How to read the Illiad

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<em>shudder</em></p>

<p>Please tell me you’re kidding. I don’t mind Fagles for The Odyssey, but for The Iliad, you can’t beat Lattimore.</p>

<p>I don’t think we ever even discussed Book II. My Lit Hum professor mentioned something about the need to expand the list to include the various origins of the people who were actually in the audience (to make them feel important and all).</p>

<p>In any case, I don’t think it’s worth it to start reading the Iliad now because you’ll probably forget everything (even if you take notes and summarize). In any case, the answer to the original question partly depends on the class. Some are more critical reading based than others, and it’s impossible to know the direction yours will take until you’ve met the professor and the other students. </p>

<p>I don’t think professors expect anyone to have done a thorough reading by the first class period. This early in the game, I think it’s enough just to know plot (and as others have suggested, you have Sparknotes/Wikipedia for that).</p>

<p>Do the prescribed translations of books on the Lit Hum syllabus actually matter come class time?</p>

<p>That’s a good question, I’d like to know as well (because I have almost all the books for the first sem. of lit hum, but some of them aren’t the translations Columbia wants).</p>

<p>My guess would be that the prescriptions do matter. Translations of Greek and ancient languages can vary greatly.</p>

<p>I know you guys won’t like this answer, but it depends on the class. It hardly mattered in mine because we didn’t refer back to the text much. However, I suspect that in most classes, it does matter (it certainly mattered in my CC class). Also, you’ll need to get your hands on the correct translations for papers and other assignments. If you already have copies of most of the books but not in the correct translations, then I suggest you buy second-hand copies online (betterworldbooks on Ebay has a lot of classics - I bought almost all my CC books from them and saved a ton of money) and then sell them to the CU bookstore.</p>

<p>^that’s useful advice, thanks demeter. A bit of a bibliophile myself, I prefer to keep my books in good conditions :)</p>

<p>aww. I see… thanks demeter!</p>

<p>How to read the Iliad? </p>

<p>Top-to-bottom, left-to-right works pretty well I think</p>

<p>^kinda witty. :/</p>