New English translations of Homer’s
Iliad and
Odyssey appear with notable regularity. For the general reader, it’s natural to ask: are they really all that different? And more important, do those differences matter?
The answer is yes! Perhaps with a dash of no tossed in.
No, in that very translation of
The Odyssey tells the same basic story: Odysseus’s journey home after the Trojan War, his return to Ithaca, and his reclaiming of his household. But each version delivers a distinct experience of that narrative. Readers often describe this difference in terms of tone or pace—one translation feels brisk and modern, another stately or archaic. That “feel” is the result of a series of deliberate technical decisions made by the translator—nine of which I discuss here.
Recognizing these differences can help readers choose a translation that aligns with their preferences. More important, it can deepen one’s appreciation of what a translation is: not merely a vehicle for content, but an interpretation of style, tone, rhythm, and meaning. Many of a translator’s most important choices are subtle—yet they shape how we encounter Homer’s poetry in English. Let’s take a closer look at the decisions involved in the translator’s task.
- Sentence Structure
Sentence structure may be the single most influential element in a reader’s experience, but it is often overlooked. Greek word order is more flexible than English, and Homer’s sentences can be long, winding, and filled with subordinate clauses.
Some translators preserve that structure to retain Homer’s feel. Richmond Lattimore and Caroline Alexander both follow Greek word order closely, even at the cost of some English elegance. Emily Wilson, on the other hand, tends to break long sentences into shorter, punchier statements. The choice affects pacing, tone, and clarity. It also signals a translator’s priorities: fidelity to Homer’s syntax or fluency in modern English.
- Repetition
Repetition is a fundamental feature of Homer’s style—especially in the
Odyssey. Formulaic phrases like “wise Penelope” or “resourceful Odysseus” recur throughout, sometimes in moments where they seem ill-fitting or redundant.
Translators handle this in different ways. Mendelsohn reproduces repeated epithets consistently, letting the reader feel their accumulation and rhythm. Wilson and Fagles prefer to vary the phrases to better match context or avoid monotony. Wilson observes that in a literate society, readers are prone to skip repeated material—so she alters or condenses. Each approach reveals something about how the translator interprets Homer’s oral-poetic style.
- Formulaic Phrases like “Thus he spoke”
Another special case of repetition is the phrase that marks the end of most speeches in Homer—typically rendered “Thus he spoke,” or “So he said.” It appears with ritual frequency in the Greek, but not all translators preserve it.
Some omit it entirely. Others vary the phrasing to fit the mood or character. Mendelsohn settles on the terse and distinctive “His words” as a repeated closing line. It becomes a stylistic signature of his version—at once abrupt and haunting.
- Additions, Subtractions, and Rephrasings
Translators who aim for a freer, less “literal” English often add, subtract, or rearrange words and phrases. Wilson’s
Odyssey regularly condenses or omits descriptive tags. Fagles, by contrast, tends to embellish—adding adjectives or intensifiers for poetic richness, clarity, or rhythm.
Greek is often economical: a single verb may serve two objects or even two clauses. For clarity or variation, Fagles and Mendelsohn sometimes add a second verb in English or split a single Greek word into two English ones. In a notable case at the opening of his
Odyssey, Mendelsohn double-translates the word
nēpioi—which means both “fools” and “children”—rendering it as “Fools that they were, like children…” This effort to convey multiple registers of meaning is a hallmark of his approach.
- Punctuation
Ancient Greek manuscripts use only a handful of punctuation marks: the period, comma, and question mark. English punctuation, by contrast, offers a rich set of tools: dashes, colons, italics, exclamation points, ellipses.
Some translators use these devices liberally; others avoid them. Fagles punctuates heavily, using dashes and emphatic markers to shape rhythm and drama. Lattimore and Alexander are minimalists, trusting syntax and phrasing to do the work. Wilson and Mendelsohn fall somewhere in between.
Punctuation can subtly steer the reader’s perception—changing the tone, rhythm, and even the perceived meaning of a line.
- Contractions
There are no contractions in Greek. In English, they are omnipresent—and their use or avoidance affects tone.
Mendelsohn is explicit about his use of contractions in dialogue to create a sense of informality or intimacy. But he draws a line: “To Father Zeus, I never give contractions.” A simple rule, but it helps preserve hierarchy and register in his translation.
- Diction and Register
Closely tied to sentence structure and contraction is the translator’s choice of diction. Should Homer sound ancient and elevated? Familiar and modern? Neutral and restrained?
Wilson uses a plain, contemporary diction that increases clarity and accessibility. Mendelsohn shifts his register depending on context—more elevated in prayer and battle scenes, more colloquial in domestic settings. Fagles tends toward a high, bardic tone, even when translating simple dialogue. Each choice evokes a different Homer.
- Metre and Rhythm
Because Homer’s poems were composed in verse, translators generally try to capture some sense of metre and musicality. But no recent translation reproduces Homer’s strict dactylic hexameter.
Wilson uses English iambic pentameter, the standard of Shakespeare and Milton. Lattimore and Alexander use irregular but deliberate patterns. Fagles opts for a rhythmic free verse, with a strong poetic cadence but no consistent metrical scheme. Whether a translation
feels poetic is subjective—but most translators agree that rhythm matters.
- Overall Word Count
A final, less visible—but telling—difference is total word count. Some translations are tighter, others more expansive. This reflects all of the above factors: line length, repetition, added modifiers, sentence structure, and so on.
Wilson’s
Odyssey is short and swift, with clipped lines and pared-down phrasing. Mendelsohn’s is long and layered, drawing out nuance and tone. Fagles lies somewhere in the middle—expansive, but not dense.
A Final Note on the Translator’s Note
Over the last two decades, a “Note on the Translation” has become a standard feature of most new versions of Homer. These translator’s notes have grown longer, more detailed, and more self-conscious. They usually serve multiple purposes: to explain and justify the translator’s decisions, to anticipate likely criticisms, to acknowledge the limits of any translation—and frequently, to suggest how this version improves on its predecessors. The Note is a valuable key to understanding the voice and shape of the version you’re about to read. A good note will explain not just what the translator did, but why. Reading it carefully can deepen your understanding and appreciation of the translation—and of Homer himself.
No version of Homer is definitive. Every translation is an interpretation, a set of choices made in service of one vision of the poem. The best way to experience Homer in English is to read more than one version—and to read them with attention to the decisions that make each one distinct.
Read this new
Odyssey with a small group of like-minded adventurers in Greece in March 2026.
Part tour, part retreat, this trip is an unparalleled opportunity to explore the ancient Greek world and enjoy the beauty and hospitality of today’s Greece.
To learn more about the translation we will be using on our March 2026 tour, I invite you to read Daniel Mendelsohn’s speaks with The New York Review of Books about his
2025 translation of The Odyssey.
See you in Greece!
Featured image credit: Odysseus’ Ten-Year Journey Home, Simeon Netchev 
