Steven,
re the Odyssey, there are strong opinions about different translations.
Lattimore is quite literal, Fitzgerald more fluid.  The new Fagles is good and
has an introduction by Bernard Knox, a great classical scholar.
    There are also strong differences about Dante translations.  I like Pinsky's
better than I expected to; it is audacious in trying to accomplish an analogous
but different sense of Dante's style -- but it is only the Inferno.  The John
Ciardi quite good and has very useful notes on the political and religious issues
referred to (I've used it to teach Dante and found it as accessible as Dante can
be).
best,
Patricia