to him at the season of thy
feast the keen-sought prize of the pentathlon. My king, with willing
heart I make avowal that through thee is harmony before mine eyes in
all that I sing of every conqueror.

By the side of our sweet-voiced song of triumph hath Righteousness
taken her stand, and I pray, O Xenarches[7], that the favour of God be
unfailing toward the fortune of thee and thine. For if one hath good
things to his lot without long toil, to many he seemeth therefore to
be wise among fools and to be crowning his life by right devising of
the means. But these things lie not with men: it is God that ordereth
them, who setteth up one and putteth down another, so that he is bound
beneath the hands of the adversary.

Now at Megara also hast thou won a prize, and in secluded Marathon,
and in the games of Hera in thine own land, three times, Aristomenes,
hast thou overcome.

And now on the bodies of four others[8] hast thou hurled thyself with
fierce intent, to whom the Pythian feast might not award, as unto
thee, the glad return, nor the sweet smile that welcometh thee to thy
mother's side; nay but by secret ways they shrink from meeting their
enemies, stricken down by their evil hap.

Now he that hath lately won glory in the time of his sweet youth is
lifted on the wings of his strong hope and soaring valour, for his
thoughts are above riches.

In a little moment groweth up the delight of men; yea and in like sort
falleth it to the ground, when a doom adverse hath shaken it.

Things of a day--what are we, and what not? Man is a dream of shadows.

Nevertheless when a glory from God hath shined on them, a clear light
abideth upon men, and serene life.

Aigina[9], mother dear, this city in her march among the free, with
Zeus and lordly Aiakos, with Peleus and valiant Telamon and with
Achilles, guard thou well.

[Footnote 1: Porphyrion.]

[Footnote 2: Aiakos and his descendants, especially Aias, were the
chief national heroes of Aigina.]

[Footnote 3: It seems doubtful what this legend exactly was. Either
Amphiaraos, during the attack of the first Seven against Thebes,
saw by prophetic vision the future battle of the second Seven, the
Epigonoi, among whom were his own son Alkmaion, and Adrastos, the sole
survivor of the first Seven; or else these are the words of his oracle
after his death, spoken when the battle of the Epigonoi had begun but
was not yet ended.]

[Footnote 4: Abas was an ancient king of