The Olympic gold medal represents the greatest achievement for athletes in modern day Olympics. The winning athlete receives a personal victory for their physical abilities and training, and it is also a victory for their family and country. The successful athlete catapults to another level of great honor, and duly earns respect for their victory when engaged in Olympic competition. Pindar’s epinician poetry celebrated Greek ethos during ancient Olympics. The victorious athletes of Pindar’s time achieved great honor and respect during competition through epinikia (Kyle 194). The athletes Pindar wrote about in poetic song understood the importance of piety with regard to how they prepared for a competition in order to become the victor (195).
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Sometimes their life was at risk, but they were honoring the gods in hopes of receiving charis so they could become the victor (2). Pindar’s Olympian 2 is one of the lengthier odes, and the victorious athlete he writes about is Theron of Akragas. The athletic event was a celebration festival to honor Zeus with offerings of prayer and sacrifice. The event named in this ode, the tethrippon, was adopted from the funeral games, and was a dangerous event for Greek athletes (Kyle 121). The athletes in this event would certainly want to become the victor. This ode celebrated Theron of Akragas as the victorious athlete for winning the four-horse chariot race (Pindar, Olympian 2.3-5). At the beginning of the ode before Pindar identifies who the victorious athlete is, he acknowledged Zeus and praised Herakles for founding the games at Olympia (Pindar, Olympian 2.1-4). The victor of the chariot race, Theron, is introduced soon after and praised for his victory, and for his just treatment of strangers (Pindar, Olympian 2.1-7). Theron is the strength of Akragas, the noblest of his ancestors, and upholds the city of Akragas (Pindar, Olympian 2.1-7). This athletic victory for Theron is exemplary of the divine reward the gods bestowed upon him. Greek mortals and the gods had a relationship built on favor. Pindar’s victorious …show more content…
The athletic victory for Theron, his family, and his city in the four-horse chariot race was a gift from the gods. Theron had the strength, courage, training and nobility to compete in the athletic festival to honor Zeus. Pindar’s victorious athletes were not victors simply because of their earthly abilities, or human achievements. Victory required prayers, offerings and sacrifices to the gods before the competition. The gods oversaw the athletic events, and were the deciders of the athlete’s fate. The glorious victory was divine favor from the gods, a repayment to the athlete, and a just reward for keeping their sacred oaths. Theron was such a man, and was also deserving of the gods joining in his celebration. Theron’s noble victory earned protection from the gods on Olympus for his ancestors; even Kronos would not undo the divine favor bestowed upon Theron. Pindar compared Theron to Herakles; what a great honor this was to Theron, his family and city to have been compared to Zeus’ son. He also reminded mankind of their vulnerability in Olympian 2 when he told what happens to an unjust man in the afterlife. Pain and suffering that is unspeakable awaits those who do not honor the gods. Theron’s praise extends to a predetermined afterlife of eternal glory because he lived a virtuous life, and honored the gods by keeping his oaths. Theron is worthy of the praise he is receiving in Pindar’s ode. No Greek
Sometimes their life was at risk, but they were honoring the gods in hopes of receiving charis so they could become the victor (2). Pindar’s Olympian 2 is one of the lengthier odes, and the victorious athlete he writes about is Theron of Akragas. The athletic event was a celebration festival to honor Zeus with offerings of prayer and sacrifice. The event named in this ode, the tethrippon, was adopted from the funeral games, and was a dangerous event for Greek athletes (Kyle 121). The athletes in this event would certainly want to become the victor. This ode celebrated Theron of Akragas as the victorious athlete for winning the four-horse chariot race (Pindar, Olympian 2.3-5). At the beginning of the ode before Pindar identifies who the victorious athlete is, he acknowledged Zeus and praised Herakles for founding the games at Olympia (Pindar, Olympian 2.1-4). The victor of the chariot race, Theron, is introduced soon after and praised for his victory, and for his just treatment of strangers (Pindar, Olympian 2.1-7). Theron is the strength of Akragas, the noblest of his ancestors, and upholds the city of Akragas (Pindar, Olympian 2.1-7). This athletic victory for Theron is exemplary of the divine reward the gods bestowed upon him. Greek mortals and the gods had a relationship built on favor. Pindar’s victorious …show more content…
The athletic victory for Theron, his family, and his city in the four-horse chariot race was a gift from the gods. Theron had the strength, courage, training and nobility to compete in the athletic festival to honor Zeus. Pindar’s victorious athletes were not victors simply because of their earthly abilities, or human achievements. Victory required prayers, offerings and sacrifices to the gods before the competition. The gods oversaw the athletic events, and were the deciders of the athlete’s fate. The glorious victory was divine favor from the gods, a repayment to the athlete, and a just reward for keeping their sacred oaths. Theron was such a man, and was also deserving of the gods joining in his celebration. Theron’s noble victory earned protection from the gods on Olympus for his ancestors; even Kronos would not undo the divine favor bestowed upon Theron. Pindar compared Theron to Herakles; what a great honor this was to Theron, his family and city to have been compared to Zeus’ son. He also reminded mankind of their vulnerability in Olympian 2 when he told what happens to an unjust man in the afterlife. Pain and suffering that is unspeakable awaits those who do not honor the gods. Theron’s praise extends to a predetermined afterlife of eternal glory because he lived a virtuous life, and honored the gods by keeping his oaths. Theron is worthy of the praise he is receiving in Pindar’s ode. No Greek