>>25274537
>The /lit/ wiki infographics suggest Fagles and Pope.
Replace that with Lattimore (the best and most accurate of modern translations) and Chapman (the best of traditional poetic translations).

Pope as a first read is not a good idea.

>>25274537
I prefer Greek drama myself. Read Aeschylus' Orestian trilogy. It's really great.

>Lattimore
Both Iliad & Odyssey.

>>25274537
rieu for illiad and fagles for odyssey. if you at all care about it sounding like a poem then read the emily wilson one, it has it's demerits but has the aforementioned going for it

>>25274537
I like Fitzgerald, Pope and Merrill

>Alexander Pope
Achilles' wrath, to Greece the direful spring
Of woes unnumber'd, heavenly goddess, sing!
That wrath which hurl'd to Pluto's gloomy reign
The souls of mighty chiefs untimely slain;
Whose limbs unburied on the naked shore,
Devouring dogs and hungry vultures tore.
Since great Achilles and Atrides strove,
Such was the sovereign doom, and such the will of Jove!

>Fitzgerald
Anger be now your song, immortal one,
Akhilleus' anger, doomed and ruinous,
that caused the Akhaians loss on bitter loss
and crowded brave souls into the undergloom,
leaving so many dead men—carrion
for dogs and birds; and the will of Zeus was done.
Begin it when the two men first contending
broke with one another— the Lord Marshal
Agamémnon, Atreus’ son, and Prince Akhilleus.

>Fagles
Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles,
murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses,
hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls,
great fighters’ souls, but made their bodies carrion,
feasts for the dogs and birds,
and the will of Zeus was moving toward its end.
Begin, Muse, when the two first broke and clashed,
Agamemnon lord of men and brilliant Achilles.

>Lattimore
Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilles
and its devastation, which put pains thousand-fold upon the Achaians,
hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls
of heroes, but gave their bodies to be the delicate feasting
of dogs, of all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished
since that time when first there stood in division of conflict
Atreus’ son the lord of men and brilliant Achilleus.

>Emily Wilson
Goddess, sing of the cataclysmic wrath of Peleus’ son Achilles,
cause of so much suffering for the Greeks,
that sent many strong souls to Hades,
making men a feast for birds and prey for dogs:
the plan of Zeus was moving to its end –
beginning when those two argued first:
lord Agamemnon and glorious Achilles.

>Chapman
Achilles’ baneful wrath resound, O Goddess, that impos’d
Infinite sorrows on the Greeks, and many brave souls los’d.
From breasts heroic; sent them far to that invisible cave
That no light comforts; and their limbs to dogs and vultures gave;
To all which Jove’s will gave effect; from whom first strife begun
Betwixt Atrides, king of men, and Thetis’ godlike son.

>Verity
Sing, goddess, the anger of Achilles, Peleus’ son,
the accursed anger which brought the Achaeans countless
agonies and hurled many mighty shades of heroes into Hades,
causing them to become the prey of dogs and
all kinds of birds; and the plan of Zeus was fulfilled.
Sing from the time the two men were first divided in strife—
Atreus’ son, lord of men, and glorious Achilles.

>>25274824
>Green
Wrath, goddess, sing of Achilles Pēleus’s son’s
calamitous wrath, which hit the Achaians with countless ills—
many the valiant souls it saw off down to Hādēs,
souls of heroes, their selves left as carrion for dogs
and all birds of prey, and the plan of Zeus was fulfilled—
from the first moment those two men parted in fury,
Atreus’s son, king of men, and the godlike Achilles.

>Merrill
Sing now, goddess, the wrath of Achilles the scion of Peleus,
ruinous rage which brought the Achaians uncounted afflictions;
many the powerful souls it sent to the dwelling of Hades,
those of the heroes, and spoil for the dogs it made their bodies,
plunder for all of the birds, and the purpose of Zeus was accomplished-
sing from the time when first stood hostile, starting the conflict,
Atreus' scion, the lord of the people, and noble Achilles.

>>25274537
I'm also reading the Fagles translation right now. I think he's a pretty great translator.

is /lit/ happy that there will be a new influx of people reading the classics because of Nolan's Odysse?
I expect a spike on the /lit/ daily posting chart a we approach the release of the movie

>>25274537
Be sure of what you're getting into, following advice from here I put the effort into reading Iliad, put I was extremely put off by all the queer stuff in there

>>25274537
Chapman.

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>>25274917
People will probably be angry. I have been putting off my reading of the classics because I just don't know what translation is definitively the best, so I just went with the Fagles' translations because a colleague had recommended it to me.

>>25274537
>>25274545
>>25274669
Lattimore.For both. As these other kind fellows pointed out. Then you can read some others for fun (Pope, Dryden, Chapman) once you're familiar with the text in both an accurate and poetic form.

>>25274959
Fagles is absolutely solid, especially for a first read. Don't worry too much, and just read them. I would recommend Lattimore personally, having first read Fagles as a teenager and then Lattimore before I started my Homeric Greek journey, and if I'm not reading the original I like Lattimore, and I also occasionally will dip into Pope's Illiad (not his Odyssey though). It is definitely worth reading Pope as an adaptation, of translation in the form that writers viewed it in Pope's era (much in the way Golding's Metamorphoses is also), as a new work unto itself, an adaptation that uses the narrative structure and events of an original while shaping it into something that works on its own in the new language.

>>25274959
Fagles is perfect for your first read

>>25274537
Fagles or Fitzgerald for style (whichever you prefer)
Lattimore for accuracy

everything else is a waste of time or made for genuine idiots

My first real versions were the prose translations by WHD Rouse from 1937-1938, mass market paperback reprints

An angry man—there is my story: the bitter rancour of Achillês, prince of the house of Peleus, which brought a thousand troubles upon the Achaian host. Many a strong soul it sent down to Hadês, and left the heroes themselves a prey to dogs and carrion birds, while the will of God moved on to fulfilment. It began first of all with a quarrel between my Lord King Agamemnon of Atreus’ line and the Prince Achillês.

The main good thing here is he starts with anger/rage/wrath like the first word in Greek, it really does make a difference what word it starts with

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The best one is the one that will keep you reading. The translators mentioned in this thread are all fine. I'll add Joe Sachs to that list.

>>25275680
Sing of wrath, goddess—the deadly wrath of Peleus’ son Achilles,
that brought sufferings by the housands down on the Achaeans and
hurled so many sturdy souls to the realm of Hades, souls of splendid
warriors, while they themselves were left for dogs and all manner of
carrion birds to feast on, as the will of Zeus went driving toward its
goal; start your song from the moment when the two first stood face
to face in open strife—Agamemnon, lord of men, and godlike Achilles.

>>25274537
Fagles is good. I read everything from the Fagles/Knox duo. Fantastic scholarship. My favorite translation is Fitzgerald, but he's a bit more challenging.

>>25274537
I would honestly suggest a general book on Greek myths first. The Iliad isn't a novel that introduces the characters and story, it assumes you know the story already and drops yoiu right in. There's also loads of references to other myths in it which might fly over your head without background. Edith Hamilton's Mythology is still good.

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>>25274990
Interesting how the Pope version is considered an adaptation; that makes it all the more interesting to me. I have a fondness for Augustan literature.
>>25275024
Good to know!

>>25278114
Calling it an adaption is a stretch. It's still the same events but some details get flattened to make his rhymes work.

The problem with Fagles, Lattimore is their use of meter. Stick to one meter don't vary it. Yes it's hard, that's why the Pope translation is genius.