Strauss and Benardete on Pindar's Pythian VIII

rest and motion

“Taking the question of right entirely by itself, i.e. disregarding the gods altogether, one may say that there is a kinship between justice and motion and between justice and rest (note: Nicomachean Ethics 1104b24-25: “Thus people even define the virtues as certain dispassionate and calm states, though such a definition is not good”; Isaiah 30:15-16*; Pindar, Pythian VIII beg.), but that just as rest presupposes motion and issues in motion, justice presupposes injustice and issues in injustice” (City and Man 190)

*

ἡσυχία (ἡσυχία, φιλόφρον, “kindly Peace”), daughter of Δίκη (Justice), holding “highest keys” (κλαῗδας ὑπερτάτας) over counsels and wars. This shows ἡσυχία as a harmonizing force, both gentle (τὸ μαλθακὸν ἔρξαι τε καὶ παθεῖν, “to do and suffer gentle things”) and precise (καιρῷ σὺν ἀτρεκεῖ, “with precise moment”).

Benardete:

ἡσυχία is as agent what she is as patient

She is in the gentle being of gentleness; she is in the harsh being of harshness

ἡσυχία is knowledge of ἡσυχία and τραχύτης

The enigma of Amphiaraus consists in his asserting the evidence of inherited nature while asserting that everything is the contrary of what happened before! and yet Pindar claims the resemblance on the basis of success (36)!

The many believe that unlaborious/unearned success is due to wisdom; they believe in the conquest of τύχη by mind alone – they believe in the possibility of circumventing harshness; Pindar does not deny that this kind of success occurs; he denies that it is due to ὀρθοβούλοι μαχαναί [upright-counseling devices].

Just prior to this, he associates himself with Aristomenes, with a double prayer to Apollo and the gods: he asks for Apollo’s support for himself: he seems to imply that his own success as a poet is not dependent on himself (cf. 35 with 78).

The city wants to be great and free (2, 103); it wants to enslave others. The victor in the games is victor because others are defeated; the defeated are ashamed of their συμφορά and the ridicule of their enemies: they are humbled by defeat; the victors are exalted–they cannot help but experience the ὕβρις of Polyphyrion and Typhos ; but it is without force and is sustained only for a short time by hope: they then fall into despair: E seems to express the despair of victors. But, says Pindar, there is a μείλιχος αἰών for men; it cannot come from victory, but from ἡσυχία?

ἡσυχία is both gentle, passively and actively; it is harsh activity without ever having being harsh passively, i.e., it is not competitive; but the city is essentially competitive (πολέμων); it wants to enslave and humiliate; it accordingly is either in hope or despair: Pindar begins by recognizing a new god for the city; he is defeated and returns to Aigina the mother and the heroes. He experiences defeat by experiencing the victor’s victory and its consequences.

“Heroes” perhaps represents φύσις [free of the city’s right?] wholly free of victory and defeat, success and failure: they are great in themselves: the wiser truth of their natural greatness is ἡσυχία → < knowledge

* 78 is the false view of the wisdom of ἡσυχία

*13 – : this is impossible for the city; it must find its κέρδος from those who are unwilling (slavery, defeat, war)

Pythian VIII

A Ἡσυχία + (Apollo + Zeus) → Apollo seems to combine the element of ἡσυχία, but does he experience of harshness?

Β λόγος enigmatic ‘ φυᾷ (indifference of defeat and victory)

Γ

Δ Apollo + φθόνος of the gods

Ε