Question about Anglicized forms of Classical names

Post Reply
Ronolio
Textkit Member
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2016 6:44 pm

Question about Anglicized forms of Classical names

Post by Ronolio »

Is there a preference in the UK for using the Greek Anglicized forms of names, i.e -os instead of -us, k instead of c, -ai instead of -ae and so on?
I am reviewing Hellenistic and Roman Naval Warfare by John D. Grainger for The Norther Mariner and I find his use of the Greek Anglicized forms a bit disconcerting, especially since there are some names that I have almost never seen done in this way, such as Rhegeion instead of Rhegium -in the context of the Punic Wars, even though I have a masters in Classics.

seanjonesbw
Textkit Enthusiast
Posts: 527
Joined: Tue May 22, 2007 7:06 pm
Location: Wales

Re: Question about Anglicized forms of Classical names

Post by seanjonesbw »

In my (limited) experience, there's a real mix of spelling in UK scholarship. Some people use Latin forms exclusively, others use a few names closer to the Greek (Herakles is popular) but balk at making changes to some well-known names, and others go all in for the transliterated Greek. Robert Fitzgerald's translations of the Iliad and Odyssey are pretty extreme in this respect - Akhilleus, Telémakhos, Aias, Phaiákian - although of course he wasn't British.

Some names seem to be completely off-limits: I've never seen anyone use Platon, for instance.

mwh
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 4790
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 2:34 am

Re: Question about Anglicized forms of Classical names

Post by mwh »

Except Wilamowitz, but of course he wasn’t British either. I once had fun writing Melanhippe for Melanippe. Most British scholars are more sensible and expressly don’t aim at consistency. Personally I don’t think it’s worth making a a fuss about different scholars’ practices, so long as they don’t perpetrate the Illiad or Catalina.

Post Reply