The Odes by pindar - Ease Reading

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I had an extremely hard time with this particular piece.

It has dawned on me that there are diverse levels of necessary knowledge of Greek Mythology prior to delving into Greek Literature.

I find myself at approximately the elementary school level of comprehension, while I would categorize this work as demanding a college level of knowledge.

I overlooked a significant number of the mythological references, and it would have been more beneficial for me to wait until I had a better understanding before commencing the reading.

Perhaps I will come back to this in the future.

Notwithstanding, there were some exquisitely beautiful lines, and the few mythological references that I did recognize were truly exciting.

This experience has made me acutely aware of the importance of having a solid foundation in Greek Mythology when approaching Greek Literature.

I look forward to the day when I can return to this work with a more profound knowledge and appreciation.

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Akodokuna

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

This is a review of the translation by Sir John Sandys in the Loeb Classical Library.

I really enjoyed this translation, and I'm glad I made the effort that it undoubtedly requires. Although I can understand why Pindar isn't much read nowadays. His style is deliberately archaic. According to Dionysus of Halicarnassus, it evokes the “rugged…severe beauty of the distant past.” The introduction tells us that the dialect Pindar used didn't correspond to any language actually spoken in the Hellenic world, but is a literary construct based on ancient Dorian. This made me feel a bit better about the fact that the Greek text was often beyond my limited abilities. If even Pindar's contemporaries struggled with it, what chance do I have? It also made me think that the deliberately archaic English translation might not be such a bad choice, although occasionally it lapses into absurdity with phrases like “grievous eld.”

Most of the odes are brief and specific to victors at the games. They aren't overly sycophantic. One man is commended for his skill as a charioteer despite his short stature, which is rather startling. A boy victor isn't praised for his beauty like others, but instead for his filial piety, presumably because he was ugly. This kind of thing makes me think that Pindar's praise always had some basis in reality.

However, my attempts to grapple with the Greek text made me realize that even if my Greek was a lot better than it is, there's so much here that it's almost impossible to recover. The Odes were originally set to music and dance, and the words, dance steps, and melody were all combined into an artistic whole that we can't recover. (If you want the closest we can probably get, look for Amand D’Angour on Youtube. He has put up some videos of the odes performed in the original language with authentically reconstructed musical accompaniment. But even here, there's no dance, and we're left saddened by how much is lost forever.)

At his best, Pindar gives us a glimpse into the nature of human existence, expressed with a poetic beauty that still has the power to move after two and a half thousand years. So Pythian Ode VIII, perhaps the most famous example, has a line that is rendered by Sandys as: “Creatures of a day, what is any one? What is he not? Man is but a dream of a shadow; but, when a gleam of sunshine cometh as a gift of heaven, a radiant life resteth on men, aye and a gentle life.”

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MoeXenus

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Wonderfully enunciated reading of some epic passages. When we read Pindar, it is mostly filled with names and places for which we have little context. However, simply getting into the flow and feeling the vibe of this distant time and place is sufficient for us to take pleasure in. The passage that details Jason and the Argonauts was particularly enjoyable! It was as if we were transported back to that heroic era, witnessing their adventures and exploits. The vivid descriptions and the powerful language used by Pindar made it all come alive. We could almost picture the Argonauts sailing across the seas, facing various challenges and obstacles along the way. It was a truly captivating experience.

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shaaaaan

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I just couldn't get into it as much as Sappho or Homer. Their works have always had a certain charm and allure that draw me in deeply. However, when it comes to this particular piece, I found myself struggling to engage. Given that I also was frustrated by Horace, it might just be that odes aren't my cup of tea. Maybe I'm more inclined towards other forms of poetry, ones that tell stories more vividly or express emotions in a different way. It's not that I don't appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into writing odes, but for some reason, they just don't click with me. I'll continue to explore different poets and styles, hoping to find that one that truly speaks to my heart and soul.

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H4ze123

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

The hearts of men are perhaps too quick

At choosing a smart advantage rather than right.

They seem to be in a hurry to seize what they think will bring them immediate benefits, without considering whether it is the morally correct thing to do.

Though the next day the taste is wry in the mouth, meaning that they may later regret their hasty decisions.

But I and you must rule our wrath.

We cannot let our emotions get the better of us and make impulsive choices.

Instead, we should use our rational minds to think about the consequences of our actions.

And weave our future fortune.

We need to work hard and make wise decisions to create a prosperous future for ourselves.

By controlling our impulses and choosing the right path, we can ensure that our future is filled with success and happiness.

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bfay

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

If pitted against each other, Verity would definitely emerge as the victorious pancrationist in a fight against Bowra. The former's language is more lucid and more persistent.

While the latter's obscurity does in no way help with shedding light on the craft of the already nebulous Pindar. Verity's choice of words is crystal clear and it evokes great majesty and valiance throughout this text.

The translation therefore enabled me to appreciate Pindar much more than during my read of Bowra, but still it is not enough to make me love him. His knack for solemnity is undeniable, and the mythologies and genealogies he weaves into his songs of splendour are undeniably fascinating.

But he could not hold a single ode together. Even with Verity's limpid verse, Pindar comes across as a severely befuddled master of ceremonies, whose odes touch upon all kinds of matters except for the athletic feat in question.

Instead of sportsmanlike descriptions, often the odes would circle around themes of morality, general and local myths, previous victories at the games by close relatives / fellow patriots, and curious references to Pindar himself.

Some of the best references had to do with Pindar lamenting the fact that he has no more time to compose a longer ode. Also, in some cases, he would hint at some unpaid debts for his rendered services and once he even complained that he had to compose two odes simultaneously.

Of course, Pindar is never fully consistent, so at times he might bring up the celebrated feat—or at times he might dish out sports metaphors that had nothing to do with the sport in question!

Yet even though the odes are meandering, seemingly unpolished and sometimes rather obscure, I must say I admired Pindar's sense of the importance of his craft. He held it a truism that though lives of men could end very precipitously, it is through the power of song that their legends would live on for centuries.

Of course Pindar preferred truthful panegyrics, but he also acknowledged that even the "lies of Homer" had won immortal fame for many a man—hence, there could be no greater surety for glory than having a song composed for a noble deed.

This claim is obviously self-serving, but the language and solemnity of Pindar preclude petty interpretations through the lens of the concept of power. And though the modern man is obviously inclined to snigger at the thought that the objects of the odes would merely roll their eyes at the Pindarian pathos or simply wait for the ceremony to end to get their hands on some fine Mediterranean totty, one would have to have a heart of stone and a mind of messy mud if one, upon the perusal, would not to get powerful glimpses of the euphoria such ceremonies could evoke within the breast of the victorious athlete.

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Vasco888888

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I truly relished these vivid poems.

They have the remarkable ability to breathe life into the ancient Greek world, making it seem as if it is right before our eyes.

Despite being renowned for being somewhat obscure and challenging, these poems possess a unique allure.

Their complexity and the depth of the emotions and ideas they convey add to their charm.

Each line seems to hold a hidden meaning, waiting to be discovered by the reader.

As I delved into these poems, I found myself transported to a different time and place, experiencing the beauty and mystery of ancient Greece.

It was a journey that I will not soon forget, and one that has left me with a newfound appreciation for the power of poetry.

Even though they may be difficult to understand at times, the effort is well worth it, as these poems offer a glimpse into a world that is both fascinating and enchanting.

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Zigizmund

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Reading Pindar was akin to eating a pomegranate.

It seemed like an enormous amount of effort for such meager sustenance.

I had been anticipating something along the lines of the Iliad or the Aeneid, those epic tales that grip the imagination and transport the reader to another world.

But alas, I was wrong. Lol.

Pindar's works, while perhaps having their own unique charm, did not provide the same level of excitement and engagement that I had hoped for.

Maybe it was my own expectations that were too high, or perhaps Pindar's style simply didn't resonate with me.

Either way, the experience of reading him was a bit of a letdown.

However, I suppose it's important to remember that everyone has different tastes when it comes to literature, and just because something doesn't work for one person doesn't mean it won't for another.

So, while I may not have found Pindar to be to my liking, I can still appreciate the fact that he was an important figure in the history of Greek literature.

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The Odes

pindar cecil maurice bowra

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