The Odes (World Literature in Translation)

Review
"In a word, this edition . . . stands 'best and preeminent over others.'" ― Journal of Classics Teaching
"To read [the odes] is to enter a vision of life’s beauty and wonder – an idealising vision whose exaltation is made bracing and kept in contact with the harsher side of reality by constant reminders of the precariousness of good fortune and of life itself." ― High Window
One of the most celebrated poets of the classical world, Pindar wrote odes for athletes that provide a unique perspective on the social and political life of ancient Greece. Commissioned in honor of successful contestants at the Olympic games and other Panhellenic contests, these odes were performed in the victors’ hometowns and conferred enduring recognition on their achievements.
Andrew M. Miller’s superb new translation captures the beauty of Pindar’s forty-five surviving victory odes, preserving the rhythm, elegance, and imagery for which they have been admired since antiquity while adhering closely to the meaning of the original Greek. This edition provides a comprehensive introduction and interpretive notes to guide readers through the intricacies of the poems and the worldview that they embody.
From the Inside Flap
“These translations offer a full rendering of the experience of a Pindaric ode. Miller’s phenomenal knowledge of Greek, ear for English poetry, and meticulous fidelity to the original will make this volume a treasure for any readers who wish to understand and enjoy Greece’s greatest lyric poet." —William H. Race, George L. Paddison Professor of Classics, Emeritus, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
“Miller has achieved the seemingly impossible, delivering a highly readable translation, made all the more accessible by his erudite introduction and notes, without diminishing the strange beauty of Pindaric poetry."—Margaret Foster, Associate Professor of Classical Studies, Indiana University
From the Back Cover
“These translations offer a full rendering of the experience of a Pindaric ode. Miller’s phenomenal knowledge of Greek, ear for English poetry, and meticulous fidelity to the original will make this volume a treasure for any readers who wish to understand and enjoy Greece’s greatest lyric poet." —William H. Race, George L. Paddison Professor of Classics, Emeritus, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
“Miller has achieved the seemingly impossible, delivering a highly readable translation, made all the more accessible by his erudite introduction and notes, without diminishing the strange beauty of Pindaric poetry."—Margaret Foster, Associate Professor of Classical Studies, Indiana University