§10.1τὸν Ὀλυμπιονίκαν ἀνάγνωτέ μοι §10.2Ἀρχεστράτου παῖδα, πόθι φρενὸς §10.3ἐμᾶς γέγραπται· γλυκὺ γὰρ αὐτῷ μέλος ὀφείλων ἐπιλέλαθʼ·
Read for me the Olympian victor, the son of Archestratus, where in my mind it is written; for owing him a sweet song, I have forgotten.
ὦ Μοῖσʼ, ἀλλὰ σὺ καὶ θυγάτηρ §10.4Ἀλάθεια Διός, ὀρθᾷ χερὶ §10.5ἐρύκετον ψευδέων §10.6ἐνιπὰν ἀλιτόξενον.
O Muse, but do you and Truth, daughter of Zeus, with upright hand ward off from me the reproach of falsehood that sins against hospitality.
For the future time, coming from afar, has shamed my deep debt.
§10.9ὅμως δὲ λῦσαι δυνατὸς ὀξεῖαν ἐπιμομφὰν τόκος·
Yet, interest is able to dissolve sharp blame.
ὁρᾶτʼ ὦν νῦν ψᾶφον ἑλισσομέναν §10.10ὅπα κῦμα κατακλύσσει ῥέον, §10.11ὅπα τε κοινὸν λόγον §10.12φίλαν τίσομεν ἐς χάριν.
See now the rolling pebble, how the flowing wave washes it away, and how we shall pay a common tribute for a beloved favor.
§10.13νέμει γὰρ Ἀτρέκεια πόλιν Λοκρῶν Ζεφυρίων, §10.14μέλει τέ σφισι Καλλιόπα §10.15καὶ χάλκεος Ἄρης.
For Strict Justice inhabits the city of the Western Locrians, and they care for Calliope and bronze Ares.
τράπε δὲ Κύκνεια μάχα καὶ ὑπέρβιον §10.16Ἡρακλέα.
The fight with Cycnus turned back even mighty Heracles.
And let Hagesidamus, winning as a boxer at the Olympiad, bring gratitude to Ilas, as Patroclus did to Achilles.
§10.20θήξαις δέ κε φύντʼ ἀρετᾷ ποτὶ §10.21πελώριον ὁρμάσαι κλέος ἀνὴρ θεοῦ σὺν παλάμᾳ· §10.22ἄπονον δʼ ἔλαβον χάρμα παῦροί τινες, §10.23ἔργων πρὸ πάντων βιότῳ φάος.
A man, with the hand of a god, might sharpen one born to virtue to rush toward immense glory; but few indeed have obtained joy without toil, which is a light for life before all deeds.
§10.24ἀγῶνα δʼ ἐξαίρετον ἀεῖσαι θέμιτες ὦρσαν Διός, ὃν ἀρχαίῳ σάματι πὰρ Πέλοπος §10.25βωμῶν ἑξάριθμον ἐκτίσσατο, §10.26ἐπεὶ Ποσειδάνιον §10.27πέφνε Κτέατον ἀμύμονα, §10.28πέφνε δʼ Εὔρυτον, ὡς Αὐγέαν λάτριον §10.29ἀέκονθʼ ἑκὼν μισθὸν ὑπέρβιον §10.30πράσσοιτο, λόχμαισι δὲ δοκεύσαις ὑπὸ Κλεωνᾶν δάμασε καὶ κείνους Ἡρακλέης ἐφʼ ὁδῷ, §10.31ὅτι πρόσθε ποτὲ Τιρύνθιον §10.32ἔπερσαν αὐτῷ στρατὸν §10.33μυχοῖς ἥμενον Ἄλιδος §10.34Μολίονες ὑπερφίαλοι.
And the laws of Zeus have urged me to sing of the supreme contest, which he established beside the ancient tomb of Pelops with six altars, after he slew noble Cteatus, son of Poseidon, and slew Eurytus, so that he might exact from unwilling Augeas the immense reward for his service, willing though Augeas was unwilling; and Heracles subdued them on the road, lying in wait in the thickets below Cleonae, because previously those arrogant Moliones had destroyed his Tirynthian army as it was encamped in the recesses of Elis.
καὶ μὰν ξεναπάτας §10.35Ἐπειῶν βασιλεὺς ὄπιθεν §10.36οὐ πολλὸν ἴδε πατρίδα πολυκτέανον ὑπὸ στερεῷ πυρὶ §10.37πλαγαῖς τε σιδάρου βαθὺν εἰς ὀχετὸν ἄτας §10.38ἵζοισαν ἑὰν πόλιν.
And indeed, the guest-deceiving king of the Epeians afterwards saw his wealthy fatherland, his own city, sinking into a deep trench of ruin under harsh fire and blows of iron.
And to put aside a conflict with those who are stronger is impossible.
And he too, by his folly, meeting capture at the last, did not escape sheer death.
§10.43ὁ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐν Πίσᾳ ἔλσαις ὅλον τε στρατὸν §10.44λαίαν τε πᾶσαν Διὸς ἄλκιμος §10.45υἱὸς σταθμᾶτο ζάθεον ἄλσος πατρὶ μεγίστῳ· περὶ δὲ πάξαις Ἄλτιν μὲν ὅγʼ ἐν καθαρῷ §10.46διέκρινε, τὸ δὲ κύκλῳ πέδον §10.47ἔθηκε δόρπου λύσιν, §10.48τιμάσαις πόρον Ἀλφεοῦ §10.49μετὰ δώδεκʼ ἀνάκτων θεῶν.
And then, having gathered the whole army and all the booty at Pisa, the brave son of Zeus measured out a sacred grove for his greatest father; and having fenced it around, he marked out the Altis in a clear space, and made the surrounding plain a place for feasting, honoring the stream of Alpheus along with the twelve ruling gods.
καὶ πάγον §10.50Κρόνου προσεφθέγξατο· πρόσθε γὰρ §10.51νώνυμνος, ἇς Οἰνόμαος ἆρχε, βρέχετο πολλᾷ νιφάδι.
And he named the hill of Cronus; for previously, nameless while Oenomaus ruled, it was drenched with much snow.
ταύτᾳ δʼ ἐν πρωτογόνῳ τελετᾷ §10.52παρέσταν μὲν ἄρα Μοῖραι σχεδὸν §10.53ὅ τʼ ἐξελέγχων μόνος §10.54ἀλάθειαν ἐτήτυμον §10.55χρόνος.
And at this first-born ritual, the Fates indeed stood nearby, and also Time, who alone reveals genuine truth, Time.
τὸ δὲ σαφανὲς ἰὼν πόρσω κατέφρασεν, §10.56ὅπα τὰν πολέμοιο δόσιν §10.57ἀκρόθινα διελὼν ἔθυε καὶ πενταετηρίδʼ ὅπως ἄρα §10.58ἔστασεν ἑορτὰν σὺν Ὀλυμπιάδι πρώτᾳ §10.59νικαφορίαισί τε.
And going forward, Time made the clear truth plain, how he divided the spoils, the gift of war, and sacrificed them, and how indeed he established the five-year festival with the first Olympiad and the victories.
§10.60τίς δὴ ποταίνιον §10.61ἔλαχε στέφανον §10.62χείρεσσι ποσίν τε καὶ ἅρματι, §10.63ἀγώνιον ἐν δόξᾳ θέμενος εὖχος, ἔργῳ καθελών;
Who then won the new crown with hands, feet, and chariot, having set in his mind the glory of the contest, and winning it by deed?
§10.64σταδίου μὲν ἀρίστευσεν εὐθὺν τόνον §10.65ποσσὶ τρέχων παῖς ὁ Λικυμνίου §10.66Οἰωνός· ἷκεν δὲ Μιδέαθεν στρατὸν ἐλαύνων·
In the footrace, the son of Licymnius, Oeonus, excelled, running the straight stretch with his feet; and he had come leading an army from Midea.
ὁ δὲ πάλᾳ κυδαίνων Ἔχεμος Τεγέαν· §10.67Δόρυκλος δʼ ἔφερε πυγμᾶς τέλος, §10.68Τίρυνθα ναίων πόλιν· §10.69ἀνʼ ἵπποισι δὲ τέτρασιν §10.70ἀπὸ Μαντινέας Σᾶμος Ὡλιροθίου· §10.71ἄκοντι Φράστωρ ἔλασε σκοπόν· §10.72μᾶκος δὲ Νικεὺς ἔδικε πέτρῳ χέρα κυκλώσαις ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων, καὶ συμμαχία θόρυβον §10.73παραίθυξε μέγαν·
And in wrestling, Echemus glorified Tegea; and Doryclus carried off the prize for boxing, dwelling in the city of Tiryns; and with a four-horse chariot, Samos, the son of Halirothius, from Mantinea; with the javelin, Phrastor hit the mark; and Niceus threw the stone with a circling arm, surpassing all in distance, and his comrades kindled a great shout.
And in the evening, the lovely light of the fair-faced moon blazed up.
And the whole sacred precinct resounded with pleasant feasting in the manner of victory songs.
§10.78ἀρχαῖς δὲ προτέραις ἑπόμενοι καί νῦν ἐπωνυμίαν χάριν §10.79νίκας ἀγερώχου, κελαδησόμεθα βροντὰν §10.80καὶ πυρπάλαμον βέλος §10.81ὀρσικτύπου Διός, §10.82ἐν ἅπαντι κράτει §10.83αἴθωνα κεραυνὸν ἀραρότα.
Following those ancient beginnings, now too, as a tribute named after the proud victory, we shall sing of the thunder and the fire-handed weapon of earth-shaking Zeus, the blazing thunderbolt fitted to every triumph.
And the luxurious song will answer the reed of the flute, which have appeared after a time beside famous Dirce.
§10.86ἀλλʼ ὥτε παῖς ἐξ ἀλόχου πατρὶ §10.87ποθεινὸς ἵκοντι νεότατος τὸ πάλιν ἤδη, μάλα δέ οἱ θερμαίνει φιλότατι νόον· §10.88ἐπεὶ πλοῦτος ὁ λαχὼν ποιμένα §10.89ἐπακτὸν ἀλλότριον, §10.90θνᾴσκοντι στυγερώτατος· §10.91καὶ ὅταν καλὰ ἔρξαις ἀοιδᾶς ἄτερ, §10.92Ἁγησίδαμʼ, εἰς Ἀΐδα σταθμὸν §10.93ἀνὴρ ἵκηται, κενεὰ πνεύσαις ἔπορε μόχθῳ βραχύ τι τερπνόν.
But like a child from a wife, longed for by a father who has already reached the opposite of youth, and who warms his mind greatly with love; since wealth that gets an imported, foreign shepherd, is most hateful to a dying man; and when a man, having done noble deeds without song, O Hagesidamus, goes to the dwelling of Hades, having breathed in vain, he has gained but a short pleasure for his toil.
τὶν δʼ ἁδυεπής τε λύρα §10.94γλυκύς τʼ αὐλὸς ἀναπάσσει χάριν· §10.95τρέφοντι δʼ εὐρὺ κλέος §10.96κόραι Πιερίδες Διός.
But upon you, the sweet-speaking lyre and the sweet flute sprinkle grace; and the Pierian daughters of Zeus nourish your wide glory.
§10.97ἐγὼ δὲ συνεφαπτόμενος σπουδᾷ, κλυτὸν ἔθνος §10.98Λοκρῶν ἀμφέπεσον μέλιτι §10.99εὐάνορα πόλιν καταβρέχων· παῖδʼ ἐρατὸν δʼ Ἀρχεστράτου §10.100αἴνησα, τὸν εἶδον κρατέοντα χερὸς ἀλκᾷ §10.101βωμὸν παρʼ Ὀλύμπιον, §10.102κεῖνον κατὰ χρόνον §10.103ἰδέᾳ τε καλὸν §10.104ὥρᾳ τε κεκραμένον, ἅ ποτε §10.105ἀναιδέα Γανυμήδει μόρον ἄλαλκε σὺν Κυπρογενεῖ.
And I, joining eagerly in the task, have embraced the famous nation of the Locrians, drenching with honey their city of brave men; and I have praised the lovely son of Archestratus, whom I saw conquering by the strength of his hand beside the Olympian altar, at that time, beautiful in form and blended with prime of youth, which once with the Cyprus-born goddess warded off shameless death from Ganymede.