Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

καὶ βρέφος εἰς φάος ἦγεν. ἐχυτλώσαντο δέ κούρην

  τέσσαρες ἄστεα πάντα διιππεύοντες ἀῆται,

  ἐκ Βερόης ἵνα γαῖαν ὅλην πλήσωσι θεμίστων:

  175 τῇ δὲ λοχευομένῃ πρωτάγγελος εἰσέτι θεσμῶν

  Ὠκεανὸς πόρε χεῦμα λεχώιον ἰξύι κόσμου

  ἀενάῳ τελαμῶνι χέων μιτρούμενον ὕδωρ:

  χερσὶ δὲ γηραλέῃσιν ἐς ἀρτιτόκου χρόα κούρης

  σπάργανα πέπλα Δίκης ἀνεκούφισε σύντροφος Αἰών,

  180 μάντις ἐπεσσομένων, ὅτι γήραος ἄχθος ἀμείβων,

  ὡς ὄφις ἀδρανέων φολίδων σπείρημα τινάξας,

  ἔμπαλιν ἡβήσειε λελουμένος οἴδμασι θεσμῶν:

  θεσπεσίην δὲ θύγατρα λοχευομένης Ἀφροδίτης

  σύνθροον ἐκρούσαντο μέλος τετράζυγες Ὧραι.

  [155] But there is a younger legend, that her mother was Cythereia herself, the pilot of human life, who bore her all white to Assyrian Adonis. Now she had completed the nine circles of Selene’s course carrying her burden: but Hermes was there in time on speedy foot, holding a Latin tablet which was herald of the future. He came to help the labour of Beroe, and Themis was her Eileithyia — she made a way through the narrow opening of the swollen womb for the child, and unfolded the wrapping, and lightened the sharp, pang of the ripening birth, with Solon’s laws in hand. Cypris under the oppression of her travail leaned back heavily against the ministering goddess, and in her throes brought forth the wise child upon the Attic book, as the Laconian women bring forth their sons upon the round leather shield. She brought forth her newborn child from her motherly womb with Hermes the Judge to help as man-midwife. So she brought the baby into the light. The girl was bathed by the four Winds, which ride through all cities to fill the whole earth with the precepts of Beroe. Oceanos, first messenger of the laws for the newborn child, sent his flood for the childbed round the loins of the world, pouring his girdle of water in an everflowing belt. Time, his coeval, with his aged hands swaddled about the newborn girl’s body the robes of Justice, prophet of things to come; because he would put off the burden of age, like a snake throwing off the rope-like slough of his feeble old scales, and grow young again bathed in the waves of Law. The four Seasons struck up a tune together, when Aphrodite brought forth her wonderful daughter.

  185 καὶ Παφίης ὠδῖνα τελεσσιγόνοιο μαθόντες

  θῆρες ἐβακχεύοντο: λέων δέ τις ἁβρὸν ἀθύρων

  χείλεϊ μειλιχίῳ ῥαχίην ἠσπάζετο ταύρου,

  ἀκροτέροις στομάτεσσι φίλον μυκηθμὸν ἰάλλων,

  καὶ τροχαλῇ βαρύδουπον ἐπιρρήσσων πέδον ὁπλῇ

  190 ἵππος ἀνεκροτάλιζε γενέθλιον ἦχον ἀράσσων,

  καὶ ποδὸς ὑψιπόροιο θορὼν ἐπιβήτορι παλμῷ

  πόρδαλις αἰολόνωτος ἐπεσκίρτησε λαγωῷ,

  ὠρυγῆς δ᾽ ὀλόλυγμα χέων φιλοπαίγμονι λαιμῷ

  ἀδρύπτοις γενύεσσι λύκος προσπτύξατο ποίμνην,

  195 καί τις ἐνὶ ξυλόχοισι λιπών κεμαδοσσόον ἄγρην,

  ἄλλον ἔχων γλυκὺν οἶστρον, ἁμιλλητῆρι χορείῃ

  ὀρχηστὴρ ἐρίδαινε κύων βητάρμονι κάπρῳ,

  καὶ πόδας ὀρθώσασα, περιπλεχθεῖσα δὲ δειρῇ,

  ἄρκτος ἀδηλήτῳ δαμάλην ἠγκάσσατο δεσμῷ,

  200 πυκνὰ δὲ κυρτώσασα φιλέψιον ἄντυγα κόρσης

  πόρτις ἀνεσκίρτησε, δέμας λιχμῶσα λεαίνης,

  ἡμιτελές μύκημα νέων πέμπουσα γενείων,

  καὶ φιλίων ἐλέφαντι δράκων ἔψαυεν ὀδόντων:

  [185] The beasts were wild with joy when they learnt of the Paphian’s child safely born. The lion in playful sport pressed his mouth gently on the bull’s neck, and uttered a friendly growl with pouting lips. The horse rattled off, scraping the ground with thuds of galloping feet, as he beat out a birthday tune. The spotted panther leaping on high with bounding feet capered towards the hare. The wolf let out a triumphal howl from a merry throat and kissed the sheep with jaws that tore not. The hound left his chase of the deer in the thickets, now that he felt a passion strange and sweet, and danced in tripping rivalry with the sportive boar. The bear lifted her forefeet and threw them round the heifer’s neck, embracing her with a bond that did no hurt. The calf bending again and again in sport her rounded head, skipt up and licked the lioness’s body, while her young lips made a half-completed moo. The serpent touched the friendly tusks of the elephant, and the trees uttered a voice.

  καὶ δρύες ἐφθέγξαντο: γαληναίῳ δὲ προσώπῳ

  205 ἠθάδα πέμπε γέλωτα φιλομμειδὴς Ἀφροδίτη,

  τερπομένων ὁρόωσα λεχώια παίγνια θηρῶν.

  πᾶσι μὲν ἀμφελέλιζε γεγηθότα κύκλον ὀπωπῆς,

  πᾶσιν ὁμοῦ: μούνην δὲ συῶν οὐκ ἤθελε λεύσσειν

  τερπωλήν, ἅτε μάντις, ἐπεί συὸς εἰκόνι μορφῆς

  210 Ἄρης καρχαρόδων θανατηφόρον ἰὸν ἰάλλων

  ζηλομανὴς ἤμελλεν Ἀδώνιδι πότμον ὑφαίνειν.

  [204] With calm face ever-smiling Aphrodite rang out her unfailing laugh, when she saw the birthday games of the happy beasts. She turned her round eyes delighted in all directions; only the boars she would not watch in their pleasures, for being a prophet she knew, that in the shape of a wild boar, Ares with jagged tusk and spitting deadly poison was destined to weave fate for Adonis in jealous madness.

  καὶ Βερόην γελόωσαν ἔτι βρέφος ἅμματι χειρῶν

  δεξαμένη παρὰ μητρὸς ὅλου κόσμοιο τιθήνη

  παρθένος Ἀστραίη, χρυσέης θρέπτειρα γενέθλης,

  215 ἔννομα παππάζουσαν ἀνέτρεφεν ἔμφρονι μαζῷ:

  παρθενίῳ δὲ γάλακτι ῥοὰς βλύζουσα θεμίστων

  χείλεα παιδὸς ἔδευσε, καὶ ἔβλυεν εἰς στόμα κούρης

  Ἀτθίδος ἡδυτόκοιο περιθλίψασα μελίσσης

  δαιδαλέην ὠδῖνα πολυτρήτοιο λοχείης,

  220 κηρία φωνήεντα σοφῷ κεράσασα κυπέλλῳ:

  εἴ ποτε διψαλέη ποτὸν ᾔτεεν, ὤρεγε κούρῃ

  Πύθιον Ἀπόλλωνι λάλον πεφυλαγμένον ὕδωρ

  ἢ ῥόον Ἰλισσοῖο, τὸν ἔμπνοον Ἀτθίδι Μούσῃ

  Πιερικαὶ δονέουσιν ἐπ᾽ ᾐόνι Φοιβάδες αὖραι:

  καὶ στάχυν ἀστερόεντα περιγνάμψασα κορύμβῳ

  χρύσεον, οἷά περ ὁρμόν, ἐπ᾽ αὐχένι θήκατο κούρης.

  225 κοῦραι δ᾽ ἁβρὰ λοετρὰ χορίτιδες Ὀρχομενοῖο

  ἀμφίπολοι Παφίης μεμελημένον ἐννέα Μούσαις

  ἐκ κρήνης ἀ�
�ύοντο νοήμονος ἵππιον ὕδωρ.

  [212] Virgin Astraia, nurse of the whole universe, cherisher of the Golden Age, received Beroe from her mother into the embrace of her arms, laughing, still a babe, and fed her with wise breast as she babbled words of law. With her virgin milk, she let streams of statutes gush into the baby’s lips, and dropt into the girl’s mouth the sweet produce of the Attie bee; she pressed the bee’s riddled travail of many cells, and mixed the voiceful comb in a sapient cup. If the girl thirsting asked for a drink, she gave the speaking Pythian water kept for Apollo, or the stream of Ilissos, which is inspired by the Attic Muse when the Pierian breezes of Phoibos beat on the bank. She took the golden Cornstalk from the stars, and entwined it in a cluster to put round the girls neck like a necklace. The dancing maidens of Orchomenos, handmaids of the Paphian, drew from the horsehoof fountain of imagination, dear to the nine Muses, delicate water to wash her.

  230 καὶ Βερόη βλάστησεν ὁμόδρομος ἰοχεαίρῃ,

  δίκτυα θηρητῆρος ἀερτάζουσα τοκῆος:

  καὶ Παφίης ὅλον εἶδος ὁμόγνιον εἶχε τεκούσης

  καὶ πόδας αἰγλήεντας: ὑπερκύψασα δὲ πόντου

  χιονέῳ σκαίρουσα Θέτις βητάρμονι ταρσῷ

  235 ἄλλην ἀργυρόπεζαν ἴδεν Θέτιν: αἰδομένη δὲ

  κρύπτετο δειμαίνουσα πάλιν στόμα Κασσιεπείης.

  Ἀσσυρίην δ᾽ ἑτέρην δεδοκημένος ἄζυγα κούρην

  Ζεὺς πάλιν ἐπτοίητο, καἰ ἤθελεν εἶδος ἀμεῖψαι:

  καί νύ κε φόρτον Ἔρωτος ἔχων ταυρώπιδι μορφῇ

  240 ἀκροβαφὴς πεφόρητο δι᾽ ὕδατος ἴχνος ἐρέσσων,

  κουφίζων ἀδίαντον ὑπὲρ νώτοιο γυναῖκα,

  εἰ μὴ μνῆστις ἔρυκε βοοκραίρων ὑμεναίων

  Σιδονίς, ἀστερόεν δὲ μέλος ζηλήμονι λαιμῷ

  νυμφίος Εὐρώπης μυκήσατο, Ταῦρος Ὀλύμπου,

  245 μὴ βοὸς ἰσοτύποιο δι᾽ αἰθέρος εἰκόνα τεύχων

  ποντοπόρων στήσειε νεώτερον ἄστρον Ἐρώτων:

  καὶ Βερόην διεροῖσιν ὀφειλομένην ὑμεναίοις

  γνωτῷ λεῖπεν ἄκοιτιν, ἐπιχθονίης περὶ νύμφης

  ὑσμίνην γαμίης πεφυλαγμένος ἐννοσιγαίου.

  [230] Beroe grew up, and coursed with the Archeress, carrying the nets of her hunter sire. She had the very likeness of her Paphian mother, and her shining feet. When Thetis came up out of the sea to skip with snowy dancing foot, she saw another silverfoot Thetis, and hid in shame, fearing the raillery of Cassiepeia once again. Zeus perceiving another unwedded maiden of Assyria, was fluttered again and wished to change his form: certainly he would have carried the burden of love in bull’s form again, skimming away with his legs in the water, paddling along, bearing the woman unwetted on his back, had he not been held back by the memory of that Sidonian bullhorned wedding, and had not the Bull of Olympos, Europa’s bridegroom, bellowed from out the stars with jealous throat, to think that he might set up there a new star of seafaring amours and make the image of a rival bull in the sky. So he left Beroe, who was destined for a watery bridal, as his brother’s bedfellow, for he wished not to quarrel with Earth-shaker about a mortal wife.

  250 τοίη ἔην Βερόη, Χαρίτων θάλος: εἴ ποτε κούρη

  λαροτέρην σίμβλοιο μελίρρυτον ἤπυε φωνήν,

  ἡδυεπὴς ἀκόρητος ἐφίστατο χείλεσι Πειθὼ

  καὶ πινυτὰς οἴστρησεν ἀκηλήτων φρένας ἀνδρῶν:

  Ἀσσυρίης δ᾽ ἔκρυπτον ὁμήγυριν ἥλικος ἥβης

  255 ὀφθαλμοὶ γελόωντες, ἀκοντιστῆρες Ἐρώτων,

  φαιδροτέραις χαρίτεσσιν, ὅσον πλέον ἄστρα καλύπτει

  ἀννεφέλους ἀκτῖνας ἀκτῖνας ὀιστεύουσα Σελήνη

  πλησιφαής: λευκοὶ δὲ παρὰ σφυρὰ νείατα κούρης

  πορφυρέοις μελέεσσιν ἐφοινίσσοντο χιτῶνες.

  260 οὐ νέμεσίς ποτε τοῦτο, καὶ εἰ πλέον ἥλικος ἥβης

  τηλίκον ἔλλαχεν εἶδος, ἐπεί νύ οἱ ἀμφὶ προσώπῳ

  κάλλεα διχθαδίων ἀμαρύσσετο φαιδρὰ τοκήων.

  [250] Such was Beroe, flower of the Graces. If ever the girl uttered her voice trickling sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, winning Persuasion sat ever upon her lips and enchanted the clever wits of men whom nothing else could charm. Her laughing eyes outshone all the company of her young Assyrian agemates as they shot their shafts of love, with brighter graces, like the moon at the full, when showering her cloudless rays and hiding the stars. Her white robes falling down to the girl’s feet showed the blush of her rosy limbs. There is no wonder in that, even if she had such fairness beyond her young yearsmates, since bright over her countenance sparkled the beauties of both her parents.

  τὴν τότε Κύπρις ἰδοῦσα, νοήμονος ἔγκυος ὀμφῆς,

  ὠκυτέρην ἐλέλιζε περιστρωφῶσα μενοινήν,

  265 καὶ νόον ἱππεύσασα περὶ χθόνα πᾶσαν ἀλήτην

  φαιδρὰ παλαιγενέων διεμέτρεε βάθρα πολήων,

  ὅττι φερωνυμίην ἑλικώπιδος εἶχε Μυκήνης

  στέμματι τειχιόεντι περιζωσθεῖσα Μυκήνη

  Κυκλώπων κανόνεσσι, καὶ ὡς νοτίῳ παρὰ Νείλῳ

  270 Θήβης ἀρχεγόνοιο φερώνυμος ἔπλετο Θήβη:

  καὶ Βερόης μενέαινεν ἐπώνυμον ἄστυ χαράξαι,

  ἀντιτύπων μεθέπουσα φιλόπτολιν οἶστρον Ἐρώτων.

  φραζομένη δὲ Σόλωνος ἀλεξικάκων στίχα θεσμῶν

  δόχμιον ὄμμα τίταινεν ἐς εὐρυάγυιαν Ἀθήνην,

  275 γνωτῆς ζῆλον ἔχουσα δικασπόλον: ἐσσυμένῳ δὲ

  ἠερίην ἁψῖδα διερροίζησε πεδίλῳ

  εἰς δόμον Ἀρμονίης παμμήτορος, ὁππόθι νύμφη

  εἴκελον οἶκον ἔναιε τύπῳ τετράζυγι κόσμου

  280 ἀρραγέες πισύρεσσιν ἐμιτρώθησαν ἀήταις:

  καὶ δόμον ἐρρύοντο περίτροχον εἰκόνα κόσμου

  δμωίδες ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα: μεριζομένων δὲ θυρέτρων

  Ἀντολίη θεράπαινα πύλην περιδέδρομεν Εὔρου,

  καὶ Ζεφύρου πυλεῶνα Δύσις, θρέπτειρα Σελήνης,

  285 καὶ Νότιον πυρόεντα Μεσημβριὰς εἶχεν ὀχῆα,

  καὶ πυκινὴν νεφέεσσι, παλυνομένην δὲ χαλάζῃ

  ἄρκτος ὑποδρήστειρα πύλην ἐπέτασσε Βορῆος.

  [263] Then Cypris saw her: pregnant with prophetic intelligence she sent her imagination wandering swiftly round, and driving her mind to wander about the whole earth surveyed the foundations of the brilliant cities of ancient days. She saw how Mycene gir
t about with a garland of walls by the Cyclopian masons took the name of twinkle-eye Mycene; how Thebes beside the southern Nile took the name of primeval Thebe; and she decided to design a city named after Beroe, being possessed with a passion to make her city as good as theirs. She observed there the long column of Solon’s Laws, that safeguard against wrong, and turned aside her eye to the broad streets of Athens, and envied her sister the just Judge. With hurrying shoe, she whizzed along the vault of heaven to the hall of Allmother Harmonia, where that nymph dwelt in a house, self-built, shaped like the great universe with its four quarters joined in one. Four portals were about that stronghold standing proof against the four winds. Handmaids protected this dwelling on all sides, a round image of the universe: the doors were allotted — Antolia was the maid who attended the East Wind’s gate; at the West Wind’s was Dysis the nurse of Selene; Mesembrias held the bolt of the fiery South; Arctos the Bear was the servant who opened the gate of the North, thick with clouds and sprinkled with hail.

  κεῖθι Χάρις προθοροῦσα, συνέμπορος ἀφρογενείῃ,

  Εὔρου κόψε θύρετρον Ἐώιον: ἐνδόμυχος δὲ

  290 Ἀντολίης κροκόεντος ἀρασσομένου πυλεῶνος

  ἄνδραμεν Ἀστυνόμεια διάκτορος, ἱσταμένην δὲ

  Κύπριν ἐσαθρήσασα παρὰ προπύλαια μελάθρου

  ποσσὶ παλιννόστοισι προάγγελος ἦλθεν ἀνάσσῃ.

  ἡ μὲν ἐποιχομένη πολυδαίδαλον ἱστὸν Ἀθήνης

  295 κερκίδι πέπλον ὕφαινεν: ὑφαινομένου δὲ χιτῶνος

  πρώτην γαῖαν ἔπασσε μεσόμφαλον, ἀμφὶ δὲ γαίῃ

  οὐρανὸν ἐσφαίρωσε τύπῳ κεχαραγμένον ἄστρων,

  συμφερτὴν δὲ θάλασσαν ἐφήρμοσε σύζυγι γαίῃ:

  καὶ ποταμοὺς ποίκιλλεν, ἐπ᾽ ἀνδρομέῳ δὲ μετώπῳ

  300 ταυροφυὴς μορφοῦτο κερασφόρος ἔγχλοος εἰκών: