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Pindar · Pythian Odes §6.1-6.50

Xenocrates' Chariot Victory and His Son's Piety

Passage 11 of 18 · Greek

Summary

Pindar celebrates the Pythian chariot victory of Xenocrates of Acragas, praising his son Thrasybulus for his outstanding filial piety, devotion to his uncle Theron, humble wisdom, and piety toward Poseidon.

§6.1ἀκούσατʼ·
Listen!
ἦ γὰρ ἑλικώπιδος Ἀφροδίτας §6.2ἄρουραν ἢ Χαρίτων §6.3ἀναπολίζομεν, ὀμφαλὸν ἐριβρόμου §6.4χθονὸς ἐς νάϊον προσοιχόμενοι· §6.5Πυθιόνικος ἔνθʼ ὀλβίοισιν Ἐμμενίδαις §6.6ποταμίᾳ τʼ Ἀκράγαντι καὶ μὰν Ξενοκράτει §6.7ἑτοῖμος ὕμνων §6.8θησαυρὸς ἐν πολυχρύσῳ §6.9Ἀπολλωνίᾳ τετείχισται νάπᾳ·
For indeed, of quick-glancing Aphrodite the field or of the Graces we plough again, as we approach the temple-navel of the loudly-roaring earth; where a Pythian victory's ready treasure of hymns has been built for the blessed Emmenidae and river Acragas, and indeed Xenocrates, ready treasure of hymns in the gold-rich Apollonian glen.
§6.10τὸν οὔτε χειμέριος ὄμβρος ἐπακτὸς ἐλθών, §6.11ἐριβρόμου νεφέλας §6.12στρατὸς ἀμείλιχος, οὔτʼ ἄνεμος ἐς μυχοὺς §6.13ἁλὸς ἄξοισι παμφόρῳ χεράδει §6.14τυπτόμενον.
This treasure neither the wintry rain coming from without, the pitiless host of the loudly-roaring cloud, nor the wind shall carry away into the recesses of the sea, beaten by all-carrying silt.
φάει δὲ πρόσωπον ἐν καθαρῷ §6.15πατρὶ τεῷ, Θρασύβουλε, κοινάν τε γενεᾷ §6.16λόγοισι θνατῶν §6.17εὔδοξον ἅρματι νίκαν §6.18Κρισαίαισιν ἐν πτυχαῖς ἀπαγγελεῖ.
But in pure light its face shall announce to your father, Thrasybulus, and to his race a common, in the words of mortals, glorious victory with the chariot, in the folds of Crisa.
§6.19σύ τοι σχεθών νιν ἐπιδέξια χειρός, ὀρθὰν §6.20ἄγεις ἐφημοσύναν, §6.21τά ποτʼ ἐν οὔρεσι φαντὶ μεγαλοσθενεῖ §6.22Φιλύρας υἱὸν ὀρφανιζομένῲ §6.23Πηλεΐδᾳ παραινεῖν· μάλιστα μὲν Κρονίδαν, §6.24βαρυόπαν στεροπᾶν κεραυνῶν τε πρύτανιν, §6.25θεῶν σέβεσθαι· §6.26ταύτας δὲ μή ποτε τιμᾶς §6.27ἀμείρειν γονέων βίον πεπρωμένον.
You indeed, holding him at your right hand, guide the upright command, which once they say in the mountains the mighty son of Philyra advised the fatherless son of Peleus: first and foremost to revere the son of Cronus, the heavy-voiced ruler of lightnings and thunderbolts, of the gods; and never to deprive parents of this honor through their allotted life.
§6.28ἔγεντο καὶ πρότερον Ἀντίλοχος βιατὰς §6.29νόημα τοῦτο φέρων, §6.30ὃς ὑπερέφθιτο πατρός, ἐναρίμβροτον §6.31ἀναμείναις στράταρχον Αἰθιόπων §6.32Μέμνονα.
Even in former times, mighty Antilochus showed that he possessed this mind, who died for his father, having awaited the man-slaying general of the Ethiopians, Memnon.
Νεστόρειον γὰρ ἵππος ἅρμʼ ἐπέδα §6.33Πάριος ἐκ βελέων δαϊχθείς· ὁ δʼ ἔφεπεν §6.34κραταιὸν ἔγχος· §6.35Μεσσανίου δὲ γέροντος §6.36δονηθεῖσα φρὴν βόασε παῖδα ὅν· §6.37χαμαιπετὲς δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπος οὐκ ἀπέριψεν· αὐτοῦ §6.38μένων δʼ ὁ θεῖος ἀνὴρ §6.39πρίατο μὲν θανάτοιο κομιδὰν πατρός, §6.40ἐδόκησέν τε τῶν πάλαι γενεᾷ §6.41ὁπλοτέροισιν, ἔργον πελώριον τελέσαις, §6.42ὕπατος ἀμφὶ τοκεῦσιν ἔμμεν πρὸς ἀρετάν.
For a horse impeded Nestor's chariot, wounded by Paris's arrows; and Memnon was brandishing his mighty spear; and the mind of the Messenian old man, shaken, cried out to his son; and he did not cast away a word that fell to the ground; but remaining there, the godlike man bought the rescue of his father by his own death, and seemed to the younger generation of long ago, by performing a monstrous deed, to be the highest in virtue regarding parents.
§6.43τὰ μὲν παρίκει· §6.44τῶν νῦν δὲ καὶ Θρασύβουλος §6.45πατρῴαν μάλιστα πρὸς στάθμαν ἔβα, §6.46πάτρῳ τʼ ἐπερχόμενος ἀγλαΐαν ἅπασαν.
Those things are past; but of those now, Thrasybulus especially has walked according to his father's measure, and following his uncle, brings all splendor.
§6.47νόῳ δὲ πλοῦτον ἄγει, §6.48ἄδικον οὔθʼ ὑπέροπλον ἥβαν δρέπων, §6.49σοφίαν δʼ ἐν μυχοῖσι Πιερίδων· §6.50τίν τʼ, Ἐλέλιχθον, ἃς εὗρες ἱππίας ἐσόδους, μάλα ἁδόντι νόῳ, Ποσειδᾶν, προσέχεται.
With his mind he guides wealth, harvesting a youth neither unjust nor arrogant, and cultivating wisdom in the recesses of the Pierides; and to you, Earth-shaker, Poseidon, who found the entrances of horsemanship, with a mind very pleasing to you he clings.
γλυκεῖα δὲ φρὴν καὶ συμπόταισιν ὁμιλεῖν μελισσᾶν ἀμείβεται τρητὸν πόνον.
And his sweet spirit in associating with fellow-banqueters surpasses the honeybees' perforated labor.

Notes

  1. §6.1ἑλικώπιδος Ἀφροδίτας ἄρουραν ἢ Χαρίτων ἀναπολίζομεν — The expression of "ploughing again the field of quick-glancing Aphrodite or of the Graces" is a characteristic metaphor of Pindar, comparing poetic composition and performance to agriculture.
  2. §6.10τὸν οὔτε χειμέριος ὄμβρος ... ἄξοισι — The relative pronoun `τὸν` (referring to the treasure) is the direct object of the future active third-person plural verb `ἄξοισι` (Doric form of ἄξουσι, from ἄγω), with natural phenomena such as `ὄμβρος` (rain) and `ἄνεμος` (wind) serving as subjects.
  3. §6.19σχεθών νιν ἐπιδέξια χειρός — The pronoun `νιν` (him) refers to the father (Xenocrates), and `ἐπιδέξια χειρός` (at his right hand) depicts Thrasybulus supporting and honoring his aged father by keeping him at his right side.
  4. §6.50τίν τʼ, Ἐλέλιχθον, ... προσέχεται — `τίν` is the Doric second-person singular dative (equivalent to σοί), governed by the middle verb `προσέχεται` ('he clings/devotes himself to'). The subject is Thrasybulus (or his mind).
  5. §6.50μελισσᾶν ἀμείβεται τρητὸν πόνον — The verb `ἀμείβεται` is used here in the sense of "surpasses" or "excels," taking the accusative `τρητὸν πόνον` ("the perforated labor of bees," i.e., honeycomb/honey) as its direct object to indicate superiority.

Cite this passage

Pindar, Pythian Odes §6.1-6.50. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0033.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:6.1-6.50

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