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Emily Wilson is a kind of a feminist that is truly a bad person that wants to hurt you. Not directly, but in depth, through her profession as a classicist. She is attacking my culture and the Greeks because she hates virtues. She is blatantly lying because most of you don't know to read Greek. But I am Greek and I can read both modern and ancient Greek. So let me tell you why she is purposely lying.
The references with insulting epithets toward the servant/slave women who betrayed Odysseus’s house and slept with the suitors are numerous. The most common ones, however, are "bitches" and "shameless" that were serious insults. Most foreigners translated the word "bitch" as "slut" which is correct to say that this is wrong because it's not what the text writes but in a sense of "non-literal translation" it's not out of context because those women who slept with the suitors and betrayed Penelope were "shameless bitches". Especially the word "shameless" is a strong insult in Greek. It implies sexual shamelessness lack of decency, and moral boldness and this is why foreign translators are using the word "sluts" in English. But Homer doesn't use the Greek word directly to call them "whores".
The following translations I will use are made directly from the ancient Greek text into modern Greek. We Greeks do not read foreign translations. What we call an adaptation (απόδοση) from ancient to modern Greek is not considered a "translation" for us, since it is the same language. In other words an adaptation of a Greek text bridges the gap between ancient or dialectic Greek and the modern target audience.
1. Odysseus to a servant woman (Book 18, line 340):
"Bitch, if I go and immediately repeat your wretched words to Telemachus, he will tear you to pieces, you’ll be smashed into bits."
[ἦ τάχα Τηλεμάχῳ ἐρέω, κύον (=Bitch), οἷ᾽ ἀγορεύεις,
κεῖσ᾽ ἐλθών, ἵνα σ᾽ αὖθι διὰ μελεϊστὶ τάμῃσιν]
2. Penelope to Melantho (the servant who slept with Eurymachus and betrayed them), when Melantho spoke rudely to Odysseus (who was still disguised) (Book 19, line 91):
"Nevertheless, you bold, shameless bitch, you do not escape my notice at all, doing a great deed which you will wipe off on your own head."
[πάντως, θαρσαλέη, κύον ἀδεές (=fearless bitch), οὔ τί με λήθεις ἔρδουσα μέγα ἔργον, ὃ σῇ κεφαλῇ ἀναμάξεις]
3. "Perhaps in foreign lands too, some servant women insult him, every time he enters a famous lord’s house, just like these bitches here who all together insult you, stranger. I imagine that to avoid their reproach, their shamelessness…" (Book 19, around line 370)
4. "Servant women shamelessly dragging themselves here and there." (Book 20, line 318)
5. "Twelve of them appeared completely shameless, who had no regard for me and showed no respect to Penelope." (Book 22, line 422)
Emily Wilson cannot tolerate any criticism of the women who betrayed the man Odysseus and slept like shameless bitches with the enemy, betraying Penelope.
In her worldview, men are always the bad guys, and only women are the heroines. She herself calls the academic translators misogynists. It is inconceivable that there are today "eunuch" academics who defend this malicious and worthless woman.
This woman is in Classical Studies in order to destroy them, so that you, who will read her books, will form a false image of the epics that built Western civilization.
How Odysseus is not a hero, Achilles is not a hero, men are not great and brave but evil, and how the patriarchy must be fought so that women can win. They are trying to convince you that there is no heroism in Homer. Yet the epics were written precisely for this reason: so that you understand what it means to be a hero, what sacrifices are required, what difficulties you will face, and how you will achieve eternal fame. How you will conquer your passions, how anger destroys you, and how moral virtues lead you toward godlike status.
She hates all of this. She wants you spiritually dead. She hates you.
Therefore, it is completely justified for you to hate them too.
English
