Richmond Lattimore and Peter Green offer distinct translations of Homer's Iliad, each bringing a unique style and interpretation to the epic. Lattimore's translation is renowned for its close adherence to the original Greek text, striving to maintain the structure and rhythm of the source language. His rendition presents a more formal and elevated tone, as seen in the opening invocation to the Muse: "Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus and its devastation..." This approach can give readers a sense of the grandeur and gravity inherent in the original work, ensuring that the epic retains its poetic nature even in English. In contrast, Peter Green’s translation of the Iliad opts for a more modern and accessible style while still honoring the original text's essence. His version begins more straightforwardly with, "Wrath, goddess, sing of Achilles Pēleus's son's calamitous wrath..." Green aims to present the text in a way that prioritizes clarity and immediacy for the reader, which can be seen in his rendering of dialogue and narrative alike. For example, the interaction between Athena and Diomedes in Book 5 is more conversational: "Diomēdēs, Tydeus's son, so dear to my heart, you need not fear Arēs..." His translation tends to simplify some of the more complex language found in Lattimore's version, offering a different rhythmic experience. Ultimately, each translator provides valuable perspectives on the epic—Lattimore through adherence to classical structure and Green through readability and directness.
Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus
and its devastation, which puts pains thousandfold upon the Achaians,
hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls
of heroes, but gave their bodies to be the delicate feasting
of dogs, of all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished
since that time when first there stood in division of conflict
Atreus' son the lord of men and brilliant Achilleus.
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.