TY - JOUR

T1 - Racism and the Odyssey

T2 - Translating the Colour of Odysseus' Skin

AU - Bloch, David

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - This article makes two arguments: (1) a specific argument about two passages in the 16thand 19th songs of the Odyssey; (2) a general argument about the dangers involved in translations of classical texts. In the specific argument it is shown that translators have (with asingle exception) distorted Greek terms for skin colour, and, by doing so, they enable racistagendas to gain support from their translations. The general argument is that in questionsthat are the subject of controversy and discussion in the 21st century translators of classicaltexts have to be careful to recognise their own preconceptions and prejudices to ensurethat the translations are not used for detrimental purposes.

AB - This article makes two arguments: (1) a specific argument about two passages in the 16thand 19th songs of the Odyssey; (2) a general argument about the dangers involved in translations of classical texts. In the specific argument it is shown that translators have (with asingle exception) distorted Greek terms for skin colour, and, by doing so, they enable racistagendas to gain support from their translations. The general argument is that in questionsthat are the subject of controversy and discussion in the 21st century translators of classicaltexts have to be careful to recognise their own preconceptions and prejudices to ensurethat the translations are not used for detrimental purposes.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - Homer

KW - Odyssey

KW - Translation

KW - Racism

KW - Colour

M3 - Journal article

VL - 92

SP - 1

EP - 24

JO - Universite de Copenhague. Institut du Moyen-Age Grec et Latin. Cahiers

JF - Universite de Copenhague. Institut du Moyen-Age Grec et Latin. Cahiers

SN - 0591-0358

ER -