In Exchange for Pain, Sometimes Good

Pindar, Olympian 12.1-12a

“I am begging you, child of Zeus-who-Frees,
Savior Chance, safeguard mighty Himera.
For you direct swift ships on the sea,
And fast wars on land,
And  counsel-bringing assemblies too.
Human hopes rise up and then back down
As they turn, traversing pointless lies.

No mortal has yet discovered a trustworthy sign,
From the gods about deeds still to come.
Plans for the future remain in the dark.

Humans experience many things against their expectations–
Sometimes, it’s the opposite of pleasure, but in others
Those who have faced great storms receive profound good for their pain
In a short time.”

Λίσσομαι, παῖ Ζηνὸς Ἐλευθερίου,
Ἱμέραν εὐρυσθενέ᾿ ἀμφιπόλει, σώτειρα Τύχα.
τὶν γὰρ ἐν πόντῳ κυβερνῶνται θοαί
νᾶες, ἐν χέρσῳ τε λαιψηροὶ πόλεμοι
κἀγοραὶ βουλαφόροι, αἵ γε μὲν ἀνδρῶν
πόλλ᾿ ἄνω, τὰ δ᾿ αὖ κάτω
ψεύδη μεταμώνια τάμνοισαι κυλίνδοντ᾿ ἐλπίδες·
σύμβολον δ᾿ οὔ πώ τις ἐπιχθονίων
πιστὸν ἀμφὶ πράξιος ἐσσομένας εὗρεν θεόθεν,
τῶν δὲ μελλόντων τετύφλωνται φραδαί·
πολλὰ δ᾿ ἀνθρώποις παρὰ γνώμαν ἔπεσεν,
ἔμπαλιν μὲν τέφψιος, οἱ δ᾿ ἀνιαραῖς
ἀντικύρσαντες ζάλαις
ἐσλὸν βαθὺ πήματος ἐν μικρῷ πεδάμειψαν χρόνῳ.

Seated Marble sculpture. Female figure in draped clothing looking right, hand on chin
Seated Muse or Nymph on Rock (Adaptation of Urania Type), Walters Art Museum

The Good Deeds of Fantasy

Pindar, Olympian 8.72-3

“A man who has done proper things,
Certainly forgets about Hades.”

Ἀίδα τοι λάθεται
ἄρμενα πράξαις ἀνήρ.

Schol. ad Pin. Ol. 8.72

“He certainly forgets about Hades.” For every man who has accomplished fitting things obtains forgetfulness of Hades by his own choice, and this in fact means death. For, I guess, this is naturally just the thought of those who are troubled: for this sort of thing is the fine action of a fantasy for those who do well.”

 ᾿Αίδα τοι λάθεται: πᾶς γὰρ ἀνὴρ ἁρμόδια πράξας τῇ ἑαυτοῦ προαιρέσει ῞Αιδου, τουτέστι τοῦ θανάτου, λήθην λαμβάνει· ἤ πού γε τῶν ἁπλῶς κατὰ φύσιν ὀχλούντων οἱονεὶ τὸ φρόνημα· τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τῆς φαντασίας εὐπραξία τοῖς εὖ πράττουσιν.

Somewhat impressionist Oil painting with a disintegrating figure on the left foreground turning back towards a doorway and garden images in the background the palate is mostly orange and brown

Witold Wojtkiewicz (1879–1909), “Fantasy”. Muzeum Narodowe w Krakowie; http://www.zbiory.mnk.pl ;MNK II-b-205;;fot. Pracownia Fotograficzna MNK

Two Anchors, Two Lands

Pindar, Olympian 6. 101-105

“Two anchors are good
to cast out from a swift ship
on a stormy night.

I hope that the god grants  these people and their friends
A glorious fate.
Lord, ruler of the sea: provide them with a direct journey
Free of all troubles.

And, husband of golden-rodded Amphitrite,
Help the pleasurable flower of my songs grow.”

ἀγαθαὶ δὲ πέλοντ᾿ ἐν χειμερίᾳ
νυκτὶ θοᾶς ἐκ ναὸς ἀπεσκίμ-
φθαι δύ᾿ ἄγκυραι. θεός
τῶνδε κείνων τε κλυτὰν αἶσαν παρέχοι φιλέων.
δέσποτα ποντόμεδον, εὐθὺν δὲ πλόον καμάτων
ἐκτὸς ἐόντα δίδοι, χρυσαλακάτοιο πόσις
Ἀμφιτρίτας, ἐμῶν δ᾿ ὕμνων ἄεξ᾿ εὐτερπὲς ἄνθος.

Scholia ad Pind. Ol. 6.101

“Two anchors are good: two anchors extended from one ship are good and useful in a stormy night, he means. He says that also because Hegesias has two countries, both in Arkadia and among the Syracusans.

Also: the winds are harsh at night. This is clearly about ships, for whom two anchors are need…they are useful. In the same way, the two cities stand against developing troubles.

“[the anchors] are good: this is a clever way of defending the two countries that claim the victor. IT means, just as it is advantageous and profitable to let out two anchors in a storm and the night, it is also a good thing to have two countries.”

ἀγαθαὶ δὲ πέλονται: ἀγαθαὶ δέ, φησι, καὶ χρήσιμοι κατὰ χειμερίαν νύκτα δύο ἄγκυραι ἠρεισμέναι ἐκ μιᾶς νεώς. τοῦτο δέ φησι διὰ τὸ καὶ τὸν ᾿Αγησίαν δύο περιέχεσθαι πατρίσι, τῇ τε ᾿Αρκαδίᾳ καὶ ταῖς Συρακούσαις.

ἄλλως· ἐν νυκτὶ δ’ ἄνεμοι χαλεποί· —δῆλον νηῶν·πρὸς οὓς χρηστέον δύο ἀγκύραις ….. … <δύο ἄγκυραι> χρήσιμοι, οὕτω καὶ πρὸς τὰς γινομένας ταραχὰς αἱ δύο πόλεις.

 ἀγαθαὶ δὲ πέλονται: ἀστείως ἀπολογεῖται τοῦ εἶναι τὸν νικηφόρον δύο πατρίδων, καί φησιν· ὥσπερ ἐστὶ λυσιτελὲς καὶ συμφέρον ἐν χειμῶνι καὶ νυκτὶ [τὴν νῆα] δύο ἀγκύραις ἐπερείδεσθαι, οὕτως ἐπικερδὲς καὶ δύο πατρίδας

color photograph of stone pyramid-shaped anchors standing together in an outdoor display
Ship stone anchors on display at deposit of the open-air exhibition along the Ancient Greek theater in the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus (Athens). Picture by Giovanni Dall’Orto, November 14 2009.

The Secret Keys to Sex and Pretense

Pindar, Pythian 9.37-51

“The mighty Centaur laughed brightly
With a soft brow, and immediately offered
His own wisdom: “The locks of holy sex
Are secrets of wise Persuasion, Apollo.
Gods and humans similarly avoid
Climbing quickly into bed openly, for the first time at least.

Even so, your moving lust persuaded you
To offer this speech when it is wrong For you to lie.

Are you really asking where the girl is from, lord?
You’re the one who knows the proper end of all things
And the paths that leads to them-=-
How many leaves the earth sprouts in the spring
And how many sands in the rivers and the sea
Swirl in the waves and the driven winds
Or what will be and where it will come from–
You know all of this well.

But, if it is my duty match one so wise,
I will speak…”

τὸν δὲ Κένταυρος ζαμενής, ἀγανᾷ
χλοαρὸν γελάσσαις ὀφρύι, μῆτιν ἑάν
εὐθὺς ἀμείβετο· “κρυπταὶ κλαΐδες ἐντὶ σοφᾶς
Πειθοῦς ἱερᾶν φιλοτάτων,
Φοῖβε, καὶ ἔν τε θεοῖς τοῦτο κἀνθρώποις ὁμῶς
αἰδέοντ᾿, ἀμφανδὸν ἁδεί-
ας τυχεῖν τὸ πρῶτον εὐνᾶς.
καὶ γὰρ σέ, τὸν οὐ θεμιτὸν ψεύδει θιγεῖν,
ἔτραπε μείλιχος ὀργὰ παρφάμεν τοῦ-
τον λόγον, κούρας δ᾿ ὁπόθεν γενεάν
ἐξερωτᾷς, ὦ ἄνα; κύριον ὃς πάντων τέλος
οἶσθα καὶ πάσας κελεύθους·
ὅσσα τε χθὼν ἠρινὰ φύλλ᾿ ἀναπέμπει, χὠπόσαι
ἐν θαλάσσᾳ καὶ ποταμοῖς ψάμαθοι
κύμασιν ῥιπαῖς τ᾿ ἀνέμων κλονέονται,
χὤ τι μέλλει, χὠπόθεν
ἔσσεται, εὖ καθορᾷς.
εἰ δὲ χρὴ καὶ πὰρ σοφὸν ἀντιφερίξαι,
ἐρέω·

A fresco from naples (wall painting): From left to right: Apollo (of the Apollo Lykeios type), Chiron, and Asclepius.
Fresco, 1st Century CE from Pompeii

The Two Thoughts All Mortals Must Have

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

Will Our Story Shine?

“I’ve done what I came here to do.”
-Tina Turner, 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey

Bacchylides.3.85-92

To the wise person I say wise things:
The deep heavens are undefiled;
The waters of the sea are not moldering;
And gold is happiness!

But it is not in the nature of things
For gray old age to let a person revive
Her vibrant youth. And yet—

The luster of a mortal’s greatest hits
Does not fade with her body.
On the contrary, the Muse sustains it.

φρονέοντι συνετὰ γαρύω: βαθὺς μὲν
αἰθὴρ ἀμίαντος: ὕδωρ δὲ πόντου
οὐ σάπεται: εὐφροσύνα δ᾽ ὁ χρυσός:
ἀνδρὶ δ᾽ οὐ θέμις, πολιὸν παρέντα
γῆρας, θάλειαν αὖτις ἀγκομίσσαι
ἥβαν. ἀρετᾶς γε μὲν οὐ μινύθει
βροτῶν ἅμα σώματι φέγγος, ἀλλὰ
Μοῦσά νιν τρέφει.

Black and white photograph of Tina Turner on stage singing in the 1970s
Tina Turner, 1939-2023

Larry Benn has a B.A. in English Literature from Harvard College, an M.Phil in English Literature from Oxford University, and a J.D. from Yale Law School. Making amends for a working life misspent in finance, he’s now a hobbyist in ancient languages and blogs at featsofgreek.blogspot.com.

The Outstanding Virtue

Bacchylides 14. 1-18.

It’s best when men receive a good allotment from god.
But heavy fate comes, destroying the good man
And, when set right, even making the bad man shine bright.
There are different honors for different men.

Men’s virtues are countless,
But one stands out from them all:
That a man manages what comes with a just heart.

The lyre’s voice and the clear-sounding choruses
Are not meet for grief-sowing battles,
And neither is the clang of clashing bronze for celebrations.
No, for everything men do there’s a time that’s best.
When a man’s at his best, a god is guiding him too.

εὖ μὲν εἱμάρθαι παρὰ δαίμονος ἀν-
θρώποις ἄριστον:
συμφορὰ δ᾽ ἐσθλόν τ᾽ ἀμαλδύ-
νει βαρύτλατος μολοῦσα
κἀἰ τὸν κακὸν ὑψιφανῆ τεύ-
χει κατορθωθεῖσα: τιμὰν
δ᾽ ἄλλος ἀλλοίαν ἔχει:
μυρίαι δ᾽ ἀνδρῶν ἀρεταί, μία δ᾽ ἐκ
πασᾶν πρόκειται,
ὃς τὰ πὰρ χειρὸς κυβερνᾶ-
ται δικαίαισι φρένεσσιν.
οὔτ᾽ ἐν βαρυπενθέσιν ἁρμό-
ζει μάχαις φόρμιγγος ὀμφὰ
καὶ λιγυκλαγγεῖς χοροί,
οὔτ᾽ ἐν θαλίαις καναχὰ
χαλκόκτυπος: ἀλλ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστῳ
καιρὸς ἀνδρῶν ἔργματι κάλ-
λιστος: εὖ ἔρδοντα δὲ καὶ θεὸς ὀρθοῖ.

Picture of street sign that originally said "Men Working" but has graffiti added to it saying" on healing".
A street sign in Brooklyn.

Larry Benn has a B.A. in English Literature from Harvard College, an M.Phil in English Literature from Oxford University, and a J.D. from Yale Law School. Making amends for a working life misspent in finance, he’s now a hobbyist in ancient languages and blogs at featsofgreek.blogspot.com.

Praise for the Runner

Pindar. Olympian Ode 13.24-34.

Olympia’s most-high, wide-ruling one,
May you, father Zeus, for all time
Hold nothing against my words,
And while you keep this people safe from harm,
Pilot the winds of Xenephon’s fortunes.

Accept from him this ritual praise
For the garlands he brings from Pisa’s plains:
He won the pentathlon and stadion race.
No mortal man has done that before.

Two parsley wreaths also crowned him
When he appeared at the Isthmian festival.
And in Nemea it was no different.

ὕπατʼ εὐρὺ ἀνάσσων
Ὀλυμπίας, ἀφθόνητος ἔπεσσιν
γένοιο χρόνον ἅπαντα, Ζεῦ πάτερ,
καὶ τόνδε λαὸν ἀβλαβῆ νέμων
Ξενοφῶντος εὔθυνε δαίμονος οὖρον·

δέξαι τέ οἱ στεφάνων ἐγκώμιον τεθμόν, τὸν ἄγει πεδίων ἐκ Πίσας,
πεντάθλῳ ἅμα σταδίου νικῶν δρόμον· ἀντεβόλησεν
τῶν ἀνὴρ θνατὸς οὔπω τις πρότερον.

δύο δʼ αὐτὸν ἔρεψαν
πλόκοι σελίνων ἐν Ἰσθμιάδεσσιν
φανέντα· Νέμεά τʼ οὐκ ἀντιξοεῖ.

screenshot of a map of a marathon run in Brooklyn
The translator ran the Brooklyn ½ Marathonon Saturday in 1:35. He received no garlands.

Larry Benn has a B.A. in English Literature from Harvard College, an M.Phil in English Literature from Oxford University, and a J.D. from Yale Law School. Making amends for a working life misspent in finance, he’s now a hobbyist in ancient languages and blogs at featsofgreek.blogspot.com.

Glory and Worthless Wealth

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

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.