Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  λυσσαλέης ἐρύσαντες ἀνάμπυκα βότρυν ἐθείρης.’

  [220] “My servants, make haste through the city and the depth of the woods — bring me here in heavy chains that weakling vagabond, that flogged by the repeated lashes of Pentheus he may cease to bewitch women with his drugged potion, and bend the knee instead. Bring back also out of the hills my fond mother Agaue now gone mad, separate her from the sleepless wandering dance — drag her by the hair now snoodless in her frenzy!”

  ὥς φαμένου Πενθῆος ὀπάονες ὠκέι ταρσῷ

  ἔδραμον ὑψικόμοιο δυσέμβατον εἰς ῥάχιν ὕλης

  230 ἴχνια μαστεύοντες ὀριπλανέος Διονύσου.

  καὶ μόγις ἀθρήσαντες ἐρημάδος ἀγχόθι πέτρης

  θυρσομανῆ Διόνυσον ἐπερρώσαντο μαχηταὶ:

  καὶ παλάμαις Βρομίοιο πέριξ ἔσφιγξαν ἱμάντας,

  δεσμὰ βαλεῖν ἐθέλοντες ἀνικήτῳ Διονύσῳ:

  235 ἀλλ᾽ ὁ μὲν ἦεν ἄφαντος, ἑῷ πτερόεντι πεδίλῳ

  ἀίξας ἀκίχητος, ἐν ἀφθόγγῳ δὲ σιωπῇ

  δαιμονίῃ θεράποντες ἐδουλώθησαν ἀνάγκῃ,

  μῆνιν ἀλυσκάζοντες ἀθηήτοιο Λυαίου

  ταρβαλέοι. καὶ Βάκχος ὁμοίιος ἀσπιδιώτῃ

  240 ἄζυγα ταῦρον ἔχων ἐδράξατο χειρὶ κεραίης,

  ὡς θεράπων Πενθῆος ἀπειλείων Διονύσῳ

  ψευδομένῳ κερόεντι, καὶ ὡς κοτέοντι προσώπῳ

  Πενθέος ἐγγὺς ἵκανε μεμηνότος, ἑζομένου δὲ

  λυσσαλέου βασιλῆος ἀγήνορα κόμπον ἀθύρων

  245 φρικαλέην ἀγέλαστος ἐπίκλοπον ἴαχε φωνήν:

  [228] At this command, Pentheus’s men with swift foot ran to the rugged ridge of leafy woodland seeking the tracks of hillranging Dionysos. With difficulty the soldiers found the thyrsus-maddened god near a lonely rock; they rushed upon him and wound straps about Bromios’s hands, binding him fast — that is how they meant to imprison invincible Dionysos! But he disappeared — gone in a flash, untraceable, on his winged shoes. The men stood silent — speechless, cowed by divine compulsion, shrinking before the wrath of Lyaios unseen, terrified. And Bacchos in the likeness of a soldier with shield in hand, seized a wild bull by the horn, making as if he were one of the servants of Pentheus, crying out upon this false horned Dionysos. He put on a look of rage and came near to mad Pentheus where he sat, and mocked at the proud boasts of the frenzied king as he spoke unsmiling these deceitful threatening words:

  ‘Οὗτος ἀνήρ, σκηπτοῦχε, τεὴν οἴστρησεν Ἀγαύην:

  οὗτος ἀνὴρ ἐθέλει βασιληίδα Πενθέος ἕδρην:

  ἀλλὰ λαβὼν κερόεντα δολόφρονα Βάκχον ἀλήτην

  δῆσον ἀλυκτοπέδῃσι τεῶν μνηστῆρα θοώκων,

  250 καὶ κεφαλήν πεφύλαξο βοοκραίρου Διονύσου,

  μή σε λαβὼν πλήξειε τανυγλώχινι κεραίῃ.’

  [246] “This is the man, your Majesty, who has sent your Agaue mad! This is the man who covets the royal throne of Pentheus! Take this horned vagabond Bacchos full of tricks — bind in galling fetters the pretender to your throne — and beware of the bull’s horns of Dionysos’s head, or he may catch you and pierce you with the long point of his horn!”

  ὣς φαμένου Βρομίοιο κατάσχετος ἔμφρονι λύσσῃ

  μῦθον ἀπειλητῆρα θεημάχος ἴαχε Πενθεύς:

  [252] When Bromios had finished, god-defiant Pentheus uttered reckless words, his mind being possessed by the delirium of Bromios:

  ‘Δήσατε, δήσατε τοῦτον, ἐμῶν συλήτορα θώκων:

  255 οὗτος ἐμοῖς σκήπτροισι κορύσσεται, οὗτος ἱκάνει

  Καδμείην ἐθέλων Σεμέλης πατρώιον ἕδρην.

  καλὸν ἐμοὶ Διόνυσον, ὄν ἤροσε λάθριος εὐνή,

  ἀνδροφυῆ τινα ταῦρον ἔχειν ξυνήονα τιμῆς,

  βουκεράῳ νόθον εἶδος ἐπαυγάζοντα μετώπῳ,

  260 ὅν μετὰ Πασιφάην Σεμέλη τάχα γείνατο ταύρῳ,

  βοσκομένῳ κερόεντι συναπτομένη παρακοίτη.’

  [254] “Bind him, bind him, the robber of my throne! This is the enemy of my sceptre, this is he that comes coveting the royal seat of Semele and her father! A fine thing for me to share my honour with Dionysos, the son of an illicit bed, a bull in human form, with a shape of borrowed glory upon his oxhorned face, whom Semele perhaps mothered for a bull, like another Pasiphae, mated with a grazing horned bedfellow!”

  εἶπε καὶ ἀγραύλοιο πόδας ταύροιο πιέζων

  σφίγξεν ἀλυκτοπέδῃσι λαβὼν δέ μιν ἀντὶ Λυαίου

  ἤγαγεν ἱππείης πεπεδημένον ἐγγύθι φάτνης,

  265 ὡς Σεμέλης θρασὺν υἷα καί τινα ταῦρον ἐέργων

  Βασσαρίδων δὲ φάλαγγα περίπλοκον ἅμματι χειρῶν

  δέσμιον εὐρώεντι κατεσφρήγισσε μελάθρῳ,

  εἰς γλαφυρόν τινα κοῖλον ἀτερπέος οἶκον ἀνάγκης,

  Κιμμερίων μίμημα δυσέκβατον, ἄμμορον Ἠοῦς,

  270 ἀμφιπόλους Βρομίου θιασώδεας, ὥν ὑπὸ δεσμῷ

  θλιβομέναις παλάμῃσιν ἐμιτρώθησαν ἱμάντες,

  χαλκείη δὲ πόδεσσιν ἐπεσφρηγίζετο σειρή.

  [262] He spoke, and bound fast the legs of the wild bull in galling shackles. Taking him for Lyaios he led him shackled near the horses’ manger, thinking his captive Semele’s bold son and no bull. He tied together with ropes the hands of all the ranks of Bassarids, sealed them up in a mouldy dungeon, a vaulted cavern, a house of joyless constraint, whence none could escape, dark as the Cimmerians, far from the light of day, these followers of Bromios in the revels; their arms were bound in a clasp of galling straps, chains of bronze were sealed on their legs.

  ἀλλὰ ταχυστροφάλιγγος ὅτε δρόμος ἦλθε χορείης,

  μαινάδες ὠρχήσαντο: θυελλήεσσα δὲ Βάκχη

  275 ἄστατα δινηθεῖσα ποδῶν βητάρμονι παλμῷ

  ἀρραγέων ἀνέκοπτε παλίλλυτον ὁλκόν ἱμάντων,

  καὶ παλάμαις κροτάλιζεν ἐλεύθερον Εὔιον ἠχὼ

  εὐρύθμοις πατάγοισιν: ὑπὸ στροφάλιγγι δὲ ταρσῶν

  χαλκοβαρὴς σφριγόωσα ποδῶν ἐσχίζετο σειρή.

  280 καὶ δόμον ἀχλυόεντα θεόσσυτος ἔστεφεν αἴγλη

  Βασσαρίδων ζοφεροῖο καταστάζουσα μελάθρου:

  καὶ σκοτίου πυλεῶνες ἀνεπτύσσοντο βερέθρου

  αὐτόματοι: τρομερῷ δὲ τεθηπότες ἅλματι ταρσῶν

  Βασσαρίδων βρύχημα καὶ ἄγριον ἀφρὸν ὀδόντων

  [273] But when the time came for the quickturning dance,
then danced the Mainads. The Bacchants like a storm shook loose the wrappings of their straps unbroken and circled quickly in tripping step, rattling a free Euian noise with rhythmic claps, while the turning of their feet broke the thick heavy fetters of bronze round their legs. A heavensent radiance filled the dark dungeon of the Bassarids, diffused over the gloomy roof; the doors of the darksome den opened of themselves; the jailers were stupefied at the cries and the ferocious foaming teeth of the Bassarids, and their leaping feet, and fled in terror.

  285 εἰς φόβον ἠπείγοντο φυλάκτορες. αἱ δὲ φυγοῦσαι

  νόστιμον ἴχνος ἔκαμψαν ἐρημάδος εἰς ῥάχιν ὕλης,

  ὧν ἡ μὲν βοέην ἀγέλην δαιτρεύσατο θύρσῳ

  ῥινοτόρῳ, καὶ χεῖρας ἑὰς ἐμιήνατο λύθρῳ

  ταυρείην ὀνύχεσσι διασχίζουσα καλύπτρην

  290 τρηχαλέην, ἑτέρη δὲ δαφοινήεντι κορύμβῳ

  εἰροπόκων ἄρρηκτα διέτμαγε πώεα μήλων,

  ἄλλη δ᾽ αἶγας ἔπεφνεν: ἐφοινίσσοντο δὲ λύθρου

  αἱμαλέαις λιβάδεσσι δαϊζομένης ἀπὸ ποίμνης.

  ἄλλη δὲ τριέτηρον ἀφαρπάξασα τοκῆος

  295 ἄτρομον ἀστυφέλικτον ἀδέσμιον ὑψόθεν ὤμων

  ἵστατο κουφίζουσα μεμηλότα παῖδα θυέλλαις,

  ἑζόμενον γελόωντα καὶ οὐ πίπτοντα κονίῃ:

  καί γλάγος ᾔτεε κοῦρος, ἑὴν ἄτε μητέρα, Βάκχην,

  στήθεα δ᾽ ἀμφαφάασκεν: ἀνυμφεύτοιο δὲ κούρης

  300 αὐτομάτην γλαγόεσσαν ἀνέβλυον ἰκμάδα μαζοί.

  παιδὶ δὲ πειναλέῳ λασίους πετάσασα χιτῶνας

  χείλεσι νηπιάχοισι νεόρρυτον ὤρεγε θηλήν,

  παρθενικὴ δ᾽ ἐκόρεσσεν ἀήθεϊ κοῦρον ἐέρσῃ:

  πολλαὶ δ᾽ ἀρτιτόκοιο μετοχλισθέντα τεκούσης

  305 τέκνα δασυστέρνοιο τιθηνήσαντο λεαίνης.

  ἄλλη δίψιον οὖδας ἐπέκτυπεν ὀξέι θύρσῳ

  ἄκρον ὄρος πλήξασα νεοσχιδές: αὐτοτελῆ δὲ

  οἶνον ἐρευγομένη κραναὴ πορφύρετο πέτρη,

  λειβομένου δὲ γάλακτος ἀρασσομένης ἀπὸ πέτρης

  310 πίδακες αὐτοχύτοισιν ἐλευκαίνοντο ῥεέθροις.

  ἄλλη ῥῖψε δράκοντα κατὰ δρυός: ἀμφί δὲ δένδρῳ

  σπεῖραν ὄφις κύκλωσε, καὶ ἔπλετο κισσὸς ἀλήτης

  πρέμνον ἑλισσομένῳ σκολιῷ μιτρούμενος ὁλκῷ,

  ἀμφελελιζομένων μιμούμενος ἄμμα δρακόντων.

  315 καὶ Σάτυρος πεφόρητο σεσηρότα θῆρα κομίζων

  τίγριν ἀπειλητῆρα καθήμενον ὑψόθι νώτου,

  ἄγριον ἦθος ἔχοντα καὶ οὐ ψαύοντα φορῆος:

  καὶ συὸς ἄκρα γένεια γέρων Σειληνὸς ἐρύσσας

  κάρχαρον ἠκόντιζεν ἐς ἠέρα κάπρον ἀθύρων:

  320 ἄλλος ἀελλήεντι ποδῶν ἐπιβήτορι παλμῷ

  εἰς λοφιὴν ἀκίχητος ἐπῃώρητο καμήλου:

  καί τις ὑπὲρ νώτοιο θορὼν ἐποχήσατο ταύρῳ.

  [285] So they escaped and turned their way back to the forest in the lonely hills. One slew a herd of bulls with skinpiercing thyrsus, and soiled her hands in the gore, tearing the rough bull’s hide with her fingernails. Another cut to pieces a flock of sheep with bloody twigs, not tearing their soft wool; another killed goats, and all were dyed with bloody streams of gore from the slaughtered herd. Another snatched from the father a three year child, and set it upon her shoulder untrembling, unshaken, unbound, balancing the boy in the winds’ charge — there he sat laughing, never falling in the dust. The boy asked the Bacchant for milk, thinking it was his mother, and pawed her breast — and milky drops ran of themselves to the breasts of the unwedded maiden, she opened her hairy wrap for the hungry boy, and offered a newly flowing teat to his childish lips; so a virgin stilled the boy with an unfamiliar drink. Many forced away newborn cubs from a shaggy chested lioness and nursed them. Another struck the thirsty soil with the point of a thyrsus; the top of the hill split at once, and the hard rock poured out purple wine of itself, or with a tap on the rock fountains of milk ran out of themselves in white streams. Another threw a snake at an oak; the snake coiled round the tree, and turned into moving ivy running round girdling the trunk, just as snakes run their coils round and round. A Satyr rushed along carrying a snarling beast, a dangerous tiger which sat on his back, which for all its wild nature did not touch the bearer. One old Seilenos dragged a boar by the snout and threw the tusked swine up in the air for fun. Another with stormy leaps of his feet in a moment mounted upon a camel’s neck; and one jumped on a bull and rode on his back.

  καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐν σκοπέλοισι: λυροδμήτῳ δ᾽ ἐνί Θήβῃ

  θαύματα ποικίλα Βάκχος ἐδείκνυε πᾶσι πολίταις:

  325 καὶ σφαλεροῖσι πόδεσσιν ἐβακχεύοντο γυναῖκες ...

  χείλεσιν ἀφροκόμοισιν: ὅλη δ᾽ ἐλελίζετο Θήβη,

  καὶ φλογεροὺς σπινθῆρας ἀπηκόντιζον ἀγυιαί:

  σείετο πάντα θέμεθλα, καὶ ὡς βοέων ἀπὸ λαιμῶν

  ἀκλινέες πυλεῶνες ἐμυκήσαντο μελάθρων:

  330 καὶ δόμος ἀστυφέλικτος ἀναβρομέεσκε κυδοιμῷ

  λαϊνέῃ σάλπιγγι χέων αὐτόσσυτον ἠχώ.

  [323] So much for the mountains; but in music-builded Thebes, Bacchos manifested many wonders to all the people. The women danced wildly with staggering feet... with foaming lips. All Thebes was shaken, and sparks of fire shot up from the streets; all the foundations quaked, the immovable gates of the mansions bellowed as if they had throats like a bull; even the unshaken building rumbled in confusion, as if giving voice with a stone trumpet of its own.

  οὐδὲ χόλου Διόνυσος ἐπαύσατο: δαιμονίην δὲ

  φθογγὴν ἠερόφοιτον ἐς ἑπταπόρων ἴτυν ἄστρων,

  λυσσήεις ἅτε ταῦρος, ἑῷ μυκήσατο λαιμῷ:

  335 καὶ κλονέων Πενθῆα μεμηνότα μάρτυρι πυρσῷ

  μαρμαρυγῆς ἔπλησεν ὅλον δόμον: ἀμφί δὲ τοίχους

  ἀντιπόρους σελάγιζε πολυσχιδὲς ἁλλόμενον πῦρ

  δαιομένῳ σπινθῆρι κατάσσυτον, ἀμφὶ δὲ πέπλοις

  πορφυρέοις καὶ στέρνον ἁλιχλαίνου βασιλῆος

  340 πυρσὸς ἕλιξ πεφόρητο, καί οὐκ ἔφλεξε χιτῶνας:

  κεκριμέναις δ᾽ ἀκτῖσιν ἀποσπάδες ἅλματι θερμῷ

  ἐκ ποδὸς εἰς μέσα νῶτα, δι᾽ ἰξύος εἰς ῥάχιν ἄκρην

  Πενθέος ἀμφὶ τένοντα μετήλυδες ἔτρεχον αὐγαί:

  π
ολλάκι δ᾽ αὐτοπόροιο πυρὸς βητάρμονι παλμῷ

  345 γηγενέος βασιλῆος ἐυστρώτων ἐπὶ λέκτρων

  ἀφλεγέας σπινθῆρας ἀπέπτυε θέσκελος αἴγλη.

  καί σέλας αὐτοέλικτον ἰδὼν βρυχήσατο Πενθεύς,

  κέκλετο δὲ δμώεσσιν ἄγειν ἀλκτήριον ὕδωρ,

  ὄφρα κατασβέσσωσιν ἀναπτομένην φλόγα πυρσοῦ

  350 δῶμα περιρραίνοντες ἀλεξικάκοισι ῥεέθροις:

  καὶ γλαφυρῶν γυάλων ἐφάνη γυμνούμενον ὕδωρ,

  καί, μεγάλη περ ἐοῦσα, ῥόον τερσαίνετο πηγὴ

  ἄγγεσι νηρίθμοισιν ἀφυσσομένου ποταμοῖο.

  καὶ πόνος ἀχρήιστος ἔην καὶ ἐτώσιον ὕδωρ.

  355 καὶ διεραῖς λιβάδεσσιν ἀέξετο βαλλόμενον πῦρ

  θερμοτέραις ἀκτῖσι: καὶ ὡς πολίων ἀπὸ ταύρων

  μυκηθμοῦ κελάδοντος ὑπωροφίη πέλεν ἠχώ,

  βροντᾶς δ̔ ἐνδομύχοισιν ἐπέκτυπε Πενθέος αὐλή.

  [332] Yet Dionysos did not abate his wrath. He sent his divine voice into the sky as far as the seven orbits of the stars, bellowing with his own throat like a mad bull. He pursued frenzied Pentheus with his witnesses, the fires, and filled the whole house with the blaze. Tongues of fire danced gleaming over the walls right and left with showers of burning sparks; over the king’s brilliant robes and the seapurple stuff about his chest ran spirals of fire which did not burn his garments. Separate streaks of fire went in hot leaps from foot to middleback, across his loins to the top of his backbone and round his neck ran the travelling flashes: often the divine light spat sparks that did not burn on the splendid bed of the earthborn king, the fire dancing about at random. Pentheus seeing this fire moving about of itself roared aloud and called his slaves to help, to bring saving water to drench the place with protective torrents and quench the burning flames. And the rounded cisterns were emptied, bared of water, the fountain of the river great as it was, dried up when those thousands of vessels were dipt in the water. Their trouble was useless, the water did no good, wet floods poured on the fire only made its flames grow hotter still; there was a sound as of the echoing bellow of many bulls under that roof, and the palace of Pentheus resounded with internal thunders.