Scholium to Pindar, Pythian Ode 3.77-8 = 137b Drachmann
ἀλλ᾽ ἐπεύξασθαι μὲν ἐγὼν ἐθέλω ματρί· Ἀριστόδημός φησιν Ὀλυμπίχου αὐλητοῦ διδασκομένου ὑπὸ Πινδάρου γενέσθαι κατὰ τὸ ὄρος, ὅπου τὴν μελέτην συνετίθει, καὶ ψόφον ἱκανὸν καὶ φλογὸς καταφοράν· τὸν δὲ Πίνδαρον ἐπαισθόμενον συνιδεῖν Μητρὸς θεῶν ἄγαλμα λίθινον τοῖς ποσὶν ἐπερχόμενον, ὅθεν αὐτὸν συνιδρύσασθαι πρὸς τῆι οἰκίαι Μητρὸς θεῶν καὶ Πανὸς ἄγαλμα. τοὺς δὲ πολίτας πέμψαντας εἰς θεοῦ πυνθάνεσθαι περὶ τῶν ἐκβησομένων· τὸν δὲ ἀνειπεῖν, ἱερὸν Μητρὸς θεῶν ἱδρύσασθαι. τοὺς δὲ ἐκπλαγέντας τὸν Πίνδαρον διὰ τὸ προειληφέναι τὸν χρησμὸν, ὁμοίως τῷι Πινδάρωι ἐκεῖσε τιμᾶν τὴν θεὸν τελεταῖς.
“But I want to pray to the Mother”: Aristodemus says that when Olympichus the pipes player was being taught by Pindar there were a big noise and a flame from the sky on the mountain where the practice was taking place. Pindar became aware of and saw a stone statue of the Mother of the Gods approaching him on its feet. And because of this, he set up near his house a statue of the Mother of the Gods and of Pan. The citizens sent an embassy to the god of Delphi to ask about what had happened, and Apollo said to build a sanctuary of the Mother of the Gods. They were amazed at Pindar who had anticipated the oracular response and honoured there the goddess with rituals, as Pindar had done.
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