Victor: Pytheas
Victor’s Father: Lampon
Hometown: Aigina
Game: Nemean
Event: Pankration- A sporting event in the Greek Olympic
Games. It is a mix of boxing and wrestling with few to no rules
Lines 1-43 Missing: Usually in the beginning of these
victory odes, the winner is introduced and there is a description of the games
and of how the victory was won. There is a formal introduction, or strophe included in the beginning of the
ode.
Lines 43-45: “meting out punishments to mortal men”
suggests that the Greek Gods are the ones punishing the people of Greece who
think they are more important than others and are arrogant.
[Ant.2]: This story refers to Perseus’ descendant
Herakles and his first of 12 labors. The “crushing hand that Perseus’
descendant wields against the savage lion’s neck” refers to Herakles and how he
strangled the lion to death with his bare hands. “Flashing bronze” refers to
Herakles weapons he initially used to fight the lion but none would penetrate
the lion or “unapproachable bulk”. This event is said to be the prototype for
pankration and the reason it was founded.
[Ep.2]: “glory-laden Victory” who was “beside the
altar of Zeus” refers to the greek goddess Nike who went around awarding
victors with wreaths of Laurel leaves or “flowers”. Zeus would respect these
victors. This respect from Zeus would only be possible for a “few men
throughout their lifetimes”. Even “when death’s dark cloud conceals them” and
the victor’s die, their fame will forever be remembered and will “remain
renown”.
[Str.3]: Restates that Phytheas “son of Lampon” received
honors at Nemea. The “ancestral island” of Aigina is being honored as the place
where Pytheas “showed forth the strength that gained the upper hand in combat”
and won the Nemean games.
[Ant 3.]: Praising the fact that Zeus, “the son of Kronos”
has allowed Phytheas to be the winner of the games. His victory is presented
“like a bright torch” much like the torches presented at the Olympic games.
Phytheas’ might is “hymned by many a high-vaunting girl” showing the degree of
which his fame is because only those of great fame and honor get sung about.
Getting the chorus to sing about your victory is representative of everlasting
fame.
[Ep 3.]: maidens give “crimson flowers and reeds”, which are
native to the land, to Phytheas in honor of his victory. “Endeis”, Aiko’s wife,
gives birth to “godlike Peleus and Telamon the warrior”.
[Str.4]: Refers to the story of Achilles and Ajax in the
Trojan War. Ajax alone defended the Greek ships against Hektor who tried to set
the ships “awesomely ablaze”.
[Ant. 4]: The story of the Trojan War continues. Achilles
set the Dardanians “free from their woes”. Previously, the Trojans hid behind
their walls, “they never left the many towers of Ilion’s prodigious citadel”.
They cowered out of fear of Achilles and him “shaking the spear that
slaughtered multitudes”.
[Ep.4]: The battle between Achilles and the Dardanians is
compared to a ship struggling at sea and finally finding their way to land. With
Achilles fighting, the Dardanians are compared to “the sea that blooms in
darkness” because they were in trouble. But when Achilles withdraws from war
due to his argument with Agamemnon, the Dardanians “joyfully make their way
beyond all hope to land”. Hope is restored in them.
[Str. 5]: When Achilles withdrew from battle for “the
fair-haired woman’s sake”, for Briseis, the Dardanians had a sigh of relief and
“stretched their hands up to the gods”, praising the gods. The Dardanians, went
out of hiding, left “Laomedon’s walls” and went on the offensive, attacking the
Greeks.
[Ant 5]: With the help of “Hektor’s hand” and his strength,
the Dardanians “roused fear in the Danaans”, the Greeks. The Dardanians with
help, “slaughtered men” and pushed the Greeks to “the shore of the sea”.
[Ep. 5]: Continuing on about the Trojan war and how the
Trojans continued to attack when they “stormed the dark-eyed
ships”.”Skamandros” is the chief river of Troy.
[Str. 6]: Aiakos’ descendants refers to Achilles who killed
many people and came back fighting for Greece after his close friend was
killed. There is a transition back to focusing on Pytheas and “Excellence,
visible to all, does not grow dim in hiding” refers to the eternal fame for
winning the games.
[Ant. 6]: Pytheas’ feat and fame will “do honor to the
glory-laden island of Aikos”. Winning the games will “steer the city on its
course” and cause good things to happen to the city. Excellence will keep the
town in good fortune for a while.
[Ep. 6]: There is a calling for the celebration of the
“glorious victory” of Pytheas but also to Menandros, Pytheas’ trainer for his
“attentive care” and for “assisting athletes”. Menandros’ training at “Alpheos’
stream” or Olympia is one to be desired and is very good at what he does
because he “has set crowns upon the hair of countless men at games attended by
all Greeks”. He has produced champions.
[Str. 7]: Addresses the fact that unless people are overcome
by “envy” and will provide a “reckless speech”, then they should “give praise”
to the victor of the games. The truth will always come into “public view”
whereas the “ill-disposed” will “dwindle and fade away from sight”. This refers
to those that are noble will be remembered and those that are not will be
forgotten.
[Ant 7]: Pytheas’ father is thanking the Muses for honoring
Pytheas through song
[Ep. 7]: Bacchylides is thanking Lampon for his “hospitality”
and for hiring him to write this ode for Pytheas. Also thanking “Kleio”, one of
the muses, for “songs of delightful utterance” that will carry Pytheas’ name on
forever.
Sources
1.
Greek Lyric
4.
http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/poetic-form-ode
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/lion.html
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