The Complete Odes (Oxford World's Classics)

by Pindar

Paperback, 2007

Status

Available

Call number

884.01

Genres

Collection

Don

Publication

Oxford University Press, USA (2007), Paperback, 240 pages

Description

One of the most celebrated poets of the classical world, Pindar wrote odes for athletes that provide a unique perspective on the social and political life of ancient Greece. Commissioned in honor of successful contestants at the Olympic games and other Panhellenic contests, these odes were performed in the victors' hometowns and conferred enduring recognition on their achievements. Andrew M. Miller's superb new translation captures the beauty of Pindar's forty-five surviving victory odes, preserving the rhythm, elegance, and imagery for which they have been admired since antiquity while adhering closely to the meaning of the original Greek. This edition provides a comprehensive introduction and interpretive notes to guide readers through the intricacies of the poems and the worldview that they embody.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member dirkjohnson

For some reason Charlton Griffin has read most of my favorite books for audio, and most of them are available only with him reading them. Unfortunately, Charlton Griffin is about my least favorite reader. Much as I love the various works he reads, it's always a struggle for me to pay attention to

his reading. He sounds like an Edwardian gentleman full of ennui, as though he can barely be bothered to pay attention to the book he's reading. Also, audiobook publishers have a bad habit of not disclosing the translators of the books being read. This is beginning to change, but it drives me stark raving mad. I've read some Pindar in Greek and have a couple of different translations of his Odes, so this, fortunately, isn't my only approach to his poems.

That said, I'm thrilled to be able to listen to Pindar ktl. while on long drives, which are usually to work.

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LibraryThing member antiquary

I got this because the other translation of Pindar I was reading had no notes and often made little sense without them.

LibraryThing member Lukerik

If you judged this book by its cover and picked it up hoping for some rough man-love, think again, Buster.

What we have here are the texts of commissioned chorus pieces. Divorced from the original Greek poetry, music and performance, I'm not sure that you could call them literature. There is the

occasional great turn of phrase. It's worth underlining them, hidden as they are amongst the chaff. Personally I don't think there's enough of them to rescue Pindar as a poet. The fact that rich athletes would buy poems comparing them to the gods I find unspeakably vulgar.

On the other hand the paper used for this edition is nice. There is a good introduction and notes. The translation is clear. It's essentially prose which has had it's lines broken so that it looks like poetry. Happily Verity makes no further pretence towards poetry.

The 5 star rating is for the amount of time the poems have survived. Well done, boys!

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LibraryThing member DanielSTJ

This was an extremely intriguing and interesting ancient Greek text (odes based on mythology and so forth.) Pindar's style stands out as a epitome of what ancient Greece was capable of nurturing and bringing forth amongst its ranks. Pindar is quite a poet, and his inventive and powerful focus

brings a deeper sense of meaning to what he is writing about. Overall, a great book for those interested in the classics- and those into poetry in general.

4 stars.

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