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How did Pindar become connected with Theron of Acragas?

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Hear a reading of ancient Greek poet Pindar's first Olympic ode, commissioned by Sicilian prince Hiero — Pindar Pindar's first Olympic ode, its context, and the significance of the victory ode, or epinicion.

Pindar established a connection with the court of Theron of Acragas through the tyrant's brother, Xenocrates. Xenocrates had achieved a victory in the Pythian games, for which Pindar composed odes.1

Although this initial connection was formed around 490 BCE, the subsequent Persian invasion of Greece delayed the development of their relationship. It was not until 476–474 BCE that Pindar almost certainly visited Sicily, where he was welcomed at the courts of both Theron and Hieron I of Syracuse. These associations proved highly significant, as they elicited much of Pindar's greatest poetry and helped spread his reputation throughout the Greek world.1