sons[1] of Aletes, ofttimes have the flowery Hours given splendour
of victory, as to men excelling in valour, pre-eminent at the sacred
games, and ofttimes of old have they put subtleties into your men's
hearts to devise; and of an inventor cometh every work.

Whence were revealed the new graces of Dionysos with the dithyramb
that winneth the ox[2]? Who made new means of guidance to the harness
of horses, or on the shrines of gods set the twin images of the king
of birds [3]? Among them thriveth the Muse of dulcet breath, and Ares
in the young men's terrible spears. Sovran lord of Olympia, be not
thou jealous of my words henceforth for ever, O father Zeus; rule
thou this folk unharmed, and keep unchanged the favourable gale of
Xenophon's good hap. Welcome from him this customary escort of his
crown, which from the plains of Pisa he is bringing, having won with
the five contests the stadion-race beside; the like whereof never yet
did mortal man.

Also two parsley-wreaths shadowed his head before the people at the
games of Isthmos, nor doth Nemea tell a different tale. And of his
father Thessalos' lightning feet is record by the streams of Alpheos,
and at Pytho he hath renown for the single and for the double stadion
gained both in a single day, and in the same month at rocky Athens a
day of swiftness crowned his hair for three illustrious deeds, and the
Hellotia[4] seven times, and at the games of Poseidon between seas
longer hymns followed his father Ptoiodoros with Terpsias and
Eritimos. And how often ye were first at Delphi or in the Pastures of
the Lion[5], though with full many do I match your crowd of honours,
yet can I no more surely tell than the tale of pebbles on the
sea-shore. But in everything is there due measure, and most excellent
is it to have respect unto fitness of times.