Born in 518 BCE, Pindar (alternatively Pindaros) is one of the nine lyric poets and revered as the "greatest choral poet of ancient Greece" (choral poetry being that which is intended for recitation by a chorus). A member of an ancient aristocratic family, his work extolled the virtues of the old order aristocrat classes, which at that time were in decline. Many of his works were epinikia, or victory odes, commissioned by individuals or families who sought to have their victories in athletic competitions immortalized in verse. When the Macedonian ruler Alexander the Great arrived at Thebes to demolish the city in punishment for its revolt, the house of Pindar was spared, a tribute to the esteem with which the poet was held.

Water is best, and gold, like a blazing fire in the night, stands out supreme of all lordly wealth. But if, my heart, you wish to sing of contests, look no further for any star warmer than the sun, shining by day through the lonely sky, and let us not proclaim any contest greater than Olympia.
-- Excerpt from Pindar's Olympian Odes