by Cecil Bowra
With sacrifice of oxen and the struggle of games on five days,
With horses and mules and the single rider. For thee tender glory
He laid up by his victory, and he proclaimed
His father Akron and the new-built city.
II
[10] Coming from the lovely precincts of Oinomaos and Pelops,
O Pallas, supporter of cities, he sings of the holy grove,
Thy river, Oanis, and the pools of the land,
And the hallowed channels, with which Hipparis waters thy host,
And welds swiftly together the high-limbed avenue of well-built halls,
[15] Bringing this people of citizens from perplexity to light.
Even in noble causes the toil and the cost contend
Against a task wrapped in danger.
But if men prosper, their townsmen think them wise.
III
O saviour Zeus in the clouds, dweller on Kronos’ Hill,
[20] Who honourest Alpheos’ broad stream and Ida’s holy cave,
Suppliant to thee I come to the strain of Lydian flutes,
To ask thee to deck the city with renowned manhood,
And thou, Olympian conqueror, delighting in Poseidon’s mares,
Mayest thou carry to the end a high-hearted old age,
[25] Psaumis, with sons at thy side. If a man waters healthy happiness,
Content with his possessions
And adding glory to them, let him not seek to be God.
Olympian V is almost certainly not the work of Pindar but was added to his works by the Alexandrian scholar Didymos in the first century B.C. It looks like the work of a Sicilian imitator, writing for the same Psaumis as Pindar celebrated in Olympian IV, to be sung on his return to Kamarina, probably in 448 B.C. The poem follows a strict plan. Each triad is complete, the first addressed to the nymph Kamarina, the second to Pallas, the third to Zeus, and this may mean that the song was performed in a procession which halted at three stations.
2 Kamarina is a daughter of Ocean.
5 The six twin-altars at Olympia was where successful athletes sacrificed.
12 Oanis is a river of Kamarina.
13 So too is Hipparis.
14 The meaning is much disputed. The words may refer to timber brought down the river for building, or to bricks baked from its mud. Neither is very convincing.
20 The cave of Ida seems to have been on the Hill of Kronos at Olympia.
Register of Names
m = mythical
m Abas, king of Argos, son of Lynkeus and father of Talaos.
Achaioi, Greeks living variously in Thessaly, Peloponnese, and Epirus.
Acharnai, country district of Attica.
Acheron, river of the underworld.
m Achilles, son of Peleus and Thetis.
m Admatos, son of Pheras and kinsman of Jason.
m Adrastos, son of Talaos, king of Argos, and one of the Seven against Thebes.
Aegis-holder, Zeus.
m Agamemnon, king of Argos, murdered by his wife Klytaimestra, father of Orestas.
m Aiakos, son of Zeus and Aigina, ancestor of the Aiakidai.
m Aias, son of Telamon, fights at Troy, kills himself on not being awarded the armour of the dead Achilles
m Aias, son of Ileus, hero, fought at Troy.
m Aietas, king of Kolchis and father of Medeia.
Aigai, seat of Poseidon in Achaia.
Aigeidai, famous clan with branches in several Greek cities. Pindar and King Arkesilas IV of Kyrene both belonged to it.
m Aigimios, Dorian king, father of Pamphylos.
m Aigisthos, paramour of Klytaimestra and murderer of Agamemnon, himself killed by Orestas.
Aineas, leader of the choir which celebrates Hagesias.
Ainesidamos, of Akragas, father of Theron and Xenokrates.
m Aiolos, son of Helen and father of Sisyphos, gives name to Aiolidai or Aeolians.
m Aipytos, son of Elatus, king of Phaisana in Arkadia and father of Evadna.
m Aison, son of Kretheus and king of part of Thessaly, father of Jason.
Aitna, volcano in Sicily, under which the giant Typhos was believed to be buried. Also town founded by Hieron on its slope.
m Akastos, son of Pelias, king of Iolkos and Magnesia, husband of Hippolyta.
Akragas, city on southern coast of Sicily.
m Aktor, father of Menoitios and grandfather of Patroklos.
m Alatas, descendant of Herakles and founder of Korinth.
Alektran Gates, at Thebes, looking towards Plataia.
Aleuas, Thessalian prince, father of Thorax, Eurypylos, and Thrasydaios.
Alexibiadas, Karrhotos, charioteer of King Arkesilas IV.
Alexidamos, distant ancestor of Telesikrates of Kyrene.
m Alkaios, grandfather of Herakles.
m Alkathoos, son of Pelops and founder of Games at Megara.
Alkimedon, Aiginetan, son of Iphion and member of the family of Blepsiadai.
Alkimidas, Aiginetan wrestler, son of Theon.
m Alkmaion, son of Amphiaraos.
Alkmaionidai, famous Athenian family, of which Megakles was a member.
m Alkmana, wife of Amphitryon and mother of Herakles and Iphikles.
m Alkyoneus, giant killed by Herakles and Telamon.
Alpheos, river at Olympia, passes under sea to reappear at Syracuse as the fountain Arethoisa.
Altis, sacred grove at Olympia.
m Amazons, women warriors living by the river Thermodon.
Amenas, river of Sicily watering Katana by Aitna.
Ammon, name by which Zeus is worshipped in Africa.
m Amphiaraos, son of Oikleës, king of Argos, one of the Seven against Thebes.
Amyklai, city of the Peloponnese captured by the Dorians under Herakles.
m Amyntor, father of Astydameia and grandfather of Tlapolemos.
m Amythaon, son of Kretheus and brother of Aison, an Argonaut.
m Antaios, king of Libya, who could not be defeated so long as he kept his feet on the ground. Herakles lifted him and killed him.
m Antenor, Trojan, father of the first founders of Kyrene.
Antias, noble Argive.
m Antilochos, son of Nestor, for whom he gave his life.
m Aphareus, father of Idas and Lynkeus.
Aphrodita, goddess of love. Also called Kypris (the Cyprian).
Apollo, god of song and prophecy, with seats at Delphoi and Delos, also called Phoibos.
Archestratos, of Western Lokroi, father of the athlete Hagesidamos.
Archilochos, poet of the seventh century, renowned for his sharp tongue.
Area’s Ford, on eastern coast of Sicily.
Ares, god of war.
Arethoisa, fountain in Syracuse.
m Argo, ship of the Argonauts in the quest for the Golden Fleece.
Argos, city of the north-eastern Peloponnese.
Aristagoras, of Tenedos, son of Hagesilas.
Aristaios, son of Apollo and Kyrene, god of the countryside.
Aristodemos, Argive remembered for a single remark.
Aristokleidas, Aiginetan, son of Aristophanes, athlete.
Aristomenes, Aiginetan boy athlete, son of Xenarkes.
Aristophanes, Aiginetan, father of the athlete Aristokleidas.
Aristoteles, another name for Battos, the founder of Kyrene.
Arkadia, central, mountainous region of the Peloponnese.
Arkesilas IV, king of Kyrene.
m Arsinoa, nurse of Orestas, saves his life in childhood.
Artemis, goddess, twin sister of Apollo.
m Asklapios, son of Apollo and Koronis, later god of healing.
Asopichos, of Orchomenos, boy athlete, son of Kleodamos.
Asopodoros, of Thebes, father of the chariot-racer Herodotos.
Asopos, river of Boiotia and of Sikyon, father of cities.
m Astydameia, daughter of Amyntor and mother of Tlapolemos.
Atabyrion, mountain in ce
ntral Rhodes.
Athana, goddess, also called Pallas.
m Atlas, a Titan, supports the sky on his shoulders.
m Atreus, son of Pelops and father of Agamemnon.
m Augeas, king of the Epeians, killed by Herakles.
Bassidai, Aiginetan family.
Battos, first king of Kyrene, previously called Aristoteles.
m Bellerophon, Korinthian hero, son of Glaukos and grandson of Sisyphos, rides on Pagasos.
Blepsiadai, noble Aiginetan family.
Boibias, Thessalian lake.
Bright-eyed One, Athana.
Chariadai, Aiginetan family.
m Chariklo, wife of Cheiron.
m Cheiron, centaur, son of Kronos and Philyra.
m Chimaira, monster killed by Bellerophon.
Chromios, Syracusan soldier.
m Daidalos, Cretan craftsman.
Damagetos, Rhodian, father of the athlete Diagoras.
Damater, goddess of crops.
Damophilos, leader of opposition in Kyrene and friend of Pindar.
m Danaä, mother of Perseus.
m Danaoi, synonym for Greeks who fought at Troy.
m Dardanoi, Trojans.
m Dardanos, Troy.
Deinias, Aiginetan boy athlete, son of Megas.
Deinomenes, father of Hieron and titular king of Aitna.
Delos, island in Aegean, birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.
Delphoi, on slope of Parnassos, seat of Apollo’s oracle and the Pythian Games.
m Deukalion, husband of Pyrrha, with her forms the first human couple after the great flood.
Diagoras, Rhodian athlete, son of Damagetos.
Diodotos, Theban, father of the elder Strepsiadas and grandfather of the young athlete of the same name.
m Diomedes, Argive hero.
Dionysos, god of wine and ecstasy.
m Dioskouroi, twin sons of Leda – Kastor and Polydeukes.
Dirka, fountain at Thebes.
Dodona, seat of oracle of Zeus in north-west Greece.
m Doryklos, from Tiryns, competitor at first Olympian Games.
m Echemos, from Tegea, winner in the first Olympian Games.
m Echion, son of Hermes and Antianeira, an Argonaut.
Elatos, father of Aipytos (Eilatidas).
Eleithyia, birth-goddess.
Eleusis, outside Athens, seat of Eleusinian Games.
Emmenidai, family at Akragas, descended from Emmenis and ultimately from Polyneikes.
m Endaïs, daughter of Cheiron, wife of Aiakos, and mother of Peleus and Telamon.
m Epaphos, son of Io, king of Libya and forebear of Aigyptos and Danaos.
m Epeians, people of Elis, ruled by Augeas.
Epharmostos, wrestler, member of ancient family in Opous.
m Ephialtas, son of Poseidon and Iphimedeia, of gigantic stature.
Ephyra, ancient capital of Thesprotia, where the Acheron flows into the sea.
Epidauros, Argive district near Saronic Gulf, where games were held in honour of Asklapios.
Eratidai, Rhodian family, descended from Tlapolemos, son of Herakles.
m Erechtheus, mythical king of Athens.
Ergoteles, Cretan athlete from Knossos, exiled to Himera.
m Eriboia, daughter of Alkathoos, wife of Telamon, mother of Aias.
Eriphyla, wife of Amphiaraos.
Eritimos, Korinthian athlete, brother of Terpsias.
m Erytos, son of Hermes and Antianeira, an Argonaut.
Euboia, large island east of Attica.
m Euphamos, son of Poseidon, an Argonaut.
Euphanes. Aiginetan, father of Kallikles and grandfather of Timasarchos.
Euripos, tidal strait between Euboia and Chalkis.
m Europa, daughter of Tityos.
Eurotas, river of Sparta.
m Euryala, a Gorgon, killed by Perseus.
m Eurypylos, demigod, son of Poseidon and Kelaino.
m Eurystheus, king of Argos, half-brother of Herakles.
m Eurytos, one of the Moliones, killed by Herakles.
m Evadna, daughter of Poseidon and Pitana, mother of Iamos.
Gadeira, city in Spain, regarded as the limit of the known world.
m Ganymedes, Trojan boy, carried off by Zeus to be his cupbearer.
m Geryon, giant with three heads, in Spain, killed by Herakles.
m Glaukos, son of Hippolochos, hero from Lykia in Trojan War.
Golden-haired, the, Apollo.
m Gorgons, monsters, daughters of Phorkos.
Hagesias, son of Sostratos, Syracusan, victor with mule-car.
Hagesidamos, 1. from Western Lokroi, boy boxer, son of Archestratos.
Hagesidamos, 2. father of Chromios of Aitna.
Hagesilas, of Tenedos, father of Aristagoras.
m Haimones, Thessalian tribe.
m Halirrothios, of Mantinea, father of Samos.
m Hektor, Trojan hero, son of Priam.
m Helen, daughter of Zeus and Leda, wife first of Menelaos, then of Paris.
m Helenos, son of Priam.
Helikonian maidens, the Muses.
Hellas, Greece.
Hellotian Games, at Korinth.
Heloros, river of Sicily.
Hermes, messenger of the gods and patron of games.
Hieron, king of Syracuse.
m Hippodameia, daughter of Oinomaos and wife of Pelops.
Hippokleas, Thessalian boy athlete, son of Phrikias.
m Hippolyta, daughter of Kretheus and wife of Akastos.
m Hyperboreans, mythical people living beyond the North wind.
Hypereïs, fountain near Pherai in Thessaly.
Hyperion’s child, the Sun.
m Hypermestra, daughter of Danaos of Argos and wife of Lynkeus, whom she refused to kill when all her sisters killed their husbands.
m Hypseus, son of Kretheus and Kreoisa, king of the Lapiths.
m Hypsipyleia, queen of the Amazons.
m Ialysos, legendary Rhodian, son of Kerkaphos and grandson of the Sun, eponymous hero of city with the same name.
m Iamos, legendary founder of the clan of Iamids, son of Apollo and Evadna.
m Iapetos, founder of a family in Opous.
m Idas, son of Aphareus, legendary king of Messenia.
m Ilas, trainer of Hagesidamos.
m Ino, daughter of Kadmos.
m Iolaos, companion of Herakles, son of Iphikles.
Iolkos, city in Thessaly.
Ionian Sea, between Greece and Thessaly.
m Iphigeneia, daughter of Agamemnon and Klytaimestra.
m Iphikles, twin brother of Herakles.
Iphion, Aiginetan, father of athlete Alkimedon.
Irasa, city of Libya.
Ismenos, river of Thebes.
Ismenion, temple of Apollo on bank of the above.
Ister, ancient name for the Danube.
Isthmus, of Korinth, joining the Peloponnese to mainland.
m Ixion, first man to commit bloodshed; also assaulted Hera.
m Jason, son of Aison, leader of the Argonauts.
Kadmeians, Thebans.
m Kadmos, son of Agenor, founder of Thebes.
Kaïkos, river of Mysia.
m Kalaïs, winged son of Boreas.
Kallianax, Rhodian, ancestor of Diagoras.
Kallias, Aiginetan boxer.
Kallikles, Aiginetan, uncle of Timasarchos, son of Euphanes.
Kallimachos, Aiginetan, dead kinsman of Alkimedon.
m Kamiros, legendary Rhodian, son of Kerkaphos and grandson of the Sun and Rhodes, eponymous hero of city with the same name.
Kaphisos, river flowing through Boiotia and Phokis.
Karneiadas, of Kyrene, father of Telesikrates.
Karrhotos, charioteer of king Arkesilas of Kyrene; son of Alexibios.
m Kassandra, Trojan prophetess murdered by Klytaimestra.
Kastalia, fountain at Delphi.
m Kastor, son of Leda and mortal father, Tyndareos.
Keos, isla
nd off the south-east coast of Attica.
m Kinyras, king in Cyprus, loved by Aphrodite and Apollo.
Kirrha, town in valley below Delphoi, where the Pythian chariot races were held.
Kidiairon, mountain of Boiotia.
Kleandros, Aiginetan boy athlete, son of Telesarchos.
Kleio, Muse.
Kleitomachos, Aiginetan, uncle of Aristomenes.
Kleitor, Arkadian town.
Kleodamos, of Orchomenos, father of Asopichos.
Kleonai, Argive city between Argos and Korinth.
Kleonikos, Aiginetan, father of Lampon.
Kleonymos, founder of a Theban clan.
Klotho, a Fate.
m Klymenos, father of Erginus.
m Klytaimestra, wife of Agamemnon.
Knossos, city of Crete.
Koiranidas, descendant of the Argive Melampos.
Kolchians, people of the eastern shore of the Black Sea.
Korinth, city of north-east Peloponnese.
m Koronis, daughter of Phlegyas, loved by Apollo, mother of Asklapios.
m Kreoisa, nymph.
Kreontidas, Aiginetan athlete.
m Kretheus, son of Aiolos and Enereia and father of Hippolyta.
Kroisos, king of Lydia.
Kronos, father of Zeus; hence Kronidas, for Zeus.
m Kteatos, one of the Moliones, brother of Eurytos, killed by Herakles.
m Kyknos, ‘the Swan’, legendary son of Poseidon.
Kyllana, Arkadian mountain.
Kyrene, city of northern Africa.
Labdakidai, Thebans.
Lachesis, a Fate.
m Laios, of Thebes, father of Oidipous.
Lakedaimon, Sparta.
Lakereia, city of Thessaly.
Lampon, Aiginetan athlete, of the family of the Psalychidai, son of Kleonikos, father of Pytheas and Phylakidas.
Lampromachos, of Opous, kinsman of Epharmostos.
m Laomedon, king of Troy, father of Priam.
m Lapiths, Thessalian tribe.
m Lato, bride of Zeus and mother of Apollo and Artemis.
m Leda, bride of Zeus, mother of Kastor and Polydeukes.
Lemnos, island in north-eastern Aegean.
Lerna, in the Argolis, home of the hydra.
m Leukothea, daughter of Kadmos.
Libya, land in northern Africa.
m Likymnios, son of Electryon and Midea.
m Lindos, son of Kerkaphos and grandson of the Sun and Rhodes. Also Rhodian city called after him.
Lokroi, region in central Greece.
m Lokros, king of the Opountians, husband of Protogeneia.
Loxias, Apollo.
