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Bacchylides · Epinician Odes §1.1-1.184

The Myth of Minos in Ceos and Argeius' Victory

Passage 1 of 16 · Greek

Summary

After recounting the myth of King Minos visiting Ceos to wed Dexithea and father Euxantius, the poet praises the lineage of the victor Argeius and reflects on the enduring value of virtue (arete) over mere wealth.

§1.1κλυτοφόρμιγγες Δ̣[ιὸς ὑ- §1.2ψιμέδοντος παρθένοι §1.3¯˘˘Πι]ε̣ρίδες §1.4¯¯]ενυφαι[˘˘¯¯ §1.5¯˘˘]ο̣υς ἵνα κ[¯ §1.6¯¯˘]γαίας Ἰσθμί[ας §1.7¯¯˘]ν, εὐβούλου ν̣[˘¯ §1.8¯˘γαμ]βρὸν Νηρέ[ος §1.9!˘!!˘!¯!] νάσοιό τʼ ἐϋ-
Daughters of Zeus ruling on high, who hold the famous lyre, Maidens of Pieria, ]...[ ]... so that...[ ]... of the Isthmian land[ ]... of wise counsel[ ]... son-in-law of Nereus[ ]... and of the island...
§1.10!!˘!!˘!!] αν, ἔνθ̣[¯˘¯ §1.13ὦ Πέλοπος λιπαρᾶς §1.14νάσου θεόδματοι πύλαι §1.19¯˘¯¯¯˘ὑφʼ ἅρ]μ̣ασιν ἵππους §1.20οἱ δὲ π]έ̣τ̣οντο![˘¯¯ §1.21¯˘¯¯]εσσιν ἀν[δρῶν §1.22¯˘˘¯˘]τον αὐτ[¯ §1.23¯˘¯]ἄλλαισιν[¯¯¯˘¯¯ §1.47˘˘¯¯¯]ν̣ πυκ[ιν¯ §1.48˘˘¯¯]γοὶ κόρ̣[αι §1.49¯˘˘¯]αγορā §1.50¯¯]ο̣ μελίφρονος ὕπ̣[νου §1.51¯˘˘ἁμετ[έραν §1.52¯¯˘ ἀ̣ρ]χ̣α̣ίαν πόλιν §1.53¯¯˘¯¯]γ̣οιμεν οἴ- §1.54κους ἐπʼ]ἀ̣νδ̣ήροις ἁλός §1.55ὑπό τʼ α]ὐ̣γαῖς ἀελι̣ο̣υ §1.72¯˘˘¯]σαγόραι §1.73¯¯Μα]κ̣ελὼ δὲ τ[˘¯¯ §1.74¯˘φιλ]āλάκατος, §1.75¯¯]δʼ ἐπʼ εὐναῆ [πόρον §1.76¯¯]α· προσφώνει τέ νιν §1.77¯˘¯]σαίνουσʼ ὀπί·
]... where[ O god-built gates of Pelops' shining island ]... horses under the chariot[ and they flew...[ ]... of men[ ]... himself[ ]... to other...[ ]... close...[ ]... maidens[ ]... assembly ]... of honey-minded sleep[ ]... our[ ]... ancient city[ ]... let us lead/build houses on the banks of the sea, and under the rays of the sun ]...to -sagoras[ and Makelo...[ ]... loving the distaff, ]... and towards the fair-flowing stream ]... and she addresses him ]... with a coaxing voice: ]...
§1.78˘˘¯¯μ]ὲν στέρομαι §1.79˘˘ἀμ]φάκει δύᾳ §1.80¯˘˘¯π]ενίᾳ §1.81¯¯˘˘¯]!γετ[!] πάμπα[ν §1.82¯˘˘¯˘˘]α̣ς §1.83¯¯˘¯¯¯]ομοι §1.111¯ ˘]αφθε[ ¯ ˘ × ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯ ¯ §1.112!! ς· τριτάτᾳ με[˘ ¯ ¯ §1.113ἁμέρᾳ Μίνως ἀρ[ῇο]ς §1.114ἤλυθεν αἰολοπρύμνοις §1.115ναυσὶ πεντήκοντα σὺν Κρητῶν ὁμίλῳ·
"Indeed, I am reft of ]... by double-edged distress, ]... by poverty, ]... utterly...[ ]...[ ]...[ ]...[...and on the third day warlike Minos came with fifty swift-prowed ships, along with a host of Cretans.
§1.116Διὸς εὐκλείου δὲ ϝέκα- §1.117τι βαθύζωνον κόραν §1.118Δεξιθέαν δάμασεν· §1.119καί ϝοι λίπεν ἥμισυ λαῶν, §1.120ἄνδρας ἀρηϊφίλους, §1.121τοῖσιν πολύκρημνον χθόνα §1.122νείμας ἀποπλ έω ν ᾤχετʼ ἐς §1.123Κνωσὸν ἱμερτὰν πόλιν §1.124βασιλεὺς Εὐρωπιάδας·
And by the will of Zeus, giver of glory, he won the deep-girdled maiden Dexithea; and he left her half of his people, men beloved of Ares, to whom he allotted the craggy land, and sailed away to lovely Knossos, king, son of Europa.
§1.125δεκάτῳ δʼ Εὐξάντιον §1.126μηνὶ τέ]κʼ εὐπλόκ[αμος §1.127νύμφα φερ]εκυδέ[ϊ νάσῳ §1.128¯ ˘ ˘ ¯]πρύτα[νιν
And in the tenth month, the fair-haired bride bore Euxantius on the glorious island, ]...ruler...
]...
§1.138ἄλλα]ξαν θύγατρες §1.139πόλ[ιν ¯ ¯ ¯]ν βαθυδεί- §1.140ελον· [ἐκ τᾶ]ς μὲν γένος §1.141ἔπλε[το καρτε]ρόχειρ §1.142Ἀργεῖος [˘ ¯ ˘] λέοντος §1.143θυμὸ[ν ἔχων], ὁπότε §1.144χρεῖ[ός τι συμ]βολοῖ μάχας, §1.145ποσσί[ν τʼ ἐλα]φρό[ς, π]ατρίων §1.146τʼ οὐκ [ἀπόκλαρος κ]αλῶν, §1.147τόσα Παν[θείδᾳ κλυτό]το- §1.148ξος Ἀπό[λλων ὤπασε]ν, §1.149ἀμφί τʼ ἰατορίᾳ §1.150ξείνων τε φιλάνορι τιμᾷ· §1.151εὖ δὲ λαχὼν Χαρίτων §1.152πολλοῖς τε θαυμασθεὶς βροτᾶν §1.153αἰῶνʼ ἔλυσεν, πέντε παῖ- §1.154δας μεγαινήτους λιπών.
The daughters changed their city for... deep- shadowed; and from her arose the race of strong-handed Argeius, who had the heart of a lion whenever the need of battle confronted him, and was swift of foot, not without portion in his fathers' noble qualities, as many as Apollo of the glorious bow granted to Pantheidas, both in the art of healing and in the hospitable honor toward strangers; and having well obtained his share of the Graces, and being admired by many mortals, he ended his life, leaving five highly praised sons.
§1.155τῶν ἕνα ϝοι Κρονίδας §1.156ὑψίζυγος Ἰσθμιόνικον §1.157θῆκεν ἀντʼ εὐεργεσιᾶν, λιπαρῶν τʼ ἄλ- §1.158λων στεφάνων ἐπίμοιρον.
One of them the son of Cronus ruling on high made an Isthmian victor, in return for his good deeds, and sharer of other glorious crowns.
§1.159φαμὶ καὶ φάσω μέγιστον §1.160κῦδος ἔχειν ἀρετάν, πλοῦ- §1.161τος δὲ καὶ δειλοῖσιν ἀνθρώπων ὁμιλεῖ, §1.162ἐθέλει δʼ αὔξειν φρένας ἀν- §1.163δρός·
I say and will say that virtue holds the greatest glory, whereas wealth associates also with cowardly men, and wishes to inflate the mind of man.
ὁ δʼ εὖ ἔρδων θεοὺς §1.164ἐλπίδι κυδροτέρᾳ §1.165σαίνει κέαρ·
But he who does well to the gods comforts his heart with more glorious hope.
εἰ δʼ ὑγιείας §1.166θνατὸς ἐὼν ἔλαχεν, §1.167ζώειν τʼ ἀπʼ οἰκείων ἔχει, §1.168πρώτοις ἐρίζει·
If being a mortal he has obtained health, and has the means to live from his own possessions, he competes with the first.
παντί τοι §1.169τέρψις ἀνθρώπων βίῳ §1.170ἕπεται νόσφιν γε νόσων §1.171πενίας τʼ ἀμαχάνου.
Truly, delight follows every life of men, at least apart from diseases and helpless poverty.
§1.172ἶσον ὅ τʼ ἀφνεὸς ἱ- §1.173μείρει μεγάλων ὅ τε μείων §1.174παυροτέρων·
The wealthy man desires great things in equal measure as the lesser man desires fewer things.
τὸ δὲ πάν- §1.175των εὐμαρεῖν οὐδὲν γλυκὺ §1.176θνατοῖσιν, ἀλλʼ αἰεὶ τὰ φεύ- §1.177γοντα δίζηνται κιχεῖν.
But to have all things easy is not at all sweet to mortals, rather they always seek to catch what is fleeing.
§1.178ὅντινα κουφόταται §1.179θυμὸν δονέουσι μέριμναι, §1.180ὅσσον ἂν ζώῃ λάχε τόνδε χρόνον τι- §1.181μάν·
He whose heart the lightest anxieties agitate, obtains this honor for as long a time as he may live.
ἀρετὰ δʼ ἐπίμοχθος §1.182μέν, τε]λευταθεῖσα δʼ ὀρθῶς §1.183ἀνδρὶ κ]αὶ εὖτε θάνῃ λεί- §1.184πει πο]λυζήλωτον εὐκλείας ἄγαλμα.
But virtue is indeed laborious, yet when correctly completed it leaves for a man even when he dies a highly enviable monument of glory.

Notes

  1. §1.116Διὸς εὐκλείου δὲ ϝέκατι — Meaning 'by the will of glorious Zeus.' Here εὐκλείου functions as an epithet of Zeus (or as an active epithet meaning 'glory-giving') modifying the genitive ϝέκατι ('by the will of, on account of').
  2. §1.159-1.160μέγιστον κῦδος ἔχειν ἀρετάν — An accusative with infinitive construction in indirect speech. Serving as the object clause of the main verbs φαμὶ καὶ φάσω ('I say and will say'), ἀρετάν is the subject accusative of the infinitive ἔχειν, and μέγιστον κῦδος is its object.
  3. §1.178-1.180ὅντινα κουφόταται θυμὸν δονέουσι μέριμναι — A relative clause introduced by the relative pronoun ὅντινα. The antecedent is implied in the following main clause (starting with ὅσσον...), referring to 'whoever has their heart shaken by the lightest anxieties.' This relative construction contrasts those who fret over transient worldly worries with those who pursue true virtue (arete).

Cite this passage

Bacchylides, Epinician Odes §1.1-1.184. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0199.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.1-1.184

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