Comparing Atalanta And Hippomenes

Is risking your own life just to beat someone in a contest, in order to marry them, a smart idea? Probably not, but that’s exactly what the men in the myth “Atalanta and Hippomenes” from Ovid’s Metamorphoses written in 8 CE do. In the story men compete against speedy Atalanta in a footrace in hopes of marrying her, but if they loose then they have to die. There are two English translations that are particularly note worthy, those are that of: Allen Mandelbaum, published in 1993, and Charles Martin, published in 2004. Who’s work best expresses the story of “Atlanta and Hippomenes” is truly hard to decipher, because Mandelbaum’s version is written in the simplest of words, making it really easy to understand, and Martin’s version gives more of an adventurous feel with his eccentric descriptions. In order to show how I arrived at my conclusion I will go over three passages: the introduction of the story, the description of Atalanta, and the great sin in the cave. First, I will observe how each translator describes the introduction of the story. In Mandelbaum’s version he simply starts off with telling you who he’s going to talk about, “Atalanta.” As for Martin’s version he uses the word “maiden” without disclosing who he’s talking about yet, leaving the reader wondering who it may be. Mandelbaum again plainly states, “when she ran, would beat the fastest men” making it really easy for the

Martin may have won best translation in the scene where Atalanta is described, but Mandelbaum’s expression of the scene in the cave is superior to that of Martin. Where one is more compelling in one section the other is enthralling in another section. Reading both works made it truly easier to understand the story, I would recommend to anyone wanting to read or having to read the story to read