The Odyssey of Homer
Construed Literally, and Word for Word
by the Rev. Dr. Giles
London 1860

HOMER’S ODYSSEY

BOOK I.

1. Εννεπε declare μοιI to me, Мουσα Muse, ανδρα the man πολυτροπον of many fortunes, ός who πλαγχθη wandered μαλα πολλα very much, επει when επερσεν he had destroyed ιερον πτολιεθρον the sacred city Τροιης of Troy: ιδε δε and saw αστεα towns και and εγνων learnt νοον the mood πολλων ανθρωπων of many men, πολλα δε αλγεα but many sorrows όγε he indeed παθε suffered όν κατα θυμον in his soul, αρνυμενος while grasping ήν τε ψυχην both his own life και and νοστον the returnέταιρων of his companions. Αλλα but ουδε not even ώς thus ερρυσατο did he save έταρους his companions ίεμενος περ though bent upon it: ολοντο γαρ for they perished σφετερησιν ατασσθαλιησι by their own phrensies, νηπιοι fools, όι who κατα ησθιον ate up βους  the oxen Ήελιοιο of the Sun Ύπερινος who rolls above us: αυταρ but ό he αφειλετο took away τοισι from them νοστιμον ημαρ the day of their return: των of these things άμοθεν γε from whatever source, θεα O goddess, θυγατερdaughter Διος of Jupiter, ειπε tell και ημιν to us also.

REVIEW COMMENT

Note that for formatting reasons, the passage above does have two or three mistakes in the Greek spelling (e.g., σφετερησιν ατασσθαλιησι).

Giles’ format is very odd, since the text seems set up for the student of the Greek who needs considerable assistance.  Yet placing the English and Greek together like this effectively prevents the student from puzzling through the Greek and then checking his effort against the English (say, on a facing page or the line below).  The text was part of the Keys to the Classics series. 

It is not entirely clear to me whether Giles translated the entire epic.

Readers who would like to read more of Giles’ translation (Books I to VI) should use the following link: Giles Odyssey.

List of Published English Translations of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey