Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  ὣς εἰπὼν προέηκε παλίγκοτον εὐνέτιν Ἥρην

  315 Βακχείης κακότητος ἀλεξήτειραν ἀνάγκῃ,

  ἵλαον εὐάντητον ἀτυζομένῳ Διονύσῳ,

  ὄφρα δέμας Βρομίοιο γαλαξαίῃσιν ἐέρσαις

  χειρὶ περιχρίσειε θεοτρεφέων ἀπὸ μαζῶν.

  [314] So saying, he dismissed his resentful consort Hera, to heal the trouble of Bacchos against her will, to be gracious and friendly towards afflicted Dionysos, that her hands might salve the body of Bromios with the milky dew from her godnursing breasts.

  Ἥρη δ᾽ οὐκ ἀμέλησεν: ἀκεσσιπόνοιο δὲ θηλῆς

  320 θεσπεσίῃ ῥαθάμιγγι δέμας χρίσασα Λυαίου

  ἄγρια δαιμονίης ἀπεσείσατο λύματα λύσσης:

  καὶ δίδυμον φθόνον εἶχεν ὑποκλέπτοντι προσώπῳ

  ἠνορέην ὁρόωσα καὶ ἀγλαΐην Διονύσου,

  καὶ φθονεραῖς παλάμῃσι μεμηνότος ἥψατο Βάκχου:

  325 ἀμφί δέ οἱ στομάτεσσιν ἀνειρύσσασα χιτῶνος

  ἀμβροσίης πλήθουσαν ἑὴν γυμνώσατο θηλήν,

  θλιβομένην βλύζουσα χύσιν ζηλήμονι μαζῷ:

  καί μιν ἀνεζώγρησε: τανυπλοκάμου δὲ Λυαίου

  ὄμμασι μηκεδανοῖσι τόσην διεμέτρεεν ἥβην,

  330 εἴ ποτε τηλίκον εἶδος ἐπιχθονίη τέκε γαστήρ,

  εἰ τόσος ἦεν Ἄρης ἐγχεσπάλος, εἰ τόσος Ἑρμῆς,

  εἰ Φαέθων πέλε τοῖον ἢ ἱμερόφωνος Ἀπόλλων:

  καί μιν ἔχειν μενέαινεν ἐν αἰθέρι νυμφίον Ἥβης,

  εἰ μή οἱ κατένευσε μετὰ χρόνον ὑψιμέδων Ζεὺς

  335 μόρσιμον Ἡρακλῆα δυωδεκάεθλον ἀκοίτην.

  [319] Hera did not disobey. She anointed the body of Lyaios with the divine drops of her painhealing teat, and wiped away the stains of the wild divine frenzy. When she saw the manhood and radiance of Dionysos and touched mad Bacchos with grudging hands, she felt a double jealousy although her face hid it. She opened her dress on both sides for his lips, and bared her teats full of ambrosia, pressing the jealous breast to let the milk flow, and brought him back to life. With her great eyes she measured all the youthful strength of longhaired Lyaios, wondering if ever mortal mother brought forth such a shape, if shakespear Ares was so tall as this, if Hermes, if Phaethon was such, or sweetvoiced Apollo; and she wished him in heaven as Hebe’s bridegroom, had not Zeus our Lord on High ordained that in days to come twelvelabour Heracles was fated to be her husband.

  ἡ μὲν ἀλεξήσασα πόνον μανιώδεα Βάκχου

  ὑψιφανὴς ἀνέβαινε τὸ δεύτερον εἰς χορὸν ἄστρων,

  μὴ στρατιὴν ἀσίδηρον ἐσαθρήσῃ Διονύσου

  μαρναμένην νάρθηκι καὶ ἀμπελόεντι κορύμβῳ,

  340 καὶ προμάχους κταμένους ὀλίγῳ ῥηξήνορι θύρσῳ.

  οὐδὲ μάχης ἀμέλησε Διὸς πάις, ἀλλὰ μαχητὰς

  θωρήξας παλίνορσος ἀγέστρατον ἴαχε φωνήν,

  χειρὶ Γιγαντοφόνῳ ταμεσίχροα κισσὸν ἐλίσσων:

  ‘θαρσαλέοι μάρνασθε τὸ δεύτερον: ὲν πολέμοις γὰρ

  345 Ζεὺς πάλιν ἡμείων πρόμος ἵσταται, υἱέι Βάκχῳ

  ἴλαος, οὐρανόθεν δὲ προασπίζων Διονύσου

  ἀθανάτων χορὸς ἦλθε, καὶ οὐκέτι χώεται Ἥρη.

  τίς στεροπῇ Κρονίδαο μαχέσσεται; ἢ πότε δειλοὶ

  δυσμενέες μίμνουσι κορυσσομένοιο κεραυνοῦ;

  350 ἶσος ἐμῷ γενετῆρι φανήσομαι: ἐν πολέμοις γὰρ

  γηγενέας Τιτῆνας ἐμὸς νίκησε Κρονίων,

  νικήσω καὶ ἔγωγε χαμαιγενέων γένος Ἰνδῶν.

  [336] She then, after healing the madness of Bacchos, returned again to the company of the stars on high, that she might not see the weaponless army of Dionysos fighting with fennel and bundles of vine, and killing warriors with a little manbreaking thyrsus.

  Now the son of Zeus did not neglect the battle. He appeared once more and armed his soldiers; he waved the fleshcutting ivy in giantslaying hand, and summoned the host again with cries:

  “Courage, to battle once more! Zeus again stands in our front for the fight; he is gracious to Bacchos his son, and the company of the immortals has come from heaven to defend Dionysos. Hera is no longer our enemy. Who will fight with the lightning of Cronides? When will cowardly enemies stand if the thunderbolt is ready? I will show myself equal to my Father. Cronion my father conquered Earth’s brood, the Titans, in battle: I also will conquer the earthborn nation of Indians!

  σήμερον ἀθρήσητε κορυμβοφόρον μετὰ νίκην

  Δηριάδην ἱκέτην βραδυπειθέα, καὶ χορὸν Ἰνδῶν

  355 αὐχένα δοχμώσαντα γαληναίῳ Διονύσῳ.

  καὶ ποταμὸν μεθέποντα μεθυσφαλὲς Εὔιον ὕδωρ:

  ἀντιβίους δ᾽ ὄψεσθε παρὰ κρητῆρι Λυαίου

  ξανθὸν ὕδωρ πίνοντας ἀπ᾽ οἰνοπόρου ποταμοῖο,

  καὶ θρασὺν Ἰνδὸν ἄνακτα, κατάσχετον οἴνοπι κισσῷ,

  360 ἰλλόμενον πετάλοισι καὶ ἀμπελόεντι κορύμβῳ,

  εἴκελα δεσμὰ φέροντα, τά περ μετὰ κύματα λύσσης

  Νυσιάδες βοόωσι θεουδέες εἰσέτι Νύμφαι,

  ἀλκῆς ἡμετέρης ἐπιμάρτυρες, ὁππότε κισσοῦ

  ἀγχονίῳ σφίγξασα θεημάχον ἀνέρα δεσμῷ

  365 Ἀρραβίην ἐφόβησεν ἐμὴ θρασυεργὸς ὀπώρη,

  ἅμματι βοτρυόεντι βιαζομένου Λυκοόργου.

  [353] “This day after the victory of the vinebearers behold obstinate Deriades a supplicant, and the Indian host bending the neck before peaceful Dionysos, and the river rolling the staggering liquor of Euios! You shall see our adversaries beside the mixing-bowl of Dionysos quaffing ruddy water out of the winerunning-river; and the bold Indian king, fettered with ivy and vineclusters, rolling among leaves and clusters of grapes, wearing fetters like those which the divine Nysiad nymphs, now that the surges of madness are over, still tell of: those witnesses of my prowess, when my strong and potent fruitage throttled with a noose of ivy the man who fought against the gods and frightened Arabia, when Lycurgos was constrained by bonds of vine.

  ἀλλὰ τόσου μετὰ κύκλα κυλινδομένοιο κυδοιμοῦ

  ληίδα δυσμενέων συλήσατε καὶ κτέρας ἅλμης,

  μαρμαρέας λάιγγας, ἐμὴν δ᾽ ἐπὶ μητέρα Ῥείην

  370 ἑλκομένας πλοκάμοιο μεταστήσασθε γυναῖκας:

  καὶ προμάχους τίσασθε δεδουπότας, ὧν ἐπὶ πότμῳ

  τείρομαι ὀξείῃσι μεληδόσιν: ἐν κραδίῃ δὲ

&
nbsp; ἀμφότερον κοτέω τε καὶ ἄχνυμαι, ὅττι δοκεύω

  Δηριάδην ζώοντα καὶ ἀκτερέιστον Ὀφέλτην,

  375 μεμφόμενον μετὰ πότμον ἀεργέα χεῖρα Λυαίου:

  οὐκέτι Κωδώνη θωρήσσεται, οὐκέτι δειλὴ

  μάρναται Ἀλκιμάχεια δορυσσόος: ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς

  Αἰβίαλος δέδμητο, καὶ εἰσέτι θύρσον ἐρύκω.

  αἰδέομαι μετὰ δῆριν Ἀρέστορα, μὴ καὶ ἀκούσῃ,

  380 ὅττι θανὼν οὐχ εὗρεν ἀρηγόνα νεκρὸς Ὀφέλτης:

  οὐ δύναμαι Κρήτης Κορυβαντίδος ἄστυ περῆσαι,

  μὴ γενέτης Ἀγέλαος ὀλωλότα παῖδα γοήσῃ,

  Ἀνθέος ὀλλυμένοιο φόνον νήποινον ἀκούων:

  αἰδέομαι Μίνωι φανήμεναι: ἐν κλισίῃ γὰρ

  385 Ἀστέριος μογέει βεβολημένος, ὃν πλέον ἄλλων

  ῥύσομαι: Εὐρώπης γάρ ἔχεε γένος: ἀλλὰ σαώσας

  νόστιμον ἀρτεμέοντα πάλιν γενετῆρι κομίσσω

  πηὸν ἐμὸν μετὰ δῆριν, ὅπως μὴ Κάδμος ἀκούσῃ

  Ἀστέριον χατέοντα λιποπτολέμου Διονύσου.

  390 ἀλλὰ πάλιν μάρνασθε, καὶ εἰν ἑνὶ πᾶσιν ἀρήξω,

  τοσσατίων ἕνα μοῦνον ἀποκτείνας ὀλετῆρα.’

  [367] “At last after so many periods of rolling conflict, seize the booty of your enemies, and those shining stones the glory of the sea! Drag off the women by the hair and take them to Rheia my mother! Take your vengeance for our fallen warriors, whose fate afflicts me with sharp pangs. In my heart is both anger and sorrow, that I see Deriades alive and Opheltes unburied, reproaching after death the idle hand of Lyaios. Codone arms herself no longer, poor Alcimacheia fights no more brandishing her spear; nay, even Aibialos has fallen, and still I hold back my thyrsus. I am ashamed after the battle to think of Arestor, lest he should hear that Opheltes at the instant of death found none to help him. I cannot traverse the Corybantian city of Crete, lest Agelaos the father should lament for his dead son, if he hears that Antheus perished unavenged. I am ashamed to show myself to Minos, for Asterios lies in his hut suffering and wounded, whom more than any I will succour, since he has in him the blood of Europa; surely I will bring home my own kinsman safe and sound from the war, and give him back to his father, that Cadmos may never hear that Asterios looked in vain for runaway Dionysos. Come, to the battle again! In one I will defend all, when I have killed the one who destroyed so many.”

  BOOK 36

  ἐν δὲ τριηκοστῷ ἕκτῳ μετὰ λύματα λύσσης

  Βάκχος Δηριαδῆι κορύσσεται εἶδος ἀμείβων.

  ὣς φάμενος θάρσυνε γεγηθότας ἡγεμονῆας:

  Δηριάδης δ᾽ ἑτέρωθεν ἑοὺς ἐκόρυσσε μαχητάς.

  ἀμφοτέρῃ δὲ φάλαγγι θεοὶ ναετῆρες Ὀλύμπου

  κεκριμένοι στέλλοντο κυβερνητῆρες Ἐνυοῦς,

  5 οἱ μὲν Δηριαδῆος ἀρηγόνες, οἱ δὲ Λυαίου.

  Ζεὺς μὲν ἄναξ μακάρων ὑψίζυγος ὑψόθι Κέρνης

  Ἄρεος εἶχε τάλαντα παρακλιδόν: οὐρανόθεν δὲ

  ἔμπυρον ὑδατόεις προκαλίζετο κυανοχαίτης

  ἠέλιον, γλαυκῶπιν Ἄρης, Ἥφαιστος Ὑδάσπην:

  10 Ἥρης δ᾽ ἀντικέλευθος ὀρεστιὰς Ἄρτεμις ἔστη:

  Λητῴην δ᾽ ἐπὶ δῆριν ἐύρραπις ἤλυθεν Ἑρμῆς.

  BOOK XXXVI

  In the thirty-sixth, Bacchos, after his surges of madness, changes his shape and attacks Deriades.

  WITH this speech he encouraged the glad leaders; and Deriades on his part put his own soldiers under arms. The gods who dwell in Olympos ranged themselves in two parties to direct the warfare on both sides, these supporting Deriades, those Lyaios. Zeus Lord of the Blessed throned high on Cerne held the tilting balance of war. From heaven Seabluehair of the waters challenged fiery Helios, Ares challenged Brighteyes, Hephaistos Hydaspes; highland Artemis stood facing Hera; Hermes rod in hand came to conflict with Leto.

  καὶ ζαθέου πολέμου διδυμόκτυπος ἔβρεμεν ἠχὼ

  ἀμφοτέροις μακάρεσσιν, ἐπεσσυμένων δὲ κυδοιμῷ

  Ἄρης ἑπταπέλεθρος ἐμάρνατο Τριτογενείῃ,

  15 καἰ δόρυ θοῦρον ἴαλλεν: ἀνουτήτου δὲ θεαίνης

  μέσσην αἰγίδα τύψεν, ἀθηήτου δὲ καρήνου

  ἤλασε Γοργείης ὀφιώδεα λήια χαίτης,

  Παλλάδος οὐτήσας λάσιον σάκος: ὀξυτενὴς δὲ

  πεμπομένη ῥοιζηδὸν ἀκαμπέος ἔγχεος αἰχμὴ

  20 ποιητὴν πλοκαμῖδα νόθης ἐχάραξε Μεδούσης.

  κούρη δ᾽ ἐγρεκύδοιμος ἐπαΐξασα καὶ αὐτὴ

  σύγγονον ἔγχος ἄειρεν ἐπ᾽ Ἄρεϊ Παλλὰς ἀμήτωρ,

  κεῖνο, τό περ φορέουσα λεχώιον ἥλικι χαλκῷ

  ἄνθορε πατρῴοιο τελεσσιγόνοιο καρήνου.

  25 καὶ δαπέδῳ γόνυ κάμψε τυπεὶς περιμήκετος Ἄρης:

  ἀλλά μιν ὀρθώσασα παλινδίνητον Ἀθήνη

  μητρὶ φίλῃ μετὰ δῆριν ἀνούτατον ὤπασεν Ἥρῃ.

  [12] A double din of divine battle resounded for the two parties of the Blessed. As they rushed to conflict, sevenrood Ares joined battle with Tritogeneia and cast a valiant spear; the goddess was untouched, but it struck full on the aegis, and ran through the snaky crop of hair on the Gorgon’s head, which none may look upon. So it wounded only the shaggy target of Pallas, and the sharpened point of the whizzing unbending spear scored the counterfeit hair of Medusa’s image. Then the battlestirring maiden, motherless Pallas, rushed forwards in her turn and raised her birthmate spear, the weapon as old as herself, with which at her birth she leapt out of her father’s pregnant head born in armour. Huge Ares was hit, and sank to the ground on one knee; but Athena helped him up and sent him back to his dear mother Hera unwounded, when the duel was done.

  Ἥρῃ δ᾽ ἀντερίδαινεν ὀρεσσινόμου Διονύσου

  Αρτεμις ὡς συνάεθλος ὀρεστιάς, ἰθυτενὲς δὲ

  30 τόξον ἑὸν κύκλωσεν: ὁμοζήλῳ δὲ κυδοιμῷ

  Ηρη Ζηνὸς ἑλοῦσα νέφος πεπυκασμένον ὤμοις

  ἀρραγὲς ὡς σάκος εἶχε: καὶ Ἄρτεμις ἄλλον ἐπ᾽ ἄλλῳ

  ἠερίης πέμπουσα δι᾽ ἄντυγος ἰὸν ἀλήτην

  εἰς σκοπὸν ἀχρήιστον ἑὴν ἐκένωσε φαρέτρην,

  35 καὶ νεφέλην ἄρρηκτον ὅλην ἐπύκαζεν ὀιστοῖς:

  καὶ γεράνων μιμηλὸς ἔην τύπος ἠεροφοίτης

  ἱπταμένων στεφανηδὸν ἀμοιβαίῳ τινὶ κύκλῳ:

  καὶ νέφεϊ σκιόεντι πεπηγότες ἦσαν ὀιστοί:

  ὠτειλ
ὰς δ᾽ ἀχάρακτος ἀναίμονας εἶχε καλύπτρη.

  40 καὶ κραναὸν κούφισσεν ὑπηνέμιον βέλος Ἥρη,

  χειρὶ δὲ δινεύουσα πεπηγότα νῶτα χαλάζης

  Αρτεμιν ἐστυφέλιξε χαραδρήεντι βελέμνῳ:

  τόξου δ᾽ ἀγκύλα κύκλα συνέθλασε μάρμαρος αἰχμή:

  οὐ δὲ μάχην ἀνέκοψε Διὸς δάμαρ: Ἀρτέμιδος δὲ

  45 στήθεος ἄκρον ἔτυψε μεσαίτατον: ἡ δὲ τυπεῖσα

  ἔγχεϊ παχνήεντι χαμαὶ κατέχευε φαρέτρην.

  καί οἱ ἐπεγγελόωσα Διὸς μυθήσατο νύμφη:

  [28] Against Hera came highland Artemis as champion for hillranging Dionysos, and rounded her bow aiming straight. Hera as ready for conflict seized one of the clouds of Zeus, and compressed it across her shoulders where she held it as a shield proof against all; and Artemis shot arrow after arrow moving through the airy vault in vain against that mark, until her quiver was empty, and the cloud still unbroken she covered thick with arrows all over. It was the very image of a flight of cranes moving in the air and circling one after another in the figure of a wreath: the arrows were stuck in the dark cloud, but the veil was untorn and the wounds without blood. Then Hera picked up a rough missile of the air, a frozen mass of hail, circled it and struck Artemis with the jagged mass. The sharp stony lump broke the curves of the bow. But the consort of Zeus did not stop the fight there, but struck Artemis flat on the skin of the breast, and Artemis smitten by the weapon of ice emptied her quiver upon the ground. Then the wife of Zeus mocked at her:

  ‘Ἄρτεμι, θηρία βάλλε: τί μείζοσιν ἀντιφερίζεις;

  καὶ σκοπέλων ἐπίβηθι: τί σοὶ μόθος; οὐτιδανὰς δὲ

  50 ἐνδρομίδας φορέουσα λίπε κνημῖδας Ἀθήνῃ: