Stephen Mitchell's translation of the Iliad is marked by a clear, energetic narrative style that seeks to make the text accessible to modern readers. For instance, in his introduction to Book 1, Mitchell begins with "The rage of Achilles—sing it now, goddess," immediately capturing the drama and intensity of the epic’s central conflict. His language tends to be straightforward; when Athena encourages Diomedes in Book 5, Mitchell has her call Ares a "raging madman, a monster of violence," eschewing more complex imagery in favor of directness. This approach is consistent throughout, as seen in passages like Book 21, where Achilles speaks of death with stark realism, saying, "Don't you see me—how huge and handsome I am?" In contrast, Caroline Alexander’s translation retains a more classical and formal tone, highlighting the grandeur and lyricism of Homer’s original text. Her introduction to Book 1 starts with "Wrath—sing, goddess, of the ruinous wrath," setting an immediate epic tone by using the word “ruinous” to emphasize the destructive power of Achilles' anger. In Book 5, when Athena speaks to Diomedes, Alexander uses the phrase "created for evil, double-faced" to describe Ares, utilizing more descriptive and evocative language. Alexander also embraces a more traditional structure, evident in her treatment of mortality in Book 21, where she includes lines like "yet death and powerful fate is upon me too," maintaining a poetic gravity that nods to the ancient source material.
The rage of Achilles—sing it now, goddess, sing through me
the deadly rage that caused the Achaeans such grief
and hurled down to Hades the souls of so many fighters,
leaving their naked flesh to be eaten by dogs
and carrion birds, as the will of Zeus was accomplished.
Begin at the time when bitter words first divided
that king of men, Agamemnon, and godlike Achilles.
Wrath—sing, goddess, of the ruinous wrath of Peleus' son Achilles,
that inflicted woes without number upon the Achaeans,
hurled forth to Hades many strong souls of warriors
and rendered their bodies prey for the dogs,
for all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished;
sing from when they two first stood in conflict—
Atreus' son, lord of men, and godlike Achilles.