Emily Wilson to retranslate Homer’s Odyssey from scratch

Classicist and University of Pennsylvania professor Emily Wilson has announced she is retranslating Homer’s epic poem, ‘The Odyssey’, from scratch. This project is a complete retranslation based on the original Greek text rather than a revision of her acclaimed 2017 bestselling version.

Wilson noted that her approach to translation has evolved, leading her to identify limitations in her previous work. For instance, she aims to better reflect the nuances of ancient Greek social structures, such as the different categories of enslaved people, which her earlier version did not always distinguish. The new version is expected to feature a different formal structure, utilizing more lines than the original to allow for more varied pacing and word length.

The announcement follows Wilson’s recent public criticism of Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of the poem. While Nolan’s adaptation cited Wilson’s 2017 translation as an influence, Wilson described the film’s writing as ‘abysmal’ and criticized its lack of character motivation and certain thematic elements. Despite the controversy, the film and Wilson’s previous translation contributed to a significant surge in book sales for the epic poem.