Humanitext Reader

Pindar · Pythian Odes §1.51-1.100

Praise of Hieron and Prayer for Etna

Passage 2 of 18 · Greek

Summary

The poet compares Hieron's condition to Philoctetes, who fought at Troy despite his illness, and prays for the divine protection of the city of Etna. He praises the Dorian laws of the descendants of Heracles, and counsels Hieron on preserving posthumous fame through generous deeds and truthfulness.

§1.51ἐστρατεύθη· σὺν δʼ ἀνάγκᾳ νιν φίλον §1.52καί τις ἐὼν μεγαλάνωρ ἔσανεν.
He went to war; and by necessity, someone as a friend, even though being proud, fawned upon him.
φαντὶ δὲ Λαμνόθεν ἕλκει τειρόμενον μεταβάσοντας ἐλθεῖν §1.53ἥρωας ἀντιθέους Ποίαντος υἱὸν τοξόταν· §1.54ὃς Πριάμοιο πόλιν πέρσεν, τελεύτασέν τε πόνους Δαναοῖς, §1.55ἀσθενεῖ μὲν χρωτὶ βαίνων, ἀλλὰ μοιρίδιον ἦν.
And they say that, to fetch him who was worn out by a wound, from Lemnos there came godlike heroes, seeking the archer son of Poeas; who sacked the city of Priam, and ended the labors for the Danaans, walking with a weak body, but it was fated.
§1.56οὕτω δʼ Ἱέρωνι θεὸς ὀρθωτὴρ πέλοι §1.57τὸν προσέρποντα χρόνον, ὧν ἔραται καιρὸν διδούς.
And so may a god be a restorer to Hieron for the approaching time, granting him the opportunity for those things he desires.
§1.58Μοῖσα, καὶ πὰρ Δεινομένει κελαδῆσαι §1.59πίθεό μοι ποινὰν τεθρίππων.
Muse, comply with me to sing also at the side of Deinomenes as a reward for the four-horse chariot.
χάρμα δʼ οὐκ ἀλλότριον νικαφορία πατέρος.
A father's victory is no alien joy to his son.
§1.60ἄγʼ ἔπειτʼ Αἴτνας βασιλεῖ φίλιον ἐξεύρωμεν ὕμνον· §1.61τῷ πόλιν κείναν θεοδμάτῳ σὺν ἐλευθερίᾳ §1.62Ὑλλίδος στάθμας Ἱέρων ἐν νόμοις ἔκτισσʼ.
Come then, let us devise a friendly hymn for the king of Etna, for whom Hieron founded that city with god-built freedom, under the laws of Hyllus' rule.
ἐθέλοντι δὲ Παμφύλου §1.63καὶ μὰν Ἡρακλειδᾶν ἔκγονοι §1.64ὄχθαις ὕπο Ταϋγέτου ναίοντες αἰεὶ μένειν τεθμοῖσιν ἐν Αἰγιμιοῦ §1.65Δωριεῖς.
And the descendants of Pamphylus, and indeed of the Heracleidae, dwelling under the cliffs of Taygetus, wish to remain forever in the laws of Aegimius, as Dorians.
ἔσχον δʼ Ἀμύκλας ὄλβιοι, §1.66Πινδόθεν ὀρνύμενοι, λευκοπώλων Τυνδαριδᾶν βαθύδοξοι γείτονες, ὧν κλέος ἄνθησεν αἰχμᾶς.
And prosperous, they held Amyclae, rising from Pindus, deep-glorious neighbors of the white-horsed Tyndaridae, whose spear-glory blossomed.
§1.67Ζεῦ τέλειʼ, αἰεὶ δὲ τοιαύταν Ἀμένα παρʼ ὕδωρ §1.68αἶσαν ἀστοῖς καὶ βασιλεῦσιν διακρίνειν ἔτυμον λόγον ἀνθρώπων,
Perfecting Zeus, may you always decide such a lot for citizens and kings by the water of Amenas, to confirm the true report of men.
§1.69σύν τοι τίν κεν ἁγητὴρ ἀνήρ, §1.70υἱῷ τʼ ἐπιτελλόμενος, δᾶμον γεραίρων τράποι σύμφωνον ἐς ἁσυχίαν.
For with your help indeed, a leader, instructing his son and honoring the people, might turn them toward harmonious peace.
§1.71λίσσομαι νεῦσον, Κρονίων, ἅμερον §1.72ὄφρα κατʼ οἶκον ὁ Φοίνιξ ὁ Τυρσανῶν τʼ ἀλαλατὸς ἔχῃ, ναυσίστονον ὕβριν ἰδὼν τὰν πρὸ Κύμας· §1.73οἷα Συρακοσίων ἀρχῷ δαμασθέντες πάθον, §1.74ὠκυπόρων ἀπὸ ναῶν ὅ σφιν ἐν πόντῳ βάλεθʼ ἁλικίαν, §1.75Ἑλλάδʼ ἐξέλκων βαρείας δουλίας.
I beseech you, son of Cronus, nod assent, so that quiet may keep at home the Phoenician and the battle-shout of the Etruscans, having seen their ship-groaning insolence before Cumae; what things they suffered, subdued by the leader of the Syracusans, who cast their youth from swift-sailing ships into the sea, rescuing Hellas from heavy slavery.
ἀρέομαι §1.76πὰρ μὲν Σαλαμῖνος, Ἀθαναίων χάριν, §1.77μισθόν, ἐν Σπάρτᾳ δʼ ἀπὸ τᾶν πρὸ Κιθαιρῶνος μαχᾶν, §1.78ταῖσι Μήδειοι κάμον ἀγκυλότοξοι, §1.79παρὰ δὲ τὰν εὔυδρον ἀκτὰν Ἱμέρα παίδεσσιν ὕμνον Δεινομένευς τελέσαις, §1.80τὸν ἐδέξαντʼ ἀμφʼ ἀρετᾷ, πολεμίων ἀνδρῶν καμόντων.
I shall earn from Salamis the gratitude of the Athenians as my reward, and in Sparta from the battles before Cithaeron, in which the curved-bow Medes suffered, but by the well-watered bank of Himeras, performing a hymn for the sons of Deinomenes, which they received for their valor, when their enemy foes suffered defeat.
§1.81καιρὸν εἰ φθέγξαιο, πολλῶν πείρατα συντανύσαις §1.82ἐν βραχεῖ, μείων ἕπεται μῶμος ἀνθρώπων.
If you should speak in due measure, drawing together the limits of many things in brief, less blame from men follows.
ἀπὸ γὰρ κόρος ἀμβλύνει §1.83αἰανὴς ταχείας ἐλπίδας· §1.84ἀστῶν δʼ ἀκοὰ κρύφιον θυμὸν βαρύνει μάλιστʼ ἐσλοῖσιν ἐπʼ ἀλλοτρίοις.
For tedious satiety blunts swift expectations; and the hearing of the citizens weighs down their secret heart, especially at the good fortunes of others.
§1.85ἀλλʼ ὅμως, κρέσσων γὰρ οἰκτιρμοῦ φθόνος, §1.86μὴ παρίει καλά.
But nevertheless, since envy is better than pity, do not pass by honorable deeds.
νώμα δικαίῳ πηδαλίῳ στρατόν· ἀψευδεῖ δὲ πρὸς ἄκμονι χάλκευε γλῶσσαν.
Guide your people with a just rudder; forge your tongue on an anvil that knows no falsehood.
§1.87εἴ τι καὶ φλαῦρον παραιθύσσει, μέγα τοι φέρεται §1.88πὰρ σέθεν.
If even some slight word flies past, it is carried as a great thing, coming from you.
πολλῶν ταμίας ἐσσί· πολλοὶ μάρτυρες ἀμφοτέροις πιστοί.
You are the steward of many; many are the trustworthy witnesses to both.
§1.89εὐανθεῖ δʼ ἐν ὀργᾷ παρμένων, §1.90εἴπερ τι φιλεῖς ἀκοὰν ἁδεῖαν αἰεὶ κλύειν, μὴ κάμνε λίαν δαπάναις· §1.91ἐξίει δʼ ὥσπερ κυβερνάτας ἀνὴρ §1.92ἱστίον ἀνεμόεν.
Abiding in a blooming disposition, if you love to hear always sweet report, do not grow weary of expenditures; let out, like a helmsman, the wind-filled sail.
μὴ δολωθῇς, ὦ φίλος, κέρδεσιν εὐτράπλοις·
Be not deceived, my friend, by crafty gains.
ὀπιθόμβροτον αὔχημα δόξας §1.93οἶον ἀποιχομένων ἀνδρῶν δίαιταν μανύει §1.94καὶ λογίοις καὶ ἀοιδοῖς·
The posthumous boast of fame alone reveals the life of departed men both to chroniclers and poets.
οὐ φθίνει Κροίσου φιλόφρων ἀρετά· §1.95τὸν δὲ ταύρῳ χαλκέῳ καυτῆρα νηλέα νόον §1.96ἐχθρὰ Φάλαριν κατέχει παντᾷ φάτις, §1.97οὐδέ νιν φόρμιγγες ὑπωρόφιαι κοινωνίαν §1.98μαλθακὰν παίδων ὀάροισι δέκονται.
The kindly virtue of Croesus does not fade; but him of pitiless mind, who burned men in the bronze bull, hostile reputation holds Phalaris down everywhere, nor do the lyres under the roof receive him into the gentle association of children's voices.
§1.99τὸ δὲ παθεῖν εὖ πρῶτον ἄθλων· εὖ δʼ ἀκούειν δευτέρα μοῖρʼ· ἀμφοτέροισι δʼ ἀνὴρ §1.100ὃς ἂν ἐγκύρσῃ, καὶ ἕλῃ, στέφανον ὕψιστον δέδεκται.
To fare well is the first of prizes; to be well spoken of is the second lot; but the man who meets with both and wins them, has received the highest crown.

Notes

  1. §1.51ἐστρατεύθη — Third-person singular aorist indicative passive, used with an active sense ("he went to war"). The subject is Hieron. His campaign despite illness sets up the structural parallel with the myth of Philoctetes introduced immediately after.
  2. §1.52μεταβάσοντας — Future participle accusative plural masculine (Doric dialectal form). It acts as an adverbial participle expressing purpose ("in order to fetch/bring back") and agrees with the following accusative phrase "godlike heroes" (ἥρωας ἀντιθέους).
  3. §1.58πίθεό μοι — Second-person singular aorist middle imperative (Doric dialectal form corresponding to Attic πείθου). It means "comply with/obey (my request)." The pronoun μοι is a dative of interest.
  4. §1.68διακρίνειν ἔτυμον λόγον — The infinitive διακρίνειν functions as a prayer or consequence following the appeal to "Perfecting Zeus" (Ζεῦ τέλειʼ). It takes "ἔτυμον λόγον ἀνθρώπων" as its object, meaning "to distinguish/establish the true report of men."
  5. §1.81καιρὸν εἰ φθέγξαιο — The noun καιρόν is used as an adverbial accusative meaning "at the right measure" or "opportunely." The protasis with the optative (εἰ φθέγξαιο) is combined with an indicative present (ἕπεται) in the apodosis to state a vivid, general truth.

Cite this passage

Pindar, Pythian Odes §1.51-1.100. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0033.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:1.51-1.100

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.