But no fair trees were nursed upon that place in Kronian Pelops’ glens; whereof being naked his garden seemed to him to be given over to the keen rays of the sun.

Then was it that his soul stirred to urge him into the land of Ister; where Leto’s horse-loving daughter[4] received him erst when he was come from the ridged hills and winding dells of Arcady, what time his father laid constraint upon him to go at Eurystheus’ bidding to fetch the golden-horned hind, which once Taygete vowed to her[5] of Orthion and made a sign thereon of consecration.  For in that chase he saw also the land that lieth behind the blast of the cold North-wind:  there he halted and marvelled at the trees:  and sweet desire thereof possessed him that he might plant them at the end of the course which the race-horses should run twelve times round.

So now to this feast cometh he in good-will in company with the Twins Divine, deep-girdled Leto’s children.  For to them he gave charge when he ascended into Olympus to order the spectacle of the games, both the struggle of man with man, and the driving of the nimble car.

Me anywise my soul stirreth to declare that to the Emmenidai and to Theron hath glory come by gift of the Tyndaridai of goodly steeds, for that beyond all mortals they do honour to them with tables of hospitality, keeping with pious spirit the rite of blessed gods.

Now if Water be the Best[6], and of possessions Gold be the most precious, so now to the furthest bound doth Theron by his fair deeds attain, and from his own home touch the pillars of Herakles.  Pathless the things beyond, pathless alike to the unwise and the wise.  Here I will search no more; the quest were vain.

[Footnote 1:  i. e. probably a new combination of lyre and flute to accompany the singing.]

[Footnote 2:  When the Dorians invaded Peloponnesos one of their leaders is said to have been Oxylos, a man of Elean descent but living in Aitolia.  As a result of the invasion he became king of Elis; and the judge at the Olympic games seems to have been considered a descendant of him or of some Aitolian who came with him.]

[Footnote 3:  The Olympic games were held in the middle of the month Hekatombaion, when the moon was full.  It is here implied that Herakles wished to institute them when the moon was full, as that was a season of good luck.]

[Footnote 4:  Artemis.]

[Footnote 5:  Artemis.]

[Footnote 6:  See Ol. i. 1.]

IV.

For Psaumis of Kamarina,

Winner in the mule-chariot-race.

* * * * *

Psaumis won this race in the year 452; therefore this ode and its companion, the next following, are the latest work of Pindar possessed by us to which we can assign a date.

The mule-chariot-race was introduced at Olympia B.C. 500 and abolished
B.C. 444, according to Pausanias.