Why did Pindar include myths in poems celebrating athletic victories?

In Pindar’s epinician poetry, the inclusion of myth served several essential functions to elevate the celebration of an athletic victory:

• Connecting Past and Present: Myths were used to link the transient moment of a contemporary athletic triumph to the glorious, heroic past. By doing so, Pindar gave the victory a new, deeper dimension and a sense of permanence.1
• Contextual Relevance: Pindar carefully selected episodes from epic or local oral traditions that were most appropriate for the specific ceremony. He explicitly connected these stories to the victor, their family, and their city or divinity, emphasizing only the aspects of the myth most relevant to the occasion.1
• Moral Framework: Through aphoristic moralizing, Pindar used mythic narratives to provide reflection and wisdom. These passages often stressed the dangers of excessive pride in achievement, grounding the victor's success within a broader moral and religious context.1
• Religious Integration: By assimilating the epinicion to the hymn, Pindar used myth to honor the gods whose festivals were being celebrated, ensuring that thanksgiving remained an integral part of the poem's structure.1