And round his tomb the circling racers strive:
And round the wheeling chariots drive.
In thy famed courses, Pelops, rise
The' Olympian glories to the skies,
And shine afar: there we behold
The stretch of manhood, strenuous, bold,
In sore fatigues, and there the strife
Of winged feet. Thrice happy he,
Who overcomes! for he shall see

Unclouded days, and taste the sweets of life.

ANTISTROPHE IV.

Measures 18.

Thy boon, O victory! thy prize.
The good that, in a day obtain'd,
From day to day fresh joy supplies,
Is the supreme of bliss to man ordain'd:
But let me now the rider raise
And crown him with Æolian lays,
The victor's due: and I confide,
Though every welcome guest were tried,
Not one, in all the concourse, would be found
For fairest knowledge more renown'd,

Nor yet a master more to twine,

In lasting hymns, each wreathing line.
The guardian god, who watchful guides
Thy fortunes, Hiero, presides

O'er all thy cares with anxious power:
And soon, if he does not deny
His needful aid, my hopes run high

To sing more pleasing in the joyful hour.

EPODE IV. Measures 16.

On thy chariot, triumphant when thou shalt appear And fly o'er the course with a rapid career,

Tracing paths of language fair,
As I to Cronion's sunny mount repair.
Even now the Muse prepares to raise
Her growth, the strongest dart of praise,
For me to wield. Approved in other things,
Do others rise, conspicuous, only kings,
High mounting on the summit fix:

There bound thy view, wide-spread, nor vainly try
Further to stretch the prospect of thine eye:
Be, then, thy glorious lot to tread sublime,
With steady steps, the measured tract of time;
Be mine, with the prize-bearing worthies to mix,
In Greece, throughout the learned throng,
Proclaim'd unrivall'd in my song.

THE SECOND OLYMPIONIQUE.

TO THERON OF AGRIGENTUM,

VICTORIOUS IN THE CHARIOT-RACE,

Argument.

He praises Theron king of Agrigentum, on account of the victory obtained in the Olympic games, with a chariot and four horses; likewise for his justice, his hospitality, his fortitude, and the illustriousness of his ancestors, whose adventures are occasionally mentioned: then he interweaves digressions to Semele, Ino, Peleus, Achilles, and others, and describes the future state of the righteous and of the wicked. Lastly, he concludes with extolling his own skill in panegyric, and the benevolence and liberality of Theron.

SOVEREIGN hymns, whose numbers sway
The sounding harp, what god, what hero, say,
What man, shall we resound?

Is not Pisa Jove's delight?

And did not Hercules, with conquest crown'd,

To him ordain

The' Olympiad for an army slain,
Thank-offering of the war?

And must we not, in Theron's right,
Exert our voice, and swell our song ?
Theron, whose victorious car
Four coursers whirl, fleeting along,
To stranger-guests indulgent host,
Of Agrigentum the support and boast,
Cities born to rule and grace,

Fair blossom of his ancient race.

ANTISTROPHE I. Measures 16.

Worthies sore perplex'd in thought,

[sought,

Till, wandering far, they found, what long they

A sacred seat, fast by

Where the stream does rapid run,

And reign'd, of Sicily the guardian eye,

When happy days,

And wealth, and favour flow'd, and praise,
That in-born worth inflames.

Saturnian Jove! O Rhea's son !
Who o'er Olympus dost preside,
And the pitch of lofty games,
And Alpheus, of rivers the pride,
Rejoicing in my songs, do thou
Incline thine ear, propitious to my vow,
Blessing, with a bounteous hand,
The rich hereditary land

EPODE I. Measures 10.

Through their late lineage down. No power can Whether deeds of right or wrong, [actions pass'd,

As things not done recall,

Not even Time, the father, who produces all; Yet can Oblivion, waiting long,

Gathering strength

Through the length

Of prosperous times, forbid these deeds to last: Such force has sweet-healing joy

The festering smart of evils to destroy.

STROPHE II.

When felicity is sent

Measures 16.

Down by the will supreme with full content:
Thy daughters, Cadmus, they,

Greatly wretched here below,

Bless'd evermore, this mighty truth display.
No weight of grief,

But, whelm'd in pleasures, find relief,

Sunk in the sweet abyss.

Thou, Semele, with hair a-flow,
Thou by thunder doom'd to die,
Mingling with the gods in bliss,
Art happy, for ever on high
Thee Pallas does for ever love,
Thee chiefly Jupiter, who rules above;
Thee thy son holds ever dear,
Thy son with the ivy-wreath'd spear.

ANTISTROPHE II. Measures 16.

Beauteous Ino, we are told,

With the sea-daughters dwells of Nereus old,

And has, by lot, obtain'd

Lasting life, beneath the deep,

A life within no bounds of time restrain'd.

The hour of death,

The day when we resign our breath,

That offspring of the Sun,

Which bids us from our labours sleep,
In vain do mortals seek to know,

Or who destined is to run

A life unentangled with woe;

For none are able to disclose

The seasons of the' uncertain ebbs and flows
Now of pleasures, now of pains,

Which hidden Fate to men ordains:

Thus Providence, that to thy ancestry long-famed

Portions out a pleasing share

Of heaven-sprung happiness,

Does, ceasing in another turn of time to bless,
Distribute some reverse of care,

As from years

Past appears,

Since the predestined son, at Pytho named,
Did Laius, blindly meeting, kill,

And the oracle, of old pronounced, fulfil:

Fell Erinnys, quick to view

The deed, his warlike sons in battle slew,

Each by the other's rage:

But to Polynices slain

Survived Thersander, glory of his age,

For feats of war,

And youthful contests, honour'd far,
The scion, kept alive

To raise the' Adrastian house again:
From whence Enesidamus' heir
Does his spreading root derive,
To branch out a progeny fair;