PREFACE OF SEBASTIAN CASTELLIO

Large ornamental woodcut initial 'E' featuring a seated figure (possibly a scholar or deity) within a rectangular frame with floral and architectural motifs.

Oporinus Johannes Oporinus, a famous Basel printer demanded of me, first, that I should devote some labor to Homer: then, that I should allow my name to be appended to the same. This, indeed, I conceded to him in both respects: but, if the truth must be confessed, ἑκὼν ἀέκοντί γε θυμῷ original: "willingly with an unwilling spirit", to use Homer's own words. For I would have preferred to expend my labor on better things. Therefore, grasp in a few words what I have accomplished. First, in the Iliad, I marked nothing but commonplaces in the margin. For since the printer Crispinus of Geneva had printed that work in Greek and Latin the previous year, we, trusting in his diligence (which the printers of that city are otherwise accustomed to apply singularly), deemed his exemplar worthy to be imitated by us. Truly, in the Odyssey and the others mentioned in the title, I have performed this work. I emended the Greek, which was corrupted in infinite places. I corrected the Latin in such a way that in countless places I have acted not so much as a corrector but as an interpreter, especially in the entire Odyssey: except for a few of the last books, whose translation was somewhat better, as was that of the other works in turn. Nor yet (to speak the truth) did I perform as much as the matter itself seemed to demand: for otherwise a completely new translation would have had to be forged. But certainly, I have performed that labor which I trust all fair judges will approve. Furthermore, I had begun to write Observations on certain sayings and sentences of this same Homer, and indeed I had already reached the nineteenth book of the Odyssey: but a certain cause arose, which caused me to abort it. It remains that I render the cause of this act of mine (lest they be offended) to men of sounder judgment, and those who are more loving of religion (whose reason I take primarily into account). For they will perhaps wonder, or rather they will wonder entirely, and indeed not without reason will they wonder, that I, who have heretofore promoted the study of sacred letters so much that I seem to have made secular studies, if not of no value, then certainly not of great value (if they are compared with those), have now sustained the effort of putting my hand even to Homeric fables. But, if they have looked deeply into what I am about to say, I hope that for their own fairness they will attribute not only pardon but also mercy to me. About twenty-two years ago, as a youth, enticed by the celebrity of Homer's name and the cultivation of his speech, I applied myself to reading him more diligently than I should have: and I devoted my attention to sacred letters (offended by their lack of cultivation, although otherwise I had been inclined toward them) more sluggishly than was right. Now, when my mind, illuminated by the superior light of Christ, desires to treat better things, and those alone, it has come to such a state that the art which I learned as a youth must be exercised as an adult. And so it has happened to me, that