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Bacchylides · Epinician Odes §4.1-4.20

Hieron's Third Victory at the Pythian Games

Passage 4 of 16 · Greek

Summary

The poet celebrates Hieron's third victory at the Pythian games, praising Apollo's favor and Hieron's previous great achievements.

§4.1ἔτι Συρακοσίαν φιλεῖ §4.2πόλιν ὁ χρυσοκόμας Ἀπόλλων, §4.3ἀστύθεμίν θʼ Ἱέρωνα γεραίρει· §4.4τρίτον γὰρ παρʼ ὀμφα]λὸν ὑψιδείρου χθονὸς §4.5Πυθιόνικ[ος ἀείδε]ται §4.6ὠκυπόδ[ων ἀρετᾶ] σὺν ἵππων.
Still golden-haired Apollo loves the Syracusan city, and honors Hieron who rules the city with justice; for for the third time by the navel of the high-ridged earth he is sung as Pythian victor with the excellence of his swift-footed horses.
§4.7έ̣[!!!!] ἁδυεπὴς ἀ[να- §4.8ξιφόρ]μιγγος Ουρ[αν]ίας ἀλέκτωρ §4.9!!!!!!]εν· ἀλλʼ ἑκ[όν]τι νόῳ, §4.10!!!!!ο]υς ἐπέσεισ̣εν ὕμνους
[...] The sweet-voiced [...] cock of lyre-ruling Ourania [...]; but with a willing mind [...] poured forth hymns.
§4.11ἔτι δὲ τέ]τρατον εἴ τις ορ- §4.12!!!!!!!]εἵλκε Δίκ]ας τάλαν[τον §4.13Δεινομέν εό ς κʼ ἐγερα[ίρο]μεν υἱόν.
And if still a fourth time someone [...] had inclined the scale of Justice, we would have honored the son of Deinomenes.
§4.14πάρεστίν νιν ἀγχιάλοισ[ι Κρίσ]ας μυχοῖς §4.15μοῦνον ἐπιχθονίων τάδε §4.16μησάμενον στεφάνοις ἐρέπτειν §4.17δύο τʼ Ὀλυμπιονίκας §4.18ἀείδειν.
It is possible, in the coastal recesses of Crisa, for him who alone of mortals accomplished these things to be crowned with wreaths, and as twice Olympic victor to be sung.
τί φέρτερον ἢ θεοῖσιν §4.19φίλον ἐόντα παντο[δα]πῶν §4.20λαγχάνειν ἄπο μοῖρα[ν ἐσ]θλῶν;
What is better than, being dear to the gods, to obtain a portion of all kinds of good things?

Notes

  1. §4.4ὀμφαλὸν ὑψιδείρου χθονὸς — The "navel of the earth" is a traditional expression referring to Delphi. The adjective ὑψιδείρου ("high-necked" or "with high ridges") modifies "earth" (χθών) in a personified manner, implying the steep, mountainous terrain of Delphi.
  2. §4.8Ουρανίας ἀλέκτωρ — The "cock of Ourania (the heavenly Muse)" is a highly creative and bold metaphor referring to the poet himself (or the singer). The "cock" (ἀλέκτωρ) heralds the dawn and symbolizes the leader or initiator of the song.
  3. §4.13εἴ τις ... εἵλκε ... κʼ ἐγεραίρομεν — A conditional construction of past (or present) unreality (irrealis), consisting of the conjunction εἴ with the past indicative (imperfect εἵλκε) in the protasis, and the particle κʼ (κε/ἄν) with the past indicative (imperfect ἐγεραίρομεν) in the apodosis. It refers to an unfulfilled victory: "if someone had inclined [the scales], we would have honored him."
  4. §4.14πάρεστίν νιν ... ἐρέπτειν — The impersonal verb πάρεστι ("it is possible") is followed by an infinitive phrase. While the subject of the infinitive ἐρέπτειν ("to crown") is implied (generally "us"), the accusative pronoun νιν ("him") functions as the direct object of the infinitive.

Cite this passage

Bacchylides, Epinician Odes §4.1-4.20. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0199.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.1-4.20

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