Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  κεῖνος ἀνὴρ πρώτιστος ὀρίδρομος ἅλματι ταρσῶν

  230 εὗρε φιλοσκοπέλοιο πόνον κεμαδοσσόον ἄγρης,

  πῶς νοερῷ μυκτῆρι παρὰ σφυρὰ φορβάδος ὕλης

  θηρὸς ἀσημάντοιο κύων μαντεύεται ὀδμήν,

  ὄρθια λοξοκέλευθον ἐπὶ δρόμον οὔατα τείνων,

  καὶ δολίης δεδάηκε πολύπλοκα δίκτυα τέχνης

  235 καὶ σταλίκων τύπον ὀρθόν, ὑπὲρ ψαμάθοιο δὲ θηρῶν

  πρώιον ἀτρίπτῳ κεχαραγμένον ἴχνος ἀρούρῃ...

  καὶ ποσὶν ἐνδρομίδας θηρήτορα φῶτα διδάξας

  ἄσχετον ἀίσσοντα κυνοσσόον εἰς δρόμον ἄγρης

  πέπλα φαεινομένης ἐπιγουνίδος ἄχρι φορῆσαι,

  240 μή ποτε θηρητῆρος ἐπειγομένου ποδὸς ὁρμὴ

  ἂψ ἀνασειράζοιτο καθιεμένοιο χιτῶνος.

  [229] That man ranging the mountains on his springing feet, first found out the business of hunting the prickets among the rocks they love: how the dog divines the scent of the unseen prey with intelligent nostril on the ankles of the hills, pricking up his ears on the crookpath course; he learnt the many-twining meshes of his cunning art, and the shape of the standing stakenet, and the morning track of animals over the sand and the spoor impressed in the untrodden earth. He taught also the huntsman those high boots for his feet, when he speeds on, steadily pressing the hounds in chase of their prey, and made him wear a short shirt with the thigh showing, lest the tunic hanging low should hinder the speed of the hunter’s hurrying foot.

  κεῖνος ἀνὴρ ἐνόησε πολυτρήτων στίχα σίμβλων,

  πλαζομένης δ᾽ ἔστησεν ἐρημάδος ἔργα μελίσσης,

  ἥ τις ἔσω λειμῶνος ἀπ᾽ ἄνθεος ἄνθος ἀμείβει

  245 εἰς φυτὸν ἀγλαόκαρπον, ἐφιπταμένη δὲ κορύμβοις

  χείλεσιν ἀκροτάτοισιν ἀμέλγεται ἄκρον ἐέρσης:

  καὶ λινέαις ἁψῖσι πολυπλέκτοιο χιτῶνος

  γυῖα περισφίγξας ὀνύχων ἄπο μέχρι κομάων

  255 φρικτὰ κορυσσομένης ἐφυλάσσετο κέντρα μελίσσης,

  καὶ δολίῳ πνιγόεντι πυρὸς τεχνήμονι καπνῷ

  σινομένην πρήυνεν, ὑπηνέμιον δὲ τινάσσων

  πυρσὸν ἀπειλητῆρα φιλοσμήνοιο μελίσσης

  δίζυγα χαλκὸν ἄειρεν, ὑπωροφίῃ δὲ λοχείῃ

  βομβηδὸν κλονέοντος ἀσιγήτοιο κυδοιμοῦ

  χειρὶ πολυκροτάλῳ διδυμάονα δοῦπον ἀράσσων

  καὶ προταμὼν κηροῖο πολυγλώχινα καλύπτρην

  ἔβλισεν αἰόλα δῶρα μελισταγέος τοκετοῖο.

  [242] That man invented the riddled hive with its rows of cells, and made a settled place for the labours of the wandering bees, which flit from flower to flower over the meadows and flutter on clusters of finefruiting plants, sucking dew from the top with the tips of their lips. He covered every limb from toenails to hair with a closewoven wrap of linen, to defend him from the formidable stings of the battling bees, and with the cunning trick of smothering smoke he tamed their malice. He shook in the air a torch to threaten the hive-loving bee, and lifting a pair of metal plates, he clapt the two together with rattling hands over the brood in the skep, while they buzzed and humblebumbled in ceaseless din; then cutting off the covering of wax with its manypointed cells, he emptied from the comb its gleaming treasure of honeydripping increase.

  πρῶτος ἐυρραθάμιγγος ἀλείφατος εὗρεν ἐέρσην,

  καρπὸν ὅτε βρίθοντι ταμὼν μυλοειδέι πέτρῳ

  260 πίονας ὑγροτόκοιο γονὰς ἔθλιψεν ἐλαίης.

  καὶ σκιερῆς πολύδενδρον ὑπὸ κλέτας εὔβοτον ὕλης

  εἰς ἕλος, εἰς λειμῶνα φέρων ἐδίδαξε βοτῆρας

  ἠελίου φαίνοντος ἐς ἕσπερον ἄχρι νομεύειν.

  πλαζομένων δ᾽ ἀκίχητον ἀπειθέα φοιτάδι χηλῇ

  265 ἑσπομένων βραδὺν οἶμον ὀπισθοπόρων στίχα μήλων

  εἰς νομὸν ἀνθεμόεντα μιῇ ξύνωσε κελεύθῳ

  αἶγα λαβὼν προκέλευθον ὁμοζήλοιο πορείης.

  καὶ νομίην ἐνόησεν ὀρειάδα Πανὸς ἀοιδήν.

  καὶ πυρὶ σειριάοντα κατεύνασεν ἀστέρα Μαίρης,

  270 καὶ Διὸς Ἰκμαίοιο θυώδεα βωμὸν ἀνάψας

  αἵματι ταυρείῳ γλυκερὴν ἐπεχεύατο λοιβὴν

  ποικίλα φοιταλέης ἐπιβώμια δῶρα μελίσσης,

  πλήσας ἁβρὰ κύπελλα μελικρήτου κυκεῶνος:

  Ζεὺς δὲ πατὴρ ἤκουσε καὶ υἱέος υἷα γεραίρων

  275 πέμψεν ἀλεξικάκων ἀνέμων ἀντίπνοον αὔρην,

  Σείριον αἰθαλόεντος ἀναστέλλων πυρετοῖο.

  εἰσέτι νῦν κήρυκες Ἀρισταίοιο θυηλῆς

  γαῖαν ἀναψύχουσιν Ἐτήσιαι ἐκ Διὸς αὖραι,

  ὁππότε ποικιλόβοτρυς ἀέξεται οἰνὰς ὀπώρη.

  [258] He first found out the dew of the slicktrickling oil, when he cut into the fruit of the juicy olive with the press’s heavy stone and scrouged out the rich feason. From the wellwooded pasture of the shady forestslopes he brought the herdsmen to meadows and ealings, and taught them to feed their flocks from sunrise to eventide. When the sheep strayed in strings with wandering hoof, lagging behind on ways they could not find or trust, to the flowery pasture, he joined them on one path sending a goat ahead to lead the concerted march. He invented Pan’s pastoral tune on the mountains. He lulled asleep the scorching dogstar of Maira. He kindled the fragrant altar of Zeus Icmaios; he poured the bull’s blood over the sweet libation, and the curious gifts of the gadabout bee which lay on the altar, filling his dainty cups with a posset mixt with honey. Father Zeus heard him; and honouring his son’s son, he sent a counterblast of pestaverting winds to restrain Seirios with his fiery fevers. Still to this day the etesian winds from Zeus herald the sacrifice of Aristaios, and cool the land when the ripening vine grows in mottled clusters.

  280 τὸν μὲν Ἔρως πόμπευεν ἐς Ἀονίους ὑμεναίους,

  Φοίβου Κήιον υἷα: βοοστίκτου δὲ θυηλῆς

  πᾶσα πόλις στεφθεῖσα, καὶ ἰθυτμῆτες ἀγυιαὶ

  ὀρχηθμῷ μεμέληντο, παρὰ προπύλαια δὲ παστοῦ

  εἰλιπόδην ὑμέναιον ἐπερρώσαντο πολῖται,

  285 καὶ μέλος ἱμερόφωνον ἀνεκρούσαντο γυναῖκες,

  καὶ γαμίῃ σύριγγι συνέκλαγον Ἄονες αὐλοί.

  [280] This was he, the Ceian son of Phoibos, whom Eros escorted to the Aonian wedding. All the city wreathed in garlands was busy about the cattle-sacrifice, and the straightcut streets
were all busy dancing. Before the gates of the bridal chamber the people twirled their reeling legs for the wedding; the women struck up a lovelysounding noise of melody, the Aonian hoboys tootled with the bridal pipes.

  ἔνθεν Ἀρισταίοιο καὶ Αὐτονόης ἀπὸ λέκτρων

  Ἀκταίων ἀνέτελλε: φιλοσκοπέλῳ δὲ μενοινῇ

  Ἀγρέος αἷμα φέρων ἀπεμάξατο πάτριον ἄγρην,

  290 Ἀρτέμιδος θεράπων ὀρεσίδρομος — οὐ νέμεσις δὲ

  δύσμορον Ἀκταίωνα μαθεῖν μελεδήματα θήρης

  υἱωνὸν γεγαῶτα λεοντοφόνοιο Κυρήνης — :

  οὔ ποτέ μιν φύγεν ἄρκτος ὀρεστιάς, οὐδέ μιν αὐτῆς

  λοίγιον ἐπτοίησε λεχωίδος ὄμμα λεαίνης:

  295 πολλάκι δ᾽ ὑψιπότητον ἐπιθρῴσκοντα δοκεύων

  πόρδαλιν ἐπρήνιξεν: ἀεὶ δέ μιν ὑψόθι λόχμης

  ὄμμασι θαμβαλέοισιν ἐδέρκετο μηλονόμος Πὰν

  ὠκείης ἐλάφοιο παραΐσσοντα πορείην.

  ἀλλά οἱ οὐ χραίσμησε ποδῶν δρόμος, οὐδὲ φαρέτρη

  300 ἤρκεσεν, οὐ βελέων σκοπὸς ὄρθιος, οὐ δόλος ἄγρης:

  ἀλλά μιν ὤλεσε Μοῖρα, κυνοσπάδα νεβρὸν ἀλήτην,

  Ἰνδῴην μετὰ δῆριν ἔτι πνείοντα κυδοιμοῦ,

  εὖτε τανυπρέμνοιο καθήμενος ὑψόθι θηγοῦ

  λουομένης ἐνόησεν ὅλον δέμας ἰοχεαίρης,

  305 θηητὴρ δ᾽ ἀκόρητος ἀθηήτοιο θεαίνης

  ἁγνὸν ἀνυμφεύτοιο δέμας διεμέτρεε κούρης

  ἀγχιφανής: καὶ τὸν μὲν ἀνείμονος εἶδος ἀνάσσης

  ὄμματι λαθριδίῳ δεδοκημένον ὄμματι λοξῷ

  νηιὰς ἀκρήδεμνος ἀπόπροθεν ἔδρακε Νύμθη,

  310 ταρβαλέη δ᾽ ὀλόλυξεν, ἑῇ δ᾽ ἤγγειλεν ἀνάσσῃ

  ἀνδρὸς ἐρωμανέος θράσος ἄγριον: ἡμιφανὴς δὲ

  Ἄρτεμις ἁρπάξασα σὺν εἵματι κυκλάδα μίτρην

  παρθενίῳ ζωστῆρι σαόφρονας ἔσκεπε μαζούς,

  καὶ διεροῖς μελέεσσιν ἔσω δύνουσα ῥεέθρων

  315 αἰδμένη κατὰ βαιὸν ὅλον δέμας ἔκρυφε κούρη.

  [287] Afterwards from the bed of Aristaios and Autonoë, arose Actaion. His passion was for the rocks; and having in him the blood of the Hunter, he took the mould of his huntsman father, and became a mountainranging servant of Artemis – no wonder that illfated Actaion learnt the practice of the chase, when he was born grandson to lionslaying Cyrene! Never a bear escaped him on the hills; not even the baneful eye of the lioness with young could make his heart flutter. Many a time he lay in wait for the panther, and laid low as she leapt on him high in air. Shepherd Pan would ever gaze at him over the bushes with wondering eyes, while he outstripped the running of the swift stag. But his running feet availed him nothing, his quiver helped him not, nor the straight shot, the cunning of the chase; but the Portioner (Moira) destroyed him, a scampering fawn worried by dogs, while still breathing battle after the Indian war. For as he sat up in a tall oak tree amid the spreading boughs, he had seen the whole body of the Archeress bathing; and gazing greedily on the goddess that none may see, he surveyed inch by inch the holy body of the unwedded virgin close at hand. A Naiad nymph unveiled espied him from afar with a sidelong look, as he stared with stolen glances on the unclothed shape of her queen, and shrieked in horror, telling her queen the wild daring of a lovesick man. Artemis half revealed caught up her dress and encircling shawl, and covered her modest breasts with the maiden zone in shame, and sank with gliding limbs into the water, until by little and little all her form was hidden.

  Ἀκταίων βαρύποτμε, δὲ μὲν λίπεν αὐτίκα μορφὴ

  ἀνδρομέη, πισύρων δὲ ποδῶν ἐδιχάζετο χηλή,

  καὶ τανασὶ γναθμοῖν ἐμηκύνοντο παρειαί,

  κνῆμαι ἐλεπτύνοντο, καὶ ἀυκύλα δοιὰ μετώπῳ

  320 φύετο μακρὰ κόρυμβα τανυπτόρθοιο κεραίης,

  καὶ στικτοῖς μελέεσσι νόθη ποικίλλετο μορφή,

  καὶ λάσιον δέμας εἶχεν: ἀελλήεντι δὲ νεβρῷ

  εἰσέτι μοῦνος ἔην νόος ἔμπεδος: ὠκυπόρῳ δὲ

  ἔτρεχεν ἀξείνοιο δι᾽ οὔρεος ἅλματι χηλῆς,

  325 θηρητὴρ τρομέων θηρήτορας. ἀλλοφθῆ δὲ

  οὐκέτι τὸν πρὶν ἄνακτα κύνες μάθον: ἀχνυμένης γὰρ

  νεύμασιν ἀτρέπτοισι βαρύφρονος ἰοχεαίρης

  φοιτάδος οἰστρήεντι μεμηνότες ἄσθματι λύσσης

  νεβροφόνων ἐχάραξαν ὁμόζυγον ὄγμον ὀδόντων,

  330 ψευδομένῃ δ᾽ ἐλάφοιο παραπλαγχθέντες ὀπωπῇ

  στικτὸν ἐθοινήσαντο νόθον δέμας ἄφρονι λύσσῃ.

  καὶ θεὸς ἄλλο νόησε, κύνας βραδέεσσι γενείοις

  ἔμπνοον Ἀκταίωνα κεκασμένον ἔμφρονι θυμῷ

  δαρδάπτειν κατὰ βαιόν, ἵνα φρένα μᾶλλον ἀμύξῃ

  335 ὀξυτέραις ὀδύνῃσιν: ὑπὸ βροτέῃ δὲ μενοινῇ

  πότμον ἑὸν στενάχων κινυρῇ βρυχήσατο φωνῇ:

  [316] Actaion heavy-fated! At once your manly shape was gone – four feet had cloven hooves – long cheeks drew out on your jawbones – your legs became thinner – two long bunches of widebranching antlers curved over your forehead – a borrowed shape, its body all covered with hair, dappled every limb with motley spots – a windswift fawn had nothing of you left but the mind! With quickfaring leap of the hoof he ran through the unfriendly forest, a hunter in terror of hunters. But in this new shape his dogs no longer knew their former master. The angry Archeress in resentment maddened them with a nod – there was no escape; panting infuriated with wild frenzy, they sharpened the double row of their fawnkilling teeth, and deceived by the false appearance of a stag they devoured the dappled changeling body in senseless fury. But that was not all the goddess meant: the dogs were to tear Actaion slowly to pieces with their jaws little by little, while breathing still and in his right mind, that she might torment his mind even more with sharper pains. So he with a man’s feeling groaned for his own fate, while he cried aloud in a lamentable voice:

  ‘ Ὄλβιε Τειρεσία, σὺ γὰρ ἔδρακες ἐκτὸς ὀλέθρου

  γυμνὸν ἀναινομένης οἰκτίρμονος εἶδος Ἀθήνης:

  οὐ θάνες, οὐκ ἐλάφοιο δέμας λάχες, οὐδὲ μετώπῳ

  340 ὑμετέρῳ προβλῶτες ἐπῃώρηντο κεραῖαι:

  ζώεις σῶν βλεφάρων ὀλέσας φάος: ὑμετέρων δὲ

  ὀφθαλμῶν ἀμάρυγμα νόῳ μετέθηκεν Ἀθήνη:

  χώεται ἰοχέαιρα κακώτερα Τριτογενείης.

  αἴθέ μοι ἄλγος ὄπασσ�
�ν ὁμοίιον, αἴθε καὶ αὐτὴ

  345 ὄμμασιν ἡμετέροισιν ἐπέχραεν ὥς περ Ἀθήνη,

  αἴθε νόον μετάμειψεν, ἅ περ δέμας: ἀλλοφυὴς γὰρ

  μορφὴ θηρὸς ἔχει με, καὶ ἀνέρος ἦθος ἀέξω.

  σφωιτέρῳ πότε θῆρες ἐπιστενάχουσιν ὀλέθρῳ;

  ἀφραδέες ζώουσι καὶ οὐ νοέουσι τελευτήν.

  350 μοῦνος ἐγὼ μεθέπω πινυτὸν νόον: ὀλλύμενος δὲ

  ὀφρύσι θηρείῃσιν ἐχέφρονα δάκρυα λείβω.

  ἄγριοι ἄρτι γένεσθε κύνες πλέον: οὔ ποτε τόσσον

  ἅλματι λυσσήεντι κατεσσεύεσθε λεόντων.

  [337] “Happy Teiresias! You saw without destruction the naked body of Athena, reluctant but pitiful. You did not die! you did not get the shape of a stag, no poking horns raised themselves on your brow. You lost the light of your eyes, but you live! and the brilliancy of the eyes Athena transplanted to your mind. Archeress is more deadly in anger than Tritogeneia. O that she had given me a pain like that! O that she also had attacked the eyes, as Athena did! O that she had transformed my mind with my form – for I have the alien shape of a beast, yet a man’s feeling is in me! Do beasts ever lament their own death? They live without thought, and know not their end. I alone keep a sensible mind perishing: I drop intelligent tears, under the brows of a beast! Now for the first time, my hounds, you are really wild; when before have you hunted a lion with frenzied leap like this!

  αἴλινον Ἀκταίωνι, φίλαι, φθέγξασθε, κολῶναι,

  355 ναί, λίτομαι, καὶ θῆρες ὁμοίιον: εἰπέ, Κιθαιρών,

  Αὐτονόῃ, τά περ εἶδες, Ἀρισταίῳ δὲ τοκῆι

  δάκρυσι πετραίοισιν ἐμὴν ἀγόρευε τελευτὴν