PINDAR,.

Odes of Victory: Volume I - The Nemean and Isthmian Odes; Volume II - The Olympian and Pythian Odes.

“O my soul, do not aspire to immortal life, but exhaust the limits of the possible”: Shakespeare Head Press Edition of Pindar's Odes of Victory; Finely Bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe

Oxford: Shakespeare Head Press, 1928-1930.

$1,250.00

In Stock Item Number: RRB-148564

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The Shakespeare Head Press limited edition of Pindar's victory odes. Quarto, two volumes, bound in full red crushed morocco by Sangorski & Sutcliffe / Zaehnsdorf with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, illustrated with black and white wood-engravings. One of 250 numbered copies, Volume I is number 47 and Volume II is number 85. In near fine condition. Introduction and translation into English verse by C.J. Billson. Illustrated by John Farleigh.

Pindar’s Odes of Victory, or epinikia, composed in the early 5th century BCE, are lyrical poems celebrating the athletic triumphs of victors in the Panhellenic games—Olympian, Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian. Far more than occasional verse, these odes elevate individual achievements into expressions of aristocratic excellence (aretē), divine favor, and communal pride. Pindar weaves complex mythological narratives and moral reflections into his praise, situating the victor within a broader cosmic and genealogical framework. His distinctive style—characterized by lofty diction, elaborate structure, and sudden shifts in tone—underscores the tension between human glory and mortality. As performative poetry likely accompanied by music and choral dance, the Odes served both as public celebration and as a vehicle for reinforcing cultural ideals of honor, piety, and moderation. They remain among the most important sources for understanding the religious, political, and aesthetic dimensions of ancient Greek athletic and poetic culture.