The foundation of western literature, indeed western education, has been those Greek and Latin texts, written by the masters, that even today influence writers and critics alike. Homer, Virgil, and Ovid represent the best of the best of literature from the classical era. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil’s Aeneid, and Ovid’s Metamorphoses are among the most well known and well liked epic poems. But today, translation can be a major stumbling block for those looking to read these works in English. Fortunately, many excellent editions and translations exist to cater to various types of readers.
Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey have been translated many times by many well-respected translators. The versions I first read, and still prefer are the Robert Fitzgerald translations. Fitzgerald provides a very readable poetic translation, with an excellent balance of period and modern language. His Odyssey especially comes alive in the translation, reading much like the oral fable it originally was. The Fitzgerald edition has an introduction and an excellent postscript, but lacks much in the way of in-text annotation or chapter-by-chapter commentary. Likewise it contains little to no critical response to the text either ancient or modern.
For those readers looking for a more academic text by which to study the Odyssey, the Norton Critical Edition offers a (somewhat dated) poetic translation by Albert Cook that is very readable, though not up to the standard of Fitzgerald or Fagles. However, the ancillary material in the Norton Critical edition is superb. With both classical context and response from such figures as Aristotle and Seneca as well as modern response from literary giants such as Goethe, Ezra Pound and Adorno, the Norton Critical edition offers the best single volume of material for a reader looking to really learn about the Odyssey.
To make a very controversial recommendation, I would say that Stanley Lombardo's Iliad is a very interesting, modern take on the classic novel of war. With a cover depicting the Normandy beach landing in World War 2, the reader immediately understands that Lombardo is attempting to overlay the concerns of the modern world on top of a poem nearly 3000 years old. Many critics decry any kind of modernization of classic texts, but I happen to think Lombardo did an excellent job with the Iliad and that for a second reading makes an excellent choice to contrast to a more traditional interpretation.
The Aeneid, Virgil’s epic poem about the mythic founding of
Rome by the Trojan Aeneas, has two excellent translations. Again, the Robert Fitzgerald translation provides a perfect balance for first-time readers that
offers both an entertaining story and a wonderful poetic translation. The
biggest contender to Fitzgerald is the Robert Fagles translation, which
provides another excellent poetic translation. Really what’s important here is
that if a reader has enough interest in a particular work, especially a
classic, that has to be read in translation, reading multiple translations can
help create a sort of three dimensional picture from which one can better gleam
the actual intentions of the original text. Coupled with credible ancillary
critical texts, an English-only reader can achieve a certain degree of mastery
over these works.
Finally, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, which tells the stories of Greek and Roman mythology in a weaving, winding single tale, has, in my mind, one translation that stands above all others. The Allen Mandelbaum version provides one of the best poetic translations ever put to paper. The writing is crisp and loving, and the reader can visualize the fantastic classical world and the myriad characters and creatures therein. For first time readers, the Mandelbaum translation is the most likely to provide a welcoming, readable, and engaging perspective on Ovid’s brilliant epic poem.
For those interested in delving deeper than a first reading,
the Norton Critical edition again shines forward as the best single volume
academic resource on the text. The Norton Critical translations tend to be
older translations, which can be interesting because these are the translations
that many famous authors read in their day. However, for a first time reader,
the Norton Critical translation by Charles Martin may prove a bit too dated to
maintain interest over nearly 500 pages. However, the in-text notes and the
ancillary materials provide a kaleidoscope of perspectives on the work, again
ranging from the classical to the modern. Also included in each Norton Critical
edition is a thorough bibliography for those interested in further study. When
it comes to the classics, no single volume is going to provide the last word,
but the Norton Critical edition does a good job of providing a centralized
resource from which one can explore outward into the criticism of the text.
Reading the classics, like reading any book, should be a labor of love. If it is not labor, one may not be truly learning. If it is not love, why would one want to learn in the first place? Greek and Latin classics should not be the sole territory of high school survey classes and graduate school academia. These texts are just as vital and important today as when they were written and an incredible, ever-increasing variety of translations provides the modern reader with all the resources he or she needs to enjoy them.
Mark Brendle is a writer living in Oregon. His short fiction is available on the web and his movie critiques can be found on Et Tu, Mr. Destructo?
