Victory of Theron and the Afterlife of Souls — Pindar, Olympian Odes 2.1–2.100, Greek & English

ἀναξιφόρμιγγες ὕμνοι,

O hymns that rule the lyre,

τίνα θεόν, τίνʼ ἥρωα, τίνα δʼ ἄνδρα κελαδήσομεν;

what god, what hero, and what man shall we celebrate?

ἤτοι Πίσα μὲν Διός· Ὀλυμπιάδα δʼ ἔστασεν Ἡρακλέης

Truly, Pisa belongs to Zeus, and Heracles established the Olympic festival

ἀκρόθινα πολέμου·

as the first-fruits of war.

Θήρωνα δὲ τετραορίας ἕνεκα νικαφόρου

But Theron, for his victorious four-horse chariot,

γεγωνητέον, ὄπι δίκαιον ξένων,¹ ἔρεισμʼ Ἀκράγαντος,εὐωνύμων τε πατέρων ἄωτον ὀρθόπολιν·

must be proclaimed, a man righteous in his regard for guests, the bulwark of Akragas, the choice flower of illustrious ancestors, who guides his city upright.

καμόντες οἳ πολλὰ θυμῷ

They, after enduring many things in their hearts,

ἱερὸν ἔσχον οἴκημα ποταμοῦ, Σικελίας τʼ ἔσαν

won a sacred home by the river, and became the eye

ὀφθαλμός, αἰὼν δʼ ἔφεπε μόρσιμος, πλοῦτόν τε καὶ χάριν ἄγωνγνησίαις ἐπʼ ἀρεταῖς.

of Sicily, and a fated lifetime attended them, bringing wealth and grace to crown their genuine virtues.

ἀλλʼ ὦ Κρόνιε παῖ Ῥέας, ἕδος Ὀλύμπου νέμων

But, O son of Cronus and Rhea, you who rule the seat of Olympus, the summit of contests, and the stream of Alpheus, warmed by our songs,

ἀέθλων τε κορυφὰν πόρον τʼ Ἀλφεοῦ, ἰανθεὶς ἀοιδαῖς

graciously keep their ancestral land for them,

εὔφρων ἄρουραν ἔτι πατρίαν σφίσιν κόμισον

and for their remaining descendants.

λοιπῷ γένει. τῶν δὲ πεπραγμένων

Of deeds already done,

ἐν δίκᾳ τε καὶ παρὰ δίκαν, ἀποίητον οὐδʼ ἂνχρόνος ὁ πάντων πατὴρ δύναιτο θέμεν ἔργων τέλος·

whether in justice or against justice, not even Time, the father of all, could undo their end.

λάθα δὲ πότμῳ σὺν εὐδαίμονι γένοιτʼ ἄν.

But forgetfulness may come with a happy lot.

ἐσλῶν γὰρ ὑπὸ χαρμάτων πῆμα θνάσκει

For under the influence of noble joys, a stubborn pain dies,

παλίγκοτον δαμασθέν,

subdued,

ὅταν θεοῦ Μοῖρα πέμπῃ

whenever the fated will of a god sends

ἀνεκὰς ὄλβον ὑψηλόν. ἕπεται δὲ λόγος εὐθρόνοις

high prosperity upward. This saying attends the fair-throned

Κάδμοιο κούραις, ἔπαθον αἳ μεγάλα, πένθος δʼ ἐπίτνει βαρὺκρεσσόνων πρὸς ἀγαθῶν.²

daughters of Cadmus, who suffered greatly, but their heavy grief fell before superior blessings.

ζώει μὲν ἐν Ὀλυμπίοις ἀποθανοῖσα βρόμῳ

Semele of the long hair, who died in the roar of the thunderbolt, lives among the Olympians, and Pallas loves her always,

κεραυνοῦ τανυέθειρα Σεμέλα, φιλεῖ δέ νιν Παλλὰς αἰεί,καὶ Ζεὺς πατὴρ μάλα, φιλεῖ δὲ παῖς ὁ κισσοφόρος·

and Father Zeus loves her dearly, and her ivy-crowned son loves her too.

λέγοντι δʼ ἐν καὶ θαλάσσᾳ

And they say that in the sea as well,

μετὰ κόραισι Νηρῆος ἁλίαις βίοτον ἄφθιτον

among the ocean-daughters of Nereus, an immortal life is established for Ino for all time.

Ἰνοῖ τετάχθαι τὸν ὅλον ἀμφὶ χρόνον. ἤτοι βροτῶν γε κέκριται

Indeed, for mortals, no fated limit

πεῖρας οὔ τι θανάτου,

of death is determined,

οὐδʼ ἡσύχιμον ἁμέραν³ ὁπότε, παῖδʼ ἁλίου,

nor when we shall bring to a close a peaceful day, child of the sun, with unimpaired good.

ἀτειρεῖ σὺν ἀγαθῷ τελευτάσομεν· ῥοαὶ δʼ ἄλλοτʼ ἄλλαιεὐθυμιᾶν τε μετὰ καὶ πόνων ἐς ἄνδρας ἔβαν.

But different streams of joy and toil come to men at different times.

οὕτω δὲ Μοῖρʼ, ἅ τε πατρώιον

Thus Fate, which holds the kindly ancestral destiny

τῶνδʼ ἔχει τὸν εὔφρονα πότμον, θεόρτῳ σὺν ὄλβῳ

of these men, along with god-sent wealth,

ἐπί τι καὶ πῆμʼ ἄγει παλιντράπελον ἄλλῳ χρόνῳ·

also brings some reverse pain at another time,

ἐξ οὗπερ ἔκτεινε Λᾷον μόριμος υἱὸςσυναντόμενος, ἐν δὲ Πυθῶνι χρησθὲνπαλαίφατον τέλεσσεν.

ever since the fated son met and killed Laius, fulfilling the ancient oracle spoken at Pytho.

ἰδοῖσα δʼ ὀξεῖʼ Ἐριννὺς

But the sharp-eyed Erinys saw it,

ἔπεφνέ οἱ σὺν ἀλλαλοφονίᾳ γένος ἀρήιον·

and slew his warlike race through mutual slaughter.

λείφθη δὲ Θέρσανδρος ἐριπέντι Πολυνείκει, νέοις ἐν ἀέθλοις

Yet Thersander was left when Polynices fell, honored in young contests

ἐν μάχαις τε πολέμου

and in the battles of war,

τιμώμενος, Ἀδραστιδᾶν θάλος ἀρωγὸν δόμοις·

a helper to the house of the Adrastids.

ὅθεν σπέρματος ἔχοντα ῥίζαν, πρέπει τὸν Αἰνησιδάμου

From him, having the root of the seed, it is fitting that the son of Ainesidamos

ἐγκωμίων τε μελέων λυρᾶν τε τυγχανέμεν.

should receive songs of praise and the lyre.

Ὀλυμπίᾳ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς

For at Olympia he himself

γέρας ἔδεκτο, Πυθῶνι δʼ ὁμόκλαρον ἐς ἀδελφεὸν

received the prize, and at Pytho and

Ἰσθμοῖ τε κοιναὶ Χάριτες ἄνθεα τεθρίππων δυωδεκαδρόμων

Isthmus, the common Graces brought flowers of victory to his brother, who shares his inheritance, for the twelve-lap chariot race.

ἄγαγον. τὸ δὲ τυχεῖν

To succeed

πειρώμενον ἀγωνίας παραλύει δυσφρονᾶν.

when making the trial in contests releases one from painful anxieties.

ὁ μὰν πλοῦτος ἀρεταῖς δεδαιδαλμένος φέρει τῶν τε καὶ τῶν

Truly, wealth adorned with virtues brings the opportunity for this and that,

καιρόν, βαθεῖαν ὑπέχων μέριμναν ἀγροτέραν,⁴

prompting a deep, hunting concern,

ἀστὴρ ἀρίζηλος, ἐτήτυμον

a conspicuous star, a true light for a man.

ἀνδρὶ φέγγος· εἰ δέ νιν ἔχων τις οἶδεν τὸ μέλλον,

And if one possessing it knows the future,

ὅτι θανόντων μὲν ἐνθάδʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀπάλαμνοι φρένες

that the lawless souls of those who die here immediately pay the penalty, and someone beneath the earth judges the sins committed in this empire of Zeus,

ποινὰς ἔτισαν, τὰ δʼ ἐν τᾷδε Διὸς ἀρχᾷἀλιτρὰ κατὰ γᾶς δικάζει τις ἐχθρᾷλόγον φράσαις ἀνάγκᾳ·

pronouncing sentence with hostile necessity;

ἴσαις δὲ νύκτεσσιν αἰεί,

but having the sun equally by night

ἴσαις δʼ ἐν ἁμέραις ἅλιον ἔχοντες, ἀπονέστερον

and equally by day, the good receive a life free from toil, not vexing the soil with the strength of their hands, nor the water of the sea,

ἐσλοὶ δέκονται βίοτον, οὐ χθόνα ταράσσοντες ἐν χερὸς ἀκμᾷ

for a meager livelihood;

οὐδὲ πόντιον ὕδωρ

but in the presence of the honored

κεινὰν παρὰ δίαιταν· ἀλλὰ παρὰ μὲν τιμίοις

gods, those who rejoiced in keeping oaths,

θεῶν, οἵτινες ἔχαιρον εὐορκίαις, ἄδακρυν νέμονταιαἰῶνα· τοὶ δʼ ἀπροσόρατον ὀκχέοντι πόνον

they spend a tearless life, while the others endure pain too dreadful to look upon.

ὅσοι δʼ ἐτόλμασαν ἐστρὶς

But as many as had the courage, remaining steadfast three times

ἑκατέρωθι μείναντες ἀπὸ πάμπαν ἀδίκων ἔχειν

on either side, to keep their souls entirely from injustice, have traveled the road of Zeus to the tower of Cronus;

ψυχάν, ἔτειλαν Διὸς ὁδὸν παρὰ Κρόνου τύρσιν· ἔνθα μακάρων

there the ocean

νᾶσος ὠκεανίδες

breezes blow around the island of the blessed, and flowers of gold blaze,

αὖραι περιπνέοισιν, ἄνθεμα δὲ χρυσοῦ φλέγει,

some on land from splendid trees, while the water nurtures others, with which they weave wreaths and garlands for their hands,

τὰ μὲν χερσόθεν ἀπʼ ἀγλαῶν δενδρέων, ὕδωρ δʼ ἄλλα φέρβει,

under the upright counsels of Rhadamanthys,

ὅρμοισι τῶν χέρας ἀναπλέκοντι καὶ στεφάνοιςβουλαῖς ἐν ὀρθαῖσι Ῥαδαμάνθυος,

whom the great Father keeps as his ready assessor,

ὃν πατὴρ ἔχει μέγας ἑτοῖμον αὐτῷ πάρεδρον,

the husband of Rhea,

πόσις ὁ πάντων Ῥέας ὑπέρτατον ἐχοίσας θρόνον.

who holds the highest throne of all.

Πηλεύς τε καὶ Κάδμος ἐν τοῖσιν ἀλέγονται·Ἀχιλλέα τʼ ἔνεικʼ, ἐπεὶ Ζηνὸς ἦτορλιταῖς ἔπεισε, μάτηρ·

Peleus and Cadmus are numbered among these; and his mother brought Achilles there, after she persuaded the heart of Zeus with entreaties—

ὃς Ἕκτορʼ ἔσφαλε, Τροίας

he who felled Hector, Troy’s

ἄμαχον ἀστραβῆ κίονα, Κύκνον τε θανάτῳ πόρεν,

invincible, unshakable pillar, and gave Cycnus to death,

Ἀοῦς τε παῖδʼ Αἰθίοπα. πολλά μοι ὑπʼ ἀγκῶνος ὠκέα βέλη

and the Ethiopian son of the Dawn. I have many swift arrows under my arm

ἔνδον ἐντι φαρέτρας

within my quiver

φωνᾶντα συνετοῖσιν· ἐς δὲ τὸ πὰν ἑρμηνέων

that speak to the wise, but for the crowd they need interpreters.

χατίζει. σοφὸς ὁ πολλὰ εἰδὼς φυᾷ· μαθόντες δὲ λάβροι

Wise is the man who knows many things by nature; but those who have only learned, boisterous

παγγλωσσίᾳ, κόρακες ὥς, ἄκραντα γαρύετονΔιὸς πρὸς ὄρνιχα θεῖον.

in their chatter, like crows, scream in vain against the divine bird of Zeus.

ἔπεχε νῦν σκοπῷ τόξον, ἄγε θυμέ, τίνα βάλλομεν

Now, aim your bow at the mark; come, my heart, whom do we strike,

ἐκ μαλθακᾶς αὖτε φρενὸς εὐκλέας ὀϊστοὺς ἱέντες; ἐπί τοι

sending glorious arrows again from a gentle mind?

Ἀκράγαντι τανύσαις

Directing them at Akragas,

αὐδάσομαι ἐνόρκιον λόγον ἀλαθεῖ νόῳ

I will speak an oath-bound word with a truthful mind,

τεκεῖν μή τινʼ ἑκατόν γε ἐτέων πόλιν φίλοις ἄνδρα μᾶλλον

that for a hundred years no city has brought forth a man more beneficent to his friends in mind, or more generous with his hand

εὐεργέταν πραπίσιν ἀφθονέστερόν τε χέρα

than Theron.

Θήρωνος. ἀλλʼ αἶνον ἔβα κόρος

But praise is attacked by envy, which does not meet with justice but comes from frantic men,

οὐ δίκᾳ συναντόμενος, ἀλλὰ μάργων ὑπʼ ἀνδρῶν,τὸ λαλαγῆσαι ἐθέλων κρύφον τε θέμεν ἐσλῶν καλοῖς

who wish to chatter and cast a shadow over the noble deeds of good men.

ἔργοις· ἐπεὶ ψάμμος ἀριθμὸν περιπέφευγεν,

Since the sand escapes number,

καὶ κεῖνος ὅσα χάρματʼ ἄλλοις ἔθηκεν

who could declare

100

τίς ἂν φράσαι δύναιτο;

all the joys that he has given to others?

Syntax notes4 items

2.6ὄπι δίκαιον ξένων
The word ὄπι is the dative singular of ὄπις (divine retribution, regard, care). Here it functions as a dative of respect or limitation, meaning 'righteous in his regard/care for guests.'
2.24πρὸς ἀγαθῶν
The preposition πρὸς with the genitive here indicates 'in the face of' or 'by means of.' It signifies that the subject πένθος (grief) yields or is extinguished when confronted with 'superior blessings' (κρεσσόνων ἀγαθῶν).
2.32οὐδʼ ἡσύχιμον ἁμέραν...
A complex hyperbaton and parallel structure where the initial verb κέκριται (is not determined) governs both the first accusative phrase πεῖρας θανάτου (limit of death) and the second accusative clause concerning when we shall bring to a close a peaceful day (ἡσύχιμον ἁμέραν... τελευτάσομεν).
2.54βαθεῖαν ὑπέχων μέριμναν ἀγροτέραν
A poetic hyperbaton. The adjectives βαθεῖαν (deep) and ἀγροτέραν (active, hunting) flank and modify the central noun μέριμναν (concern, anxiety), intensifying the phrase.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-22)

2026-09-22 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0033.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.1-2.100