Blog post #5

Victory odes are the type of Greek poetry that praises and emphasize the victors of specific types of Olympic Games relating to the Gods and well known Heroes of the time. The poems are written so that it is remembered and because humans are mortal and must be aware of death at any time as Bacchylides argued “a man should speak of what he really means to accomplish” through victory odes it would become immortal of victor’s achievement.

Most victory odes begins with the victor’s name, his family, place of born and the event. For instance, Bacchylides both Ode2 and Ode 3 starts “for Argeoios son of Pantheidas, from Keos, victor in boys’ boxing at the Isthmian games” and “for Hieron son of Deinomenes, from Syracuse, victor in the chariot race at the Olympic games.” Also, poets never forget to mention muses, Gods and other well-known heroes to enlarge its honor and to spread the story to people. For example in Ode 13 of Bacchylides, he has compared Pytheas to “crushing is the hand that Perseus’ descendant wields against the savage lion’s neck with stratagems of every kind.” Because Pytheas is a victor in the pankration that is derived from Perseus’ heroic moment and by comparing its achievement greatly develops honor for Pytheas. In addition, Bacchylides claimed in Ode 5 to Hieron that “you will know how to judge the violet-crowned Muses’ sweet gift and ornament” referring his own poet as a gift from the Muses to emphasize that the victor is graced with honor, also saying that “make Zeus the son of Kronos your theme of song……bearing for Hieron the leaves of happiness.”

Another role that victory odes hold is establishing the idea of mortality of human being. In Ode 5 Bacchylides compared human life to the leaves that are falling from the tree as “there he observed the souls of wretched mortals by Kokytos’ streams, like leaves tossed by the wind up and down.” The reason why he took an idea that human beings are mortal essentially is to emphasize the importance of the victory odes and accomplishment that one should achieve. For example, in Ode 5 he says that because “for no mortal on earth is born to be in all ways fortunate,” “a man should speak of what he really means to accomplish,” as “Victory have caused golden fame to flourish in the sight of many for a few men throughout their lifetimes.” He indicates that people should be aware of death at any time and if one wants immortality it is done by their accomplishment written out in poems as he claimes that “when death’s dark cloud conceals them, there remains renown undying for a thing well done as their unfailing portion.”