I moved from Moscow to Troy and so turned from the Russians to the old stories.
I went in to this reading a staunch Hector fan and left, as Homer probably intended, less anti-Achilles than I began. He is still a quitter.
Andromache’s life is as tragic as Antigone’s. It is the lot of these women to wait on their dead, but is it better to live past them and see the rampant death or die honorably in the aftermath. Briseis has similar lot.
As much as Hector leaves his family, it is clear the gods can drag him out to face Achilles, so choosing to go when he did was what he had.
He was still tricked.
Achilles and Hector are as much brothers in arms as opponents. They are all trapped. Achilles tries to get out of it, by quitting. Hector tries to match Menelaus and Paris. All for naught.
Wars are nasty things when women are involved. The pettiness of Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena traps them all.
Because of my translation, I had all of the alternate names and discovered discovered the River that nearly strangles Achilles and Astynax share a name Scamandros.
Mr Rouse, W. H. D., was a staunch supporter of the classics and brought his own translation about in prose to make it accessible. It was comfortable read and listen, but I remember shunning it at first when I realized it was prose. But I don’t own Lattimer or Fagles. This is probably a personal failing.
Anthony Head is the narrator and suits the material. I listened through Christmas and it began sounding oddly like the Boris Karloff Grinch. Achilles and grumpy green Who have a bit in common - internal ruminations on the inferiority and awfulness of the larger group.
I’m starting the McKellen’s Odyssey by Fagles which is a delight. I may have Fitzgerald on the shelves, so I may compare readings.
Further Up;
Further In
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