Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  δέσμιον ἐζώγρησεν ἀνάρσιον ἄτρομος Ἀγρεύς

  ἀγρεύσας ἅτε θῆρα: καὶ ἀντιβίων ὀλετῆρα

  ἠθάδι χειρὶ τίταινε βαρὺν λίθον, οἷον ἐρείσας

  πιαλέης ἔθλιψε χυτὰς ὠδῖνας ἐλαίης:

  190 δυσμενέας δ᾽ ἐφόβησεν ἀγήνορος ἠθάδι ῥόμβῳ,

  σείων χαλκὸν ἐκεῖνον, ὅν ἐν παλάμῃσι τινάσσων

  φοιταλέης ἐφόβησε μεμηνότα κέντρα μελίσσης.

  [179] That divine warrior also played his part, Autonoe’s farshooting bridegroom, as befitted his three names, Aristaios the divine, Agreus the hunter wellskilled in war, Nomios the fighting herdsman cudgel in hand. He held his bow in the conflict, like his bowfamous sire, full of the pre-eminent courage of his archeress mother, Cyrene daughter of Hypseus in the olden time. Fearless Agreus hunted one mad enemy like a wild beast and took him prisoner. With experienced hand he hurled a heavy stone for the death of his adversaries, as if he were crushing and pounding the melting travail of the fat olive; he scattered his proud enemies with his favourite bull-roarer, swinging the bronze plate which he used to whirl when he scattered the maddened stings of the swarming bees.

  Θρηικίης δὲ Σάμοιο πυρισθενέες πολιῆται

  Λημνιάδος δύο παῖδες ἐβακχεύοντο Καβειροῦς:

  195 Ἡφαίστου δὲ τοκῆος ἐρευθομένου πυρὸς ἀτμῷ

  συγγενέας σπινθῆρας ἀνηκόντιζον ὀπωπαί.

  τοῖσι μὲν ἐξ ἀδάμαντος ἔην ὄχος: ἀμφὶ δὲ πῶλοι

  χαλκείῃ κροτέοντες ἀρασσομένην κόνιν ὁπλῇ

  καρχαλέον χρεμετισμὸν ἀνήρυγον ἀνθερεῶνος,

  200 οὓς γενέτης Ἥφαιστος ἀμιμήτῳ κάμε τέχνῃ

  πυρσὸν ἀπειλητῆρα διαπνείοντας ὸδόντων,

  οἷα καὶ Αἰήτῃ, βριαοῷ σημάντορι Κόλχων,

  χαλκοπόδων μόρφωσε συνωρίδα δίζυγα ταύρων,

  τεύχων χερμὰ λέπαδνα καὶ ἔμπυρον ἱστοβοῆα.

  Εὐρυμέδωυ μέν ἔλαυνε, πυριβλήτῳ δέ χαλινῷ

  ἔμπυρον ἡνιόχευε σιδηροπόδων γένυν ἵππων:

  205 χειρὶ δὲ Λήμνιον ἔγχος, ὅ περ κάμε πάτριος ἄκμων,

  δεξιτερῇ κούφιζεν, ἐπ᾽ εὐφυέεσσι δὲ μηροῖς

  φάσγανον ᾐώρησε σελασφόρον: εἰ δέ τις ἀνήρ,

  ἀκροτάτοις ὀνύχεσσι λίθον τινὰ βαιὸν ἀείρας

  θηγαλέης ἤρασσε πυρίδρομα νῶτα μαχαίρης,

  210 αὐτόματοι σπινθῆρες ὀιστεύοντο σιδήρου.

  Ἄηκων δ᾽ αἰθαλόεντι συνήρμοσε χεῖρα βελέμνῳ,

  πατπῴης Ἑκάτης θιασώδεα πυρσὸν ἑλίσσων.

  [193] Two firestrong citizens of Samothrace also ran wild, sons of Lemnian Cabeiro; their eyes flashed out their own natural sparks, which came from the red smoky flame of their father Hephaistos. They rode in a car of adamant; a pair of colts beat the dust with rattling hooves of brass, and they sent out a dry whinnying from their throats. These father Hephaistos had made with his inimitable art, breathing defiant fire between their teeth, like the pair of brazenfoot bulls which he made for Aietes the redoubtable ruler of the Colchians, with hot collars and burning pole. Eurymedon drove and guided the fiery mouths of the ironfoot steeds with a fiery bridle; in his right hand he held a Lemnian spear made on his father’s anvil, and by his wellmade thigh hung a flashing sword — if a man picked up a small stone in his fingertips and struck it against the firegrained surface of the sharp blade, sparks flashed of themselves from the steel. Alcon grasped a fiery bolt in one hand, and swung about a festal torch of Hecate from his own country.

  215 καὶ σάλαρον σείοντες ἀερσιλόφου τρυσφαλείης[215] The Dictaian Corybants joined battle, shaking the plumes of their highcrested helmets, rushing madly into the fray. Their naked swords rang on their beaten shields in emulation, along with resounding leaps; they imitated the rhythm of the dance-at-arms with quick circling movements of their feet, a revel in the battlefield. The Indian nation was ravaged by the steel of those mountaineer herdsmen, the Curetes. Many a man fell headlong into the dust when he heard the bellow of the heavydumping oxhides.

  225 καί τις ἀερτάζουσα φιλάνθεμον ἔγχος Ἐνυοῦς

  Βασσαρὶς ἠκόντιζεν: ἀβακχεύτου δὲ γενέθλης

  ἄρσενα πολλὰ κάρηνα δαΐζετο θήλεϊ θύρσῳ.

  καὶ λασίῃ παλάμῃ σκοπιὴν λοφόεσσαν ἀείρων

  οὔρεος ἄκρα κάρηνα ταμὼν ἐκορύσσετο Ληνεύς,

  230 πέμπων ὀκριόεσσαν ἐπ᾽ ἀντιβίοισιν ἀκωκήν.

  Βάκχη δ᾽ ἀμφαλάλαζε: καὶ ἀμπελόεντες ὀιστοὶ

  κισσοφόρων παλάμῃσιν ἐδινεύοντο γυναικῶν.

  ἔνθα μέλος πλέξασα καὶ Ἄρεϊ καὶ Διονύσῳ

  Εὐπετάλη κεκόρυστο, φιλοσταφύλῳ δὲ πετήλῳ

  235 κέντορα κισσὸν ἔπεμπεν ἀλοιητῆρα σιδήρου,

  Ἰνδῴην δρυόεντι γονὴν ὀλέκουσα κορύμβῳ.

  [225] The Bassarid lifted her leafy weapon of war, and cast: from that Bacchos-hating generation many men’s heads were brought low by the woman’s thyrsus. Leneus cut off the peak of a hill to arm himself, and raising the crested rock with a hairy hand, he hurled the jagged mass at his adversaries. The Bacchant women shouted their warcry around, and viny arrows were whirled by the hands of ivy- bearing women. Then Eupetale wove a lay for Ares and Dionysos, and attacking cast the piercing ivy, which smashed the steel with leaves of the vine, and destroyed the Indian nation with clusters of leaves.

  καὶ δηίων κλονέουσα νέφος ῥηφήνορι θύρσῳ

  Τερψιχόρη φιλόβοτρυς ἐπεσκίρτησε κυδοιμῷ,

  κύμβαλα δινεύονσα βαρύβρομα δίζυγι χαλκῷ:

  240 οὐ τόσον Ἡρακλέης Στυμφηλίδας ἤλασε βόμβῳ

  χαλκὸν ἔχων βαρύδουπον, ὅσον στρατὸν ἤλασεν Ἰνδῶν

  Τερψιχόρη κτυπέουσα χοροῦ πολεμήιον Ἠχώ.

  [237] Grapelover Terpsichore danced about in the turmoil, sweeping off clouds of enemies with manbreaking thyrsus, and swinging round the double plates of the heavyresounding cymbals. Not so loud was the bang of the heavy thumping rattle of Heracles, when he drove away the Stymphalian birds, as the noise Terpsichore made, when she drove away the Indian army with the battledin of her dance.

  καὶ Τρυγίη βαρύγουνος ἐλείπετο νόσφιν ὁμίλου

  ὑστατίη καὶ ἔπηξε φόβῳ πόδας: οὐδέ τις αὐτῇ

  245 Σειληνῶυ παρέμιμνε: λίπον δέ μιν αὐτόθι μούνην

  ταρβαλέην, χατέουσαν ἀρηγόνος: ἀκροπότῃ δὲ

  χεῖρας ὄρεξε Μάρωνι, Μάρων δ᾽ ἀπέειπε γεραιήν,

  ὅττι χοροὺς ἀνέκοπτε φιλακρήτων Κορυβάντων

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sp; καὶ Σατύρων: αἰεὶ δὲ θεοῖς ἠρᾶτο δαμῆναι

  250 γηραλέην ἀνόνητον ὑπ᾽ ἔγχεϊ Δηριαδῆος:

  [243] Trygie with limping knee was left behind the company last of all, her feet frozen with fear. Not one of the Seilenoi kept beside her; but they left her there alone frightened, without a helper. She held out her hands to Maron the hard drinker, but Maron would have nothing to do with the old woman because she only hindered the dances of winegreedy Corybants and Satyrs: he did nothing but pray to the gods to let the silly old hag fall before the spear of Deriades.

  καὶ Καλύκη πολέμιζε παρισταμένη Διονύσῳ

  οἰστρομανής. Τρομερῆς δὲ μέθης ἐλελίζετο παλμῷ

  Οἰνώνη προθέουσα: βαρυνομένη δὲ κυδοιμῷ

  γούνατα μὲν μογέεσκε, φιλακρήτοιο δὲ νύμφης

  255 οἰδαλέοι σμήριγγες ἐδινεύοντο καρήνου.

  [251] Calyce also fought by the side of Dionysos, mad with fury. But Oinone ran to the front, and danced in the staggering steps of drunkenness. Her knees were weary and heavy in the struggle, the tippling girl’s soaking locks were swinging about her head.

  καὶ στόνος ἦν βαρύδουπς: ὁμοζήλῳ δὲ κυδοιμῷ

  Ἀστράεις Σταφύλην, Καλύκην δ᾽ ἐδίωκε Κελαινεύς.

  Σειληνῶν δὲ φάλαγγα δορυσσόος ἤλασε Μορρεὺς

  θεινομένην βουπλῆγι: μιῇ δ᾽ ἐλατῆρος ὁμοκλῇ

  260 Ἀστραῖος δεδόνητο, Μάρων φύγεν, ὤκλασε Ληνεύς,

  Σειληνοῦ τρία τέκνα δασύτριχος, ὅς δίχα λέκτρων

  ἄσπορος αὐτολόχευτος ἀνέδραμε μητρὸς ἀρούρης.

  ἱμερτὴν δὲ Δόρυκλος ἀνεπτοίησε Λυκάστην ...

  [256] The din was deafening; with emulous tumult Astraeis chased Staphyle, Celaineus chased Calyce. Shakespear Morrheus drove off a company of Seilenoi, beating them with his poleaxe: at one shout of the driver Astraios was shaken, Maron fled, Leneus collapsed, the three sons of shaggyhaired Seilenos, who himself sprang up out of mother earth unbegotten and self-delivered; and Doryclos scared away the charming Lycaste....

  τῇσι θεὸς χραίσμησε, νεουτήτων δὲ γυναικῶν

  265 ἕλκεσι φάρμακα πάσσεν: Ἐνυαλίῳ δὲ σιδήρῳ

  τειρομένην ποδὸς ἄκρον ἀνάμπυκα ῥύσατο Γόργην,

  κλήματος ἀμπελόεντι περισφίγξας πόδα δεσμῷ:

  Εὐπετάλης δ᾽ ἰχῶρα νεόσσυτον ἔσβεσεν οἴνῳ,

  καὶ Σταφύλης χυτὸν αἷμα κατεπρήυνεν ἀοιδῇ:

  270 Μυρτοῦς δ᾽ οὐταμένην παλάμην ἰήσατο μύρτῳ,

  καὶ Καλύβην ἐσάωσεν ἀνειρύσσας βέλος ὤμου,

  ἕλκεϊ φοινήεντι περιρραίνων πόμα ληνοῦ:

  Νύσης δ᾽ ἄλγος ἔπαυσε νεουτήτοιο προσώπου,

  χρίσας ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα παρηίδα λευκάδι γύψῳ:

  275 ὄμμασι δ᾽ ἀκλαύτοισιν ἐπεστενάχιζε Λυκάστῃ.

  [264] These the god helped, and besprinkled the womens fresh wounds with healing drugs. Unveiled Gorge he saved, when wounded in the foot by a hostile spear, wrapping the foot in a bandage of vine-leaves. He staunched the newly-flowing ichor of Eupetale with wine, and stayed the stream of blood from Staphyle with a charm, healed Myrto’s wounded hand with myrtle, saved Calybe’s life by pulling the arrow out of her shoulder, and pouring the draught of the winepress on the bleeding wound; he ended the pain of Nyse’s just-wounded face by smearing her cheeks on both sides with white chalk. With tearless eyes he mourned over Lycaste.

  ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε Βασσαρίδων ὀδύνας πρηΰνατο τέχνῃ

  θυρσομανὴς Διόνυσος, ἐμάρνατο μείζονι χάρμῃ.

  καί τις ἀμερσινόοιο κατάσχετος ἅλματι λύσσης

  Βασσαρὶς Ἰνδὸν Ἄρηα μετέστιχε θυιὰς Ἐνυώ,

  280 ἀμφὶ, σέ, Λύδιε δαῖμον: ἀπὸ πλοκάμοιο δὲ Βάκχης

  ἀφλεγέος σελάγιζε κατ᾽ αὐχένος αὐτόματον πῦρ.

  [276] But after he had soothed the pains of the Bassarids by his art, Dionysos thyrsus-mad fought with still greater fury. One wild Bassarid, possessed by the throes of sense-robbing madness, was harrying the Indians in the conflict, for thy honour, O Lydian god! and from the Bacchant’s hair shone a spontaneous flame about her neck, which burnt her not.

  καὶ βριαρῶν προμάχων ἑτερόζυγον ἑσμὸν ἐγείρων

  αὐλὸς ἐπεσμαράγησεν ἀγέστρατον Ἄρεος Ἠχώ,

  καὶ διδύμαις παλάμῃσι φιλοσμαράγων Κορυβάντων

  285 ἄντυγες ἀμφιπλῆγος ἀνεκρούοντο βοείης,

  κύμβαλα δ᾽ ἐκροτάλιζε, μεταλλάξασα δὲ μολπὴν

  Πανιὰς ἡδυμέλεια μόθους ἐμελίζετο σύριγξ:

  ἀντιβίων δὲ δάλαγγες ἐπέβρεμον: ἀμφιλαφεῖς δὲ

  ἠερόθεν πτερόεντες ἀνερροίζησαν ὀιστοί.

  290 λίγξε βιός, βόμβησε λίθος, μυκήσατο σάλπιγξ.

  [282] Yet another swarm of sturdy champions was soon stirred up by the sound of the drooling pipes which gathered the army to war, and the loverattle Corybants beating their hands on both sides of the rounded skin, the tinkling cymbals, the syrinx of Pan with its changeable sweet notes tuning up for battle. The enemy ranks answered with tumultuous noise, showers of winged arrows came whizzing through the air: twanged the bow, banged the stone, bellowed the trumpet.

  ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ πόρον ἷξον, ὅπῃ πεφορημένος ὁλκῷ

  λευκὸν ὕδωρ μεθύοντι ῥόῳ φοίνιξεν Ὑδάσπης,

  δὴ τότε Βάκχος ἄυσε βαρυσμαράγων ἀπὸ λαιμῶν,

  ὁππόσον ἐννεάχιλος ἐπέβρεμεν ἑσμὸς Ἑνυοὺς

  295 φρικτὸν ὁμολώσσων στομάτων θρόον: ἀσταθέες δὲ

  ξανθὸν ἀλυσκάζοντες ἐπὶ ῥόον ὤκλασαν Ἰνδοί,

  ἄλλοι δ᾽ ἐν πεδίῳ: στρατιὴ δ᾽ ἐμερίζετο Βάκχου,

  δυσμενέας κτείνουσα καὶ ἐν δαπέδῳ καὶ Ὑδάσπῃ,

  δίψῃ καρχαλέῃ κεκαφηότος, ὁππότε γαίης

  300 ἠὼς μέσσον ἀνέσχε, καὶ ἔτρεμε θερμὸς ὁδίτης

  αἴθοπος Ἠελίοιο μεσημβρίζουσαν ἱμάσθλην.

  [291] But as soon as they came to the ford, where Hydaspes rolling along had reddened his white water with drunken streams, then Bacchos shouted from his deep-roaring throat as loud as the horrid clamour which comes from the throat of a swarm of nine thousand men roaring together as one. The Indians could not stand; restless they fled away, and crouched some in the yellow stream, some on the land. The army of Bacchos divided, slaying the enemy both on land and in the Hydaspes, panting with dry thirst, at the time when day has reached the middle of the earth, and a heated wayfarer trembles under the midday lash of blazing Helios.

  καὶ θεὸς ἀμπελόεις προκαλ�
�ζετο κοίρανον Ἰνδῶν,

  μῦθον ἀπειλητῆρα χέων λυσσώδεϊ λαιμῷ:

  [302] Then the vinegod challenged the Indian king, and poured a menacing speech from his furious throat:

  ‘τίς φόβος; εἰ ποταμοῖο φέρει γένος ὄρχαμος Ἰνδῶν,

  305 οὐρανόθεν λάχον αἷμα: χερειότερος δὲ Λυαίου

  Δηριάδης ὑπέροπλος, ὅσον Διός ἐστιν Ὑδάσπης.

  ἢν δ᾽ ἐθέλω, νεφέων σχεδὸν ἵσταμαι: ἢν δ᾽ ἐθελήσω,

  ἵξεται ἰθυκέλευθον ἐμὸν βέλος ἄχρι Σελήνης.

  εἰ δὲ μέγα φρονέεις μεθέπων κεραελκέα μορφήν,

  310 εἰ δύνασαι, προμάχιζε βοοκραίρῳ Διονύσῳ.’

  [304] “What is there to fear? If the Indian chieftain claims descent from a river, I have my blood from heaven! Overweening Deriades is as much less than Lyaios, as Hydaspes is less than Zeus! If it be my pleasure, I can rise to the clouds; if it be my pleasure, my shot will go straight to the Moon! If you are proud because you have a hornstrong shape, fight if you can a duel with horned Dionysos.”

  ὣς φαμένου βρυχηδὸν ἐμυκήσαντο μαχηταί:

  ἄλλῳ δ᾽ ἄλλος ἔριζε συναιχμάζων Διονύσῳ.

  αἰγείοις δὲ πόδεσσιν ἐμάρνατο μειλίχιος Πάν,

  ὀξὺ δὲ τοξευτῆρος ὅλον κενεῶνα χαράξας

  315 θηγαλέῃ Μελανῆος ἀνέσχισε γαστέρα χηλῇ,

  ποινὴν ἕλκος ἔχοντος ἀπαιτίζων Ὑμεναίου,

  ὄφρα πυρισφρήγιστον ἐλαφρίσσειεν ἀνίην

  ὄμμασιν ἀκλαύτοισιν ὀδυρομένου Διονύσου.

  [311] As he spoke, the warriors roared and gnashed their teeth: man vied with man in fighting by the side of Dionysos. A friendly Pan fought with his goatsfeet: with a sharp stroke of his pointed hoof he tore all down the hollow flank of archer Melaneus and laid open his belly; this was his revenge for the wound of Hymenaios, to relieve the firesealed agony of Dionysos mourning with tearless eyes.