Victory odes

Victory odes were commissioned in order to memorialize the honor and legacy of an athlete.  Thus they function as memorials to the strength of the athlete, but also the skill of the poet. Both Pindar and Bacchylides acknowledge the ability of their poetical prowess to preserve the reputation of the athlete that they are writing about.

Pindar’s Olympian 2 is an example of a poet praising his own poetic skill as he commemorates an athlete’s victory.  In the opening lines, Pindar establishes Theron, the champion, as the object of his praises for his victory in the “four-horse chariot race” (line 5). Pindar furthers his report on Theron’s greatness by linking him to, “an illustrious line” (7). This is typical of the victory odes that have been examined. The poet links the champion to a mythical story or theme, possibly by lineage, but Pindar also links people to famous heroes who are from their same town. By connecting the champion to a famous figure, story, or moral, the poet confers their legitimacy as a champion by establishing a trustworthy connection that will evoke a positive image for a reader. Then, as is typical of other victory poems, the majority of the middle of the poem is spent recounting the mythical story, to which the champion has been linked. After making mythical allusions, the poet typically returns to praising the champion, as Pindar does in this poem. He writes that,

no city within a hundred years produced

a man who toward his friends is more

beneficent in thought or free of hand

than Theron. ( 93-95)

Pindar praises the generosity of Theron in this passage, and goes on to argue how greedier men mismanage their wealth, unlike Theron. The Pindar praises not only the athletic skill of Theron, but also his diplomatic qualities. In another poem, Pindar writes how he does this in order to avoid making his audience jealous of the champion (Pythian 1, strophe 5). Thus, Pindar commemorates not only the athleticism of Theron, but also establishes his generosity for the cultural memory of the populous. Since victory odes are commissioned in order to preserve the legacy of the champion, it is important that Pindar paint a positive image of the victor, both in the athletic arena, and also in his civil duties.

In this way, by praising Theron, but also showing restraint in his praise, Pindar proves his poetic prowess. Of his own skill, Pindar says,

Many swift arrows lie in store within

the quiver crooked beneath my arm

having a voice that speaks to experts; but to grasp their gist

requires interpreters. (83-5)

 Pindar is praising his own poetic skill. He uses the image of the arrow to describe how accurately he can praise and athlete and how focused his work can be. The fact that the quiver is beneath his arm shows how the skill is exclusively Pindar’s, but also how his ability to write powerful poetry is always at the ready. Then Pindar claims that his work is so great that is appeals to the very educated, but they even they need help to understand all that he says. He also states that he can, “proclaim on oath straightforward truth” (92). In this way, the victory ode serves not only to commemorate the skill of the athlete, but also the skill of the poet. Pindar praises his own ability to accurately capture the skill of Theron.

Bacchylides also simultaneously relates the skill of the victor he is praising and his own poetic skill. In Ode 13, he addressed the victory of Pytheas in the pankration. In order to establish his legitimacy and skill, Bacchylides compares Pytheas to the Trojan war heroes Achilles and Ajax. Bacchlides also writes how Pytheas shows, “forth the strength that gained the upper hand in combat with pankratiasts” (75-6), and how he has achieved, “renown undying for a thing well done” (65). Bacchylides is praising the skill of Pytheas in the ode, and also citing how his legacy will last. The ability of the victory ode to solidify forever the legacy of an athlete is so important. Bacchylides states how Pytheas deeds have earned him “renown undying” (65), just like other great champions. At then end of the ode, after recounting the story of Ajax and Achilles, he writes, “Excellence, visible to all, / does not grow dim in hiding” (176-7), and how everyone ought to, “celebrate […] the glorious victory / of Pytheas” (191-1). Bacchylides further seeks to praise Pytheas victory and commemorate his legacy into the cultural memory of his town. The fact that his victory will not grow dim serves to prove that the victory will endure forever through the poem. Just as important as praising the skill of Pytheas is the notion that the memory of his skill will endure forever.

Bacchylides, like Pindar, ends his ode with a nod to his own poetic prowess, writting,

            May you look

            With favor on my gift – no slight one – to your son.

            If Kleio, giver of all bloom, has truly

            Instilled this in my mind,

            Song of delightful utterance

            Will herald forth his name to all the people. (226-31)

He praises his own prowess when he notes that his poem is not slight. He is remarking what a great gift his poem is, not only because it is beautifully written, but also because it will preserve Pytheas’ name. He describes his poem as a gift, showing how he views his work very highly. Bacchylides invokes a common trope of the victory ode by invoking the Muse, Kleio, and saying that from her his poetic genius has sprung. Bacchylides ends the poem with the idea that the poem will preserve and spread Pytheas’ name. Since it is placed last in the poem, Bacchylides is greatly emphasizing the importance of preserving Pytheas’ memory, and also how his poem is able to do so.

Pindar and Bacchylides both praise champions as well s their own poetic skill in their victory odes. In this way, they preserve the legacy of an athlete, and also advance their own reputation for being a great poet. The victory ode genre is one that places great importance on the idea of preserving a legacy for all time. Both Pindar and Bacchylides reference this desire of the athletes to be forever remembered.