Olympian 4

Olympian 4, 'For Psaumis of Camarina', is an ode by the 5th century BC Greek poet Pindar.^[1]

Background

Camarina had been founded by Syracuse in 599 BC.^[1] Destroyed by Syracuse after a revolt, it was rebuilt by Hippocrates, to be destroyed once more by Gelon, and rebuilt in 461 by men of Gela, mainly with the aid of Psaumis.^[1]

The Ode was probably in honour of a victory in the chariot-race in 452, a victory not of a tyrant, but of a free citizen.^[1] Under the above date the List of Olympian victors in the Oxyrhynchus papyrus places σαμιου καμ [αρινου τεθριππον], where σαμιου is possibly a mistake for Ψαυμιδος.^[2]^[1] The Ambrosian and the Paris MSS of Pindar state that Psaumis won the chariot race in 452 BC.^[1]

Summary

Zeus, the Thunderer, is invoked, Zeus whose daughters, the Seasons, had sent the poet to witness the Olympic games (1–3).^[1] Men of worth are gladdened by the prosperity of their friends (4, 5).^[1] May Zeus graciously welcome the chorus that celebrates the present triumph of Psaumis, and answer his further prayers (6–13).^[1] He is keen in the breeding of horses; and is hospitable and patriotic (13–16).^[3] For mortal men, trial is the true test.^[4] Even so, by trial, Erginus, the Argonaut, was saved from the reproach of the Lemnian women, when, though his hair was grey, he won the race in armour (17–28).^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Sandys, ed. 1915, p. 40.
^ Grenfell, ed. 1899, ii, p. 90.
^ Sandys, ed. 1915, pp. 40–41.
^ ^a ^b Sandys, ed. 1915, p. 41.

Sources

Grenfell, Bernard P., ed. (1899). The Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 90.

Attribution:

Sandys, John, ed. (1915). The Odes of Pindar, including the Principal Fragments. Loeb Classical Library. New York: The Macmillan Co. pp. 40–45. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.