The Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer – Which translation? Study guides?

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  • August 9, 2014 at 12:47 am
    missceegee
    Participant

    The Iliad is on my list for dd13 for this year and perhaps The Odyssey, if time allows. She’s read the Sutcliff retellings many times and has great interest. I’m trying to decide on poetic or prose translations and if there is a study guide (preferably a teacher’s version) for us to refer to. 

    I own:

    The Iliad and Odyssey of Homer : The MacMillan Classics – nicely done by Alfred Church

    The Iliad: The Fitzgerald Translation

    The Odyssey

    I’m willing to consider any options. It’s been eons since I read these and I have only basic storylines in my head, which is why a teacher’s guide or cliff’s notes or something would be useful to me. 

    One option is http://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/classical-studies/iliad-odyssey – for the teacher guides, but I’ve not read Samuel Butler’s translation to judge. 

    Has anyone done more recently than 20+ years ago and willing to give some options?

    Many thanks.

    Christie

    PS  – I’m staying offline as much as possible these days, but you ladies are my go to for recommendations. 🙂

    August 9, 2014 at 4:28 am
    Carla
    Participant

    We used Peter Leithart’s book, Heroes of the City of Man as a companion to the Odyssey and the Iliad: http://www.amazon.ca/Heroes-City-Man-Christian-Literature/dp/1885767552/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407558141&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=Leitheart+heroes

    We also chose Robert Fagles’ translations for both books.

    August 9, 2014 at 10:32 pm
    missceegee
    Participant

    Thank you, Carla. I will check out that resource.

    Any other suggestions?

    August 11, 2014 at 8:41 pm
    missceegee
    Participant

    Bump

    August 11, 2014 at 11:06 pm
    sheraz
    Participant

    Christie, I don’t know if this will be of any help, but FWIW:

    I have the Church retellings from YC and my dd enjoyed them very much and still talks about things that she read. Here’s a link to the online version:  

    http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=church&book=odyssey&story=cyclops

    I think that it is a great introduction to the failry basic story, but not as good as either one of the translations linked below. We have not read the Sutcliff books, so I really can’t compare to those. 

    I checked my copy of Invitation to the Classics to see which Illiad/Odyssey translation they recommended. It was Robert Fitzgerald’s translations – here is a link to the Odyssey:

    http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/wilkie/medialib/PDF/05_273-611_Homer%202_Aesop.pdf

    I also looked up the Samuel Butler Odyssey you mentioned since the link you gave did not work for me – here it is:

    http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.1.i.html

    Both have translations of the Illiad and Odyssey.The Fitzgerald is in poetic form and the Butler is prose. Both are saying the same things when you read the story (I had them both open to compare), but it depends on your needs for your daughter. 

    If you want her to linger a bit longer and spend more time in poetry form, the Fitzgerald trabslations look pretty good to me. It is readable and not over my head, if you know what I mean. 😉

    IMO, I think I prefer the Butler prose versions because I am not having to “decode” the poetry aspect, even though that really isn’t hard. So if it is a matter of enjoyment and ease of reading, I would probably choose the Butler version, especially since MP has the study guides you mentioned. I don’t think that the Butler translation looked dumbed down and it would be easier for you to skim and get a story out of, too, if needed, for discussion purposes.

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