NEMEA IV. ON THE VICTORY OF TIMASARCHOS OF AEGINA IN THE BOYS' WRESTLING MATCH. INTRODUCTION. TIMASARCHOS, son of Timokritos, a harper (v. 14), of the family or clan of the Theandridae, was victorious in the boys' wrestling match at Thebes in the Hêrakleia, at Athens in the Panathênaea and at Nemea. The last victory was won B.C. 461, Ol. 79. 3, or a little earlier. The ode was most likely processional, as it is monostrophic. It was probably sung before a banquet as a πрокáμiov (v. 11). The theme of the ode is the power of song to extend a victor's fame through time and space. The distant centres of Eacid sovereignty, Dodona, Phthia, Leuke, Cyprus, and even the shores of Acheron, are centres of fame for the Barilevσw loodaíμwv Timâsarchos. From stanza 4 to stanza 9, the central portion of the ode, is mythical, though from v. 30 to v. 45 there is a break which chiefly concerns the victor. The rest celebrates the triumphs and sway of Eacid heroes. There are some significant echoes: πeπρwμév- vv. 43, 61 (see note on v. 61), and υυ. 83, 84 ὕμνος... έργμάτων recalls ῥῆμα δ ̓ ἑργμάτων κ.τ.λ. υ. 6. See also v. 16 note. There is one reinforced tautometric echo which seems significant, emphasising the friendship between Aegina and Thebes, namely νυ. 45, 46 πεφιλημένον | Οινώνᾳ and v. 22 Αἰγίνας ἕκατι. φίλοισι γὰρ φίλος ἐλθών. The rest are either superduous or without poetic significance. θέμεν υυ. 81, 9, ῥήματα ν. 94, ῥῆμα υ. 6 (also γλῶσσαν υ. 86), Εὐ- υυ. 89, 49, καὶ νν. 26, 18, -πτολεμ- ν. 51, πολεμ- ν. 27, έχ- ν. 36, 76, eû v. 43, ev- v. 19, кe vv. 7, 15, -w- vv. 87, 47, où v. 28, oű- v. 20, où- v. 4, ποτὶ υ. 70, ποδὶ ν. 54, ἔν- ν. 46, ἐν ν. 38, ἐξοχώτατα υ. 92, ἔξοχοι κατά- υ. 52, -ev v. 77, ev- v. 5. The compounds which seem to have been coined for this ode are ἀπειρομάχας, ἀεξίγυιος, κελαδῆτις, and common to Aeschylus and Pindar are ἰσοδαίμων and παγκρατής (also used three times in the newly found Bacchylides). The mode is Lydo-Æolian. The metre is logaœdic. Verses 1-4 of the strophe consist of six 2nd Pherecratics (4) evenly disposed about a second Glyconic (G2) in an antithetic mesodic period. Verses 5-8 are apparently unsymmetrical, though two symmetrical periods or one antithetic mesodic epodic period can be assumed. ~||~|-~~~ |- ^ ] -- 2: A.A. 4. 13: 2 51 > G2.A. 1-01- 51 4 5 10-12 31 31 ་ ང་ 31 >; G1 (or 5). 8 ≥: ~~~|-~|- ~ | - ? - ] vv. ANALYSIS. 1-8. Feasting and song are the best recompense for severe struggles. 13-24. Had Timokritos been alive he would have played the lyre on the occasions of his son's victories at Nemea, Athens and Thebes. 25-30. Telamon's exploits as Hêrakles' comrade. 30-32. Achievements entail suffering. 33-43. The poet checks himself and bids the victor strive boldly against calumnies. Στρ. α'. 1 Αριστος εὐφροσύνα πόνων κεκριμένων 2 ἰατρός· αἱ δὲ σοφαὶ 3 Μοισάν θύγατρες ἀοιδαὶ θέλξαν νιν ἁπτόμεναι. 4 οὐδὲ θερμὸν ὕδωρ τόσον γε μαλθακὰ τέγξει 5 5 γυῖα, τόσσον εὐλογία φόρμιγγι συνάορος. 6 ῥῆμα δ' έργμάτων χρονιώτερον βιοτεύει, 1 εὐφροσύνα • Good cheer, cf. P. 4. 129, I. 3. 10. κεκριμένων 'When a painful struggle is decided,' cf. O. 3. 21, N. 10. 23 ἀέθλων κρίσιν, Ο. 7. 80 κρίσις ἀμφ' ἀέθλοις; or when labors have won a favorable verdict' (or 'distinction'), cf. I. 4. 11, N. 7. 7. Bacchyl. 11. 4 ft. (of Nika) ἐν πολυχρύσῳ δ ̓ ὀλύμπῳ | Ζηνὶ παρισταμένα | κρίνεις τέλος ἀθανάτοισίν τε καὶ θνα τοῖς ἀρετᾶς. Don. explains the Schol. κρίσιν λαβόντων καὶ συντελεσθέντων, • brought to a determination. Perhaps the name Τιμόκριτος suggested the phrase. 2 ιατρός For the order cf. Ο. and P. p. xxv. For the phrase cf. Aesch. Choeph. 698 νῦν δ', ἵπερ ἐν δόμοισι βακχείας καλῆς | ἰατρὸς ἐλπὶς ἦν, παροῦσαν ἐγγράφει. σοφαί There seems to be a double allusion, to skill in leechcraft and skill in poetry, in this instance. 3 θύγατρες αοιδαί Cf. N. 3. 1. Songs are elements of εὐφροσύνα. θέλξαν Not produce by spells L. and S., but with the Schol. 'soothe.' νιν ‘Him, the victor, implied in πόν. κεκρ., cf. Ν. 8. 21-23. Don. Paley. Mommsen however [comparing P. 3. 63 καί τί fοι (Χείρωνι) | φίλτρον ἐν θυμῷ μελιγάρνες ὕμνοι | ἁμέτεροι τίθεν] and Mezger explain νιν = εὐφροσύναν, taking ἁπτόμεναι ='when they set to work'; but I prefer by their touch,' cf. P. 4. 271 χρὴ μαλακὰν χέρα προσβάλλοντα τρώμαν ἕλκεος ἀμφιπολεῖν. 4 γε The force is that sooth 5 ing as water is, its soothing pro- 5 τόσσον Equiv. to ὅσον. L. and S. cite Kallim. Apoll. 94. Cf. τόθεν relative Aesch. Pers. 100. συνάορος As εὐφροσύνα is ἄριστος Ιατρός and εὐλογία = εὐκλεὴς λόγος Pindar can 'wed' such ideas regardless of gender. But 'linked,' 'associated' will suffice. Cf. I. 6. 19. 6 For sentiment cf. P. 3. 114, Frag. 98 πρέπει δ ̓ ἐσλοῖσιν ὑμνεῖσθαι καλλίσταις ἀοιδαῖς· | τοῦτο γὰρ ἀθανά τοις τιμαῖς ποτιψαύει μόνον [ῥηθέν]: [ θνάσκει δὲ σιγαθὲν δ ̓ ἐπιλασθὲν καλὸν ἔργον. Note that ῥῆμα with έργμάτων is echoed by ὕμνος τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἑργμάτων υυ. 83, 84. 10 η ὅ,τι κε σὺν Χαρίτων τύχα 8 γλῶσσα φρενὸς ἐξέλοι βαθείας. ι τό μοι θέμεν Κρονίδᾳ τε Διὶ καὶ Νεμέᾳ 2 Τιμασάρχου τε πάλα 3 ὕμνου προκώμιον εἴη· δέξαιτο δ' Αἰακιδᾶν 7 Ke For κe with optative in protasis, with pres. ind. in apodosis see Goodw. M. and T. 506, P. 4. 264 and my notes. Of course ἐξέλοι has been altered to ἐξέλῃ. Whatsoever a tongue would (as mine will) haply draw forth.' τύχα Cf. Ν. 6. 25. σύν... 8 φρενὸς ἐξέλοι βαθείας Mezger compares N. 3. 9. Paley says the metaphor is from drawing arrows out of a quiver, but the epithet βαθείας rather suggests choosing from a rich store. Don. quotes Theognis 105 μή ποτ ̓ ἐπειγόμενος πρήξῃς κακόν, ἀλλὰ βαθείῃ | σῇ φρενὶ βουλεῦσαι, where the meaning may be a little different. See on βαθύδοξος, Ρ. 1. 66, Ο. 2. 54 βαθεῖαν μέριμναν ἀγροτέραν. Here σὺν Χαρίτων τύχᾳ may be equivalent to a protasis. 9 Tó 'Wherefore,' cf. P. 5. 37, Π. 17. 404, Soph. Phil. 142. Paley renders τὸ θέμεν ' to offer this tribute'; Cookesley 'dedicate this prelude. For θέμεν cf. v. 81. μοι εἴη For this phrase cf. P. 1. 29 with the pronoun suppressed, P. 2. 96, O. 1. 115, N. 7. 24 f. ei îv ê tàv ἀλάθειαν ἰδέμεν, with the pronoun in the accusative. τεκαίτε See O. and P. p. xxvii. For the mention of the locality of the games, the victor's achievement and the god of the games together, Στρ. β'. 15 20 ef. N. 1. 7 ἅρμα δ ̓ ὀτρύνει Χρομίου Νεμέα θ ̓ ἕργμασιν νικαφόροις ἐγκώμιον ζεύξαι μέλος. Νεμ. τε πάλ. is a hendiadys, ‘wrestling at Nemea.' 11 προκώμιον Editors and translators seem agreed that the 'prelude' or proëme of the processional ode sung by the kômos is meant. I think that the whole ode is the προκώμιον, the beginning of the revel, and that "uvov is a genitive of material, cf. P. 4. 206 λίθων βωμοῖο, ib. 71 ἀδάμαντος ἅλοις. ξαιτο Is 'me'or the ode the implied object? The latter most likely. The direct object of δέκομαι is absent also P. 4. 70. δέ 12 δίκα, κ.τ.λ. 'A light that shines in view of all by reason of their justice in protecting aliens': metaphor from a beacon (πυρσός). For the justice of Eginetans cf. O. 8. 26. 13 ζαμενεί Elsewhere in Pindar this adjective means 'quickened by inspiration,' applied to Mêdea, Cheiron, Dionysos (Frag. 133) and to τόλμα (Frag. 216 τόλμα τέ μιν ζαμενὴς καὶ σύνεσις πρόσκοπος ἐσάωσεν). Here it is causative (P. 4. 81), in a metaphysical sense, 'quickening,' 'inspiring.' 14 ἐθάλπετο ' Had been basking in' (Holmes). ποικίλον Cf. Ο. 3. 8 φόρμιγγα ποικιλόγαριν, Ο. 4. 2 25 15 7 θαμά κε, τῷδε μέλει κλιθείς, 8 γόνον κελάδησε καλλίνικον 1 Κλεωναίου τ' ἀπ ̓ ἀγῶνος ὅρμον στεφάνων ποικιλοφόρμιγγος ἀοιδᾶς, also of the fute N. 8. 15 φέρων Λυδίαν μίτραν καναχηδὰ πεποικιλμέναν. For construction cf. Hês. Scut. Herc. 202 iμeрbev Kiláρiše. The Schol. rightly takes ποικ. κιθ. with ἐθάλπετο, after which editors have put the comma, disregarding the position of ke. 15 τῷδε μέλει For the dat. cf. Ο. 1. 92 Αλφεοῦ πόρῳ κλιθείς. Here perhaps Tode is 'such,' cf. O. 4. 24, N. 9. 42, Aesch. Ag. 942 víêηv tývde. Render 'devoting himself (so Paley) to such a strain.' Mezger 'an dieses Lied sich anschliessend = mein Lied mit der Kithara begleitend.' If the father of Timâsarchos was a 'lyric poet,' as Don. and Dissen say, Pindar would probably not use language that would make him manifestly inferior to himself. But Mezger more cautiously calls the father only a musician, which is all that can be strictly inferred from the passage. Even so the aμá and the aorist suggest that rode should not be limited to the present ode, especially as three victories are immediately mentioned. 16 yóvov Some substantive denoting the victor is (as Bergk saw, reading viòv) needed to justify the change from the second person to the third vv. 21, 23, in spite of Dissen's 'transitu maxime Pindarico.' He compares N. 5. 43, 45, but that passage (q. v.) is irrelevant. The v. 1. Téμyavros v. 18 is of inferior Ms. authority, and though supported by the Schol. yet is clearly taken wrongly, and is a very obvious grammarian's alteration, and at best gives a very harsh construction, so that we should decide in favor of πέμψαντα for having Στρ. γ'. uvov. I brought,' and against 17 Kλewvalov Cf. N. 10. 42. The citizens of Kλewvai near Nemea managed the Nemean games for a long period, in which fell the dates of these two odes N. 4 and 10, and going back at least a generation. Cf. Plut. Vit. Arat. c. 28. One Schol. on the Nemeans says that first the Kleônaeoi and then the Corinthians presided. T'...T' (v. 19) Couple the an' clause to the oüVEK' clause. ὅρμον στεφάνων The plur. of στέφανος is used in reference to a single victory, P. 2. 6, 3. 73, 10. 26, I. 3. 11, N. 9. 53. The victors probably carried home crowns given to them in the φυλλοβολία (Ρ. 9. 123 πολλὰ μὲν κεῖνοι δίκον | φύλλ ̓ ἔπι καὶ στepávovs) as well as the prize chaplet. Hence the phrase 'a string (festoon) of crowns' might refer to one victory, or as here to two. It is possible that ὅρμον στεφάνων may refer to the crowns of the chorus, cf. Eur. Herc. Fur. 677 μὴ ζῴην μετ ̓ ἀμουσίας, ἀεὶ δ ̓ ἐν στεφάνοισιν εἴην. |