§13.1τρισολυμπιονίκαν §13.2ἐπαινέων οἶκον ἅμερον ἀστοῖς, §13.3ξένοισι δὲ θεράποντα, γνώσομαι §13.4τὰν ὀλβίαν Κόρινθον, Ἰσθμίου §13.5πρόθυρον Ποτειδᾶνος, ἀγλαόκουρον.
In praising the house of three-time Olympic victors, gentle to citizens, and a servant to strangers, I shall come to know (praise) fortunate Corinth, the portal of Isthmian Poseidon, glorious in its young men.
§13.6ἐν τᾷ γὰρ Εὐνομία ναίει, κασίγνηταί τε, βάθρον πολίων ἀσφαλές, §13.7Δίκα καὶ ὁμότροφος Εἰρήνα, ταμίαι ἀνδράσι πλούτου, §13.8χρύσεαι παῖδες εὐβούλου Θέμιτος·
For in her dwells Order (Eunomia), and her sisters, the secure foundation of cities, Justice (Dike) and companion-bred Peace (Eirene), dispensaries of wealth to men, the golden daughters of wise-counseling Themis.
And they are willing to ward off Insolence (Hybris), the bold-speaking mother of Surfeit (Koros).
I have beautiful things to tell, and a straight daring rouses my tongue to speak.
§13.13ἄμαχον δὲ κρύψαι τὸ συγγενὲς ἦθος.
It is impossible to conceal one's inborn character.
§13.14ὔμμιν δέ, παῖδες Ἀλάτα, πολλὰ μὲν νικαφόρον ἀγλαΐαν ὤπασαν §13.15ἄκραις ἀρεταῖς ὑπερελθόντων ἱεροῖς ἐν ἀέθλοις, §13.16πολλὰ δʼ ἐν καρδίαις ἀνδρῶν ἔβαλον §13.17ὧραι πολυάνθεμοι ἀρχαῖα σοφίσμαθʼ.
To you, sons of Alatas, many times indeed did they grant victorious splendor, for those who surpassed with highest virtues in the sacred contests, and many times did the flower-laden Seasons cast ancient wisdom into the hearts of men.
ἅπαν δʼ εὑρόντος ἔργον.
Every deed belongs to the finder.
Whence did the graces of Dionysus appear with the ox-driving dithyramb?
§13.20τίς γὰρ ἱππείοις ἐν ἔντεσσιν μέτρα, §13.21ἢ θεῶν ναοῖσιν οἰωνῶν βασιλέα δίδυμον §13.22ἐπέθηκʼ;
For who placed measures in horse-trappings, or on the temples of gods the double king of birds (the eagle)?
ἐν δὲ Μοῖσʼ ἁδύπνοος, §13.23ἐν δʼ Ἄρης ἀνθεῖ νέων οὐλίαις αἰχμαῖσιν ἀνδρῶν.
There dwells the sweet-breathing Muse, and there Ares flourishes with the destructive spears of young men.
§13.24ὕπατʼ εὐρὺ ἀνάσσων §13.25Ὀλυμπίας, ἀφθόνητος ἔπεσσιν §13.26γένοιο χρόνον ἅπαντα, Ζεῦ πάτερ, §13.27καὶ τόνδε λαὸν ἀβλαβῆ νέμων §13.28Ξενοφῶντος εὔθυνε δαίμονος οὖρον· §13.29δέξαι τέ οἱ στεφάνων ἐγκώμιον τεθμόν, τὸν ἄγει πεδίων ἐκ Πίσας, §13.30πεντάθλῳ ἅμα σταδίου νικῶν δρόμον· ἀντεβόλησεν §13.31τῶν ἀνὴρ θνατὸς οὔπω τις πρότερον.
You who rule widely supreme over Olympia, may you be ungrudging to my words for all time, Father Zeus, and keeping this people unharmed, guide straight the favorable wind of Xenophon's destiny; and receive for him the customary praise of crowns, which he brings from the plains of Pisa, winning the stadium race along with the pentathlon; he achieved what no mortal man before him has ever yet met with.
§13.32δύο δʼ αὐτὸν ἔρεψαν §13.33πλόκοι σελίνων ἐν Ἰσθμιάδεσσιν §13.34φανέντα· Νέμεά τʼ οὐκ ἀντιξοεῖ.
And two wreaths of wild celery crowned him when he appeared at the Isthmian games; and Nemea does not oppose.
§13.35πατρὸς δὲ Θεσσαλοῦ ἐπʼ Ἀλφεοῦ §13.36ῥεέθροισιν αἴγλα ποδῶν ἀνάκειται, §13.37Πυθοῖ τʼ ἔχει σταδίου τιμὰν διαύλου θʼ ἁλίῳ ἀμφʼ ἑνί, μηνός τέ οἱ §13.38τωὐτοῦ κρανααῖς ἐνʼ Ἀθάναισι τρία ἔργα ποδαρκὴς §13.39ἅμερα θῆκε κάλλιστʼ ἀμφὶ κόμαις, §13.40Ἑλλώτια δʼ ἑπτάκις· ἐν δʼ ἀμφιάλοισι Ποτειδᾶνος τεθμοῖσιν §13.41Πτοιοδώρῳ σὺν πατρὶ μακρότεραι §13.42Τερψίᾳ θʼ ἕψοντʼ Ἐριτίμῳ τʼ ἀοιδαί.
And by the streams of Alpheos, the glory of the feet of his father Thessalos is dedicated, and at Pytho he has the honor of the stadium and the diaulos under a single sun; and in the same month in rocky Athens three fleet-footed deeds placed the most beautiful days (crowns) about his hair, and seven times at the Hellotia; and in the sea-girt ordinances of Poseidon, with his father Ptoiodoros, even longer songs will follow Terpsias and Eritimos.
§13.43ὅσσα τʼ ἐν Δελφοῖσιν ἀριστεύσατε §13.44ἠδὲ χόρτοις ἐν λέοντος, δηρίομαι πολέσιν §13.45περὶ πλήθει καλῶν, ὡς μὰν σαφὲς §13.46οὐκ ἂν εἰδείην λέγειν ποντιᾶν ψάφων ἀριθμόν.
And as for your deeds of valor at Delphi and in the pastures of the lion (Nemea), I would contend with many concerning the abundance of your beautiful honors, for indeed I would not know how to state clearly the number of the pebbles in the sea.
And in everything there follows a measure; and to perceive the opportune moment (kairos) is best.
§13.49ἐγὼ δὲ ἴδιος ἐν κοινῷ σταλεὶς §13.50μῆτίν τε γαρύων παλαιγόνων §13.51πόλεμόν τʼ ἐν ἡρωΐαις ἀρεταῖσιν §13.52οὐ ψεύσομʼ ἀμφὶ Κορίνθῳ, Σίσυφον μὲν πυκνότατον παλάμαις ὡς θεόν, §13.53καὶ τὰν πατρὸς ἀντία Μήδειαν θεμέναν γάμον αὐτᾷ, §13.54ναῒ σώτειραν Ἀργοῖ καὶ προπόλοις.
But I, having set out on a private journey for the public good, and singing of the wisdom of the ancient-born and their war in heroic virtues, shall not speak falsely about Corinth: concerning Sisyphus, most crafty in his devices like a god, and Medea, who settled her marriage against her father's will, a savior to the ship Argo and her crew.
§13.55τὰ δὲ καί ποτʼ ἐν ἀλκᾷ §13.56πρὸ Δαρδάνου τειχέων ἐδόκησαν §13.57ἐπʼ ἀμφότερα μαχᾶν τάμνειν τέλος, §13.58τοὶ μὲν γένει φίλῳ σὺν Ἀτρέος §13.59Ἑλέναν κομίζοντες, οἱ δʼ ἀπὸ πάμπαν §13.60εἴργοντες·
And also once in valor before the walls of Dardanus they seemed to cut the end of battles in both directions; some with the beloved race of Atreus seeking to recover Helen, others entirely keeping her away.
ἐκ Λυκίας δὲ Γλαῦκον ἐλθόντα τρόμεον Δαναοί.
And the Danaans trembled at Glaucus when he came from Lycia.
τοῖσι μὲν §13.61ἐξεύχετʼ ἐν ἄστεϊ Πειράνας σφετέρου πατρὸς ἀρχὰν §13.62καὶ βαθὺν κλᾶρον ἔμμεν καὶ μέγαρον· §13.63ὃς τᾶς ὀφιώδεος υἱόν ποτε Γοργόνος ἦ πόλλʼ ἀμφὶ κρουνοῖς §13.64Πάγασον ζεῦξαι ποθέων ἔπαθεν, §13.65πρίν γέ οἱ χρυσάμπυκα κούρα χαλινὸν §13.66Παλλὰς ἤνεγκʼ· ἐξ ὀνείρου δʼ αὐτίκα §13.67ἦν ὕπαρ· φώνασε δʼ· εὕδεις, Αἰολίδα βασιλεῦ;
To them he boasted that in the city of Peirene lay the rule of his father, and his deep estate and palace; who once suffered much beside the springs, desiring to yoke Pegasus, the son of the snaky Gorgon, until the maiden Pallas brought him a bridle with a golden band; and immediately from a dream it was a waking reality; and she spoke: "Are you sleeping, king of the line of Aeolus?
§13.68ἄγε φίλτρον τόδʼ ἵππειον δέκευ, §13.69καὶ Δαμαίῳ νιν θύων ταῦρον ἀργᾶντα πατρὶ δεῖξον. §13.70κυαναιγὶς ἐν ὄρφνᾳ §13.71κνώσσοντί οἱ παρθένος τόσα εἰπεῖν §13.72ἔδοξεν· ἀνὰ δʼ ἐπᾶλτʼ ὀρθῷ ποδί.
Come, receive this horse-charm, and sacrificing a white bull, show it to Damaios, your taming father." The maiden of the dark aegis seemed to say so much to him as he slumbered in the darkness; and he leaped up to his feet.
§13.73παρκείμενον δὲ συλλαβὼν τέρας, §13.74ἐπιχώριον μάντιν ἄσμενος εὗρεν, §13.75δεῖξέν τε Κοιρανίδᾳ πᾶσαν τελευτὰν πράγματος, ὥς τʼ ἀνὰ βωμῷ θεᾶς §13.76κοιτάξατο νύκτʼ ἀπὸ κείνου χρήσιος. ὥς τέ οἱ αὐτὰ §13.77Ζηνὸς ἐγχεικεραύνου παῖς ἔπορεν §13.78δαμασίφρονα χρυσόν.
Seizing the wonder that lay beside him, he gladly found the prophet of the land, and showed to the son of Coiranus the whole outcome of the matter, and how on the altar of the goddess he had slept the night according to his oracle; and how she herself, the daughter of Zeus who wields the spear-thunderbolt, had given him the mind-taming gold.
§13.79ἐνυπνίῳ δʼ ᾇ τάχιστα πιθέσθαι §13.80κελήσατό μιν, ὅταν δʼ εὐρυσθενεῖ §13.81καρταίποδʼ ἀναρύῃ Γαιαόχῳ, §13.82θέμεν Ἱππίᾳ βωμὸν εὐθὺς Ἀθάνᾳ.
And the prophet bade him obey the dream as quickly as possible; and when he should sacrifice a strong-footed bull to the wide-ruling Earth-holder (Poseidon), to set up immediately an altar to Athena of the Horse.
§13.83τελεῖ δὲ θεῶν δύναμις καὶ τὰν παρʼ ὅρκον καὶ παρὰ ἐλπίδα κούφαν κτίσιν.
The power of the gods accomplishes easily what is contrary to oath and beyond hope.
§13.84ἤτοι καὶ ὁ καρτερὸς ὁρμαίνων ἕλε Βελλεροφόντας, §13.85φάρμακον πραῢ τείνων ἀμφὶ γένυι, §13.86ἵππον πτερόεντʼ· ἀναβὰς δʼ εὐθὺς ἐνόπλια χαλκωθεὶς ἔπαιζεν.
Truly even strong Bellerophon, eagerly striving, captured the winged horse, stretching the gentle remedy around its jaw; and mounting immediately, clad in bronze, he played his weapon-sport.
§13.87σὺν δὲ κείνῳ καί ποτʼ Ἀμαζονίδων §13.88αἰθέρος ψυχρῶν ἀπὸ κόλπων ἐρήμου §13.89τοξόταν βάλλων γυναικεῖον στρατόν, §13.90καὶ Χίμαιραν πῦρ πνέοισαν καὶ Σολύμους ἔπεφνεν.
And with him once, from the cold, empty bosom of the upper air, he shot the female archer-host of Amazons, and slew the fire-breathing Chimera, and the Solymoi.
As for his fate, I shall keep silent; but him the ancient stalls of Zeus in Olympus receive.
§13.93ἐμὲ δʼ εὐθὺν ἀκόντων §13.94ἱέντα ῥόμβον παρὰ σκοπὸν οὐ χρὴ §13.95τὰ πολλὰ βέλεα καρτύνειν χεροῖν.
But for me, who am throwing the straight whirl of the javelin, it is not right to strengthen many weapons with my hands wide of the mark.
For to the glorious-throned Muses and the Oligaitheidai I have willingly come as a helper.
§13.98Ἰσθμοῖ τά τʼ ἐν Νεμέᾳ παύρῳ ἔπει θήσω φανέρʼ ἀθρόʼ, ἀλαθής τέ μοι §13.99ἔξορκος ἐπέσσεται ἑξηκοντάκι δὴ ἀμφοτέρωθεν §13.100ἁδύγλωσσος βοὰ κάρυκος ἐσλοῦ.
Their victories at the Isthmus and Nemea I shall make clear in a few words all at once, and as a true witness on oath, sixty times indeed from both places shall be the sweet-tongued cry of the noble herald.
§13.101τὰ δʼ Ὀλυμπίᾳ αὐτῶν §13.102ἔοικεν ἤδη πάροιθε λελέχθαι· §13.103τά τʼ ἐσσόμενα τότʼ ἂν φαίην σαφές·
Their victories at Olympia seem fitting to have been spoken of before; and those that are to come, I would then speak of clearly.
εἰ δὲ δαίμων γενέθλιος ἕρποι, §13.106διʼ τοῦτʼ Ἐνυαλίῳ τʼ ἐκδώσομεν πράσσειν.
And if the birth-daemon marches on, we shall leave this to Enyalios to accomplish.
τὰ δʼ ὑπʼ ὀφρύϊ Παρνασσίᾳ §13.107ἕξ· Ἄργεΐ θʼ ὅσσα καὶ ἐν Θήβαις, ὅσα τʼ Ἀρκάσιν ἀνάσσων §13.108μαρτυρήσει Λυκαίου βωμὸς ἄναξ, §13.109Πέλλανά τε καὶ Σικυὼν καὶ Μέγαρʼ Αἰακιδᾶν τʼ εὐερκὲς ἄλσος, §13.110ἅ τʼ Ἐλευσὶς καὶ λιπαρὰ Μαραθών, §13.111ταί θʼ ὑπʼ Αἴτνας ὑψιλόφου καλλίπλουτοι §13.112πόλιες, ἅ τʼ Εὔβοια· καὶ πᾶσαν κατὰ §13.113Ἑλλάδʼ εὑρήσεις ἐρευνῶν μάσσονʼ ἢ ὡς ἰδέμεν.
And those under the Parnassian brow are six; and as many at Argos and Thebes, and as many as the kingly altar of Lycaon, ruling over the Arcadians, shall witness, and Pellana, and Sicyon, and Megara, and the well-walled grove of the Aeacidai (Aegina), and Eleusis, and shining Marathon, and the beautiful and wealthy cities beneath high-crested Etna, and Euboea; and searching through all Greece, you will find more than can be seen.
§13.114ἄνα, κούφοισιν ἐκνεῦσαι ποσίν·
Arise, swim out with light feet!
§13.115Ζεῦ τέλειʼ, αἰδῶ δίδοι καὶ τύχαν τερπνῶν γλυκεῖαν.
Father Zeus, the Accomplisher, grant respect (aidos) and sweet fortune of pleasant things.