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αἰῶνα. θνάσκομεν γὰρ ὁμῶς ἅπαντες·

δαίμων δ ̓ ἄἴσος· τὰ μακρὰ δ ̓ εἴ τις

60

παπταίνει, βραχὺς ἐξικέσθαι χαλκόπεδον θεῶν ἕδραν ὅ τοι πτερόεις ἔρριψε Παγασος

45 δεσπόταν ἐθέλοντ ̓ ἐς οὐρανοῦ σταθμοὺς

Ἐπ. γ'.

65

ἐλθεῖν μεθ ̓ ὁμάγυριν Βελλεροφόνταν

Ζηνός. τὸ δὲ πὰρ δίκαν

γλυκὺ πικροτάτα μένει τελευτά.

ἄμμι δ ̓, ὦ χρυσέα κόμᾳ θάλλων, πόρε, Λοξία, 50 τεαῖσιν ἁμίλλαισιν

εὐανθία και Πυθόϊ στέφανον.

licence, τὸ πὰρ δίκαν γλυκύ, will be punished in good time.

44. παπταίνει.] Cf. Ol. I. 114, Isth. γιι. 13.

βραχύς. ] ' Τοo puny to, cf. Nem. x. 19 for construction, and for sentiment Pyth. x. 27, ὁ χάλκεος οὐρα νὸς οὔ ποτ ̓ ἀμβατὸς αὐτοῖς.

ὅ τοι.] mss. ὅτι (so Böckh, " quandoquidem”). Schol. ὁ γὰρ δή.

45. Medic. mss. ἐθέλοντεσ οὐρα νοὺσ σταθμούσ.

47. Ζηνός.] For order cf. O.

70

and P. p. xxxvi, Isth. iv. 19, 20, 43, 44, ν. 28, 30, ib. 39, 40, VII. 28, 29, ib. 49, 50.

49. χρυσέᾳ.] Lit. “ with luxuriant golden hair." The Pythian games fell about four months after the first Isthmian games in an Olympiad.

51. εὐανθέα.] Cf. supra, v. 34.
καί.] ‘Even.
Πυθόϊ.]

So Choeroboskos (Bekker, Anec., Tom. III. p. 1202). Perhaps αιδόϊ should be read II. x. 238.

ISTHMIA VII. [ VIII.]

ON THE VICTORY OF KLEANDROS OF AEGINA IN

THE

PANKRATION.

INTRODUCTION.

KLEANDROS, Son of Telesarchos of Aegina, had been victorious as a pankratiast at Nemea and at the Isthmos. There is much difficulty in determining the date. Mezger would place it between the battles of Salamis and Plataea, but the ode is clearly Isthmian, and as Salamis was fought after the Isthmian games of B. C. 480, Ol. 74. 4, I do not see that this is possible. Most authorities give the Nemean games next after the battle of Plataea, which would be in the year B.C. 477 according to Unger, according to Böckh in the supposed 'Winter Nemea,' six months after the battle and siege of Thebes. The first Isthmia of Ol. 75 fell in April B. c. 478 (not long after the date of the supposed winter Nemea), when Melissos of Thebes was victor in the pankration. I infer that the ode was composed for the Isthmian festival of B. C. 478, Kleandros' victory having been gained at one of the three consecutive Isthmian festivals immediately preceding the Battle of Salamis (April, B. C. 484, 482, 480), Phylakidas being the successful pankratiast on the other two of these three occasions (cf. Isth. v. Introd.). As this ode was a commission for the celebration at a fixed date of a victory gained two or more years before, it was probably composed before Isth. III, i.e. before April, B. c. 478, as might be gathered from the less cheerful tone of Isth. VII. compared with Isth. III.

The vocabulary, which presents an unusual proportion of exclusively epic words, and the somewhat tame effect produced by frequent demonstrative pronouns at the beginnings of clauses bear evidence to the painful effort made by the poet in rousing himself

from his troubles to compose a triumphal strain. The ode was recited in or before the рóéυрov of Telesarchos' house. The rhythm is Aeolo-Lydian.

ANALYSIS.

vv.

1-13. The poet rouses himself and the chorus from grief, of which the worst is over, to requite Kleandros for his victory with an ode of triumph.

13, 14.

14, 15.

It is always best to attend to the immediate future.
Fate is treacherous and makes the current of life turn
and shift.

15, 16. But if liberty remain even such troubles as those of Thebes admit of healing.

It is a manly duty to cherish bright hopes, and it is a duty for a Theban born and bred to offer a choice song to Aegina.

17-23. Because she and Thêbâ are sisters, beloved of Zeus, who made the latter queen of Thebes, while the former bore to him Aeakos.

23, 24.

24, 25.

He settled disputes even for immortals.

His descendants are distinguished for bravery and wisdom.

26-47. [Myth] Consequently when Zeus and Poseidon were rivals with respect to Thetis, who was destined to bear a son mightier than his sire, Themis persuaded them to agree to her marriage with Peleus.

47, 48. Of Achilles' youthful prowess accordingly poets have

sung.

49-58. The exploits and glorious death of Achilles are mentioned.

59, 60. By mourning for Achilles the immortals showed their approval of celebrating worthy men in song after their death.

61.

61-63.

This is right now also,

And the car of the Muse hastens on to raise a memorial song in honour of Nikokles.

of

63, 64. Honour him for his Isthmian victory in the boxing

match;

64, 65. Since he had already defeated his neighbours.

65. His cousin Kleandros does him credit.

65-67. Let his compeers weave wreaths of myrtle in honour of

67, 68.

Kleandros;

Since he has won at Megusa and Epidauros.

69, 70. He has made it easy for a worthy man to praise him, by winning distinctions in his youth.

Κλεάνδρῳ τις ἁλικίᾳ τε λύτρον

εὔδοξον, ὦ νέοι, καμάτων

Στρ. α'.

πατρὸς ἀγλαὸν Τελεσάρχου παρὰ πρόθυρον ἰὼν ἀνεγειρέτω

κῶμον, Ἰσθμιάδος τε νίκας ἄποινα, καὶ Νεμέα

1. Tis.] The indefinite pronoun with the active is often found in Greek where we should use a passive, while in other cases it occasionally refers to a definite person or persons, sometimes with deliberate vagueness, sometimes with solemn mysteriousness, sometimes with sinister or pathetic effect. Cf. Nem. VIII. 50, where it means the poet, while here it means the chorus, & véoɩ, v. 2, also being addressed to the chorus. Matthiae, §§ 487, 511, quotes Soph. Ai. 245, ὥρα τιν' (us) ἤδη κάρα καλύμμασι κρυψάμενον ποδοῖν κλοπὰν ἀρέσθαι, ib. 1138, τοῦτ ̓ εἰς ἀνίαν τοῦπος ἔρXETαí TIVI (thee). Aristoph. Ran. 552, 554. Cookesley's 'every one (Dissen omnes) is not wrong, as an explanation, if we limit it to ' of you, the chorus,' as infra v. 65, ἁλίκων τις = 4 every one of his equals in age;' in Il. xvII. 227, it means 'every one of you my allies.' Professor Seymour, for "some one,' 'many a one,' compares Il. II. 382, where however μέν τις...δέ τις seem to mean 'some of you, others of you' (Dissen refers to this place to support Pron. Tis usitatum in hortationibus ubi omnes intelliguntur'). Cookesley (after Dissen) cites for every one' Herod. VIII.

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109, where Matthiae's alternative 'let the houses be rebuilt' is better, for Themistokles cannot have meant literally every one' to build and sow. He also cites Il. xxi. 126, where many a one,' not every one,' is meant. In rendering into English, our own indefinite pronouns should generally be used in such cases, as our idiom somewhat resembles the Greek.

6

aλikia Te.] Generally taken as a hendiadys (cf. Hor. Od. III. 4. 43. Mezger's three quotations from Pindar, inf. vv. 46, 55, Nem. VIII. 46, are quite irrelevant); but from v. 67, I infer that the poet bids the chorus raise the kômos-song for Kleandros and his youthful companions in the kômos (cf. Pyth. II. 74).

λύτρον καμάτων.] Cf. Pyth. V. 99, τὸ καλλίνικον λυτήριον δαπανἂν μέλος χάριεν, Ο1. νιι. 77, τόθι λύτρον συμφορᾶς οἰκτρᾶς γλυκύ, Isth. IV. 25, ἀντὶ πόνων.

3. παρὰ πρόθυρον.] Cf. Nem.

I. 19.

4. ἄποινα.] Accusative of general agreement, cf. Isth. III. 7, infra v. 63.

Neuéa.] Dative for locative, cf. Nem. x. 35, Isth. iv. 18.

ΙΟ

5 ἀέθλων ὅτι κράτος ἐξεῦρε. τῷ καὶ ἐγώ, καίπερ ἀχνύμενος θυμόν, αἰτέομαι χρυσέαν καλέσαι Μοῖσαν. ἐκ μεγάλων δὲ πενθέων λυθέντες μήτ ̓ ἐν ὀρφανίᾳ πέσωμεν στεφάνων,

15

μήτε κάδεα θεράπευε παυσάμενοι δ ̓ ἀπράκτων κακῶν γλυκύ τι δαμωσόμεθα καὶ μετὰ πόνον·

ἐπειδὴ τὸν ὑπὲρ κεφαλᾶς

1ο τὸν Ταντάλου λίθον παρά τις ἔτρεψεν ἄμμι θεός,

20

Στρ. β'.

ἀτόλματον ̔Ελλάδι μόχθον. ἀλλ ̓ ἐμοὶ δεῖμα μὲν παροιχόμενον

5. ἀέθλων κράτος.] Victory in games,' cf. Isth. IV. 19, vI. 22.

τῷ.] Cf. infra v. 65; ‘wherefore.'

ἀχνύμενος.] Grieving over the troubles of Thebes (see Introd.) and in particular for the death of Nikokles, cf. infra vv. 61–63.

αἰτέομαι.] For the pass. of persons cf. Aesch. Choeph. 471 and Paley's note. This use of the simple verb is almost confined to the participles.

χρυσέαν.] Cf. Isth. II. 26.

Μοῖσαν καλ.] Cf. Nem. III. 1. μεγάλων.] Cf. καρτεράν, ν. 13. They are still in grief and anxiety which can only be thrown off by an effort, but the worst is over.

6. ἐν.] Cf. Pyth. 1. 74. στεφάνων.] 'Festive garlands,' i.e. festivity and song, cf. infra v. 67, Eur. Herc. Fur. 676, μὴ ζῴην μετ ̓ ἀμουσίας, ἀεὶ δ ̓ ἐν στεφάνοισιν εἴην.

7. ἀπράκτων καλῶν.] Mss. ἄπρηκ. ‘From bootless, idle, sorrow. Cf. Il. xxiv. 522, ἄλγεα δ' ἔμπης | ἐν θυμῷ κατακεῖσθαι ἐάσομεν, αχνύμενοί περ· | οὐ γάρ τις πρῆξις πέλεται κρυεροῖο γόοιο, also ib. v. 550.

8. δαμωσόμεθα.] ‘We will delight the city folk with.'

Cf.

Aristoph. Pax, 797, ascribed by a Schol. to Stêsichoros' Oresteia, τοιάδε χρὴ Χαρίτων δημώματα καλλικόμων τὸν σοφὸν ποιητὴν ὑμνεῖν, the words τὸν σοφὸν ποιητὴν being of course Aristophanes'. This Schol. interprets δαμώματα δὲ τὰ δημοσία αδόμενα. The Grammarians seem to ascribe the sense δημοκοπεῖν, παίζειν to Plato. Cf. Dobson on Plato, Tim. p. 161 (11. i. 217). Perhaps duwua is rather a 'popular song,' 'popular phrase,' than jest' or popular pastime.' καὶ μετὰ πόνον.] Though after a painful effort.'

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10. τόν.] MSS. τε, Böckh γε, Mommsen καί, Bergk ἅτε. I propose To which is corrupted infra υ. 65.

For theme cf. Ol. I. 54-58, Bergk, Anacreontea, 22 [20], ή Ταντάλου ποτ ̓ ἔστη | λίθος Φρυγών ἐν ὄχθαις.

παράἔτρ.] Tmesis.
ἄμμι.] Dat. commodi.

11. Ελλάδι μόχθον.] Cf. Isth. v. 28.

ἀλλ ̓ ἐμοί.] So mss. Böckh αλλά μοί, Bergk ἀλλ' ἐμ ̓ οὐ with καρτεράν μεριμνᾶν.

12. δεῖμα...παροιχόμενον.] Mss. δ. μ. παροιχομένων. Mezger δειμά

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