English Translations from the Greek: A Bibliographical SurveyFoster, Finley Melville Kendall
General
English Translations from the Greek: A Bibliographical Survey
Foster, Finley Melville Kendall
Greek literature -- Translations into English -- Bibliography; Thesis (Ph. D.)
Perhaps catholicity of taste is the best phrase which may be used to
characterize the nineteenth century. Nothing shows this better than the
table of translations. The Drama, Epic, History, Oratory, Philosophy,
Biography, Poetry and the more minor divisions were all translated with an
abundance which shows a steady demand on the part of the reading public.
The Drama now assumed its place as one of the important elements of Greek
literature and possibly because it was a new found treasure, for the texts
of the dramatists were not edited until the middle of the eighteenth
century, was a little overemphasized. However, as was pointed out in the
latter part of the previous section, the aim of Bohn’s _Classical Library_
was the aim of the reading public, i.e., a complete survey of Greek
literature in English. The nineteenth century, moreover, in addition to
translating practically all Greek literature, insisted upon a certain
amount of literalness in the translation. It was to be the endeavor of the
translator to present his author to the public without any change or
adaptation on his part in bridging the gap between the two languages. Just
what the word literal meant and of how much consequence it was during the
century can be readily ascertained by reading Matthew Arnold’s lectures
_On Translating Homer_ and Newman’s _Reply_.
Whether the twentieth century will carry on the width of interest of the
nineteenth is hard to say. Until the war broke out the present century bid
fair to equal its predecessor. With the coming of the war, however,
translation from the Greek has been forced into the background and how
long it will remain there, is, at this time, a matter of conjecture.
If this table has done no more, it has at least furnished an interesting
thermometer of public taste through the centuries that are past. In all
generations where the public has had the opportunity of choosing what it
would have from Greek literature, the choice has been along lines very
similar in taste to the prevailing literary interest. What lies in the
future is hard to say, for practically everything of importance has been
translated. Probably we shall see repeated what we are witnessing to‐day:
the retranslation of Greek literature for each succeeding generation into
terms of its own conception. Bohn’s _Classical Library_ is now in the
process of being replaced by the _Loeb Classical Library_ and I dare say
sixty years hence some other “library” will replace this one. Greek
literature is no longer a hidden pearl, and, although the interest in the
language may vary with the generations, the people of England and America
have evidently found in it a worth which they desire to keep. If they had
not, the following list of translations would never have been possible.
A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SURVEY OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN TRANSLATIONS
NOTE.—In all cases where no place of publication is mentioned London is to
be understood.
Achilles Tatius
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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