In comparing Anthony Verity and Ian Johnston's translations of the Iliad, both strive to convey the epic's profound themes and the raw emotion driving its characters. Verity begins with a grand invocation, emphasizing "the accursed anger" of Achilles and the "plan of Zeus," reflecting the gravity of divine intervention and personal wrath that shape the narrative. In contrast, Johnston uses more direct language—"that murderous anger"—to describe Achilles’ rage, stressing the personal vendetta and its catastrophic impact on the Achaeans. Both translators capture the epic's somber tone and the monumental consequences of Achilles' actions, but Verity pays slight heed to poetic formality, while Johnston favors straightforwardness. When examining specific interactions, such as Athena encouraging Diomedes in Book 5, Verity's translation highlights Athena’s delight with Diomedes using a descriptive tone—"delight of my heart"—and labeling Ares as a "two-faced scoundrel," providing a vivid portrayal of divine duplicity. Johnston’s version, meanwhile, opts for contemporary clarity, depicting Athena’s encouragement with simple but effective phrases—“you fill my heart with joy." This approach highlights the goddess's assurance and the capricious nature of the gods. Both translations adeptly deliver the thematic essence of the Iliad—human mortality and the whims of fate—through passages such as those comparing men to leaves in Book 6 and the fateful choices of Achilles in Book 9, balancing between poetic elegance and accessible narrative storytelling.
SING, goddess, the anger of Achilles, Peleus' son,
the accursed anger which brought the Achaeans countless
agonies and hurled many mighty shades of heroes into Hades,
causing them to become the prey of dogs and
all kinds of birds; and the plan of Zeus was fulfilled.
Sing from the time the two men were first divided in strife—
Atreus' son, lord of men, and glorious Achilles.
Sing, Goddess, sing the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus—
that murderous anger which condemned Achaeans
to countless agonies and threw many warrior souls
deep into Hades, leaving their dead bodies
carrion food for dogs and birds—
all in fulfilment of the will of Zeus.