The Prayer of Achilles (Iliad XVI, 225-250) in Ancient Greek

@SisterofIris 5年前

ABOUT MY PRONUNCIATION (COMMENT MODERATION AND FAQ) Hi friends, Lately I've been receiving a high number of comments criticising my pronunciation of Ancient Greek. I welcome discussion and I'm always glad to hear different views, especially since this is a much-debated topic (something I'm well aware of, btw, as someone who has been studying Ancient Greek for 9 years and is currently working on a masters degree). However, a lot of these comments are downright rude and condescending - both from people for Erasmian pronunciation and people against it. This is not something I want on my YouTube channel. I make these videos to bring ancient texts to life and to share them with others in a positive space, where people can come together to enjoy the beauty of these ancient languages. I'm not here for people to be gratuitously rude to my work and to each other. As a result, I've decided that from now on, comments about my pronunciation will be moderated. Again, I see where you people are coming from, and I respect your views; I hope you, in return, understand where this decision comes from. It's not something I'm happy to do, but it's important to me that my videos stay a respectful place. If your comments don't reflect that, they will be removed. Lastly, I'd like to offer a short FAQ about my pronunciation and why I chose it: Q: What is the pronunciation you use? A: I use reconstructed pronunciation (not Erasmian!), with some slight adaptations. This is the pronunciation that is considered by academics to be the most correct - though of course, we can't know 100% for sure how Ancient Greek was pronounced. Q: If you use reconstructed pronunciation, why don't you aspirate θ, χ and φ? A: Quite honestly, when I started making my videos, it was because I didn't like it. However, it can still be historically justified. Most reconstructed pronunciation is from the Classical era, when θ, χ and φ were aspirated, but I use something closer to the late Classical/early Hellenistic era when certain sounds (including the aspirated consonants) were beginning to shift. I can't pinpoint an exact place and time for my pronunciation (like "5th century BC Athens" or "2nd century BC Alexandria"), so in a way, it is a bit artificial. But it is still something you could've conceivably heard around the 4th/3rd century BC. Q: Ancient Greek wasn't pronounced like this when this text was written! / Why don't you use Homeric pronunciation to read Homer? A: I considered reading each text with the pronunciation of the time, but this was complicated for several reasons. First, creating a new recording would require several extra hours of pronunciation research - in addition to the 4-5 hours I already spend making each one - something which, as a full-time masters student, I absolutely don't have time for. Second, it's unclear when some texts were written (like the Orphic Hymns, for example), so choosing an accurate pronunciation would be difficult. And third, I prefer to have one single Ancient Greek pronunciation for all my videos, to give them a sense of unity. I'm aware this is a bit silly when my pronunciation pre-dates the text (like reading the Seikilos Epitaph, a text from the Roman era, in late Classical pronunciation), but for now, it's the solution I'm sticking with. Q: Why do you pronounce the diphthongs this way? A: I wrote about the evolution of the diphthongs here: sisterofiris.tumblr.com/post/179320600144/opinion-… Q: This doesn't sound Greek! A: You're right, and I'm sorry about that. This is because I'm not Greek. I'm doing my best to learn to read these texts with a Greek accent, and you'll notice I've made some progress (the French accent in my first videos makes even me cringe). That said, I still have a lot to work on. If you want to hear reconstructed Ancient Greek as read out by a Greek person, I highly recommend you check out the YouTube channel "Podium Arts", they're great :) I hope this answers some of your questions. I'm happy to answer more, so long as they're asked out of curiosity, not to talk down to me or to start an argument. For now, I wish you all a lovely day :)

@alexfryer9515 3年前

This is really terrific. I have read the Iliad several times and cruised through these lines, though this translation is more powerful than the ones I have. Love the reverb, too. And the photo.

@meh23p 3年前

I don’t know if the pronunciation is correct, but it sounds beautiful.

@merlinmystique 4ヶ月前

you make the word of the gods come alive. be blessed! your pronunciation is magnificent I think

@vsq9180 1年前

I just finished a prose translation of the Iliad and was wondering how it sounded like in the original language. The rhythm rolls like the Mediterranean surf waves. Simply beautiful!

@mmeblaerlin5933 2年前

I am not fluent in this language at all, however even if the pronunciation is wrong, the fact you're passionate enough to do this and keep it alive is very admirable and the way the words roll of your tongue is beautiful.

@pardieupopper339 7年前

Well done. The final line is quite moving. Thank you, and I hope you do more.

@uriben-gal6620 2年前

Your reading of Homer is the best I have ever heard ! Would you consider reading the beginning of the Iliad for our benefit ? I stopped reading Homer 35 years ago because I could not make it sound beautiful (to my ears). Your reading is inspiring me to try again. I plan to copy your pronunciation as much as possible. I would be very pleased to learn your rules for pronouncing Homer. Thank you and all the very best.

@0Ensis0 3年前

This is amazing. I've got goosebumps. I need to review my greek and read whole Iliad in original :) Thx for inspiration!

@SiddharthaCC 7年前

Excellent! Thank you very much for uploading this, you did a wonderful job.

@ricardoholanda4340 11ヶ月前

Your voice is beautiful, as is the rythm.

@jasonbaker2370 1年前

This is beautiful ❤

@TheJoshtheboss 7年前

Sounds so nice. I don't speak Modern Greek or any Greek, but sounds nice. I hear big differences among various videos on YouTube on Ancient Greek recitations.

@philippedarschot7998 2年前

Thank you for this wonderfull recitation, please continue and ignore critics

@Phorquieu 3年前

Wow... I can really here the music in this sing-song reading, which casts its spell after so many centuries of neglect... Making the Illiad a sacred text after all, to be read on multiple levels... Art imitating life, and spirit guiding life. Thank you for this wonderful posting!

@michaelxx7022 5年前

Your recitation is enchanting. Please keep doing what you do. In my humble opinion you have a very refined sense of the aesthetic when it comes to pronunciation, rhythm and inflection. Thanks and good luck with your studies.