ISTHMIA VI. [VII.] ON THE VICTORY OF STREPSIADAS OF THEBES INTRODUCTION. STREPSIADAS, a Theban, nephew of Strepsiadâs son of Diodotos, probably gained the victory celebrated in this ode at the Isthmian festival of Ol. 81. 2, April, B.C. 456, soon after the disastrous defeat of the Thebans by the Athenians at Oenophyta, which threw the government of Thebes into the hands of the democratic party. In this battle Strepsiadâs the elder, maternal uncle of the victor, had fallen (vv. 24-36). The rhythm is Lydian with Aeolian measures. ANALYSIS. vv. 1-15. Thêbâ is asked in which of the ancient glories of Thebes she feels most delight. 16-21. But as men forget what is not immortalized in verse, the poet bids the chorus celebrate in song Strepsiadâs. 21-23. For he has won the prize in the pankration at Isthmos, and is richly endowed by nature and made illustrious by minstrelsy, 24-36. And has given delight to his namesake and maternal uncle, who had recently died fighting like a hero for his country. 37-39. The poet was bitterly grieved at the defeat and the deaths of his countrymen, but now Poseidon offers him calm after the storm. 39-42. A prayer that divine envy may not disturb his tranquil enjoyment of whatever pleasure presents itself as he awaits age and death. 42, 43. For all must die alike, but are unequal in fortune. 4347. If a mortal be ambitious, he is too puny to mount to 47, 48. Olympos. Sweets unjustly enjoyed are in the issue most bitter. 49-51. Invocation to Apollo to grant Strepsiadas victory at the Pythian games. Στρ. α'. Τίνι τῶν πάρος, ὦ μάκαιρα Θήβα, καλῶν ἐπιχωρίων μάλιστα θυμὸν τεὸν εὔφρανας; ἦ ῥα χαλκοκρότου πάρεδρον Δαμάτερος ἁνίκ ̓ εὐρυχαίταν 5 ἄντειλας Διόνυσον, ἢ χρυσῷ μεσονύκτιον δεξαμένα τὸν φέρτατον θεῶν, ὁπότ ̓ ̓Αμφιτρύωνος ἐν θυρέτροις 2. καλῶν ἐπιχωρίων.] 'Local glories; the phrase is used in a rather different sense, Pyth. v. 108. 3. ἡ ῥα.] Cf. Pyth. ix. 37, xΙ. 38. χαλκοκρότου.] An epithet of Rhea transferred to Dêmêtêr, worshipped Iwith clash of bronze,' i.e. of cymbals or ἡχεῖα. πάρεδρον.] The connection between Dionysos and Dêmêtêr, wine and corn, is natural: Ter. Eun. 4. 5. 6, sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus. They are represented together on several antique gems. Mariette, Traité des pierres gravées, II. p. 1, Ρl. ΧΧΧΙΙ. 5. χρυσῷ νίφοντα.] Snowing gold at midnight.' For the dative cf. Isth. IV. 50, Nikophôn (Athênaeos, VI. p. 269 Ε), νιφέτω μὲν ἀλφίτοις | ψακαζέτω δ ̓ ἄρτοισιν, ὑέτω νίφοντα 5 Αντ. α'. ΙΟ δ' ἔτνει. For the adverbial use of adjective cf. ΟΙ. χιν. 11, ΧΙΙΙ. 17. L. and S., regardless of order, join μεσ. δεξαμένα, but as the legends of Zeus and showers of gold at Argos and Rhodes (Ol. VII. 34, Philostr. Imag. 2. 27, Ροδίοις δὲ λέγεται χρυσὸς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ῥεῦσαι καὶ διαπλῆσαι σφῶν τὰς οἰκίας καὶ στενωποὺς νεφέ λην ἐς αὐτοὺς ῥήξαντος τοῦ Διός) very likely rested at least partly on a shower of meteors, μεσονύκτιον is quite appropriately attached to viφοντα. It seems as if one of these stories attached to πολύχρυσοι, ἀγλααὶ Θῆβαι. 7. yovaîs.] Cf. Nem. x. 17. Dative of purpose; Schol. Vet. ἐπὶ ταῖς Ἡ. γ. Cf. Isth. VII. 27. Dissen compares however Nem. x. 69, ἐφορ μαθεὶς ἄκοντι θεῷ. ἢ ὅτ ̓ ἀμφὶ Τειρεσία πυκιναῖσι βουλαῖς ; ἢ ὅτ ̓ ἀμφ' Ιόλαον ἱππόμητιν ; 1ο ἢ Σπαρτῶν ἀκαμαντολογχῶν; ἢ ὅτε καρτερᾶς ̓́Αδραστον ἐξ ἀλαλᾶς ἀμπέμψας ὀρφανὸν μυρίων ἑτάρων ἐς Αργος ἵππιον; ἢ Δωρίδ ̓ ἀποικίαν οἵνεκεν ὀρθῷ ἔστασας ἐπὶ σφυρῷ Λακεδαιμονίων, ὅλον δ ̓ ̓Αμύκλας 15 Αἰγεῖδαι σέθεν ἔκγονοι, μαντεύμασι Πυθίοις; ἀλλὰ παλαιὰ γὰρ εὕδει χάρις, ἀμνάμονες δὲ βροτοί, ὅ τι μὴ σοφίας ἄωτον ἄκρον κλυταῖς ἐπέων ῥοαῖσιν ἐξίκηται ζυγέν, 8. Edd., after Heyne, needlessly read πυκναῖς Τειρεσίαο, but by taking ias y (the accent going back in pronunciation to the preceding syllable) we can keep to the мss. In this line and the next ör' scans as one long syllable; Mommsen reads for nè in both places. For ἀμφὶ βουλαῖς, ἀμφ' Ιόλαον, 'concerning, after εὔφρανας θυμὸν τεὸν mentally supplied from above, cf. O. and P. p. xxxvii. The construction of dupl with two different cases but the same sense in consecutive lines is remarkable. 10. Σπαρτών.] The warriors who sprung from the sown teeth of the dragon slain by Kadmos. The five survivors of their internecine fight (Ον. Met. III. 126) helped Kadmos to found Thebes and founded five Theban families. The gen. is causal, cf. Madv. § 61 b, Rem. 1. ἀλαλᾶς.] Cf. Nem. III. 60, where in the note read a comma after Pyth. Ι. 72. 12. For the theme cf. Pyth. v. 15 Επ. α'. 20 Στρ. β'. 25 64-76, Pyth. 1. 65. For the order Δωρίδ ̓ ἀποικίαν... Λακεδαιμονίων cf. Isth. III. 36, Pyth. iv. 214-216. 12, 13. ὀρθῷ ἐπὶ σφυρῷ.] Cf. Hor. Epp. II. 1. 176, securus cadat an recto stet fabula talo, where Orelli quotes Pers. 5. 104, recto vivere talo, Eur. Helen. 1449, ὀρθῷ βῆναι ποδί. Cf. also Ol. ΧΙΙΙ. 72, ἀνὰ δ ̓ ἔπαλτ ̓ ὀρθῷ ποδί. Kallim. in Dian. 128, τῶν δ ̓ οὐδὲν ἐπὶ σφυρὸν ὀρθὸν ἀνέστη. 6 15. μαντεύμασι.] Causal dative. 16. ἀλλὰ γάρ.] ‘But, since.... κώμας' ἔπειτεν, then, this being the case, celebrate, &c. The ἀλλὰ dismisses the topic of the ancient glories of Thebes somewhat sadly, still they are not dead but only asleep, cf. Isth. III. 41. 17. ἀμνάμονες.] A hit at the Lacedaemonians for not helping Thebes before Oenophyta. 18. σοφίας.] ‘Poetry. ἄωτον.] Cf. Isth. I. 51. 19. κλυταῖς.] Sounding? Cf. Ol. XIV. 19, Isth. v. 17. 2ο κώμαζ ̓ ἔπειτεν ἁδυμελεῖ σὺν ὕμνῳ καὶ Στρεψιάδα· φέρει γὰρ Ἰσθμοί νίκαν παγκρατίου· σθένει τ ̓ ἔκπαγλος ἰδεῖν τε μορφάεις, ἄγει τ' ἀρετὴν οὐκ αἴσχιον φυᾶς. φλέγεται δ' ἰοβοστρύχοισι Μοίσαις, μάτρων θ ̓ ὁμωνύμῳ δέδωκε κοινὸν θάλος, 25 χάλκασπις ᾧ πότμον μὲν ̓́Αρης ἔμιξεν, τιμὰ δ ̓ ἀγαθοῖσιν ἀντίκειται. 30 ̓Αντ. β'. 35 ἴστω γὰρ σαφές, ὅστις ἐν ταύτα νεφέλᾳ χάλαζαν αἵματος πρὸ φίλας πάτρας ἀμύνεται, λοιγὸν [ἀμύνων] ἐναντίῳ στρατῷ, ἀστῶν γενεᾷ μέγιστον κλέος αὔξων 30 ζώων τ ̓ ἀπὸ καὶ θανών. 21. Στρεψιάδα.] Dat. commodi, cf. Nem. II. 24. φέρει.] ‘He is winner of, cf. Nem. III. 18. 22. νίκαν παγκρατίου.] Cf. Isth. ιν. 19, ἀρετὰ παγκρατίου. σθένει, κ.τ.λ.] Cf. Nem. III. 19, Ο1. VIII. 19, Ιx. 94 for sentiment ; also Isth. v. 47-49. ἄγει ἀρετάν.] ‘He holds virtue to be as fair a possession as fair physique (Isth. v. 47). For ἄγει cf. Soph. Ant. 34, τὸ πρᾶγμ ̓ ἄγειν | οὐχ ὡς παρ' οὐδέν. Dissen renders ἄγει, ‘habet'...veluti merces, opes, Od. 1. 184. αἴσχιον.] Predicative, as is usual with this construction. For such 40 Ἐπ. β'. an accusative which Cookesley says does not occur cf. Madv. § 1b, Rem. 3, χρησιμώτερον νομίζουσι χρήματα ἢ ἀδελφούς (Xen. Memor. 2. 3. 1). Dissen does not take the neuter adjective as predicative, though Matthiae, to whom he refers, gives no parallel case. Mommsen reads αἰσχίω. 23. φλέγεται.] Cf. Οl. Ιx. 22, Isth. III. 61. δ'.] . Accordingly, cf. Isth. Irr. 90. ἰοβοστρύχοισι.] So Schmid. MSS. δ' ιοπλοκάμοισι against scansion, Mommsen δὲ Γιοπλόκοισι. Cf. Ol. VI. 30. τὺ δέ, Διοδότοιο παῖ, μαχατὰν αἰνέων Μελέαγρον, αἰνέων δὲ καὶ Ἕκτορα ̓Αμφιάρηόν τε, εὐανθέ ̓ ἀπέπνευσας ἁλικίαν 35 προμάχων αν ̓ ὅμιλον, ἔνθ ̓ ἄριστοι ἔσχον πολέμοιο νεῖκος ἐσχάταις ἐλπίσιν. ἔτλαν δὲ πένθος οὐ φατόν· ἀλλὰ νῦν μοι Γαιάοχος εὐδίαν ἔπασσεν ἐκ χειμῶνος. ἀείσομαι χαίταν στεφάνοισιν ὁ δ ̓ ἀθανάτων μὴ θρασσέτω φθόνος 40 ὅ τι τερπνὸν ἐφάμερον διώκων ἕκαλος ἔπειμι γῆρας ἔς τε τὸν μόρσιμον ἀποθανών.] Tmesis. 31. Strepsiadas, the uncle of the victor. 32. alvéwv.]'Aemulatus,' Dissen. Meleagros was brother to Hêrakles' wife Deianeira, and is thus connected with Theban legends. Hektôr was said to be buried in Thebes by the fountain Oedipodia, Paus. IX. 18. Aristot. (Pseudepigraph. Bergk 46 [41]), Εκτορι τόνδε μέγαν Βοιώτιοι ἄνδρες ἔτευξαν | τύμβον ὑπὲρ γαίης, σῆμ ̓ ἐπιγιγνομένοις. These two heroes fell fighting for their country like Strepsiadas, the victor's uncle. The allusion to Amphiaraos is less special, but not open to reasonable objection. Bergk's violent alteration to av' ̓Αμφιάρειον involving alterations of the two corresponding verses is quite unwarrantable. If Strepsiađâs fell near Amphiarâos' shrine, that would quite account for the mention of the hero. 34. ἁλικίαν.] His manhood's prime in its full blossom.' Cf. Simonides, Frag. 114 [61], ἀφ' ἱμερτὴν ἔπνεεν ἡλικίην. 45 Στρ. γ'. 50 ἁρμόζων. 55 Αντ. γ. 38. For metaphor cf. Isth. III. 35. 40. ἐφάμερον.] Not short-lived, L. and S., but in diem. Cf. Eur. Cycl. 336, φαγεῖν τοὐφ' ἡμέραν. διώκων.] For the (to us) inversion of participle and verb cf. Isth. ιν. 56, ν. 15. For sentiment cf. Pyth. VIII. 92, ἐν δ ̓ ὀλίγῳ βροτῶν | τὸ τερπνὸν αὔξεται. οὕτω δὲ καὶ πιτνεῖ χαμαί, | ἀποτρόπῳ γνώμα σεσεισμένον. Cookesley quotes, Ille potens sui laetusque deget cui licet in diem | dixisse uiri. Hor. Od. III. 29, 41. 41. The poet himself was about sixty-six at the assumed date of this ode, but the prayer is of general application. Here exaλos seems to mean "in unambitious ease," i. e. holding aloof from party strife. He seems to warn his oligarchical hearers not to aim at supremacy in the state, but to rest content in the assurance that democratic |