TFBT: Pindar Paean 9, Comment 2

“I was consecrated in the shadow of the divine ambrosial resting place of Melia to carry forward with the arts of my heart, to the sound of my aulos, a noble concert, to advance your glory. I pray to you, farshooter Apollo, in the sanctuary you erected with the arts of the Muses, where Melia, the maiden daughter of Ocean, after sleeping with you, Pythian Apollo, gave birth to strong Teneros, the most excellent seer.  You, long haired father, handed to him the army of Kadmos and the city of Zethοs, with manliness for its spiritual salvation. The god of the sea, wielder of the trident, honored him above all mortals, and he stretched out to the region of Euripos.” (Pindar Paean 9”)

So why did Poseidon honor Apollo’s prophet at three-peaked Mount Ptous in Boeotia (Strabo 34 ) more than any other mortal ? What does that have to do with Poseidon rushing to the Euripus (Strait)? The strait could be “neighboring” since it separates Boeotia from the island of Euboea. Plus the nearby plain is named for Tenerus and there is a Precinct to Poseidon beyond that. (33)

I will have to think some more on this but what worries me first is that Poseidon honors Tenerus “more that any other mortal”.  Bad things happen when you are “honored” by the gods; the abduction of Gaymede, (HH5 to Aphrodite 203) the death of Kleobis and Biton (Herodotus, Histories 1. 31), the transformation of Lykaon (Pausanias 8. 2. 1-6) etc etc.  However the story ends, it probably won’t be good for Apollo and Melia’s son. 

 
"Verily wise Zeus carried off golden-haired Ganymedes (Ganymede) because of his beauty, to be amongst the Deathless Ones and pour drink for the gods in the house of Zeus--a wonder to see--, honoured by all the immortals as he draws the red nectar from the golden bowl . . . deathless and unageing, even as the gods." Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite 203 ff

“so she (their mother)stood before the image and prayed that the goddess might grant the best thing for man to her children Kleobis and Biton, who had given great honor to the goddess. After this prayer they sacrificed and feasted. The youths then lay down in the temple and went to sleep and never rose again; death held them ther e” Herodotus, Histories 1. 31

Pausanias on the metamorphosis of Lykaon (Description of Greece 8. 2. 1 – 6)  "  I for my part believe this story; it has been a legend among the Arkadians from of old, and it has the additional merit of probability. For the men of those days, because of their righteousness and piety, were guests of the gods, eating at the same board; the good were openly honored by the gods, and sinners were openly visited with their wrath . . . So one might believe that Lykaon was turned into a beast . . .

I will have to ponder the rest. 

TFBT: Pindar Paean 9

Here, Pindar is lamenting an eclipse; 

 “Sun’s brilliant beam, what are you thinking?—oh! Mother of all our world’s eyes (Nyx), preeminent star high above, stolen away during daytime?”  

Actually, I think it is just a tease to get the audience’s attention, sort of like the start of the evening news when they tell you they will be talking about something really important after the commerical break.  He continues; 

“Oh hallowed driver of swift horses (Helios), to steer this portentous sign shown everywhere, to happy, pain-free prosperity for Thebes.”

He is talking about when; 

"When spangled-robed night (Nyx) shall veil his brightness."  (Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 23)

Pindar is a pretty upbeat positive kind of person, plus he isn’t going to disappoint his Theban patron with a bad prophecy.  Rather I suspect he will follow other poets in a positive impression of the coming of the Night; 

"Sable-vestured Nyx (Night) came floating up o'er the wide firmament, and brought her boon of sleep to sorrowing mortals."  (Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 3. 656)  “bringing men release from toil." (10. 435) “dissolving anxious care, the friend of mirth…Be present, Goddess, to thy suppliant's prayer, desired by all, whom all alike revere, blessed, benevolent, with friendly aid dispel the fears of twilight's dreadful shade."  (Orphic Hymn 3 to Nyx) “and laid to rest the cares of men and the prowlings of wild beasts, and wrapped the heavens in her dusky shroud, coming to all with kindly influence." (Statius, Thebaid 3. 406)  
"O Nox (Night) who castest thy mantle over the toiling earth and heaven, and sendest the fiery stars on their divers roaming courses, gracious refresher of the mind, till the next sun shed blithe upspringing upon faint mortality, thou, kindly Nox . . . Ever shall this house throughout the circling periods of the year hold thee high in honour and in worship; black bulls of chosen beauty shall pay thee sacrifice, O goddess” (Statius, Thebaid 1. 497 ff)

All the benefits of “thrice prayed for, most fair, best beloved Night” listed above seem to correlate with the hinted “pain-free prosperity for Thebes.”

TFBT: Pindar's Great Mother and Pan

Recently The Hour 25 Book Club hosted  a discussion on Pindar Pythian 3, Olympian 1, and Gregory Nagy Pindar’s Homer Chapter 4: “Pindar’s Olympian 1 and the Aetiology of the Olympic Games” I was struck by the lines;

“But I will pray to the Great Mother, to whom night after night before my doors, a stately goddess, the maidens dance and to Pan beside her.”  (Pythia 3)

I could think of no myth about the Great Mother, whether Cybele, Rhea or Demeter and the great god Pan.  I recalled a couple of myths about satyrs in Cybele or Dionysus’ train, but neither tale was about Pan.I looked at several resources and found only vague suggestions and nothing specific.  So I went to JSTOR and found a great article “Pindar and Pan: frs. 95-100 Snell” by Joan A. Haldane Phoenix Vol. 22, No. 1 (Spring, 1968), pp. 18-31

Haldane’s article seems well researched.  She says the shrine in question was actually established by Pindar.  “Pindar had a vision of (the Great Mother) descending towards him from the mountains in the form a  of a wooden image.”  So in honor of the epiphany he established the shrine.  Additionally, Pan was seen outside of Thebes singing one of Pindar’s Odes.  In thanks for the rather flattery compliment, Pindar established Pan next to the goddess in the shrine. 

Mystery solved!

TFBT: Pindar’s Victory Songs

I didn’t expect to like the Ancient Greek poet Pindar, but I do!  I am reading Pindar’s Victory Songs by Frank J. Nisetich. That fact that Nisetich prefaces each translation with an explanation of equal length to the ode might help those uninitiated into the mysteries of Greek mythology enjoy Pindar.  But what I really found surprising is that I enjoyed reading Nisetich.   

The book begins with a thorough and detailed discussion of the rules that pertain to victory odes (epinician).  For example, any self-reference by the poet changes the course of the ode and topic of the moment.  Nisetich ends the discussion with, “All these tendencies – to see the general behind the particular to grasp one thing by contrast with its opposites, to trace human vicissitudes to the will of the gods…or find the right response to a present situation through reference to myth or proverb – remain a dominant form of thought and style in archaic poetry.” 

Pindar was hired to write the poems in this book; to honor various victors at various of the PanHellenic games.  I’ve read half way through the book so far, which covers the victors at the Olympic Games and the Pythian Games at Delphi.  Pindar goes way out of his way not to bluntly brag about the victor.  Often studiously avoiding his name.  Nisetich explains, “For happiness, finally is the god’s prerogative.  In a world where the gods may take offense at human exultation, it is dangerous to exult.” 

For Pindar’s part he is quick to remind those he celebrates in song that;

• “Malignant pain perishes in noble Joy.”  (Olympian 2)
• “A man forgets the strain of contending when he triumphs “ (Olympian 2)
• “Care born of forethought puts success and joy within men’s reach.”  (Olympian 7)
• “The contenders, struggling for glory, breathless until they hold it.”  (Olympian   8)
• Few have won joy without effort (Olympian 10)
• Bring your life to completion in good cheer, with your sons standing beside you.  If the wealth a man tends and cares for be sound, his house ample and his name renowned as well, let him not envy the gods.  (Olympian 5)
• And finally to remind them to avoid hubris he says “And the arrows of Artemis…hunted down Titys, so that men might learn to yearn for things that are within their grasp” (Pythian 4).  Titys yearned for the embrace of the goddess Leto, mother of Artemis and died for his vanity.  

The book is full of historical figures and ancient myths, but throughout Pindar’s songs in praise of heroes, gods and Olympic athletes he is quick to remind them all that “I say (the poet) you have achieved unending glory.” (Pythian 2) 

Some interesting asides include;

• The suggestion that once her son slipped Semele into Heaven under the name of Thyone she became “beloved of Pallas” (Olympian 2) What myths would account for this friendship among the two unrelated female deities? 
• Admittedly, Thyone’s son (Dionysius) and his sister Athena both experienced unique births.  Both were brought to full term inside the body of their common father Zeus.  Athena from his head and Dionysius from his “thigh”.  But, nowhere is there a myth mentioning that this was a bond that united Athena and Dionysius, much less Athena and Thyone.
• The only myth I recall that remotely links Semele and Athena is the story of Dionysius in a previous form, then named Zagreus.  Zagreus, the epithet of the chthonic Dionysius was born of Zeus and Persephone.  The young man was torn apart and eaten by dogs, er I mean the Titans.  Athena rescued his heart and gave it to Zeus.  The shredded godlings essence and immortality presumably passed on to the son of Semele.  ( Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology).
• The Titan of the sun Helios missed the division of honors at Mecone after the defeat of the elder titans.  Sailing across the sky that day the saw the island Rhodes about to surface from beneath the sea.  In recompense, Zeus promised the island as part of his time.  In Olympian 7 Pindar says Helios asked the Fate Lachesis to guarantee Zeus’ promise.  Sort of an odd request by Helios, but maybe typical of Pindar who asks the Fates to turn their backs on feuding family members (Pythian 4) and recalls Clotho lifting the butchered Pelops out of the stew pot, complete with renewed life and a gleaming ivory shoulder (Olympian 1)
• Nisetich  says “We may suppose that a man who makes a promise and then does not keep it lied, when he made it.  But in Greek the connection is more immediate; if truth is memory, forgetfulness is a kind of lying.”  This rather makes sense because we’ve all dealt with people who were clearly not paying attention to us and would forget the commitments they made that day and even the conversation.
• Nisetich  also explains that the wheel on which Ixion was bound is an iunx, a love charm which he tried on Hera.  Of course Zeus substituted a cloud for his wife, forming it to look like Hera.  Ixion’s son by the cloud goddess Nephele is named “Centaurus”  from the verb kentein meaning to stab and aura meaning air, in remembrance of his conception. 

Let me end with some typical beautiful writing by Pindar on a Sicilian oread; “white-capped Aetna, nursing all year long her brood of stinging snow, within her secret depths pure springs of unapproachable fire erupt -  her rivers in daytime pour forth billows of glaring smoke, while at night the blood-red , rolling blaze whirls boulders crashing onto the flat plain of the sea”  Pythian 1