Homer, Sort Of

I was rather disappointed with the translation of the Iliad that we were assigned, because I felt like it lost a lot of it's epic nature in an effort to become easier to read. Other translations I have read are able to keep the reader well informed about what's happening while still managing to stay true to the poetic roots of the original story.
The translation by William Cowperce refers to the scene in which Agamemnon refuses to return Chryses' daughter to him thus, "I will not loose thy daughter, till old age steal on her. From her native country far, in Argos, in my palace, she shall ply the loom, and be partner of my bed. Move me no more. Begone; hence while thou may'st." I'd like to then compare the same part of the story from the translation by Stanley Lombardo that we read, "The girl is mine, and she'll be an old woman in Argos before I let her go, working the loom in my house and coming to my bed, far from her homeland. Now clear out of here before you make me angry!" To me, the two passages tell the same story. Except that the first tells it well, and the second tells it in a way that makes me think the translator thinks I might be an idiot.
It is a distinct possibility that I am being a snob about this and that it's more important that more people can know the basic story than it is that most people read a more authentic version of the text. I was raised in a family where we argued over our favorite Charles Dickens novels at dinner and were read Tolkein books at bedtime, so maybe I'm just used to the kind of older, more flowery, writing that the other translators offer. But to me, part of what makes the Iliad and the Odyssey such epic poems, is the grandeur of their language. Is it worth it to people to sacrifice the beauty and integrity of the poem to be able to read it faster and not have to spend as much time thinking about what it is saying? To me, the trade off is not worth it.

Epithets

Devourer of Words
I am an avid reader, and I will frequently choose to finish a book instead of going to sleep at night. I am not selective about what I read once, but I am very picky about the books I purchase or reread.

Domestic Artisan
I find great joy in creating things that make my home life happier and more beautiful. I love cooking for my friends, playing with my sewing machine, and making new things to put on my walls.

Flower Child
I grew up working in my parents' orchards every weekend and all summer long, and have loved playing in the dirt and the garden for as long as I can remember. I love seeing things that I planted as seeds blossom into something big and beautiful.

Peace Keeper
Few things upset me more than the people around me being upset. I have been trying to resolve conflict and bring comfort and happiness to the people I love since I was a child, and it is a character trait I work hard to nourish and hold on to, regardless of what's going on in my own life.