Stanley Lombardo and Emily Wilson offer distinct translations of Homer's Iliad, each bringing unique elements to the text. Lombardo's translation features a more direct and sometimes stark language. For example, in the opening lines, he speaks of "Achilles' rage, Black and murderous," emphasizing the darkness of Achilles’ wrath. His choices often have a bluntness that brings a raw energy to the narration, as seen when Athena describes Ares as “a shifty lout” to Diomedes. Lombardo aims for a vivid immediacy, capturing the visceral nature of the epic with straightforward phrases that resonate with modern readers while maintaining the essence of Homer's story. Emily Wilson, on the other hand, takes a slightly more narrative and descriptive approach in her translation. Her opening lines, referring to the "cataclysmic wrath of great Achilles," use language that conveys a grand, unfolding disaster. Wilson’s translation shines in clarity and accessibility, with a fluid narrative style that artfully balances direct storytelling and poetic elements. When Athena reassures Diomedes, calling Ares a “shapeshifter,” Wilson keeps the mystical and divine atmosphere intact, mirroring the original work’s intrigue while ensuring it remains approachable. Both translations reinterpret the Iliad for contemporary audiences, yet they manage to convey the themes of fate, glory, and the human condition, although they do so with different nuances in tone and style.
Sing, Goddess, Achilles' rage,
Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks
Incalculable pain, pitched countless souls
Of heroes into Hades' dark,
And left their bodies to rot as feasts
For dogs and birds, as Zeus' will was done.
Goddess, sing of the cataclysmic wrath
of great Achilles, son of Peleus,
which caused the Greeks immeasurable pain
and sent so many noble souls of heroes
to Hades, and made men the spoils of dogs,
a banquet for the birds, and so the plan
of Zeus unfolded—starting with the conflict
between great Agamemnon, lord of men,
and glorious Achilles.