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Pindar · Nemean Odes §11.1-11.48

Installation of Aristagoras and Prayer to Hestia

Passage 11 of 11 · Greek

Summary

The poet commends Aristagoras and the island of Tenedos to the protection of Hestia upon his entry into the prytaneum, emphasizing the transience of human glory and the necessity of moderation. He praises Aristagoras' noble lineage and illustrates how ancestral virtues manifest cyclically like the seasons.

§11.1παῖ Ῥέας, ἅ τε πρυτανεῖα λέλογχας,Ἑστία, §11.2Ζηνὸς ὑψίστου κασιγνήτα καὶ ὁμοθρόνου Ἥρας, §11.3εὖ μὲν Ἀρισταγόραν δέξαι τεὸν ἐς θάλαμον, §11.4. εὖ δʼ ἑταίρους ἀγλαῷ σκάπτῳ πέλας, §11.5οἵ σε γεραίροντες ὀρθὰν φυλάσσοισιν Τένεδον, §11.6πολλὰ μὲν λοιβαῖσιν ἀγαζόμενοι πρώταν θεῶν, §11.7πολλὰ δὲ κνίσσᾳ· λύρα δέ σφι βρέμεται καὶ ἀοιδά· §11.8καὶ ξενίου Διὸς ἀσκεῖται Θέμις ἀενάοις
Hestia, child of Rhea, who hast by lot the prytaneia, sister of highest Zeus and of Hera who shares her throne, graciously receive Aristagoras into your chamber, and graciously also his companions near your splendid sceptre, who, honoring you, keep Tenedos upright, often worshiping you with libations as the first of the gods, and often with the savor of burnt sacrifice; and for them the lyre resounds and song; and the justice of Zeus Xenios is practiced on ever-flowing tables.
§11.9ἐν τραπέζαις. ἀλλὰ σὺν δόξᾳ τέλος §11.10δωδεκάμηνον περᾶσαι σὺν ἀτρώτῳ κραδίᾳ, §11.11ἄνδρα δʼ ἐγὼ μακαρίζω μὲν πατέρʼ Ἁγησίλαν, §11.12καὶ τὸ θαητὸν δέμας ἀτρεμίαν τε ξύγγονον.
But may he grant him to pass with glory his twelve-month term with unhurt heart, Indeed I pronounce the man blessed, and his father Hagesilas, and his wondrous body and his inborn steadfastness.
§11.13εἰ δέ τις ὄλβον ἔχων μορφᾷ παραμεύσεται ἄλλους, §11.14ἔν τʼ ἀέθλοισιν ἀριστεύων ἐπέδειξεν βίαν, §11.15θνατὰ μεμνάσθω περιστέλλων μέλη, §11.16καὶ τελευτὰν ἁπάντων γᾶν ἐπιεσσόμενος· §11.17ἐν λόγοις δʼ ἀστῶν ἀγαθοῖσί νιν αἰνεῖσθαι χρεών, §11.18καὶ μελιγδούποισι δαιδαλθέντα μελιζέμεν ἀοιδαῖς.
But if anyone possessing wealth surpasses others in beauty, and excelling in contests has displayed his strength, let him remember that he clothes mortal limbs, and that at the end of all things he will be clothed in earth; Yet in the good words of the citizens he must be praised, and adorned with honey-sounding songs, he must be sung.
§11.19ἐκ δὲ περικτιόνων ἑκκαίδεκʼ Ἀρισταγόραν §11.20ἀγλααὶ νῖκαι πάτραν τʼ εὐώνυμον §11.21ἐστεφάνωσαν πάλᾳ καὶ μεγαυχεῖ παγκρατίῳ.
And from the neighboring peoples, sixteen bright victories have crowned Aristagoras and his famous fatherland, in wrestling and the high-boasting pancratium.
§11.22ἐλπίδες δʼ ὀκνηρότεραι γονέων παιδὸς βίαν §11.23ἔσχον ἐν Πυθῶνι πειρᾶσθαι καὶ Ὀλυμπίᾳ ἄθλων.
But the too hesitant hopes of his parents held back the strength of their son from making trial of the contests at Pytho and Olympia.
§11.24ναὶ μὰ γὰρ ὅρκον, ἐμὰν δόξαν παρὰ Κασταλίᾳ §11.25καὶ παρʼ εὐδένδρῳ μολὼν ὄχθῳ Κρόνου §11.26κάλλιον ἂν δηριώντων ἐνόστησʼ ἀντιπάλων, §11.27πενταετηρίδʼ ἑορτὰν Ἡρακλέος τέθμιον §11.28κωμάσαις ἀνδησάμενός τε κόμαν ἐν πορφυρέοις §11.29ἔρνεσιν.
For indeed, by my oath, in my judgment, if he had gone to Castalia and to the well-wooded hill of Cronus, he would have returned more gloriously than his contending rivals, having celebrated in revel the quadrennial festival, the ordinance of Heracles, and having bound his hair with purple leaves.
ἀλλὰ βροτῶν τὸν μὲν κενεόφρονες αὖχαι §11.30ἐξ ἀγαθῶν ἔβαλον· τὸν δʼ αὖ καταμεμφθέντʼ ἄγαν §11.31ἰσχὺν οἰκείων παρέσφαλεν καλῶν §11.32χειρὸς ἕλκων ὀπίσσω θυμὸς ἄτολμος ἐών.
But of mortals, one man is cast down from good things by empty-minded boastings, while another, because he undervalues too much his own strength, is tripped up from his own potential honors, an unventurous spirit dragging him back by the hand.
§11.33συμβαλεῖν μὰν εὐμαρὲς ἦν τό τε Πεισάνδρου πάλαι §11.34αἷμʼ ἀπὸ Σπάρτας· Ἀμύκλαθεν γὰρ ἔβα σὺν Ὀρέστᾳ, §11.35Αἰολέων στρατιὰν χαλκεντέα δεῦρʼ ἀνάγων· §11.36καὶ παρʼ Ἰσμηνοῦ ῥοὰν κεκραμένον §11.37ἐκ Μελανίπποιο μάτρωος.
And indeed it was easy to trace the blood of Peisandrus of old from Sparta; for he came from Amyclae with Orestes, leading hither the bronze-armored host of Aeolians; and also the blood mingled from the stream of Ismenus, from his maternal ancestor Melanippus.
ἀρχαῖαι δʼ ἀρεταὶ §11.38ἀμφέροντʼ ἀλλασσόμεναι γενεαῖς ἀνδρῶν σθένος·
But ancient virtues bring back their strength in alternating generations of men.
§11.39ἐν σχερῷ δʼ οὔτʼ ὦν μέλαιναι καρπὸν ἔδωκαν ἄρουραι, §11.40δένδρεά τʼ οὐκ ἐθέλει πάσαις ἐτέων περόδοις §11.41ἄνθος εὐῶδες φέρειν πλούτῳ ἴσον, §11.42ἀλλʼ ἐν ἀμείβοντι.
For neither do the black fields yield fruit continuously, nor do trees wish, in all the cycles of years, to bear their fragrant blossom equal in wealth, but rather in alternation.
καὶ θνατὸν οὕτως ἔθνος ἄγει §11.43μοῖρα.
And thus does fate lead the mortal race.
τὸ δʼ ἐκ Διὸς ἀνθρώποις σαφὲς οὐχ ἕπεται §11.44τέκμαρ· ἀλλʼ ἔμπαν μεγαλανορίαις ἐμβαίνομεν, §11.45ἔργα τε πολλὰ μενοινῶντες· δέδεται γὰρ ἀναιδεῖ §11.46ἐλπίδι γυῖα· προμαθείας δʼ ἀπόκεινται ῥοαί.
The sign from Zeus does not accompany men with clarity; yet nevertheless we embark upon grand prides, longing for many deeds; for our limbs are bound by shameless hope; and the streams of foresight lie far away.
§11.47κερδέων δὲ χρὴ μέτρον θηρευέμεν· §11.48ἀπροσίκτων δʼ ἐρώτων ὀξύτεραι μανίαι.
But one must hunt for the measure of gains; and the madnesses for unattainable loves are too sharp.

Notes

  1. §11.1ἅ τε πρυτανεῖα λέλογχας — πρυτανεῖα (neuter plural accusative) acts as the direct object of the verb λέλογχας (perfect 2nd person singular of λαγχάνω, 'allot'). The phrase specifies Hestia's domain of presidency over the town-hall.
  2. §11.5ὀρθὰν φυλάσσοισιν — The adjective ὀρθὰν (feminine singular accusative) is used predicatively with the object Τένεδον, meaning 'keep Tenedos upright' or 'preserve Tenedos in safety'.
  3. §11.9περᾶσαι — The aorist active infinitive περᾶσαι ('to complete' or 'to pass through') functions as an infinitive of wish (imperative-like), or depends on an implied verb of granting like δός.
  4. §11.15θνατὰ μεμνάσθω περιστέλλων μέλη — The perfect imperative μεμνάσθω ('let him remember'), when paired with the participle περιστέλλων ('clothing'), forms a supplementary participle construction meaning 'let him remember that he clothes mortal limbs'.
  5. §11.24κάλλιον ἂν δηριώντων ἐνόστησʼ ἀντιπάλων — This is a counterfactual apodosis formed by the particle ἄν with the aorist indicative ἐνόστησε ('he would have returned'). The protasis is implied in the participle μολών ('having gone / if he had gone') in line 25. δηριώντων ἀντιπάλων is a genitive of comparison.
  6. §11.30παρέσφαλεν καλῶν — The verb παρέσφαλεν ('tripped up' or 'caused to slip', with θυμός as subject) governs the accusative object τὸν ... καταμεμφθέντα, and takes the genitive οἰκείων καλῶν as a genitive of separation ('tripped up from his own potential honors').

Cite this passage

Pindar, Nemean Odes §11.1-11.48. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0033.tlg003.humanitext-grc2:11.1-11.48

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