Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  μὴ ποταμοῦ παρὰ χεῦμα φερώνυμον Ἰνδὸν Ὀρόντην

  γαμβρὸν ἐσαθρήσητε δεδουπότα Δηριαδῆος.

  280 Ῥείη χωομένη δύναται πλέον ἰοχεαίρης:

  Φοίβου φεύγετε Βάκχον ἀδελφεόν: αἰδέομαι γὰρ

  Ἰνδῶν κτεινομένων ἀλλότρια δάκρυα λείβει.’

  [269] The god seated at the rail of his leaf-entwined car passed the stream of Sangarios, passed the bosom of the Phrygian land, passed the mourning rock of stony Niobe; and the stone, seeing the Indian host warring against Lyaios, shed tears and spoke again with human voice: “Make not war against a god, foolish Indians! the son of Zeus! lest Bacchos turn you also, threatening battle, into stone, as Apollo did to me; lest you have to lament a shape like my stony shape; lest you see the goodson of Deriades, Indian Orontes, fallen beside the stream of the river that bears his name. Rheia in wrath is stronger than the Archeress. Flee from Bacchos, Apollo’s brother! It would be a shame, if I must see Indians being slain and weep for strangers!”

  τοῖα λίθον βοόωντα πάλιν σφρηγίσσατο σιγή.

  καὶ θεὸς ἀμπελόεις φρυγίης μετὰ πέζαν ἐρίπνης

  [283] So the stone spoke, then silence sealed it again.

  285 Ἀσκανίης ἐπέβαινεν. ὁμηγερέες δὲ πολῖται

  πάντες, ὅσοις Ἰόβακχος ἑὴν ὤρεξεν ὀπώρην,

  καὶ τελετὰς ἐδέχοντο καὶ ἠσπάζοντο χορείας,

  αὐχένα δοχμώσαντες ἀνικήτῳ Διονύσῳ,

  εἰρήνης ἐθέλοντες ἀναιμάκτοιο γαλήνην:

  290 Βάκχων τοῖος ἔην κερόεις στρατός, οἷς ἅμα Βάκχαι

  εἰς μόθον ὡπλίζοντο. φιλαγρύπνῳ δὲ Λυαίῳ

  πάννυχος ἀστερόεντα πυρίτροχον ὁλκὸν ὑφαίνων

  οὐρανὸς ἐβρόντησεν, ἐπεὶ τότε μάρτυρι πυρσῷ

  νίκης Ἰνδοφόνοιο τέλος μαντεύσατο Ῥείη.

  [284] Now the vinegod left the Phrygian plain, and entered Ascania. All the people gathered there, to whom Iobacchos offered his fruitage, accepted his rites and welcomed his dances, bowing the neck to invincible Dionysos, wishing for the quietude of peace without bloodshed. So mighty was the horned host of Bacchos, with the Bacchant women beside them armed for war. But Lyaios kept vigil; all night long heaven thundered, threading fiery streaks among the stars; since Rheia then foretold with witnessing flash the bloodshed of the Indian victory.

  295 εἰς ἐνοπὴν δ᾽ ἠῷος ἔβη θεὸς ὕβριν ἐλαύνων

  ἀνδρῶν κυανέων, ἵνα δούλιον αὐχένα Λυδῶν

  καὶ Φρυγίης ναετῆρα καὶ Ἀσκανίης πολιήτην

  κοιρανίης δασπλῆτος ἀποζεύξειε λεπάδνων.

  τοῖς τότε Βάκχος ἔπεμπε δύω κήρυκας Ἐνυοῦς

  300 ἀγγελίην ἐνέπειν, ἢ φευγέμεν ἢ πολεμίζειν:

  καί σφισι νισσομένοισι συνέστιχεν αἰγίβοτος Πάν,

  [295] In the morning, the god went forth to war, driving before him the violence of the black men, that he might free the neck of the Lycians and those who dwelt in Phrygia and Ascania from the yoke of cruel tyranny. Then Bacchos sent two heralds to give proclamation of war, either to fight or to fly: and with them went goatfoot Pan, his long-haired beard shadowing his whole-chest.

  στῆθος ὅλον σκιόωντα φέρων πώγωνα κομήτην.

  Ἥρη δ᾽ ὠκυπέδιλος, ἐειδομένη δέμας Ἰνδῷ,

  οὐλοκόμῳ Μελανῆι μὴ οἴνοπα θύρσον ἀείρειν

  305 Ἀστράεντα κέλευε, δορυσσόον ὄρχαμον ἀνδρῶν,

  μηδὲ φιλακρήτων Σατύρων ἀλάλαγμα γεραίρειν,

  ἀλλὰ μάχην ἄσπονδον ἀναστῆσαι Διονύσῳ:

  καί τινα μῦθον ἔειπε παραιφαμένη πρόμον Ἰνδῶν:

  ‘Ἡδὺς ὁ δειμαίνων ἁπαλὴν στίχα θηλυτεράων.

  310 Ἀστράεις, πολέμιζε: κορύσσεο καὶ σύ, Κελαινεῦ,

  χαλκὸν ἔχων τμητῆρα κορυμβοφόρου Διονύσου:

  ἔγχεϊ δ᾽ οὐ πέλε θύρσος ὁμοίιος. ἀλλά, Κελαινεῦ,

  Δηριάδην πεφύλαξο μεμηνότα, μή σε δαμάσσῃ

  οὐτιδανὴν ἀσίδηρον ἀλυσκάζοντα γυναῖκα.’

  [303] But swiftshoe Hera, likening herself to an Indian, the curly-headed Melaneus, warned Astraëis, the spearshaking captain of men, not to uplift the thyrsus nor to heed the yell of drunken Satyrs, but to raise war to the death against Dionysos. She spoke these words to move the Indian chief: “You’re a nice one, to fear a feeble troop of women! Fight, Astraëis! Arm yourself too, Celaineus, and take a sharp blade to cut down Dionysos and his ivy-bunches! Thyrsus is no match for spear! No, no, look out for Deriades! He will be mad, and make an end of you, if you shrink from a weak unarmed woman!”

  315 ὣς φαμένη παρέπεισε, καὶ ἠέρα δύσατο δαίμων,

  μητρυιὴ κοτέουσα μενεπτολέμῳ Διονύσῳ.

  [315] She spoke, the stepmother furious against indomitable Dionysos. The goddess got her way, and hid in darkness.

  καὶ βρομίου κήρυκες ἀπήλυθον: ἀγχιφανὴς δὲ

  Ἀστράεις ὑπέροπλος, ἔχων ἄστοργον ἀπειλήν,

  μαίνετο βουκεράους Σατύρους καὶ Πᾶνα διώκων,

  320 μειλιχίου κήρυκας ἀτιμάζων Διονύσου.

  οἱ δὲ παλιννόστοιο ποδὸς δειδήμονι ταρσῷ

  φύξιον ἴχνος ἔκαμψαν ἐγερσιμόθῳ Διονύσῳ.

  [317] Then the heralds of Bromios departed, for Astraëis drew near them contemptuous, with pitiless menace on his tongue. Furiously he chased away Pan, and the oxhorned Satyrs, despising the heralds of Dionysos when he was gentle. They turned with timid foot, and made their way back in flight to Dionysos now in warlike mood.

  καὶ στρατὸν ὥπλισε Βάκχος ἐς ἀντιπόρων στίχας Ἰνδῶν.

  οὐδὲ λάθε ζοφόεντα Κελαινέα θῆλυς Ἐνυώ,

  325 ἀλλὰ θορὼν ἀκίχητος ὅλον στρατὸν ὥπλισεν Ἰνδῶν:

  καὶ θρασὺς Ἀστράεις, μενεδήιον οἶστρον ἀέξων,

  Ἀστακίδος κελάδοντα περὶ ῥόον ἵστατο λίμνης,

  δέγμενος ἀμπελόεντος ἐπηλυσίην Διονύσου.

  [323] No Bacchos made ready his army against the hostile troops of Indians. Nor did swarthy Celaineus fail to see the womanish warriors. He leapt up with all speed and called to arms the whole Indian host; while bold Astraëis with ever-growing martial rage took his stand beside the murmuring waves of the Astacid lake, and awaited the attack of Dionysos the vinegod.

  ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ διδύμης στρατιῆς ἑτερόζυγι λαῷ

  330 ἀμφοτέρων στίχα πᾶσαν ἐκόσμεον ἡγεμονῆες,

  κλαγγῇ μὲν ζοφόεντες ἐπὶ κλόνον ἤιον Ἰνδοί,

  Θρηικίοις γεράνοισιν ἐοικότες, εὖτε φυγ�
�ῦσαι

  χειμερίην μάστιγα καὶ ἠερίου χύσιν ὄμβρου

  Πυγμαίων ἀγεληδὸν ἐπαΐσσουσι καρήνοις

  335 Τηθύος ἀμφὶ ῥέεθρα, καὶ ὀξυόεντι γενείῳ

  οὐτιδανῆς ὀλέκουσι λιποσθενὲς αἷμα γενέθλης,

  ἱπτάμεναι νεφεληδὸν ὑπὲρ κέρας Ὠκεανοῖο:

  [329] When the captains of the two armies of the two peoples had mustered their troops in two opposing lines, the swarthy Indians advanced to battle with loud cries: like Thracian cranes, when they fly from the scourge of winter and floods of stormy rain to throw their great flocks against the heads of pygmies round the water of Tethys, and when with sharp beaks they have destroyed that weak helpless race, they wing their way like a cloud over the horn of Ocean.

  εἰς ἐνοπὴν δ᾽ ἑτέρωθεν ἐβακχεύοντο μαχηταί,

  ἀκλινέες θεράποντες ἐγερσιμόθου Διονύσου:

  340 Βασσαρίδων δὲ φάλαγγες ἐπέρρεον: ἀγρομένων δὲ

  ἡ μὲν ἐχιδναίῳ κεφαλὴν ἐζώσατο δεσμῷ,

  ἡ δὲ διεσφήκωσε κόμην εὐώδεϊ κισσῷ,

  ἄλλη χαλκοφόρῳ παλάμην ἐκορύσσετο θύρσῳ

  οἰστρομανής, ἑτέρη δὲ κατ᾽ αὐχένος ἄμμορα δεσμῶν

  345 μηκεδανῆς μεθέηκε καθειμένα βόστρυχα χαίτης,

  Μαιναλὶς ἀκρήδεμνος, ἐπ᾽ ἀμφοτέρων δέ οἱ ὤμων

  ἀπλεκέας πλοκαμῖδας ἀνερρίπιζεν ἀήτης:

  ἄλλη ῥόπτρα τίνασσε συνήορα δίζυγι χαλκῷ

  πλοχμοὺς εἱλικόεντας ἐπαιθύσσουσα καρήνῳ:

  350 ἄλλη δ᾽ ἐν παλάμῃσι, κατάσχετος ἅλματι λύσσης,

  ὄρθιον ἐσμαράγησε μόθων ἀντίκτυπον ἠχώ,

  χερσὶ περικροτέουσα βαρύβρομα νῶτα βοείης:

  καὶ πέλεν ἔγχεα θύρσα, καλυπτομένη δὲ πετήλοις

  δούρατος ἀμπελόεντος ἔην χαλκήλατος αἰχμή:

  355 ἡ δὲ δαφοινήεντος ἐφιμείρουσα κυδοιμοῦ

  ὠμοβόρων ἔζευξεν ἐπ᾽ αὐχένι δεσμὰ δρακόντων:

  ἄλλη ποικιλόνωτον ἐπὶ στέρνοιο καλύπτρην

  πορδαλίων, ἑτέρη δὲ κατὰ χροὸς οἶα χιτῶνα

  στικτὰ φιλοσκοπέλων ἐνεδύσατο δέρματα νεβρῶν,

  360 δαιδαλέης ἐλάφοιο περισφίγξασα καλύπτρην:

  ἄλλη σκύμνον ἔχουσα δασυστέρνοιο λεαίνης

  ἀνδρομέῳ γλαγόεντι νόθῳ πιστώσατο μαζῷ:

  καί τις ὄφιν τριέλικτον ἀπήμονι δήσατο κόλπῳ

  ἐνδόμυχον ζωστῆρα, κεχηνότα γείτονι μηρῷ,

  365 μείλιχα συρίζοντα, φιλακρήτοιό τε κούρης

  ὑπναλέης ἄγρυπνον ὀπιπευτῆρα κορείης:

  ἄλλη ταρσὰ φέρουσα κατ᾽ οὔρεα γυμνὰ πεδίλων,

  ποσσὶ βάτους πατέουσα καὶ ὀξυέθειρας ἀκάνθας,

  θηγαλέῃ στατὸν ἴχνος ἐπεστήριξεν ἀχέρδῳ:

  370 καί τις ἐπαΐξασα τανυκνήμιδι καμήλῳ

  καμπύλον ἀμητῆρι διέθρισεν αὐχένα θύρσῳ,

  καὶ τυφλοῖσι πόδεσσι περιπταίουσα κελεύθῳ

  ἡμιφανὴς πεφόρητο, πολυγνάμπτῳ δὲ πορείῃ

  φοιταλέης ἀκάρηνον ἐπείγετο σῶμα καμήλου,

  375 καὶ σφαλερῇ πλήσσουσα βαθυνομένην χθόνα χηλῇ

  ὕπτιος αὐτοκύλιστος ἐπωλίσθησε κονίῃ:

  ἄλλη δ᾽ ἴχνος ἄγουσα βοοτρόφον εἰς ῥάχιν ὕλης

  ἄσχετα μαινομένοιο δορῆς ἐδράξατο ταύρου,

  καὶ βλοσυροῖς ὀνύχεσσι χαρασσομένης ἀπὸ δειρῆς

  380 ταυρείην ἀτόρητον ἀπεφλοίωσε καλύπτρην:

  ἄλλη δ᾽ ἔγκατα πάντα διήφυσεν: ἦν δὲ νοῆσαι

  παρθένον ἀκρήδεμνον ἀσάμβαλον ὑψόθι πέτρης

  τρηχαλέῳ πρηῶνι περισκαίρουσαν ἐρίπνης:

  οὐ σκοπιὴν δ᾽ ἔφριξε δυσέμβατον, οὐ πόδα κούρης

  385 ὀξυπαγὴς ἀπέδιλον ὄνυξ ἐχάραξε κολώνης.

  [338] On the other side, the fighting host madly rushed at the call, the unbending servants of warstirring Dionysos. The battalions of Bassarids also moved like a flood. As they gathered, one twined a rope of snakes about her head, one knotted her hair with scented ivy; another madly caught up her bronze-headed thyrsus, another let down loose tresses of long hair over her neck, a Mainalid unveiled, while the wind blew the unbound locks over her shoulders; another clapped the pair of brazen cymbals, and shook the ringlets upon her head; another driven by the impulse of madness, beat the heavybooming drumskin with her hands, and sounded a loud echo of the battle-din. Then thyrsus did for spear, and hidden under vineleaves was the metal head of the shaft. Another yearning for bloody battle, bound round her neck a rope of raw-fed serpents. One again covered her chest with the spotted skin of a panther, another put on like tunic the dappled skins of mountain fawns, and wrapt herself round with the gay dress which had covered a deer. Another held the cub of a shaggy lioness, and gave it a milky human breast in exchange. There was one who coiled a serpent thrice round under her breast unharmed, a girdle next the skin, while it gaped at her thigh so close, hissing gently, and sleepless gazed at the maiden secrets of the girl who was sleeping off her wine. Another went barefoot over the hills, treading on brambles and sharp bristling thorns, and standing firm on a prickly pear. One attacked a longlegged camel, and sheared through its curving neck with a sweep of her thyrsus: then half to be seen, went stumbling over the path with blind feet the headless body of the camel staggering about in winding ways, until a hoof sank into a slippery hole and the creature rolled over helpless on its back in the dust. Another turned her step to a stretch of pasture in the forest, and caught hold of the fell of a maddened bull, then scoring the bull’s neck with savage nails tore off the impenetrable skin, while another tore away all his bowels. You might have seen a girl unveiled, unshod, leaping about on the jagged rocks above a precipice; no fear had she of the sheer fall, no sharp point of stone scratched the girl’s naked foot.

  πολλὴ δ᾽ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα παρ᾽ Ἀστακίδος στόμα λίμνης

  Ἰνδῴη δεδάικτο γονὴ Κουρῆτι σιδήρῳ.

  δυσμενέων δὲ φάλαγγας ἐκυκλώσαντο μαχηταὶ

  τεύχεσιν ἀντιτύποισι, φερεσσακέος δὲ χορείης

  390 ῥυθμὸν ἐμιμήσαντο ποδῶν ἑλικώδεϊ παλμῷ:

  καὶ λασίῃ παλάμῃ σκοπιὴν λοφόεσσαν ἀείρων,

  οὔρεος ἄκρα κάρηνα ταμών, ἐκορύσσετο Ληνεύς,

  πέμπων ὀκριόεσσαν ἐπ᾽ ἀντιβίοισιν ἀ�
�ωκήν:

  Βάκχη δ᾽ ἀμφαλάλαζε, καὶ ἀμπελόεσσαν ἀκωκὴν

  395 Βασσαρὶς ἠκόντιζε, μελαρρίνου δὲ γενέθλης

  ἄρσενα πολλὰ κάρηνα δαΐζετο θήλεϊ θύρσῳ.

  καὶ φονίῳ θρασὺν ἄνδρα διατμήγουσα κορύμβῳ

  Εὐπετάλη κεκόρυστο, φιλοσταφύλῳ δὲ πετήλῳ

  κέντορα κισσὸν ἔπεμπεν ἀλοιητῆρα σιδήρου:

  400 Στησιχόρη δ᾽ εὔβοτρυς ἐπεσκίρτησε κυδοιμῷ,

  καὶ δηίων ἔσσευε γένος ῥηξήνορι ῥόμβῳ

  κύμβαλα δινεύουσα βαρύβρομα δίζυγι χαλκῷ.

  [386] At the mouth of the Astacid lake many a son of India was cut up by the steel of the Curetes. The warriors surrounded the battalions of the foe with blow for blow, and imitated the rhythms of the armour-dance in the wheeling movements of their feet. Leneus broke off a crested peak from a mountain, and lifting this in his hairy hand, he cast the jagged mass among the enemy: the Bacchant yelled in triumph, the Bassarid cast her vinewreathed point, the heads of many men in that blackskin crowd were brought down by the womanish thyrsus. Eupetale was ready, and pierced a bold man with her deadly shaft, then let fly her pointed ivy covered with vineleaves to smash the steal. Stesichore with her bunches of grapes skipt into the mellay, and shooed off a tribe of enemies with manbreaking bullroarer, waving a brazen pair of loudclashing cymbals.

  καὶ πολὺς ἀμφοτέροισιν ἔην μόθος: ἔβρεμε σύριγξ,

  σύριγξ ἐγρεκύδοιμος, ἐπέκτυπε δ᾽ αὐλὸς Ἐνυοῦς,

  405 Βασσαρίδες δ᾽ ὀλόλυξαν: ἐγειρομένου δὲ κυδοιμοῦ

  βρονταίοις πατάγοισι μέλας μυκώμενος ἀὴρ

  ἐκ Διὸς ἐσσομένην Βρομίῳ μαντεύσατο νίκην.

  καὶ πολὺς ἑσμὸς ἔπιπτεν: ὅλη δ᾽ ἐρυθαίνετο λύθρῳ