Pindar and Anacreon/Pindar/Pythian Odes/9
THE NINTH PYTHIAN ODE.
TO TELESICRATES, THE CYRENÆAN, ON HIS VICTORY IN THE ARMED COURSE, GAINED IN THE TWENTY-EIGHTH PYTHIAD. [1]
ARGUMENT.
The poet begins with celebrating the praises of his hero, which leads him to a digression concerning the early history of Cyrene, the forcible abduction of the nymph from whom that city was named, and the birth of Aristæus, the fruit of her connection with the god Apollo.—Returns to his subject, with which he unites the story of Iolaus, a friend of Hercules, who, having had his life renewed for one single day, made use of his recovered existence to overcome and slay Eurystheus.—Excuses the episodical style of his narrative by the wish that all poets entertain to celebrate the praises of Hercules.—Returns to the victor, and enumerates his triumphs.—Recalls the memory of an old contest, in which Antæus, the Libyan, proposed as a reward to the victor the hand of his daughter, which was gained by Alexidamas, a fellow-townsman, or ancestor, of Telesicrates.
The hero of the brazen shield,
Victorious in the Pythian field,
Great Telesicrates my lays
Would with the deep-zoned Graces praise:
Bless'd man! Cyrene's joy and crown, 5
Equestrian seat of high renown.
Her in his golden car of yore
Ravish'd from Pelion's sylvan dell,
Where storms with ceaseless fury swell,
Latona's bright-hair'd offspring bore; 10
Giving the huntress virgin's hand
Empire o'er Libya's realm to keep,
Third portion of the peopled land, [2]
That teems alike with fruits and sheep. 15
The silver-footed Cyprian dame 15
Received her Delian guest,
And with a touch ethereal press'd
The heaven-built chariot's frame;
And o'er his genial bed she threw
Sweet modesty of virgin hue; 20
Joining the god in nuptial tie
With powerful Hypseus' progeny:
He who then made his regal sway
Th' impetuous Lapithæ obey:
The second hero whose bright line [3] 25
From ocean drew its source divine.
Him erst in Pindus' valleys fair
Peneus' bed well-pleased to share,
Daughter of earth, Creüsa bore,
While he a father's tender love 30
His white-arm'd child, Cyrene, gave to prove. 32
Not fond with dull delay to pore
The web's repeated progress o'er,
Nor hallow with domestic rites
The banquet's festival delights. 35
But with her dart and brazen spear
The beasts of savage brood to chase,
And render free from every fear
Her father's herds of quiet race;
Permitting' the dull weight of sleep 40
But lightly o'er her lids to creep;
When on her sweet and tranquil bed
The early beams of morn were shed. 44
Her, as unarm'd she waged the fight
'Gainst an impetuous lion's might, 45
Apollo found, whose matchless art
From his broad quiver wings the dart.
Then Chiron from his mansion straight
He bade the potent call await.
"Hasten, Phillyrides, to leave 50
The dark and venerable cave,
In mute astonishment survey
What mind a woman dares display;
Fearless of heart, what perils dread
She brings to her courageous head, 55
A damsel whose unconquer'd soul
No labours tire, no fears control!
What mortal gave her vital air?
Sprung from what source, a scion fair
Holds she th' umbrageous mountain's breast, 60
With more than human valour bless'd? 60
Is it a hallow'd action, say,
By fraud to seek the virgin bower,
And pluck with ruthless arm away
The sweetness of her hallow'd flower?" 65
To him the sturdy centaur, while
From his relaxing brow a smile
In placid sweetness softly broke,
Without delay his counsel spoke: 68
"The key that opes persuasion wise 70
Conceal'd in mystic darkness lies;
Since gods and men alike approve,
Oh Phœbus! that ingenuous shame
Should hide the deeds of sacred flame,
And all be secrecy in love. 74 75
But thee, whom falsehood ne'er can reach,
Some motive of a doubtful kind
Has with feign'd ignorance inclined
To utter this ambiguous speech.
For whence, oh king! thy fond desire 80
The damsel's lineage to inquire?
Whose eye of all events surveys
The fated end, the various ways;
Who to what leaves the teeming earth
In spring's prolific hour gives birth, 85
What sands are moved when waves tempestuous swell, [4]
Canst number with omniscient mind,
And every future period find
Which time's revolving course shall e'er impel. 89
But if with thine I must compare 90
My wisdom, this I will declare.
Her husband thou who seek'st this vale
Shalt o'er the paths of ocean sail;
And to the verdant plain of Jove [5]
Convey the object of thy love. 95
Thou shalt appoint Cyrene there
The ruler of a city fair,
Collecting all the island train
To the steep hill that crowns the plain.
Now sacred Libya's empire wide 100
Possesses thine illustrious bride,
Who her fair residence shall hold
That glitters with imperial gold.
Justly to her that fertile field
Will its unceasing produce yield, 105
A land with fruits abundant crown'd,
Where beasts unnumber'd graze around. 103
She shall produce an offspring there,
Whom to the high-throned Hours and Earth
Illustrious Mercury shall bear 110
From the dear authors of his birth.
They on their knees the babe shall place,
Bidding his young and tender lip
Sweet nectar and ambrosia sip,
And with immortal honour grace; 115
Making the rustic shepherd boy,
Whom mortals Aristæus name,
Skill'd to pursue the savage game,
His friends' delight and dearest joy;
Adored with almost equal love 120
To sacred Phœbus or to Jove." 116
Thus having said, he moved his breast
In wedlock to be fully bless'd.
But when the gods to action speed,
Short is the road and swift the deed. 125
That very day's revolving sun
Beheld the fated purpose done:
Saw them on Libya's golden strand
Join'd in the hymeneal band;
Where she protects that beauteous town 130
Which in each contest gains renown.
Once more upon the Pythian plain,
Carneades, thine offspring brave
By the bright wreath which fortune gave,
For her new lustre joys to gain. 135
Glory for her his conquests weave
Who shall with willing mind receive
The hero from the Delphic toil,
In his loved female-beauteous soil. 132
Great virtues ask a lengthen'd song— 140
But to adorn a high emprise
Briefly, is grateful to the wise;
Since its due limits to each act belong.
Seven-portall'd Thebes great Iolaus knew
The fitting opportunity pursue. 145
Him, when the proud Eurystheus' head
His vengeful sword had severed,
By charioteer Amphitryo's tomb
Earth hid within its tranquil breast,
Whither in ages past had come 150
His grandsire, th' earth-sown warrior's guest;
Who dwelt where milk-white coursers' feet
Sounded in the Cadmæan street. 147
Compress'd by his and Jove's embrace,
With the same pang Alcmena bore 155
Of sons a twin heroic race.
Mute and unskill'd in sacred lore
Were he who would refuse to raise
His voice in great Alcides' praise;
Forgetting the Dircæan spring, 160
That nurtured him and Iphicles, to sing.
To them will I the hymn address
Who crown my efforts with success.
Ne'er let the vocal Graces' ray
Cease to illuminate my lay. 165
Already has the victor's fame
Oft raised this glorious city's name,
Once in Ægina's day of fight,
And thrice on the Megarean height;
Forbidding o'er the victor's tale 170
Silence to draw her dusky veil. 163
Then let the friendly townsmen tell,
Nor e'en the candid foe conceal
What his strong arm hath wrought so well,
Laborious for the common weal. 175
The words of ocean's hoary sage
Submissive reverence should engage.
"Crown e'en an enemy's fair deed
With approbation's honest meed."
Thee too at Pallas' stated feasts 180
Full often have my eyes survey'd
Triumphant o'er th' assembled guests,
While many a silent gazing maid
Her husband or her offspring thee
Has wish'd, oh Telesicrates, to be! 176 185
To him in bright Olympia's day,
And in deep-bosom'd Rhea's fray,
And heroes on his native field
The palm in every contest yield.
From me, then, who the debt would pay, 190
Slaking my thirst of song, they claim
Once more to build the lyric lay,
And hymn thy great forefathers' fame:
As to Irasa's walls the suitors came,
To seek the Libyan nymph, Antæus' fair-hair'd dame. [6] 187 195
Kinsmen with many a stranger vied,
Illustrious throng! to call her bride—
Eager to crop of form sublime
The flow'ret in its golden prime:
But her ambitious sire, whose ear 200
From Argive Danaus joy'd to hear
That he had bound in wedlock's tie
His numerous virgin progeny
Ere yet the sun's resplendent light
Had travell'd its meridian height, 205
For his own daughter hoped to gain
A brighter hymeneal chain. 200
For in the stadium's farthest end
To the whole choir he fix'd a place,
And bade the amorous train contend 210
By skill in the pedestrian race,
Where each aspiring hero strove
To win the object of his love.
'Twas thus the Libyan sire allied
The husband to his destined bride. 215
Adorn'd in all her bright array
Close to the goal he bade her stay. 208
Sweet issue of their manly toil—
"Her garments," thus he cried aloud,
"Who touches first, of all the crowd, 220
Shall bear away the lovely spoil."
Alexidamus then, who press'd
Through the swift course before the rest,
Seizing the noble virgin's hand,
Led her through Libya's warlike band. 225
To him in many a strife before
The leafy crown they gave, on victory's wing to soar! [7] 220
- ↑ The armed course was one in which the contending heroes ran with brazen shields, as the first line indicates. This ode is remarkable for the flowing beauty of its diction and general simplicity of construction.
- ↑ Alluding to the ancient division of the habitable globe into Asia, Europe, and Libya, or Africa.
- ↑ Peneus was the son of Oceanus, and Hypseus, the father of Cyrene, was the son of Peneus, and of the nymph of Creusa, daughter of Tellus. The description given by the poet in this passage of the martial disposition of Creusa will remind the classical reader of the character of Camilla as sketched by Virgil: (Æn., vii., 805, sq.:)—
"Bellatrix; non illa colo calathisve Minervæ
Fœmineas assueta manus; sed prælia virgo
Dura pati, cursuque pedum prævertere ventos." - ↑ Thus Apollo with oracular voice declares of himself: (Herod., Clio, xlvii.:)—
Οιδα δ᾽ εγω ψαμμου τ᾽ αριθμον, και μετρα θαλασσης.
- ↑ A figurative expression, denoting the amenity of the soil and climate of Libya; or so called on account of the worship paid there to Jupiter Ammon.
- ↑ Named by the scholiast Barce, or Alceis. Irasa was a city in the Tritonian lake. The Antæus here mentioned is not to be confounded with the gigantic antagonist of Hercules.
- ↑ The metaphor here is the same as at the conclusion of the fourteenth Olympic ode, and at v. 129 of the eighth, and the last of the ninth Pythian, on which passage the scholiast considers the expression as simply a periphrasis for victory. It appears to be a favourite image with Pindar to denote the exultation produced by victory on the ardent mind. West, however, in his note on the fourteenth Olympic ode, maintains the opinion, founded on a passage in Plutarch, that the word wings is to be taken m its literal sense, to denote some emblematical ornaments added to the Olympic wreaths, &c. Let the reader decide.