strength and dexterity of the human body, or by skill in music[1]. Such a victory as this, which shed a lustre not only on the victor himself, but on his family, and even on his native city, demanded a solemn celebration. This celebration might be performed by the victor's friends upon the spot where the victory was gained; as, for example, at Olympia, when in the evening after the termination of the contests, by the light of the moon, the whole sanctuary resounded with joyful songs alter the manner of encomia[2]. Or it might be deferred till after the victor's solemn return to his native city, where it was sometimes repeated, in following years, in commemoration of his success[3]. A celebration of this kind always had a religious character; it often began with a procession to an altar or temple, in the place of the games or in the native city; a sacrifice, followed by a banquet, was then offered at the temple, or in the house of the victor; and the whole solemnity concluded with the merry and boisterous revel called by the Greeks κῶμος. At this sacred, and at the same time joyous, solemnity, (a mingled character frequent among the Greeks,) appeared the chorus, trained by the poet, or some other skilled person[4], for the purpose of reciting the triumphal hymn, which was considered the fairest ornament of the festival. It was during either the procession or the banquet that the hymn was recited; as it was not properly a religious hymn, which could be combined with the sacrifice. The form of the poem must, to a certain extent, have been determined by the occasion on which it was to be recited. From expressions which occur in several epinikian odes, it is probable that all odes consisting of strophes without epodes[5] were sung during a procession to a temple or to the house of the victor; although there are others which contain expressions denoting movement, and which yet have epodes[6]. It is possible that the epodes in the latter odes may have been sung at certain intervals when the procession was
- ↑ For example, Pyth. XII., which celebrates the victory of Midas, a flute-player of Agrigentum.
- ↑ Pindar's words in Olymp. XI. 76. (93), where this usage is transferred to the mythical establishment of the Olympia by Hercules. The 4th and 8th Olympian, the 6th, and probably also the 7th Pythian, were sung at the place of the games.
- ↑ The 9th Olympian, the 3d Nemean, and the 2nd Isthmian, were produced at a memorial celebration of this kind.
- ↑ Such as Æneas the Stymphalian in Olymp. VI. 88. (150), whom Pindar calls "a just messenger, a scytala of the fair-haired Muses, a sweet goblet of loud-sounding songs," because he was to receive the ode from Pindar in person, to carry it to Stymphalus, and there to instruct a chorus in the dancing, music, and text.
- ↑ Ol. XIV. Pyth. VI. XII. Nem. II. IV. IX. Isthm.VII.
- ↑ Ol. VIII. XIII. The expression τόνδε κῶμον δέξαι doubtless means, "Receive this band of persons who have combined for a sacrificial meal and feast." Hence too it appears that the band went into the temple.
belongs to games of Iolaus at Thebes. The ninth Nemean celebrates a victory in the Pythia at Sicyon, (not at Delphi;) the tenth Nemean celebrates a victory in the Hecatombæa at Argos; the eleventh Nemean is not an epinikion, but was sung at the installation of a prytanis at Tenedos. Probably the Nemean odes were placed at the end of the collection, after the Isthmian; so that a miscellaneous supplement could be appended to them.
