George Chapman's translation of Homer's *Iliad* is noted for its rich Elizabethan language and elaborate style. In the opening of Book 1, Chapman's rendition emphasizes "Achilles' baneful wrath" and uses grandiose language that paints a somber picture of Greek warriors' souls being "loos'd" to the darkness. In his translation of Book 5, Athena's encouragement to Diomedes includes ornate diction, describing Mars' actions as "unjust" and "perfidious," which creates a vivid portrayal of divine conflict. The passage in Book 6 captures the transience of human life through a metaphor with autumn leaves compellingly, while in Book 9, Achilles' decision between glory and longevity is expressed with poetic introspection. Chapman's language, as seen in Book 21, is expressive, using phrases like "rarely magnified," to convey the inevitability of fate and death. In contrast, Michael Reck's translation of the *Iliad* presents Homer's epic in a more direct and modern prose style. The opening lines in Book 1 cut straight to the heart of Achilles' "maniac rage" and its dire consequences, showcasing a more straightforward narrative approach. In Book 5, Athena's exhortation to Diomedes is characterized by direct speech, labeling Ares as "a crook, that lunatic," and demonstrating a clear and accessible tone. The analogy of man's mortality to leaves in Book 6 also emphasizes simplicity, and Book 9 succinctly addresses Achilles' choice between eternal glory and a "decent obscurity" back home. Reck's translation of Book 21 handles the theme of mortality concisely, capturing the inevitability of death with lines that reflect neither grandiosity nor detachment, but rather a calm acceptance of fate.
Achilles' baneful wrath resound, O Goddess, that impos'd
Infinite sorrows on the Greeks, and many brave souls loos'd
From breasts heroic; sent them far to that invisible cave
That no light comforts; and their limbs to dogs and vultures gave:
To all which Jove's will gave effect; from whom first strife begun
Betwixt Atrides, king of men, and Thetis' godlike son.
Sing, Goddess, Achilles' maniac rage:
ruinous thing! it roused a thousand sorrows
and hurled many souls of mighty warriors
to Hades, made their bodies food for dogs
and carrion birds—as Zeus's will foredoomed—
from the time relentless strife came between
Atreus' son, a king, and brave Achilles.