Odyssey of Homer: Part 1, Books 1-6

Rating:
Summary: Excellent rendition of the sound of ancient Greek poetry
Review: This is a set of six cassettes with a thin book. The book contains the Greek text of the first six books of the Odyssey plus English translation. The Greek text is NOT scanned.

We students of the wonderful language of Homer should consider ourselves really fortunate to have at our side a courageous and competent Greek scholar like Prof.Daitz.

Let me tell you that his rendition of the Odyssey with the recontructed pronunciation of 5th century BC Attic Greek is hauntingly beautiful besides being very accurate (every word has been carefully checked by Sydney Allen, the top specialist on ancient Greek phonetics).

Some reviewers, judging other recordings of his, have found Daitz's interpretation histrionic. This reproach is not totally groundless but shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of Greek language and culture. If Daitz seems to be in a state of exaltation when he reads ancient Greek, this is because he is so deeply immersed in and in resonance with the Greek language.

I believe that ancient Greek, no matter what classical scholars want you to believe about the so-called rational character of Greek civilization, was a highly colorful and emotional language, otherwise it would not have had pitch accents! Modern languages, including Greek, have lost their original pitch accents because people have become cerebral and dry inside.

Moreover, Prof.Daitz's rendition is not exaggerated. This would simply be exhausting for a recording that lasts for half an hour for each side of the six cassettes. He strikes the right tone in each passage and knows how to vary the speed and mood in order not to tire the listener. I was also amazed at his ability to give a voice to the different characters. True, he is better at imitating Zeus or Odysseus than Athena or Telemachus, who sound too shrill and plaintive, but on the whole his imitations are excellent and show his incredible mastery of Greek.

Finally, the quality of the recording is excellent and Prof.Daitz's voice comes across with absolute clarity. If you want to enjoy the Odyssey in all its aspects, I think this set of cassettes is not only helpful but esthetically gratifying.