Humanitext Reader

Bacchylides · Epinician Odes §3.1-3.98

Hieron's Victory and the Myth of Croesus

Passage 3 of 16 · Greek

Summary

The poet invokes Clio to sing of Hieron and his victorious horses at Olympia, praising his generous offerings at Delphi. He then narrates the myth of Croesus, the Lydian king who was saved by Apollo because of his piety, and reflects on human transience, the value of virtue, and the enduring glory that poetry bestows upon Hieron's achievements.

§3.1ἀριστοκάρπου Σικελίας κρέουσαν §3.2Δάματρα ϝιοστέφανόν τε κούραν §3.3ὕμνει, γλυκύδωρε Κλειοῖ, θοάς τʼ Ὀ- §3.4λυμπιοδρόμους Ἱέρωνος ἵππους.
Sing of Demeter ruling over fertile Sicily, and the violet-crowned maiden, sweet-giving Clio, and the swift Olympic-running horses of Hieron.
§3.5σεύον]το γὰρ σὺν ὑπερόχῳ τε Νίκᾳ §3.6σὺν Ἀγ]λαΐᾳ τε παρʼ εὐρυδίναν §3.7Ἀλφ εό ν, τόθι Δ]εινομέν εο ς ἔθηκαν §3.8ὄλβιον [γόνον στεφάνω]ν κυρῆσαι.
For they rushed along with preeminent Victory and Aglaia by the wide-swirling Alpheos, where they caused the blessed offspring of Deinomenes to win crowns.
§3.9θρόησε δὲ λ[αὸς ἀπείρων· §3.10ἆ τρισευδαίμ[ων ἀνήρ, §3.11ὃ παρὰ Ζηνὸς λαχὼν §3.12πλείσταρχον Ἑλλάνων γέρας §3.13οἶδε πυργωθέντα πλοῦτον μὴ μελαμ- §3.14φαρέϊ κρύπτειν σκότῳ. §3.15βρύει μὲν ἱερὰ βουθύτοις ἑορταῖς, §3.16βρύουσι φιλοξενίας ἀγυιαί·
And the boundless crowd shouted: "Ah, thrice-blessed man, who, having obtained from Zeus the widest-ruling privilege of the Greeks, knows how not to hide his towering wealth in black- cloaked darkness." The sacred temples teem with cattle-slaying feasts, and the streets teem with hospitality.
§3.17λάμπει δʼ ὑπὸ μαρμαρυγαῖς ὁ χρυσὸς §3.18ὑψιδαιδάλτων τριπόδων σταθέντων §3.19πάροιθε ναοῦ, τόθι μέγιστον ἄλσος §3.20Φοίβου παρὰ Κασταλίας ῥεέθροις §3.21Δελφοὶ διέπουσι.
And the gold shines under the glitter of high-artistic tripods set up before the temple, where the greatest grove of Phoebus by Castalia's streams the Delphians tend.
θεόν, θεόν τις §3.22ἀγλαϊζέτ ω, ὁ γὰρ ἄριστος ὄλβων.
Let someone glorify the god, the god; for he is the best of fortunes.
§3.23ἐπεί ποτε καὶ δαμασίππου §3.24Λυδίας ἀρχαγέταν, §3.25εὖτε τὰν πεπ[ρωμέναν §3.26Ζηνὸς τελε[ιοῦσαι κρίσιν §3.27Σάρδιες Περσᾶ[ν ἐπορθεῦντο στρ]ατῷ, §3.28Κροῖσον ὁ χρυσά[ορος §3.29φύλαξʼ Ἀπόλλων.
Since once even the leader of horse-taming Lydia, when the destined judgment of Zeus was being fulfilled and Sardis was plundered by the army of the Persians, golden-sworded Apollo protected Croesus.
[ὁ δʼ ἐς ἄ]ελπτον ἆμαρ §3.30μολὼν πολυδ[άκρυον] οὐκ ἔμελλε §3.31μίμνειν ἔτι δ[ουλοσύ]ναν· πυρὰν δὲ §3.32χαλκοτειχέος π[ροπάροι]θεν αὐ[λᾶς §3.33ναήσατʼ, ἔνθα σὺ[ν ἀλόχῳ] τε κεδνᾷ §3.34σὺν εὐπλοκάμοις τʼ ἐπέβαινʼ ἄλα[στον §3.35θυγατράσι δυρομέναις·
And he, having come to an unhoped-for day, was not going to wait any longer for tearful slavery; but before his bronze-walled court he piled up a pyre, where along with his trusty wife and his fair-haired daughters wailing inconsolably, he ascended.
χέρας δʼ ἐς §3.36αἰπὺν αἰθέρα σφετέρας ἀείρας §3.37γέγω]νεν· ὑπέρβιε δαῖμον, §3.38ποῦ θεῶν ἐστιν χάρις;
And raising his hands to the high ether, he cried aloud: 'Overbearing divinity, where is the gratitude of the gods?
§3.39ποῦ δὲ Λατοίδας ἄναξ;
Where is the lord, son of Leto?
§3.40πίτνουσ]ιν Ἀλυάττα δόμοι, §3.41¯˘¯×¯˘¯×] μυρίων §3.42¯˘¯×¯˘¯]ν; §3.43ׯ˘˘×˘˘˘¯˘]ν ἄστυ, §3.44φοινίσσεται αἵματι χρυσο]δίνας §3.45Πακτωλός· ἀεικελίως γυναῖκες §3.46ἐξ ἐϋκτίτων μεγάρων ἄγονται· §3.47τὰ πρόσθε δʼ ἐχθρὰ φίλα· θανεῖν γλύκιστον. §3.48τόσʼ εἶπε, καὶ ἁβροβάταν κέλευσεν §3.49ἅπτειν ξύλινον δόμον.
The house of Alyattes falls, [lacuna] of myriad [lacuna] [lacuna] city, is reddened with blood, the gold- swirling Pactolus; shamefully the women are led away from well-built halls; what was previously hateful is now dear; to die is sweetest." He spoke so much, and ordered the delicately-stepping servant to kindle the wooden structure.
ἔ[κλαγ]ον δὲ §3.50παρθένοι, φίλας τʼ ἀνὰ ματρὶ χεῖρας §3.51ἔβαλλον· ὁ γὰρ προφανὴς θνα- §3.52τοῖσιν ἔχθιστος φόνων·
And the maidens shrieked, and threw their hands to their dear mother; for death that is manifest before the eyes is most hateful to mortals.
§3.53ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ δεινοῦ πυρὸς §3.54λαμπρὸν διάϊ[σσεν μέ]νος, §3.55Ζεὺς ἐπιστάσα[ς μελαγκευ]θὲς νέφος §3.56σβέννυεν ξανθὰ[ν φλόγα.
But when the bright force of the terrible fire rushed through, Zeus, bringing over a dark-shrouded cloud, extinguished the golden flame.
§3.57ἄπιστον οὐδέν, ὅ τι θ[εῶν μέ]ριμνα §3.58τεύχει·
Nothing is unbelievable that the care of the gods brings to pass.
τότε Δαλογενὴς Ἀπόλλων §3.59φέρων ἐς Ὑπερβορέους γέροντα §3.60σὺν τανισφύροις κατένασσε κούραις §3.61δι’ εὐσέβειαν, ὅτι μέγιστα θνατῶν. §3.62ἐς ἀγαθέαν ἀνέπεμψε Πυθώ.
Then Delos-born Apollo, carrying the old man to the Hyperboreans, settled him along with his slender-ankled daughters, because of his piety, because he sent the greatest gifts of mortals to sacred Pytho.
§3.63ὅσοι γε μὲν Ἑλλάδʼ ἔχουσιν, οὔτι[ς, §3.64ὦ μεγαίνητε Ἱέρων, θελήσει §3.65φάμ]εν σέο πλείονα χρυσὸν §3.66Λοξί]ᾳ πέμψαι βροτῶν.
But of those who hold Greece, no one, O greatly praised Hieron, will wish to say that any of mortals has sent more gold to Loxias than you.
§3.67εὖ λέγ]ειν πάρεστιν, ὅσ- §3.68τις μὴ φθόνῳ πιαίνεται, §3.69θεοφι]λῆ φίλιππον ἄνδρʼ ἀρήϊον, §3.70τεθμ]ίου σκᾶπτρον Διὸς §3.71ἰοπλό]κων τε μέρο[ς ἔχοντ]α Μουσᾶν·
It is easy to praise well— whoever is not fattened on envy— the god-loved, horse-loving, warlike man, who holds the sceptre of law-giving Zeus and has a share of the violet-tressed Muses.
§3.72ὡς δʼ ἐν] Μαλέᾳ ποτέ, [χεῖμα δαί]μων §3.73ἐπʼ ἔθ]νος ἐφάμερον α[ἶψʼ ἵησι.
But as once at Malea, a god swiftly sends a storm upon the ephemeral race.
§3.74καίρι]α σκοπεῖς· βραχ[ὺς ἄμμιν αἰών· §3.75δολό]εσσα δʼ ἐλπὶς ὑπ[ὸ κέαρ δέδυκεν §3.76ἐφαμ]ερίων·
You look to what is opportune; short is our span of life; and deceitful hope creeps under the heart of short-lived mortals.
ὁ δʼ ἄναξ [Ἀπόλλων §3.77ὁ βουκό]λος εἶπε Φέρη[τος υἷι· §3.78θνατὸν εὖντα χρὴ διδύμους ἀέξειν §3.79γνώμας, ὅτι τʼ αὔριον ὄψ εα ι §3.80μοῦνον ἁλίου φάος, §3.81χὥτι πεντήκοντʼ ἔτ εα §3.82ζωὰν βαθύπλουτον τελεῖς.
And the lord Apollo, the herdsman, said to the son of Pheres: 'Being mortal, you must cherish two thoughts: both that tomorrow you will see for the last time the light of the sun, and that for fifty years you will complete a deeply wealthy life.
§3.83ὅσια δρῶν εὔφραινε θυμόν· τοῦτο γὰρ §3.84κερδέων ὑπέρτατον. §3.85φρον έο ντι συνετὰ γαρύω·
Performing holy deeds, gladden your heart; for this is the highest of gains.' I speak to one who understands.
βαθὺς μὲν §3.86αἰθὴρ ἀμίαντος· ὕδωρ δὲ πόντου §3.87οὐ σάπεται· εὐφροσύνα δʼ ὁ χρυσός·
The deep ether is undefiled; the water of the sea does not decay; and gold is joy.
§3.88ἀνδρὶ δʼ οὐ θέμις, πολιὸν π[αρ]έντα §3.889γῆρας, θάλειαν αὖτις ἀγκομίσσαι §3.90ἥβαν.
But for a man it is not permitted, once grey old age has passed, to regain blooming youth.
ἀρετᾶ[ς γε μ]ὲν οὐ μινύθει §3.91βροτῶν ἅμα σ[ώμα]τι φέγγος, ἀλλὰ §3.92Μοῦσά νιν τρ[έφει].
Yet the light of virtue of mortals does not diminish along with the body, but the Muse nurtures it.
Ἱέρων, σὺ δʼ ὄλβου §3.93κάλλιστʼ ἐπεδ[είξ]αο θνατοῖς §3.94ἄνθεα·
Hieron, you have displayed to mortals the fairest flowers of wealth.
πράξα[ντι] δʼ εὖ §3.95οὐ φέρει κόσμον σιω- §3.96πά·
For one who has fared well, silence brings no adornment.
σὺν δʼ ἀλαθείᾳ καλῶν §3.97καὶ μελιγλώσσου τις ὑμνήσει χάριν §3.98Κηΐας ἀηδόνος.
And along with the truth of noble deeds, someone will also sing of the grace of the sweet-tongued Kean nightingale.

Notes

  1. §3.3ὕμνει — The traditional programmatic invocation of the Muse (Clio) at the beginning of the victory ode, transitioning the focus from the local Kean context of the previous strophe to Hieron's Sicilian domain.
  2. §3.13μὴ ... κρύπτειν — Infinitive construction dependent on the verb οἶδε ("knows how to"), using the subjective negative μὴ instead of the objective οὐ, which emphasizes the conscious, intelligent choice of not hiding his wealth.
  3. §3.22ὁ γὰρ ἄριστος ὄλβων — The pronoun ὁ can be interpreted either as referring to the act of glorifying the god ("for this is the best of fortunes") or to the god himself ("for he is the best of blessings"). The translation adopts the latter interpretation, emphasizing the deity as the ultimate source of prosperity.
  4. §3.48ἁβροβάταν — Literally "soft-stepping" or "delicate-walking." It is used here to refer to an oriental (Lydian) court eunuch or luxury attendant, evoking the opulent and exotic setting of Croesus's court.
  5. §3.78διδύμους ... γνώμας — The "two thoughts" bestowed by Apollo upon Admetus. One recognizes the immediacy of death ("you might die tomorrow"), while the other plans for a long life ("you might live for fifty years"). This dual awareness guides a mortal to live both piously and joyfully without despairing over transience (§3.83-3.84).
  6. §3.85φρονέοντι συνετὰ γαρύω — The dative present participle φρονέοντι functions as an indirect object ("I speak to one who understands"). Similar to Pindar's famous phrase "vocal to the wise" (φωνᾶντα συνετοῖσιν), it signals that Bacchylides is addressing an recipient (Hieron) capable of understanding the deeper truths of human mortality and the immortality of virtue beyond mere material wealth.

Cite this passage

Bacchylides, Epinician Odes §3.1-3.98. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0199.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.1-3.98

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