Tag: Epinician

Glory and Worthless Wealth

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Bacchylides, Odes 1. 159-172

“I claim and I will always claim
That excellence has the greatest glory.
Wealth will flock to worthless people
And always tends to swell a person’s thoughts.
But the one who does well for the gods
Has more glorious hopes
To settle their heart.

But if someone has health
Even if mortal
And can live through their own household
They rival the best.

Truly, all pleasure
In a person’s life
Comes apart from disease
And a poverty with no cure.

Rich people desire big things
No less than the poor something smaller,
And there’s nothing sweet for mortals
In being able to get everything at all
Because they’re always straining to catch
Whatever is getting away.”

φαμὶ καὶ φάσω μέγιστον
κῦδος ἔχειν ἀρετάν· πλοῦ-
τος δὲ καὶ δειλοῖσιν ἀνθρώπων ὁμιλεῖ,
ἐθέλει δ᾿ αὔξειν φρένας ἀνδρός·
ὁ δ᾿ εὖ ἔρδων θεούς
ἐλπίδι κυδροτέραι
σαίνει κέαρ. εἰ δ᾿ ὑγιείας
θνατὸς ἐὼν ἔλαχεν
ζώειν τ᾿ ἀπ᾿ οἰκείων ἔχει,
πρώτοις ἐρίζει· παντί τοι
τέρψις ἀνθρώπων βίωι
ἕπεται νόσφιν γε νόσων
πενίας τ᾿ ἀμαχάνου.
ἶσον ὅ τ᾿ ἀφνεὸς ἱμείρει
μεγάλων ὅ τε μείων
παυροτέρων· τὸ δὲ πάντων
εὐμαρεῖν οὐδὲν γλυκύ
θνατοῖσιν, ἀλλ᾿ αἰεὶ τὰ φεύγοντα
δίζηνται κιχεῖν.

Raphaelle Peale, “Melons and Morning Glories” 1813

The Importance of Luck and Good Timing

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Bacchylides 14.1-18

“The best thing for humans is
To have good luck from god.

See: a heavy-enduring suffering,
Debases even a good person when it comes,
While the elevated path,
Straightens out even a wicked one.

People have different kinds of honor
And their excellence is beyond counting–
Yet one thing looms above the rest:
When someone directs the work in front of them
With just thoughts.

The lyre’s tone
And the clear-voiced choruses
Are dissonant in battles weighed down by grief,
Just as the clash of bronze sounds off at feasts.
For every human act
The right time is the most important thing:
God straightens out the one who starts well.”

εὖ μὲν εἱμάρθαι παρὰ δαίμ[ονος ἀνθρώποις
ἄριστον·
σ]υμφορὰ δ᾿ ἐσθλόν <τ᾿> ἀμαλδύνει
β]αρύτλ[α]ος μολοῦσα
καὶ τ]ὸν κα[ὸν] ὑψιφανῆ τεύχει
κ]ατορθωθεῖσα· τιμὰν
δ᾿ ἄλ]λος ἀλλοίαν ἔχει·
μυρί]αι δ᾿ ἀνδρῶν ἀρε[αί,] μία δ᾿ ἐ[κ
πασᾶ]ν πρόκειται,
ὃς τὰ] πὰρ χειρὸς κυβέρνασεν
δι]καίαισι φρένεσσιν.
μυρί]αι δ᾿ ἀνδρῶν ἀρε[αί,] μία δ᾿ ἐ[κ
πασᾶ]ν πρόκειται,
ὃς τὰ] πὰρ χειρὸς κυβέρνασεν
δι]καίαισι φρένεσσιν.
οὔτ᾿ ἐ]ν βαρυπενθέσιν ἁρμόζει
μ]χαις φόρμιγγος ὀμφὰ
καὶ λι]γυκλαγγεῖς χοροί,
οὔτ᾿ ἐ]ν θαλίαις καναχά
χαλκ]όκτυπος· ἀλλ᾿ ἐφ᾿ ἑκάστωι
καιρὸς] ἀνδρῶν ἔργματι κάλλιστος·
[ε]ὖ ἔρδοντα δὲ καὶ θεὸς ὀ[ρθοῖ.

Image of a figure on a red figure vase. Figure is a nude, beardless youth, holding a long butchering knife in his right hand and the head of a pig with his left on a three-legged table
After the sacrifice: a youth prepares the head of a pig in front of a temple (see the column on the right). Apulian red-figure bell-krater.

The Many Paths to Glory

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Bacchylides, 10.35-52

“Different people chart
Different paths as they try
To find unambiguous glory.
And there are 10,000 kinds of human knowledge.

The skilled person thrives in hope
Whether they’ve come into the Graces’ honor
Or learned some prophetic art.
One aims his fancy bow
At boys, while others
Build up their hearts
In their fields and herds of cattle.

The future shows how things turn out,
Where fortune puts its weight.

The best thing of all
Is to be a noble envied by many people.

I know something about wealth’s great power too:
It makes even a worthless man useful.

Why do I drive my tongue so far directly and off the road?”

ματεύει
δ᾿ ἄλλ[ος ἀλλοί]αν κέλευθον,
ἅντι[να στείχ]ων ἀριγνώτοιο δόξας
τεύξεται. μυρίαι δ᾿ ἀνδρῶν ἐπιστᾶμαι πέλονται·
ἦ γὰρ σ [ο]φὸς ἢ Χαρίτων τιμὰν λελογχώς
ἐλπίδι χρυσέαι τέθαλεν
ἤ τινα θευπροπίαν
εἰδώς· ἕτερος δ᾿ ἐπὶ παισί
ποικίλον τόξον τιταίνει·
οἱ δ᾿ ἐπ᾿ ἔργοισίν τε καὶ ἀμφὶ βοῶν ἀ[γ]έλαις
θυμὸν αὔξουσιν. τὸ μέλλον
δ᾿ ἀκρίτους τίκτει τελευτάς,
πᾶ τύχα βρίσει. τὸ μὲν κάλλιστον, ἐσθλόν
ἄνδρα πολλῶν ὑπ᾿ ἀνθρώπων πολυζήλωτον εἶμεν·
οἶδα καὶ πλούτου μεγάλαν δύνασιν,
ἃ καὶ τ[ὸ]ν ἀχρεῖον τ[θησ]ι
χρηστόν. τί μακρὰν γ[λ]ῶ[σ]σαν ἰθύσας ἐλαύνω
ἐτὸς ὁδοῦ;

color photo detail of a red figure vase: a beardless main in a chiton is passing a lyre to someone to viwer's right
Achilles Painter Red Figure Vase Detail, München, Staatliche Antikensammlungen 2329 c 450-435 BCE

I Feel Bad For You, Let Me Marry Your Sister

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In this Ode, Herakles encounters Meleager in the underworld and hears the story of how the Calydonian hero started to lose strength and fail during battle because his mother had thrown a magic log whose safety ensured his life onto a fire. Herakles is moved by the story and has a somewhat surprising response.

Bacchylides, 4. 156-176

“Then the only son of Amphitryon
Wept, pitying the fate of the long-suffering man
As he answered him saying this:

“The best thing for mortals is not to be born
Nor to see the light of the sun.
Ah, but since weeping over these things
Does no good
We must speak of what will be done.
Is there, in the halls of war-loving Oeneus
An unwed daughter,
Similar to you in appearance?
I am willing to make her
My glorious wife.”

Meleager’s battle-hardened soul said:

“I left in my home
Pale-limbed Deineira,
Still unfamiliar with
Golden Aphrodite, enchanter of mortals.”

Ἀμφιτρύωνος παῖδα μοῦνον δὴ τότε
τέγξαι βλέφαρον, ταλαπενθέος
πότμον οἰκτίροντα φωτός·
καί νιν ἀμειβόμενος
τᾶδ᾿ ἔφα·  ‘θνατοῖσι μὴ φῦναι φέριστον
μηδ᾿ ἀελίου προσιδεῖν
φέγγος· ἀλλ᾿ οὐ γάρ τίς ἐστιν
πρᾶξις τάδε μυρομένοις,
χρὴ κεῖνο λέγειν ὅτι καὶ μέλλει τελεῖν.

ἦρά τις ἐν μεγάροις
Οἰνῆος ἀρηϊφίλου
ἔστιν ἀδμήτα θυγάτρων,
σοὶ φυὰν ἀλιγκία;
τάν κεν λιπαρὰν <ἐ>θέλων θείμαν ἄκοιτιν.’
τὸν δὲ μενεπτολέμου

ψυχὰ προσέφα Μελεάγρου·

‘λίπον χλωραύχενα
ἐν δώμασι Δαϊάνειραν,
νῆϊν ἔτι χρυσέας
Κύπριδος θελξιμβρότου.’

Line drawing of the centaur Nessus trying to abduct Deianeira from Herakles.
Francesco Bartolozzi, “Hercules, Deianeira and Nessus ” Yale Center for British Art via Wikimedia Commons

The Two Thoughts All Mortals Must Have

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Bacchylides, 3. 77-92

“Since you are mortal, you need to cultivate
Two concepts: that tomorrow is the only day
You will see the light of the sun
yet also that you will live fifty more years with overwhelming riches.

Bring joy to your heart by doing good deeds,
For this is the highest of profits.
If you know, you know what I am saying.

The heights of heaven are unpolluted
And sea’s water does not rot.
Gold can delight but
It is not permitted for a man
To put down his grey hair and
Return his flourishing youth.

The story of someone’s accomplishments,
Does not wither with the body–
No, the Muse helps it grow.”

‘θνατὸν εὖντα χρὴ διδύμους ἀέξειν
γνώμας, ὅτι τ᾿ αὔριον ὄψεαι
μοῦνον ἁλίου φάος,
χὤτι πεντήκοντ᾿ ἔτεα
ζωὰν βαθύπλουτον τελεῖς.
ὅσια δρῶν εὔφραινε θυμόν· τοῦτο γὰρ
κερδέων ὑπέρτατον.’
φρονέοντι συνετὰ γαρύω· βαθὺς μὲν
αἰθὴρ ἀμίαντος· ὕδωρ δὲ πόντου
οὐ σάπεται· εὐφροσύνα δ᾿ ὁ χρυσός·
ἀνδρὶ δ᾿ ο θέμις, πολιὸν [αρ]έντα
γῆρας, θάλ[εια]ν αὖτις ἀγκομίσσαι
ἥβαν. ἀρετᾶ[ς γε μ]ὲν οὐ μινύθει
βροτῶν ἅμα σ[ώμ]τι φέγγος, ἀλλὰ
Μοῦσά νιν τρ[έφει.]

Detail of Death and Life by Gustav Klimt, Nude mother holds nude child in the middle of two other stylized female figures. Her eyes are closed and cheeks are rosy

Never Met an Adjective He Didn’t Like

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Bacchylides, 2

“Rush, holy-giver, Fame,
To sacred Keos and
Take the graceful-named message
That Argeios seized
Victory in the bold-handed battle.

He reminds us of all the noble deeds
We have shown at the
Isthmus’ famous neck
After we left Euksantius,
The sacred island,
With seventy prizes

The native Muse
Calls out the pipes’ sweet echo
As she uses epinicians to praise
Pantheus’ beloved son.”

ἄ[ϊξον, ὦ] σεμνοδότειρα Φήμα,
ἐς Κ[έον ἱ]εράν, χαριτώνυμ[ον]
φέρουσ᾿ ἀγγελίαν,
ὅτι μ[ά]χας θρασύχειρ<ος> Ἀργεῖο[ς

ἄ]ρατο νίκαν,
καλῶν δ᾿ ἀνέμνασεν, ὅσ᾿ ἐν κλ[εν]νῶι
αὐχένι Ἰσθμοῦ ζαθέαν
λιπόντες Εὐξαντίδα νᾶσον
ἐπεδείξαμεν ἑβδομήκοντα
[σὺ]ν στεφάνοισιν.
καλεῖ δὲ Μοῦσ᾿ αὐθιγενής
γλυκεῖαν αὐλῶν καναχάν,
γεραίρουσ᾿ ἐπινικίοις
Πανθείδα φίλον υἱόν.

Painting in the style of a frieze. A musician plays a lyre on the left and two women lean together listening on the right

Albert Joseph Moore, “A Musician”

The Human Nature of Desire

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Bacchylides, 1.159-175

“I claim and I will claim that
The greatest glory is virtue.

Wealth attends worthless people too
And longs to inflate any man’s thoughts.

But someone who does well by the gods
Lightens their heart with nobler hope.
Sure, they may be mortal but
If they have health and can live
On their own possessions,
They rival the most prominent.

Joy comes to any human life
that’s free of diseases and overwhelming poverty.

The desire of the rich for big things
And the poor for smaller things is
The same but there’s nothing sweet
In having access to everything.

Humans are always trying to catch
The things that escape them.”

φαμὶ καὶ φάσω μέγιστον
κῦδος ἔχειν ἀρετάν· πλοῦ-
τος δὲ καὶ δειλοῖσιν ἀνθρώπων ὁμιλεῖ,
ἐθέλει δ᾿ αὔξειν φρένας ἀνδρός·
ὁ δ᾿ εὖ ἔρδων θεούς
ἐλπίδι κυδροτέραι
σαίνει κέαρ. εἰ δ᾿ ὑγιείας
θνατὸς ἐὼν ἔλαχεν.
ζώειν τ᾿ ἀπ᾿ οἰκείων ἔχει,
πρώτοις ἐρίζει· παντί τοι
τέρψις ἀνθρώπων βίωι
ἕπεται νόσφιν γε νόσων
πενίας τ᾿ ἀμαχάνου.
ἶσον ὅ τ᾿ ἀφνεὸς ἱμείρει
μεγάλων ὅ τε μείων
παυροτέρων· τὸ δὲ πάντων
εὐμαρεῖν οὐδὲν γλυκύ
θνατοῖσιν, ἀλλ᾿ αἰεὶ τὰ φεύγοντα
δίζηνται κιχεῖν.

Black and white still photograph of a scene from a movie: a woman holds a child in a hospital bed
Still from the American drama film Wealth (1921) with Ethel Clayton, on page 57 of the September 1921 Photoplay. from Wikimedia Commons

Boasts, Denials, and Unattainable Desire

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Pindar, Nemean 11.29-31; 43-47

“But empty-headed boasts toss some mortals
From good ends ,while a heart that is overly cautious
Holds others back by the hand, making them deny their own strength,
And keeping them from their natural wins.”

ἀλλὰ βροτῶν τὸν μὲν κενεόφρονες αὖχαι
ἐξ ἀγαθῶν ἔβαλον· τὸν δ᾿ αὖ καταμεμφθέντ᾿ ἄγαν
ἰσχὺν οἰκείων παρέσφαλεν καλῶν
χειρὸς ἕλκων ὀπίσσω θυμὸς ἄτολμος ἐών.

“Yet anything from Zeus has no clear sign for mortals.
Nevertheless, we still make a start on massive projects
Because we desire many accomplishments.

Our limbs are devoted to shameless hope,
while rivers of forethought flow far away.
We need to hunt for some limit to profits,
Obsession with unattainable desires is too sharp.”

τὸ δ᾿ ἐκ Διὸς ἀνθρώποις σαφὲς οὐχ ἕπεται
τέκμαρ· ἀλλ᾿ ἔμπαν μεγαλανορίαις ἐμβαίνομεν,
ἔργα τε πολλὰ μενοινῶντες· δέδεται γὰρ ἀναιδεῖ
ἐλπίδι γυῖα· προμαθείας δ᾿ ἀπόκεινται ῥοαί.
κερδέων δὲ χρὴ μέτρον θηρευέμεν·
ἀπροσίκτων δ᾿ ἐρώτων ὀξύτεραι μανίαι.

Color photo of a frieze. a Long painting of impressionistic images: mostly figures turned away from the viewer in a few clusters
Edvaed Munch, “Desire” 1907-7. Munch Museum. from Wikimedia Commons

The Growth of Virtue and Needs of Friends

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Pindar, Nemean 8.40-5

“Excellence grows just like a tree
Nourished on pale dew
Once it is raised up among
The wise and righteous to point toward
The watery sky.

Friends have all kinds of needs:
Help during suffering is foremost,
But joy also longs to make sure we see
Trust.”

αὔξεται δ᾿ ἀρετά, χλωραῖς ἐέρσαις
ὡς ὅτε δένδρεον ᾄσσει,
<ἐν> σοφοῖς ἀνδρῶν ἀερθεῖσ᾿
ἐν δικαίοις τε πρὸς ὑγρόν
αἰθέρα. χρεῖαι δὲ παντοῖαι φίλων ἀν-
δρῶν· τὰ μὲν ἀμφὶ πόνοις
ὑπερώτατα, μαστεύει δὲ καὶ
τέρψις ἐν ὄμμασι θέσθαι
πιστόν….

Photograph of an oil painting with a young boy under a tree pointing in conversation to a dog. There is a sheep in the background
Edmund Bristow, “trust”. 1878 RCIN 406224 from Wikimedia Commons

Highways of Words and Rough Sailing

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Pindar Nemean 6. 52-56

“Older poets found these subjects
To be an elevated highway;
I follow it even though I have concern–
The wave that is always turning
Right into the front of the ship
Is said to cause everyone’s heart
The most trouble.”

καὶ ταῦτα μὲν παλαιότεροι
ὁδὸν ἀμαξιτὸν εὗρον· ἕπο-
μαι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔχων μελέταν·
τὸ δὲ πὰρ ποδὶ ναὸς ἑλισσόμενον αἰεὶ κυμάτων
λέγεται παντὶ μάλιστα δονεῖν

Color image close up of a Grek vase showing a ship with sail opened, men at oar rowing, and a prominent figure steering
On the internal surface, around the rim, four ships. Cemetery of Ancient Thera. 3rd quarter of the 6th cent. BC Archaeological Museum of Thera. [Wikimedia Commons]