Vit. Metr.

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Πίνδαρον ὑψαγόρην Καδμηίδος οὔδεϊ Θήβης
Κλειδίκη εὐνηθεῖσα μενεπτολέμωι Δαϊφάντωι
γείνατο ναιετάουσα Κυνὸς κεφαλῆς παρὰ χώρωι,
οὐκ οἶον· ἅμα τῶι καὶ Ἐρίτιμον εἰδότα θήρην,
εἰδότα πυγμαχίην τε παλαισμοσύνην τ’ ἀλεγεινήν.5
τὸν μὲν ὅτε κνώσσοντα ποτὶ χθόνα κάτθετο μήτηρ
εἰσέτι παιδνὸν ἐόντα, μέλισσά τις ὡς ἐπὶ σίμβλωι
χείλεσι νηπιάχοισι τιθαιβώσσουσα ποτᾶτο.
τῶι δὲ λιγυφθόγγων ἐπέων μελέων θ’ ὑποθήμων
ἔπλετο δῖα Κόριννα· θεμείλια δ’ ὤπασε μύθων10
τὸ πρῶτον· μετὰ τὴν δ’ Ἀγαθοκλέος ἔμμορεν αὐδῆς,
ὅς τέ ῥά οἱ κατέδειξεν κατέδειξεν m: κατέλεξεν m ὁδὸν καὶ μέτρον ἀοιδῆς.
εὖτε δ’ Ἀλεξάνδροιο Φιλιππιάδαο μενοινῆι
Καδμείων ἀφίκοντο Μακηδόνες ἄστεα πέρσαι,
Πινδαρέων μεγάρων οὐχ ἥψατο θεσπιδαὲς πῦρ.15
ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν μετόπισθεν. ἔτι ζώοντι δ’ ἀοιδῶι
Φοῖβος ἄναξ ἐκέλευσε πολυχρύσου παρὰ Πυθοῦς
ἤια καὶ μέθυ λαρὸν ἀεὶ Θήβηνδε κομίζειν.
καὶ μέλος, ὡς ἐνέπουσιν, ἐν οὔρεσιν ἠυκέρως Πάν
Πινδάρου αἰὲν ἄειδε, καὶ οὐκ ἐμέγηρεν ἀείδων.20
ἦμος δ’ ἐν Μαραθῶνι καὶ ἐν Σαλαμῖνι παρέσταν
αἰναρέται Πέρσαι μετὰ Δάτιδος ἀγριοφώνου,
τῆμος ἔτι ζώεσκεν, ὅτ’ Αἰσχύλος ἦν ἐν Ἀθήναις.
τῶι δὲ Τιμοξείνη παρελέξατο δῖα γυναικῶν,
ἣ τέκεν Εὔμητιν, μεγαλήτορα καὶ Δαΐφαντον,25
Πρωτομάχην δ’ ἐπὶ τοῖσιν. ἔμελψε δὲ κῦδος ἀγώνων
τῶν πισύρων, μακάρων παιήονας ἐνδεδεγμένους ἐνδεδεγμένους m: ἀναδεδεγμένος Eustathius: ἀνδράσι θρήνους m: ἐν δέ τε θρήνους Schneidewin: ἐν δ’ ἐλεγειους Tafel: ἐν δέ θρονισμούς Bergk,
καὶ μέλος ὀρχηθμοῖο, θεῶν τ’ ἐρικυδέας ὕμνους,
ἠδὲ μελιφθόγγων μελεδήματα παρθενικάων.
τοῖος ἐὼν καὶ τόσσα παθὼν τόσσα παθὼν Eustathius: τοῖα παρὼν m: τοῖα πορὼν m καὶ τόσσα τελέσσας30
κάτθανεν ὀγδώκοντα τελειομένων ἐνιαυτῶν.

Cleidice gave birth to the braggart Pindar at the doorstep of Cadmean Thebes, after sleeping with the steadfast in battle Daïphantus while she dwelt in the countryside of Dog’s Head. And not just him alone: along with Pindar she gave birth to Eritimos who understood hunting, understood boxing and painful wrestling that gives men pain. When his mother put him down on the ground while he slept, when he was still a child, a bee landed and brought honey to his childish lips as if it was a beehive. And Pindar had instruction for clear-voiced words and songs through Corinna; she first provided a foundation for his stories. After her he took a share of Agathocleus’ voice, who showed the path and measure of song to him. When the Macedonians came to raze the city of Cadmus’ descendents because of the desire of Alexander the son of Philip, the divinely stoked fire did not touch the halls of Pindar. But these events happened later. While Pindar was still alive lord Apollo at Pytho with much gold bid the singer to always bring food and sweet wine back to Thebes. And a song of Pindar’s, as they say, Pan of the fine horns always sings in the hills, and he does not begrudge singing it. When the fiercely brave Persians made a stand at Marathon and Salamis along with Dates wild in slaughter, Pindar was still alive, and Aeschylus was in Athens. And Timoxeine was the one amongst women to take his bed, and she gave birth to Eymetis, and great-hearted Daïphantus, as well as Protomache in addition to these two. And Pindar sang and danced the glory of the four contests, paeans accepted by the blessed ones, the song of the dance, glorious hymns to the gods and the cares of honey-voiced maidens. This is what Pindar was like, and this is what happened to him and what he accomplished. He died when he had finished eighty years.

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