#i’m gonna check the greek in a bit but right now im eating lunch and grumpy. hrgh

[catilinas]

ok i know translation of ancient lit is inherently anachronistic / all words’ etymologies carry the history of their passage through time and the existence of that history is what makes them anachronistic to ancient lit / and yet translation exists on the line between possible and impossible / the distance in language and time is what necessitates translation / translation of ancient lit must navigate different forms and strengths of anachronism while being made of anachronism. logically i know all of this. it is just that the etymologies of Some words are toooo new and too Visible in their newness. this post brought to you by me being completely thrown by emily wilson’s translation of the iliad using the word ‘mesmerised’. as in franz mesmer the 18th century physician. like there is an entire anachronistic proper noun in there