by Nonnus
καί τις ἑοὺς ἑτάρους δεδοκημένος Ἰνδὸς ἀγήνωρ
τοὺς μὲν κτεινομένους δολιχῷ δορί, τοὺς δὲ μαχαίρῃ,
ἄλλον ὀιστευθέντα χαραδρήεντι βελέμνῳ,
55 τὸν δὲ πολυπλέκτῳ δεδαϊγμένον ὀξέι θύρσῳ,
Θουρέι νεκρὸν ὅμιλον ἐδείκνυεν, ἀχνύμενος δὲ
τίλλε κόμην, φλογερῷ δὲ χόλου βακχεύετο πυρσῷ,
σφίγγων καρχαρόδοντι μεμυκότα χείλεα δεσμῷ:
καὶ ταχὺς αὐτοφόνον μιμούμενος Ἰνδὸν Ὀρόντην,
60 βάρβαρον αἷμα φέρων καὶ βάρβαρον ἦθος ἀέξων,
ἆορ ἑὸν γύμνωσεν, ἀπορρίψας δὲ χιτῶνα,
Ἄρεος ἀρραγὲς ἕρκος, ἀλεξητῆρα βελέμνων,
καὶ ξίφος ἀπτοίητος ἑῷ κενεῶνι πελάσσας
ὑστατίην ταχύποτμος ἀγήνορα ῥήξατο φωνήν:
[52] Some proud Indian seeing his companions killed by long spear or sword, struck by a missile rock, pierced by the sharp leafwapt thyrsus-wand, pointed out to Thureus the heaps of corpses — then in anguish tore his hair, bit his lips deep and was dumb, wild with blazing indignation. Born of barbarian blood and bred in barbarian manners, he quickly followed the example of Indian Orontes and killed himself. Baring his sword, he stript off the corselet, that impregnable defence in battle which kept off the missiles, and undismayed set the blade to his flank, as he uttered a last proud speech before the quick stroke of death:
65 ‘γαστήρ, δέχνυσο τοῦτο φίλον ξίφος: αἰδέομαι γάρ,
μή τις ἐμὲ κτείνειεν ἀνάρσιος ἀπτόλεμος χείρ.
αὐτὸς ἐμῷ κενεῶνι θελήμονα χαλκὸν ἐλάσσω,
μή με πατήρ μέμψαιτο δεδουπότα θήλεϊ θύρσῳ,
μὴ Σάτυρον, μὴ Βάκχον ἐμὸν καλέσειε φονῆα.’
[65] “Belly, receive this friendly sword! I should be ashamed if I were killed by some unnatural unwarlike hand. I myself drive a willing blade into my own side, that my father may not reproach me brought low by a womanish wand, nor call Satyr or Bacchant my slayer!”
70 ἔννεπε κυανέης κατὰ γαστέρος ἆορ ἐρείσας
τολμηραῖς παλάμῃσιν, ἅτε ξένον ἄνδρα δαΐζων,
καὶ θάνεν αὐτοδάικτος ἐν ἀντιβίοισι Μενοικεύς,
αἰδόμενος μετὰ δῆριν ἰδεῖν ἔτι Δηριαδῆα:
ὄμμασι δ᾽ ἀκλαύτοισι θελήμονι κάτθανε πότμῳ,
75 καὶ μανίης ἀπάνευθεν ἐφαίνετο χάλκεος Αἴας.
[70] As he spoke, he thrust the sword down into his darkskinned belly with resolute hands, as if he were piercing a stranger, and died self-slain, another Menoiceus among his foes, ashamed to look again upon Deriades after this battle; died a willing death with tearless eyes, and showed himself a brazen Aias but that he was not mad.
καὶ φόνος ἄσπετος ἦεν: ἀναινομένῳ δὲ ῥεέθρῳ
κτεινομένους ἐκάλυψε καὶ ἔπλετο τύμβος Ὑδάσπης.
καί τις ἔσω ποταμοῖο πανυστατίην χέε φωνήν:
[76] The carnage was infinite; Hydaspes covered the dead with his reluctant flood, and became their tomb. Then one within the river cried out his last reproach:
‘καὶ σύ, πάτερ, προχοῇσι πόθεν σέο τέκνα καλύπτεις;
80 πολλάκι Βάκτρον Ἄρηα μετήιον, ἀλλὰ ῥεέθροις
οὔ ποτε Μῆδον ὅμιλον ἀπέκτανε Μῆδος Ἀράξης:
Περσικὸς Εὐφρήτης οὐκ ἔκρυφε γείτονα Πέρσην:
πολλάκι μοι παρὰ Ταῦρον ἔην μόθος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνὶ χάρμῃ
οὐ Κίλικάς ποτε Κύδνος ἑῷ τυμβεύσατο κόλπῳ
85 οὐ Τάναϊς χιονῶδες ἄγων πετρούμενον ὕδωρ
γείτονι Σαυρομάτῃ θωρήσσεται, ἀλλὰ κορύσσων
Κόλχοις ἀντιβίοισι χαραδρήεσσαν Ἐνυὼ
πολλάκι παχνήεντι κατεπρήνιξε βελέμνῳ.
Ἠριδανὸς πέλε σεῖο μακάρτερος, ὅττι ῥεέθροις
90 ἀλλοδαπὸν Φαέθοντα καὶ οὐκ ἔκρυψε πολίτην,
οὐ Γαλάτην ἐκάλυψε καὶ οὐ τάφος ἔπλετο Κελτῷ,
ἀλλὰ φίλοις ναέτῃσι ῥυηφενέων ἀπὸ δένδρων
Ἡλιάδων ἤλεκτρα φεραυγέα δῶρα κυλίνδει:
Ῥῆνος Ἴβηρ βρεφέεσσι κορύσσεται, ἀλλὰ δικάζων,
95 καὶ κρυφίην ὠδῖνα διασχίζων τοκετοῖο
κτείνει ξεῖνα γένεθλα: σὺ δὲ φθιμένων ναετήρων
κρύπτεις γνήσια τέκνα καὶ οὐ νόθον αἷμα καλύπτεις.
πῶς δύνασαι ποταμοῖσι μιγήμεναι ἠὲ καὶ αὐτῷ
ὠκεανῷ γενέτῃ καὶ Τηθύι, σεῖο τεκούσῃ,
100 αἱμαλέαις λιβάδεσσι φόνου πλημμυρίδα σύρων;
ἅζεο, μὴ νεκύεσσι Ποσειδάωνα μιήνῃς.
σεῖο ῥόος Βρομίοιο κακώτερος, ὅττί με θύρσοις
οὐ κλονέει Διόνυσος, ὅσον κλονέεις με ῥεέθροις.’
[79] “You too, father! why do you drown your sons? I have often made war against Bactrians, but Median Araxes never destroyed a Median army. Persian Euphrates never drowned his neighbours, the Persians. Often I have had war under the Tauros, but Cydnos never made his bosom the tomb of Cilicians in war. Tanais never arms icy petrified waters against the Sauromatans on his banks, but often attacked their enemies the Colchians with torrential war, and laid them low with his frozen armament. Eridanos was happier than you, in that he swallowed a foreigner, Phaethon in his flood, not one of his own people; he drowned no Gaul, he entombed no Celt, but brings wealth from his trees to the friends who live near him as he rolls along the brilliant amber gifts of the Heliades. Iberian Rhine does indeed attack his own sons, but as a judge, when he marks off the illicit offspring of his race and kills the stranger-brat; but you swallow up the lawful sons of your own perishing people — you drown no bastard blood. How dare you mingle with other rivers, with your Father Ocean himself and Tethys your mother, rolling down a flood of gore in bloody streams? Have some reverence, do not pollute Poseidon with dead bodies. Your river is worse than Bromios, his wands do not beat me so hard as your waves beat me!”
ὣς εἰπὼν βαρύποτμος ἐδέχνυτο λοίσθιον ὕδωρ.
105 καὶ πλόος ἦν εὔοπλος: ἐκουφίζοντο δὲ λαοὶ
οἰδαλέοις μελέεσσιν: ἀποφθιμένου δὲ φορῆος
ἡμιφανὴς πλωτῆρι λόφῳ πορθμεύετο πήληξ
δυομένη κατὰ βαιόν: ἐφαλλόμεναι δὲ ῥεέθροις
ἐκταδὸν ἐν ῥοθίοισιν ἅτε πρυμνήσια νηῶν
110 νηχομένους τελαμῶνας ἐναυτίλλοντο βοεῖαι,
στοι�
�άδες ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα: βαρυνόμενον δὲ σιδήρῳ
εἰς βυθὸν ὑγροχίτωνα κατέσπασεν ἀνέρα θώρηξ.
[104] As he spoke, he received the last water, which brought him unhappy fate. The river was full of armour. The swollen bodies were floating in crowds: the helmet under way half visible, sinking little by little and crest trailing on the water, its owner lost. Leathern shields sailed along flat, tossing upon the waves in rows here and there, their long slings afloat like ships’ hawsers. Here a man is dragged down to the depths in his soaking garments by the weight of his corselet and his arms.
οὐδὲ μόθου Διόνυσος ἑοὺς ἀνέκοψε μαχητάς,
εἰ μὴ πάντας ἔπεφνεν ἑῷ ταμεσίχροϊ θύρσῳ,
115 καλλείψας ἕνα μοῦνον ὅλων κήρυκα θανόντων:
Θουρέα μοῦνον ἔλειπε θεουδέα μάρτυρα νίκης.
[113] Dionysos would never have recalled his men from the battle, if he had not killed that whole army with his fleshpiercing wand, leaving only one to tell the news that all were dead. Thureus alone he left to be a godfearing witness of the victory.
Ἥρη δ᾽ ὡς ἐνόησε δαϊκταμένων φόνον Ἰνδῶν,
οὐρανόθεν πεπότητο, δι᾽ ὑψιπόρου δὲ κελεύθου
ἄστατος ἠνεμόεντι κατέγραφεν ἠέρα ταρσῷ.
120 Ἀντολίῃ δ᾽ ἐπέβαινε, καὶ ἤλασεν Ἰνδὸν Ὑδάσπην
φύλοπιν αἱματόεσσαν ἀναστῆσαι Διονύσῳ.
[117] But when Hera perceived the carnage and devastation of the Indians, she flew from heaven, and quickly along the path on high scored the air with windswift sole. In Anatolia she alighted, and drove Indian Hydaspes to stir up bloody strife against Dionysos.
ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε βαρβαρόφωνος Ἑώιος ὤκλασεν Ἄρης,
δὴ τότε ναυτιλίης ἑτερότροπα μάγγανα τεύχων
χεύμασιν ἀκλύστοισι χορὸς πορθμεύετο Βάκχων.
125 καὶ θεὸς ἡγεμόνευε, δι᾽ οἴδματος ἡνιοχεύων
ἅρμασι χερσαίοισι νόθον πλόον, ὑγροπόρων δὲ
πορδαλίων ἀδίαντος ὄνυξ ἐχάραξεν Ὑδάσπην:
καὶ στρατιαὶ πλόον εἶχον ἀκυμάντου ποταμοῖο,
ὧν ὁ μὲν Ἰνδῴην σχεδίην πολύδεσμον ἐρέσσων,
130 ὃς δέ, κυβερνήσας διερὴν ἀκάτοιο πορείην,
ἐνδάπιον σκάφος εἶχε λινορραφέων ἁλιήων
ἁρπάξας: ἕτερος δὲ νόθῳ ναυτίλλετο θεσμῷ,
ἅμματι τεχνήεντι περίπλοκα δούρατα δήσας,
καὶ ξύλον αὐτόπρεμνον ὁμοίιον ὁλκάδι τεύχων,
135 ἔκτοθι πηδαλίου, δίχα λαίφεος, ἐκτὸς ἐρετμῶν,
οὐ Βορέην καλέων νηοσσόον — ἰθυτενὲς γὰρ
εἰς βυθίους κενεῶνας ὑποβρύχιον δόρυ πέμπων
Ἄρεος ὑγροπόροιο δορυσσόος ἔπλεε ναύτης — ,
καὶ πλωτῆς ἀδίαντος ἐπ᾽ ἀσπίδος οἴδματα τέμνων,
140 πεῖσμα φέρων τελαμῶνα, σακέσπαλον εἶχε πορείην,
ξείνην ναυτιλίην ψευδήμονι νηὶ χαράσσων.
[122] When Eastern Ares of barbarian speech had bent the knee, then the company of Bacchoi was fashioning all sorts of machines of navigation and crossed the tranquil waves. The god led them in his landchariot, driving this makeshift vessel over the flood, while the panthers trod the water of Hydaspes without wetting a hoof. The armies made their voyage over a waveless river, one rowing a strong-bound Indian raft, one steering a skiff along the watery path, some native boat of networking fishermen which he had seized. Another played the mariner under strange pretences. He lashed together a number of logs with workmanlike knots, and made the timber roots and all serve as a freighter without rudder, without sail, without oars, asking no help from speed-the-ship Boreas — for he held his spear upright and plunged it under water into the deep pools: so navigated the spearpunting shipman of a watercrossing host. There was another new kind of navigation, and another sham boat, when one cut the waters, dry on a floating shield, with the sling for painter, and so pursued his shieldshaking course.
καὶ στρατὸς ἱππήων ῥόον ἔστιχε, καὶ πλόος ἵππων
ποσσὶν ἔην ῥαχίῃσιν ἀειρομένων ἐλατήρων:
καὶ τότε νηχομένου διερὸν δρόμον εὔποδος ἵππου
145 ἰξύι κουφίζοντος ὑπέρτερον ἡνιοχῆα
ὑψιφανὴς ἀνέτελλε δι᾽ ὕδατος ἄβροχος αὐχήν.
[142] The cavalry also marched into the river; the horses swam with their feet while the riders sat on their backs. As the horse swam a wet journey with his agile feet, only his neck rose high and dry out of the water as he carried the rider aloft upon his flanks.
καὶ στρατὸς ἐγρεμόθων πρυλέων ἀκάτοιο χατίζων,
ἀσκοῖς οἰδαλέοισι χέων ποιητὸν ἀήτην,
δέρματι φυσαλέῳ διεμέτρεεν Ἰνδὸν Ὑδάσπην,
150 ἐνδομύχων δ᾽ ἀνέμων ἐγκύμονες ἔπλεον ἀσκοί.
[147] Next came the doughty footmen who had no boat. They filled swelling skins with artificial wind, and on these leathery bags crossed Indian Hydaspes, while the skins teeming with wind bore them along.
αἰγείοις δὲ πόδεσσι διέτρεχε Παρράσιος Πὰν
ἄκρα γαληναίοιο διαστείχων ποταμοῖο:
καὶ Λύκος ἡνιόχευε θαλασσαίων δρόμον ἵππων
πατρῴην ἀδίαντον ἄγων τέθριππον ἀπήνην:
155 καὶ γνωτῷ περόωντι συνέστιχε Δαμναμενῆι
Σκέλμις ἀκυμάντοιο καθιππεύων ποταμοῖο.
ἄλλος ὑπὲρ νώτοιο θορὼν ὁμόφοιτον ἀέλλαις
εἰς πλόον ἡνιόχευε καλαύροπι ταῦρον ὁδίτην,
καὶ βοέοις ὀνύχεσσι κατέγραφεν ἄψοφον ὕδωρ:
160 Σειληνοὶ δὲ γέροντες ἐναυτίλλοντο θαλάσσῃ
καὶ ποσὶ καὶ παλάμῃσιν ἐρετμώσαντες Ὑδάσπην...
[151] Now Parrhasian Pan crossed the surface of the calm river on his goat’s feet; Lycos guided the horses of the sea in his father’s fourhorse chariot unwetted; and Scelmis drove across the waveless river along with Damnameneus his brother. Some one else leapt on the back of a bull and made him march into the river quick as the wind, guiding him on his way with his crook, as the beast scored the quiet water with his hooves. The old Seilenoi went voyaging on the deep paddling Hydaspes with foot and hand.
καὶ προχέων κρουνηδὸν ἀλεξήτειραν ἰωὴν
γνωτῷ κυματόεντι γέρων ἰάχησεν Ὑδάσπης,
μῦθον ἀπειλητῆρα χέων πολυπίδακι λαιμῷ:
[162] Now old Hydaspes poured out a gushing cry, and shouted for help to a watery brother, as he uttered these menacing words from his manyfountained throat:
165 ‘γνωτὲ πέπο�
�, τέο μέχρι τεὸς ῥόος ἄψοφος ἕρπει;
οἴδματα σεῖο κόρυσσον ἐπιβρίθων Διονύσῳ,
ὄφρα κατακρύψωμεν ἐν ὕδασι πεζὸν ὁδίτην.
σοὶ καὶ ἐμοὶ πέλεν αἶσχος, ὅτε Βρομίοιο μαχηταὶ
ἀβρέκτοις ἐμὸν οἶδμα διασχίζουσι πεδίλοις:
170 Αἰόλε, καὶ σὺ τέλεσσον ἐμοὶ χάριν, ἀντιβίοις δὲ
σοὺς προμάχους θώρηξον ἀελλήεντας ἀήτας
μαρναμένους Σατύροισιν, ὅτι στρατὸς ὑγρὸς ὁδίτης
ἅρμασι χερσαίοισι βατὸν ποίησεν Ὑδάσπην,
καὶ δρόμον ὑγρὸν ἔχουσιν ἐν ὕδασιν ἡνιοχῆες:
175 σοὺς ἀνέμους θώρηξον ἐμῷ πορθμῆι Λυαίῳ:
χεύμασι δ᾽ ἑλκέσθω Σατύρων στόλος, ἡνιόχων δὲ
συρομένων προχοῇσιν ἐμὸς ῥόος ἄρμα δεχέσθω,
οἴδματι λυσσήεντι καλυπτομένων ἐλατήρων.
οὐ μὲν ἐγὼ νήποινον ἀήθεα πορθμὸν ἐάσω:
180 σοὶ καὶ ἐμοὶ πέλεν αἶσχος, ὅταν Βρομίοιο μαχηταὶ
ἀτραπὸν ἡνιόχοισι καὶ ἀβρέκτοισιν ὁδίταις ...