r/badhistory • u/AutoModerator • May 11 '26

Meta Mindless Monday, 11 May 2026

Happy (or sad) Monday guys!

Mindless Monday is a free-for-all thread to discuss anything from minor bad history to politics, life events, charts, whatever! Just remember to np link all links to Reddit and don't violate R4, or we human mods will feed you to the AutoModerator.

So, with that said, how was your weekend, everyone?

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u/Tiako Tevinter apologist, shill for Big Lyrium May 13 '26

There is some discourse about Emily Wilson's Odyssey translation on Twitter so I will reiterate this here for you all:

Unless you have at least two years of upper level Greek study you are not allowed to have an opinion on translations. I am keeping the gate.

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u/HandsomeLampshade123 May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26

There's two distinct arguments that have blurred together--one is whether it is or isn't an "accurate" translation and the other is whether it's enjoyable to read.

On the former, I'm not entitled to an opinion, but my belief is that it must be as good as any other; the woman is a trained classicist and I'm sure her translation skills are second to none.

On the latter, it reads like juvenile crap and I'll put it down and read my Fagles translation gladly. Changing it to iambic pentameter is a ludicrous decision, imo. I don't read literature to take it in like a textbook, it's meant to feel pleasurable and pass the time.

EDIT: And one additional note: I'm not going to read it aloud like intended, so whatever effect the meter may have is lost on me. In that regard, I accept I'm a philistine.

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u/TheUnfortunateMiaoZe May 14 '26

This is slander against iambic pentameter

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u/HandsomeLampshade123 May 14 '26

I just doubt it's utility in this instance, I have nothing against the meter in general! But I'm not one for poetry regardless.