The Extant Odes of Pindar: Translated with Introduction and Short Notes by Ernest Myers
1874
The Extant Odes of Pindar: Translated with Introduction and Short Notes by Ernest Myers
1874
Translated by Ernest Myers
The Extant Odes of Pindar, translated by Ernest Myers and first published in 1874, is a collection of ancient Greek odes from the 5th century BC. These odes celebrate athletic victories, particularly at the Olympic Games, while exploring themes of morality, human existence, and the divine. Pindar, regarded as one of the greatest Greek lyric poets, is known for his complex and allusive style, which reflects the ideals of Greek culture and mythology. This translation includes an introduction that provides historical context and insights into the challenges of interpreting Pindar's work.
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“Creatures of a day. What is someone? What is no one? Man is the dream of a shadow.””
— Pindar
“Creatures of a day! What is man?””
— Pindar
“But in one short span of time winds quickly shift direction, veering back and forth.””
— Pindar
“If a man is born for success, another may with a god’s help 20 sharpen his edge and drive him towards prodigious feats of glory; and without exertion few have won joy, which is a radiance in men’s lives beyond all deeds.””
— Pindar
“Leave your sacred cave, son of Philyra, and marvel at the spirit and great strength of this woman; look at what a struggle she is engaged in, with a fearless head, this young girl with a heart more than equal to any toil; her mind is not shaken with the cold wind of fear. From what mortal was she born? From what stock has this cutting been taken, that she should be living in the hollows of the shady mountains and putting to the test her boundless valor? Is it lawful to lay my renowned hand on her? And to cut the honey-sweet grass of her bed?”-Pythian 9For Telesicrates of Cyrene Hoplite Race””
— Pindar
“Men’s pleasure swells in a brief space of time, and likewise falls to the ground, shaken by an adverse judgement.””
— Pindar
“To whom and in what cases are translations of poets useful? To a perfect scholar in the original tongue they are superfluous, to one wholly ignorant of it they are apt to be (unless here and there to a Keats) meaningless, flat, and puzzling. There remains the third class of those who have a certain amount of knowledge of a language, but not enough to enable them to read unassisted its more difficult books without an expenditure of time and trouble which is virtually prohibitive. It is to this class that a translation ought, it would seem, chiefly to address itself. An intelligent person of cultivated literary taste, and able to read the easier books in an acquired language, will feel himself indebted to a hand which unlocks for him the inner chambers of a temple in whose outer courts he had already delighted to wander.””
— Pindar
About The Extant Odes of Pindar: Translated with Introduction and Short Notes by Ernest Myers
Chapter Summaries
- Introduction
- Myers discusses Pindar's difficulty and obscurity, the purpose of translation, and Pindar's historical significance. He defends the continued study of Greek literature and places Pindar in the context of 5th century BC Greek culture.
- Olympian I
- The most famous of Pindar's odes, celebrating water and gold as supreme, then the Olympic games. It retells the myth of Pelops, correcting impious versions of the story.
- Olympian II
- Celebrates Theron's victory while exploring themes of divine justice and the afterlife. Contains Pindar's most detailed description of the fate of souls after death.
Key Themes
- Divine Favor and Human Excellence
- Pindar consistently emphasizes that athletic victory comes through divine blessing combined with human effort. Success in the games reflects both natural talent and the gods' approval.
- The Power of Poetry and Memory
- The odes themselves become monuments more lasting than stone, preserving the glory of victors for posterity. Pindar frequently reflects on poetry's ability to confer immortality.
- Aristocratic Values and Social Order
- The poems celebrate noble birth, wealth used wisely, and traditional virtues. Pindar advocates for aristocratic leadership while condemning tyranny and mob rule.
Characters
- Pindar(protagonist)
- The ancient Greek lyric poet (c. 522-443 BC) whose victory odes (epinikia) are collected in this volume. Born near Thebes, he was considered one of the greatest poets of antiquity.
- Ernest Myers(major)
- The translator and scholar who rendered Pindar's odes into English in 1874. Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford, he provides extensive introduction and notes.
- Hieron of Syracuse(major)
- Powerful tyrant of Syracuse who won multiple victories in chariot and horse races. Several odes celebrate his triumphs, including Olympian I and Pythian I.
- Theron of Akragas(major)
- Tyrant of Akragas (modern Agrigento) celebrated in Olympian II and III for his chariot victory. Member of the Emmenidai family.
- Arkesilas of Kyrene(major)
- King of the Greek colony Kyrene in Libya, winner of chariot races celebrated in Pythian IV and V. Connected to the legendary Argonauts through ancestry.
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Pindar. The Extant Odes of Pindar: Translated with Introduction and Short Notes by Ernest Myers. Lex, lex-books.com/book/the-extant-odes-of-pindar-translated-with-introduction-and-short-notes-by-ernest-f13e170f-b578-41c8-9eda-a0f487edd6c9.Pindar (1874). The Extant Odes of Pindar: Translated with Introduction and Short Notes by Ernest Myers. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-extant-odes-of-pindar-translated-with-introduction-and-short-notes-by-ernest-f13e170f-b578-41c8-9eda-a0f487edd6c9Pindar. The Extant Odes of Pindar: Translated with Introduction and Short Notes by Ernest Myers. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-extant-odes-of-pindar-translated-with-introduction-and-short-notes-by-ernest-f13e170f-b578-41c8-9eda-a0f487edd6c9.
