most solemn religious festivals, and the noblest panegyrics of the conquerors in the games. His poetry was consequently in request on many public occasions, and well remunerated. He nevertheless was never in such close contact with the government of the state, or with aristocratic society, as to become a partisan or a courtier, but always maintained his independence as a national poet, who sympathized with all classes of his countrymen, and kept his mind free and unbiassed among the various changes of Hellenic life. He was highly respected by the kings, Alexander of Macedonia and Arcesilaus of Cyrene, by Hiero, the ruler of Syracuse, and by Thero, the tyrant of Agrigentum, and his family. In Olymp. 77, he was invited by Hiero to the court of Syracuse, but staid only a few years, owing, perhaps, to his dissatisfaction with his rival the poet Bacchylides (or the uncle of the latter), and with the intrigues of courtly flatterers. He was not less patronised by the free states, particularly by the Dorians; he was the favourite of the Rhodians, and of the citizens of Aegina; from several of the islands, such as Ceos, he received commissions to write sacred hymns. But the Athenians, whose glory he had extolled with the highest enthusiasm in several festive songs which he dedicated to them, by making him their póğevos, i. e. the guest of the state, and raising a bronze statue in his honour, indemnified him in the most liberal manner for the fine of one thousand drachms which he was condemned by the jealous Thebans, his countrymen, to pay, for bestowing so much praise on a rival state. If we add to all this the great number of noble families whose praise he sang, we see few poets, in the classical times of Hellas, who obtained a greater share of popularity among all the Greek tribes. Pindar knew how to deserve this general esteem, by devoting his poetry to the highest interests of public life and civilization. He died peacefully in his eightieth year in Olymp. 84, 3, (441.) Argos is mentioned as the place of his death. No one ever honoured his memory more splendidly than Alexander the Great, when, at the destruction of Thebes, he expressly ordered the house of the great poet to be spared.1 In later times, also, he was one of the most favourite authors; and not only were carefully annotated editions of his works prepared in Alexandria, but during the Byzantine empire his poems were very much read, and amply illustrated by various grammarians. Amongst the great variety of Pindar's productions, the most important are mentioned in this ode of Horace: Hymns and Paeans ("Tuvoi, Haiâves,) in honour of gods and heroes; Dithyrambs (Aiúpaμßoi), in honour of Dionysus (Bacchus); Songs of Victory (Ervikia), for the praise of the conquerors in the Olympic, Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian combats; and Elegies, (Opôvoɩ.) The Songs of Victory have been entirely preserved, of the other kinds of poetry only fragments remain, although these are sufficient 1 "The great Emathian conqueror bid spare The house of Pindarus, when temple and tower MILTON (Sonnet VIII.) to show their high merit. The subject of the Epinikia is not so much the victory by itself (for it is understood to be an accomplished fact, and is sometimes not even mentioned,) as its celebration. On the evening of the day of victory, the conqueror went in procession over the territory of his friends, and after this ceremony a feast was prepared in his honour. Sometimes a solemn reception was prepared for the conqueror in his native town; sacrifices and thanksgivings were offered in his behalf to some god; and the whole proceedings ended in a public banquet. The anniversary, also, of such a victory was often celebrated. Such were the occasions of Pindar's songs, the solemn grandeur of which would scarcely have been suited to a mere feast. Pindar's poetry has an altogether spiritual character; the element most worthy of him was piety and religious feeling, which was entirely congenial to his cheerful mind, his firmness of character, and his clear intelligence. The distinctive features of his poetry may also be accounted for not only by his natural disposition, but by his peculiar training, by his intercourse with priests, and his acquaintance with the ritual of divine worship, his familiarity with the moral life of the Dorians, his knowledge of the mysteries and of the doctrines of Pythagoras, to which many passages in his works, relating to the transmigration of souls, and indicating more elevated ideas of a future life, may be traced. All these peculiarities of his personal experience made him appear a godly man and a religious poet. By considering the divine wisdom as infinitely superior to all human intelligence, by acknowledging the authority of the gods with a pious faith, and by endeavouring to purify the current idea of the character of the gods, he attained a high position among his fellow-men, and knew how to produce, from the depths of his enthusiasm and reflection, an abundance of striking expressions, and to guard, with a skilful hand, the richer and more sacred treasures of poetry. His style is marked throughout by the strength of his pathetic feeling; and the somewhat lofty expression of his self-esteem is softened by the love of truth which pervades his poetry, and makes the various sentiments of his songs the luminous points of Pindaric wisdom. hindie. CARMEN III. AD MELPOMENEN. The date assigned by Grotefend to the composition of this Ode is A. U. C. 738. The poet here congratulates himself, and thanks Melpomene, the patroness of lyric verse, for the high distinction he had then attained in being universally recognized by his countrynien as "Romanæ fidicen lyrae." QUEM tu, Melpomene, semel Nascentem placido lumine videris, Clarabit pugilem, non equus impiger Victorem, neque res bellica Deliis Quod regum tumidas contuderit minas, 5 Et spissae nemorum comae Fingent Aeolio carmine nobilem. means Romae principis urbium Dignatur suboles inter amabiles CARM. 3.-10. perfluunt and profluunt, some Codd.-20. cigni, some Codd. 15 Carm. 3.-1 and 2. comp the cele brated sentiment of Hesiod. Theog. 81 and 82 : Οντινα τιμήσουσι Διὸς κοῦραι μeɣáλoco Teívoμevóv r' éoídwoi...Tuèv ἐπι γλάσσῃ γλυκερὴν χείουσιν ἀοιδηνplacido lumine benevolis oculis. 4. clarabit = clarum reddet, shall render illustrious.' 5. ducet reducet in patriam (comp. above C. 4, 2, 17: quos Elea domum reducit palma coelestes.)-curru Achaico = curru Graeco (as Greece was called at that time Achaja), 'in a Grecian car.' 6. sq. Delliis folliis lauro Apollinis in Delo insula nati (comp. above C. 4, 2, 9: Laureâ donandus Apollinari). 8. contuderit profligaverit. 10. Tibur fertile, see Excurs. to C. 1, 7-praefluunt, Augustan word for the more usual praeterfluunt, flow by' (comp. below C. 4, 14, 26: Aufidus, qui regna Dauni praefluit Apuli). 11. comae, leaves' (thus above C. 1, 21, 5: nemorum coma, and below, C. 4, 7, 2: redeunt arboribus comae). 12. fingent, poetic. = reddent, efficient Aeolio, i. e. the lyric poetry of Alcaeus and Sappho, natives of the Aeolian island Lesbos (comp. above C. 2, 13, 24; 3, 30, 13. 13. sq. construe: suboles Romae, principis urbium (=populus Romanus), dignatur ponere me inter amabiles choros vatum. O, testudinis aureae Dulcem quae strepitum, Pieri, temperas, Donatura cycni, si libeat, sonum, Totum muneris hoc tui est, Quod monstror digito praetereuntium Quod spiro et placeo, si placeo, tuum est. 20 CARMEN IV. AD URBEM ROMAM. The supposed date of this Ode is A. U. C. 741. It was written in honour of Claudius QUALEM ministrum fulminis alitem, 17. sq. construe: 0 Pieri (= Musa), quae temperas dulcem strepitum, &c.— testudinis, &c., see Excurs. III. to C. 1, 1 --temperas, 'tune.' 20. cycni, the first syllable here short. 21. muneris doni, 'of thy gift.' 22. monstror digito, &c., in good sense, I am shown, marked out by the fingers of passengers as, &c. (imitated by Persius, Sat. 1, 28: At pulchrum est digito monstrari et dicier, 'Hic est;' thus also in Greek δείκνυσθαι τῷ δακτύλῳ). 24. quod spiro, that I am inspired.' Carm. 4.-1. sq. the first clause of this unusually long period reaches to peritura vidit, in line 16.-Construe: Qualem olim (= nonnumquam) juventas et patrius (= ingenitus) vigor propulit nido (from his nest') inscium laborum alitem ('winged') ministrum fulminis, cui Jupiter, rex deorum, permisit regnum in vagas aves, expertus (sc. eum) fidelem in flavo Ganymede (sc. rapto), et (qualem) verni venti, nimbis jam remotis, docuêre paventem insolitos nisus; mox vividus impetus demisit (ut) hostem in ovilia, &c. ... (talem) Vindelici videre Drusum gerentem bella sub Raetis Alpibus, &c.-ministrum fulminis, comp. thus of the eagle Virg. A. 5, 255 : Jovis armiger. 1014 Olim juventas et patrius vigor 5 Insolitos docuere nisus unacces come a feats & Laring. Venti paventem, mox in ovilia Qualemve laetis caprea pascuis Videre Raetis bella sub Alpibus Dextras obarmet, quaerere distuli, 3 Consiliis juvenis revictae 10 15 20 Sensere, quid mens rite, quid indoles 25 Nutrita faustis sub penetralibus In pueros animus Nerones. CARM. 4.-6. protulit, some Codd.-7. vernisqu., Cod. Bern. 2.-17. Raeti and 6. propulit, aoristically propellere | pastures') vidit leonem jam depulsum solet; and likewise in the following lines demisit, egit, vidit (comp. above C. 1, 1, 4; 1, 34, 16; 3, 29, 16 al.) 11. sq., such a fight between an eagle lacte ('just weaned') ab ubere fulvae matris, peritura (belonging to capres) novo dente (sc. leonis). 22. sq. fas est concessum est, 'is it permitted'-diu lateque belong to victrices. 24. revictae, in beautiful opposition to the preceding victrices. 25. sensere, emphatically cum mag |