User:Channmoon/Pindar's First Pythian Ode

Pindar's First Pythian Ode is an ancient Greek epinicion praising Hiero of Syracuse for a victory in the Pythian Games. The poem's occasion is Hiero's victory in the chariot race of 470 BC, corresponding to the foundation of the city of Aetna which is also praised by the poet. Pindar had been living on intimate terms with Hiero for several years, including a considerable stay at his court.

First Pythian Ode was to be sung at a splendid celebration, which challenged Pindar to create the best poem to outshine his competitors. Pindar had to praise Hiero for his physcial prowess, prosperity and beneficence, and the founding of the new city and his victory.

Pindar's poems are designed to be appropriate to the occasion and still be independent of it. Hence, Pindar's odes have outlasted the memory of the events.

Structure of the Ode:

Features of an oratorio with rapid transitions from one tone of feeling to another, from storm to calm, from vibrant energy to tranquillity, from triumphant joy to sadness, held together by harmonies of rhythm and language.

The motif of the ode is harmony. Harmony of the lyre and moral harmony of a life fashioned after justice and liberality and the pleasure of the gods. The one leads up to the other, and both are link together as one true source of imperishable honor to a man.

Moral harmony is stressed in all the praises of Hiero. Fact that all human good comes from the gods is also stressed.

Lewis R. Farnell notes that "never were the parts of a great and complex ode more organically welded together."

Customary myth

Skillfully fitted to its counterpart ad unguem. Comes in at exactly middle of the poem at line 50 out of 100. It consoles Hiero for his illness (gallstones), pictures him as a new hero, points out the parallel with Philoctetes in the humiliation of the haughty petitioners.

Fauning petitioners seem to refer to the citizens of Cumae which is alluded to at the beginning, middle, and end of the poem.

Philoctetes may have been chosen since there was a famous statue of him in Hiero's city.

Technique

Transition from one part of ode to another

praise of music's power flows from men, to nature, to heaven, to the gods, then ebbs into the thought of regions where it is negated, thereby introducing the suggestion of moral harmony as a requisite for men.

Rhythm

muscial phrases within the larger rhythmic periods of the strophe and antistrophe are uniformly balanced off against one another in point of constituent metrical feed, in the pattern: I 2.5; 4; 5.2; II 4.2; 3.4.3;4.2; III 5.3.5; but in the epodes somewhat differently; I 5.2.5.3; II 4.4; III 3.2; 2.3.2; 2.3; IV 4.4; 3; 4.4

The individual feet in corresponding recurrences of the pattern are very seldom dissimilated through subsitituion, and the subsitution allowed only serves to introduce the bit of play or entasis needed to keep the impression of life and human touch rather than perfect mathmatical precision.

First Pthyian Ode was to be sing at a grand musical festival, celebrating Hiero of Syracuse's achievements and the founding of the new city, Aetna. Most of Pindar's signature characteristics and signature style appear in this poem. Pindar utilizes religion, local mythology, and his poetic genius to create an ode that outlasts the occasion itself. The motif of the ode is harmony. Harmony of the lyre and moral harmony of a life formed by justice, liberality, and the pleasure of the gods. The one follows the other and link together as one true source of imperishable honor of a man.

Hiero of Syracuse
Hiero, tyrant of Syracuse, had been the recipient of Pindar's First Olympian Ode in 474 B.C. His victory in the Pythian games comes in the wake of a number of significant military accomplishments: his defeat of the Carthaginians at the Battle of Himera (480 B.C.) and of the Etruscans in the naval Battle of Cumae (474 B.C.). Both events are alluded to in the poem. Special attention, however, is afforded to Hiero's foundation of the city of Aetna. He had founded the settlement near Mount Etna for his son Deinomenes the Younger to rule and proclaimed himself one of its citizens upon winning the chariot race at Delphi.

Typhon
Most of Pindar's victory odes contain a mythical narrative as part of their encomiastic strategy. Pythian 1 features the story of Typhon, a mythical giant who challenged Zeus' primacy and was consequently buried beneath Mount Etna. The poem envisions his imprisonment as the cause for a volcanic eruption of Etna, which it then goes on to describe. The eruption constitutes an elaborate ecphrasis and has been considered by critics to be central to the poem's interpretation.

Structure
Structure of the poem features of an oratorio with rapid transitions from one tone energy to another. From vibrancy to tranquility, from joy to sadness, held together by harmonies of rhythm and language. The mood is Dorian and the rhythm is dactylo-epitrite. Of the five triads, first two deal with harmony; the third and fourth consists of Hiero's work as a founder and warrior, and the last triad is praise disguised under sage counsel. Overall structure follow:

Str.1 - Ant.1 - Ep.1; Str.2 - Ant.2 - Ep.2; Str.3 - Ant.3 - Ep.3; Str.4 - Ant.4 - Ep.4; Str.5 - Ant.5 - Ep.5

Musical phrases within the larger rhythmic period of the strophe and anti-strophe are uniformly balanced off against one another in points of constituent metrical feed, in the pattern:

I 2.5; 4; 5.2; II 4.2; 3.4; 4.2; III 5.3.5

But in the epodes the pattern is:

I 5.2.5.3; II 4.4; III 3.2; 2.3.2; 2.3; IV 4.4; 3; 4.4

Analysis of the Ode
O golden lyre, instruments of Apollo and the Muses (1)

Apollo and the Muses are the authors of all artistic, political, social and spiritual harmony to the Greeks. The lyre, instrument of Apollo, is the symbol of reign of harmony over the domain of Zeus.

Thy music the dance obeys

To it succumb the blazing thunderbolt,

The majestic eagle of Zeus,

And e'en violent Ares (2-5)

Every one of Zeus' subjects obey Apollo and the sound of his lyre. The dancers, singers, even the weapon of Zeus and the wild and violent Ares.

While all that is hateful to Zeus cowers before thy (6) A reference to Hiero of Syracuse's victory over foreign invaders.

Cry, as fierce Typhon, whom snowy Aetna constrains,

That flows with seething fire (7-8)

Relating the odes to the local mythology was one of Pindar's techniques.

O Zeus, may we find thy favor, who inhabitest this mount,

Whose city its founder has glorified, and in Apolline

Victory proclaimed

Here begins the praise of Hiero

P-Source:

Svarlien, Diane. “Pindar, Pythian, Pythian 1 for Hieron of Aetna Chariot Race 470 B. C.” Www.perseus.tufts.edu, Tufts, 1990, www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0162%3Abook%3DP. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0162%3Abook%3DP. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0162%3Abook%3DP.]

S-Source

Henderson, Jeffrey. “ΠΥΘΙΟΝΙΚΑΙ: Ode 1.” Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, www.loebclassics.com/view/pindar-pythian_odes/1997/pb_LCL056.217.xml. Accessed 22 Feb. 2023.

‌https://www.loebclassics.com/view/pindar-pythian_odes/1997/pb_LCL056.217.xml

Schoder, Raymond. “Shibboleth Authentication Request.” JSTOR.org, John Hopkins University PRess, Apr. 1949, www-jstor-org.umasslowell.idm.oclc.org/stable/3292405?seq=4. Accessed 22 Feb. 2023.

‌https://www-jstor-org.umasslowell.idm.oclc.org/stable/3292405?seq=1

Bell-Schlatter, Ermys. “Pynthians 1: A Brief Commentary.” Center for Hellenistic Studies, Harvard University, 2009, chs.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/bell-schlatter_pythian1.pdf. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

‌https://chs.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/bell-schlatter_pythian1.pdf

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