The Odes

One of the most celebrated poets of the classical world, Pindar wrote odes for athletes that provide a unique perspective on the social and political life of ancient Greece. Commissioned in honor of successful contestants at the Olympic games and other Panhellenic contests, these odes were performed in the victors’ hometowns and conferred enduring recognition on their achievements.
 
Andrew M. Miller’s superb new translation captures the beauty of Pindar’s forty-five surviving victory odes, preserving the rhythm, elegance, and imagery for which they have been admired since antiquity while adhering closely to the meaning of the original Greek. This edition provides a comprehensive introduction and interpretive notes to guide readers through the intricacies of the poems and the worldview that they embody.
 

Andrew M. Miller is Professor Emeritus of Classics at the University of Pittsburgh and the author of From Delos to Delphi: A Literary Study of the Homeric Hymn to Apollo and Greek Lyric: An Anthology in Translation.
 

Preface
Maps

Introduction
The Olympian Odes
The Pythian Odes
The Nemean Odes
The Isthmian Odes

Appendix on Conventions and Motifs
Glossary of Names
Textual Conspectus