The Greek poet Pindar (c. 520-440 BC) wrote odes honouring the victors of Greek sporting festivals such as the Olympic Games. They have long been a source of curiosity to scholars, particularly since they appear to mention the victor only in passing. This book,using the methodologyof Charles S. Peirce’s semioticsand byreconstructing the cultural historical setting, reveals that this impression is misleading: in songs with a coherent and meaningful structure, Pindar uses elaborate sporting metaphors to praise the victorsexuberantly and presents them as present-day heroes.