Bacchylides · Epinician Odes §6.1-6.16

Lachon's Victory in the Olympic Stade Race

Passage 7 of 16 · Greek

Summary

The poet celebrates the victory of Lachon of Ceos in the stade race at the Olympic Games, praising both the victor and the athletic glory of his home island.

§6.1Λάχων Διὸς μεγίστου §6.2λάχε φέρτατον πόδεσσι §6.3κῦδος ἐπʼ Ἀλφ εοῦ προχοαῖσ[ι νικῶν, §6.4διʼ ὅσσα πάροιθεν §6.5ἀμπελοτρόφον Κέον §6.6ἄεισάν ποτʼ Ὀλυμπίᾳ §6.7πύξ τε καὶ στάδιον κρατεῦ- §6.8σαν] στεφάνοις ἐθείρας §6.9νεανίαι βρύοντες.

Lachon, of greatest Zeus obtained by his feet the greatest glory, winning at the outpourings of Alpheus, because of which things formerly vine-nourishing Ceos they once sang of at Olympia, as conquering in boxing and the stade race, young men, abounding in wreaths on their hair.

§6.10σὲ δὲ νῦν ἀναξιμόλπου §6.11Οὐρανίας ὕμνος ἕκατι νίκ[ας §6.12Ἀριστομένειον §6.13ὦ ποδάνεμον τέκος, §6.14γεραίρει προδόμοις ἀοι- §6.15δαῖς, ὅτι στάδιον κρατή- §6.16σας Κέον εὐκλέϊξας.

But you now, the hymn of Urania, queen of song, on account of victory, O Aristomenes' wind-swift child, honors with songs before your house, because, having conquered in the stade race, you have made Ceos famous.

Notes

6.2Λάχων ... λάχε — A deliberate etymological play (paronomasia) on the victor's name Λάχων (meaning 'fortunate one') and the aorist verb λάχε (from λαγχάνω, 'obtained by lot' or 'won').
6.4διʼ ὅσσα — The neuter plural relative pronoun ὅσσα (= ὅσα) functions adverbially to mean 'because of which things,' taking the general sense of the preceding victory or the glory (κῦδος) implied in the previous sentence as its antecedent.
6.7κρατεῦσαν — This reconstructed feminine accusative singular present participle modifies the island's name Κέον (Ceos, §6.5), which is a feminine noun. Through the victories of its athletes, the island itself is personified as 'conquering.'
6.14προδόμοις — The dative plural feminine form of the adjective πρόδομος ('before the house' or 'in the vestibule'), modifying ἀοιδαῖς ('songs'). It indicates the performance context of the victory ode, which was sung by a chorus at the entrance or courtyard of the victor's home.

Cite this passage

Bacchylides, Epinician Odes §6.1-6.16. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0199.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.1-6.16

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