Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  30 Ἰνδὸν ἔτι κνώσσοντα, περισφίγξασα δὲ δειρὴν

  ληίδα θηρεύουσα μάχης αὐτόσσυτον ἄγρην ...

  [8] The god led the van, wearing a heavenly radiance on his shining face, to proclaim him the son of Zeus. Around the Lydian chariot of giantslaying Dionysos were lines of thyrsus-bearers; he was ringed about with warriors on either side, conspicuous in the midst, and shone in splendour like another heaven. In beauty he threw all into the shade: to see him you might have said it was fiery Helios in the midst of farscattered stars. The lord of the host had brought Enyo without the steel trappings of war; for he carried no sword and no deathdealing ashen lance, but for bronze he had his own invincible spear, the ivy; this he wielded in the cities of Asia, this he planted in the soil of Asia, as he drove the savage — car of divine Cybele, with a broad rein of grapevine, under the shadow of ivy, the vine’s fellow, touching up his travelling team with a blossoming whip — he made drunken the regions of the East with the Maronian fruit. To share the enterprise of Bromios came the whole company of Bacchoi, full of confidence from the first battle, when Seilenos happy-mad, unarmed, picked up in his linked arms a living corpse unspeaking, an Indian in full armour, and marched off heavy-kneed, a sluggish wayfarer: when the Bacchant Mimallon woman, unveiled and revelling, and bounding in cadence on her two feet, rattled her cymbals over an Indian still asleep, and running a rope round his neck hurried away, with the war-plunder that she had been seeking thrown into her hands.

  ἐκ πόλιος δὲ πόληα μετήιεν, ἀγχιπόρου δὲ

  ἤλυθεν εἰς Ἀλύβης πέδον ὄλβιον, ὁππόθι γείτων

  χεύμασιν ἀφνειοῖσι Διιπετὲς οἶδμα κυλίνδων

  35 Γεῦδις ἐχεκτεάνων ὑδάτων λευκαίνεται ὁλκῷ,

  ἀργυρέου δαπέδοιο περιξύων κενεῶνα.

  [32] From city to city he went, till he came not far off to the rich country of the Alybe, where neighbouring Geudis rolls the wealthy waves of its heavensent flood white with the current of its watery treasures, and cuts a hollow through the silvern soil.

  ἔνθα διαστείχοντα βαθυπλούτῳ παρὰ πέτρῃ

  βουκεράοις Σατύροισιν ὁμήλυδα πεζὸν ὁδίτην

  Βάκχον ἀνὴρ ἄγραυλος ἐρημάδι δέκτο καλιῇ,

  40 Βρόγγος, ἀδωμήτων ὀρεσίδρομος ἀστὸς ἐναύλων,

  γηγενέων ἀχάρακτον ὑπὸ κρηπῖδα θεμέθλων

  ναίων οἶκον ἄοικον: ἐυφροσύνης δὲ δοτῆρα

  αἰγὸς ἀμελγομένης κεράσας χιονωπὸν ἐέρσην

  ξεινοδόκος γλαγόεντι ποτῷ μειλίξατο ποιμὴν

  45 εἴδασιν οὐτιδανοῖσι καὶ ἀγραύλοισι κυπέλλοις,

  καὶ μίαν εἰροπόκων ὀίω ἀνελύσατο μάνδρης,

  ὄφρά κε δαιτρεύσειε θυηπολίην Διονύσῳ:

  ἀλλὰ θεὸς κατέρυκε: γέρων δ᾽ ἐπεπείθετο Βάκχου

  νεύμασιν ἀτρέπτοισιν,ὄιν δ᾽ ἄψαυστον ἐάσας

  50 ποιμενίην τινὰ δαῖτα θελήμονι θῆκε Λυαίῳ,

  τεύχων δεῖπνον ἄδειπνον ἀδαιτρεύτοιο τραπέζης,

  οἷα Κλεωναίοιο φατίζεται ἀμφὶ Μολόρκου

  κεῖνα, τά περ σπεύδοντι λεοντοφόνους ἐς ἀγῶνας

  ὥπλισεν Ἡρακλῆι: χύδην δ᾽ ἐπέβαλλε τραπέζῃ

  55 εἰν ἁλὶ νηχομένης φθινοπωρίδος ἄνθος ἐλαίης

  Βρόγγος, ἔχων μίμημα φιλοστόργοιο νομῆος,

  πλεκτοῖς ἐν ταλάροις νεοπηγέα τυρὸν ἀείρων,

  ἰκμαλέον, τροχόεντα: θεὸς δ᾽ ἐγέλασσε δοκεύων

  ἀγρονόμων λιτὰ δεῖπνα, φιλοξείνῳ δὲ νομῆι

  60 ἵλαον ὄμμα φέρων ὀλίγης ἔψαυσε τραπέζης

  δαρδάπτων ἀκόρητος: ἀεὶ δ᾽ ἐμνώετο κείνης

  εἰλαπίνην ἐλάχειαν ἀναιμάκτοιο τραπέζης

  μητρὸς ἑῆς παρὰ δόρπον, ὀρεσσαύλοιο Κυβήλης.

  καὶ κραναοὺς πυλεῶνας ἐθάμβεε κυκλάδος αὐλῆς,

  65 πῶς φύσις ἐργοπόνος δόμον ἔγλυφε, πῶς δίχα τέχνης

  ἀντιτύποις κανόνεσσιν ἐτορνώθησαν ἐρίπναι.

  [37] There as the company of footmen with the horned Satyrs travelled beside the richly stored rocks, Bacchos on his march was entertained by a countryman in a lonely hut, Brongos, dweller in the highland glens where no houses are built. Beside the unquarried wall of these giant strongholds he dwelt, in a house that was no house. The hospitable shepherd milked a goat, and drew a potion snowy-white, to seek the favour of the giver of jolly good cheer with his milky draught in country cups, with common vittles. He brought out a fleecy sheep from the fold, as an offering for Dionysos, but the god stayed him. The old man obeyed the immutable bidding of Bacchos, and leaving the sheep untouched he set shepherd’s fare before willing Lyaios. So he served a supper no supper, board without beef, such as they say in Cleonai Molorcos once provided for Heracles on his way to fight the lion. Brongos like that kind-hearted shepherd set on the board plenty of the autumn fruit of the olive swimming in brine, and brought fresh curdled cheese in wickerwork baskets, juicy and round. The god laughed when he saw the countryman’s light supper, and turning a gracious eye on the hospitable shepherd, he partook of the humble fare, munching greedily. All the time he was reminded of the frugal banquet on that bloodless table, when there was a meal for his Mother, Cybele of the highlands. And he wondered at the stone doors of the round courtyard, how industrious nature had carved a house, how without art the cliffs were rounded in answering proportion.

  ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε Βάκχος ἅναξ νομίης ἐκορέσσατο φορβῆς,

  δὴ τότε δαιμονίῳ δεδονημένος ἄσθματι Βάκχου

  ἀγρονόμος σύριζεν ἐθήμονι Πανὸς ἀοιδῇ

  70 Βρόγγος, ἐπιθλίβων διδυμόθροον αὐλὸν Ἀθήνης,

  ὑμνείων Διόνυσον: ὁ δὲ φρένα τέρπετο μολπῇ,

  καὶ κεράσας κρητῆρι νεόρρυτον ἰκμάδα ληνοῦ:

  [67] But when Lord Bacchos had eaten his fill of shepherd’s fare, then Brongos the countryman was moved by the divine inspiration of Bacchos; he played Pan’s wellknown tune on his pipes, and pressed his fingers on Athena’s double tube in honour of Dionysos; who was pleased at heart with the music, and mixing the new liquor of the winepress in the bowl, he said:

  ‘δέξο, γέρον, τόδε δῶρον, ὅλης ἄμπαυμα μερίμνης:

  75 οὐ χατέεις δὲ γάλακτος ἔχων εὔοδμον ἐέρσην,

  νέκταρος οὐρανίου χθόνιον τύπον, οἷον ἀφύσσων

  Ζῆνα μέγαν κατ᾽ Ὄλυμπον ἐυφραίνει Γανυμήδης.

  ἀρχαίου δὲ γάλακτος ἔα πόθον: ἀρτιτόκων γὰρ

  μαζῶν θλιβομένων χιονώδεες ἰκμάδες αἰγῶν

  80 ἀνέρας οὐ τέρπουσι καὶ οὐ λύουσι μερίμνας.’

  [74] “Accept this gift, gaffer, to drink
all cares away! You want no more milk when you have this fragrant dew, the image of heavenly nectar brought down to earth, like that which Ganymedes ladles out to rejoice great Zeus in Olympos. Forget your wish for your old-fashioned milk: the snowy-white drops pressed from the udders of goats that have just kidded do not make men happy or drive their cares away.”

  ὥς εἰπὼν νομίης ξεινήια δῶκε τραπέζης

  μητέρα λυσιπόνοιο μέθης εὔβοτρυν ὀπώρην:

  καί μιν ἅναξ ἐδίδαξε φιλάνθεμον ἔργον ἀλωῆς

  κλήματα γυρώσαντα φυτῶν εὐαλδέι βόθρῳ,

  85 γηραλέου τμήξαντα τεθηλότος ἄκρα κορύμβου,

  βότρυος οἰνοτόκοιο νέους ὅρπηκας ἀέξειν.

  [81] So saying, he gave his gift of gratitude for the shepherd’s table, the fine fruitage of grapes, the mother of wine, sorrow’s comforter. And the Lord taught him the flowerloving work of the vineyard — to bend the slips of the plants over into fertilizing pits, and to cut the top shoots of an old vine, that new shoots of winegendering grapes may grow.

  Καλλείψας δὲ νομῆα κ ὶ ἀγριάδος ῥάχιν ὕλης

  εἰς ἑτέρην ἔσπευδεν ὀρειάδα φύλοπιν Ἰνδῶν:

  καὶ Σατύρων ὁμόφοιτον ὀρίδρομον ἴχνος ἐπείγων

  90 ἀμφιπόλοις παλίνορσος ὁμίλεε θυιάσι Βάκχαις.

  διψώων δὲ φόνοιο καὶ εὐθύρσοιο κυδοιμοῦ,

  Τυρσηνῆς βαρύδουπον ἔχων σάλπιγγα θαλάσσης,

  πομπὸν Ἐνυαλίοιο μέλος μυκήσατο κόχλῳ,

  λαὸν ἀολλίζων: βριαροὺς δ᾽ ἐμέθυσσε μαχητάς,

  95 θερμοτέροις ἐς Ἄρηα νοήμασιν ἀνέρας ἕλκων

  Ἰνδῴης ὀλετῆρας ἀβακχεύτοιο γενέθλης.

  [87] Leaving the herdsman and the ridge of the wild forest, he now hasted to a new conflict with Indians in the mountains. Bidding the Satyrs who were with him to go on at full speed by the upland tracks, he joined himself again to his wild attendant Bacchants. Thirsting for blood and battle under his thyrsus, he took in hand the loudbraying trumpet of the Tyrhenian Sea, and boomed a note on his conch for battle as he gathered the people. He intoxicated the stout warriors, and drew the men on to war with hotter spirit, to destroy the race of Indians that knew not Bacchos.

  τοὺς μὲν ἄναξ Διόνυσος ἐκόσμεεν εἰς μόθον Ἰνδῶν:

  Ἀστράεις δ᾽ ἀκίχητος ἰὼν ἤγγειλεν Ὀρόντῃ

  Ἰνδῶν δοῦλα γένεθλα καὶ ἴαχε πενθάδι φωνῇ:

  [97] So Lord Dionysos marshalled these for the Indian War. But Astraeis went unpursued to Orontes, and told him the Indian tribes were enslaved, speaking with sorrowful voice:

  100 ‘γαμβρὲ δοριθρασέος μενεδήιε Δηριαδῆος,

  κλῦθι, καὶ εἰσαΐων μὴ χώεο: καί σε διδάξω

  νίκην φαρμακόεσσαν ἀθωρήκτου Διονύσου.

  Ἰνδοῖς καὶ Σατύροισιν ἕην μόθος: ἔβρεμε δοχμὴ

  Βασσαρίδων, καὶ λαὸς ἐμὸς κεκόρυστο Λυαίῳ

  105 ἀστράπτων σακέεσσιν, ἀκοντοφόρους δὲ δοκεύων

  Λυδὸς ἀνὴρ πολύιδρις ἐμοὺς ἔφριξε μαχητάς:

  ἵστατο δ᾽ ἀπτολέμων Σατύρων πρόμος, οὐ δόρυ χάρμης

  χειρὶ φέρων, οὐ γυμνὸν ἔχων ξίφος, οὐδ᾽ ἐπὶ νευρῇ

  εἰς σκοπὸν ἰθυκέλευθον ὑπηνέμιον βέλος ἕλκων:

  110 ἀλλὰ κέρας βοὸς εἶχεν, ἐνὶ γλαφυρῇ δὲ κεραίῃ

  φάρμακον ὑγρὸν ἄειρε, καὶ ἀργυρέου ποταμοῖο

  εἰς προχοὰς δολόεσσαν ὅλην κατέχευεν ἐέρσην

  ἰκμάδι φοινίξας γλυκερὸν ῥόον: ἐκ δὲ κυδοιμοῦ

  καύματι διψώοντες, ὅσοι πίον αἴθοπες Ἰνδοί,

  115 ἔμφρονα λύσσαν ἔχοντες ἀνεκρούσαντο χορείην:

  καί σφισι λοίγιος ὕπνος ἐπέχραεν, ἀκλινέες δὲ

  ἄσχετα βακχευθέντες ἐπευνάζοντο βοείαις:

  ἄλλοι δ᾽ ἀστορέεσσι κατεκλίνοντο χαμεύναις

  νωθρὸν ἐπιτρέψαντες ἀκοιμήτῳ δέμας ὕπνῳ,

  120 Βάκχαις ἀδρανέεσσιν ἑλώρια καὶ Διονύσῳ.

  τοὺς δὲ δίχα πτολέμοιο καὶ εὐθήκτοιο σιδήρου

  δούλιον εἰς ζυγόδεσμον ἐληίσσαντο γυναῖκες

  βριθομένοις μελέεσσι, καὶ ἀντιβίων ὑπὲρ ὤμων

  ὡς νέκυες ζώοντες ἐλαφρίζοντο μαχηταί,

  125 οἱ μὲν ἔτι βλύζοντες ἐπίκλοπον ἰκμάδα Βάκχου

  ἀπτολέμοις Σατύροισιν ἐδουλώθησαν ἀνάγκῃ,

  χεύματι φαρμακόεντι μεμηνότες. ἐκ δὲ κυδοιμοῦ

  μοῦνος ἐγὼ λιπόμην, φονίης ἔτι νῆις ἐέρσης,

  χείλεσιν ἀβρέκτοισι φυγὼν ἀπατήλιον ὕδωρ.

  130 ἀλλὰ ποτὸν πεφύλαξο, δορυσσόε, μὴ μετὰ νίκην

  κερδαλέην ἀσίδηρον ἀναιμάκτοιο Λυαίου

  ζωγρήσῃ δόλος ἄλλος ἐν Ἄρεϊ λείψανον Ἰνδῶν.’

  [100] “Hear me, battle-staunch goodfather of spear-bold Deriades! and while you listen be not angry; and I will tell you the drugged victory of Dionysos unarmed! Indians and Satyrs came to blows: bang went the Bassarids’ hands, and my people armed them against Lyaios with flashing shields. The cunning man of Lydia shivered to see my warriors lance in hand; he stood at the head of his unwarlike Satyrs, bearing no warspear in his hand, holding no naked sword, no arrow on string drawn at the mark to fly straight through the air. What he held was an oxhorn, and in the hollow of that horn a distilled drug; he lifted it and poured out all the deceitful dew into the stream of the silvery river, and turned the water sweet and red with the juice. The swarthy Indians thirsting in the heat of the battle drank, and all that drank went mad, though still in their senses, and struck up a dance. Then a fatal sleep came over them: unrouted, after the wild revel they fell asleep on their leathern shields. Others lay along the unbedded earth, committing their sluggish bodies to unresting sleep, at the mercy of Dionysos and his weak women. These, without war and the sharp blade, were dragged captive with loaded limbs by the women to fetters and slavery with heavy limbs. Warriors were slung over the shoulders of their foes like living corpses; others, still sputtering the deceitful sap of Bacchos, unwarlike Satyrs made their slaves by main force when maddened by the drugged river. From the battle I alone was left; for I had not touched the deadly dew, I left the deceitful water with unwetted lips. Eschew that potion, my shakespear! After this cheating victory of Lyaios without a blow, without blood, let not some other trick in the war capture what is left of the Indians!”

  ὣς φαμένου βαρύμηνις ἐχώσατο μᾶλλον Ὀρόντης,

  καὶ ταχὺς εἰς μόθον ἦλθε παλίνδρομος: ἡμιτελὴς γὰρ

  135 ἦεν
ἀγών, ἑτέρης δὲ θεμείλια πήγνυτο χάρμης.

  [133] Orontes furious already was more angry than ever at these words, and quickly returned to the battlefield; for the conflict was only half done, and the foundations were being laid for a second combat.

  ὄφρα μὲν Ἰνδὸν ὅμιλον ὀρίδρομος ὥπλισεν Ἄρης,

  τόφρα δὲ Βασσαρίδις πολυκαμπέος ὑψόθι Ταύρου

  εἰς μόθον ἠπείγοντο, συνεστρατόωντο δὲ Βάκχοι

  ὁπλοφόροι καὶ Φῆρες ἀτευχέες: οἱ μὲν ἐναύλων

  140 ῥηξάμενοι κρηπῖδας ἐκούφισαν, οἱ δὲ κολώνης

  ὑψιτενῆ πρηῶνα: καὶ ἀρχομένοιο κυδοιμοῦ

  ἔχραον ἀντιβίοισι: πολυσχιδέες δὲ χαράδραι

  Ἰνδῴοις ἑλικηδὸν ὀιστεύοντο καρήνοις.

  καὶ ποσὶ λεπταλέοισιν ἐπισκαίροντες ἐρίπνῃ

  145 Πᾶνες ἐθωρήσσοντο μεμηνότες, ὧν ὁ μὲν αὐτῶν

  μάρψας εὐπαλάμῳ βεβιημένον αὐχένα δεσμῷ

  δήιον αἰγείῃσιν ἀνέσχισεν ἀνέρα χηλαῖς,

  σὺν βριαρῷ θώρηκι μέσον κενεῶνα χαράσσων:

  ὃς δὲ τανυπτόρθων κεράων εὐκαμπέσιν αἰχμαῖς

  150 ὄρθιον ἁρπάξας τετορημένον Ἰνδὸν ἀλήτην

  μεσσοπαγῆ κούφιζεν, ἐς ἠερίας δὲ κελεύθους

  δισσαῖς ὑψιπότητον ἀνηκόντιζε κεραίαις,

  κύμβαχον αὐτοκύλιστον: ἀμαλλοφόροιο δὲ Δηοῦς

  ἄλλος ἑῇ παλάμῃ δονέων καλαμητόμον ἅρπην,

  155 ὡς στάχυν ὑσμίνης, ὡς δράγματα δηιοτῆτος,