ll with the Epirot descendants of Neoptolemos.]

[Footnote 6: The Pentathlon was composed of five contests, namely,
the jump, throwing the disk, throwing the javelin, the foot-race, and
wrestling. The prize was for the best man in three contests out of the
five. These came in the order in which they are enumerated above; thus
if the best javelin-thrower had already won two of the other matches
he would not be challenged to wrestle, as the prize of the Pentathlon
would be already his. Very probably this had been the case with
Sogenes, so that it would naturally occur to Pindar thus allusively to
expand his not unfrequent comparison of his own art of poetry to that
of a javelin-thrower or archer. On the Pentathlon may be consulted
an article by Professor Percy Gardner in the _Journal of Hellenic
Studies_ for October, 1880; and also Smith's _Dictionary of
Antiquities_ (revised edition).]

[Footnote 7: Coral.]

[Footnote 8: Herakles.]

[Footnote 9: Thearion's house seems to have had a shrine, or at least
some sacred ground, of Herakles at each side of it, so that he might
regard that hero as his neighbour.]

[Footnote 10: Athene.]

[Footnote 11: Thearion and Sogenes.]

[Footnote 12: A proverbial equivalent for vain and wearisome
repetition.]

VIII.

FOR DEINIS OF AIGINA,

WINNER IN THE SHORT FOOT-RACE.

* * * * *

The date of this ode is unknown. It was probably sung before the
shrine of Aiakos at Aigina.

* * * * *

Spirit of beautiful youth, thou herald of Aphrodite's loves ambrosial,
who on the eyes of girl or boy alighting, with tenderly constraining
hands dost handle one, but other otherwise--it is enough if one not
swerving from the true aim, in his every act prevail to attain to the
fulfilment of his worthier loves.

Such loves were they that waited on the bridal-bed of Zeus and Aigina,
and were dispensers unto them of the Cyprian's[1] gifts: and thence
sprang there a son[2] to be king of Oinone[3], in might of hand and in
counsel excellent, and many a time did many pray that they might look
on him: for the chosen among the heroes that dwelt around him were
fain of their own will to submit them unto his sovereignty, both whoso
in rocky Athens were leaders of the host, and at Sparta the children
of Pelops.

So Aiakos' holy knees clasp I a suppliant for a city well-beloved and
for these citizens, and I bear a Lydian crown wrought c