by Nonnus
Ἀλλοφυὴς δ᾽ ἑτέρη Κενταυριὰς ἵκετο φύτλη,
Φηρῶν εὐκεράων λάσιον γένος, οἷς πόρεν Ἥρη
145 ἀνδροφυὲς δέμας ἄλλο κερασφόρον: ὑγρογόνων γὰρ
Νηιάδων ποτὲ παῖδες ἔσαν βροτοειδέι μορφῇ,
ἃς Ὑάδας καλέουσι, Λάμου ποταμηίδα φύτλην,
καὶ Διὸς εὐώδινα τιθηνήσαντο γενέθλην,
Βάκχον ἔτι πνείοντα πολυρραφέος τοκετοῖο,
150 παιδοκόμοι ῥυτῆρες ἀθηήτου Διονύσου,
οὐ ξένον εἶδος ἔχοντες: ἐνὶ σκοτίῳ δὲ μελάθρῳ
πολλάκι πηχύναντο κεκυφότι κοῦρον ἀγοστῷ,
αἰθέρα παππάζοντα, Διὸς πατρώιον ἕδρην,
εἰσέτι κουρίζοντα, σοφὸν βρέφος. ἀρτιτόκῳ δὲ
155 πῇ μὲ ἔην ἐρίφῳ πανομοίιος, ἔνδοθι μάνδρης
κρυπτόμενος, δολιχῇ δὲ δέμας πυκνώσατο χαίτῃ
ἀλλοφανής, δολίων δὲ χέων βληχηθμὸν ὀδόντων
ἴχνεσιν αἰγείοισι νόθην μιμήσατο χηλήν:
πῇ δὲ γυναικείην φορέων ψευδήμονα μορφὴν
160 μιμηλὴ κροκόπεπλος ἐν εἵμασι φαίνετο κούρη
ἀρτιθαλής, φθονερῆς δὲ παραπλάζων νόον Ἥρης
χείλεσιν ἀντιτύποισιν ἀνήρυγε θῆλυν ἰωήν,
καὶ πλοκάμοις εὔοδμον ἐπεσφήκωσε καλύπτρην
θήλεα πέπλα φέρων πολυδαίδαλα: μεσσατίῳ δὲ
165 στήθεϊ δεσμὸν ἔβαλλε καὶ ὄρθιον ἄντυγα μαζοῦ ...
παρθενίῳ ζωστῆρι, καὶ οἷά περ ἅμμα κορείης
πορφυρέην λαγόνεσσι συνήρμοσε κυκλάδα μίτρην.
[143] Another kind of the twiform Centaurs also appeared, the shaggy tribe of the horned Pheres, to whom Hera had given a different sort of human shape with horns. These were sons of the water-naiads in mortal body, whom men call Hyads, offspring of the river Lamos. They had played the nurses for the babe that Zeus had so happily brought forth, Bacchos, while he still had a breath of the sewn-up birth-pocket. They were the cherishing saviours of Dionysos when he was hidden from every eye, and then they had nothing strange in their shape; in that dark cellar they often dandled the child in bended arms, as he cried Daddy to the sky, the seat of his father Zeus, still a child a play, but a clever babe. Of the would mimic a newborn kid; hiding in the fold, he covered his body with long hair, and in this strange shape let out a deceptive bleat between his teeth, and pretended to walk on hooves in goatlike steps. Of the would show himself like a young girl in saffron robes and take on the feigned shape of a woman; to mislead the mind of spiteful Hera, he moulded his lips to speak in a girlish voice, tied a scented veil on his hair. He put on all a woman’s manycoloured garments: fastened a maiden’s vest about his chest and the firm circle of his bosom, and fitted a purple girdle over his hips like a band of maidenhood.
καὶ δόλος ἦν ἀνόνητος, ἐπεὶ μάθεν ὑψόθεν Ἥρη
πάντοθι δινεύουσα πανόψιον ὄμμα προσώπου,
170 μορφὴν ἀλλοπρόσαλλον ὀπιπεύουσα Λυαίου:
καὶ Βρομίου φυλάκεσσιν ἐχώσατο: δεξαμένη δὲ
Θεσσαλίδος δολόεντα παρ᾽ Ἀχλύος ἄνθεα ποίης
ὕπνον θελγομένων φυλάκων ἐπέχευε καρήνῳ,
μάγγανα φαρμακόεντα κατασταλάουσα κομάων:
175 καὶ μάγον ἁβρὸν ἄλειφα περιχρίσασα προσώπῳ
ἀνδρομέης ἤμειψε παλαίτερον εἶδος ὀπωπῆς:
τοῖσι μὲν οὐατόεσσα φυῆς ἰνδάλλετο μορφή,
ἱππείη δ᾽ ἀνέτελλε δι᾽ ἰξύος ὄρθιος οὐρὴ
ἰσχία μαστίζουσα δασυστέρνοιο φορῆος,
180 καὶ βοέη βλάστησε κατὰ κροτάφοιο κεραίη,
ὄμματα δ᾽ εὐρύνοντο τανυκραίροιο μετώπου,
καὶ σκολιαὶ πλοκαμῖδες ἀνηέξηντο καρήνων,
γναθμοὶ δ᾽ ἀργιόδοντες ἐμηκύνοντο γενείων,
ξείνη δ᾽ αὐτοτέλεστος ἀπ᾽ ἰξύος εἰς πόδας ἄκρους
185 ἀμφιλαφὴς λασίοιο κατ᾽ αὐχένος ἔρρεε χαίτη.
[168] But his guile was useless. Hera, who turns her all-seeing ye to every place, saw from on high the ever-changing shape of Lyaios, and knew all. Then she was angry with the guardians of Bromios. She procured from Thesalian Achlys treacherous flowers of the field, and shed a sleep of enchantment over their heads; she distilled poisoned drugs over their hair, she smeared a subtle magical ointment over their faces, and changed their earlier human shape. Then they took the form of a creature with long ears, and a horse’s tail sticking out straight from the loins and flogging the flanks of its shaggy-crested owner; from the temples cow’s horns sprouted out, their eyes widened under the horned forehead, the hair ran across their heads in tufts, long white teeth grew out of their jaws, a strange kind of mane grew of itself, covering their neck with rough hair, and ran down from the loins to the feet underneath.
δώδεκα δὲ ξύμπαντας ἐκόσμεον ἡγεμονῆες,
Σπαργεύς τε Γληνεύς τε χοροίτυπος, ἀλλοφυὴς δὲ
σύνδρομος Εὐρυβίῳ σταφυληκόμος ἵκετο Κητεύς,
καὶ Ῥιφόνῳ Πετραῖος ὁμάρτεεν, ἀκροπότης δὲ
190 Αἴσακος Ὀρθάων τε συνέστιχον, οἷς μίαν ἄμφω
Ἀμφίθεμις καὶ Φαῦνος ἐποιήσαντο πορείην,
εὐκεράῳ δὲ Φάνητι συνέμπορος ἦλθε Νομείων.
[186] Twelve captains commanded them all: Spargeus and Gleneus the dancer, and beside Eurybios the strange figure of Ceteus the winedresser; Petraios with Rhiphonos, Aisacos the deep drinker and Orthaon, with whom marched both Amphithemis and Phaunos, and Nomeion side by side with wellhorned Phanes.
Κενταύρων δ᾽ ἑτέρη διφυὴς κεκόρυστο γενέθλη,
Κυπριάς, ὁππότε Κύπρις ἐπέτρεχεν εἴκελον αὔραις
195 ἴχνιον ἱμείροντος ἀλυσκάζουσα τοκῆος,
μὴ γενέτην ἀθέμιστον ἐσαθρήσειεν ἀκοίτην,
Ζεὺς δὲ πατὴρ ὑπόειξε γάμων ἄψαυστον ἐάσας
ὠκυτέρην ἀκίχητον ἀναινομένην Ἀφροδίτην:
ἀντὶ δὲ Κυπριδίων λεχέων ἔσπειρεν ἀρούρῃ
200 παιδογόνων προχέων φιλοτήσιον ὄμβρον ἀρότρων:
γαῖα δὲ δεξαμένη γαμίην Κρονίωνος ἐέρσην
ἀλλοφυῆ κερόεσσαν ἀνηκόντιζε γενέθλην.
[193] Another tribe of twiform Centaurs was ready, the Cyprian. Once when Cypris fled like the wind from the pursuit of her lascivious father, that she might not see an unhallowed bedfellow in her own begetter, Zeus the Fa
ther gave up the chase and left the union unattempted, because unwilling Aphrodite was too fast and he could not catch her: instead of the Cyprian’s bed, he drops on the ground the loveshower of seed from the generative plow. Earth received Cronion’s fruitful dew, and shot up a strangelooking horned generation.
τοῖσι κορυσσομένοισι συνέδραμον εἰν ἑνὶ Βάκχαι,
αἱ μὲν Μῃονίης ἀπὸ ῥωγάδος, αἱ δὲ κολώνης
205 ἠλιβάτων ἤιξαν ὑπὲρ Σιπύλοιο καρήνων.
νύμφαι δ᾽ ἑλκεχίτωνες Ὀρειάδες ἄρσενι θυμῷ
λυσσάδες ἐρρώοντο σὺν εὐθύρσοισι μαχηταῖς,
αἵ τε παλιννόστων ἐτέων πολυδινέι νύσσῃ
μηκεδανὸν ζώεσκον ἐπὶ χρόνον, αἱ μὲν ἐρίπναις
210 γείτονες οἰονόμων ἐπιμηλίδες, αἱ δὲ λιποῦσαι
ἄλσεα δενδρήεντα καὶ ἀγριάδος ῥάχιν ὕλης,
συμφυέες Μελίαι δρυὸς ἥλικος: αἳ τότε πᾶσαι
εἰς μόθον ἠπείγοντο συνήλυδες, αἱ μὲν ἑλοῦσαι
τύμπανα χαλκεόνωτα, Κυβηλίδος ὄργανα Ῥείης,
215 αἱ δὲ κατηρεφέες πλοκάμους ἑλικώδεϊ κισσῷ,
ἄλλαι ἐμιτρώθησαν ἐχιδναίοισι κορύμβοις:
χειρὶ δὲ θύρσον ἄειρον ἀκαχμένον, αἷς τότε Λυδαὶ
μαινάδες ὡμάρτησαν ἀταρβέες εἰς μόθον Ἰνδῶν:
[203] These combatants were joined by the Bacchai, some coming from the Meionian rocks, some from the mountain above the precipitous peaks of Sipylos. Nymphs hastened to join the soldiers of the thyrsus, the wild Oreads with hearts of men trailing their long robes. Many a year had they seen roll round the turning-point as they lived out their long lives. Some were the Medlars who lived on the heights near the shepherds; some were from the woodland glades and the ridges of the wild forest, nymphs of the mountain Ash coeval with their tree. All these pressed onwards together to the fray, some with brassbacked drums, the instruments of Cybelid Rheia, others with overhanging ivy-tendrils wreathed in their hair, or girt with rings of snakes. They carried the sharpened thyrsus which the mad Lydian women then took with them fearless to the Indian War.
ὧν τότε Βασσαρίδες θιασώδεες ἴδμονι τέχνῃ
220 κρείσσονες ἠπείγοντο Διωνύσοιο τιθῆναι,
αἴγλη Καλλιχόρη τε καὶ Εὐπετάλη καὶ Ἰώνη
καὶ Καλύκη γελόωσα Βρύουσά τε, σύννομος Ὥραις,
Σειλήνη τε Ῥόδη τε καὶ Ὠκυνόη καὶ Ἐρευθὼ
Ἀκρήτη τε Μέθη τε, καὶ ἕσπετο σύννομος Ἅρπῃ
225 Οἰνάνθη ῥοδόεσσα καὶ ἀργυρόπεζα Λυκάστη,
Στησιχόρη Προθόη τε: φιλομμειδὴς δὲ γεραιὴ
οἰνοβαρὴς Τρυγίη πυμάτη κεκόρυστο καὶ αὐτή.
[219] Stronger than these then came the nurses of Dionysos, troops f Bassarids well skilled in their art: Aigle and Callichore, Eupetale and Ione, laughing Calyce, Bryusa companion of the Seasons, Seilene and Rhode, Ocynoë and Ereutho, Acrete and Methe, rosy Oinanthe with Harpe and silverfoot Lycaste, Stesichore and Prothoë; last of all came ready for the fray Trygië too, that grinning old gammer, heavy with wine.
κεκριμένον μὲν ἕκαστος ἑὸν στρατὸν ἤγαγε Βάκχῳ,
πάντων δ᾽ ἡγεμόνευε πυρίβρομος Εἰραφιώτης
230 ἀστράπτων ἀρίδηλος: ἐς ὑσμίνην δὲ χορεύων
οὐ σάκος, οὐ δόρυ θοῦρον ἐκούφισεν, οὐ ξίφος ὤμῳ,
οὐ κυνέην ἐπέθηκεν ἀκερσικόμοισιν ἐθείραις,
χάλκεον ἀρραγέος κεφαλῆς σκέπας, ἀλλὰ καρήνου
ἄπλοκον ἐσφήκωσε δρακοντείῳ τρίχα δεσμῷ,
235 κράασι κυκλώσας βλοσυρὸν στέφος: ἀντὶ δὲ τυκτῆς
δαιδαλέης κνημῖδος ἕως ἐπιγουνίδος ἄκρης
ἄργυφα πορφυρέοις ἐπεθήκατο ταρσὰ κοθόρνοις,
νεβρίδα λαχνήεσσαν ἐπὶ στέρνοιο καθάψας,
στικτὸν ἔχων θώρηκα, τύπον κεχαραγμένον ἄστρων:
καὶ χρυσέην λαγόνεσσι περίτροχον ἥρμοσε μίτρην.
240 λαιῇ μὲν κέρας εἶχε βεβυσμένον ἡδέος οἴνου,
χρύσεον εὐποίητον, ἀπ᾽ οἰνοχύτου δὲ κεραίης
ὄρθιος οἰνοπότοιο κατέρρεεν ὁλκὸς ἐέρσης:
χειρὶ δὲ κέντορα θύρσον, ἐελμένον οἴνοπι κισσῷ,
δεξιτερῇ κούφιζεν, ἐπ᾽ ἀκροτάτῳ δὲ κορύμβῳ
245 χαλκοβαρὴς πετάλοισι κατάσκιος ἦεν ἀκωκή.
ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ Διόνυσος ἔσω Κορυβαντίδος αὐλῆς
[228] Each army was brought to Bacchos by its own separate leader, but the commander-in-chief was Eiraphiotes, roaring with fire, flashing, all-conspicuous. Dancing to battle he came, holding no shield, no furious lance, no sword on shoulder, no helmet on his untrimmed locks, or metal to cover his inviolate head. He only tied his loose tresses with serpent-knots, a grim garland for his head; instead of fine-wrought greaves, from ankle to thigh he wore purple buskins on his silvery feet. He hung a furry fawnskin over his chest, a chestpiece dappled with spots like stars, and he fitted a golden kilt round his loins. In his left hand he held a horn full of delicious wine, cunningly wrought of gold; from this pitcher-horn poured a straight stream of flowing wine. In his right hand he bore a pointed thyrsus wound about with purple ivy, at the end a heavy bronze head covered with leaves.
χρύσεον εὐποίητον ἐδύσατο κόσμον Ἐνυοῦς,
εὔδια καλλείψας χοροτερπέος ἔνδια Ῥείης
250 Μῃονίην παράμειβεν: ὀρεσσιπόλοις δ᾽ ἅμα Βάκχαις
δαίμονι βοτρυόεντι συνεσσεύοντο μαχηταί:
οἱ μὲν ἐυτροχάλοιο κυβερνητῆρες ἀπήνης
φυταλιῆς κομίσαντο νέης μοσχεύματα Βάκχου:
πολλαὶ δ᾽ ἡμιόνων στίχες ἤιον, ἀμφὶ δὲ νώτῳ
255 νέκταρος ἀμπελόεντος ἐκούφισαν ἀμφιφορῆας:
καὶ βραδέων ἐπέθηκαν ὄνων τετληότι νώτῳ
ῥήγεα φοινικόεντα καὶ αἰόλα δέρματα νεβρῶν:
ἄλλοι δ᾽ οἰνοποτῆρες ἅμα χρυσέοισι κυπέλλοις
ἀργυρέους κρητῆρας ἀγίνεον, ὅπλα τραπέζης:
260 καὶ χαροπῆς Κορύβαντες ἐποίπνυον ἀγχόθι φάτνης
αὐχένα πορδαλίων ζυγίῳ δήσαντες ἱμάντι,
κισσοδέτοις δὲ λέοντας ἐπιστώσαντο λεπάδνοις
χεῖλος ἐπισφίγξαντες ἀπειλητῆρι χαλινῷ.
καὶ λασίην Κένταυρος ἔχων φρίσσουσαν
ὑπήνην
265 εἰς ζυγὸν αὐτοκέλευστος ἑκούσιον αὐχένα τείνας ...
1 καὶ Σατύρων πολὺ μᾶλλον ἔχων πόθον ἡδέος οἴνου
ἡμιτελὴς χρεμέτιζεν ἀνὴρ κεκερασμένος ἵππῳ,
ἱέμενος Διόνυσον ἑοῖς ὤμοισιν ἀείρειν.
[247] As soon as Dionysos had donned the well wrought golden gear of war in the Corybantian courtyard, he left the peaceful precincts of danceloving Rheia and went past Meionia: the warriors with the hillranging Bacchants hastened to meet the lord of the vine. The drivers of wheeled wagons carried shoots of the new plant of Bacchos. Many lines of mules went by, with jars of the viney nectar packed on their backs: slow asses had loads of purple rugs and manycoloured fawnskins on their patient backs. Winedrinkers besides carried silver mixingbowls with golden cups, the furniture of the feast. The Corybants were busy about the bright manger of the panthers, passing the yokestraps over their necks, and entrusted their lions to ivybound harness when they had fastened this threatening bit in their mouths. One Centaur with a bristling beard stretched his neck into the yoke willingly, unbidden; and the man mingled with horse half and half, craving the delicious wine even more than a Satyr, whinnied eager to carry Dionysos on his withers.
καὶ θεὸς εὐόρπηκος ἐφήμενος ἄντυγι δίφρου
270 Σαγγαρίου παρὰ χεῦμα, περὶ Φρύγα κόλπον ἀρούρης,
λαϊνέης Νιόβης παρεμέτρεε πενθάδα πέτρην:
καὶ λίθος Ἰνδὸν ὅμιλον ἐριδμαίνοντα Λυαίῳ
δακρυόεις ὁρόων βροτέην πάλιν ἴαχε φωνήν:
‘Μὴ μόθον ἐντύνητε θεημάχον, ἄφρονες Ἰνδοί,
275 παιδὶ Διός, μὴ Βάκχος ἀπειλείοντας Ἐνυὼ
λαϊνέους τελέσειε καὶ ὑμέας, ὥς περ Ἀπόλλων,
μυρομένους τύπον ἶσον ἐμῇ πετρώδεϊ μορφῇ,