THIS OR THAT: CLASSICAL CLASSICS · Spring 2025 · Torch: U.S.
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The Odyssey is a tale of epic proportions: an incredible journey one man makes to return to his family where he fights monsters and faces all kind of danger. And yes, so does Aeneas, but he spends the whole second half fighting a war just like in the Iliad. If I wanted that, I would just go read the ILIAD.
Also, everyone is the Iliad is kind of a terrible person and
you get a little estranged from the Aeneid when
you spend a solid 4 hours every week translating
it, so the Odyssey is just the best compromise.
Also the Odyssey has actual woman
characters who play more than just a war
prize or a background part.
The Odyssey is the story that got me
interested intaking Latin back in
elementary school, so beyond its
indubitable literary and cultural
significance, it means a lot to me
personally as well. We read a children's
edition in third-grade English, and I was
first captivated by the raw adventure that
underpins the entire story, a classic hero's
journey.
When I reread the epic in translation recently, I
came to appreciate the more human aspects of
the story, the Greek values depicted therein, and
the complexities of Odysseus, who isn't always as
heroic as I remembered him to be. I particularly like
Emily Wilson's translation, and it's worth reading her
book for the introduction in and of itself. I want to read
the Odyssey in the original Greek someday. It'll be like my own νοστος (homecoming) to such an important story.
Homer's
Odyssey
Hana Conte
Summit Country Day, Ohio
Shreyas Karnam
The Harker School, California