Peter Green and Herbert Jordan's translations of the Iliad both strive to convey the epic's grand themes and characters, but they do so with differing stylistic choices. Green's translation tends to be more direct and contemporary, maintaining a flow that perhaps aims to mimic the original Greek's oral tradition. His use of phrases like "calamitous wrath" and "a sick piece of work" adds a modern, almost conversational tone to the text, which might resonate well with readers looking for a straightforward narrative. Green captures the intense emotions and actions with a sense of immediacy, as seen in his portrayal of battlefield scenes and the counsel of deities like Athena to Diomedes. His translation of Achilles' lament about mortality ("So, friend, you too must die: why then lament thus?") underscores the inevitability of fate in a simple yet powerful manner. Herbert Jordan, on the other hand, offers a translation that stays closer to a more classical and formal tone. His choice of words, such as "ruinous" and "frenzied two-faced pest," lends an elevated poetic quality, aligning with the epic's grandeur. Jordan emphasizes the philosophical and existential elements within the text, as demonstrated when Achilles contemplates his fate ("fate offers me two pathways to death"). His translation often opts for a more measured metaphorical style, particularly noticeable in descriptions of the natural cycle of life and death ("Clans of men are like foliage on trees"). This approach can evoke a timeless sense of the stories’ themes and the solemnity of its characters' decisions. While both translators stay true to the core narrative, their interpretations offer unique perspectives, allowing readers to experience Homer's epic through varied lenses.
Wrath, goddess, sing of Achilles Pēleus's son's
calamitous wrath, which hit the Achaians with countless ills—
many the valiant souls it saw off down to Hādēs,
souls of heroes, their selves1 left as carrion for dogs
and all birds of prey, and the plan of Zeus was fulfilled
from the first moment those two men parted in fury,
Atreus's son, king of men, and the godlike Achilles.
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.