“Achilles’ wrath, to Greece the direful spring
Of woes unnumber’d, heavenly goddess, sing!
That wrath which hurl’d to Pluto’s gloomy reign
The souls of mighty chiefs untimely slain;
Whose limbs unburied on the naked shore,
Devouring dogs and hungry vultures tore.
Since great Achilles and Atrides strove,
Such was the sovereign doom, and such the will of Jove!”
///
When we set out earlier this year to Greece I brought along my copy of Homer’s Iliad, which I found no time to read. I did snap this photo at the Oracle of Delphi, and am glad to be returning again to Greece if only through the written word.
///
I’m choosing to read Alexander Pope’s 1715 translation. People have strong opinions on translations of Homer — come at me in the comments with why I’m wrong to go with this one.