review of this translation versus the translations I've read before (Lombardo and Evslin), while also looking at the great elements of my favorite book ~ I was told by members of the Ancient Greece History group page that Richard Lattimore was the English Translator that was the closest to Homer's Original "Iliad" and "Odyssey" and did not take liberties, or change the story in other ways like other authors have. Bernard Evslin's version is a good child version of the Odyssey but seriously pales in comparison to more scholarly translations of the Odyssey, and it lacks a huge portion of the story that is necessary. The Lombardo translation lacked these elements in it while the Lattimore Translation had more: 1. Details (Rooms, Items, The Islands, What Characters were wearing...etc) 2. The Major and minor Characters had a lot more personality and interesting background stories like Eumaios the Swineherd who plays a crucial part when Odysseus is returning to Ithaka in disguise 3. Nostoi Story (The return home of the Greek force and the events contingent upon their arrival, concluding with the returns of Agamemnon and Menelaus). 4. The meeting between Odysseus and Odysseus's Father: Laertes and the final battle against the Suitors relatives which made for a different ending to the story compared to the versions I had read. 5. Formalities (When a character's honorific title comes before their name, this was something that was repetitively in this version). ~ Short Overview of the Story 1 ~ This story started with the Telemachy (Adventures of Telemachos) from Chapters I-IV (1-4) with Odysseus's son, Telemachos. This is a pretty great introduction to the plight he and Penelope are facing with the cruel suitors in Odysseus's home, and why Odysseus needs to return to Ithaka, Telemachos goes to visit veterans of the Trojan War to get news of his father from Nestor and Menelaos both of whom have returned to their countries (Pylos for Nestor and Lakedaimon for Menelaos). 2 ~ Then we make the transition from Telemachos to Odysseus who in Chapter V (5) is stuck on Ogygia until Hermes helps him by convincing Kalypso that Odysseus is destined to return to Ithaka and should not be denied his destiny. Odysseus manages to construct a raft with the aid of Kalypso but he just barely manages to make it to the Island of the Phaiakians where he meets Nausikaa (Daughter of the Phaiakian King Alkinoos). 3 ~ From Chapters VI-VIII(6-8) and XIII (13) Odysseus stays with the Phaiakian King and Queen in their palace, and becomes more acquainted with them. And King Alkinoos aids Odysseus make his way home. From Chapters IX to XIII (9-12) Odysseus tells the Phaiakians who he is and about his Wandering which is why this portion of the story is referred to as "The Great Wanderings", it begins with the aftermath of the fall of Troy and then goes into his adventures with: 1. Kikonians 2. Lotus-Eaters 3. Polyphemos and the Cyclopes 4. Aiolos 5. Laistrygones 6. Circe 7. Visit to the Land of the Dead 8. Sirens 9. Skylla and Charybdis 10. Cattle of Helios 11. The loss of all of his companions 12. His arriving on Ogygia 4 ~ "Odysseus on Ithaka" is the final section of the book from Chapters XIII to XXIV (13-24), Odysseus must learn about the situation of his home and how best to deal with the treacherous suitors who are ruining his families livelihood, Athena (She plays the role of guardian spirit for Odysseus and Telemachos in the story) helps him by disguising him as a beggar with her godly powers who can observe who is still loyal to him and who isn't loyal to him, during this time he, Telemachos, Eumaios the Swineherd and Philoitios the Oxherder plan how they will get rid of the suitors. They are able to kill the vile suitors and regain control of Odysseus's home with the aid of Athena and Zeus. Homer gives us a story with the values of: 1. Patience 2. Loyalty 3. Fidelity 4. Determination and the Resolution to never Give up no matter how much you suffer 5. The understanding of the After-Effects of what can happen after a long war (Nostoi) 6. Necessity for Cleverness and Wisdom 7. Respecting ones home and ones guests by providing proper hospitality I believe Homer should be more acknowledged for these great stories he has given to us, the Iliad is an incomplete story in the "Epic Cycle" but it still gives us a lot of lessons, teaches us a lot and is altogether a great story. There is a reason why Homer is my Favorite Author because of his great stories. I disliked having to shorten the overview of the Odyssey because it is such a great book, There were so many parts to the book that I really enjoyed and if anyone wants to talk about this book then I would be more than happy to talk about this book :D My Recommendation is that everyone read a good scholarly translation of Homer's Odyssey like Richard Lattimores translation because it will do more justice to Homer, the translation you read really makes a difference on how you look at the story. I know that having read this translation has me excited for the day I can read Homer's "Iliad" and Odyssey" in the Original Ancient Greek like it was meant to be read.

Lately, the wandering of my reading has taken me home to Homer, once again. I began by reading “Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller, a novel which I can’t recommend more highly, and from there to “The Iliad” in a translation by Robert Graves. Then I moved onto “The Odyssey” and this time read from the Lattimore translation after having previously studied at length the Fitzgerald translation. Homer proves that the test of time is a valid one: that is, there is a reason that the writing has endured 2800 years and remains widely read. In the case of the “Odyssey” it seems that the experience of Odysseus in his wandering home after the sack of Troy is the journey of humanity itself. His encounters and trials and experiences as well as his defeats and suffering and losses are all too human. Every human being, if s/he lives long enough, must come to grips with most of the experiences of the heroic figures of Homer in a version suitable to the context of our era. I sense that Homer envisioned Odysseus as a perfect human being for his heyday: he was expert in the art of war and a fierce warrior as well as highly resourceful, intelligent, fit, courageous, strategically gifted, spiritual, handsome, wealthy and highly regarded by the gods and mortal beings. He shares many of the same frustrations as Achilles who is also a demi-god with one human and one godly parent. So their strengths and perfections, which distinguish them among others, emerge into play from their godliness which in turn drives them onto inhuman tasks which are frustrated by their human imperfections. In the case of Achilles his anger cannot be restrained and his brooding over the loss of Breiseis to Agamemnon costs him not only the life of his dearest friend, Patroclus, but also nearly the loss of the war by the Greeks. Odysseus is able to channel his suffering and his frustrations into decisive action which does not destroy him. Achilles is killed on the battlefield of Troy far from home like Patroclus but Odysseus manages to keep his wits about him and channel his frustration and suffering into constructive action. It helps that Odysseus is much beloved by Pallas Athene who comes to his rescue whenever Homer has placed Odysseus into such a bind in the storyline that only divine intervention enables the epic to continue. Consider the monsters and trials that Odysseus overcomes after he survives the 10-year war throughout his further 10-year wandering home: you may recognize them all around you. Consider the Lotoseaters so addicted to their soul killing habits that they are incapable of constructive action. Or the Wandering Rocks which are treacherous shoals or obstacles which shift and transfigure as Odysseus seeks to navigate his black, hollow ship through them. Or the Sirens which sing to him tragically about the truth of the Trojan War to lure his ship onto the rocks of his destruction. Or the harsh winds of Aeolus which blow him off course and confound his sense of direction. What starving sailors can forsake their bellies when the sacred oxen of Helios are grazing gently beneath the sun? How do you defeat a one-eyed monster with tunnel vision like the Cyclops? Odysseus blinds the only eye of the Cyclops and escapes: is history not full of Manichaeans with limited vision and without humanity who have lorded over us? Then, of course, there is Circe, the sensual vixen whose honey wine turns men into swine – of course, this hardly ever happens in real life, right? Who would have thought that the highest blessing of human beauty such as Helen’s could cause so much tragedy on a grand scale sufficient to launch a thousand ships and a decade of brutal war? There is the trip to the dead shades of Hades to consider, as always. Homer is constantly forcing his readers to suffer the deaths of their favorite heroes with Odysseus as an exception. Was it Shaw who wanted his audiences to suffer as much as possible? If so, he learned it from Homer. What about the battle for fidelity between a handsome, powerful king and a beautiful but distant, wealthy wife over 20 years? What about the struggle between a father and his child, whom he hasn’t seen enough because his work requires him to travel widely? Or of the simple challenge of just getting from here to there over a long distance during storms with lost luggage, labor disputes, bad management, misfortune and confusion in translation to overcome. Then there are the gods: the Greeks gave a godly name and human attributes to every force of man and random nature, and then sets them against each other. Gods of war, the sea, the sun, the wind, death, the earth, harvest, the chase, etc. forever seem almost randomly to make life difficult for the human race which continues to cause its own downfall but insufficiently to wipe us off the face of the planet – so far. How easily offended are the gods and how great is their wrath in power struggles with these inhuman forces which in Homer never cease because the gods, like humans, always want what they want, when they want it, no matter what. There is rarely compromise in Homer: only catastrophic defeat as one god singly, or in an alliance, overpowers others. The gods are forever taking sides and evening out the power struggle to ensure that it is protracted and desperate and bloody in its consequences. There are perpetually sacrifices to make at the cost of great suffering and no easy ways out and, while ample irony exists, there is virtually no comedy: the only laughter in Homer comes in brutal displays of irony. So it’s no wonder that James Joyce, later in life one-eye-blind with an eye-patch like Cyclops, chose Leopold Bloom as his bald Odysseus and Stephen Dedalus as his brilliant, younger Telemachus and Molly Bloom as Penelope in his genius work of one day in the life of three Dubliners a century ago. “The Odyssey” and its characters are immortal because there is so much about them then that is so much like us now. In a way it’s reassuring that the essence of human nature has survived nearly three millennia and yet in another sense it’s horrific to wonder that we haven’t learned more or even anything from the lessons of history. We continue to endure the nightmare of ancient history from which we can never seem to awaken. So I’ll wander home again to Homer in another few years by way of yet another masterful translation. Because we never really seem to arrive properly at home and like Odysseus seem destined to wander all our lives in great circles. Immortal genius, Homer, is a journey well worth the fare. By all means embark.

If you're into Greek mythology you really should read the Illiad first. As for me, I read the Odyssey first many years ago, and now reading the Illiad. The Illiad is really the back-story to the Odyssey in that the timeline follows the finish of the Trojan War and then the adventure of Odysseus getting back home. No doubt you can read the Odyssey alone and it would be a great story by itself. But after I finish the Illiad I will re-read the Odyssey with new knowledge. By the way, Lattimore is a great translator and author.

"What I want and all my days I pine for is to go back to my house and see my day of homecoming. And if some god batters me far out on the wine-blue water, I will endure it, keeping a stubborn spirit inside me, for already I have suffered much and done much hard work on the waves and in the fighting. So let this adventure follow." -Homer (Odysseus speaking) Home The Odyssey is a story of returning Home. Through hardships, trials, storms, giant sea monsters, cyclops, and the ever-present rage of a goddess who hates you, the sound, sight, smell, and ultimately, memory of home draws Odysseus to his final destination. It is the wandering life, the life of ceaseless longing for the rest at home that pushes Odysseus through the depressing circumstances and the troubles of adventure that ought to discourage him. He is essentially, the ultimate pilgrim, returning to his homeland, for rest, renewal, and closure. Suffering A large portion of the story focuses on the necessity of suffering in life. For the Odyssey, the good life is not free from trials but one that is filled with pain and suffering until the end. In fact, textually speaking, suffering is mentioned so many times in the Odyssey that it is mentioned in nearly every saga, every adventure, and every trial that Odysseus goes on. The key to the good life is enduring suffering with Home in mind. Original Sin Original sin is the concept of enduring punishment for the sin originally committed. While this is not a centerpiece of the story, Odysseus is suffering because of the sins of Agamemnon. The sacrificing of Iphigenia is the ultimate sin that is causing Odysseus' problems. Just as the sins of Adam causes the suffering we experience today, the sins of Agamemnon (you could actually connect this to Paris and Helen) causes the suffering that Odysseus experiences in his day. The After-life There is an interesting point in the story where Odysseus goes to Hades to visit his father. He sees the utter desolation of Hades, how it is an all-consuming death for the shades, and how the life of even Achilles, the best of men, is dreadful. Achilles says something notable concluding that it is better to be a slave on earth than a king in Hades. This after-life experience paints a wretched picture of death, unveiling the existential, even nihilistic worldview of the Greeks, and how that is an option. The Story Within A Story The entire tale is a story within a story. There is the foreground of Telemachus and the suitors, and the background of Odysseus and his journeys. Interestingly this entire story is an oral poem, passed from generation to generation, noting the interesting paradox of telling a story of a story within a story, and the importance of stories in the life of man. Coming Of Age When does Telemachus make the leap from boyhood to manhood? That, truly, is the question. I believe it is the moment that he realizes his father is there. Here's my evidence: "Telemachos is but lately come of age," (Lattimore, Pg. 332) This is the only time he is directly said to have "come of age". All the other circumstances he is encouraged to do so, or it is hinted at, but this is the first time it is directly said. A Cool Way To Look At The Odyssey The Odyssey is the classic adventure story, and it is, in my opinion, a great metaphor for all of the human struggle we go through in life to return home--the place where we belong. Sometimes the Sirens are tempting us to commit the sin that leads to death, sometimes we're imprisoned by the depression of a Cyclops and all those around us are seemingly dying, sometimes we're in the underworld, tempted by the existential thoughts of vanity and meaninglessness, sometimes we're on the open sea getting attacked and thrown around by Charbidis. Ultimately, we're all trying to get home to where we belong. Christianity Applied to the Christian's or Philosopher's life, the Odyssey is the great metaphor, by which the Christian or Philosopher journeys through life to his true Homeland, Heaven. Our life is filled with suffering and calamity, but our Hope of returning Home is our ever-present motivation to Persevere in our own Odyssey. It is the Philosopher plagued by his ever-changing views on the world, and moods of how the world works, and it is the Christian plagued by his ever-changing temptations and trials throughout life. The ultimate destination is Home, the New Jerusalem, where the trials will cease, the pain will stop, and the tears will never be. That is true Homecoming for the Christian, and as Richard Baxter put it in his book, it is The Saints Everlasting Rest.

lattimore is a good translation and while the book is affordable it is delicate and seemingly rather cheaply made

This is one of the standard translations of the Odyssey that is frequently used in university Mythology courses. It is very easy to read and relatively faithful to the story (as much as is possible when coming from the famously intricate and nuanced Ancient Greek language). The story itself is legendary. I don't think I need to say anything about the trials and tribulations of Odysseus - a man whose pride and arrogance led to his punishment at the hands of one god. The story, however, is much more than this - its major theme is the concept Xenia, or guest friendship. This idea is tested and played with at many levels - from Odysseus with the Cyclops, to the suitors taking advantage of Penelope's honor-bound tradition of providing for the guests. In many cases Xenia is abused or forgotten and punishments from the gods must be wrought. An amazing read that has withstood the millennia.

Simply the best English translation of this timeless classic. The Odyssey along with the Iliad are the great stories from the dawn of Western Civilization and have survived the ages because they are compelling and full of interesting characters. The adventures that befall Odysseus are fantastic but how he and his companions respond to them is very human. The Kindle version of this text is easy to read. It includes introductory notes by the translator and a list of the names and places which are linked to their first usage in the text.

Huge kudos to Lattimore on capturing the wit and charm of the characters, especially Athena and Kalypso. The phrasing of "and the man followed behind her walking in the god's footsteps" is psychologically beautiful -- look up the paper "Imagine You're Clever" to cross-reference the value of projected role models if you're not familiar with it. Some parts (hero roll-calls) drag a bit, and it's not clear how old Telemachos is supposed to be (21?) but this gave a lot of insight into the highs and lows of what Greek culture wanted to be like in that era.

The Contents: As with Lattimore in general, the defining strength of this Odyssey is fidelity. He stays as close to the Greek as English syntax reasonably allows, often giving a near line for line rendering while preserving the original line numbers. For students of Ancient Greek, that makes this one of the most useful translations to read next to the source text. It is presented in verse and attempts to reflect the movement of Homeric hexameter, though the English style is more restrained than richly poetic. The language can feel prosaic at times, but it remains clear, steady, and readable. If someone wants a more cinematic or flowery experience, I would still steer them toward Fagles or Fitzgerald, respectively. Lattimore’s priority is accuracy and consistency rather than flourish. That said, the translation rarely feels awkward or difficult. The English is plain in the best sense: direct, dignified, and never watered down into modern casual speech. Some readers may miss a bit of grandeur, but the reward is clarity. This is an excellent version when the goal is to understand exactly what Homer is saying, rather than to experience a more interpretive or stylized retelling. The introduction is a relatively short one and isn't pointedly academic in tone. It mainly provides a brisk overview of the story with a small amount of context and interpretation. Because it summarizes much of the plot, readers who strongly dislike spoilers may want to skip it. There are no footnotes or endnotes here, which reinforces that this edition is more focused on delivering the poem itself than guiding the reader through it. There is still a glossary of names, a short and interesting biography of Lattimore, and a very useful table of contents that highlights the major events of each book (again spoilers here). Even the top of very single page includes brief summaries of what is happening on that page, which can be handy for quick, succinct reference. There are no maps or substantial illustrations. Aside from a small decorative image at the start of each book, the presentation is minimal. The Physical Book: The text is legible and well laid out, even with verse formatting and line numbers. The font runs a little on the smaller side, but it remains comfortable enough to read. The paper quality is good with only minor bleed-through. This edition is lightweight, compact, and easy to carry, especially compared with bulkier academic versions. The matte cover feels solid and features simple abstract artwork that looks clean and respectable on a shelf. In short, I would highly recommend this edition for students, purists, and readers who want a clear and faithful Odyssey without excess apparatus. It is not the most lavish or beginner-friendly version, but it is one of the best for getting close to Homer himself.

Ich habe diese Übersetzung im Studium kennengelernt und seit damals immer wieder darin gelesen. Wer ausreichend Englisch versteht, sollte sie sich unbedingt besorgen und außerdem gibt es sie auch als Ebook. Das heißt; wer wenig Platz hat, braucht sich keine Gedanken machen über Stauraum.

I was attracted to Lattimore's translation due to his accessible feel for the Greek meaning and the way he keeps Homer's intent at the same time as letting the story flow. Based on an oral tradition, you find that Odysseus's adventures are retold in different ways throughout with varying emphases. It is a reminder that the charm of the classics is that they are told from the perspective of the time, very different to what is important now. Far for me to criticise Homer for dragging the story out, but its charm is also its Archilles heal!

The typeface is good. Some people say it's small, but didn't bother me one bit, it's absolutely perfect. The beauty is the quality of paper, cover and overall binding & print. The pages open up so naturally compared to other books. For e.g. I had ordered the Signet version of Pride and prejudice (some other book) and that was horrendous in terms of opening. Order this without any hesitation. The margins and white space is just right and I'm sure this book would be a joy to read. Anybody buying this book would have definitely researched about it in terms of the story. Hope more people leave the review for the quality of the said edition in terms of - printing, paper quality, binding, whiteness, cover, etc rather than the content. For content there are hundreds of sites and videos.

This is not a new translation, the translator Richard Lattimore died a few years ago, but it is one of the best blank verse translations I have ever read (the other really good one is by Francis Caulfeild, but you would be lucky to find a copy now). The translator has attempted to reproduce in English blank verse the style and idiom of Homer's original Greek version (dating from about 2600 years ago). I am not qualified to comment on the technicalities of Lattimore's Greek-English translation, but I have been enjoying The Odyssey in English translations for several decades now and know a 'good read' when I find one. There is a very good introduction which, yes, gives the plot away, but that does not matter as Homer's original audience knew the story well anyway - what made Homer's Odyssey so good was the way he told it; and in essence it is the same thing that makes Lattimore's translation so good - there is a freshness that keeps you reading, and although I have read a number of different versions, each of them several times, this book is still compulsive reading. The introdction also covers the construction of the story, which starts halfway through, then fills in the earlier events like a 'flashback' before continung to the end (yes, Homer thought of this way of telling a story long before our current film/TV industry did). There is an exhaustive and very helpful glossary, mostly concerning the identities of the numerous people and gods who appear or are referred to in the story. Yes, this is a recommended book to anyone who wants something a bit more demanding than airport pulp fiction and who can be patient with and open to the idiosyncracies of a very old, and comparatively expansive, writing style. The "Odyssey" of Homer (P.S.)