3 40 ἀλλὰ θεῶν βασιλέα σπερχθεῖσα θυμῷ πέμπε δράκοντας ἄφαρ. 5 τοὶ μὲν οἰχθεισῶν πυλῶν 60 [γνάθους 6 ἐς θαλάμου μυχὸν εὐρὺν ἔβαν, τέκνοισιν ὠκείας 7 ἀμφελίξασθαι μεμαῶτες· ὁ δ ̓ ὀρθὸν μὲν ἄντεινεν κάρα, πειρᾶτο δὲ πρῶτον μάχας, : δισσαῖσι δοιοὺς αὐχένων 45 2 μάρψαις ἀφύκτοις χερσὶν ἑαῖς ὄφιας· 3 ἀγχομένοις δὲ χρόνος effect of the subsequent miracle would be impaired by such a preliminary display of power. The use recalls the passive sense often given to ἐκπίπτειν, ἀποθανεῖν. Render simply had been laid down in.' 39 βασιλέα ss. give βασίλεια · (βασιλεία). For the form in the text cf. P. 4. 5, where two fair yss. read ἱερέα. For the synizesis ef. Ο. 6. 1 χρυσέας. The form in ea is illustrated by the Sophoclean βασίλη, better βασιλῆ, given by Hesychios. In the LydoEolic ode, O. 14, we find βασίλειαι. 40 σπερχθεῖσα Cf. Il. 24. 248 σπερχομένοιο γέροντος, Herod. 5. 33 ἐσπέρχετο τῷ ̓Αρισταγόρῃ, Eur. Med. 1133 ἀλλὰ μὴ | σπέρχου, φίλος. For the episode of the infant Hêrakles and the serpents cf. Theokr. 24, where many details differ from those of Pindar's account near the end of Plautus' Amphitruo is a third version. 41 Whether the doors were left open at night, or had been opened in the early morning, or were opened by the serpents-is left uncertain. 42 θαλάμου μυχὸν εὐρύν ‘The spacious inner chamber'; one of the chambers of the gynaekitis. τέκνοισιν, κ.τ.λ. Greedily yearning to make their jaws play swiftly 65 Αντ. γ'. about the babes,' i.e. in the act of licking over the victim before engorging it. Cf. Hês. Scut. Herc. 235 and Paley's note. Ελίσσεσθαι cannot mean 'enfold' with jaws. 43 ὀρθόν Proleptic, ef. P. 3. 53, 96, Eur. Hipp. 1203 ὀρθὸν δὲ κρατ ̓ ἔστησαν οὖς τ' ἐς οὐρανὸν ἵπποι. Paley observes that this action is miraculous in a new-born infant. 44 δισσαῖσι δοιούς Cf. N. 8. 48 δὶς δὴ δυοῖν. αὐχένων For gen. cf. Madv. § 57a, Rem. 46 A bold phrase both in construction and sense. 'As he kept throttling them, the time made the breath of life leave their dread frames.' The causal use of ἀποπνέω is strange and the word is not the most appropriate to death by strangulation. Of course ἀγχόμενοι ... χρόνῳ ... ἀπέπνευσαν have been proposed. Possibly there is corruption. For ψυχ. ἀπέπν. cf. Simon. Frag. 52 [26] ψυχὰν ἀποπνέοντα, Tyrt. Frag. 10 [6] 24 θυμὸν ἀποπνείοντ'. The duration of χρόνος is relative. Experiments in the strangulation of large ophidians would be instructive but costly. I think that a grasp sustained long enough to make a tolerably large snake lie stiff would be miraculous as to time in a new-born infant, 4 ψυχὰς ἀπέπνευσεν μελέων ἀφάτων. 5 ἐκ δ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ἄτλατον βέλος 70 6 πλαξε γυναίκας, ὅσαι τύχον 'Αλκμήνας ἀρήγοισαι λέχει· 50 7 καὶ γὰρ αὐτά, ποσσὶν ἄπεπλος ὀρούσαισ ̓ ὀρούσαισ ̓ ἀπὸ στρωμνᾶς, ὅμως ἄμυνεν ὕβριν κνωδάλων. 75 a Ἐπ. γ'. ταχὺ δὲ Καδμείων ἀγοὶ χαλκέοις σὺν ὅπλοις ἔδραμον ἀθρόοι, and it seems that the house was roused by the lashing of the creatures in death throes and possibly in reflex action after death. Schmidt's χρόμος is most unhappy, and the idea that the poet would associate Chromios with a death-rattle is untenable. The heaviness of Herakles' labours endured but for a while, χρόνον, but his rest for τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον ἐν σχερῷ, υ. 69a significant recurrence which has escaped Mezger and Bury. 48 βέλος ' Α pang. Cf. Il. 11. 269 ὡς δ ̓ ὅταν ὠδίνουσαν ἔχῃ βέλος ὀξὺ γυναῖκα, Aesch. Prom. 676. There is a slight balance of Ms. authority in favor of déos, which Par. A has as a correction, but βέλος could not have replaced the much easier δέος (which on the other hand would inevitably appear as an early marginal gloss). By amply defining βέλος, the verb έκπλᾶξε effectively defends it against alteration such as Mr Bury's Hêsychian πέλος, prodigy. Moreover ὀξείαις κ.τ.λ., υ. 53, takes up βέλος. 49 Theokritos makes Herakles nine months old. Plautus agrees with Pindar as to the age. On a coin of Thebes (see Plate facing Title) the child does not seem to represent a new-born babe. Paley cites a fresco-painting of this subject from Herculaneum, Racc. di Ercolano, Pl. 11. 50 Why, even she herself sprang from bed to her feet and unrobed as she was thought to repel the attack of the monsters.' Mommsen regards ποσσίν as a dativus termini. Cf. O. 13. 72 ȧvà d' ἔπαλτ ̓ ὀρθῷ ποδί; but they may be instrumental datives, though rendered to her (his) feet. ποσσίν Bergk παισὶν. ἄπεπλος With nothing on except an under garment, χιτωνίσκος, i.q. μονοχίτων, Philostratos, Eur. Hec. 933 λέχη δὲ φίλια μονόπεπλος λιποῦσα Δωρὶς ὡς κόρα. ὅμως mss. ὁμῶς. Text Stephanus. ἄμυνεν Imperfect of intended or attempted action. ὕβριν Either 'the attack,' cf. P. 1. 72; or else ü. K. = 'savage monsters.' Cf. ταῦροι ὑβρισταί, Eur. Βacch. 743. 51 So best mss. The Triclinian MSS. and the Aldine and Roman editions give σὺν ὅπλ. ἀθρ. ἔδρ. ; Editors άθρ. σὺν ὅπλ. ἔδρ. οι έδρ. σὺν ὅπλ. ἀθρ. For the lengthening of -ov before a vowel cf. P. 3. 6. σὺν ‘Not without '; forcible contrast to the unarmed mother and infant. So too ἐν χερὶ δ' is almost 'and not empty-handed' contrasted with χερσὶν ἑαῖς, ν. 45. ὅπλοις Don. renders shields' from Hês. Scut. Herc. 13 φερεσσακέας Καδ μείους ; but weapons is more natural. ὁ ἐν χερὶ δ' Αμφιτρύων κολεοῦ γυμνὸν τινάσσων φάσγανον 80 c ἵκετ', ὀξείαις ἀνίαισι τυπείς. τὸ γὰρ οἰκεῖον πιέζει πάνθ' ὁμῶς· α εὐθὺς δ ̓ ἀπήμων κραδία κάδος ἀμφ ̓ ἀλλότριον. 55 ι ἔστα δὲ θάμβει δυσφόρῳ 2 τερπνῷ τε μιχθείς. εἶδε γὰρ ἐκνόμιον 3 λῆμά τε καὶ δύναμιν 4 υἱοῦ· παλίγγλωσσον δέ τοι ἀθάνατοι 5 ἀγγέλων ῥῆσιν θέσαν. Στρ. δ'. 85 60 6 γείτονα δ ̓ ἐκκάλεσεν Διὸς ὑψίστου προφάταν ἔξοχον, 90 η ὀρθόμαντιν Τειρεσίαν· ὁ δέ τοι φράζε καὶ παντὶ στρατῷ, ποίαις ὁμιλήσει τύχαις, ι ὅσσους μὲν ἐν χέρσῳ κτανών, 52 φάσγανον Omitted in the best мss. The Triclinian мss. read ξίφος ἐκτινάσσων against the metre. 53 ὀξείαις ἀνίαισι τυπείς Smitten with keen throes of anguish.' The phrase refers to βέλος above. Π. 19. 125 τὸν δ ̓ ἄχος ὀξὺ κατὰ φρένα τύψε βαθεῖαν, Od. 10. 247 κῆρ ἄχει μεγάλῳ βεβολημένος. τὸ γάρ, κ.τ.λ. Pausanias, 10. 22. 5, cites this sentiment with approval. Cf. The heart knoweth its own bitterness, and a stranger doth not intermeddle with its joy.' 54 app' Cf. O. and P. p. xxvi. 55 θάμβει, κ.τ.λ. • With mingled feelings of painful and glad wonderment.' Thus Paley rightly explains μιχθείς. Others affected by,' ef. Soph. Αnt. 1311 δειλαίᾳ δὲ συγκέκραμαι δύᾳ, Αiax 895 οἴκτῳ τῷ δε συγκεκραμένην. 56 ἐκνόμιον ‘Extraordinary. Not used, it seems, in the same sense as ἔκνομος, ‘unlawful, inordinate, as correlative of ἔννομος ̓Αντ. δ'. 95 (cf. the adv. Aristoph. Plut. 981, 992). 58 παλίγγλωσσον Apparently a word coined by Pindar=gainsaid,' i.e. by the fact. For Dativus commodi, not after ῥῆσιν, and not the article, as the digamma of the personal pronoun is needed for the scansion. ἀθάνατοι I.e. Zeus, by transmitting superhuman qualities to his son. Cf. Theokr. 24. 83, 84 γαμβρὺς δ' ἀθανάτων (Ηρας) κεκλήσεται, οἳ τάδ' ἐπῶρσαν | κνώδαλα φω λεύοντα βρέφος διαδηλήσασθαι. 6Ο γείτονα According to Pausanias 9. 11, Amphitryon lived by the Gate of Elektra, in the neighbourhood of which was the οίωνοσκοπεῖον of Teiresias (Paus. 9. 16). Διὸς ὑψίστου A special title of Zeus at Thebes (Paus. 9. 8. 3) amongst other places. 61 ὀρθόμ. Cf. Soph. Αnt. 1178 ὦ μάντι, τοῦπος ὡς ἄρ ̓ ὀρθὸν ἤνυσας, Oed. R. 506. 62 κτανών The participle of the 2 ὅσσους δὲ πόντῳ θῆρας ἀϊδροδίκας· καί τινα σὺν πλαγίω για σ 65 4 ἀνδρῶν κόρῳ στείχοντα τὸν ἐχθρότατον 5 φᾶσέ νιν δώσειν μόρῳ, · ἀντιάζωσιν, βελέων ὑπὸ ῥιπαῖσι κείνου φαιδίμαν γαίᾳ πεφύρσεσθαι κόμαν gnomic aorist referring to sundry points of the time covered by the principal verb. Thus ὅσσους κτ. = καὶ πολλοὺς κτενεῖ. Cf. N. 7. 3. 63 ἀϊδροδίκας For justice and the reverse in beasts cf. Archilochos, Frag. 88 [6] "Ω Ζεύ, πάτερ Ζεύ, σὸν μὲν οὐρανοῦ κράτος, | σὺ δ' ἔργ ̓ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων ὁρᾷς | λεωργὰ καὶ θεμιστά, σοὶ δὲ θηρίων | ὕβρις τε καὶ δίκη μέλει. For this phrase cf. Od. 9. 215 ἄγριον, οὔτε δίκας εὖ εἰδότα οὔτε θέμιστας. 64 τινα ' Many ' (cf. P. 2. 51 [θεὸς] ὑψιφρόνων τιν' ἔκαμψε βροτῶν), such as Busiris and Antaeos. For the junction of the definite article with the indefinite pronoun cf. Soph. Oed. Col. 288 ὅταν δ' ὁ κύριος | παρῇ τις, Oed. Rex 107 τοὺς αὐτοέντας χειρὶ τιμωρεῖν τινάς. So Böckh, Don. Bergk reading v. 66 μόρῳ for Ms. μόρον. Similarly Dissen, only changing τὸν to ποτ', and Kayser, only changing τὸν ἐχθ. to πανεχθροτάτῳ. Hermann reads v. 66 φασέν iv (acc. )...μόρῳ and above τῷ ἐχθροτάτῳ, making τινα the subject meaning Nessos. Keeping μόρον, Momm sen would change δώσειν to γεύσειν, Ahrens to παύσειν, Bury to πώσειν. Rauchenstein, Hermann and Bergk propose τινι ... στείχοντι τὸν ἐχθ. Bergk also suggests καί τινα σὺν πλαγίῳ (adverbially) ¦ ἀνδρῶν πόρον στ....μόρῳ after Hartung's καί τινα σὺν πλαγίῳ | ἀνδρῶν νόῳ στείχονθ' ὁδὸν ἐχθροτάταν | φασέ νιν δώσειν μόρῳ. δώσειν μόρῳ, Cf. Ρ. 5. 56 ὁ δ ̓ ἀρχαγέτας ἔδωκ ̓ ̓Απόλλων | θῆρας αἰνῷ φόβῳ, ΙΙ. 5. 397 ἐν Πύλῳ ἐν νεκύεσσι βαλὼν ὀδύνῃσιν ἔδωκεν. σὺν πλαγ. κόρ. στείχ. Cf. v. 25 supra, Phökyl. Frag. 9 ἄνδρες, σὺν κόσμῳ στείχοντες. 67 Φλέγρας Hieron and no doubt Chromios had defeated the Carthaginians off Phlegra near Cumae in the year before this victory at Nemea. The Phlegra where the gods fought the Giants was in Thrace. Cf. N. 4. 27 note. 68 ἀντιάζ. For the pres. cf. Goodwin, § 689, p. 274. Intr. 'to encounter Ν. 10. 20. The phrase ἀντιάζ. μάχαν (cognate acc.) naturally takes a dative like μάχομαι. Jebb notes that “The Gigantomachia adorned the pediment of the Megarian 'Treasury' at Olympia; next to Zeus, Poseidon and Ares, the chief figure was Heracles." For μάχαν Dissen cites Soph. Trach. 159 πολλοὺς ἀγῶνας ἐξιών. ῥιπαῖσι 'Whizzing flights,' cf. Il. 16. 361 ὀιστῶν ῥοῖζον. γαίᾳ Cf. Aesch. S. c. Τh. 48 γῆν θανόντες τήνδε φυράσειν φόνῳ. πεφύρσεσθαι Note the paulo-post. fut., 'they (the giants) will soon find their hair befouled.' κόμαν Cf. Il. 21. 407 of Ares ἐκόνισε δὲ χαίτας. 'Eπ. S'. « ἔνεπεν· αὐτὸν μὲν ἐν εἰράνᾳ τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον ἐν 70 ὁ ἡσυχίαν καμάτων μεγάλων ποινὰν λαχόντ ̓ ἐξαίρετον, ὀλβίοις ἐν δώμασι δεξάμενον θαλερὰν Ἥβαν ἄκοιτιν, C « δαίσαντα πὰρ Διὶ Κρονίδᾳ, σεμνὸν αἰνήσειν *λέχος* 69 ἔνεπεν The prominent position gives emphasis both to what immediately precedes and to what follows. χρόνον For the lengthening cf. v. 51, supra. For the sentiment of this epode cf. N. 9. 44, 45. ἐν σχερῷ No Ms. gives er, but σχερῷ (-ω). The phrase however occurs N. 11. 39, I. 5. 22. Perhaps the Hesychian ἰσχερῷ = ἑξῆς, should be read and ἐπισχερώ divided ἐπ-ἰσχερώ, as Hêsychios betrays no knowledge of this adverbial use of σχερός. 70 ποινάν ‘Recompense. Cf. Ρ. 1. 59 κελαδῆσαι π. τεθρίππων, Ρ. 2. 17 χάρις φίλων ποίνιμος ἀντὶ Γέργων ὀπιζομένα. θαλερὰν Blooming.' As the opening verses are obviously recalled, the reminiscence of θάλος may have suggested the memory of θαλερὴν παράκοιτιν Il. 3. 53, or the closer "Ηρην θ. ποιήσατ' ἄκοιτιν. | ἥδ' Ηβην... ἔτικτε Ηes. Th. 921, cf. 946, 999. 71 γάμον | δαίσαντα Cf. Il. 19. 299 δαίσειν δὲ γάμον μετὰ Μυρμι δόνεσσιν, Οd. 4. 3 τὸν δ ̓ εὗρον δαίνυντα γάμον πολλοῖσιν ἔτῃσιν υἱέος ἠδὲ θυγατρὸς ἀμύμονος ᾧ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ. For theme cf. I. 3. 76-78. 72 Διΐ So mss. always, though the word is a long monosyllable. Cf. I. 7. 35. αἰνήσειν An echo of alvov v. 6. My reading Méxos is supported by aἴνησεν γάμον P. 3. 13. λέχος Mss. give γάμον and δόμον. The former is imported from the line above, the latter is an attempt at correction, as is also the νόμον, νομὸν of the Schol. It is hard to believe that Pindar would terminate the last two lines of an ode with -μον. I therefore regard the last word as entirely lost, and suggest λέχος as giving better sense than Bergk's βίον, θρόνον, οι τεθμόν, Heyne's ἕδος, Mommsen's νόμον, Bury's σταθμόν. Observe that the example of rest after labour at the end of the ode is foreshadowed by the opening phrases ἄμπνευμα... δέμνιον. F. II. 2 |