What's the word after ob? Tell me that and I'll recognize you as a true Latin scholar.

god bless you brother

Did you film this in your home with that big mural behind you? What's the story behind the scene?

I'll overlook your omission of John Dryden's translation, you Visigoth

Ok

Question based on your comments about elevated speech vis-a-vis Shakespeare and Homer: Does this apply to criticism of Sorkin material and how unrealistic the dialogue is, though it does sort of elevate the spirit, regardless of the sort of political and cultural agenda he may have? I'm a conservative who has always enjoyed sorkin, but I also understand the criticism of how unrealistic the dialogue is.

This is the year then. I will read The Aeneid in Latin for the first time!

*wriggles with delight* I am so looking forward to the Virgil, now! I was very vaguely familiar with it but have not read it, and now I’m so eager to learn more. I’m so glad you addressed the controversy with Emily Wilson’s translation, Spencer. I was thinking that all the hubbub over the translation was overblown. It can’t be that bad, surely, I said to myself? Well, I was in the bookstore the other day and looked at the first page and… no, it’s not that bad. It’s WORSE. It doesn’t sing and cry and dance. It plunks down and jumps up and down on a pogo stick. Dreadful work. It’s exactly what you might expect of an intersectional feminist perspective. As far as Homer’s translations go, I think of Chapman, Johnny Keats’ favorite translation: “Much have I traveled in realms of gold!” But my first encounter with that great work was Fitzgerald, and the first line like a bar of a great symphony: “Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story…” So grateful for all you do for us, Spencer, God bless you.

Aeneas was son of Anchises and Venus

Nothing happened during the new year?

I couldn’t think of a worse actor to play a notorious Greek warrior returning home than Matt Damon. Extremely disappointed in this casting choice.

Am I going to be stoned for being basic for recommending some react content to the EPIC musical?

I'm excited!

May 2,025 blessings chase you down :-) kol tov

Happy new year bro

Happy New Year from Scotland, Spencer! I love this new set background. The Aeneid is a fabulous choice to kick off 2025. I cannot wait to get started for two reasons (1) to enjoy and learn from the poem on its own merit, and (2) to deepen my reading experience of Dante's Divine Comedy, which I confess I have read many times with only some of the Georgics for background (for shame). Your essay on Emily Wilson's translation is spot on by the way - I haven't read her Odyssey but "deflated" is the perfect word for her Iliad. No need to trivialise an Epic. I cannot wait to follow your thoughts on Virgil and I hope your class goes well in sunny Florida!

Aren’t you yourself fortunate that some of those old moral strictures have been challenged and reshaped in the last 50 years? I mean, you’re 100% right about Emily Wilson’s Homer, but you’re also here, alive, and not societally forced into a marriage with a woman - so some of those changes have been good, yes?

Great! I started the Aeneid in the New Year. Reading in Loeb comparing and contrasting as I go - I can't always follow the poetry in Latin without a side by side translation.

Epic!!

I am SO thrilled you are back, dear Spencer. Because of family stuff I got way behind on your Iliad and Odyssey videos, so I caught up on all of them over Christmas break, and I’m so excited to begin afresh on a new work. I’m also very much enjoying “Light of the Mind, Light of the World.” I so appreciate everything you do for us and I love the new digs!

Thank you for quoting St Augustine and telling the St Martin school. In my American house, Bavarian/Triol Advent music is played. During Christmastide, the German Wienachten hymns are played with the American music, except for John Lenno, Bono, Mariah Cari and all the other blah blahs. You are a blessing.

This was great!

Spencer, as an avid book reader, especially the "classics", I appreciate your analysis. It is best nowadays to just read the book. On a short note, I saw the movie Quo Vadis as a kid. It was a rollicky movie with a faith element. Many years later i bought and read the book. Wow! What a great story of faith and adventure.

Where can I watch the entire talk that this short is from?

A crossover episode featuring the two most underrated youtube channels.

Now that Epic is out in its entirety, do you have any thoughts on it as a whole?

Absolutely love that “free trial”concept for acquiring faith. It could save many souls. So “act now THE Operator is standing by to take your order!”

Absolutely love that “free trial”concept for acquiring faith. It could save many souls. So “act now THE Operator is standing by to take your order!”

Ultrakill mentioned?!?!

Imagine you've never read the original Odyssey before. Imagine that it never even existed. Imagine, further, that you are a man of the distant future, and you stumble across this book called the "Modernyssey", and it is exactly the modern story you just recounted. What does the Modernyssey say about the psychology of a man of that age? What does it say about the human relationships the 'moderns' have, and the natural roles that the 'moderns' play amongst each other? Why are they like this? What does it say about their civilization, and its fate? What becomes of them?

Damn, thought I found a great channel about the classics. Then I had to watch this video. Comparing the DJT assassination attempt to 9/11. Smh

Interesting

Dear Spencer, some random guy named Andrew Klavan was just sharing this thoughts on this movie on his show, and he seemed disappointed, too. I do wish you could meet him and talk it over. And a very blessed Christmas to you and your other half and your precious family!

Try Taxi Driver for a good version of the Odyssey.

Could have been mentioned later in the video (I only watched some) but wasn't that movie with George Clooney in it called "Brother where art thou?" based on the Odyssey?

I'm curious about your thoughts on other movies and TV shows that present The Iliad or The Odyssey. For instance, Armand Assante starred in one in 1997 that won two Emmys. Do you think they all have missed the point of the poem? Or did some get most or all of it right?

The post-modernists suck all the reality out of real-life. Would also be interested in hearing your take on that Sir Gawain movie that came out recently.

As someone who isn't overly familiar with the source material I saw this story as Odyssey reclaiming his heroism/becoming a hero. Retaking his throne while defeating the suitors proves his worth after he had lost it (which you accurately describe in the video by their inclusion of Modern sentiments). I didn't see it as morally ambiguous.

Fascism, for all it's posturing as being all about strength, is such a pathetic, whiny, crybaby, victimhood-obsessed worldview. It is cowardice elevated to the level of neurosis. Grown men sitting around circle-jerking about how scared they are of people who want absolutely nothing to do with them. They complain about emasculation but they're doing it to themselves.

Hi Spencer, your channel is up there with my new favourites - love your passion for each of your video topics. I am in love with the Iliad but somehow I have never read the Odyssey. Do you have a favourite English translation?

I’m sorry but The Odyssey without Athena is….bleh. She’s the god in the machine. You should not tell this story without the gods/mythical creatures, but you CANNOT tell it without her.

If nothing else, Mr. Fiennes got absolutely jacked for this film. Net win?

One tricky thing about the original is that, if we try to imagine it realistically, perhaps the mythic obstacles were actually symbolic of internal struggle and psychological conflict. And in that light it’s not necessarily fair to say he didn’t want to come home. We see this in life - one wants to do right but they ultimately sabotage themselves, etc. I haven’t seen this movie, so I don’t doubt they botched it. It just seems reasonable to imagine an ancient story of internal struggle was dressed up with mythic obstacles depicting the struggle within.

Where’s Ray Harryhausen and the cool monsters when we need them?

My review, also negative: "Odysseus as Shattered Veteran." Some of its main sections go into what's been removed: 1) fantasy stories, 2) gods & prayers, 3) "Cretan" stories, 4) plans, and 5) royalty. Also a discussion of why radically new versions do not have to be bad, or shunned by lovers of Homer. PostModernConservative sbstck.

Thanks for reporting on this vandalism.

Any modern retelling that inspires engagement with Homer can’t be all bad…but this sounds as frustrating as the film Troy. Trying to retell the epics without the gods strips away their meaning so fundamentally that it feels like costuming. At any rate, I enjoyed your analysis : )

I was waiting for your review of the movie before watching it. I was interested in watching the movie and got more and more excited to watch the movie as you went through your series on the Odyssey. Your review of the Odyssey these last few weeks was actually really intriguing and made me want to pick up the book again and now just makes me want Hollywood to finally do the movie right the way it should be. Perhaps something you can pitch to the daily wire

Bookshelves!

An hbo style series on the iliad and odyssey would be amazing