Samuel Butler's translation of the Iliad offers a straightforward and dignified rendition of Homer's epic. His opening lines set a tone of grave consequence, highlighting the "countless ills" and "brave souls" lost due to Achilles' rage, and employing a formal and almost archaic style that harkens back to older English literary traditions. Butler presents Athena's encouragement to Diomedes with directness and a precise depiction of divine intervention, emphasizing a straightforward narrative that resonates with readers who prefer clarity over poetic flourish. His portrayal of human mortality, as seen in the analogy of men and leaves, is poignantly simplistic, reiterating the natural cycle of life and death with a direct comparison devoid of lyrical embellishments. In contrast, Herbert Jordan's translation leans more toward preserving the rhythm and cadence of the original Greek text, offering a more fluid and lyrical interpretation. The opening lines of Jordan's translation encapsulate the destructive power of Achilles' anger with rhythmic phrasing and vivid imagery. Athena's dialogue with Diomedes is delivered with an eye for musicality and dynamic language, capturing the capricious nature of the divine with phrases like "frenzied two-faced pest." Jordan's depiction of the human condition, likened to the leaves on trees, retains a poetic resonance, offering a subtler reflection on the transience of life. Both translators effectively communicate the themes and emotions of the Iliad while catering to different reader preferences: Butler with his clear and dignified prose, and Jordan with his musical and evocative language.
Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another.
Sing, goddess, of Peleus' son Achilles' anger,
ruinous, that caused the Greeks untold ordeals,
consigned to Hades countless valiant souls,
heroes, and left their bodies prey for dogs
or feast for vultures. Zeus's will was done
from when those two first quarreled and split apart,
the king, Agamemnon, and matchless Achilles.