The epinikion or epinicion (pl.: epinikia or epinicia, Greekἐπινίκιον, from epi-, "on", + nikê, "victory") is a genre of occasional poetry also known in English as a victory ode. In ancient Greece, the epinikion most often took the form of a choral lyric, commissioned for and performed at the celebration of an athletic victory in the Panhellenic Games and sometimes in honor of a victory in war.[1] Major poets in the genre are Simonides, Bacchylides, and Pindar.
In addition to epinikia, a victorious athlete might be honored with a statue, as with this charioteer found at Delphi, probably a champion driver at the Pythian Games
An aulist plays music in the background of a boxing match (Attic vase, 510–500 BC)
Since the poets most often call their victory songs hymnoi (ὕμνοι), it has been conjectured that hymns for Heracles, honored as the founder of the Olympic Games, were the original model for the athletic epinikion. Victory odes are also associated with the Dioscuri; Pindar uses the term "Castor-song" (Καστόρειον), and Polydeuces (Pollux), the mortal twin of Castor, was a boxer.[2]
Although the best-known epinikia appear to have been composed for a chorus, they may have originally been performed by a soloist. Pindar says that a lyric by Archilochus was sung at Olympia, and a scholiast to the passage gives a quotation. The performance of these songs seems to have led in the 6th century BC to aristocratic commissions for more elaborate numbers.[3]
The earliest epinikia, surviving only in fragments, were composed by Simonides of Ceos in the 520s BC.[4] Simonides was the first professional poet known to write odes in honor of victorious athletes at the games; in antiquity, he was also notorious for being the first poet to charge a fee for his services.[5] The epinikia of Bacchylides were formerly considered lost and were known only from quotations in other authors, until the discovery in the late 19th century of a papyrusmanuscript containing fifteen of his odes. Pindar's four surviving books of epinikia, called one of "the great monuments of Greek lyric", correspond to each of the four major festivals of the Panhellenic Games: Olympian, Pythian, Isthmian, and Nemean. Many of Pindar's odes can be identified by event, champion, and year.[6]
The epinikion was performed not at the games, but at the celebration surrounding the champion's return to his hometown or perhaps at the anniversary of his victory. The odes celebrate runners, pentathletes, wrestlers, boxers, and charioteers; Pindar usually narrates or alludes elaborately to a myth connected to the victor's family or birthplace. The Pindaric ode has a metrical structure rivaled in its complexity only by the chorus of Greek tragedy, and is usually composed in a triadic form comprising strophe, antistrophe, and epode. The odes were performed by a chorus that sang and danced to the musical accompaniment of the phorminx or aulos.[7]
The epinikion and societyedit
"The victory ode", notes Mary Lefkowitz, "is a curious and somewhat paradoxical form of art".[8]Simon Goldhill has described the epinikion as practiced by Pindar as "a performance hired to mark the place of an individual within his city".[9] The epinikion praised the victorious athlete as an ideal representative of the community and of the aristocratic class, linking his achievements with those of local cult heroes. But the athlete was also admonished against hubris, "not to seek to become Zeus".[10]
^Thomas J. Mathiesen, "Epinikion and encomium", in Apollo's lyre: Greek Music and Music Theory in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. University of Nebraska Press, 2000, pp. 135–141 online.
^Emmet Robbins, "Public Poetry", in A Companion to the Greek Lyric Poets, edited by Douglas E. Gerber (Brill, 1997), p. 245.
^Leslie Kurke, "The Strangeness of 'Song Culture': Archaic Greek Poetry", in Literature in the Greek World (Oxford University Press, 2001), p. 64 online.
^Mathiesen, "Epinikion and encomium", pp. 135–141.
^Mary R. Lefkowitz, First-Person Fictions: Pindar's Poetic 'I' (Oxford University Press, 1991), p. 1 online.
^Simon Goldhill, "Intimations of Immortality: Fame and Tradition from Homer to Pindar", in The Poet's Voice: Essays on Poetics and Greek Literature (Cambridge University Press, 1991), p. 130 online.
^Kurke, "The Strangeness of 'Song Culture'", p. 64.
^Cf. e.g. Fuhrer, T. (1993), "Callimachus' Epinician Poems", in M.A. Harder; R.F. Regtuit; G.C. Wakker (eds.), Callimachus, Hellenistica Groningana, vol. I, pp. 79–97, ISBN9789069800646.
Robbins, Emmet. "Public Poetry". In A Companion to the Greek Lyric Poets. Edited by Douglas E. Gerber. Brill, 1997. Limited preview online.
Kurke, Leslie. "The Strangeness of 'Song Culture': Archaic Greek Poetry". In Literature in the Greek World. Edited by Oliver Taplin. Oxford University Press, 2001. Limited preview online.
Neumann-Hartmann, Arlette. Epinikien und ihr Aufführungsrahmen. Hildesheim, Weidmann, 2009 (Nikephoros. Beihefte, 17).
December 02, 2023
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The epinikion or epinicion pl epinikia or epinicia Greek ἐpinikion from epi on nike victory is a genre of occasional poetry also known in English as a victory ode In ancient Greece the epinikion most often took the form of a choral lyric commissioned for and performed at the celebration of an athletic victory in the Panhellenic Games and sometimes in honor of a victory in war 1 Major poets in the genre are Simonides Bacchylides and Pindar In addition to epinikia a victorious athlete might be honored with a statue as with this charioteer found at Delphi probably a champion driver at the Pythian Games Contents 1 Origins 2 Occasion and performance 3 The epinikion and society 4 References 5 Selected bibliographyOrigins edit nbsp An aulist plays music in the background of a boxing match Attic vase 510 500 BC Since the poets most often call their victory songs hymnoi ὕmnoi it has been conjectured that hymns for Heracles honored as the founder of the Olympic Games were the original model for the athletic epinikion Victory odes are also associated with the Dioscuri Pindar uses the term Castor song Kastoreion and Polydeuces Pollux the mortal twin of Castor was a boxer 2 Although the best known epinikia appear to have been composed for a chorus they may have originally been performed by a soloist Pindar says that a lyric by Archilochus was sung at Olympia and a scholiast to the passage gives a quotation The performance of these songs seems to have led in the 6th century BC to aristocratic commissions for more elaborate numbers 3 The earliest epinikia surviving only in fragments were composed by Simonides of Ceos in the 520s BC 4 Simonides was the first professional poet known to write odes in honor of victorious athletes at the games in antiquity he was also notorious for being the first poet to charge a fee for his services 5 The epinikia of Bacchylides were formerly considered lost and were known only from quotations in other authors until the discovery in the late 19th century of a papyrus manuscript containing fifteen of his odes Pindar s four surviving books of epinikia called one of the great monuments of Greek lyric correspond to each of the four major festivals of the Panhellenic Games Olympian Pythian Isthmian and Nemean Many of Pindar s odes can be identified by event champion and year 6 nbsp A phorminxOccasion and performance editThe epinikion was performed not at the games but at the celebration surrounding the champion s return to his hometown or perhaps at the anniversary of his victory The odes celebrate runners pentathletes wrestlers boxers and charioteers Pindar usually narrates or alludes elaborately to a myth connected to the victor s family or birthplace The Pindaric ode has a metrical structure rivaled in its complexity only by the chorus of Greek tragedy and is usually composed in a triadic form comprising strophe antistrophe and epode The odes were performed by a chorus that sang and danced to the musical accompaniment of the phorminx or aulos 7 The epinikion and society edit The victory ode notes Mary Lefkowitz is a curious and somewhat paradoxical form of art 8 Simon Goldhill has described the epinikion as practiced by Pindar as a performance hired to mark the place of an individual within his city 9 The epinikion praised the victorious athlete as an ideal representative of the community and of the aristocratic class linking his achievements with those of local cult heroes But the athlete was also admonished against hubris not to seek to become Zeus 10 A later contributor to the genre was Callimachus 11 References edit Thomas J Mathiesen Epinikion and encomium in Apollo s lyre Greek Music and Music Theory in Antiquity and the Middle Ages University of Nebraska Press 2000 pp 135 141 online Emmet Robbins Public Poetry in A Companion to the Greek Lyric Poets edited by Douglas E Gerber Brill 1997 p 245 Robbins Public Poetry pp 242 and 244 Leslie Kurke The Strangeness of Song Culture Archaic Greek Poetry in Literature in the Greek World Oxford University Press 2001 p 64 online Robbins Public Poetry pp 244 246 online Mathiesen Epinikion and encomium p 136 Mathiesen Epinikion and encomium pp 135 141 Mary R Lefkowitz First Person Fictions Pindar s Poetic I Oxford University Press 1991 p 1 online Simon Goldhill Intimations of Immortality Fame and Tradition from Homer to Pindar in The Poet s Voice Essays on Poetics and Greek Literature Cambridge University Press 1991 p 130 online Kurke The Strangeness of Song Culture p 64 Cf e g Fuhrer T 1993 Callimachus Epinician Poems in M A Harder R F Regtuit G C Wakker eds Callimachus Hellenistica Groningana vol I pp 79 97 ISBN 9789069800646 Selected bibliography editMathiesen Thomas J Epinikion and encomium In Apollo s Lyre Greek Music and Music Theory in Antiquity and the Middle Ages University of Nebraska Press 2000 pp 135 141 online Robbins Emmet Public Poetry In A Companion to the Greek Lyric Poets Edited by Douglas E Gerber Brill 1997 Limited preview online Kurke Leslie The Strangeness of Song Culture Archaic Greek Poetry In Literature in the Greek World Edited by Oliver Taplin Oxford University Press 2001 Limited preview online Neumann Hartmann Arlette Epinikien und ihr Auffuhrungsrahmen Hildesheim Weidmann 2009 Nikephoros Beihefte 17 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Epinikion amp oldid 1185883152, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
