Dominic Christopher Henry Rieu (26 October 1916 – 29 April 2008) was a classical scholar and the son of the classicist and publisher
E. V. Rieu.
Background
After attending
Highgate School
Highgate School, formally Sir Roger Cholmeley's School at Highgate, is an English co-educational, fee-charging, independent day school, founded in 1565 in Highgate, London, England. It educates over 1,400 pupils in three sections – Highgate ...
, he studied English and Classics at
Queen's College, Oxford. As a member of the West Yorkshire Regiment in 1941, he was injured at
Cheren in Eritrea, and subsequently awarded the
Military Cross. Rieu served as headmaster of
Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in
Canterbury from 1955 until 1977.
Rieu did a translation of the ''Acts of the Apostles'' in the
Penguin Classics series and, with Dr Peter Jones, revised his father's translations of ''
The Odyssey'' and the ''
Iliad''. While acknowledging his father's "towering skill", Rieu made amendments to some undue embroidery of phrase and Greek manners, disdain for anonymous gods, formulaic abuse and modernistic prose. "Some of his racier colloquialisms, however, I have kept, provided they come in dialogue; the narrative passages call for a degree of formality.
Poseidon, in his fury with
Odysseus
Odysseus ( ; grc-gre, Ὀδυσσεύς, Ὀδυσεύς, OdysseúsOdyseús, ), also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( , ; lat, UlyssesUlixes), is a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the ''Odyssey''. Odysse ...
, says (literal translation): 'I mean to give him his full trouble yet.' EVR's 'bellyful of trouble' is much livelier -- and typical of the irascible Poseidon."
[DCH Rieu's preface to ''The Odyssey'' (Penguin, 2003), p. ''viii''.]
When he and Dr
Peter Jones took up the task of revising E. V. Rieu's translation of ''The Odyssey'', they determined to retain (and in places even enhance) its charm. "Our alterations were in fact puny," wrote Rieu Junior in the preface. Although keen to maintain Homer's formulaic construction, he revised the archaic preliminaries used prior to speeches. "The patient good Odysseus answering him said: 'Friends
.." becomes "'Friends,' replied the patient good Odysseus
...
Rieu involved himself in retirement with the
Samaritans
Samaritans (; ; he, שומרונים, translit=Šōmrōnīm, lit=; ar, السامريون, translit=as-Sāmiriyyūn) are an ethnoreligious group who originate from the ancient Israelites. They are native to the Levant and adhere to Samarit ...
and Cruse Bereavement Counselling. He wrote and edited many books and articles, including ''A Life Within A Life: an Introduction to
Subud; Talks by Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo, compiled and edited by Dominic C.H. Rieu'' (1983, 2nd edition 2008) and ''The Odyssey, Homer; translated by E. V. Rieu; revised by his son D. C. H. Rieu in consultation with Peter V. Jones'' (1991).
Notes
External links
''Times'' obituary 24 May 2008
English classical scholars
1916 births
2008 deaths
People educated at Highgate School
Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford
Scholars of ancient Greek literature
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