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Translating ‘The Odyssey’ for a Modern Audience

Wilson joins us to discuss translating ancient Greek, how modern English influenced her telling and why The Odyssey endures today.
 (Courtesy/Liveright Publishing Corporation)

Airdate: Friday, July 10 at 10 AM

Christopher Nolan’s latest film, The Odyssey, doesn’t debut in theaters until next week, but it’s already drawing online backlash for perceived inaccuracies from Homer’s epic poem. The story dates back to ancient Greece and has been told countless times; Nolan’s interpretation draws from a 2017 translation of classical studies scholar Emily Wilson that’s noted for its conversational language and feminist approach. Wilson argues that any given translation is a product of both the author who writes it and the era in which they interpret the text. Wilson joins us to discuss translating ancient Greek, how modern English influenced her telling and why The Odyssey endures today.

Guests:

Emily Wilson, department chair and professor of Classical Studies Organization, University of Pennsylvania; author of the forthcoming book “Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature"

Jackie Murray, associate professor in the Department of Classics, University of Buffalo

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