1 The Ode
Pindarâs Pythian Twelve celebrates Midas of Acragas, who won the auletic agon1 at Delphi in 490â¯BCE (cf. section 2 below). The content of the ode may be summarized as follows:
The city of Acragas is entreated to welcome the victory ode of Midas and the aulete himself, who has triumphed over his competitors in Delphi (1â6). The art championed by the victor was invented by Athena. The goddess re-enacted the Gorgonsâ lament over their sister Medusa, whom Perseus had killed. It was thanks to this victory that Perseus managed to free his mother Danae. He showed Medusaâs head to Polydectes and the inhabitants of Seriphus and turned them all into stone. Athena named the melody âtune of many headsâ and gifted it to the mortals, so that it may be a âmemento of contests which stir peopleâ (7â24). The ode ends with a series of gnÅmai about the relationship between success, effort, and fate: happiness does not come without toil; if, for a man, something is meant to be, a god or Time will bring him his allotted destiny (25â32).
The poem is the only âAcragantine odeâ2 not written for a member of the Emmenid family and the only epinicion in our possession celebrating the winner of a musical competition. Musical contests were a primary component of the Pythian games as they were connected with the foundation myth of this Panhellenic event.3 The myth would have Apollo killing Python, the serpent that guarded the chthonian oracle of Pytho, and then establishing an agon to honour his enemyâs death. On that first occasion, the god performed a six-part citharoedic nomos that reproduced the different moments of his fight against the monster.4 Hence, in their most ancient phase, the agones consisted in a citharoedic contest,5 which took place every eight years,6 this being the same amount of time that it took Apollo to atone for Pythonâs death.7 With the reorganization of the Pythian games on a four-year basis (see below), further auletic (performance with the aulos) and aulodic (sung performance accompanied with the aulos) contests8 were introduced together with sports competitions, on the model of the Olympic games. Other illustrious auletes who triumphed at Delphi are recorded in literary sources in our possession, namely: Sacadas of Argos, who is credited with invention of the nomos Pythikos,9 and Pythocritus of Sicyon who won six times at the Pythian games. However, Midas stands out as the only winner celebrated by Pindar, the supreme lyric poet.
2 Date
According to ancient commentaries, Midas of Acragas10 won in the Pythian games of 490â¯BCE and 486â¯BCE,11 as well as in the Panathenaean games, cf.
The proposed correspondence (490â¯BCE = 24th Pythiad) implies that the scholionâs count of the numbered quadriennial Pythiads starts from 582â¯BCE. Ancient sources, however, preserve contradictory data about the date of the first Pythiad. Pausanias (10.7.4â5) identifies it as 586â¯BCE (i.e. the third year of the 48th Olympiad), specifying that the agones were âchrematiticâ, i.e. competitions in which winners were awarded
Conversely, the Marmor Parium and the three hypotheseis a, b and d of the Pindaric scholia connect the institution of the Pythiads with the end of the First Sacred War. The use of this event as a chronological reference is itself not ideal, since doubts have been cast on the veracity of the late sources13 preserving memory of the conflict.14 What is relevant for the Pythiadsâ dating system is that the Marmor Parium and the scholia agree on (a) placing the conclusion of the First Sacred War in 591/590â¯BCE and (b) referring to this event for dating the first stephanitic agon. According to the Marmor Parium, the chrematitic agon was established after the Amphictyons defeated Crisa, when Simon was archon in Athens (591/590â¯BCE); the stephanitic agon was established under the Athenian archon Damasias (582â¯BCE).15 The scholia also agree on 591/590â¯BCE as the date of the chrematitic agones,16 but appear to disagree on the date of the first stephanitic games. This event, they state, happened six years after the end of the First Sacred War, in 586â¯BCE.17 However,
The complicated puzzle has received plausible solutions. Della Bona (2017:28) argues that the date from which the scholia counted the six years which preceded the stephanitic agon (582â¯BCE) is 588â¯BCE.
So, starting the count from the first stephanitic agon of 582â¯BCE, Midasâ victory happened in 490â¯BCE.
3 Midasâ Victory and Performance
Ancient commentaries record that Midas experienced an unpleasant accident: his instrumentâs reed broke and adhered to his palate, but the aulete carried on, beautifully executing his performance and thus earning a well deserved victory.21 The veracity of this anecdote is doubtful: the scholion may preserve the memory of an extraordinary event; or it could reflect a later tradition, perhaps inspired by the epinicionâs concluding gnÅmÄ, which stresses how success is achieved through effort.
It is unclear whether the ode was composed for a performance at Delphi (Gentili 2006: xxxvi) or at Acragas (Riaño Rufilanchas 2001:68â69).22 It is difficult to tell whether Pindar would have had enough time to compose Pythian Twelve and at least one other poem, namely: Pythian Six for Xenocrates of Acragas, performed in 490â¯BCE at Delphi. Musical agones were the first competitions of the Pythian games,23 which lasted six/seven days overall.24 Depending on the day the winner was to be celebrated, Pindar would have had six days at most for composing his epinicia for their associated performances.
Over the years, different criteria have been used to identify the place in which single choral odes were first performed. In a renowned article of 1985, Gelzer proposes that five Pindaric odes (O. 4, O. 11, P. 6, P. 7, N. 2) exhibit a number of common traits that could allow us to recognize extemporary choral lyric creations. As well as some scepticism about the efficiency of these criteria,25 an attempt at applying them to Pindarâs Pythian Twelve does not yield any revealing result. The poem only partly exhibits the peculiar traits Gelzer identifies, namely: shortness, monostrophic structure, and compact informative character about the victoryâs main facts. However, it does not comply with other alleged âextempore-featuresâ: the image of the ode as a messenger/herald is absent. Furthermore, the ode comprises quite elaborate mythological and gnomic sections.
While the reference to a series of deduced principles fails to plausibly answer the question of the performanceâs location, internal textual details might provide a more solid basis to infer this information. There are a few ambiguous, but not decisive elements to examine. The adverb
It is actually in the light of the first six verses of the poem that I argue that Pythian Twelve is a short ode for the celebration of Midas at Acragas. Pythian Twelveâs beginning contains analogous expressions to those of at least three Pindaric odes performed in the winnersâ homelands, namely: O. 5.1â3, P. 9.56â57, N. 4.11â12,26 cf.
Pi. O. 5.1â3á½Ïηλᾶν á¼ÏεÏᾶν καὶ ÏÏεÏάνÏν á¼ÏÏον Î³Î»Ï Îºá½»Î½ Ïῶν Îá½Î»Ï μÏá½·á¾³ ,Ὠκεανοῦ θύγαÏÎµÏ ,καÏδίᾳ γελανεῠá¼ÎºÎ±Î¼Î±Î½Ïá½¹ÏÎ¿Î´á½¹Ï Ïá¾½ á¼Ïá½µÎ½Î±Ï Î´á½³ÎºÎµÏ Î¨Î±á½»Î¼Î¹á½¹Ï Ïε δῶÏα
Daughter of Ocean, with a smiling heart receive the finest sweet reward for lofty deeds and crowns, those at Olympia, gifts of the mule car of tireless feet and Psaumis
Pi. P. 9.56â57νῦν δ᾽ εá½ÏÏ Î»Îµá½·Î¼Ïν Ïá½¹Ïνιά Ïοι Îιβύα δέξεÏαι εá½ÎºÎ»á½³Î± νύμÏαν δώμαÏιν á¼Î½ ÏÏÏ Ïá½³Î¿Î¹Ï ÏÏá½¹ÏÏÏν
But as for now, Libya, mistress whose meadows are broad, will welcome your glory-making bride in her golden palace with benevolence
Pi. N. 4.11â12[â¦]δέξαιÏο δ᾽ Îἰακιδᾶν á¼ á¿£ÏÏ Ïγον á¼Î´Î¿Ï
And may it find welcome in the Aeacidaeâs well-towered domain.
One may add Nemean Eleven to these examples, it being a poem written for the installation of Aristagoras as prytanis of Tenedos27 and placed among the Nemeans by early editors because of the emphasis given on Aristagorasâ athletic achievements:
Pi. N. 11.1â3ÏÎ±á¿ á¿¬á½³Î±Ï ,á¼ Ïε ÏÏÏ Ïανεá¿Î± λέλογÏÎ±Ï ,á¼ÏÏία ,ÎÎ·Î½á½¸Ï á½Ïá½·ÏÏÎ¿Ï ÎºÎ±ÏιγνήÏα καὶ á½Î¼Î¿Î¸Ïá½¹Î½Î¿Ï á¼ÏÎ±Ï ,εὠμὲν á¼ÏιÏÏαγόÏαν δέξαι Ïεὸν á¼Ï θάλαμον
Daughter of Rhea, to whom city halls are allotted, Hestia, sister of highest Zeus and of Hera who shares his throne, welcome well Aristagoras into your chamber.
The four above-mentioned comparanda have features in common with the beginning of Pythian Twelve (see chapter 4, section 3, chapter 5, section 1, 1â6):
-
A local protector deity (
Ὠκεανοῦ θύγαÏÎµÏ , O. 5.2,ÏÎ±á¿ á¿¬á½³Î±Ï [â¦]á¼ÏÏία ,Î . 11.1) or the laudandusâ homeland (εá½ÏÏ Î»Îµá½·Î¼Ïν Ïá½¹Ïνια â¦Îιβύα , P. 9.56,Îἰακιδᾶν ||á¼ á¿£ÏÏ Ïγον á¼Î´Î¿Ï ,Î . 4.11â12) is mentioned or entreated as the entity -
who will/should graciously (
καÏδίᾳ γελανεῠ, O. 5.2,ÏÏá½¹ÏÏÏν , P. 9.57,εὠ, N. 11.3) âwelcome/receiveâ the honouree. -
The exhortation contains a form of
δέκομαι (3.sg.ind.fut.,δέξεÏαι , opt.δέξαιÏο , 2.sg.impv.Î´á½³ÎºÎµÏ ,δέξαι ) and, -
as a direct object, the winnerâs victory (O. 5, P. 9: Telesicrates and his glory) or his name (N. 11).
Pythian Twelveâs opening is analogously structured: Acragas is addressed through a series of vocatives (1â3), to benevolently (4) welcome (
4 The Myth
Pindarâs decision to introduce the story concerning the origin of the âtune of many headsâ raises the question of the possible link between Midasâ victory and the mythological narrative. The âtune of many headsâ is generally identified with the
Although we have no record concerning the musical accompaniment of Pythian Twelve, âaulos accompaniment would obviously be appropriate for a celebration of an aulete; indeed, it is hard to imagine the aulos not being used for this poem, whether accompanied by other instruments or notâ (Phillips 2013:38).30 If so, the poem would celebrate a victory obtained in the art of the aulos with the sound of the aulos, by recalling the origin of a distinctive musical piece dedicated to the aulos. The poem would thus acquire a remarkable meta-musical character:31 the mythical past (Athenaâs discovery), the historical past (Midasâ victory at Delphi) and the musical performance connect, touch, and possibly overlap within the lyric performance thanks to the power of the aulos and its musical relevance.32
On the aulosâ iconography of Greek vase-paintings cf. Paquette 1984:24â67. On the musical instrument cf. also Mathiesen 1999, Wilson 1999, and Hagel 2009, 2020.
Thucydides (6.4.4) reports that Acragas was founded in 580â¯BCE by Gelian colonists, while Polybius (9.27) argues that some of its founders were Rhodians. Soon after its foundation, the tyrant Phalaris rose to power (Pi. P. 1.96, Tim. 28, Call. frr. 45â47, Pol. 12.25, Cic. Verr. II 4.33.73, D.S. 9.18â19, Luc. Phal. i 2â4; cf. Bianchetti 1987, Murray 1992, Luraghi 1994:21â49). After his reign, the city was governed by an oligarchy until 488â¯BCE, when Theron (of the Emmenid family) became tyrant (Polyaen. Strat. 6.51+, D.S. 11.53.1). Five Pindaric odes celebrate the Acragantine winners: P. 12 (Midas, 490â¯BCE), P. 6 (Xenokrates, 490â¯BCE), O. 2 (Theron, 476â¯BCE), O. 3 (Theron, 476â¯BCE), I. 2 (Xenocrates, 470â¯BCE). Only Midas is not known to be an Emmenid.
Cf. Della Bona 2017:13â75.
Paus. 10.7.2
According to Paus. 2.7.7 Apollo went to Crete for cleansing from the dragonâs blood, whereas Plutarch (De def. or. 421c) states that Apollo was exiled in Tempe. Parker 1996:378 proposes that âthe Tempe tradition derives from an aetiological connection of uncertain date with the Septerionâ.
Aulodic contests were suppressed in 582â¯BCE, cf. Paus. 10.7.6.
Additionally, Sacadas is identified by [Plut.] Mus. 1134a as the inventor of the three-part nomos, in which the chorus sung in three different modes (Dorian, Phrygian, and Lycian). According to Paus. 10.7.4â5 he won at Delphi in 586â¯BCE (on this date see below). Pollux (4.4, vol. 1.224) records him as the inventor of the
Cf. Wilamowitz 1922:143, according to whom the absence of references to the winnerâs genealogical data suggests that Midas did not belong to an illustrious genos. Moreover, Clay 1992:519 and Martin 2003:169, fn. 69 argue that Midas is a stage name.
Cummins 2010:325, fn. 14 states that âit is prudent to acknowledge the dispute and a four-year margin of error in the scholiastsâ Pythian datesâ.
Paus. 10.7.4â5
[Thess.] apud Hipp. 9.404â426, Front. Strat. 3.7.6, Polyaen. Strat. 3.5, 6.13,
The First Sacred War is a conflict between the Amphictyonic League and the polis of Crisa/Cirrha. Robertson 1978 (cf. also Davies 1994) claims that the war is a propagandistic invention of Philip of Macedon. Cassola 1980 contests this hypothesis by bringing out historical sources about the existence of the polis of Crisa. The historicity of the event is further defended by Antonelli 1994 and Della Bona 2015.
Marm. Par. (ig xii.5/1 444, with ig xii.suppl. p. 110 = FrGH 2B) 239 A37fâ38a
For Miller (1978:148) the discrepancy reflects âa compression of the sourceâ.
Cf. Mosshammer 1982:26 and Christensen 2007:189, who proposes that this source is the PythionikÅn AnagraphÄ (or Pythionikai) by Aristotle and Callisthenes (cf. also Wilamowitz 1893 I:13â24 on the Pythionikai as the source of the Pindaric scholia).
Cf. also Spelman 2018:30â31. For Maslov 2015:112 P. 12 is a âcivic epinikionâ.
Plut. Quaest. 638b.
Cf. Gentili 2006: xxvii, who refers to Soph. El. 684â700.
Lomiento 2013c:276, fn. 2 criticizes Gelzerâs criteria and agrees with Bundy 19864 on Olympian Eleven not containing any clues to a performance at Olympia.
I leave out O. 4.6â8 because the location of the odeâs performance is debated. Fernández-Galiano 1942 and Barrett 2007 surmise that the ode was performed in Olympia for Psaumisâ victory with the apÄnÄ in 456â¯BCE (contra SnellâMaehler who favour 460â¯BCE as a date), the same celebrated in O. 5 (on which cf. Lomiento 2013b). Lomiento 2013a, following Gerber 1987, argues that the ode was performed in Camarina for Psaumisâ victory in 452â¯BCE. In favour of a performance in Camarina speak verses 6â9, where Zeus Aetnaeus is invoked to âreceive the winnerâ, cf. [
Henry 2005:119â133, Cannatà Fera 2020:xxxii, 243, 570.
Cf. 21
As recent references cf. Martin 2003, Steiner 2013, and Phillips 2013, 2016.
Cf. also Henry 2007:131, fn. 11.
To this Phillips (2013) adds that P. 12 is written in the tune invented by Athena.
Morrison 2007:82â84 sustains that the ode may have not been reperformed outside Midasâ immediate circle and that Midas might himself played the solo aulos accompaniment.