Praise of Hagesias and the Birth of Iamus — Pindar, Olympian Odes 6.1–6.51, Greek & English

χρυσέας ὑποστάσαντες εὐτειχεῖ προθύρῳ θαλάμου

Setting up golden pillars for the well-walled vestibule of our chamber,

κίονας, ὡς ὅτε θαητὸν μέγαρον

as when we build a spectacular hall,

πάξομεν·¹ ἀρχομένου δʼ ἔργου πρόσωπον

we shall construct it; for at the beginning of a work, we must make

χρὴ θέμεν τηλαυγές. εἰ δʼ εἴη μὲν Ὀλυμπιονίκας,

its face shine from afar. And if one should be an Olympic victor,

βωμῷ τε μαντείῳ ταμίας Διὸς ἐν Πίσᾳ,

and a steward of the prophetic altar of Zeus at Pisa,

συνοικιστήρ τε τᾶν κλεινᾶν Συρακοσσᾶν· τίνα κεν φύγοι ὕμνον

and a co-founder of famous Syracuse, what hymn of praise could

κεῖνος ἀνήρ, ἐπικύρσαις ἀφθόνων ἀστῶν ἐν ἱμερταῖς ἀοιδαῖς;

that man escape, meeting with envious-free citizens in lovely songs?

ἴστω γὰρ ἐν τούτῳ πεδίλῳ δαιμόνιον πόδʼ ἔχων²

For let the son of Sostratus know that he has his divine foot in this sandal.

Σωστράτου υἱός. ἀκίνδυνοι δʼ ἀρεταὶ

But virtues without danger

οὔτε παρʼ ἀνδράσιν οὔτʼ ἐν ναυσὶ κοίλαις

are honored neither among men nor in hollow ships;

τίμιαι· πολλοὶ δὲ μέμνανται, καλὸν εἴ τι ποναθῇ.

yet many remember if any noble deed is wrought with labor.

Ἁγησία, τὶν δʼ αἶνος ἑτοῖμος, ὃν ἐν δίκᾳ

Hagesias, for you that praise is ready, which in justice

ἀπὸ γλώσσας Ἄδραστος μάντιν Οἰκλείδαν ποτʼ ἐς Ἀμφιάρηον

Adrastus once uttered from his tongue concerning the seer Amphiaraus, son of Oecles,

φθέγξατʼ, ἐπεὶ κατὰ γαῖʼ αὐτόν τέ νιν καὶ φαιδίμας ἵππους ἔμαρψεν.

when the earth swallowed him up and his shining horses.

ἑπτὰ δʼ ἔπειτα πυρᾶν νεκρῶν τελεσθεισᾶν Ταλαϊονίδας

And after the seven pyres of the dead were consumed, the son of Talaus

εἶπεν ἐν Θήβαισι τοιοῦτόν τι ἔπος· ποθέω στρατιᾶς ὀφθαλμὸν ἐμᾶς,

spoke in Thebes some such word: “I yearn for the eye of my army,

ἀμφότερον μάντιν τʼ ἀγαθὸν καὶ δουρὶ μάρνασθαι.³ τὸ καὶ

who was both a good seer and excellent at fighting with the spear.” This also

ἀνδρὶ κώμου δεσπότᾳ πάρεστι Συρακοσίῳ.

belongs to the man who is the master of this revel, the Syracusan.

οὔτε δύσηρις ἐὼν οὔτʼ ὦν φιλόνικος ἄγαν,

Being neither contentious nor overly fond of victory,

καὶ μέγαν ὅρκον ὀμόσσαις τοῦτό γέ οἱ σαφέως

and having sworn a great oath, this at least clearly for him

μαρτυρήσω· μελίφθογγοι δʼ ἐπιτρέψοντι Μοῖσαι.

I will witness; and the sweet-voiced Muses will permit it.

ὦ Φίντις, ἀλλὰ ζεῦξον ἤδη μοι σθένος ἡμιόνων,

O Phintis, yoke now for me the strength of the mules,

ᾇ τάχος, ὄφρα κελεύθῳ τʼ ἐν καθαρᾷ

with all speed, so that on a clear path

βάσομεν ὄκχον, ἵκωμαί τε⁴ πρὸς ἀνδρῶν

we may drive our chariot, and I may reach the men

καὶ γένος· κεῖναι γὰρ ἐξ ἀλλᾶν ὁδὸν ἁγεμονεῦσαι

and their lineage; for they, beyond all others, know how to lead

ταύταν ἐπίστανται, στεφάνους ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ

along this way, since they received crowns at Olympia.

ἐπεὶ δέξαντο· χρὴ τοίνυν πύλας ὕμνων ἀναπίτναμεν αὐταῖς·

Therefore we must open wide the gates of hymns for them.

πρός Πιτάναν δὲ παρʼ Εὐρώτα πόρον δεῖ σάμερόν μʼ ἐλθεῖν ἐν ὥρᾳ·

And to Pitane, by the ford of Eurotas, I must go today in good time;

ἅ τοι Ποσειδάωνι μιχθεῖσα Κρονίῳ λέγεται

she, indeed, having mingled with Poseidon, son of Cronus, is said

παῖδα ἰόπλοκον Εὐάδναν τεκέμεν.

to have given birth to the violet-haired child Evadne.

κρύψε δὲ παρθενίαν ὠδῖνα κόλποις·

And she concealed her maidenly birth-pangs in the folds of her dress;

κυρίῳ δʼ ἐν μηνὶ πέμποισʼ ἀμφιπόλους ἐκέλευσεν

but in the appointed month, sending her handmaidens, she ordered them

ἥρωι πορσαίνειν δόμεν Εἰλατίδᾳ βρέφος,

to give the babe to the hero, son of Elatus, to nurture,

ὃς ἀνδρῶν Ἀρκάδων ἄνασσε Φαισάνᾳ λάχε τʼ Ἀλφεὸν οἰκεῖν·

who ruled over Arcadian men at Phaisana and had obtained by lot to dwell on the Alpheus.

ἔνθα τραφεῖσʼ ὑπʼ Ἀπόλλωνι γλυκείας πρῶτον ἔψαυσʼ Ἀφροδίτας.

There she was reared, and under Apollo she first touched sweet Aphrodite.

οὐδʼ ἔλαθʼ Αἴπυτον ἐν παντὶ χρόνῳ κλέπτοισα θεοῖο γόνον.

Nor did she escape the notice of Aepytus in keeping secret all the time the offspring of the god.

ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν Πυθώναδʼ, ἐν θυμῷ πιέσαις χόλον οὐ φατὸν ὀξείᾳ μελέτᾳ,

But he, pressing down in his heart unutterable anger with sharp anxiety,

ᾤχετʼ ἰὼν μαντευσόμενος ταύτας περʼ ἀτλάτου πάθας.

went to Pytho to consult the oracle concerning this unbearable misfortune.

ἁ δὲ φοινικόκροκον ζώναν καταθηκαμένα

And she, having laid down her crimson girdle

κάλπιδά τʼ ἀργυρέαν, λόχμας ὑπὸ κυανέας

and her silver pitcher, under the dark bushes

τίκτε θεόφρονα κοῦρον. τᾷ μὲν ὁ Χρυσοκόμας

gave birth to a child of divine mind. For her, the Golden-haired god

πραΰμητίν τʼ Ἐλείθυιαν παρέστασέν τε Μοίρας·

set by her side Eileithyia of gentle mind and the Fates.

ἦλθεν δʼ ὑπὸ σπλάγχνων ὑπʼ ὠδῖνός τʼ ἐρατᾶς Ἴαμος

And from her womb, and from her sweet birth-pang, Iamus came

ἐς φάος αὐτίκα. τὸν μὲν κνιζομένα

immediately into the light. And she, in her grief,

λεῖπε χαμαί· δύο δὲ γλαυκῶπες αὐτὸν

left him on the ground; but two grey-eyed

δαιμόνων βουλαῖσιν ἐθρέψαντο δράκοντες ἀμεμφεῖ

serpents, by the counsels of the gods, nurtured him, caring for him

ἰῷ μελισσᾶν καδόμενοι. βασιλεὺς δʼ ἐπεὶ

with the blameless venom of bees.

πετραέσσας ἐλαύνων ἵκετʼ ἐκ Πυθῶνος, ἅπαντας ἐν οἴκῳ

And when the king,

εἴρετο παῖδα, τὸν Εὐάδνα τέκοι· Φοίβου γὰρ αὐτὸν φᾶ γεγάκειν⁵

driving his chariot, came from rocky Pytho, he questioned everyone in the house

πατρός, περὶ θνατῶν δʼ ἔσεσθαι μάντιν ἐπιχθονίοις

about the child whom Evadne had borne; for he said that he was born of Phoebus

ἔξοχον, οὐδέ ποτʼ ἐκλείψειν γενεάν.

as father, and that he would be for mortals a seer pre-eminent among those on earth, and that his race would never fail.

Syntax notes5 items

6.3πάξομεν
Future indicative first-person plural of πήγνυμι. In combination with the preceding aorist participle ὑποστάσαντες, it is best interpreted as a future indicative expressing a programmatic statement or resolution: "having set up... we shall construct."
6.8ἴστω ... ἔχων
ἴστω is the third-person singular imperative of οἶδα. It takes the supplementary participle ἔχων (nominative, agreeing with the subject) to mean "let [the subject] know that he has...". The subject is "Σωστράτου υἱός" (the son of Sostratus).
6.17ἀμφότερον μάντιν τʼ ἀγαθὸν καὶ δουρὶ μάρνασθαι
The accusative neuter singular ἀμφότερον is used adverbially ("both... and...") to coordinate two grammatically asymmetrical elements: a noun phrase (μάντιν τʼ ἀγαθὸν) and an infinitive phrase (δουρὶ μάρνασθαι).
6.23ὄφρα ... βάσομεν ... ἵκωμαί τε
After the conjunction ὄφρα (introducing a purpose clause), the future indicative (or short-vowel aorist subjunctive) βάσομεν is coordinated with the aorist subjunctive ἵκωμαι. This represents a typical poetic construction where a future indicative is used in a final clause.
6.49Φοίβου γὰρ αὐτὸν φᾶ γεγάκειν
Indirect speech introduced by φᾶ (third-person singular imperfect of φημί), taking an accusative and infinitive (A.c.I.) construction. The accusative subject is αὐτόν (the child) and the infinitive is the perfect infinitive γεγάκειν (from γίγνομαι), with Φοίβου... πατρός expressing the father.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0033.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.1-6.51