Pindar · Isthmian Odes §7.1-7.51

Thebes' Ancient Glories and Strepsiades' Victory

Passage 7 of 8 · Greek

Summary

The poet recalls the historical and mythological glories of Thebes to celebrate Strepsiades' recent pancratium victory at the Isthmus, alongside the memory of his namesake uncle who fell bravely in battle. He reflects on the transience of life, advising moderation over hubris, and prays to Apollo for a future victory at Pytho.

§7.1τίνι τῶν πάρος, ὦ μάκαιρα Θήβα, §7.2καλῶν ἐπιχωρίων μάλιστα θυμὸν τεὸν §7.3εὔφρανας;

By which of the past native glories, O blessed Thebes, did you most delight your heart?

ἦ ῥα χαλκοκρότου πάρεδρον §7.4Δαμάτερος ἁνίκʼ εὐρυχαίταν §7.5ἄντειλας Διόνυσον;

Was it indeed when you made rise, as the companion of bronze-clashing Demeter, the wide-haired Dionysus?

ἢ χρυσῷ μεσονύκτιον νίφοντα δεξαμένα τὸν φέρτατον θεῶν, §7.6ὁπότʼ Ἀμφιτρύωνος ἐν θυρέτροις §7.7σταθεὶς ἄλοχον μετῆλθεν Ἡρακλείοις γοναῖς;

Or when you received the greatest of the gods in a midnight shower of gold, when standing at the doors of Amphitryon he approached his wife for the birth of Heracles?

§7.8ἢ ὅτʼ ἀμφὶ πυκναῖς Τειρεσίαο βουλαῖς;

Or when you rejoiced in the shrewd counsels of Tiresias?

§7.9ἢ ὅτʼ ἀμφʼ Ἰόλαον ἱππόμητιν;

Or in horse-skilled Iolaus?

§7.10ἢ Σπαρτῶν ἀκαμαντολογχᾶν;

Or in the Spartoi of unwearied spear?

ἢ ὅτε καρτερᾶς Ἄδραστον ἐξ ἀλαλᾶς ἄμπεμψας ὀρφανὸν §7.11μυρίων ἑτάρων ἐς Ἄργος ἵππιον;

Or when you sent Adrastus back from the fierce battle-cry, bereaved of his countless companions, to horse-breeding Argos?

§7.12ἢ Δωρίδʼ ἀποικίαν οὕνεκεν ὀρθῷ §7.13ἔστασας ἐπὶ σφυρῷ §7.14Λακεδαιμονίων, ἕλον δʼ Ἀμύκλας §7.15Αἰγεῖδαι σέθεν ἔκγονοι, μαντεύμασι Πυθίοις;

Or because you established the Dorian colony of Lacedaemonians on a firm footing (on a straight heel), and the Aegidae, your descendants, captured Amyclae according to Pythian oracles?

§7.16ἀλλὰ παλαιὰ γὰρ §7.17εὕδει χάρις, ἀμνάμονες δὲ βροτοί, §7.18ὅ τι μὴ σοφίας ἄωτον ἄκρον §7.19κλυταῖς ἐπέων ῥοαῖσιν ἐξίκηται ζυγέν.

But because ancient favor sleeps, and mortals are forgetful of whatever does not reach the highest flower of wisdom, yoked to the glorious streams of words.

§7.20κώμαζʼ ἔπειτεν ἁδυμελεῖ σὺν ὕμνῳ §7.21καὶ Στρεψιάδᾳ· φέρει γὰρ Ἰσθμοῖ §7.22νίκαν παγκρατίου· σθένει τʼ ἔκπαγλος ἰδεῖν τε μορφάεις· ἄγει τʼ ἀρετὰν οὐκ αἴσχιον φυᾶς.

Celebrate, therefore, with sweet-melodied song also Strepsiades; for he brings at the Isthmus victory in the pancratium; and he is terrible in strength and handsome to look upon; and he guides his virtue in a way not inferior to his natural build.

§7.23φλέγεται δὲ ἰοπλόκοισι Μοίσαις, §7.24μάτρωΐ θʼ ὁμωνύμῳ δέδωκε κοινὸν θάλος, §7.25χάλκασπις ᾧ πότμον μὲν Ἄρης ἔμιξεν, §7.26τιμὰ δʼ ἀγαθοῖσιν ἀντίκειται.

And he is ablaze with the violet-weaving Muses, and has given a shared bloom of glory to his namesake uncle, with whom bronze-shielded Ares mixed his fate, yet honor is laid up in return for the brave.

§7.27ἴστω γὰρ σαφὲς ὅστις ἐν ταύτᾳ νεφέλᾳ χάλαζαν αἵματος πρὸ φίλας πάτρας ἀμύνεται, §7.28λοιγὸν ἄντα φέρων ἐναντίῳ στρατῷ, §7.29ἀστῶν γενεᾷ μέγιστον κλέος αὔξων §7.30ζώων τʼ ἀπὸ καὶ θανών.

For let anyone know clearly who, in this cloud, wards off the hail of blood for his dear fatherland, bearing destruction against the opposing army, increasing the greatest glory for the race of citizens, both while living and when dead.

§7.31τὺ δέ, Διοδότοιο παῖ, μαχατὰν §7.32αἰνέων Μελέαγρον, αἰνέων δὲ καὶ Ἕκτορα §7.33Ἀμφιάρηόν τε, §7.34εὐανθέʼ ἀπέπνευσας ἁλικίαν §7.35προμάχων ἀνʼ ὅμιλον, ἔνθʼ ἄριστοι §7.36ἔσχον πολέμοιο νεῖκος ἐσχάταις ἐλπίσιν.

And you, son of Diodotus, praising the warrior Meleager, and praising Hector and Amphiaraus, did breathe out your flowering youth among the throng of vanguard fighters, where the best men sustained the struggle of war with their ultimate hopes.

§7.37ἔτλαν δὲ πένθος οὐ φατόν· ἀλλὰ νῦν μοι §7.38Γαιάοχος εὐδίαν ὄπασσεν §7.39ἐκ χειμῶνος.

And I endured unspeakable grief; but now to me the Earth-holder has granted calm after the storm.

ἀείσομαι χαίταν στεφάνοισιν ἁρμόσαις.

I shall sing, having fitted my hair with crowns.

ὁ δʼ ἀθανάτων μὴ θρασσέτω φθόνος, §7.40ὅ τι τερπνὸν ἐφάμερον διώκων §7.41ἕκαλος ἔπειμι γῆρας ἔς τε τὸν μόρσιμον §7.42αἰῶνα.

Let not the envy of the immortals disturb me, as, pursuing whatever is pleasant day by day, calmly I proceed toward old age and my destined span of life.

θνᾴσκομεν γὰρ ὁμῶς ἅπαντες· §7.43δαίμων δʼ ἄϊσος·

For we all die alike; but fate is unequal.

τὰ μακρὰ δʼ εἴ τις §7.44παπταίνει, βραχὺς ἐξικέσθαι χαλκόπεδον θεῶν ἕδραν· ὅτι πτερόεις ἔρριψε Πάγασος §7.45δεσπόταν ἐθέλοντʼ ἐς οὐρανοῦ σταθμοὺς §7.46ἐλθεῖν μεθʼ ὁμάγυριν Βελλεροφόνταν §7.47Ζηνός· τὸ δὲ πὰρ δίκαν §7.48γλυκὺ πικροτάτα μένει τελευτά.

And if anyone looks toward things far off, he is too small to reach the bronze-floored seat of the gods; since winged Pegasus threw his master, who wished to go to the dwellings of heaven into the assembly of Zeus, namely Bellerophon; and for that sweetness which is contrary to justice, a most bitter end awaits.

§7.49ἄμμι δʼ, ὦ χρυσέᾳ κόμᾳ θάλλων, πόρε, Λοξία, §7.50τεαῖσιν ἁμίλλαισιν §7.51εὐανθέα καὶ Πυθόϊ στέφανον.

But to us, O Loxias, flourishing with golden hair, grant, in your contests, a flowering crown also at Pytho.

Notes

§7.1τίνι τῶν πάρος ... καλῶν ἐπιχωρίων — The interrogative dative τίνι expresses the cause or means of the verb εὔφρανας ('delighted'). The genitive phrase τῶν πάρος ... καλῶν ἐπιχωρίων is a partitive genitive depending on τίνι, meaning 'by which of the past native glories'.
§7.18ὅ τι μὴ ... ἐξίκηται ζυγέν — ὅ τι μὴ serves as a conditional/restrictive conjunction meaning 'except if' or 'unless', taking the subjunctive ἐξίκηται. The neuter singular nominative participle ζυγέν ('yoked/joined') agrees with the subject ἄωτον ('flower/choicest part').
§7.27ἴστω γὰρ σαφὲς ὅστις ... αὔξων — ἴστω is the third-person singular active imperative of οἶδα ('let him know clearly'). Within the relative clause introduced by ὅστις, there is no finite verb; instead, the participle αὔξων ('increasing') functions as the predicate of the clause in an anacoluthon structure.
§7.44βραχὺς ἐξικέσθαι — The infinitive ἐξικέσθαι is used as an epexegetic (explanatory) infinitive after the adjective βραχὺς ('short/small'), indicating result or limitation: 'too small to reach (the seat of the gods)'.

Cite this passage

Pindar, Isthmian Odes §7.1-7.51. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0033.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:7.1-7.51

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