Ebook Pindar: The Olympian and Pythian Odes

That I have substituted the etymologies of a newer school for many of those given by Dr Donaldson should be taken as a mark of respect paid to the weight of his authority. On such points I have often referred to Curtius, i.e., to Grundzuge der griechischen Etymologie von George Curtius, Third Ed., Leipzig, 1869.

The grammatical references are to Syntax of the Moods and Tenses of the Greek Verb, by Prof. W. W. Goodwin, Sixth Ed., London, 1875; and to Syntax of the Greek Language, by Dr J. N. Madvig, Edited by T. Kerchever Arnold, Sec. Ed., 1873.

In the occasional translations I have only aimed at reproducing the exact idea of the Greek, not at putting Pindar's sentiments into the most elegant and poetic English prose at my command; as I conceive that the office of interpreter cannot well be thoroughly combined with that of a tasteful translator.

The introduction to and analyses of the several odes are intended to give as clear a view as possible of the design of each poem and the relations of the several parts to each other and the whole. In some instances my explanations are new.

As few take interest in the metre, I have, to save space, placed the metrical schemes all together after the introductory remarks on Pindar's metres.

In executing a most laborious and responsible task I have been animated by the hope of promoting the sympathetic study of a favourite author.