# Pindar and Anacreon/Pindar/Olympic Odes/13

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Celebrating the victory of Xenophon of Corinth in the Olympic Games of 464 B. C., and incorporating the myth of Bellerophon and Pegasus.
"The inner number, placed at the end of the several paragraphs, shows the corresponding line of the original." [ note on p. 17 ]
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THE THIRTEENTH OLYMPIC ODE.
TO XENOPHON, THE CORINTHIAN, ON HIS VICTORY IN THE STADIC COURSE AND THE PANTATHLON, GAINED IN THE SEVENTY-NINTH OLYMPIAD.
ARGUMENT.
The poet begins this ode with celebrating the praises of Xenophon, conjointly with those of his native town.—He then proceeds to enumerate the different conquests of the victor and his father Ptæodorus.—Then returns to Corinth, and digresses to the story of Bellerophon, thrown to earth by Pegasus, who was afterward received into the celestial stalls.—Then follow encomiums of the Oligæthidæ of the tribe Xenophon, who had been victorious at Thebes, Argos, and various other cities where games, inferior to the four great contests, were celebrated.—Concludes with a prayer to Jupiter that he may bless them with continued prosperity.
While to the house of Xenophon I raise The grateful tribute of poetic praise, Who, thrice victorious in Olympia's field, With equal care the friend and stranger shield, Well-peopled Corinth, Isthmian Neptune's gate, 5 In this triumphant strain I celebrate. Ennomia with her sisters fair, The state's firm guard, inhabit there— Concord and Justice, who dispense To man unbounded affluence. 10 They, prudent Themis' golden train, Impetuous arrogance control; And foul-mouth'd insolence restrain, Which breeds satiety of soul. 12
​But truth and upright confidence prevail 15 O'er my bold tongue to speak its pleasing tale. Sons of Aletes! vainly would you hide The native valour stamp'd upon the mind. To you full often in triumphant pride Victory's high palm the blooming hours assign'd; 20 And oft they bade your skilful art explore The secret mysteries of ancient lore. 24
But all the glorious action's fame Illustrates the inventor's name. Who taught, save Corinth's noble race, 25 The Dithyrambic hymn to grace, In festal pride the bull to lead, Or curb with reins the generous steed? Or on the temples with expanded wing Placed the twin semblance of the feather'd king? 30 Them the sweet-breathing muse inspires, While Mars in his sublime career, Their youth with thirst of glory fires, And gives to hurl the deadly spear. 33
Supreme, wide-ruling Jove, whose sway 35 Olympia glories to obey, Through every age with guardian arm Shielding this happy race from harm, Conducted by thy prosperous gale, May Xenophon's light pinnace sail. 40 ​Receive th' encomiastic strain, His tribute, who on Pisa's plain The pentathletic garland won: Urged by insuperable force While he the stadium's lengthen'd course 45 With rapid foot was first to run. Of all in that great strife renown'd, Such wreaths no former mortal crown'd. 44
His brow, in pride of triumph placed, Twice has the Isthmian parsley graced— 50 As oft conspicuous in the Nemean field, To him the crown his vanquished rivals yield— And by Alphéus' shore his father's name, Swift-footed Thessalus, is given to fame. Him the same sun beheld on Pytho's plain, 55 The stadic and diaulic prize obtain: And rocky Athens wove her chaplet fair Thrice in one moon, to deck the victor's hair. 55
Seven times th' Hellotian palm he gain'd; But when on Isthmian Neptune's strand 60 The efforts of his victor hand Join'd to great Ptæodorus' might, His sire and partner in the fight, The glorious prize obtain'd; More lengthen'd pomps and songs proclaim 65 Terpsias' and Eritimus' fame. ​What palms to him from Delphic contests rise! What honours Nemea's grassy field supplies! If all his glorious deeds my song would tell, The shore's unnumber'd stones I might recount as well. 66 70
Wisdom still follows in the mean, On every fit occasion seen. I, when true friendship wakes the string, Prudence or warlike fame to sing, Not e'en for Corinth's sires will raise 75 Strains of exaggerated praise. Thence Sisyphus, the craftiest son of earth, His hands endued with more than mortal skill, And to this race Medea owes her birth, Whose wedded choice opposed her father's will. 80 Her ready aid, by love inspired, could save Argo and all her crew from the remorseless grave.
What time the troops in long array Appear'd before the Dardan wall, Anxious to end the doubtful fray, 85 Begun at the Atridæ's call. When, aided by their friendly host, Greece strove her Helen to regain, And Troy beyond her threaten'd coast To drive th' invaders to the main. 90 While Danaus' sons with fear survey'd Glaucus, from Lycia's field array'd— The plain, he said with conscious pride, Where flows Pirene's sacred tide, That was my sire's dominion fair, 95 Whose palace tower'd in splendour there. 88
Bold Pegasus, the snaky Gorgon's son, He strove to curb with many an effort vain, Where that sweet fountain's bubbling waters run, Till virgin Pallas brought the golden rein. 100 In vision to his couch of rest she came, ​And cried, "Can still th' Œolian monarch sleep? The courser with this wished-for bridle tame, And to the god who rules the stormy deep, As the white bullock on his altar bleeds, 105 Display as strong a rein as checks his fiery steeds."
'Twas thus, as plunged in sleep he lay, The godlike maid, who joys to wield The terrors of her azure shield, Seem'd in the shadowy gloom to say. 110 On eager foot the monarch rose And seized the wonder glittering near, Then straight the whole bright vision shows To Polyidus, native seer, That when by night retired to rest, 115 Obedient to the high behest, Within her consecrated fane, The virgin progeny of Jove, Who darts his lightning spear above, Gave to his hand the golden rein. 111 120
The prophet bade him swift obey This passage of the will divine, A sturdy bull to Neptune slay, And to equestrian Pallas rear the shrine. Full oft the gods with power supreme 125 Have brought the wish'd event to birth, Beyond the utmost hope or dream Of the short-sighted sons of earth. Even thus Bellerophon the bold With gentle rein thrown o'er his head, 130 The winged courser's pride controll'd, And at his potent bidding led. 122
Then quickly mounting, sportive play'd In brazen panoply array'd. Borne by his faithful steed, he sought the field, 135 Where blows the desert air with chilling breath; ​Made the brave Amazonian squadrons yield, And closed their female warrior ranks in death. Chimæra, breathing fire, his arms o'erthrew, And the proud race of Solymi he slew. 140 His death I sing not—while from thraldom freed, The ancient stalls of Jove receive th' aspiring steed. 132
But 'tis not mine beyond the mark to throw The whirling arrows from my potent bow. The high-throned muses' willing slave, I raise 145 With the just tribute of poetic praise, The Oligæthidæ's Corinthian train, Victors at Isthmus and on Nemea's plain. While in brief tale their glories I rehearse, True is the oath that sanctifies my verse. 150 Since thirty wreaths the herald's sweet-toned sound In either contest won, sings to the world around. 143
Their triumphs on Olympia's plain Ere now my song has given to fame; And future crowns the lay shall move, 155 If true my ardent wishes prove. But should the natal demon bless, Since God alone confers success, To Jove and war's stern lord we leave The embryo glories to achieve. 160 For them what verdant garlands grow On the Parnassian mountain's brow! What chaplets Thebes and Argos yield, And green Arcadia's sacred grove! Where stands as witness of the field, 165 The altar of Lycæan Jove. 154
​Pellene, Sicyon, have beheld their might— Æacidae's well-guarded grove, Eleusis, Megara, where oft in fight, As oft in splendid Marathon they strove. 170 Eubœa and the wealthy cities spread Beneath aspiring Ætna's head. Through Græcia's realm more wreaths to them belong Than could be number'd in the poet's song. Still, mighty Jove, preserve their tranquil state, 175 And may increasing joys the virtuous race await! 165
* ↑ The oracle of Bacis, mentioned by Herodotus, (Uran. lxxvii.,) ascribes the same birth to satiety:— Κρατερον Κορον, Ὑβριος υἱον.
* ↑ The Corinthians are so called, as being descended from King Aletes, who came into the Peloponnesus with the Heraclidæ, and obtained the empire of Corinth.
* ↑ There is some obscurity in this passage. It is doubted by the commentators whether the double eagle were sculptured on the pediment, (aëtoma,) or placed inside of the temple. Green is of the latter opinion, but supports it by rather a singular argument, viz., that the word in the original is ενθηκ᾽; whereas it is evident that the corresponding line in the second epode requires εθηκ᾽ in the first, which is the common and doubtless the true reading. Pausanias, in his description of the temple of Minerva Εργανη, the Artificer, in the citadel at Lacedæmon, has these words:— ἡ δε δυσμας εχει των ζωων αετους τε δυο, τους ορνιθας, και ισας επ᾽ αυτοις νικας.
* ↑ The Hellotia was a festival of Minerva celebrated at Corinth; in which was a game called Λαμπαδοδρομια, from youths running with lamps in their hands. The scholiast informs us that when the Dorians, with the Heraclidæ, invaded Corinth and burned the city, the greater part of the virgins fled; but Hellotia, with her sister Eurytione, perished in the flames of the temple of Minerva.
* ↑ The former was the son of Ptæodorus; the latter the son of Terpsias.
* ↑ The scholiast says that these were stars anciently called ονοι as well as φατναι. Perhaps, therefore, it was the Præsepe Asellorum, near the constellation Cancer; which, being a summer sign, answers to the description of it given by Theocritus, (xxii. 21.)—ονων ανα μεσσον αμαυρη Φατνη, σημαιναοισα τα προς πλοον ενδια παντα.