Humanitext Reader

Pindar · Pythian Odes §7.1-7.22

Megacles' Victory and the Glory of the Alcmaeonids

Passage 12 of 18 · Greek

Summary

The poet praises the glorious Alcmaeonid family of Athens and Megacles' outstanding chariot victories, while reflecting on the envy that accompanies great success and the fluctuating nature of human happiness.

§7.1κάλλιστον αἱ μεγαλοπόλιες Ἀθᾶναι §7.2προοίμιον Ἀλκμανιδᾶν εὐρυσθενεῖ γενεᾷ §7.3κρηπῖδʼ ἀοιδᾶν §7.4ἵπποισι βαλέσθαι.
Great-citied Athens is the most beautiful prelude, for the mighty race of the Alcmaeonids to lay the foundation of songs with their horses.
§7.5ἐπεὶ τίνα πάτραν, τίνα οἶκον §7.6ναίων ὀνυμάξεαι §7.7ἐπιφανέστερον §7.8Ἑλλάδι πυθέσθαι;
For what fatherland, what house could you dwell in and name that is more illustrious for Greece to hear of?
§7.9πάσαισι γὰρ πολίεσι λόγος ὁμιλεῖ §7.10Ἐρεχθέος ἀστῶν, Ἄπολλον, οἳ τεόν γε δόμον §7.11Πυθῶνι δίᾳ §7.12θαητὸν ἔτευξαν.
For in all cities the fame of the citizens of Erechtheus dwells, Apollo, who made your wondrous house in divine Pytho.
§7.13ἄγοντι δέ με πέντε μὲν Ἰσθμοῖ §7.14νῖκαι, μία δʼ ἐκπρεπὴς §7.15Διὸς Ὀλυμπιάς, §7.16δύο δʼ ἀπὸ Κίρρας, §7.17ὦ Μεγάκλεες, ὑμαί τε καὶ προγόνων.
And I am led by five victories at the Isthmus, and one outstanding Olympiad of Zeus, and two from Cirrha, O Megacles, yours and those of your ancestors.
§7.18νέα δʼ εὐπραγίᾳ χαίρω τι· τὸ δʼ ἄχνυμαι, §7.19φθόνον ἀμειβόμενον τὰ καλὰ ἔργα.
I rejoice somewhat at this new good fortune, but I am grieved that envy repays beautiful deeds.
§7.20φαντί γε μὰν οὕτω κεν ἀνδρὶ παρμονίμαν §7.21θάλλοισαν εὐδαιμονίαν §7.22τὰ καὶ τὰ φέρεσθαι.
Yet indeed they say that for a man, enduring and flourishing happiness brings both this and that.

Notes

  1. §7.10Ἐρεχθέος ἀστῶν — "Citizens of Erechtheus" is a metonymy for the Athenians. This genitive depends on the noun `λόγος` (fame, rumor), functioning as an objective genitive ("fame concerning the citizens") to denote their renown throughout Greece.
  2. §7.13ἄγοντι — Although it appears to be a dative participle, here it is the Doric 3rd person plural present active indicative verb (equivalent to Attic `ἄγουσι`), with the plural `νῖκαι` as its subject, meaning "(these victories) lead me."
  3. §7.19φθόνον ἀμειβόμενον τὰ καλὰ ἔργα — The middle participle `ἀμειβόμενον` takes `τὰ καλὰ ἔργα` as its object in an accusative-with-participle construction, meaning "beautiful deeds exchanging [themselves for] envy" or "receiving envy in return."

Cite this passage

Pindar, Pythian Odes §7.1-7.22. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0033.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:7.1-7.22

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.