What’s Epic About the ‘Odyssey’? Everything.
7/12/202651 min
This Friday, “The Odyssey,” directed by Christopher Nolan, hits theaters. Even before the movie’s release, though, it’s proving to be a cultural event. Spirited discussions of Nolan’s cinematic interpretation of the epic poem already abound online, and they are likely to intensify after the public sees the film.
Why does a 12,000-line poem that is nearly 3,000 years old still feel resonant today? In this episode of “The Sunday Daily,” Natalie Kitroeff talks about the “Odyssey” with two writers who have produced some critically acclaimed and widely read modern interpretations of Greek classics: Emily Wilson, the first woman to translate the “Odyssey” from ancient Greek, and Madeline Miller, the author of the best-selling novels “Circe” and “Song of Achilles.”
On Today’s Episode:
Emily Wilson, a professor, classist, author and translator of the “Odyssey”
Madeline Miller, the author of “Circe,” “Song of Achilles” and other books
Background Reading:
We’ll Help You Find Your Next Great Book. (Spoiler: It’s the ‘Odyssey.’)
The First Woman to Translate the ‘Odyssey’ Into English
Book Review: Turning Circe Into a Good Witch
Photo: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
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Natalie Kitroeff· Host0:17
So what I'm hearing is we're gonna get an ancient Greek translation of From the New York Times [laughs] [laughs] This is The Daily on Sunday, and we're gonna read it.
Emily Wilson· Guest0:27
And Natalie, do you want to say χαίρετε with us?
Natalie Kitroeff· Host0:30
Okay.
Madeline Miller· Guest0:31
All right.
Emily Wilson· Guest0:32
One, two, three.
Madeline Miller· Guest0:34
Χαίρετε.
Natalie Kitroeff· Host0:36
Χαίρετε.
Emily Wilson· Guest0:36
Should we do it again?
Madeline Miller· Guest0:37
Yeah. Okay, you did more, you did more of like a χαίρετε, so I'm- Yes ... shall I get... Okay, I'm gonna do that one.
Emily Wilson· Guest0:41
Okay, I will say hello, and then you say your line, Madeleine.
Madeline Miller· Guest0:44
Okay. [laughs] All right, I will.
Emily Wilson· Guest0:45
Χαίρετε.
Natalie Kitroeff· Host0:47
[upbeat music] Greetings.
Madeline Miller· Guest0:48
ᾯτος ἔστιν ὁ μῦθος ἐφημέριος τῆς πόλεως γυναίκων.
Natalie Kitroeff· Host0:53
This is the daily speech of the Gray Lady. I'm Natalie Kitroeff.
Emily Wilson· Guest0:57
Ἡ ἀγγελία ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως τῶν πενταδήμων, τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Ἡλίου.
Natalie Kitroeff· Host1:04
The news from the city of five boroughs on the day of Helios, the sun god.
Madeline Miller· Guest1:09
I was trying to sound like a news, like- Yes ... you know.
Emily Wilson· Guest1:12
I, I like that too [laughs].
Madeline Miller· Guest1:13
I was trying to match Natalie's [laughs] Yes.
Natalie Kitroeff· Host1:15
[laughs] [upbeat music] Christopher Nolan's new movie, The Odyssey, is coming out in theaters this Friday, and it's gonna be a big cinematic event. In fact, it already