Robert Fitzgerald

Born in Geneva, New York, in 1910 and raised in Springfield, Illinois, Robert Fitzgerald studied English and classics at Harvard. He built a wide-ranging literary career as a poet, critic, editor, teacher, and translator, moving comfortably between scholarship and creative writing.

He is most remembered for his translations of Greek and Latin works, especially Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad. Those versions earned lasting praise for making ancient epics feel vivid and approachable without losing their dignity, and they became standard reading for many students and general readers.

Fitzgerald also published his own poetry and taught at several universities during his career. He died in 1985, but his work remains an important bridge between classical literature and modern readers.