What Emily Wilson has said about Oral tradition and Homeric epithets

1 quote · 1 episode · Jul 12, 2026

Emily Wilson, Classicist and translator, the first woman to translate Homer's Odyssey into English, has been quoted on Oral tradition and Homeric epithets once in 1 episode of The Daily, most recently on July 12, 2026. Each quote below is verbatim and links to the moment it was said.

In their words

  • Wilson argues that varying the translation of repeated epithets can convey more of a character's full range because the Greek words carry multiple meanings.

    “If I can change how I translate that to fit a different context, then I'm going to give the reader or the listener more of the all-around characterization of the character because the original word connotes all of those things”

    The Daily: What’s Epic About the ‘Odyssey’? Everything. (Jul 12, 2026) · Listen from 16:29

Episodes

Emily Wilson on other topics