Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did Corinna advise Pindar not to use so much myth in his poetry?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Pindar
Pindar's first Olympic ode, its context, and the significance of the victory ode, or epinicion.
According to ancient biographical tradition, the poet Corinna—a contemporary and rival of Pindar—criticized his tendency to overwhelm his work with mythological references. She famously advised him "to sow with the hand and not with the whole sack," suggesting that he should use myth with greater restraint rather than pouring it out excessively.1