Homer, The Iliads; Odysses, translated by Chapman, London, [1611?], 2 volumes, modern calf

Homer

Chapman's translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey, in two volumes, comprising:

The Iliads of Homer prince of poets, never before in any languag truely translated. With a comment uppon some of this chiefe places, donne according to the Greeke by Geo. Chapman. London: for Nathaniel Butter, [1611?], engraved title-page by William Hole, woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, without final blank and without the two additional leaves of sonnets, lacking errata leaf A6

Homer's Odysses. Translated according to ye Greeke. By Geo. Chapman. London: Richard Field, for Nathaniel Butter, [1614?], engraved title-page, without first and last blank leaves, woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces

2 volumes, folio (276 x 185mm.; 268 x 178mm.), uniform modern calf tooled in period style

FIRST EDITIONS of George Chapman's translations, here in separate editions (they were subsequently issued together in around 1616; STC 13624). This first separate printing of Chapman's Odyssey contains just books 1-12; the remaining books (13-24) were added in the following year (STC 13637).

Chapman's translation was in verse, for which he decided to reject a verbatim translation on the grounds of fluency and elegance. He added some moral and ethical changes and observations, so that his narrative would display the characters in a somewhat more chivalric and less pagan manner. His translation exerted considerable influence on English literature, providing for the first time in English a comprehensible and accessible version of Homer's epics for non-Greek or Latin readers. Chapman made extensive use of Jean de Sponde's Latin commentary (1583, itself based on Eustathius) for his translation, as knowledge of Greek was most uncommon at the time.

LITERATURE:

STC 13634 & 13636