https://youtu.be/AmMhIUQY6q4?t=379HOW TO LEARN HOMER?
—“What’s your recommendation for the best translation of Homer? Do you have a narrated edition you like?”—
You sort of have to hear someone read the Iliad in greek while tamping a staff on the ground to the beat, to ‘get’ it. I can’t understand greek but I can understand how it ‘felt’. Imagine you’re sitting around a fire at night, and some man stands, and recites the story (poem) to a beat. Here is a recording of a few lines that has the right beat to it, even if he’s not the best reader:
https://youtu.be/AmMhIUQY6q4?t=379
For written prose I don’t think it’s possible to do better than Pope (Alexander Pope). I love everything he wrote. I love my Shakespeare and I can recite long passages of it. And so Pope has written the Iliad in shakespearean style (shorter phrases), and it’s more natural a read for me. If you aren’t into shakespeare then it might not matter.
There is a lot of positive consensus on Lattimore and Fagel. I find both of them uncomfortable by comparison. Lattimore and Fagel use longer phrases more reflective of the greek, original.
Audio: maybe Fagel’s version by Derek Jacobi, because his shakespeare is perfect. I can listen to him speak, recite, or read anything.
To understand Homer, Vandiver’s course at The Great Courses (Free on torrents) is great – everything she does is great.Updated Dec 12, 2019, 10:00 PM
Source date (UTC): 2019-12-12 22:00:00 UTC