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  By these words he made him ready for the bridal’s sweet fulfilment. And swift the act and short the ways of gods who are eager to an end. That same day made accomplishment of the matter, and in a golden chamber of Libya they lay together; where now she haunteth a city excellent in beauty and glorious in the games.

  And now at sacred Pytho hath the son of Karneadas wedded that city to the fair flower of good luck: for by his victory there he hath proclaimed Kyrene’s name, even her’s who shall receive him with glad welcome home, to the country of fair women bringing precious honour out of Delphi.

  Great merits stir to many words: yet to be brief and skilful on long themes is a good hearing for bards: for fitness of times is in everything alike of chief import.

  That Iolaos had respect thereto3 seven-gated Thebes knoweth well, for when he had stricken down the head of Eurystheus beneath the edge of the sword, she buried the slayer beneath the earth in the tomb of Amphitryon the charioteer, where his father’s father was laid, a guest of the Spartoi, who had left his home to dwell among the streets of the sons of Kadmos who drave white horses. To him and to Zeus at once did wise Alkmene bear the strength of twin sons prevailing in battle.

  Dull is that man who lendeth not his voice to Herakles, nor hath in remembrance continually the waters of Dirke that nurtured him and Iphikles. To them will I raise a song of triumph for that I have received good at their hands, after that I had prayed to them that the pure light of the voiceful Graces might not forsake me. For at Aigma and on the hill of Nisos twice ere now I say that I have sung Kyrene’s praise, and by my act have shunned the reproach of helpless dumbness.

  Wherefore if any of the citizens be our friend, yea even if he be against us, let him not seek to hide the thing that hath been well done in the common cause, and so despise the word of the old god of the sea4. He biddeth one give praise with the whole heart to noble deeds, yea even to an enemy, so be it that justice be on his side.

  Full many times at the yearly feast of Pallas have the maidens seen thee winner, and silently they prayed each for herself that such an one as thou, O Telesikrates, might be her beloved husband or her son; and thus also was it at the games of Olympia and of ample-bosomed Earth5, and at all in thine own land.

  Me anywise to slake my thirst for song the ancient glory of thy forefathers summoneth to pay its due and rouse it yet again — to tell how that for love of a Libyan woman there went up suitors to the city of Irasa to woo Antaios’ lovely-haired daughter of great renown; whom many chiefs of men, her kinsmen, sought to wed, and many strangers also; for the beauty of her was marvellous, and they were fain to cull the fruit whereto her gold-crowned youth had bloomed.

  But her father gained for his daughter a marriage more glorious still. Now he had heard how sometime Danaos at Argos devised for his forty and eight maiden daughters, ere mid-day was upon them, a wedding of utmost speed — for he straightway set the whole company at the race-course end, and bade determine by a foot-race which maiden each hero should have, of all the suitors that had come.

  Even on this wise gave the Libyan a bridegroom to his daughter, and joined the twain. At the line he set the damsel, having arrayed her splendidly, to be the goal and prize, and proclaimed in the midst that he should lead her thence to be his bride who, dashing to the front, should first touch the robes she wore.

  Thereon Alexidamos, when that he had sped through the swift course, took by her hand the noble maiden, and led her through the troops of Nomad horsemen. Many the leaves and wreaths they showered on him; yea and of former days many plumes of victories had he won.

  1: A Thessalian maiden, from whom, according to this legend, the colony of Kyrene in Africa took its name.

  2: I. e. Libya, the continent which we now call Africa.

  3: I. e. by seizing the moment left to him before it should be too late to act. Thebes and Kyrene were connected by the fact that members of the Aigid family lived at both places.

  4: Nereus. Powers of divination and wisdom generally are often attributed to sea-deities.

  5: I. e. at Delphi or Pytho. As being the supposed centre of the Earth it was the place of the worship of the Earth-goddess.

  X. FOR HIPPOKLEAS OF THESSALY, WINNER IN THE TWO-STADION FOOT-RACE OF BOYS.

  The only reason we know for the digression about Perseus which occupies great part of this ode seems to be that Thorax, who engaged Pindar to write it for Hippokleas, and perhaps Hippokleas himself, belonged to the family of the Aleuadai, who were descended through Herakles from Perseus.

  This ode is the earliest entire poem of Pindar’s which survives. He wrote it when he was twenty years old. The simplicity of the style and manner of composition are significant of this. But there can scarcely be said to be traces here of Pindar’s early tendency in dealing with mythological allusions to ‘sow not with the hand but with the whole sack,’ which Korinna advised him to correct, and which is conspicuous in a fragment remaining to us of one of his Hymns.

  * * * * *

  Happy is Lakedaimon, blessed is Thessaly: in both there reigneth a race sprung from one sire, from Herakles bravest in the fight. What vaunt is this unseasonable? Nay, now, but Pytho calleth me, and Pelinnaion1, and the sons of Aleuas who would fain lead forth the loud voices of a choir of men in honour of Hippokleas.

  For now hath he tasted the joy of games, and to the host of the dwellers round about hath the valley beneath Parnassos proclaimed him best among the boys who ran the double race2.

  O Apollo, sweet is the end when men attain thereto, and the beginning availed more when it is speeded of a god. Surely of thy devising were his deeds: and this his inborn valour hath trodden in the footsteps of his father twice victor at Olympia in panoply of war-affronting arms3: moreover the games in the deep meadow beneath Kirrha’s cliff gave victory to the fleet feet of Phrikias4.

  May good luck follow them, so that even in after days the splendour of their wealth shall bloom. Of the pleasant things of Hellas they have no scanty portion to their lot; may they happen on no envious repentings of the gods. A god’s heart, it may be, is painless ever; but happy and a theme of poet’s song is that man who for his valiance of hands or feet the chiefest prizes hath by strength and courage won, and in his life-time seen his young son by good hap attaining to the Pythian crown. Never indeed shall he climb the brazen heaven, but whatsoever splendours we of mortal race may reach, through such he hath free course even to the utmost harbourage. But neither by taking ship, neither by any travel on foot, to the Hyperborean folk shalt thou find the wondrous way.

  Yet of old the chieftain Perseus entered into their houses and feasted among them, when that he had lighted on them as they were sacrificing ample hecatombs of asses to their god. For ever in their feasts and hymns hath Apollo especial joy, and laugheth to see the braying ramp of the strange beasts. Nor is the Muse a stranger to their lives, but everywhere are stirring to and fro dances of maidens and shrill noise of pipes: and binding golden bay-leaves in their hair they make them merry cheer. Nor pestilence nor wasting eld approach that hallowed race: they toil not neither do they fight, and dwell unharmed of cruel Nemesis.

  In the eagerness of his valiant heart went of old the son of Danaë, for that Athene led him on his way, unto the company of that blessed folk. Also he slew the Gorgon and bare home her head with serpent tresses decked, to the island folk a stony death. I ween there is no marvel impossible if gods have wrought thereto.

  Let go the oar, and quickly drive into the earth an anchor from the prow, to save us from the rocky reef, for the glory of my song of praise flitteth like a honey-bee from tale to tale.

  I have hope that when the folk of Ephyra pour forth my sweet strains by Peneus’ side, yet more glorious shall I make their Hippokleas for his crowns and by my songs among his fellows and his elders, and I will make him possess the minds of the young maidens.

  For various longings stir secretly the minds of various men; yet each if he attain to the thing he striveth for will hold his eager desire
for the time present to him, but what a year shall bring forth, none shall foreknow by any sign.

  My trust is in the kindly courtesy of my host Thorax, of him who to speed my fortune hath yoked this four-horse car of the Pierides, as friend for friend, and willing guide for guide.

  As gold to him that trieth it by a touch-stone, so is a true soul known.

  His noble brethren also will we praise, for that they exalt and make great the Thessalians’ commonwealth. For in the hands of good men lieth the good piloting of the cities wherein their fathers ruled.

  1: Hippokleas’ birth-place.

  2: Down the stadion (220 yards) and back.

  3: I. e. in the race run in full armour, like that at Pytho which Telesikrates, of Kyrene won, celebrated in the fore-going ode.

  4: Probably a horse with which Hippokleas’ father won a race at Pytho.

  XI. FOR THRASYDAIOS OF THEBES, WINNER IN THE BOYS’ SHORT FOOT-RACE.

  The date of this victory was B.C. 478, nearly two years after the battle of Plataea, and the deliverance of Thebes from Persian influence and the sway of a tyrannous oligarchy. But beyond this we have nothing certain to which we can refer the allusions to Theban affairs, public and private, which we have reason to think present in the ode.

  * * * * *

  Daughters of Kadmos, thou Semele whose goings are with the queens of Olympus, and thou Ino Leukothea who housest with the Nereids of the sea, come ye up with the mother1 of a mighty son, even of Herakles, unto the temple of M[)e]lia2 and into the holy place of the golden tripods, which beyond all others Loxias hath honoured, and named it the shrine Ismenian, a truthful seat of seers; where now, O children of Harmonia, he calleth the whole heroic sisterhood of the soil to assemble themselves together, that of holy Themis and of Pytho and the Earth-navel of just judgments ye may sing at early evening, doing honour to seven-gated Thebes, and to the games at Kirrha, wherein Thrasydaios hath made his father’s house glorious by casting thereon a third wreath for his victory in the rich cornlands3 of Pylades, who was the host of Lakonian Orestes.

  Orestes, on the murder of his father, Arsinoë his nurse saved from the violent hands of Klytaimnestra and out of the ruinous treason, what time the daughter of Dardanid Priam, Kassandra, was by the glittering bronze in company with Agamemnon’s soul sped to the shadowy shore of Acheron by the woman who had no pity.

  Did then the slaughter of Iphigenia far from her own land on Euripos’ shore so sting her mother to the arousal of a wrath of grievous act? Or had nocturnal loves misguided her, in thraldom to a paramour’s embrace? a sin in new-wed brides most hateful, and that cannot be hidden for the talk of stranger tongues: for the citizens repeat the shame. For prosperity must sustain an envy equalling itself: but concerning the man of low place the rumour is obscure.

  Thus died the hero himself4, the son of Atreus, when after long time he came unto famous Amyklai, and drew down with him to death the maiden prophetess5, after that he consumed with fire the Trojans’ habitations of softness.

  And thus Orestes, in the tenderness of his youth, came and was the guest of the old man Strophios, who dwelt at the foot of Parnassos: but with long-tarrying sword he slew his mother, and left Aigisthos’ body in its blood.

  Verily, my friends, by triple roads of interchanging ways I have wound about, though heretofore I had kept on a straight track. Or hath some wind blown me out of my course, as when it bloweth a boat upon the sea? But thine it is, my Muse, since thou for reward didst promise the loan thereof, to raise thy voice for silver now on this tale, now on that, so that for this time at least it is on behalf either of Thrasydaios or of his sire who conquered at Pytho: for of both are the joy and glory burning lights.

  Of old for victories in the chariot-race they had bright glory at Olympia in the famous games for the swiftness of their steeds: and now have they gone down among the naked runners in the stadion, and have put to rebuke the host of the Hellenes by their speed.

  God grant me to desire things honourable, seeking things possible in my life’s prime.

  The middle course I find to prosper most enduringly in the commonwealth, and a state of tyranny I condemn. On well-doing for the common good6 I bestow my pains: so are the envious baffled, if one hath excelled in such acts to the uttermost, and bearing it modestly hath shunned the perilous reproach of insolence: so also at the end shall he find black death more gracious unto him, to his dear children leaving the best of possessions, even the glory of an honourable name.

  This it is that beareth abroad the name of Iolaos in song, and the names of the mighty Kastor and of thee, king Polydeukes, ye sons of gods, who one day in Therapnai and the next in Olympus have your dwelling-place.

  1: Alkmene.

  2: Mother of Ismenios and Teucros, by Apollo.

  3: In Phokis.

  4: Agamemnon. It is a strange variety of the tale that he is spoken of as having been murdered at Amyklai and not at Argos or Mykenai. So above Orestes is called Lakonian.

  5: Kassandra.

  6: (Not for a party.)

  XII. FOR MIDAS OF AKRAGAS, WINNER IN THE FLUTE-PLAYING MATCH.

  This is an early ode: the victory was won either in 494 or 450. It was to be sung, it would seem, at Akragas, and very probably in a procession to the shrine of the tutelar divinity of the city, with an address to whom it seemingly begins, though it is difficult to say what degree of personification is intended.

  * * * * *

  I pray thee, lover of splendour, most beautiful among the cities of men, haunt of Persephone, thou who by the banks of Akragas’ stream that nourisheth thy flocks, inhabitest a citadel builded pleasantly — O queen, graciously and with goodwill of gods and men welcome this crown that is come forth from Pytho for Midas’ fair renown; and him too welcome therewithal who hath overcome all Hellas in the art which once on a time Pallas Athene devised, when she made music of the fierce Gorgon’s death-lament.

  That heard she pouring from the maiden heads and heads of serpents unapproachable amidst the anguish of their pains, when Perseus had stricken the third sister, and to the isle Seriphos and its folk bare thence their doom.

  Yea also he struck with blindness the wondrous brood of Phorkos1, and to Polydektes’ bridal brought a grievous gift, and grievous eternally he made for that man his mother’s slavery and ravished bed: for this he won the fair-faced Medusa’s head, he who was the son of Danaë, and sprung, they say, from a living stream of gold.

  But the Maiden2, when that she had delivered her well-beloved from these toils, contrived the manifold music of the flute, that with such instrument she might repeat the shrill lament that reached her from Euryale’s3 ravening jaws.

  A goddess was the deviser thereof, but having created it for a possession of mortal men, she named that air she played the many-headed4 air, that speaketh gloriously of folk-stirring games, as it issueth through the thin-beat bronze and the reeds which grow by the Graces’ city of goodly dancing-ground in the precinct of Kephisos’ nymph, the dancers’ faithful witnesses.

  But if there be any bliss among mortal men, without labour it is not made manifest: it may be that God will accomplish it even to-day, yet the thing ordained is not avoidable: yea, there shall be a time that shall lay hold on a man unaware, and shall give him one thing beyond his hope, but another it shall bestow not yet.

  1: The three Grey Sisters, whose one common eye Perseus stole,

  [Greek: daenaiai korai treis kyknomorphoi koinon omm’ ektaemenai monodontes, has outh’ haelios prosderketai aktisin, outh’ hae nukteros maenae pote.]

  Aesch. Prom. 813.

  This must mean some kind of twilight, not total darkness, or they could hardly have missed their eye.]

  2: Athene.

  3: One of the Gorgons.

  4: A certain [Greek: nomos aulaetikos] was known by this name.

  THE NEMEAN ODES.

  I. FOR CHROMIOS OF AITNA, WINNER IN THE CHARIOT-RACE.

  This Chromios was a son of Agesidamos and brother-in-law of Hieron, an
d the same man for whom the ninth Nemean was written. He had become a citizen of Hieron’s new city of Aitna, and won this victory B.C. 473.

  This ode seems to have been sung before his house in Ortygia, a peninsula on which part of Syracuse was built, and in which was the fountain Arethusa. The legend of Arethusa and Alpheos explains the epithets of Ortygia with which the ode opens. The greater part of the ode is occupied with the story of Herakles, perhaps because Chromios was of the Hyllean tribe and thus traced his descent to Herakles.

  * * * * *

  O resting-place august of Alpheos, Ortygia, scion of famous Syracuse, thou that art a couch of Artemis and a sister of Delos1, from thee goeth forth a song of sweet words, to set forth the great glory of whirlwind-footed steeds in honour of Aitnaian Zeus.

  For now the car of Chromios, and Nemea, stir me to yoke to his victorious deeds the melody of a triumphal song. And thus by that man’s heaven-sped might I lay my foundations in the praise of gods. In good fortune men speak well of one altogether: and of great games the Muse is fain to tell.

  Sow then some seed of splendid words in honour of this isle, which Zeus, the lord of Olympus, gave unto Persephone, and bowed his hair toward her in sign that this teeming Sicily he would exalt to be the best land in the fruitful earth, with gorgeous crown of citadels. And the son of Kronos gave unto her a people that wooeth mailed war, a people of the horse and of the spear, and knowing well the touch of Olympia’s golden olive-leaves. Thus shoot I arrows many, and without falsehood I have hit the mark.