Pindar
Family: Greek · Role: poet · First appears: Book 2 · Chapter 30
Pindar, a Greek poet, is associated with an ode for Britomartis and lines about Silenus, Fortune, Alpheus and Thebe. He sent a hymn honoring Ammon to the Ammonians in Libya, and a votive offering to Hermes Agoræus. His work also treated Otus, Ephialtes and Glaucus, while one passage says he wrote in imitation of Homer.
When Pindar was quite young, bees made honey on his lips, an event said to have prompted him to begin writing poems. At Thebes, Corinna defeated him in a poetic contest. Later, when Pindar was famous throughout Greece, the Pythian Priestess proclaimed that he would share Apollo’s firstfruits equally with Apollo. In advanced age, Proserpine appeared to him in a dream and said he would celebrate her in an ode; he died before the close of the tenth day after the dream.
Relationship record
Life events
- Pindar wrote lines about Fortune and named her City-Preserver.(Book 4 · Chapter 30)
- With: Fortune
- “Pindar also subsequently wrote various lines about Fortune, and named her City-Preserver.”
- Pindar sent a hymn honoring Ammon to the Ammonians in Libya.(Book 9 · Chapter 16 · 📍 Libya)
- With: Ammon
- “Pindar, who also sent a Hymn in honour of Ammon to the Ammonians in Libya”
- Corinna defeated Pindar in a poetic contest at Thebes.(Book 9 · Chapter 22 · 📍 Thebes)
- With: Corinna
- “her head is adorned with a fillet because of her victory over Pindar at Thebes”
- Bees made honey on Pindar’s lips, inspiring him to begin writing poems.(Book 9 · Chapter 23 · 📍 Thespiæ)
- “some bees settled on him as he slept and made their honey on his lips. This circumstance made him first write poems.”
- The Pythian Priestess proclaimed that Pindar would share Apollo’s firstfruits equally.(Book 9 · Chapter 23 · 📍 Delphi)
- With: Apollo
- “the Pythian Priestess raised his fame still higher by proclaiming at Delphi, that Pindar was to have an equal share with Apollo of the firstfruits.”
- Proserpine appeared to Pindar in a dream and promised he would celebrate her in an Ode.(Book 9 · Chapter 23)
- With: Proserpine
- “Proserpine stood by him as he slept, and told him that she was the only one of the gods that was not celebrated by him, but he would also celebrate her in an Ode when he came to her.”
- Pindar died shortly after dreaming of Proserpine.(Book 9 · Chapter 23)
- “And he died before the close of the 10th day after this dream.”
Book 2 · Chapter 30
- with Britomartis (Aphæa is Britomartis.) “the temple of Aphæa, about whom Pindar wrote an ode for the Æginetans.”
Book 3 · Chapter 25
- with Silenus (Pindar's lines describe Silenus's upbringing.) “That Silenus was brought up at Malea is plain from these lines of Pindar,”