Tough-O-Meter

(3) Base Camp

For the first-time reader, probably the hardest thing about Homer’s Odyssey is its language. OK, obviously if you read it in Ancient Greek, then the language would really be a challenge. For a smoother ride, you might want to check out the up-to-date translations by Robert Fagles and Stanley Lombardo; Lombardo’s version is especially close to modern spoken English. On Shmoop, we quote from the 1950s version by Richmond Lattimore, which is a bit harder than those, but which has some advantages that make it worth using. (Every line in Lattimore’s version matches up exactly to its counterpart in the original Greek; its quirkiness actually gives a good sense of what the original feels like.) Some of the cultural details may also be unfamiliar. Once you get past these, though (reading the introduction to your edition will help), the poem is EXTREMELY accessible. You'll get so swept up Odysseus’s awesome adventures, the language won’t feel like a chore – you’ll be hooked. We guarantee it.