This is a radical abridgement of Matthew Arnold’s 1861 lectures, On Translating Homer. I have retained only about 10% of the original text, focusing on some of his key insights into the practice of translation. I have worked primarily through excision rather than alteration.

I have also eliminated Arnold’s specific critiques of other translators. His comments on Francis Newman, in particular, were highly controversial at the time and sparked an "energetic" public feud that dominated the original volume. A scholar of great learning and brother to Cardinal Newman, Francis had published an Iliad that used deliberately "quaint" and "homely" language to reflect Homer's supposed primitivism. Arnold found this approach "ignoble" and launched a public feud that dominated the original lectures. None of that is in this abridgement.

I would encourage anyone who has interest in the area to read the full collected work for added depth as well as insights to the famous translation-oriented feud.

Ross Belot January 15, 2026

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