She from the snake-encircled hideous head Of maidens heard the wailful dirges flow, What time the third of those fell Sisters bled By Perseus' hand, who brought the destined woe To vexed Seriphos. He on Phorkys' brood Wrought ruin, and on Polydectes laid Stern penance for his mother's servitude, And for her forceful wedlock, when he slew the maid Medusa. He by living gold, they say, Was got on Danaë: but Pallas bore Her hero through those toils, and wrought the lay Of full-voiced flutes to mock the ghastly roar Of those strong jaws of grim Euryale: A goddess made and gave to men the flute, The fountain-head of many a strain to be, That ne'er at game or nation's feast it might be mute, Sounding through subtle brass and voiceful reeds, Which near the city of the Graces spring By fair Cephisus, faithful to the needs Of dancers. Lo! there cometh no good thing Apart from toils to mortals, though to-day Heaven crown their deeds: yet shun we not the laws Of Fate; for times impend when chance withdraws What most we hoped, and what we hoped not gives for aye. Here it will be seen that Pindar introduces his subject with a panegyric of Girgenti, his hero's birthplace. Then he names Midas, and tells the kind of triumph he has gained. This leads him to the legend of Medusa. The whole is concluded with moral reflections on the influence of fate over human destinies. The structure of the sixth Pythian is also very simple. "I build an indestructible treasure-house of praise for Xenocrates (lines 1-18), which Thrasybulus, his son, gained for him; as Antilochus died for Nestor (19-43), so Thrasybulus has done what a son could do for his father (44-46); wise and fair is he in his youth; his company is sweeter than the honeycomb" (47-54). One of the longest odes, the fourth Pythian, is constructed thus: "Muse! celebrate Arcesilaus (1-5). Cyrene, Arcesilaus's home; its foundation and the oracle given to Battus (5-69). The tale of the Argonauts, ancestors of the founders of Thera and of Cyrene (69-262). Advice to Arcesilaus in the interest of Demophilus" (263-299). Here the victory at Pytho is but once briefly alluded to (l. 64). The whole ode consists of pedigree and political admonition, either directly administered at the end, or covertly conveyed through the example of Pelias. The sixth Olympian, which contains the pedigree of the Iamidæ, is framed on similar principles. The third Pythian introduces its mythology by a different method: "I wish I could restore Cheiron, the healer and the tutor of Asclepius, to life (1-7). The story of Coronis, her son Asclepius, and Hippolytus (7-58). Moral, to be content and submit to mortality (58-62). Yet would that Cheiron might return and heal Hiero (62-76)! I will pray; and do you, Hiero, remember that Heaven gives one blessing and two curses, and that not even Cadmus