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The Greek poet Pindar (c. 518-428 BC) composed victory odes for winners in the ancient Games, including the Olympics. He celebrated the victories of athletes competing in foot races, horse races, boxing, wrestling, all-in fighting and the pentathlon, and his Odes are fascinating not only for their poetic qualities, but for what they tell us about the Games. Pindar praises the victor by comparing him to mythical heroes and the gods, but also reminds the athlete of his human limitations. The Odes contain versions of some of the best known Greek myths, such as Jason and the Argonauts, and Perseus and Medusa, and are a valuable source for insights on Greek religion and ethics. Pindar's startling use of language, including striking metaphors, bold syntax, and enigmatic expressions, makes reading his poetry a uniquely rewarding experience. Anthony Verity's lucid translations stay as close as they can to the original Greek, without sacrificing readability. The text is complemented by a succinct introduction by Stephen Instone outlining the essential nature of Pindar's Odes as well as explaining the nature of the Games, the events, and the participants. Explanatory notes help the reader to navigate Pindar's sometimes compressed and allusive expressive technique.
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David Carl
reviewed The complete odes on September 29, 2019
The complete odes
I became interested in Pindar mainly because he is cited as an influence on Plato by various scholars. He is also a source for Greek mythology. It seemed to be an appropriate time to read him given that I am studying the latter right now and had already gone through Plato a number of times in the past.
That Pindar was an influence on Plato seems entirely plausible. It seems that Pindar had been influenced by Pythagoreanism. The odes indicate that it was the belief in an afterlife and a divine judgment on one's deeds that show the greatest Pythagorean influence and the most likely influence on Plato. Plato, of course, could have picked this up straight from Pythagorean sources, but that Pindar was the medium in which he found certain ideas (e.g. Rhadamanthus' role as judge) seems very plausible.
Most of these odes were composed for victors in various contests. Pindar has a tendency to recount mythological tales when he is lauding some victor. In some cases, it's in order to warn against hubris and pride. Some of Pindar's comments almost seem to echo biblical ideas. Whether that was simply an intentional attempt by the translator to make the Greek conform to such, or whether the ideas were inherent to Pindar's thought, is difficult to gauge. It is interesting though regardless.
Very interesting work; both as a possible influence on Plato and as a source for Greek myth. Obviously, if one is interested in such topics, this would qualify as an essential source.
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