• George Chapman

    1615 • verse Public Domain

    First complete English translation.

    Notes: The samples are based on the first edition, accessible via the 'Sample Source' link. Note that widely available digital versions (e.g., Project Gutenberg) are often heavily modernized and differ significantly from this original text. For a recommended modern printed copy, consider the Princeton University Press edition ('Chapman's Homer: The Odyssey').
    His Odyssey, like his Iliad, is clear, vigorous, and still a pleasure to browse through (for all the liberties he takes with Homer’s text).
    — Ian Johnston

  • Alexander Pope

    1725 • verse Public Domain

    Highly influential translation in heroic couplets, celebrated for its poetic polish.

    Notes: Pope's first edition is the recommended version of this work. Its original printing was notably well-produced. Unlike many subsequent reprints and common digital versions (such as Project Gutenberg), the first edition preserves Pope's intended text and includes the original, informative notes. The notes for The Odyssey were contributed by William Broome. Seeking out a digital copy of the first edition provides the most complete and authentic reading experience. The 'Sample Source' link provides an example of a high-quality digital scan of a first edition, derived from the New York Public Library's copy.

  • William Cowper

    1791 • verse Public Domain

    Blank verse; sober and Miltonic in tone.

    Notes: The samples are based on the Project Gutenberg text, which is a reliable version for this translation. For reference, a digitized first edition is also available via HathiTrust (catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/007699906).
    Cowper’s translation has endured, not as an especially popular choice, but one which people seem to consult from time to time.
    — Ian Johnston

  • Theodore Alois Buckley

    1851 • prose • Henry G. Bohn Public Domain

    Victorian prose.

  • Philip Stanhope Worsley

    1861 • verse Public Domain

    Spenserian stanzas.

    Notes: Samples are based on the University of Toronto copy hosted on Archive.org (link above covers Vol 1; search Archive.org for Vol 2). An 1895 edition is also available via HathiTrust (catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011821251).

  • William Cullen Bryant

    1871 • verse • J.R. Osgood and Co Public Domain

    Blank verse; fluent and restrained.

  • Mordaunt Barnard

    1876 • verse • Williams and Norgate Public Domain

    Blank verse.

  • Samuel Butler

    1900 • prose Public Domain

    Straightforward prose.

    Notes: The Project Gutenberg version is also a reliable source for Butler's text.

  • A.T. Murray

    1924 • prose • Loeb Classical Library Public Domain

    Scholarly, literal prose translation presented with the original Greek text on facing pages.

    Notes: The Loeb editions are the standard choice for parallel Greek/English text.

  • W. H. D. Rouse

    1937 • prose • New American Library

    Fast, informal prose.

  • Emile Victor Rieu

    1945 • prose • Penguin Books

    Popular, accessible prose.

    Still a top choice for readers seeking a prose translation, especially the revised edition (by P. Jones & D.C.H. Rieu).
    — Ian Johnston

  • Robert Fitzgerald

    1961 • verse • Doubleday

    Graceful, poetic verse.

    One of the best, if not the best, modern rendition[s] of Homer into English verse.
    — Ian Johnston

  • Richmond Lattimore

    1965 • verse • Harper & Row

    Literal verse; formal tone.

    Notes: Often praised for fidelity; readers may wish to sample the distinct style before committing.

  • Walter Shewring

    1990 • prose • Oxford University Press

    Plain, careful prose.

  • Allen Mandelbaum

    1990 • verse • University of California Press

    Formal blank verse.

  • Robert Fagles

    1996 • verse • Viking Penguin

    Dramatic, lyrical verse.

  • Martin Hammond

    2000 • prose • Bristol Classical Press

    Clear, faithful prose.

  • Stanley Lombardo

    2000 • verse • Hackett Publishing Company

    Lively, modern verse.

  • Ian Johnston

    2006 • verse • Richer Resources Publications Public Domain

    Readable public domain verse.

    Notes: His separate document, 'Published English Translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey', provides an excellent overview of available translations and is highly recommended for further reading.

  • A.S. Kline

    2005 • prose Public Domain

    Simple public domain prose.

    Sample Source: Homer: The Odyssey

  • Charles Stein

    2008 • verse • North Atlantic Books

    Esoteric and poetic verse.

  • Stephen Mitchell

    2013 • verse • Atria Books

    Fluid, condensed verse.

  • Emily Wilson

    2017 • verse • W. W. Norton & Company

    Clear, rhythmic iambic verse.

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