STORY 0:00 – 53:15
At the same time as Hermes takes flight to Calypso’ island, in order to rescue Odysseus, Athena takes flight to Ithaka, in order to “rescue” 20-year old Telemachus: from his remarkable immaturity. This episode picks up the story in the twentieth year of Odysseus’ absence, and details the “Ithacan constitutional crisis” confronting Penelope, Telemachus, and the people of Ithaka: “What to do, when your king/your husband/your father, may or may not, be dead?
POST-STORY COMMENTARY: ON TRANSLATING HOMER 53:15 – 1:50:56
I provide a primer on translating Homer. First, I identify and illustrate the four tasks of a Homeric translator: 1) translate, not paraphrase; 2) capture the “music” of the original Greek; 3) find language that your readers will understand; 4) have something new to say. Next, I explore two myths about Homeric translation: 1) that there is an agreed-upon original source text; 2) that the act of translation is politically and cultural “neutral”. I make extensive use of translations by Fagles, Mitchell, Wilson, and Pope, in order to illustrate my points.
RELATED IMAGES
I struggle to find details – title of work, name of artist, date – for some images. If you can help, please forward information to me. Thanks. Jeff
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- Telemachus being instructed by Mentor, Josef Bartholomeus Vieillevoye,1788–1855
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- Telemachus praying to Athena for help
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- Penelope Weaving
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- Penelope with the Suitors, by Bernardino Pinturicchio, 1509
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- The Odyssey, translated by Alexander Pope
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- he Odyssey, translated by Robert Fagles
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- The Odyssey, translated by Stephen Mitchell
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- The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson
