especially for his epinikion (ἐπινίκιον) or victory odes for athletic or military victories

Pindar / Πίνδαρος, c. 518-438 B.C.
Ancient Greek lyric poet from Thebes, known

especially for his epinikion (ἐπινίκιον) or victory odes for athletic or military victories.
Isthmian 1 – For Herodotus of Thebes Chariot Race, 458 B.C. (?).
ΗΡΟΔΟΤΩι ΘΗΒΑΙΩι ΑΡΜΑΤΙ
My mother, Thebe of the golden shield, I shall place μᾶτερ ἐμά, τὸ τεόν, χρύσασπι Θήβα,
your interests above my lack of leisure. May rocky πρᾶγμα καὶ ἀσχολίας ὑπέρτερον
Delos, in whose praises I have poured myself out, θήσομαι. μή μοι κραναὰ νεμεσάσαι
not be indignant at me. [5] What is dearer to good Δᾶλος, ἐν ᾇ κέχυμαι.
men than their noble parents? Yield, island of τί φίλτερον κεδνῶν τοκέων ἀγαθοῖς;
Apollo; indeed, with the help of the gods I shall εἶξον, Ὠπολλωνιάς: ἀμφοτερᾶν τοι χαρίτων σὺν
accomplish the end of both graceful songs, honoring θεοῖς ζεύξω τέλος,
in the dance both Phoebus with the unshorn hair, in καὶ τὸν ἀκειρεκόμαν Φοῖβον χορεύων
wave-washed Ceos with its mariners, and the sea- ἐν Κέῳ ἀμφιρύτᾳ σὺν ποντίοις
dividing reef of the Isthmus. [10] Since the Isthmus [10] ἀνδράσιν, καὶ τὰν ἁλιερκέα, Ἰσθμοῦ
gave to the people of Cadmus six garlands from her δειράδ᾽: ἐπεὶ στεφάνους
games, the glory of triumph for my fatherland, ἓξ ὤπασεν Κάδμου στρατῷ ἐξ ἀέθλων,
where Alcmena bore her fearless son, before whom καλλίνικον πατρίδι κῦδος. ἐν ᾇ καὶ τὸν ἀδείμαντον
the bold hounds of Geryon once trembled. But I, Ἀλκμήνα τέκεν
while I frame for Herodotus a prize of honor for his παῖδα, θρασεῖαι τόν ποτε Γηρυόνα φρῖξαν κύνες.
four-horse chariot, [15] and for managing the reins ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ Ἡροδότῳ τεύχων τὸ μὲν ἅρματι τεθρίππῳ
with his own hands and not another's, want to join γέρας,
him to the song of Castor or of Iolaus, for of all [20] ἁνία τ᾽ ἀλλοτρίαις οὐ χερσὶ νωμάσαντ᾽ ἐθέλω
heroes they were the strongest charioteers, the one ἢ Καστορείῳ ἢ Ἰολάου ἐναρμόξαι νιν ὕμνῳ.
born in Sparta and the other in Thebes. And in the κεῖνοι γὰρ ἡρώων διφρηλάται Λακεδαίμονι καὶ
games they attempted the greatest number of Θήβαις ἐτέκνωθεν κράτιστοι:
contests, and adorned their homes with tripods [20] ἔν τ᾽ ἀέθλοισι θίγον πλείστων ἀγώνων,
and caldrons and goblets of gold, tasting victorious καὶ τριπόδεσσιν ἐκόσμησαν δόμον
garlands. Their excellence shines clearly, in the καὶ λεβήτεσσιν φιάλαισί τε χρυσοῦ,
naked footraces and in the shield-clashing hoplite γευόμενοι στεφάνων
races, and in all the deeds of their hands, in flinging [30] νικαφόρων: λάμπει δὲ σαφὴς ἀρετὰ
the spear [25] and whenever they hurled the stone ἔν τε γυμνοῖσι σταδίοις σφίσιν ἔν τ᾽
discus. For there was no pentathlon, but for each ἀσπιδοδούποισιν ὁπλίταις δρόμοις,
feat a separate prize was set up. Often crowning οἷά τε χερσὶν ἀκοντίζοντες αἰχμαῖς,
their hair with wreaths from these contests they καὶ λιθίνοις ὁπότ᾽ ἐν δίσκοις ἵεν.
appeared beside the streams of Dirce or near the οὐ γὰρ ἦν πεντάθλιον, ἀλλ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστῳ
Eurotas, [30] the son of Iphicles, who was of the ἔργματι κεῖτο τέλος.
same city as the race of the Sown Men, and the son τῶν ἀθρόοις ἀνδησάμενοι θαμάκις
of Tyndareus, dwelling among the Achaeans in his ἔρνεσιν χαίτας ῥεέθροισί τε Δίρκας ἔφανεν καὶ παρ᾽
highland home of Therapne. Farewell. But I, Εὐρώτᾳ πέλας,
arraying with song Poseidon and the sacred Isthmus [40] Ἰφικλέος μὲν παῖς ὁμόδαμος ἐὼν Σπαρτῶν
and the shores of Onchestus, shall tell, along with γένει,
the honors of this man, the very famous fortune of Τυνδαρίδας δ᾽ ἐν Ἀχαιοῖς ὑψίπεδον Θεράπνας
his father Asopodorus [35] and of his ancestral land οἰκέων ἕδος.
of Orchomenus, which received him from the χαίρετ᾽. ἐγὼ δὲ Ποσειδάωνι Ἰσθμῷ τε ζαθέᾳ
boundless sea when he was hard-pressed by Ὀγχηστίαισίν τ᾽ ἀϊόνεσσιν περιστέλλων ἀοιδὰν
shipwreck, in chilly misfortune. But now once more [50] γαρύσομαι τοῦδ᾽ ἀνδρὸς ἐν τιμαῖσιν ἀγακλέα
his hereditary fortune has embarked him on [40] the τὰν Ἀσωποδώρου πατρὸς αἶσαν 5Ὀρχομενοῖό τε
fair weather of the old days. And he who has πατρῴαν ἄρουραν,
suffered toils gains foresight in his mind. If a man ἅ νιν ἐρειδόμενον ναυαγίαις
has devoted his whole spirit to excellence, sparing ἐξ ἀμετρήτας ἁλὸς ἐν κρυοέσσᾳ
neither expense nor toils, it is right to grant the δέξατο συντυχίᾳ:
boast of manliness to those who achieve excellence, νῦν δ᾽ αὖτις ἀρχαίας ἐπέβασε πότμος
with an ungrudging [45] mind. For it is an easy gift συγγενὴς εὐαμερίας. ὁ πονήσαις δὲ νόῳ καὶ
for a skilled man to speak words of praise in προμάθειαν φέρει:
recompense for labors of all kinds and thus to εἰ δ᾽ ἀρετᾷ κατάκειται πᾶσαν ὀργάν,
promote the common good. Different wages for ἀμφότερον δαπάναις τε καὶ πόνοις,
different deeds are sweet to men, to the shepherd [60] χρή νιν εὑρόντεσσιν ἀγάνορα κόμπον
and the ploughman and the bird-trapper, and the μὴ φθονεραῖσι φέρειν
man whom the sea nourishes. Every man is intent γνώμαις. ἐπεὶ κούφα δόσις ἀνδρὶ σοφῷ
upon keeping persistent famine from his belly. [50] ἀντὶ μόχθων παντοδαπῶν ἔπος εἰπόντ᾽ ἀγαθὸν
But he who wins rich renown in the games or in war ξυνὸν ὀρθῶσαι καλόν.
receives the highest gain: to be well spoken of by μισθὸς γὰρ ἄλλοις ἄλλος ἐφ᾽ ἔργμασιν ἀνθρώποις
his fellow-citizens and by strangers, the choicest γλυκύς,
bloom of speech. For us it is right to celebrate the μηλοβότᾳ τ᾽ ἀρότᾳ τ᾽ ὀρνιχολόχῳ τε καὶ ὃν πόντος
earth-shaking son of Cronus, returning a good deed τρέφει:
to our beneficent neighbor, the lord of horse-racing [70] γαστρὶ δὲ πᾶς τις ἀμύνων λιμὸν αἰανῆ τέταται:
and chariots; [55] and to invoke your sons, ὃς δ᾽ ἀμφ᾽ ἀέθλοις ἢ πολεμίζων ἄρηται κῦδος
Amphitryon, and the secluded valley of Minyas, and ἁβρόν,
Eleusis, the famous precinct of Demeter, and εὐαγορηθεὶς κέρδος ὕψιστον δέκεται, πολιατᾶν καὶ
Euboea, when we speak of curving race-courses. ξένων γλώσσας ἄωτον.
Protesilas, I add besides your sacred ground in ἄμμι δ᾽ ἔοικε Κρόνου σεισίχθον᾽ υἱὸν
Phylace, the home of Achaean men. [60] But the γείτον᾽ ἀμειβομένοις εὐεργέταν
brief limits of my song prevent me from telling of ἁρμάτων ἱπποδρόμιον κελαδῆσαι,
all the victories that Hermes, lord of games, granted καὶ σέθεν, Ἀμφιτρύων,
to Herodotus and his horses. Truly, often that which [80] παῖδας προσειπεῖν, τὸν Μινύα τε μυχὸν
is hushed in silence actually brings greater pleasure. καὶ τὸ Δάματρος κλυτὸν ἄλσος Ἐλευσῖνα καὶ
May he, raised up on the splendid wings of the Εὔβοιαν ἐν γναμπτοῖς δρόμοις:
Pierian Muses with their lovely voices, [65] also Πρωτεσίλα, τὸ τεὸν δ᾽ ἀνδρῶν Ἀχαιῶν
arm his hand with wreaths from Pytho, with ἐν Φυλάκᾳ τέμενος συμβάλλομαι.
exquisite wreaths from the Alpheus and the πάντα δ᾽ ἐξειπεῖν, ὅσ᾽ ἀγώνιος Ἑρμᾶς
Olympian games, thus winning glory for seven- Ἡροδότῳ ἔπορεν
gated Thebes. But if someone hoards hidden wealth ἵπποις, ἀφαιρεῖται βραχὺ μέτρον ἔχων
at home, and attacks others with mockery, he fails ὕμνος. ἦ μὰν πολλάκι καὶ τὸ σεσωπαμένον
to consider that he is giving up his soul to Hades εὐθυμίαν μείζω φέρει.
without glory. [90] εἴη νιν εὐφώνων πτερύγεσσιν ἀερθέντ᾽ ἀγλααῖς
Πιερίδων ἔτι καὶ Πυθῶθεν Ὀλυμπιάδων τ᾽

ἐξαιρέτοις
Ἀλφεοῦ ἔρνεσι φράξαι χεῖρα τιμὰν ἑπταπύλοις
Θήβαισι τεύχοντ᾽. εἰ δέ τις ἔνδον νέμει πλοῦτον
κρυφαῖον,
[100] ἄλλοισι δ᾽ ἐμπίπτων γελᾷ, ψυχὰν Ἀΐδᾳ τελέων
οὐ φράζεται δόξας ἄνευθεν.

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Pindar / Πίνδαρος, c. 518-438 B.C.

Ancient Greek lyric poet from Thebes, known

Isthmian 1 – For Herodotus of Thebes Chariot Race, 458 B.C. (?).

ΗΡΟΔΟΤΩι ΘΗΒΑΙΩι ΑΡΜΑΤΙ

Πιερίδων ἔτι καὶ Πυθῶθεν Ὀλυμπιάδων τ᾽

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