Welcome back myth readers. This post is coming to you a little bit behind schedule, so apologies for that.

Before I get into the list of translations, I just want to remind everyone that we will be starting the Aeneid on the week of September 9th. Our first discussion post will go up on the weekend of the 16th and will be discussing Books 1 and 2. We will be reading two books (aka chapters) a week until the 21/10/23. To see our full schedule for 2023 click here. I will be updating the schedule in the subreddit sidebar as well, once we get closer to the start date.

We will also be posting a proper context post at the start of our reading, so keep an eye out for that if you are interested. The basic summary for the Aeneid is that it follows a character, Aeneas, that we met in the Iliad. Aeneas fought on the Trojan side and was both the son of Aphrodite and a prince of Troy. The Aeneid follows him after the Fall of Troy when he and some family members escape and try to make a new life for themselves. The writer, Virgil, wrote this text centuries after Homer composed the Iliad and the Odyssey, so in a way this is fanfiction. However, for those of us interested in both mythology and history, the Aeneid is an important text – Aeneas’ journey of escape leads to the founding of Rome and ties the Greek and Roman empires together, mythically speaking.

While researching for this guide I became aware that there are a lot of translations available for this text. Which is great but, due to the sheer number of versions available, I am not able to discuss every single one here. I’ve tried to provide information on as many as I could, with a focus on modern translations from the late twentieth, early twenty-first centuries. If you have read the Aeneid before and see that I’ve missed out on a great translation, please let me know it the comments.

Popular Translations:

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• Robert Fagles - Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition - Verse - 2006. Has become one of the go-to translations and is in keeping with both the Iliad and the Odyssey translations by the same author. Available in physical, eBook and audiobook form. Also has a great introduction essay that explains the context and relationship between Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and this story. Book also provides readers with a map and good notes/glossary. The Aeneid: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) eBook : Virgil, Bernard Knox, Robert Fagles: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
• Robert Fitzgerald - Verse - 1981. Seen as the go-to translation of the Aeneid for quite some time, this is a modern translation that is both engaging and accessible to new readers. Fitzgerald, like Fagles, also translated Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, so if you've read either of those translations, this one may also suit you as it is in keeping with them. Available in physical, eBook and audio versions. The Aeneid eBook : Virgil, Fitzgerald, Robert, West, David: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
• Stanley Lombardo - Hackett Classics - Verse - 2005. This is seen as a precise yet exciting translation of the epic. Reviews suggest that this is a master translation and has a scholarly energy to it. The book comes with a great introduction that explains who Aeneas is, the world and his relationship to the gods. Also comes with notes, a glossary and a section dedicated to 'further reading' on the subject. Like Fagles and Fitzgerald, Lombardo's Aeneid follows on from his other translations of Homer's epics. Available in physical and eBook formats. Aeneid (Hackett Classics): Amazon.co.uk: Virgil, Johnson, W. R., Lombardo, Stanley: 9780872207325: Books
• David Ferry - Verse - 2017. Lyrical and accessible, Ferry is seen as one of the great translators of Latin poetry. Ferry has also translated other works by Virgil such as *'*Eclogues' and 'Georgics'. This is seen as a lively but faithful, modern translation. The Aeneid: Amazon.co.uk: Virgil, ., Ferry, David: 9780226450186: Books Additional review can be found here: THE AENEID: Virgil | classicsforall.org.uk
• John Dryden - Verse - 1697. Free version, widely available. Seen as a masterpiece but super old with some use of archaic language and dry in places. There are some issues with the rhythm/ rhyming techniques used in the translation, but it is seen as a solid version. The text is available for free online, or in physical, eBook and audio formats. As this is in the public domain, there are countless editions of this text available. As such there is no one specific link I can provide for it.
• Seamus Heaney - Verse - 2019 (posthumously published) - Book 6 only. This is a short translation of a single book from the Aeneid by Heaney. Reviews for it are really good, stating that Heaney's translation is absorbing and captures the lyricism of the original. Available in physical, eBook and audio formats. Please note that this translation is for book 6 only, not the entire Aeneid. If Heaney's other translations, such as Beowulf, are anything to go on, this one is probably top tier too. The Aeneid (Oxford World's Classics): Amazon.co.uk: Virgil, Griffin, Jasper, Day Lewis, C.: 9780199537488: Books
• Sarah Ruden - Verse - 2008 (updated 2020 with notes, introduction, and glossary). Reviews say it is easy to read and a powerful translation. Seen as the modern go-to for beginners, it is written in iambic pentameter. Language is clear and brings out original energy of poem. The Aeneid: Amazon.co.uk: Vergil, Braund, Susanna, Ruden, Sarah: 9780300240108: Books Available in physical and eBook format. Additionally, a brand new audiobook for the revised version is coming out in late August 2023, which makes this version very accessible for everyone. This is the one I'm planning on reading.
• Shadi Bartsch - Verse - 2020. Good translation with clear, concise language. Dry in places but seen as a faithful translation. Available in physical and eBook versions but there are some potentially unresolved issues with the eBook formatting/links to the endnotes. The Aeneid: A New Translation: Amazon.co.uk: Vergil, Bartsch, Shadi: 9781788162678: Books An additional review can be found here: THE AENEID: A New Translation—Vergil | classicsforall.org.uk
• Len Krisak - Focus Classical Library - Verse - 2021. Vivid and written in iambic pentameter, sticks as close to original line/rhyming as possible but does have some modernisms to it. Seen as a good choice for more experienced readers but can be read by beginners as the introduction is good and extensive notes are provided. Available in physical and eBook versions. The Aeneid (Focus Classical Library) eBook : Virgil, McDonough, Christopher M., Krisak, Len: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store Additional review: VIRGIL: AENEID | classicsforall.org.uk
• Cecil Day Lewis - Oxford World Classics - Verse - 1952. Older translation but Lewis was a critically acclaimed poet during his lifetime and this translation is seen as very good and accessible to readers. One of the main draws to this translation (similar to Heaney) is that it is a poet translating a poet and as such there is a faithfulness to the rhythm to the original that a non-poet translator could miss. The Aeneid (Oxford World's Classics): Amazon.co.uk: Virgil, Griffin, Jasper, Day Lewis, C.: 9780199537488: Books Available in paperback and audio formats.
• Frederick Ahl - Oxford World Classics - Verse- 2008. Engaging translation, written in hexameter. Available in physical and eBook versions. Aeneid (Oxford World's Classics): Amazon.co.uk: Virgil, Fantham, Elaine, Ahl, Frederick: 8601300141695: Books An additional review, from The Guardian, is available here.
• David West - Penguin Classics - Prose - 1990. This translation has really good reviews, seen as readable and true to the original. Available in physical and eBook formats. The Aeneid (Penguin Classics): Amazon.co.uk: Virgil, West, David, West, David: 9780140449327: Books .

Personal Thoughts:

I’m leaning towards going with the Ruden translation, though I am tempted to try the Lombardo version. I intend on also reading Seamus Heaney’s version of book 6, to supplement my reading.