Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  ‘Εἰ Θέτιδος χάριν οἶσθα καὶ εὐπαλάμου Βριαρῆος,

  εἰ μάθες Αἰγαίωνα τεῶν χραισμήτορα θεσμῶν,

  Ζεῦ ἄνα, Βάκχον ἔρυκε μεμηνότα: μηδὲ νοήσω

  δουλοσύνην Νηρῆος ἐπὶ Γλαύκοιο τελευτῇ:

  365 μὴ Θέτις αἰολόδακρυς ὑποδρήσσειε Λυαίῳ,

  δμωίδα μή μιν ἴδοιμι παρὰ Βρομίῳ, χθόνα Λυδῶν

  ὀψομένην μετὰ πόντον, Ἀχιλλέα, Πηλέα, Πύρρον,

  υἱωνόν, πόσιν, υἷα μιῇ στενάχουσαν ἀνίῃ:

  Λευκοθέην δ᾽ ἐλέαιρε γοήμονα, τῆς παρακοίτης

  370 υἷα λαβὼν ἐδάιξε, τὸν ἀστόργοιο τοκῆος

  παιδοφόνοι γλωχῖνες ἐδαιτρεύσαντο μαχαίρης.’

  [361] “O Lord Zeus! if thou hast gratitude for Thetis and the ready hands of Briareus, if thou hast not forgot Aigaion the protector of thy laws, save us from Bacchos in his madness! Let me never see Glaucos dead and Nereus a slave! Let not Thetis in floods of tears be servant to Lyaios, let me not see her a slave to Bromios, leaving the deep, to look on the Lydian land, lamenting in one agony Achilles, Peleus, Pyrrhos, grandson, husband, and son! Pity the groans of Leucothea, whose husband took their son and slew him — the heartless father butchered his son with the blade of his murderous knife!”

  ὣς φαμένης ἤκουσε δι᾽ αἰθέρος ὑψιμέδων Ζεύς,

  καὶ Βερόης ὑμέναιον ἐπέτρεπεν ἐννοσιγαίῳ,

  καὶ μόθον ἐπρήυνε γαμοστόλον:οὐρανόθεν γὰρ

  375 νυμφιδίην ἀτέλεστον ἀναστέλλοντες Ἐνυὼ

  Βάκχον ἀπειλητῆρες ἐκυκλώσαντο κεραυνοί.

  καὶ θεὸς ἀμπελόεις γαμίῳ δεδονημένος ἰῷ

  κούρην μὲν μενέαινε: πατὴρ δέ μιν ὑψιμέδων Ζεὺς

  βρονταίης ἀνέκοπτε μέλος σάλπιγγος ἀράσσων,

  380 καὶ πόθον ὑσμίνης ἀνεσείρασε πάτριος ἠχώ.

  ὀκναλέοις δὲ πόδεσσιν ἐχάζετο νωθρὸς ὁδίτης,

  στυγνὸς ὀπισθοβόλῳ δεδοκημένος ὄμματι κούρην:

  οὔασι δ᾽ αἰδομένοισιν ἀειδομένων ἐνὶ πόντῳ

  ζῆλον ἔχων ἤκουεν Ἀμυμώνης ὑμεναίων.

  385 καὶ γάμον ἡμιτέλεστον ἁλίβρομος ἤπυε σύριγξ,

  καὶ δονέων ἄσβεστον ἐν ὕδασι νυμφίδιον πῦρ

  παστὸν Ἀμυμώνης θαλαμηπόλος ἤπυε Νηρεύς,

  καὶ μέλος ἔπλεκε Φόρκυς: ὁμοζήλῳ δὲ πορείῃ

  Γλαῦκος ἀνεσκίρτησεν, ἐβακχεύθη Μελικέρτης:

  390 καὶ ζυγίην Γαλάτεια διακρούουσα χορείην

  ἄστατος ὀρχηστῆρι ποδῶν ἐλελίζετο παλμῷ,

  καὶ γάμιον μέλος εἶπεν, ἐπεὶ μάθε καλὰ λιγαίνειν

  ποιμενίῃ σύριγγι διδασκομένη Πολυφήμου.

  [372] She spoke her prayer, and Zeus on high heard her in heaven. He granted the hand of Beroe to Earthshaker, and pacified the rivals’ quarrel. For from heaven to check the bridebattle yet undecided came threatening thunderbolts round about Dionysos. The vinegod wounded by the arrow of love still craved the maiden; but Zeus the Father on high stayed him by playing a tune on his trumpet of thunder, and the sound from his father held back the desire for strife. With lingering feet he departed, with heavy pace, turning back for a last gloomy look at the girl; jealous, with shamed ears, he heard the bridal songs of Amymone in the sea. The syrinx sounding from the brine proclaimed that the rites were already half done. Nereus as Amymone’s chamberlain showed the bridal bed, shaking the wedding torches, the fire which no water can quench. Phorcys sang a song; with equal spirit Glaucos danced and Melicertes romped about. And Galateia twangled a marriage dance and restlessly twirled in capering step, and she sang the marriage verses, for she had learnt well how to sing, being taught by Polyphemos with a shepherd’s syrinx.

  καὶ Βερόης διεροῖσιν ὁμιλήσας ὑμεναίοις

  395 νυμφίος ἐννοσίγαιος ἐφίλατο πατρίδα νύμφης:

  καὶ Βερόης ναέτῃσιν ἑῆς κειμήλιον εὐνῆς

  Ἄρεος εἰναλίοιο θαλασσαίην πόρε νίκην.

  καὶ γάμος ὄλβιος ἦεν, ἐπεὶ βυθίῳ παρὰ παστῷ

  ἄξιον ἕδνον Ἔρωτος Ἄραψ ἐκομίσσατο Νηρεύς,

  400 Ἡφαίστου σοφὸν ἔργον, Ὀλύμπια δαίδαλα, νύμφῃ,

  ὁρμὸν ἄγων κάλυκάς τε φέρων ἕλικάς τε τιταίνων,

  ὁππόσα Νηρεΐδεσσιν ἀμιμήτῳ κάμε τέχνῃ

  Λήμνιος ἐργοπόνος παρὰ κύμασι καὶ μέσον ἅλμης

  ἔμπυρον ἄκμονα πάλλεν ὑποβρυχίην τε πυράγρην,

  405 φυσαλέου χοάνοιο περίδρομον ἄσθμα τιταίνων

  ποιητοῖς ἀνέμοισιν, ἀναπτομένης δὲ καμίνου

  ἐν ῥοθίοις ἄσβεστον ἐβόμβεεν ἐνδόμυχον πῦρ.

  Νηρεὺς μὲν τάδε δῶρα πολύτροπα, δῶκε δὲ κούρῃ

  Περσικὸς Εὐφρήτης πολυδαίδαλον εἶδος ἀράχνης:

  410 χρυσὸν Ἴβηρ πόρε Ῥῆνος: ἐχεκτεάνων δὲ μετάλλων

  ἤλυθεν εἴκελα δῶρα γέρων Πακτωλὸς ἀείρων

  χερσὶ φυλασσομένῃσιν, ὅτι πρόμον ἔτρεμε γείτονα Ῥείην

  Βάκχον ἑὸν βασιλῆα, καὶ ἔτρεμε γείτονα Ῥείην

  Μυγδονίης πολιοῦχον ἑῆς χθονός: Ἠριδανὸς δὲ

  415 Ἡλιάδων ἤλεκτρα ῥυηφενέων ἀπὸ δένδρων

  δῶρα πόρε στίλβοντα: καὶ ἀργυρέης ἀπὸ πέτρης

  Στρυμὼν ὅσσα μέταλλα καὶ ὁππόσα Γεῦδις ἀείρει,

  ἕδνον Ἀμυμώνῃ δωρήσατο κυανοχαίτης.

  [394] After celebrating Beroe’s wedding in the sea, her bridegroom Earthshaker was a friend to her native place. He gave her countrymen victory in war on the sea as a precious treasure in return for his bride. It was a wealthy wedding. Arabian Nereus brought to the bridechamber in the deep a worthy gift of love, a clever work of Hephaistos, Olympian ornaments, for the bride; necklace and earrings and armlets he brought and offered, all that the Lemnian craftsman had made for the Nereids with inimitable workmanship in the waves — there in the midst of the brine he shook his fiery anvil and tongs under water, blowing the enclosed breath of the bellows with mimic winds, and when the furnace was kindled the fire roared in the deep unquenched. Nereus then brought these gifts in great variety. But Persian Euphrates gave the girl the webspinner’s embroidered wares; Iberian Rhine brought gold; old Pactolos came bringing the like offerings from his opulent mines, with cautious hands, for he feared the Lydian master, Bacchos his king, and he feared Rheia his neighbour, the cityholder of his country Mygdonia. Eridanos brought shining gifts, amber from the H
eliad trees that trickle riches; and from the silver rock, all the metals of Strymon and all that Geudis has were brought as a marriage-gift to Amymone by Seabluehair.

  ὣς ὁ μὲν ἀρτιχόρευτος ὑποβρυχίῳ παρὰ παστῷ

  420 γήθεεν ἐννοσίγαιος: ἀμειδήτῳ δὲ Λυαίῳ

  γνωτὸς Ἔρως φθονέοντι παρήγορον ἴαχε φωνήν:

  [419] And so the dances were over, and Earthshaker was happy in the bridechamber beneath the waters; but Lyaios never smiled, and his brother Eros came to console him in his jealous mood:

  ‘Νυμφοκόμῳ, Διόνυσε, τί μέμφεαι εἰσέτι κεστῷ;

  οὐ Βρομίῳ Βερόης γάμος ἔπρεπεν, ἀλλὰ θαλάσσης

  ἄρμενος ἦν γάμος οὗτος, ὅτι βρυχίης Ἀφροδίτης

  425 παῖδα λαβὼν ἔζευξα θαλασσοπόρῳ παρακοίτῃ:

  ἁβροτέρην δ᾽ ἐφύλαξα τεοῖς θαλάμοις Ἀριάδνην,

  ἐκ γενεῆς Μίνωος ὁμόγνιον: οὐτιδανὴν δὲ

  πόντιον αἷμα φέρουσαν Ἀμυμώνην λίπε πόντῳ.

  ἀλλὰ λιπὼν Λιβάνοιο λόφον καὶ Ἀδώνιδος ὕδωρ

  430 ἵξεαι εἰς Φρυγίην εὐπάρθενον, ἧχί σε μίμνει

  ἄβροχον Ἠελίοιο λέχος Τιτηνίδος Αὔρης:

  καὶ στέφος ἀσκήσασα μάχης καὶ παστάδα κούρης

  Θρῄκη νυμφοκόμος σε δεδέξεται, ἧχι καὶ αὐτὴ

  Παλλήνη καλέει σε δορυσσόος, ἧς παρὰ παστῷ

  435 ἀθλοφόρον γαμίοισι περιστέψω σε κορύμβοις

  ἱμερτὴν τελέσαντα παλαισμοσύνην Ἀφροδίτης.’

  [422] “Dionysos, why do you still bear a grudge against the cestus that makes marriages? Beroe was no proper bride for Bacchos, but this marriage of the sea was quite fitting, because I joined the daughter of Aphrodite of the sea to a husband whose path is in the sea. I have kept a daintier one for your bridechamber, Ariadne, of the family of Minos and your kin. Leave Amymone to the sea, a nobody, one of the family of the sea herself. You must leave the mountains of Lebanon and the waters of Adonis and go to Phrygia, the land of lovely girls; there awaits you a bride without salt water, Aura of Titan stocks Thrace the friend of brides will receive you, with a wreath of victory ready and a bride’s bower; thither Pallene also the shakespear summons you, beside whose chamber I will crown you with a wedding wreath for your prowess, when you have won Aphrodite’s delectable wrestling-match.”

  τοῖα γυναιμανέοντι κασιγνήτῳ φάτο Βάκχῳ

  θοῦρος Ἔρως: πτερύγων δὲ πυρώδεα βόμβον ἰάλλων

  ἠερίῃ νόθος ὄρνις ἀνῃώρητο πορείῃ,

  440 καὶ Διὸς εἰς δόμον ἦλθεν. ἀπ᾽ Ἀσσυρίοιο δὲ κόλπου

  ἁβροχίτων Διόνυσος ἀνήιεν εἰς χθόνα Λυδῶν

  Πακτωλοῦ παρὰ πέζαν, ὅπῃ χρυσαυγέι πηλῷ

  ἀφνειῆς τιτάνοιο μέλαν φοινίσσεται ὕδωρ:

  Μαιονίης δ᾽ ἐπέβαινε, καὶ ἵστατο μητέρι Ῥείῃ

  445 Ἰνδῴης ὀρέγων βασιλήια δῶρα θαλάσσης.

  καλλείψας δὲ ῥέεθρα βαθυπλούτου ποταμοῖο

  καὶ Φρύγιον κενεῶνα καὶ ἁβροβίων γένος ἀνδρῶν

  Ἀρκτῴην παρὰ πέζαν ἑὴν ἐφύτευσεν ὀπώρην,

  Εὐρώπης πτολίεθρα μετ᾽ Ἀσίδος ἄστεα βαίνων.

  [437] So wild Eros spoke to his lovemad brother Bacchos: then he flapt his whizzing fiery wings, and up the sham bird flew in the skies travelling until he came to the house of Zeus. And from the Assyrian gulf Dionysos went daintily clad into the Lydian land along the plain of Pactolos, where the dark water is reddened by the goldgleaming mud of wealthy lime; he entered Maionia, and stood before Rheia his mother, offering royal gifts from the Indian sea. Then leaving the stream of this river of deep riches, and the Phrygian plain, and the nation of softliving men, he planted his vine on the northerly plain, and passed from the towns of Asia to the cities of Europe.

  BOOK 44

  τεσσαρακοστὸν ὕφηνα τὸ τέτρατον, ἧχι γυναῖκας

  δέρκεο μαινομένας καὶ Πενθέος ὄγκον ἀπειλῆς.

  ἤδη δ᾽ Ἰλλυρίης Δαυλάντιον ἔθνος ἀρούρης

  καὶ πέδον Αἱμονίης καὶ Πήλιον ἄκρον ἐάσας

  Ἑλλάδος ἐγγὺς ἵκανε, καὶ Ἀονίῃ παρὰ πέζῃ

  στῆσε χορούς. ἀίων δὲ μέλος μυκήτορος αὐλοῦ

  5 Πανὶ Ταναγραίῳ θιάσους ἐστήσατο ποιμήν:

  καὶ κρήνη κελάδησεν, ὅπῃ χθονὸς ἄκρον ἀράξας

  ὑγρὸς ὄνυξ ἵππειος ἐπώνυμον ἔγλυφεν ὕδωρ:

  Ἀσωπὸς δ᾽ ἐχόρευε πυρίπνοα χεύματα σύρων

  καὶ προχοὰς ἐλέλιξε: σὺν Ἰσμηνῷ δὲ τοκῆι

  10 κυκλάδας αἰθύσσουσα ῥοὰς ὠρχήσατο Δίρκη.

  καί ποτέ τις δρυόεντος ἀναΐξασα κορύμβου

  ἡμιφανὴς ἐλίγαινεν Ἁμαδρυὰς ὑψόθι δένδρου,

  οὔνομα κυδαίνουσα κορυμβοφόρου Διονύσου:

  πηγαίη δ᾽ ὁμόφωνος ἀσάμβαλος ἴαχε Νύμφη.

  BOOK XLIV

  The forty-fourth web I have woven, where you may see maddened women and the heavy threat of Pentheus.

  ALREADY he had passed the Daulantian tribe of Illyrian soil, and the plain of Haimonia and the Pelion peak, and was nearing Hellas; there he established dances on the Aonian plain. The shepherd hearing the tune of the drooning pipes formed congregations for Pan at Tanagra. A fountain bubbled on the spot where the horse’s wet hoof scratched the surface of the ground and made a hollow for the water which took its name from him. Asopos danced breathing fiery streams, as he swept his floods along and twirled his waters. Dirce danced, spouting her whirling waters along with her father Ismenos. At times a Hamadryad shot out of her clustering foliage and half showed herself high in a tree, and praised the name of Dionysos cluster-laden; and the unshod nymph of the spring sang in tune with her.

  15 καὶ κτύπος οὐρεσίφοιτος ἀδεψήτοιο βοείης

  Πενθέος ἀσπόνδοισιν ἐπεσμαράγησεν ἀκουαῖς:

  οἰνοφόρῳ δ᾽ ἀθέμιστος ἄναξ ἐπεχώσατο Βάκχῳ,

  καὶ στρατιὴν ἐκόρυσσε μαχήμονα, κέκλετο δ᾽ ἀστοῖς

  ἄστεος ἑπταπόροιο περιφράξαι πυλεῶνας:

  20 οἱ μὲν ἐπεκλήισσαν ἀμοιβαδίς, ἐξαπίνης δὲ

  αὐτόματοι κληῖδες ἀνωίγνυντο πυλάων,

  καὶ δολιχοὺς πυλεῶνι μάτην ἐπέβαλλον ὀχῆας

  ἠερίοις θεράποντες ἐριδμαίνοντες ἀήταις.

  οὐ τότε τις πυλαωρὸς ἰδὼν ἀνεσείρασε Βάκχην:

  25 Σειληνοὺς δὲ γέροντας ἀτευχέας ἀσπιδιῶται

  ἔτρεμον αἰχμη�
�ῆρες: ὁμογλώσσῳ δ᾽ ἀλαλητῷ

  κεκλομένου βασιλῆος ἀφειδήσαντες ἀπειλῆς

  πολλάκις ὠρχήσαντο, σὺν εὐτύκτοις δὲ βοείαις

  κυκλάδος ἐστήσαντο σακεσπάλον ἅλμα χορείης,

  ἀντίτυπον μίμημα φιλοσμαράγων Κορυβάντων.

  30 φρικαλέαι δ᾽ ἰάχησαν ἐν οὔρεσι λυσσάδες ἄρκτοι:

  καὶ γένυν αἰθύσσουσα καὶ ὑψιπότητον ἐρωὴν

  πόρδαλις ᾐώρητο: λέων δέ τις ἁβρὸν ἀθύρων

  μειλίχιον βρύχημα συνήλικι πέμπε λεαίνῃ.