Works of Nonnus
Page 213
Ἀκταίων πρόμος ἦεν, ἐπ᾽ ἠιθέοιο δὲ νίκῃ
πατροπάτωρ δαφναῖος ἐπέπταρε μάντις Ἀπόλλων
[53] First of all, to obey the summons of Dionysos with his fine thyrsus, Actaion quickly came, in respect for their kindred blood, and left the sevenmouth soil of his native Aonia. Boiotia’s battalions came in a flood: those who dwelt in wellwalled Thebes and Onchestos, Earthshaker’s place of sojourn, Peteon and Ocalae, and Erythrai, vineclad Arne so proud of Dionysos; and those who inhabited Mideia nad the celebrated towns of Eilesion and Scolon and Thisbe based upon the brine, dovehaunted harbour of Aphrodite our Lady of the Sea, and the levels of Schoinos, and leafy Eleon; and the glorious soil of Copai, where I hear still remains the famous lake of that name, the nurse of eels; and shaggy Medeon, and those that held the fine pastures of Hyle, long-stretching fostermother of Tychios the leathercraftsman; and the land of broad threshing-floors kept for the underworld oracle, to bear the name of Amphiaraos and his chariot in later days; and the city of Thespiae and deepsloping Plataiai and moist Haliartos, separated from Helicon by the stream of a mountain river between; and they who possessed Anthedon, the last place down by the sea, the little town of Glaucos the immortal fisherman who lives in the waters; and those of inclement Ascra, the laureate home of the farmer whose name is on every tongue; and the sacred citadel of Graia, and Mycalessos with broad dancing-lawns, named to remind us of Euryale’s throat; and the land of Nisa, and the city named after Coronos – all these were led by Actaion to the eastern clime, and laurelled Apollo the Seer, his father’s father, sneezed victory for the young man.
Βοιωτῶν δ᾽ ἑτέροιο προηγεμόνευεν ὁμίλου
εὐχαίτης Ὑμέναιος ἔχων ἀχάρακτον ῾̣̣̓πήνην,
85 ἀρτιθαλής Βρομίῳ πεφιλημένος: ἐρχομένῳ δὲ
κούρῳ παιδοκόμος πολιὸς πρόμος οὔνομα Φοῖνιξ,
εἵπετο, Λαοκόωντι πανείκελος, ὃς πάρος Ἀργοῦς,
νηὸς Ἰησονίης, ἐπιβήμενος εἰς χθόνα Κόλχων
σύμπλοος ὡμάρτησε κορυσσομένῳ Μελεάγρῳ.
90 τοῖος ἐὼν ἔτι κοῦρος, ἔχων παιδήιον ἥβην,
ἁβροκόμης Ὑμέναιος ἐδύσατο φύλοπιν Ἰνδῶν,
δινεύων ἑκάτερθε παρηίδος ἥλικα χαίτην:
καί οἱ ἐφωμάρτησαν ὁμήλυδες ἀσπιδιῶται,
οἵ τ᾽ Ἀσπληδόνος ἄστυ, καὶ ὃν Χάρις οὔ ποτε λείπει
95 Ὀρχομενὸν Μινύαο, χοροίτυπον ἄλσος Ἐρώτων,
οἵ θ᾽ Ὑρίην ἐνέμοντο, θεηδόχον οὖδας ἀρούρης,
ξεινοδόκου μεθέπουσαν ἐπωνυμίην Ὑριῆος,
ἧχι Γίγας ἀπέλεθρος ἀπειρογάμων ἀπὸ λέκτρων
Ὠρίων τριπάτωρ ἀπὸ μητέρος ἄνθορε Γαίης,
100 εὖτε θεῶν τριγόνοισιν ἀεξηθεῖσα γενέθλαις
εἰς τόκον αὐτοτέλεστον ἐμορφώθη χύσις οὔρων,
αὔλακα νυμφεύσασα τελεσσιγόνοιο βοείης,
καὶ χθονὸς ἄσπορον υἷα λαγὼν μαιώσατο Γαίης,
οἵ τ᾽ ἔχον ἀγρομένων ξεινηδόκον οὖδας Ἀχαιῶν,
105 Αὐλίδα πετρήεσσαν, ἐδέθλιον ἰοχεαίρης,
ἧχι θεὰ βαρύμηνις ὀρεσσαύλῳ παρὰ βωμῷ
δέκτο θυηπολίην ψευδήμονος Ἰφιγενείης,
καὶ κεμὰς οὐρεσίφοιτος ἀμεμφέι καίετο πυρσῷ
ἁρπαμένης νόθον εἶδος ἀληθέος Ἰφιγενείης,
110 ἣν Ὀδυσεὺς ἐκόμισσε δολοπλόκος ὡς Ἀχιλῆος
ἐσσομένην πρὸ μόθοιο παρευνέτιν, ἔνθεν ἀκούει
Αὐλὶς ἀνυμφεύτοιο γαμοστόλος Ἰφιγενείης,
ὁλκάσι δ᾽ Ἀργείων ἐπεσύρισε πομπὸς ἀήτης
ἄψοφα μαστίζων ἐχενηίδος ἄκρα γαλήνης,
115 νεβροφόνῳ βασιλῆι φέρων παλινάγρετον αὔρην,
κούρη δ᾽ ὀψὲ μολοῦσα μετάρσιος εἰς χθόνα Ταύρων
φρικτὰ κακοξείνων ἐδιδάσκετο θεσμὰ λεβήτων,
ἀνέρα δαιτρεύουσα, καὶ ἀνδροφόνῳ παρὰ βωμῷ
γνωτὸν ἁλιπτοίητον ἀνεζώγρησεν Ὀρέστην.
[83] A second host of Boiotians was led by finehair Hymenaios with unmarked chin, young and fresh, beloved by Bromios. As Guardian for the boy came a hoary chieftain named Phoinix; like Laocoön who long ago embarked in the Argo, Iason’s ship, and sailed with Meleagros to the Colchian land, his comrade in the battlefield. Such another boy was this in the prime of youth, Hymenaios, with his luxuriant hair curving round either cheek, never cut since he was born, on the way to the Indian War. Shieldmen bare him company, who dwelt in the stronghold of Aspledon, and the dancebeaten precinct of the loves, Orchomenos city of Minyas, which the Graces never leave; those who dwelt in Hyria, that hospitable land which entertained the gods named after hospitable Hyrieus; where that huge giant born of no marriage-bed, threefather Orion, sprang up from his mother earth, after a shower of piss from three gods grew in generative fruitfulness to the selfmade shape of a child, having impregnated a wrinkle of a fruitful oxhide. Then a hollow of the earth was midwife to earth’s unbegotten son. Those also came who possessed the place where the assembling Achaians found refuge, rocky Aulis, pavement of the Archeress: where the goddess in heavy resentment received at her altar in the mountains the offering of a pretended Iphigeneia, and a wild pricket of the hills was burnt in a blameless fire, changeling shape of the true Iphigeneia who had been carried away. She it was that cunning Odysseus brought to be Achilles’ bride before the trouble, and hence Aulis has the name of matchmaker for Iphigeneia who never married at all; for a guiding wind whistled over the Argive ships, and brought a rescuing breeze for the fawnslayer king. But the girl passed at last on high to the Taurian land, and there she was taught the inhospitable law of their horrible kettles, in cutting up men for meat; but beside the murderous altar she saved the life of her seabeaten brother Orestes.
120 Βοιωτῶν τόσος ἦλθεν ἀμετρήτων στόλος ἀνδρὼν
Ἰνδῴην ἐπὶ δῆριν ὁμαρτήσας Ὑμεναίῳ.
[120] Such was the infinite host of Boiotian men who went with Hymenaios to the Indian War.
τοῖσι συνεστρατόωντο σοφῇ παρὰ Δελφίδι πέτρῃ
ἀγχίποροι Φωκῆες ὁμήλυδες, οἳ Κυπαρίσσου
εἶχον ἕδος καὶ γαῖαν Ὑάμπολιν, ἥν περ ἀκούω
125 Ἀονίης ὑὸς οὖδας ἐπώνυμον, ἥ περὶ μορφῆς
αὐχένα γαῦρον ἄειρε καὶ ἤρισε Τριτογενείῃ:
οἵ τ᾽ ἔλαχον Πυθῶνα καὶ ἀμφίκρημνον ἀλωήν,
Κρῖσαν ἀειδομένην καὶ Δαυλίδα καὶ Πανοπῆα,
γείτονα Βάκχον ἔχοντες, ἐπεὶ δαφναῖος Ἀπόλλων
130 κλῆρον ἑὸν ξύνωσε κασιγνήτῳ Διονύσῳ,
Παρνησσὸν δικάρηνον: ἀγειρομέν�
�ισι δὲ λαοῖς
Πυθιὰς ὀμφήεσσα θεηγόρος ἔκλαγε πέτρη
καὶ τρίπος αὐτοβόητος, ἀσιγήτοιο δὲ πηγῆς
Κασταλίης λάλον οἶδμα σοφῷ πάφλαζε ῥεέθρῳ.
[122] These were joined by comrades marching from Phocis near the wise Delphian rock: those who held the settlement of Cyparissos and the land of Hyampolis, taking its name as I hear from the Aonian Sow, which lifted a proud neck and challenged Tritogeneia to a beautymatch. There were also those who had Python and the gardens among the precipices, famous Crisa, and Daulis, and Panopeus, neighbour of Bacchos, for laurelled Apollo had made common with his brother Dionysos twopeak Parnassos his domain; as the peoples gathered, the Pythian rock uttered the inspired voice of God, and the tripod spoke of itself, and the babbling rill of Castalia that never silent spring, bubbled with wisdom in its waters.
135 Εὐβοέων δὲ φάλαγγας ἐκόσμεον ἀσπιδιῶται
παιδοκόμοι Κορύβαντες ἀεξομένου Διονύσου,
οἳ Φρύγα κόλπον ἔχοντες ὀρεσσιπόλῳ παρὰ Ῥείῃ
νήπιον εἰσέτι Βάκχον ἐκυκλώσαντο βοείαις,
τόν ποτε πορφυρέῳ κεκαλυμμένον οἴνοπι πέπλῳ
140 εὗρον ἐνὶ σκοπέλοις, κερόεν βρέφος, ἔνθά μιν Ἰνὼ
Μύστιδι παιδοκόμῳ παρακάτθετο μητρὶ Κορύμβου:
οἳ τότε πάντες ἵκανον ἀειδομένης ἀπὸ νήσου,
Πρυμνεὺς εἱλιπόδης τε Μίμας καὶ ὀρίδρομος Ἄκμων
Δαμνεύς τ᾽ Ὠκύθοός τε σακεσπάλος, οἷς ἅμα βαίνων
145 σύνδρομος Ἰδαίῳ κορυθαιόλος ἦλθε Μελισσεύς,
οὕς ποτε δυσσεβίης κεκορυθμένος ἄφρονι κέντρῳ
Σῶκος ἁλιζώνοιο πατὴρ νοσφίσσατο πάτρης
Κόμβης ἑπτατόκου μετὰ μητέρος: οἱ δὲ φυγόντες
Κνώσσιον οὖδας ἵκοντο, καὶ ἔμπαλιν ἦσαν ἀλῆται
150 εἰς Φρυγίην Κρήτηθεν, ἀπὸ Φρυγίης ἐς Ἀθήνας,
ἀλλοδαποὶ ναετῆρες ὁμέστιοι, εἰσόκε Κέκροψ
Σῶκον ἀπηλοίησε Δίκης ποινήτορι χαλκῷ,
καὶ χθόνα καλλείψαντες ἁλικλύστου Μαραθῶνος
νόστιμον ἴχνος ἔκαμψαν ἐς ἱερὸν οὖδας Ἀβάντων,
155 Κουρήτων προτέρων χθόνιον γένος, οἷς μέλος αὐλῶν,
οἷς βίος εὐκελάδων ξιφέων κτύπος, οἷς τινι ῥυθμῷ
κύκλα ποδῶν μεμέλητο καὶ ἀσπιδόεσσα χορείη.
τοῖσι συνεστρατόωντο μαχήμονες υἷες Ἀβάντων,
οἳ λάχον ὀφρυόεσσαν Ἐρέτριαν, οἳ λάχον ἄμφω,
160 καὶ Στύρα καὶ Κήρινθον, ἀειδομένης τε Καρύστου
ἕδρανα καὶ Δίου κραναὸν πέδον, οἵ τ᾽ ἔχον ἀκτήν,
ἀκτὴν κυματόεσσαν ἀσιγήτοιο Γεραιστοῦ,
καὶ Στύγα καὶ Κοτυλαῖον ἕδος καὶ Σιρίδος ἕδρην
Μαρμαρίου τε τένοντα καὶ Ὠγυγίης πέδον Αἰγῆς:
165 τοῖς ἅμα λαὸς ἵκανεν ὁμόστολος, οἷς πέλε πάτρη
Χαλκίς, ὀπισθοκόμων μητρόπτολις Ἐλλοπιήων.
ἑπτὰ μὲν ἡγεμόνες στρατὸν ὥπλισαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἕνα πάντες
θυμὸν ἔχον κατ᾽ Ἄρηα: καὶ ἀστέρας αἴθοπι βωμῷ
Ζῳδιακῆς ναετῆρας ἐμειλίξαντο κελεύθου,
170 δῆριν ἰσηρίθμοισιν ἐπιτρέψαντες ἀλήταις.
[135] The Euboian battalions were ruled by shieldbearing Corybants, guardians of Dionysos in his growing days: who in the Phrygian gulf beside mountainranging Rheia surrounded Bacchos still a child with their drumskins. They found him once, a horned baby, covered with a cloak the colour of purple wine, lying among the rocks where Ino had left him in charge of Mystis the mother of Corymbos. All these came then from the famous island: Prymneus, and Mimas Waddlefoot, and Acmon the forester, Damneus and Ocythoös the shieldman; and with them came flash-helm Melisseus as comrade to Idaios, whom their father Socos under the insane goad of impiety had once cast out of their brinegirt country along with Combe the mother of seven. They escaped and passed to Cnossian soil, and again went on their travels from Crete to Phrygia, and foreign settlers and hearthguests until Cecrops destroyed Socos with avenging blade of justice; then leaving the land of brineflooded Marathon turned their steps homewards to the sacred soil of the Abantes, the earthborn stock of the ancient Curetes, whose life is the tune of pipes, whose life is the goodly noise of beaten swords, whose heart is set upon rhythmic circling of the feet and the shieldwise dancing. To the army came also warrior sons of the Abantes, whose lot was in the beetling brows of Eretria, whose lot was both Styra and Cerinthos, and the settlements of farfamed Carystos, and the barren land of Dion, those who held the shore, that boisterous shore of Geraistos never silent, and Styx and the Cotylaian fort and the habitation of Siris, the stretches of Marmarion and the domain of ancient Aige. With these ranged themselves those whose country was Chalcis, mother city of the Ellopians with backflowing hair. Seven captains armed this host, but all of one temper for war: with blazing altar they propitiated the tenants of the Zodiac path, committing their campaign to the planets of equal number.
Κεκροπίδας δ᾽ ἐκόρυσσε μόθων ἀκόρητος Ἐρεχθεύς —
χρύσεον ἀγλαόπαιδος Ἐρεχθέος αἷμα κομίζων,
τόν ποτε πυρσοφόροιο κατὰ πτύχα παρθενεῶνος
παρθένος αὐτολόχευτος ἀνέτρεφεν ἄρσενι μαζῷ
175 παιδοκόμος γλαυκῶπις ἀνήροτος, αἰδομένη δὲ
παρθενίῳ πήχυνεν ἀήθεϊ κοῦρον ἀγοστῷ
Ἡφαιστηιάδην, ὅτε δύσγαμος ἀμφιγυήεις
ἀλλοίῃ φιλότητι γονὴν ἔσπειρεν ἀρούρῃ,
θερμὸν ἀκοντίζων αὐτόσσυτον ἀφρὸν Ἐρώτων:
180 τοῖος Ἀθηναίων στρατιῆς πρόμος ἦλθεν Ἐρεχθεύς,
Σίφνον ἔχων συνάεθλον, ὁμόπτολιν ἡγεμονῆα — ,
οἳ λάχον Οἰνώης γόνιμον πέδον, οἵ τε καρήνων
γείτονος Ὑμήττοιο μελισσήεντας ἐναύλους
καὶ τέμενος βαθύδενδρον ἐλαιοκόμου Μαραθῶνος,
185 οἵ τε πόλιν Κελεοῖο, καὶ οἳ λάχον ὅρμον Ἀθήνης,
ἀγχίαλον Βραυρῶνα, κενήριον Ἰφιγενείης,
καὶ δάπεδον Θορίκοιο καὶ εὐώδινος Ἀφίδνης,
οἵ τ᾽ ἔχον ἀγλαόπαιδος Ἐλευσινίην χθόνα Δηοῦς,
μυστιπόλοι ταλάροιο καὶ εὐκάρποιο θεαίνης,
190 Τριπτολέμου γεγαῶτες ἀφ᾽ αἵματος, ὅς ποτε Δηοῦς
δίφρον
ἐχιδνήεντα δι᾽ ἠέρος ἡνιοχεύων
στικτὰ φερεσταχύων ἐπεμάστιε νῶτα δρακόντων:
καὶ πολὺς ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα σιδήρεα τεύχεα πάλλων
παισὶ κορυσσομένοισι γέρων ὤρεξεν Ἀχαρνεύς:
195 καὶ στίχες Ἀτθίδος ἦλθον ἐπήλυδες, ἐγρεμόθων δὲ
σὺν δορί, σὺν ξιφέεσσιν ἐπειγομένων ναετήρων
εἰς μόθον εὐπήληκες ἐβακχεύθησαν Ἀθῆναι,
ἐσσυμένων δ᾽ ἐς Ἄρηα λιμὴν ἤχησε Φαληρεύς:
καὶ πολὺς ἀγγέλλων προτέρην αὐτόχθονα φύτλην
200 χρύσεος εὐπλέκτοισι κόμαις ἐσφίγγετο τέττιξ.
[171] The Cecropides were mustered by Erechtheus, the glutton of battle. – He had in him the golden blood of Erechtheus father of glorious sons, whom once the Virgin selfborn nursed at her manly breast in the recess of her torchlit maiden chamber, Brighteyes unwedded turned nursemaid, and shamefast clasped with her inexperienced maiden arm that son of Hephaistos, when Crookshank unhappy in his wife split his seed in unnatural love, and the hot foam of love fell of itself on the earth. – This was the Erechtheus who came as captain of the Athenians, with Siphnos to share his task, chief of that same city: those whose lot was in the fertile land of Oinoë, and the bee-frequented vales on the heights of neighbouring Hymettos, and the deep woody borders of oliveplanted Marathon, and the city of Celeos; and those from the harbour of Athens, Brauron near the sea, the empty barrow of Iphigeneia, and the ground of Thoricos, and teeming Aphidna; and those who hold the Eleusinian land of daughterproud Deo, initiates of the Basket and the goodfruit goddess, those born of the blood of Triptolemos: who once on a time drove Deo’s chariot and serpents through the air, with their load of cornears, and lashed the serpents’ backs. Many an old man of Acharnai came, flourishing his armour of steel about and holding it out to his sons equipping themselves. The ranks of Attica came to join; with spears and with sword the burghers hastened to make the fray, on to the fray fine helmet on head came Athens ranging along, the harbour of Phaleron resounded with men hurrying to war; many a golden cicada was made fast in the plaited hair to proclaim their ancient indigenous race.