Homer’s Iliad-audio and original Greek text by Ioannidis Nikolaos

by Ioannidis Nikolaos

Ioannidis N. is a composer, musicologist, multi-instrumentalist performer, media theorist, and digital media creative producer (with formal qualifications in Music, Musicology, Media Studies, and Digital Media Studies), who is researching ancient Greek music and its relationship with all musical cultures that have been subject to the classical Greek cultural influence.

From the CD Album:

IOANNIDIS Nikolaos "THE MUSIC OF ANCIENT GREEKS - Early Epic and Lyrical Poetry"

Click this title to listen to audio samples of all songs and read an introduction to this work by the author

Also read in a separate file the original Greek texts and their English translation.

Prooimion of Iliad

Original Greek text

transcribed by Ioannidis Nikolaos

The original Greek text of the opening of Iliad, transcribed by Ioannidis N. and displayed on the picture of an ancient relief depicting a battle.

English translation

by Ioannidis Nikolaos

Sing, O goddess, the perilous wrath of Peleus' son Achilles,
that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans
and many brave souls sent to Hades,
and many heroes yielded a prey to dogs and vultures,
for so was Zeus' will fulfilled.
Start from the day on which (Agamemnon)
the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles
first fell out with one another.

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Prooimion of Odyssey

Original Greek text

English translation

by Ioannidis Nikolaos

Sing to me, O muse, of the man conversant with many ways, who wandered far and wide
after sacking the holy city of Troy.
He gained knowledge of the cities of various people and was acquainted with their mentality,

and endured many pains at sea, willing in his mind

to earn salvation for himself and his comrades and their return home;

though despite his efforts he could not rescue them

since through their own recklessness, the fools were destroyed

by their act of gorging on the cattle of Hyperion, the Sun;

who hence deprived them of their homecoming day .

of all this, from whatever source you know it, goddess, daughter of Zeus, tell us too.

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Odyssey Book5 lines 299-305

Original Greek text

English translation

by Ioannidis Nikolaos

Ah me, wretch that I am, what more will now happen to me?

I fear lest all the goddess said was true,

who told me that at sea, before arriving at my home land,

I would have my fill of pains; all this is now coming to pass.

With such clouds does Zeus enwreathe the wide sky,

he has stirred the sea, and storms

of every kind of wind rage on.

Now death surely swoops upon me.

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Contents of CD Album:

Anacreon: My lyre sings only songs of love

Simonides: Danae and Perseus

Alcman: Bucolic

Simonides: There is a saying about virtue

Tyrtaeus: Spartan march

Homer: Iliad - Sing oh goddess the perilous wrath of Achilles

Archilochos: Oh soul

Orphic hymn: In praise of Justice

Sappho: Ode to Aphrodite

Alcaeus: Winter

Mimnermos: Short-lived is treasured youth

Homer: Odyssey - Calypso and Ulysses

Hesiod: Rough is the road to happiness

Bacchylides: Great gifts, peace brings to mortals

Solon: Eunomia

LINKS TO OTHER WORKS BY IOANNIDIS

A list of all IOANNIDIS' works (musical works, lyrics, essays, translations of classical texts) is available at his WORKS page.

MP3 files of his musical works (samples and some full songs) are available for downloading at the Ioannidis Mp3 page

Works of interest to classicists and composers

The Music of Ancient Greeks an approach to the original singing of the Homeric epics and the lyrical poetry of the 8th-5th century B.C.

MUSIC and RELIGION (extant ancient Greek religious songs, Byzantine chant, Gregorian chant, Quranic chant)

Oedipus Rex English opera. Audio excerpt of this work is available online in mp3 format. Also available is the complete Greek text of Sophocles' tragedy "Oedipus the king".

Works of interest to poets and lyricists Ancient Greek epic and lyrical poems translated into English by Ioannidis (The original Greek texts are also available on the same page)

Works of interest to music performers

Instrumental performance:12-string Guitar Works (12 string classical guitar), The Music of Ancient Greeks (ancient Greek instruments -ancient kithara, aulos, ethnic percussion).

Vocal performance: MUSIC and RELIGION (including some tracks with performance of ancient Greek instruments)

Visit also the page: ANCIENT GREEK INSTRUMENTS with information about ancient stringed instruments and replicas of some of them

Reproduction or use in any manner of editorial, pictorial, audio-visual, or other content from this site is prohibited without express written permission from Homo Ecumenicus. To obtain a license for commercial use of files on this site (audio files, mid files, texts, essays, articles, video clips, animations etc.) send email to

Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey-audio and original Greek text

An Approach to the Original Singing of Homeric epics

by Ioannidis Nikolaos