Works of Nonnus
Page 217
15 ἀλλὰ μετὰ βροτέην προμάχων ἡρωίδα φύτλην
καὶ στρατιὴν ζαθέην με διδάξατε, Φοιβάδες αὖραι.
[15] Now once more, ye breaths of Phoibos, after the tale of mortal heroes and warriors teach me also the host divine!
πρῶτα μὲν ἐκ Λήμνοιο πυριγλώχινος ἐρίπνης
φήμη ἀελλήεσσα Σάμου παρὰ μύστιδι πεύκῃ
υἱέας Ἡφαίστοιο δύω θώρηξε Καβείρους,
20 οὔνομα μητρὸς ἔχοντας ὁμόγνιον, οὓς πάρος ἄμφω
οὐρανίῳ χαλκῆι τέκε Θρήισσα Καβειρώ:
Ἄλκων Εὐρυμέδων τε, δαήμονες ἐσχαρεῶνος.
[17] First from the firepeak rock of Lemnos the two Cabeiroi in arms answered the stormy call beside the mystic torch of Samos, two sons of Hephaistos whom Thracian Cabeiro had borne to the heavenly smith, Alcon and Eurymedon well skilled at the forge, who bore their mother’s tribal name.
καὶ βλοσυροὶ Κρήτηθεν ἀολλίζοντο μαχηταὶ
δάκτυλοι Ἰδαῖοι, κραναῆς ναετῆρες ἐρίπνης,
25 Γηγενέες Κορύβαντες ὁμήλυδες, ὧν ποτε Ῥείῃ
ἐκ χθονὸς αὐτοτέλεστος ἀνεβλάστησε γενέθλη:
οἳ βρέφος ἀρτιλόχευτον ἀεξιτόκῳ παρὰ πέτρῃ
Ζῆνα φερεσσακέεσσιν ἐμιτρώσαντο χορείαις,
κῶμον ἀνακρούοντες ὀρίκτυπον ἠπεροπῆα,
30 ἠέρα βακχεύοντες: ἀρασσομένοιο δὲ χαλκοῦ
ἀγχινεφὴς Κρονίοισιν ἐπέβρεμεν οὔασιν ἠχὼ
κουροσύνην Κρονίωνος ὑποκλέπτουσα βοείαις:
καὶ πρόμος ἡγεμόνευε χοροπλεκέων Κορυβάντων
Πύρριχος Ἰδαῖός τε σακέσπαλος, οἷς ἅμα βαίνων
35 Κνώσσιος αἰόλα φῦλα παρώνυμος ὥπλισε Κύρβας.
[23] From Crete came grim warriors to join them, the Idaian Dactyloi, dwellers on a rocky crag, earthborn Corybants, a generation which grew up for Rheia selfmade out of the ground in the olden time. These had surrounded Zeus a newborn babe in the cavern which fostered his breeding, and danced about him shield in hand, the deceivers, raising wild songs which echoes among the rocks and maddened the air – the noise of the clanging brass resounded in the ears of Cronos high among the clouds, and concealed the infancy of Cronion with drummings. The chief and leader of the dancing Corybants was Pyrrhichos and shake-a-shield Idaios; and with them came Cnossian Cyrbas, and armed his motley troops, their namefellow.
καὶ φθονεροὶ Τελχῖνες ἐπήλυδες εἰς μόθον Ἰνδῶν
ἐκ βυθίου κενεῶνος ἀολλίζοντο θαλάσσης:
καὶ δολιχῇ παλάμῃ δονέων περιμήκετον αἰχμὴν
ἦλθε Λύκος, κάμῃ Σκέλμις ἐφέσπετο Δαμναμενῆι
40 πάτριον ἰθύνων Ποσιδήιον ἅρμα θαλάσσης,
Τληπολέμου μετὰ γαῖαν ἁλιπλανέες μετανάσται,
δαίμονες ὑγρονόμοι μανιώδεες, οὓς πάρος αὐτοὶ
πατρῴης ἀέκοντας ἀποτμήξαντες ἀρούρης
Θρῖναξ σὺν Μακαρῆι καὶ ἀγλαὸς ἤλασεν Αὔγης,
45 υἱέες Ἠελίοιο: διωκόμενοι δὲ τιθήνης
χερσὶ βαρυζήλοισιν ἀρυόμενοι Στυγὸς ὕδωρ
ἄσπορον εὐκάρποιο Ῥόδου ποίησαν ἀλωήν,
ὕδασι Ταρταρίοισι περιρραίνοντες ἀρούρας.
[36] The spiteful Telchines came also to the Indian War, gathering out of the cavernous deeps of the sea. Lycos came, shaking with his long arm a very long spear; Scelmis came, following Damnameneus, guiding the seachariot of his father Poseidon. These were wanderers who had left Tlepolemos’s land and taken to the sea, furious demons of the waters, who long ago had been cut off reluctant from their father’s land by Thrinax with Macareus and glorious Auges, sons of Helios; driven from their nursing-mother they took up the water of Styx with their spiteful hands, and made barren the soil of fruitful Rhodes, by drenching the fields with water of Tartaros.
τοῖς ἔπι Κενταύρων διφυὴς πρηεῖα γενέθλη:
50 ἵππιον εἶδος ἔχοντι Φόλῳ συνομάρτεε Χείρων
ἀλλοφυής, ἀδάμαστος, ἔχων ἀχάλινον ὑπήνην.
[49] After them came the gentle tribe of twiform Centaurs. Beside Pholos in horse’s form was Cheiron, himself of that strange nature, untamed, with mouth unbridled.
Κυκλώπων δὲ φάλαγγες ἐπέρρεον: ὧν ἐνὶ χάρμῃ
χερσὶν ἀθωρήκτοισιν ἀκοντίζοντο κολῶναι
ἔγχεα πετρήεντα, καὶ ἀσπίδες ἦσαν ἐρίπναι,
55 καὶ σκοπιὴ λοφόεσσα χαραδραίη πέλε πήληξ,
καὶ Σικελοὶ σπινθῆρες ἔσαν φλογόεντες ὀιστοί:
καὶ σέλας αἰθύσσοντες ἐθήμονος ἐσχαρεῶνος
πυρσοφόροις παλάμῃσιν ἐθωρήσσοντο μαχηταί,
Βρόντης τε Στερόπης τε καὶ Εὐρύαλος καὶ Ἐλατρεὺς
60 Ἄργης τε Τράχιός τε καὶ αὐχήεις Ἁλιμήδης.
ἀλλὰ τόσος καὶ τοῖος ἐλείπετο μοῦνος Ἐνυοῦς
ἀγχινεφὴς Πολύφημος, ἀπόσπορος ἐννοσιγαίου,
ὅττί μιν ὑγροκέλευθος ἐρήτυεν αὐτόθι μίμνειν
ἄλλος Ἔρως πολέμοιο φιλαίτερος: εἰσορόων γὰρ
65 ἡμιφανῆ Γαλάτειαν ἐπέκτυπε γείτονι πόντῳ,
νυμφιδίῃ σύριγγι χέων φιλοπάρθενον ἠχώ.
[52] Battalions of Cyclopians came like a flood. In battle, these with weaponless hands cast hills for their stony spears, and their shields were cliffs; a peak from some mountain-ravine was their crested helmet, Sicilian sparks were their fiery arrows. They went into battle holding burning brands and blazing with light from the forge they knew so well – Brontes and Steropes, Euryalos and Elatreus, Arges and Trachios and proud Halimedes. One alone was left behind from the war, Polyphemos, tall as the clouds, so mighty and so great, the Earthshaker’s own son; he was kept in his placee by another love, dearer than war, under the watery ways, for he had seen Galateia half-hidden, and made the neighbouring sea resound as he pouredc out his love for a maiden in the wooing tones of his pipes.
καὶ σκοπέλων ναετῆρες ἀπ᾽ αὐτορόφοιο μελάθρου,
οὔνομα Πανὸς ἔχοντες, ἐρημονόμου γενετῆρος,
Πᾶνες ἐθωρήχθησαν ὁμήλυδες, ὧν ἐπὶ μορφῇ
70 ἀνδρομέῃ κεκέραστο δασύτριχος αἰγὸς ὀπωπή:
καὶ νόθον εἶδος ἔχοντες ἐυκραίροιο καρήνου
δώδεκα Πᾶνες ἔσαν κεραελκέες, ἀρχεγόνου δὲ
Πανὸς ἑνὸς γεγάασιν ὀρεσσαύλοιο τοκῆος.
τὸν μὲν ἐφημίξαντο
Κελαινέα μάρτυρι μορφῇ,
75 τὸν δὲ φυῆς Ἀργεννὸν ὁμώνυμον: Αἰγικόρῳ δὲ
ἅρμενον οὔνομα θῆκαν, ἐπεὶ νομίῃ παρὰ ποίμνῃ
αἰγείων κεκόρητο περιθλίβων γάλα μαζῶν:
ἄλλος δ᾽ Ἠυγένειος ἀκούετο θεσπέσιος Πὰν
ἀμφιλαφῆ πλοκάμοισιν ἔχων λειμῶνα γενείου:
80 καὶ νομίῳ κεκόρυστο σὺν Ὠμηστῆρι Δαφοινεύς:
καὶ Φόβος ὡμάρτησε δασυκνήμιδι Φιλάμνῳ:
Ξάνθῳ Γλαῦκος ἵκανεν ὁμόστολος: ἀντιτύποις γὰρ
Γλαῦκος ἑοῖς μελέεσσιν ὁμόχροος ἔσκε θαλάσσῃ
γλαυκιόων, καὶ Ξάνθος ἔχων ξανθόχροα χαίτην
85 οὔνομα τοῖον ἔδεκτο κερασφόρος ἀστὸς ἐρίπνης:
καὶ θρασὺς Ἄργος ἵκανε φέρων χιονώδεα χαίτην.
τοῖσιν ἔσαν δύο Πᾶνες ὁμήλυδες, οὓς τέκεν Ἑρμῆς
κεκριμένῃ φιλότητι μιγεὶς διδυμάοσι Νύμφαις:
τὸν μὲν ὀρεστιάδος Σώσης μετανεύμενος εὐνὴν
90 μαντιπόλου σπέρμηνε θεηγόρον ἔμπλεον ὀμφῆς,
Ἀγρέα θηροφόνῳ μελέτῃ πεπυκασμένον ἄγρης:
τὸν δὲ νομαῖς ὀίων Νόμιον φίλον, ὁππότε Νύμφης
δέμνιον ἀγραύλοιο διέστιχε Πηνελοπείης,
ποιμενίῃ σύριγγι μεμηλότα. τοῖς ἅμα Φόρβας
95 ὠμηστὴς ἀκόρητος ὁμόστολον εἶχε πορείην.
[67] The rockdwellers came also from their selfvaulted caves, bearing all the name of Pan their father the ranger of the wilderness, all armed to join the host; they have human form, and a shaggy goat’s-head upon it with horns. Twelve horned Pans there were, with his changeling shape and hornbearing head, who were begotten of the one ancestral Pan their mountainranging father. One they named Celaineus, Blackie, as his looks bore witness, and one Argennos, Whitely, after his colour; Aigicoros was well dubbed Goatgluts, because he glutted himself with goat’s-milk which he pressed from the nannies’ udders in the flock. Another masterly Pan was called Longbear Eugeneios, from a throat and chin which was a thick meadow of hair. Daphnoineus the Bloody came along with Omester, Eatemraw; Phobos the Frightaway with shaggy-legged Philamnos the Lamb’s Friend. Glaucos came with Xanthos, Glaucos glaring like the bright sea, with a complexion to match. Xanthos had a mane of hair like a bayard, which gave that name to the horned frequenter of the rocks. Then there was bold Argos with a shock of hair as white as snow. With these were two other Pans, the sons of Hermes, who divided his love between two Nymphs: for one he visited the bed of Sose, the highland prophetess, and begat a son inspired with the divine voice of prophecy, Agreus, well versed in the beast-slaying sport of the hunt; the other was Nomios, whom the pasturing sheep loved well, one practised in the shepherd’s pipe, for whom Hermes sought the bed of Penelope, the country Nymph. Along with these came Phorbas to join the march, savage and insatiate.
καὶ παλάμην νάρθηκι γέρων Σειληνὸς ἐρείσας
δισσοφυὴς κεκόρυστο κερασφόρος υἱὸς ἀρούρης,
τρισσοὺς παῖδας ἄγων θιασώδεας: εἰς ἐνοπὴν γὰρ
Ἀστραῖος κεκόρυστο, Μάρων κίεν, ἕσπετο Ληνεύς,
100 χεῖρας ἐλαφρίζοντες ὀριπλανέος γενετῆρος
γηροκόμοις ῥοπάλοισι: λιποσθενέων δὲ γερόντων
νωχελὲς ἀμπελόεντι δέμας κουφίζετο βάκτρῳ,
ὧν μάλα πουλυέτηρος ἔην χρόνος, ὧν ἄπο θερμὴ
πουλυγάμων Σατύρων διφυὴς ἀνέτελλε γενέθλη.
[96] Old Seilenos also was ready for the fray, holding the fennel-stalk, that horned son of the soil with twiform shape. He brought three festive sons: Astraios was armed for battle; Maron came too, and Leneus followed, each with a staff to support the hands of their old father in his travels over the hills. These ancients already weak had vinebranches to support their slow bodies; many were the years of their time, from these had sprung the hot twiform generation of the muchmarried Satyrs.
105 καὶ Σατύρους κερόεντας ἐκόσμεον ἡγεμονῆες
Ποιμένιος Θίασός τε καὶ Ὑψίκερως καὶ Ὀρέστης,
καὶ κεραῷ Φλεγραῖος ἐφωμάρτησε Ναπαίῳ:
ἦλθε Γέμων, κεκόρυστο Λύκων θρασύς: ἀκροπότῃ δὲ
πετραίῳ γελόωντι φιλέψιος ἕσπετο Φηρεύς,
110 καὶ Λάμις οὐρεσίφοιτος ὁμόστολον εἶχε πορείην
Ληνοβίῳ, καὶ Σκιρτὸς ἐκώμασε σύνδρομος Οἴστρῳ,
σὺν δὲ Φερεσπόνδῳ Λύκος ἤιεν, ἠχέτα κῆρυξ,
καὶ Πρόνομος πραπίδεσσι κεκασμένος, οὓς τέκεν Ἑρμῆς
ἰφθίμην κρυφίοισιν ὑποζεύξας ὑμεναίοις,
115 τήν ποτε Δῶρος ἔτικτε, Διὸς βλάστημα γενέθλης,
ῥίζα γονῆς Ἕλληνος, ἀπ᾽ ἀρχεγόνοιο δὲ Δώρου
Δωρίδος ἐβλάστησεν Ἀχαικὸν αἷμα γενέθλης:
τοῖσι γέρας καὶ σκῆπτρον ἐπέτρεπεν Εἰραφιώτης
οὐρανίου κήρυκος ἀεξινόοιο τοκῆος.
120 αἰεὶ μὲν μεθύουσα φιλακρήτοισι κυπέλλοις
πᾶσα γονὴ Σατύρων θρασυκάρδιος, ἐν δὲ κυδοιμῷ
μοῦνον ἀπειλητῆρες ἀεὶ φεύγοντες Ἐνυώ,
νόσφι μόθοιο λέοντες, ἐνὶ πτολέμοις δὲ λαγωοί,
ἴδμονες ὀρχηστῆρες, ἐπιστάμενοι πλέον ἄλλων
125 οἰνοδόκου μέθυ λαρὸν ἀπὸ κρητῆρος ἀφύσσειν:
τῶν ὀλίγοι γεγάασι μαχήμονες, οὓς θρασὺς Ἄρης
παντοίην ἐδίδαξε μεληδόνα δηιοτῆτος,
κοσμῆσαι δὲ φάλαγγα: κορυσσομένου δὲ Λυαίου
οἱ μὲν ἀδεψήτοισι δέμας κρύψαντο Βοείαις,
130 οἱ δὲ δοραῖς λασίῃσιν ἐκαρτύνοντο λεόντων,
ἄλλοι πορδαλίων βλοσυρὰς δύσαντο καλύπτρας,
οἱ δὲ τανυπτόρθοισιν ἐθωρήσσοντο κορύμβοις,
οἱ δὲ τανυκραίρων ἐλάφων ἀντίρροπον ἄστρων
ποικίλον ἐν στέρνοισιν ἀνεζώννυντο χιτῶνα:
135 τοῖς μὲν ἐπὶ κροτάφοις διδυμάονες ἀμφὶ μετώπῳ
ὀξυτενεῖς γλωχῖνες ἐμηκύνοντο κεραίης,
ψεδνὴ δ᾽ ὀκριόεντι καρήατι φύετο χαίτη
ἀκροφανὴς σκολιοῖσιν ἐπ᾽ ὄμμασιν, οὔατα δ᾽ ἄμφω
νισσομένων πτερόεντες ἀνερρίπιζον �
�ῆται
140 ἰθυτενῆ, λασίοισιν ἐπικτυπέοντα γενείοις
ἐκταδόν, ἱππείη δὲ τιταινομένη διὰ νώτου
ὄρθιος ἀμφιέλικτος ἀπ᾽ ἰξύος ἔρρεεν οὐρή.
[105] And the horned Satyrs were commanded by these leaders: Poemenios and Thiasos, Hypsiceros and Orestes, and Phlegraios with horned Napaios. There was Gemon, there was bold Lycon armed; playful Phereus followed laughing tippling Petraios, hillranging Lamis marched with Lenobios, and Scirtos tripping along beside Oistos. With Pherespondos walked Lycos the loudvoiced herald, and Pronomos renowned for intelligence – all sons of Hermes, when he had joined Iphthime to himself in secret union. She was the daughter of Doros, himself sprung from Zeus and a root of the race of Hellen, and Doros was ancestor whence came the Achaian blood of the Dorian tribe. To these three, Eiraphiotes entrusted the dignity of the staff of the heavenly herald, their father the source of wisdom. The whole tribe of Satyrs is boldhearted while they are drunken with bumpers of wine; but in battle they are but braggarts who run away from the fight – hares in the battlefield, lions outside, clever dancers, who know better than all the world how to ladle strong drink from the bull mixing-bowl. Few of these have been men of war, to whom bold Ares has taught all the practice of the fray and how to manage a battalion. Here when Lyaios prepared for war, some of them covered their bodies with raw oxhides, others fortified themselves with skins of shaggy lions, others put on the grim pelts of panthers, others equipped themselves with long pointed staves, others girt about their chests the skins of long-antlered stags dappled like stars in the sky. With these creatures, the two horns on the temples right and left lengthened their sharp points, and a scanty fluff grew on the top of the pointed skull over the crooked eyes. When they ran, the winged breezes blew back their two ears, stretched out straight and flapping against their hairy cheeks: behind them a horse’s tail stuck out straight and lashed round their loins on either side.