by Nonnus
ὄμματα δινεύουσα: πολυστρέπτῳ δὲ πεδίλῳ,
Ζηνὶ χαριζομένη, θαλαμηπόλος ἵστατο Νίκη,
Κάδμον ἀνευάζουσα, Διὸς πρόμον, ἀμφὶ δὲ παστῷ
110 παρθενίοις στομάτεσσι γαμήλιον ἔπλεκε μολπήν,
καὶ ποδὸς ἴχνος ἕλισσεν, ἐπ᾽ εὐκύκλῳ δὲ χορείῃ
αἰδομένη πτερὰ πάλλε παρὰ πτερύγεσσιν Ἐρώτων.
[88] The daughters of the Aonians struck up Harmonia’s marriage-hymn with dances: the dancing girls sang the name of the Thracian bride, in that palace and its fine bridal chamber. The Paphian also, her lovely mother, decorated her daughter’s newbuilt bower for Cadmos, while she sang of the god-ordained marriage; her father danced with joy for his girl, bare and stript of his armour, a tame Ares! and laid his right arm unweaponed about Aphrodite, while he sounded the spirit of the Loves on his wedding-trumpet answering the panspipes: he had shaken off from his helmet head the plumes of horsehair so familiar in the battlefield, and wreathed bloodless garlands about his hair, weaving a merry song for Love. Dancing with the immortals came Ismenian Apollo to Harmonia’s wedding, while he twangled a hymn of love on his sevenstring harp. The nine Muses too struck up a lifestirring melody: Polymnia nursingmother of the dance waved her arms, and sketched in the air an image of a soundless voice, speaking with hands and moving eyes in a graphic picture of silence full of meaning. Victory turned a tripling foot for the pleasure of Zeus, and stood by as bridesmaid crying triumph for Cadmos the god’s champion; about the bridebed she wove the wedding song with her virgin voice, and moved her gliding steps in the pretty circles of the dance, while she fluttered her wings, shamefast beside the wings of the Loves.
ἐκ δὲ πολυσπερέων δαΐδων ὁμοφεγγέος αἴγλης
ἑσπερίης ἀνέτελλε φάος ψευδήμονος Ἠοῦς.
115 καὶ λιγυροῖς στομάτεσσι φιλοσκάρθμῳ παρὰ παστῷ
πάννυχος ἔπλετο κῶμος ἀκοιμήτοιο χορείης
μελπομένων:
σπεύδων γὰρ ἐς ἀγρύπνους ὑμεναίους ...
ἠθάδα ῥάβδον ἔλειπεν, ἐπεὶ ταμίη πέλεν ὕπνου.
καὶ Θήβη χορὸς ἦεν Ὀλύμπιος: ἦν δὲ νοῆσαι
120 Κάδμον ὁμοῦ καὶ Ζῆνα μιῆς ψαύοντα τραπέζης.
[113] A light arose, like a misnamed dawn in the evening, from the splendour no less brilliant of those gleaming torches scattered everywhere. All night long, the merry rout of untiring dancers were singing with clear voices beside the bridal chamber in happy romps; since
καὶ γαμίοις θαλάμοισι φέρων νυμφοστόλον ὥρην
Ἀρκτῴης ἀνέτελλε Δράκων ὁμόφοιτος Ἁμάξης,
ἄγγελος ἐσσομένων, ὅτι σύννομος ἥλικι νύμφῃ
ἐκ βροτέης ἤμελλεν ἔχειν ὀφιώδεα μορφὴν
125 νυμφίος Ἁρμονίης. μακάρων δέ τις ἄλλος ἐπ᾽ ἄλλῳ
εἰς θαλάμους σπεύδοντι γέρας δωρήσατο Κάδμῳ:
Ζεὺς μὲν πάντα τέλεια: κασιγνήτην δὲ γεραίρων
Ἥρην πασιμέλουσαν, ἐπεὶ πέλεν Ἄρεϊ μήτηρ,
ἵππιος ὤπασε δῶρα θαλάσσια κυανοχαίτης:
130 Ἑρμῆς σκῆπτρον ἔδωκεν, Ἄρης δόρυ, τόξον Ἀπόλλων,
καὶ στέφανον κομόωντα λίθων ἑτερόχροϊ κόσμῳ
Ἁρμονίης Ἥφαιστος ἐπῃώρησε καρήνῳ,
χρυσείην κροτάφοισιν ἐπικρεμάσας ἀναδέσμην:
καὶ θρόνον εὐλάιγγα πόρε χρυσόθρονος Ἥρη:
135 Ἄρεα κυδαίνουσα πολυφράδμων Ἀφροδίτη
χρύσεον ὁρμὸν ἔχοντα λίθων πολυδαίδαλον αἴγλην
λευκὸν ἐρευθιόωντι συνήρμοσεν αὐχένι κούρης,
Ἡφαίστου σοφὸν ἔργον, ὅ περ κάμε Κυπρογενείῃ,
τοξευτῆρος Ἔρωτος ὅπως ὀπτήριον εἴη:
140 ἔλπετο γὰρ Κυθέρειαν ἀεὶ βαρύγουνος ἀκοίτης
υἷα τεκεῖν σκάζοντα, ποδῶν μίμημα τοκῆος:
ἀλλὰ μάτην ἐδόκησε, καὶ ἀρτίπον υἷα νοήσας
λαμπόμενον πτερύγεσσιν ὁμοίιον υἱέι Μαίης
[121] And now rose the Serpent, companion of the northern Waggon, bringing the bride-adorning season to the marriage halls, a messenger with news of things to come: for Harmonia’s bridegroom along with his agemate bride was destined to change his human shape for a serpent’s. The Blessed, one after another, brought their gifts of honour to Cadmos as he hastened to his chamber. Zeus gave success in all things. Horsemaster Seabluehair proffered the gifts of the sea, in honour to his sister Hera the renowned, for she was Ares’ mother. Hermes gave a sceptre, Ares a spear, Apollo a bow. Hephaistos lifted upon Harmonia’s head a crown plumed with precious stones of many colours, a golden circlet hung over her temples. Goldenthrone Hera provided a jewel-set throne. Aphrodite wishing to delight Ares in the deep shrewdness of her mind, clasped a golden necklace showing pale about he girl’s blushing neck, a clever work of Hephaistos set with sparkling gems in masterly refinement. This he had made for his Cyprian bride, a gift for his first glimpse of Archer Eros. For the heavyknee bridegroom always expected that Cythereia would bear him a hobbling son, having the image of his father in his feet. But his thought was mistaken; and when he beheld a whole-footed son brilliant with wings like Maia’s son Hermes, he made this magnificent necklace.
ποικίλον ὁρμὸν ἔτευξεν, ὃς ἀστεροφεγγέι νώτῳ
145 ὡς ὄφις ἦν ἑλικῶδες ἔχων δέμας: οἷα γὰρ αὐτὴ
δίστομος ἀμφίσβαινα μέσῳ μηρύεται ὁλκῷ
ἰὸν ἀποπτύουσα δι᾽ ἀμφοτέροιο καρήνου,
ἀμφελελιζομένη μελέων ἑτερόζυγι παλμῷ,
εἰς κεφαλὴν δὲ κάρηνον ἐφερπύζουσα συνάπτει,
150 λοξῇ καμπύλα νῶτα περισκαίρουσα πορείῃ:
ὣς ὅ γε ποικίλος ὁρμὸς ἐαγότα νῶτα τιταίνων
κάμπτετο, κυρτωθεῖσαν ἔχων διδυμάονα δειρήν,
ἀμφιλαφὴς φολίδεσσιν ἐς ὀμφαλὸν ἄχρις ἱκάνων
πλεκτὸς ὄφις δικάρηνος: ὑπὸ στροφάλιγγι δὲ τέχνης
155 χρύσεος ὁλκαίης ἐλελίζετο κύκλος ἀκάνθης,
καί οἱ ἑλισσομένη κεφαλὴ πολυδίνεϊ παλμῷ
ψευδαλέον σύριγμα διήρυγεν ἀνθερεῶνος.
[144] It was like a serpent with starspangled back and coiling shape. For as the twoheaded amphisbaina in very sooth winds the coils between and spits her poison from either mouth, rolling along and along with double-gliding motion, and head crawling joins with head while she jumps twirling waves of her back sideways: s
o that magnificent necklace twisted shaking its crooked back, with its pair of curving necks, which came to meet at the midnipple, a flexible twoheaded serpent thick with scales; and by the curving joints of the work the golden circle of the moving spine bent round, until the head slid about with undulating movement and belched a mimic hissing through the jaws.
καὶ στομάτων ἑκάτερθεν ὅπῃ τέλος ἐστὶ καὶ ἀρχή,
αἰετὸς ἦν χρύσειος, ἅτε πλατὺν ἠέρα τέμνων,
160 ὀρθὸς ἐχιδναίων διδύμων μεσσηγὺ καρήνων,
ὑψιφανὴς πτερύγων πισύρων τετράζυγι κημῷ:
τῇ μὲν ξανθὸς ἴασπις ἐπέτρεχε, τῇ δὲ Σελήνης
εἶχε λίθον πάνλευκον, ὃς εὐκεράοιο θεαίνης
λειπομένης μινύθει καὶ ἀέξεται, ὁππότε Μήνη
165 ἀρτιφαὴς σέλας ὑγρὸν ἀποστίλβουσα κεραίης
ἠελίου γενετῆρος ἀμέλγεται αὐτόγονον πῦρ:
ἄλλη μάργαρον εἶχε φαεσφόρον, οὗ χάριν αἴγλης
γλαυκὸν Ἐρυθραίης ἀμαρύσσεται οἶδμα θαλάσσης
λαμπομένης: ἑτέρης δὲ μεσόμφαλος αἰθοπι κόσμῳ
170 λεπτοφαὴς σέλας ὑγρὸν ἀπέπτυεν Ἰνδὸς ἀχάτης.
[158] With the two mouths on each side, where is the beginning and the end, was a golden eagle that seemed to be cutting the open air, upright between the serpent’s heads, high-shining with fourfold nozzle of the four wings. One wing was covered with yellow jasper, one had the allwhite stone of Selene, which fades as the horned goddess wanes, and waxes when Mene newkindled distils her horn’s liquid light and milks out the self-gotten fire of Father Helios. A third had the gleaming pearl, which by its gleam makes the gray swell of the Erythraian Sea sparkle shining. Right in the middle of the other, the Indian agate spat out its liquid light, gently shining in bright beauty.
ἀλλήλαις δ᾽ ἑκάτερθε συναπτομένων κεφαλάων
χάσματα δισσὰ δράκοντος ἀνευρύνοντο καρήνων,
αἰετὸν ἀμφοτέροισι περικλείοντα γενείοις
σύμπλοκον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα: δι᾽ εὐφαέος δὲ προσώπου
175 λυχνίδες ἠκόντιζον ἐν ὄμμασι σύμφυτον αἴγλην
ὀξὺ σέλας πέμπουσαν, ὁμοίιον αἴθοπι λύχνῳ
ἁπτομένῳ: κομόων δὲ λίθων πολυειδέι μορφῇ
πόντος ἔην, γλαυκῆς δὲ λίθος χλοάουσα μαράγδου
δεξαμένη κρύσταλλον ὁμόζυγον εἴκελον ἀφρῷ
180 εἶχε φαληριόωντα μελαινομένης τύπον ἅλμης:
τῷ ἔνι δαίδαλα πάντα τετεύχατο, τῷ ἔνι πάντα
χρυσοφαῆ μάρμαιρεν ἁλίτροφα πώεα λίμνης,
οἷα περισκαίροντα: πολὺς δέ τις ὑγρὸς ὁδίτης
μεσσοφανὴς ἐχόρευεν ἐπιξύων ἅλα δελφίς —
185 ψευδαλέην δ᾽ ἐλέλιζεν ἑὴν αὐτόσσυτον οὐρήν —
καὶ χορὸς ὀρνίθων ἑτερόχροος, ὧν τάχα φαίης
ἱπταμένων πτερύγων ἀνεμώδεα δοῦπον ἀκούειν,
ὁρμὸν ἐπεὶ Κυθέρεια γέρας δωρήσατο κούρῃ
χρύσεον, εὐλάιγγα, παρήορον αὐχένι νύμφης.
[171] Where the two heads of the serpent came together from both sides, the mouths gaped wide and enclosed the eagle with both their jaws, enfolding it from this side and that. Over the shining front, rubies in the eyes shot their native brilliancy, which sent forth a sharp gleam, like a fiery lamp being kindled. Proud with the manifold shapes of stones was a sea, and an emerald stone grass-green welcomed the crystal adjoining like the foam, and showed the image of the white-crested brine becoming dark; here all clever work was fashioned, here all the brinebred herds of the deep sparkled in shining gold as though leaping about, and many a supple traveller danced halfseen, the dolphin skimming the brine which waggled its mimic tail selfmoved; flocks of many-coloured birds – you might almost think you heard the windy beat of their flapping wings, when Cythereia gave the glorious necklace to her girl, golden, bejewelled, to hang by the bride’s neck.
190 καὶ γαμίων ζευχθεῖσα πόθων ἰθύντορι κεστῷ
Ἁρμονίη πολύπαιδα γονὴν μαιώσατο κόλπῳ
τικτομένην κατὰ βαιόν: ἀμοιβαίῃ δὲ λοχείῃ
ἔγκυον ὄγκον ἔλυσε θυγατρογόνου τοκετοῖο,
τετράκις ἐννέα κύκλα διαπλήσασα Σελήνης.
195 πρώτη δ᾽ Αὐτονόη γονίμων ἀνεπήλατο κόλπων
μητέρος ἐννεάμηνον ἀναπτύξασα λοχείην
πρωτοτόκοις ὠδῖσιν: ὁμογνήτῳ δὲ γενέθλῃ
καλλιφυὴς Ἀθάμαντος ἀέξετο σύγγαμος Ἰνώ,
μήτηρ δισσοτόκος: τριτάτη δ᾽ ἀνέτελλεν Ἀγαύη,
200 ἥ ποτε νυμφευθεῖσα Γιγαντείοις ὑμεναίοις
εἴκελον υἷα λόχευσεν ὀδοντοφύτῳ παρακοίτῃ:
καὶ Χαρίτων ἴνδαλμα ποθοβλήτοιο προσώπου
Ζηνὶ φυλασσομένη Σεμέλη βλάστησε τετάρτη
θυγατέρων, μούνῃ δὲ καὶ ὁπλοτέρῃ περ ἐούσῃ
205 δῶκεν ἀνικήτοιο φύσις πρεσβήια μορφῆς.
ἄρσενα δ᾽ ὀψιτέλεστον ὁμόζυγα θήλεϊ φύτλῃ
Ἁρμονίη νέον υἷα γεγηθότι γείνατο Κάδμῳ,
Ἀονίης Πολύδωρον ἑωσφόρον ἀστέρα πάτρης,
ὁπλότερον Σεμέλης ῥοδοειδέος, ὃν παρὰ Θήβαις
210 σκῆπτρα λαβὼν ἀθέμιστος ἄναξ ἀπενόσφισε Πενθεύς.
καὶ τὰ μὲν ὣς ἤμελλε γέρων χρόνος ὀψὲ τελέσσαι.
[190] Soon Harmonia yoked by the cestus-girdle that guides wedded desire, carried in her womb the seed of many children whom she brought forth soon one by one: turn by turn she was delivered of her teeming burden by the birth of daughters, after four times nine circuits of the Moon had been fulfilled. First Autonoë leapt from her mother’s fruitful womb, her first birthpangs after nine months’ course with child. Then came Ino to be her sister, the beautiful consort of Athamas who bore him two children. Third appeared Agauë, who afterwards married with the giant stock and bore a son like to her fangborn husband. Then Semele fourth of the daughters grew up, the image of the Graces in her lovestriking looks, preserved for Zeus; although youngest of the sisters, she alone was given by nature the prerogative of unconquerable beauty. Last of all Harmonia added a little son to the brood of sisters, and made Cadmos happy – Polydoros, the morning star of the Aonian nation, younger than rosycheek Semele; but Pentheus a lawless prince pushed him aside and took the sceptre in Thebes. All this old Time was to bring to pass by and by.
Κεκριμένας δὲ θύγατρας ἐπεκλήισσεν ἀκοίταις
Κάδμος ἀμοιβαίοιο γάμου τετράζυγι �
�αστῷ,
καὶ λέχος ἄλλο μετ᾽ ἄλλο συνήρμοσε: δωροφόρος γὰρ
215 πρῶτος Ἀρισταῖος, Νόμιος καὶ ἐπώνυμος Ἀγρεύς,
αἷμα σοφοῦ Φοίβοιο καὶ εὐπαλάμοιο Κυρήνης,
Αὐτονόην ζυγίων ἀρότων νυμφεύσατο θεσμῷ:
οὐ μὲν Ἀγηνορίδης πολυφερβέος ἴδμονα τέχνης
γαμβρὸν ἔχειν ἀπέειπε, βιοσσόον υἱέα Φοίβου,
220 ἀλλὰ Διιπετέων ἀνέμων ζωαρκέσιν αὔραις
λοίγιον εὐνήσαντι πυρώπιδος ἀστέρα Μαίρης
παῖδα συνεκλήισσε περισσονόῳ παρακοίτῃ.
καὶ γάμος ἦν πολύολβος, ἐπεὶ γέρας ἄζυγι κούρῃ
δῶκε βόας, πόρεν αἶγας, ὀρίτροφον ὤπασε ποίμνην:
225 καὶ πολὺς ἀχθοφόρῳ βεβαρημένος ὄγμος ἀνάγκῃ
φόρτον ἐλαιήεντος ἐκούφισεν ἀμφιφορῆος,
ἕδνα γάμων, πολλὴν δὲ σοφῆς ἐκόμισσε μελίσσης
δαιδαλέην ὠδῖνα πολυτρήτοιο λοχείης.
[212] Cadmos now chose husbands for his daughters, and gave them over in four successive bridals, settling their weddings one by one. First Aristaios laden with gifts, he of the herds and he of the wilds, as he was named, the blood of allwise Apollo and Cyrene so ready with her hands, wedded Autonoë according to the rules of lawful marriage. Agenorides did not refuse his daughter to a goodson well acquainted with the art of feeding many; nay, he gave her to a very clever husband, a lifesaving son of Apollo, after he had calmed the pestilential star of fiery Maira by the lifepreserving breezes of heaven-sent winds. The wedding-feast also was very rich, since he gave the unyoked maid oxen for her treasure, he gave goats, he gave mountain-bred flocks; many a line of burden-bearers was forced to lift the load of great jars full of olive-oil, his marriage gifts, much travail of the clever honeybee he brought, in the riddled comb her masterpiece.
