Mighty city of Syracuse! holy ground of Ares, that is ever plunged in war! thou nursing-place divine of heroes and steeds that rejoice in steel ! Lo, I come from splendid Thebes, and I bring a song that telleth of the race of the four-horse chariot that shaketh the earth,—that race in which Hieron was victorious with his glorious team, and thus crowned Ortygia with wreaths that shine afar,—Ortygia, the haunt of the river-goddess Artemis, not without whose aid he guided with his gentle hands those steeds with broidered reins. For that maiden-goddess of the chase, and Hermes, lord of the wrestling-ring, with their twain hands present him with those gleaming trappings, when he yokes the strength of his steeds to his polished car, and to the wheels that obey the bit, while he calleth on the god who wieldeth the trident and ruleth far and wide. Other lords have other minstrels to pay them the meed of melodious song, as the guerdon of victory. Full oft do the praises of the men of Cyprus echo
the name of Cinyras, Aphrodité’s priestly minion, who was gladly loved by golden-haired Apollo. For those praises are prompted by a gratitude which giveth reverential regard in requital for kindly deeds. , But, as for thee, O son of Deinomenés, the Locrian maiden in the West singeth thy praise before her door; after bewildering troubles of war, thanks to thy power, her glance is now steadfast. Men tell us that Ixion, as he whirleth round and round on his winged wheel, by the behests of the gods, teacheth the lesson that men should requite the benefactor with fresh tokens of warm gratitude. He learnt that lesson only too well; for though he received the boon of a happy life among the gracious children of Cronus, he could not be content with his great prosperity, what time with madness of spirit he became enamoured of Héra, the allotted partner of the wedded joys of Zeus. But his insolence drove him into overweening infatuation, and soon did the man, suffering what was fit, meet with a wondrous doom. For toil is the requital of both of his offences, firstly, in that the hero was the first who, not without guile, imbrued mortal men with kindred blood, and, again, in that, in the vast recesses of that bridal chamber, he tempted the honour of the spouse of Zeus. But it is ever right to mark the measure of all things by one’s own station. For unlawful
embraces have ere now flung men into the depth of trouble ; such embraces came even on him; since it was a cloud that, all unwitting, he embraced in the bliss of his delusive dream, for, in semblance, that cloud was like unto the Queen of the Celestials, the daughter of Cronus. It was the hands of Zeus that had set that cloud as a snare for him, a beautiful bane. And so he brought about his own binding to the four spokes of the turning wheel, even his own fell doom ; and, being thus entangled in bonds inextricable, he received the message of warning for all the world. Without the blessing of the Graées did that mother bear him a monstrous offspring, there was never such a mother, never such a son,—an offspring unhonoured either among men or amid the ordinances of the gods. And she reared him up, and called him by the name of Centaurus, who consorted with the Magnesian mares by the spurs of Pélion, and thence there came into being a host wondrous to look upon, resembling both their parents, the dam's side down, the upper side the sire’s.” God fulfilleth every purpose, even as he desireth, God that not only overtaketh the winged eagle, but also surpasseth the dolphin on the sea, and bendeth
many a proud mortal beneath his sway, while to others he giveth glory that knoweth no eld. But I must refrain from the violent bite of slanderous calumny ; for, though far removed in time, I have seen the bitter-tongued Archilochus! full often in distress, because he battened on bitter abuse of his foes. But wealth, with wisdom allotted thereto, is the best gift of Fortune ; and thou clearly hast this boon, so that thou canst show it forth with freedom of soul, thou prince and lord of many a battlemented street and of a host of men. But if, when wealth and honour are in question, any one saith that among the men of old any other king hath surpassed thee in Hellas, in his idle fancy he striveth in vain. I shall ascend a prow that is crowned with flowers, while I sound the praise of valour. Youth findeth its strength in courage amid dread wars; and thence do I declare that thou also hast won thy boundless fame by fighting, not only among warrior horsemen, but also among men on foot ; and thy counsels, riper than thy years, prompt me to say what cannot be challenged, even to praise thee with the fullest praise. Now fare thee well. This song of mine is being sped athwart the foaming sea, as Tyrian merchandise ; but do thou look with favour on the strain in honour of Castor, the strain in mode Aeolian, greeting it in honour of the seven-toned cithern.
Be true to thyself, now that thou hast learnt what manner of man thou art. It is only in the eyes of children, as thou knowest, that the ape is “ pretty,” ever “pretty”; but Rhadamanthys is in bliss, because he had for his allotted portion that fruit of thought which none can blame, nor is he gladdened in his inmost soul by cunning wiles, even such as always haunt a man by reason of the devices of whisperers. Stealthy purveyors of slander are a curse that baffles both sides alike ; they are exceeding like unto foxes in temper. But what doth the cunning fox really gain by his cunning? For, while, when the rest of the tackle hath the fisherman’s bait in the depth of the sea, I, like a cork above the net, float undipped in the brine ; a deceitful citizen can never utter a word of force among noble men, yet he fawneth on all and thus weaveth on every side his tangled path. I cannot share his boldness; be it mine to befriend my friend, while, against my foe, as a foe indeed, will I play the wolf, by rushing stealthily upon him, pacing now here, now there, in diverse ways. But, under every mode of government, a man of straightforward speech cometh to the front, whether at the tyrant’s court, or where the boisterous host, or where the wise, have care of the State. But one must not fight against God, who, at one
while, exalteth the power of yonder men, and, at another, granteth high honour to others. Yet not even this doth soothe the mind of the envious; but, stretching the measuring-line too tightly, they pierce their own heart with a galling wound, ere they attain what they are devising with anxious thought. Yet is it best to bear lightly the yoke that resteth on one’s neck, for, as ye know, it is a slippery course to kick against the goads. But may it be my lot to please them that are noble, and to consort with them.
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