Greek Lyrics, Second Edition

Richmond Lattimore

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9780226075778
• Topic: Literatura
• Subtopic: Poesía

A collection of more than one hundred poems and poetic fragments from the golden age of Greek Lyric poetry. In this second edition of Greek Lyrics, translator and editor Richmond Lattimore brings together a vast assortment of seventh-and sixth-century Greek lyric, elegiac, and iambic poetry. For the Greekless student or curious scholar, these translations showcase the diversity of poetic subjects in classical antiquity, which range from love poems to medical inscriptions and drinking songs. Gracefully and robustly translated by a number of top-tier translators, this volume includes poets such as Archílochus, Callínus, Semónides of Amórgos, Hippónax, Tyrtaéus, Mimnérmus, Solon, Phocýlides, Xenóphanes, Theógnis, Terpánder, Alcman, Stesíchorus, íbycus, Sappho, Alcaéus, Anácreon, Hýbrias, Praxílla, Corínna, Simónides of Ceos, Pindar, and Bacchýlides.

BACCHÝLIDES

OF CEOS

Bacchýlides was the nephew (sister’s son) of Simónides and therefore presumably about of an age with Pindar, against whom he competed, successfully on the whole, though there is an inescapable feeling, for me at least, that he mostly followed where Pindar led the way. The first two poems are dithyrambs or dramatic lyrics; the others, victory odes. Of these, again, the third is dated to 476 B.C., for the same occasion as Pindar’s First Olympian. The fourth celebrates the four-horse-chariot victory which Hieron finally succeeded in winning in 468 B.C., when, it seems, he commissioned Bacchýlides but not Pindar. The date of the fifth, for a young victor from Metapóntion in Italy, is not known.

The most puzzling narrative is, perhaps, in the second dithyramb. It deals with a familiar story, that of Theseus and the seven young men and seven girls sent from Athens as tribute to Crete. But instead of telling the story in full, Bacchýlides finds himself concentrating on a single incident. Theseus and the Fourteen are bound for Crete, and King Minos himself is on board. The arrogant Minos publicly makes advances to Eriboía, one of the girls; Theseus steps between and challenges him. Minos has claimed to be the son of Zeus; Theseus, of Poseídon. Minos appeals to Zeus to confirm his fathership by a thunderflash, which he does; then Minos dares Theseus to prove that Poseídon of the sea acknowledges him, by throwing his ring overboard and challenging Theseus to go down and recover it. Theseus does so; and there Bacchýlides simply ends his story.

For restorations to fill out the text of Bacchýlides, I am indebted to the editions of Blass, Jebb, Kenyon, Snell, and particularly Edmonds. I also take this occasion to acknowledge my gratitude to the great company of true scholars who have collected, edited, pieced out, and interpreted all the texts which have been used in these translations.

1 • The Coming of Theseus: A Dithyramb

Chorus with leader

King of Athens, the sacred city,

lord of luxurious Ionians,

what news of war is this that the trumpet’s

bronze-belled braying call announces?

Is it some enemy war captain

overstriding our land’s boundaries

with his own host at heel?

Is it robbers, whose ways are evil,

overcoming our shepherds’ resistance,

driving our flocks away?

What is it that gnaws at your heart?

Tell us; for I think, if any man

has the strong support of hard-fighting

men-at-arms, it is you,

O son of Pandíon and Kreoúsa, Aígeus.

King of Athens

A messenger has come in, completing

the long run between here and the Isthmus,

telling of deeds incredible done by

a strong man. He has killed overpowering

Sinis, once the greatest in strength

of men, being son to Kronid Lytaíos

(earthshaker, that is, Poseidon);

killed, too, the manslaughtering wild boar

in the valley of Krémmyon, and killed

wicked and cruel Skiron.

He has abolished the wrestling-ring

of Kérkyon. The Pounder has dropped

Polypémon’s strong hammer from hand.

He met with a better man. I fear

this news. I do not know what it all may come to.

Chorus with leader

Who is this hero, then, does he say?

Where does he come from? What has he with him?

Does he come armed with weapons of war?

Has he a great following behind him?

Or alone, and with body servants

only, goes he as a merchant who travels

into alien lands?

Strong he must be, and resolute,

adventurous, too, who has stood the onset

of such big men and put them down.

Surely, the drive of a god is behind him,

to bring law to the lawless people.

It is no easy thing to engage

again and again, and never be loser.

In the length of time all things are brought to completion.

King of Athens

The man says only two attendants

go with him. On his gleaming shoulders

he wears a sword with an ivory hilt;

two polished throwing-spears in his hands;

a well-wrought skin-cap of Sparta

covers his head and his bright hair;

over his chest a sea-dyed

shirt, and, above, a Thessalian

cloak of frieze. In his eyes there shines

the flamelight of a Lemnos

volcano. Yet he is said to be

a boy, in his first youth, but a boy

trained to feel the finesse of war

and bronze-battering Ares’ work.

The end of his search is said to be shining Athens.

2 • Theseus and the Ring: A Dithyramb

A dark-prowed ship, carrying battle-brave

Theseus and twice seven glorious Ionian

young men and maidens,...