Christopher Nolan didn't want orchestra music in the score for The Odyssey because orchestra music didn't exist in ancient Greece. Yet he casts brown people and almost no ethnic greeks. How can you justify not using an orchestra for a score because of historical accuracy but cast it for the modern day? I know it's two days and two Odyssey posts, I'll stop I promise.
You're viewing a single comment thread. View all comments, or full comment thread.
Comments (47)
sorted by:
https://www.iliadtranslations.com/ this site compares illiad translation samples which are still useful because a lot of them also translated the odyssey as well. For classic translations Lattimore is the most technically and literally accurate if you want the translater to step out of the way and let the Greek in translation speak for itself this is the one. The issues with Lattimore is that it is wooden and uses more Greek word order which can be jarring. Here is the opening of Lattimore's illiad: Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus and its devastation, which puts pains thousandfold 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. Fagles is the best middle ground in terms of technical accuracy it's not wooden and flows better because if of it's muscular verse. The issues with Fagles is that he uses American idioms like Zeus caught wind of it and he puts the words starvation wages in the mouth of Achilles. Here is the opening of his illiad: 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.Fitzgerald is the most classically poetic of the three and the less technically accurate but still good of the three. The cons of Fitzgerald is that he puts the words Great Scott in the mouth of Zeus which may or may not be your cup of tea and his way putting some things might be an bit strange. He uses I believe the transliterated versions of original Greek names. Here is the opening of his illiad: 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.