Plutarch, On the Fame of the Athenians 347f-348a
ἡ δὲ Κόριννα τὸν Πίνδαρον, ὄντα νέον ἔτι καὶ τῆι λογιότητι σοβαρῶς χρώμενον, ἐνουθέτησεν ὡς ἄμουσον ὄντα [καὶ] μὴ ποιοῦντα μύθους, ὃ τῆς ποιητικῆς ἔργον εἶναι συμβέβηκε, γλώσσας δὲ καὶ καταχρήσεις καὶ μεταφράσεις μεταφράσεις M: μεταφοράς Michael καὶ μέλη καὶ ῥυθμοὺς ἡδύσματα τοῖς πράγμασιν ὑποτιθέντα. σφόδρ’ οὖν ὁ Πίνδαρος ἐπιστήσας τοῖς λεγομένοις ἐποίησεν ἐκεῖνο τὸ μέλος
Ἰσμηνὸν ἢ χρυσαλάκατον Μελίαν,
ἢ Κάδμον ἢ Σπαρτῶν ἱερὸν γένος ἀνδρῶν,
ἢ τὸ πάνυ σθένος Ἡρακλέους
ἢ τὰν <Διωνύσου πολυγαθέα τιμάν>. Fr. 29 Snell-Maehler
δειξαμένου δὲ τῆι Κορίννηι, γελάσασα ἐκείνη τῆι χειρὶ δεῖν ἔφη σπείρειν, ἀλλὰ μὴ ὅλωι τῶι θυλάκωι. τῶι γὰρ ὄντι συγκεράσας καὶ συμφορήσας πανσπερμίαν τινὰ μύθων ὁ Πίνδαρος εἰς τὸ μέλος ἐξέχεεν.
Corinna warned Pindar, who was still young and wielded his eloquence arrogantly, that he was being unsophisticated and not making stories, which is the function of poetry, but he propped up the subject matter with adornments such as rare words, analogies, paraphrases, songs, and rhythms. Pindar paid close attention to this advice and composed that famous ode:
Ismeion or Melia with a golden distaff, or Cadmus or the holy tribe of the Sown men, or the very great strength of Hercules, or the honor of Dionysius that gives much delight…
When he presented this to Corinna, she laughed and said you should sow seed with the hand, not the entire sack. For in fact Pindar had heaped and jumbled up an entire panoply of stories and poured it into his song.
| Relevant guides | Pindar |
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