ISTHMIA V. [ VI. ] ON THE VICTORY OF PHYLAKIDAS OF AEGINA IN THE PANKRATION. INTRODUCTION. THIS Ode is in honour of the same person as the preceding ode. It was probably composed soon after the Isthmian games immediately preceding the battle of Salamis, Ol. 74. 4, B. C. 480, certainly not later than this date. It is clear that it was composed pretty soon after Nem. v. Prof. Jebb, Journ. of Hellen. Stud. June, 1882, p. 35, says: "In the fifth Isthmian ode, Pindar gives a most brilliant treatment to the initial episode of the very theme which occupied the east pediment of the temple at Aegina-Heracles coming to seek the aid of Telamon against Troy, when Telamon gave his guest 'a wine-cup rough with gold,' and Heracles prophesied the birth and prowess of Ajax. Here then is a case in which we can conceive that the poet's immediate theme may have occurred to his mind as he gazed on the sculptor's work in the splendid entablature of the temple; and we recall Pindar's own comparison of an opening song to the front of a stately building," Ol. vi. 3, 4. The ode was in all probability sung at a banquet in Lampôn's house. The rhythm is Dorian. vv. ANALYSIS. 1-9. Comparison of this ode and Nem. v. (composed for Phylakidas' elder brother) to the second and first libations at a banquet, and expression of hope that the third libation may be poured out to Olympian Zeus in honour of a victory gained by one of Lampôn's family at Olympia. 10-13. For when a man (as is the case with Lampôn) grudges no pains or expense in earning distinctions and the deity gives him renown, he has reached the utmost limits of prosperity. 14-16. Lampôn prays that he may feel the satisfaction brought by such fill of success before he is visited by death or old age. 16-18. May Klôthô attend to his entreaties. 19-21. The poet is bound to celebrate the Aeakids when visiting Aegina. 22, 23. 24-35. 35-56. 56-58. 58, 59. 60-66. Broad roads carry their fame all over the world. All have heard of Pêleus, Aias, and Telamôn, and of the exploits of the last as the companion of Hêrakles on his expedition against Troy and the Meropes of Kôs and Alkyoneus. Hêrakles, when he went to summon Telamôn to this expedition, found him feasting; and, being invited to pour out the first libation, prayed for strength and courage for Telamon's son. He interprets the good omen sent in answer, the appearance of an eagle, and proposes the name Aias accordingly. Pindar can now say no more about the Aeakid heroes, as he is engaged to sing of the victorious brothers and their uncle. The ode shall proceed with extreme brevity, in Argive fashion. Praise of the three victors just mentioned. 66-73. Praise of Lampon for hospitality, moderation, prudence of speech, and patient encouragement of athletes. 74, 75. The poet offers the family a draught from the fountain of Dirkê which was raised by Mnêmosynê hard by one of the gates of Thebes. Θάλλοντος ἀνδρῶν ὡς ὅτε συμποσίου 1. θάλλοντος.] Cf. Hom. δαῖτα 2. δεύτερον.] For the three customary libations cf. Aesch. Ag. 237 Στρ. α'. [P. note], and the following Schol. on our passage, εὔχεται τὸν τρίτον τῶν ᾠδῶν κρατῆρα κεράσαι, νικήσαντος αὐτοῦ τὰ Ολύμπια· τὸν δὲ τρίτον κρατῆρα Διὸς Σωτῆρος ἔλεγον, καθὰ κίρναμεν Λάμπωνος εὐάθλου γενεᾶς ὕπερ, ἐν Νεμέα μὲν πρῶτον, ὦ Ζεῦ, τὶν ἄωτον δεξάμενοι στεφάνων, 5 νῦν αὖτε, Ἰσθμοῦ δεσπότᾳ, Νηρεΐδεσσί τε πεντήκοντα παίδων ὁπλοτάτου σωτῆρι πορσαίνοντας Ὀλυμπίῳ Αἴγιναν κατὰ 10 εἰ γάρ τις ἀνθρώπων δαπάνα τε χαρείς 66 καὶ Σοφοκλῆς ἐν Ναυπλίῳ· σε Ζεὺς παυσίλυπε, καὶ Διὸς σωτηρίου | σπονδὴ τρίτου κρατῆρος” τὸν μὲν γὰρ πρῶτον Διὸς Ολυμπίου ἐκίρνασαν, τὸν δὲ δεύτερον ἡρώων, τὸν δὲ τρίτον Διὸς Σωτῆρος καθὰ καὶ Αἴσχυλος ἐν Επιγόνοις “ λοιβὰς Διὸς μὲν πρῶτον ὡραίον γάμον | Ηρας τε.” εἶτα· τὴν δευτέραν γε κρᾶσιν ἥρωσιν νέμω.” εἶτα· “ τρίτον Διὸς Σωτῆρος εὐκταίαν λίβα.” Hence Aeschylos calls Ζεὺς “σωτήρ τρίτος” Suppl. 26, Eum. 729, 730 [P.]. Pindar's first bowl of song was Nem. v. For the metaphor cf. Isth. iv. 25. Μοισαίων.] MSS. μοισέων. 3. Λάμπωνος.] Cf. Nem. v. Introd. μέν.] Taken up by αὖτις υ. 5, cf. O. and P. p. xxxviii. Many 4. τίν.] Mss. give text. edd. τίν γ'. The particle certainly emphasises the pronoun, for, having begun by winning in games sacred to Zeus, they may hope for the third victory under the auspices of Zeus of Olympia. But for the sense' is not really wanted, and though τὴν is short, Pyth. Ι. 29, Nem. x. 30, the form Tetv shews that it may be long. For this dat., and δεσπότᾳ Νηρεΐδεσσί τε, cf. Pyth. IV. 23, Οl. ΧΙΙΙ. 29. ἄωτον στεφάνων.] Cf. Ol. v. 1, Ix. 19. Here the expression is not 5 ΙΟ ̓Αντ. α'. quite superlative, 'a choice crown.' 7. εἴη.] For the accus. πορσαίνοντας cf. Ol. I. 115, Pyth. II. 96, Nem. VII. 25, Isth. I. 64, Od. II. 310, xvi. 243, Aristoph. Ach. 1079: with dat. Theognis 1153: for suppression of pronoun cf. Pyth. 1. 29, II. 83. τρίτον.] Sc. κρατῆρα. 8. πορσαίνοντας.] Sc. ἡμᾶς, i. e. the poet alone or with the chorus included. Ολυμπίῳ.] Not immediately of Olympos' but of Olympia. Of course Olympia was named from Zeus of Olympos. κατὰ | σπένδειν.] A metrical tmesis. He pours over Aegina' the wine of song (cf. infra, v. 21) as he pours (in fancy) the material wine on her soil. For the compound and construction cf. Eur. Οr. 1239, δακρύοις κατασπένδω σ', ‘I make a libation over thee (the dead Agamemnon) with tears.' Secondarily the meaning 'to honour with offerings of tears' (L. and S.) is right, but κατασπένδω Δία would not be likely to occur. 9. μελιφθόγγοις.] Appropriate, as wine was sweetened with honey. For metaphor cf. Nem. III. 77. 10. δαπάνᾳ.] Cf. Isth. IV. 57, Ι. 42. καὶ πόνῳ πράσσει θεοδμάτους ἀρετάς, 15 σύν τέ οἱ δαίμων φυτεύει δόξαν ἐπήρατον, ἐσχατιαῖς ἤδη πρὸς ὄλβου βάλλετ ̓ ἄγκυραν θεότιμος ἐών. τοίαισιν ὀργαῖς εὔχεται 15 ἀντιάσαις ἀΐδαν γῆράς τε δέξασθαι πολιὸν ὁ Κλεονίκου παῖς· ἐγὼ δ ̓ ὑψίθρονον 20 Κλωθώ κασιγνήτας τε προσεννέπω ἑσπέσθαι κλυ ταῖς ἀνδρὸς φίλου Μοίρας ἐφετμαῖς. μμε τ ̓, ὦ χρυσάρματοι Αἰακίδαι, 2ο τέθμιόν μοι φαμὶ σαφέστατον εἶναι τάνδ ̓ ἐπιστείχοντα νᾶσον ῥαινέμεν εὐλογίαις. 11. πράσσει.] Achieves, cf. Isth. iv. 8, Pyth. II. 40, Ο. and P. p. xxxix. ἀρετάς.] 'Distinctions,' cf. Nem. v. 53, Isth. I. 41. Perhaps θεοδμάτους suggested the metaphor of Isth. iv. 45. 12. σύν τέ.] And if at the same time,' cf. Eur. Herc. Fur. 785. oi.] Dat. commodi. φυτεύει.] Cf. Pyth. iv. 69, θεόπομποί σφισιν τιμαὶ φύτευθεν, Nem. VIII. 16. ἐσχατιαῖς.] So the best ms. and Schol. Böckh ἐσχατιάς. Cf. Ol. III. 43, Pyth. x. 28, Nem. III. 21, 22, Isth. III. 30. 13. βάλλετ.] For βάλλεται. 14. 'Such feelings (i.e. of satisfaction) in supreme success doth Lampon pray that he may attain ere he be visited by death or (Isth. III. 28) hoar old age. Dissen gives for opyal the forced rendering "quae quis appetit." For the participle cf. Nem. VIII. 38, Isth. vi. 40, Thuk. 1. 20 § 2. We should make it the principal verb. For δέξασθαι cf. Il. XVIII. 115, κῆρα δ' ἐγὼ τότε 25 'ET. a'. 30 δέξομαι ὅπποτέ κεν δὴ ¦ Ζεὺς ἐθέλῃ τελέσαι ἠδ ̓ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι. 17. ἑσπέσθαι.] Mss. σπέσθαι. Edd. after Pauwe the late Epic ἕσπεσθαι, but the aorist is better. Perhaps we should read 'πεσπέσθαι, cf. Pyth. iv. 133. κλυταῖς.] Loud, cf. Ol. xiv. 19, κλυτὰν ἀγγελίαν, and Isth. νι. 19. 18. ἀνδρός.] Lampon. Μοίρας.] For position cf. Σαλαμίς, Isth. iv. 49. ἐφετμαῖς.] Here entreaties, urgent prayers, cf. II. I. 495, Θέτις δ ̓ οὐ λήθετ ̓ ἐφετμαῖς | παιδὸς ἑοῦ. The word usually means the 'behests' of a superior. 19. μμε.] Acc. after ῥαινέμεν. 20. τέθμιον.] 'A most clear prescription,''most clearly prescribed.' Cf. Ol. VII. 88, ΧΙΙΙ. 28, Nem. IV. 33, x. 33. 21. τάνδ'.] For this pronoun not implying the poet's presence cf. Pyth. ix. 91, ΟΙ. VIII. 25 ; but here the whole tone of the ode suggests that the poet was present. ἐπιστείχοντα.] For the change of μυρίαι δ ̓ ἔργων καλῶν τέτμηνθ ̓ ἑκατόμπεδοι ἐν σχερῷ κέλευθοι, καὶ πέραν Νείλοιο παγᾶν καὶ δι ̓ Ὑπερβορέους· οὐδ ̓ ἔστιν οὕτω βάρβαρος οὔτε παλίγγλωσσος πό λις, 35 25 ἅτις οὐ Πηλέος αΐει κλέος ἥρωος, εὐδαίμονος γαμβροῦ θεῶν, οὐδ ̓ ἅτις Αἴαντος Τελαμωνιάδα καὶ πατρός· τὸν χαλκοχάρμαν ἐς πόλεμον Στρ. β' ἆγε σὺν Τιρυνθίοισι πρόφρονα σύμμαχον ἐς Τροΐαν, ἥρωσι μόχθον, Λαομεδοντειῶν ὑπὲρ ἀμπλακιᾶν 30 ἐν ναυσὶν ̓Αλκμήνας τέκος. 40 εἷλε δὲ Περγαμίαν, πέφνεν δὲ σὺν κείνῳ Μερόπων - 45 case from the dat. μοι cf. O1. Ι. 10, Isth. I. 46. ῥαινέμεν.] For metaphor cf. supra vv. 8, 9, Isth. III. 90, Ol. xI. [x] 97, κλυτὸν ἔθνος | Λοκρῶν ἀμφέπεσον μέλιτι | εὐάνορα πόλιν καταβρέχων, Nem. I. 13. 22. τέτμηνθ'.] Much of the ancient Greek road-making consisted in cutting rock. For metaphor ef. Ol. VI. 73, Isth. III. 19, Isth. II. 33, Nem. VII. 50, 51, and especially Nem. VI. 47. ἑκατόμπ. ἐν σχερῷ.] A hundred feet broad continuously. ἐν σχερῷ.] Cf. Nem. I. 69. 23. Cf. Isth. II. 41. This is a stronger expression, meaning beyond the furthest regions known (by name) to the Greek, south and north. The slaughter of Memnôn by Pêleides spread the fame of Pêleus to the south, perhaps there was a legend that Telamôn was with Herakles on one or both of his journeys to the Hyperboreans (cf. Ol. III. 1334). But the ex |