Pindar
Victory odes — the eagle of Thebes
The greatest lyric poet of Greece. His victory odes — composed for winners at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia — soar with a density and elevation that no subsequent poet has matched. Horace called imitation of Pindar as reckless as flying with wax wings.
Key works
- Olympian Odes~476-460 BC— Victory hymns for Olympic champions
- Pythian Odes~490-446 BC— Myth, praise, and moral grandeur