Energeia, Spring 2013

47 example for the city, and it is necessary for the city to preserve such a man in speech, i.e., to mix him in its fine words. occurs twice here, for it is necessary both to laud the brave man and to “bear him up” ( ). “Bearing up” and “mixing” are contrasting images. On the one hand, the man is mixed and made inseparable; on the other hand he is borne up and set apart. This contrast further articulates the poet’s task. While the poet must raise the morally superior man to a sufficiently lofty height, he must also assure that the man is spoken of by the townsmen. Only in doing so can the poet properly instruct the masses.

Until now we have heard Pindar speak about the best moral qualities of men: bravery, goodness, and vigilance against satiety. All of this is set in contrast to the second half of the strophe, where Pindar introduces the gods. Here, he discusses the way in which “pious living” and “treacherous minds” affect man’s relationship with Zeus. The extremely significant9 word here is π , coming from π , which means “follow.” Pindar says that great virtues “come from” Zeus and “follow with” mortals (“mortals” in the dative).

Here we must read between the lines. Pindar is neither making a mere causal statement about the beneficence of God and God’s will, nor is he declaring, “God rewards the good and the bad, the just and the unjust.” Rather, he is saying: Great virtues neither meet mortals face to face and lead them, nor overwhelm and transfigure mortals into virtuous men; they follow with mortals. Does “following” here mean following behind? This would