Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  305 αὐλοῦ μελπομένοιο μέλος Βερεκυντίδος ἠχοῦς

  καὶ καναχὴν σύριγγος, ἀρασσομένης δὲ καὶ αὐτῆς

  μαίνετο παπταίνων διδυμόκτυπα κύκλα βοείης:

  καὶ θεὸν ἀμπελόεντα παρὰ προθύροισι δοκεύων,

  σαρδόνιον γελόων, φιλοκέρτομον ἴαχε φωνήν,

  310 Βασσαρίδων ἐλατῆρι χέων ἄσπονδον ἀπειλήν:

  [304] The bold king heard the jubilation of the dance, the hoboy’s note and the Berecynthian tune and the noise of the panspipes, he saw the round tambourine beaten on both sides, and he was furious. When he beheld the vinegod near his porch, he laughed in scorn, and hurled an implacable threat against the leader of the Bassarids, in mocking words:

  ‘ἡμετέρων ὁράᾳς ἀναθήματα ταῦτα μελάθρων;

  καὶ σύ, φίλος, κόσμησον ἐμὸν δόμον ἢ σέο θύρσοις

  ἢ ποσὶν ἢ παλάμῃσιν ἢ αἱματόεντι καρήνῳ.

  εἰ κεραοῖς Σατύροισι, κερασφόρε Βάκχε, κελεύεις,

  315 ὑμέας ἶσα βόεσσιν ἐμῷ βουπλῆγι δαμάσσω.

  τοῦτό σοι ἐξ ἐμέθεν ξεινήιον, ὄφρά τις εἴπῃ,

  ἢ θεὸς ἢ μερόπων τις, ὅτι προπύλαια Λυκούργου

  ἡμιτόμοις μελέεσσιν ἐμιτρώθη Διονύσου.

  οὐ παρὰ Βοιωτοῖσιν ἀνάσσομεν, οὐ τάδε Θῆβαι,

  320 οὐ Σεμέλης δόμος οὗτος, ὅπῃ νόθα τέκνα γυναῖκες

  ἀστεροπῇ τίκτουσι καὶ ὠδίνουσι κεραυνῷ.

  σείεις οἴνοπα θύρσον, ἐγὼ βουπλῆγα τινάσσω,

  καί σε διατμήξας βοέου κατὰ μέσσα μετώπου

  ὑμετέρην ἐπίκυρτον ἀναρρήξαιμι κεραίην.’

  [311] “Do you see these offerings hung up before my mansion? You too, my friend, give me some decoration for my house, your thyrsus or feet or hands or bloody head. If you have horned Satyrs at your command, horned Bacchos, I will strike you all down with my poleaxe like cattle! There is my hospitable gift for you, that gods and men may tell how the gates of Lycurgos were festooned with the mutilated limbs of Dionysos. I am no Boiotian king, this is not Thebes, this is not Semele’s house, where women have labour by thunderclap and bring forth their baseborn children by lightning. You brandish a vinebound thyrsus, I wield a poleaxe; and I will cleave your oxforehead down the middle, and break off your curved horns!”

  325 ὣς εἰπὼν ἐδίωκε Διωνύσοιο τιθήνας

  θεινομένας βουπλῆγι: φιλοσκάρθμων δὲ γυναικῶν

  ἡ μὲν ἑῆς παλάμης ἀπεσείσατο κύμβαλα Ῥείης,

  ἡ δὲ φιλοκροτάλων ἀπεθήκατο τύμπανα χειρῶν,

  ἄλλη βοτρυόεσσαν ἀνηκόντιζεν ὀπώρην,

  330 ἄλλη νεκταρέοισι συνωλίσθησε κυπέλλοις:

  πολλαὶ δ᾽ αὐτοκύλιστον ἀπερρίψαντο κονίῃ

  ἡδυμελῆ σύριγγα καὶ ἔμπνοον αὐλὸν Ἀθήνης.

  ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε τις μετὰ χεῖμα γαληναίῃ παρὰ λόχμῃ

  ἀννεφέλου Φαέθοντος ἰδὼν τερψίμβροτον ὥρην

  335 ποιμὴν κῶμον ἔγειρε, συνωρχήσαντο δὲ Νύμφαι:

  ἄφνω δ᾽ ἐκ σκοπέλοιο χύθη κυκλούμενον ὕδωρ

  κύμασι πυργωθέντος ὀρεσσιχύτου ποταμοῖο:

  αὐτὰρ ὁ συρίζων ἀπεσείσατο πηκτίδα χειρῶν

  δειμαίνων θρασὺ χεῦμα χαραδραίου ποταμοῖο,

  340 οἰδαλέῳ μὴ μῆλα κατακρύψειε ῥεέθρῳ:

  ὣς ὅ γε τερψινόου σκεδάσας ἀλάλαγμα χορείης

  εἰς ὄρος ὑψικάρηνον ἀνάμπυκας ἤλασε Βάκχας:

  καὶ κλονέων ἀχόρευτος ἀλήμονα θῆλυν Ἐνυώ,

  θηγαλέον βουπλῆγα φέρων, κειμήλιον Ἥρης,

  345 χαλκοχίτων Λυκόοργος ἀτευχέι μάρνατο Βάκχῳ:

  καὶ κέλαδον βρονταῖον ἐπέκτυπε δύσμαχος Ἥρη,

  μητρυιὴ βαρύδουπος ἐπιβρίθουσα Λυαίῳ,

  καί μιν ἀνεπτοίησε: βαρυζήλου δὲ θεαίνης

  ὕψι κορυσσομένης ἐλελίζετο γούνατα Βάκχου:

  350 ἔλπετο γὰρ Κρονίωνα προασπίζειν Λυκοόργου,

  αἰθερίου πατάγοιο τύπον βρονταῖον ἀκούων:

  ταρβαλέοις δὲ πόδεσσι φυγὼν ἀκίχητος ὁδίτης

  γλαυκὸν Ἐρυθραίης ὑπεδύσατο κῦμα θαλάσσης.

  [325] With these words, he beat the nurses of Dionysos with his poleaxe and chased them away; and the dancing women — one shook Rheia’s cymbals from her palm, one put down the tambourine from her rattle-loving hands, another shot away her bunches of grapes, another fell with the cups of nectar; many threw down melodious panspipes and Athena’s breathing hoboy to roll over each other in the dust. As after storm, near the peaceful woods, a shepherd sees the delightful season of cloudless Phaethon, and wakes a revel while the Nymphs join his dance; then suddenly the water comes rolling from the rocks and the waves are piled up as the river pours down from the mountains, the whistler throws the pipes out of his hands, fearing the bold flood of the river in torrent lest it overwhelm the sheep with swollen stream — so Lycurgos scattered the happy jubilant dancers, and drove the Bacchants unchapleted to the high hills; he pursued them in no dancing fashion, that disbanded army of women; and in his armour of bronze, carrying the sharp poleaxe, Hera’s treasure, he made war upon Bacchos unarmed. Now the cruel stepmother bore hard on Lyaios — invincible Hera thundered loud and made him quake; the knees of Bacchos trembled, as the jealous resentful goddess armed herself on high. For he thought Cronion was fighting for Lycurgos, when he heard the thunderclaps rolling in the heavens. He took to his heels in fear and ran too fast for pursuit, until he plunged into the gray water of the Erythraian sea.

  τὸν δὲ Θέτις βυθίη φιλίῳ πήχυνεν ἀγοστῷ,

  355 καί μιν ἔσω δύνοντα πολυφλοίσβοιο μελάθρου

  χερσὶ φιλοξείνοισιν Ἄραψ ἠσπάζετο Νηρεύς:

  τὸν δὲ παρηγορέων φιλίῳ μειλίξατο μύθῳ:

  [354] But Thetis in the deeps embraced him with friendly arm, and Arabian Nereus received him with hospitable hands, when he entered within the loud-resounding hall. Then he comforted him with friendly words, and said:

  ‘εἰπέ, τί σοι, Διόνυσε, κατηφέες εἰσὶν ὀπωπαί;

  οὔ σε χαμαιγενέων Ἀράβων στρατός, οὔ σε διώκων

  360 θνητὸς ἀνὴρ νίκησε, καὶ οὐ βροτέην φύγγες αἰχμήν:

  ἀλλὰ Διὸς Κρονίδαο κασιγνήτη δάμαρ Ἥρη

  οὐρανόθεν κεκόρυστο συναιχμάζουσα Λυκούργῳ,

  Ἥρη καὶ μενέχαρμος Ἄρης καὶ χάλκεος αἰθήρ,

  τέτρατος ἦν Λ
υκόοργος ὁ τηλίκος: ὑψιμέδων δὲ

  365 πολλάκι σὸς γενέτης πρόμος αἰθέρος εἴκαθεν Ἥρῃ.

  σοὶ πλέον ἔσσεται εὖχος, ὅταν μακάρων τις ἐνίψῃ,

  ὅττι Διὸς μεγάλοιο δάμαρ καὶ σύγγονος Ἥρη

  χεῖρας ἑὰς θώρηξεν ἀθωρήκτῳ Διονύσῳ.’

  [358] “Tell me, Dionysos, why are your looks despondent? No army of earthborn Arabs has conquered you, no pursuing mortal man, you fled from no human spear; but Hera, sister and consort of Zeus Cronides, has armed herself in heaven and fought on the side of Lycurgos — Hera and stubborn Ares and the brazen sky: Lycurgos the mighty was only a fourth. Often enough your father himself, the lord of heaven ruling on high, had to give way to Hera! You will have all the more to boast of, when one of the Blessed shall say — Hera consort and sister of mighty Zeus took arms herself against Dionysos unarmed!”

  τοῖα παρηγορέων Βρομίῳ μυθήσατο Νηρεύς.

  370 καὶ χαροποῖς ῥοθίοισι καλυπτομένου Διονύσου

  ἀσχαλόων Λυκόοργος ἐς ὕδατα: ῥῆξεν ἰωήν:

  [369] So speaking, Nereus tried to console Bacchos. And while Dionysos was hiding in the bright waves, Lycurgos indignant shouted aloud to the water —

  ‘αἴθε πατήρ με δίδαξε μετὰ κλόνον ἔργα θαλάσσης,

  ὥς κεν ἀεθλεύσαιμι καὶ ἰχθυβόλων ἐς ἀγῶνα

  ἀγρεύσας Διόνυσον, ὑποβρυχίων δ ἀπὸ κόλπων

  375 Λυδὸν ἐμὸν θεράποντα τὸ δεύτερον εἰς χθόνα σύρω.

  ἀλλ᾽, ἐπεὶ οὐ μάθον ἔργα θαλασσοπόρων ἁλιήων

  καὶ βυθίης οὐκ οἶδα δολορραφέος δόλον ἄγρης,

  Λευκοθέης ἔχε δῶμα βαθύρροον, εἰσόκε πόντου

  καὶ σὲ καὶ ὃν καλέουσι μεταστήσω Μελικέρτην,

  380 σύγγονον αἷμα φέροντα: καὶ οὐ χρέος ἐστὶ σιδήρου,

  οὐ χθονίου βουπλῆγος ἀφειδέος, ἀλλὰ χατίζω

  ἰχθυβόλων, ἵνα δύντες Ἐρυθραίης βυθὸν ἅλμης

  ἐνδόμυχον Διόνυσον ἀφαρπάζωσι θαλάσσης:

  [372] “I wish my father had taught me not war alone, but how to deal with the sea! Then I would take a turn at the fishermen’s game, and fish for Dionysos, and drag this Lydian out of the bosom of the deep to land again for my servant! But since I have not learnt the work of seafaring fishers, and know nothing of the tricks of hunting in the deep with a cunning mesh of nets, you may have Leucothea’s house in the watery deep, until I can dislodge both you and Melicertes as they call him, another of your kin. I want no steel for that, or this merciless poleaxe which belongs to the land. I want fishermen, to dive into the depth of the Erythraian brine and drag Dionysos from his refuge in the sea.

  ἰχθυβόλοι, Νηρῆος ἐρευνητῆρες ἐναύλων,

  385 δίκτυα μὴ νεπόδεσσιν ἐφαπλώσητε θαλάσσης,

  ἀλλὰ λίνοις Διόνυσον ἐρύσσατε: Λευκοθέη δὲ

  εἰς χθόνα νοστήσειε συναγρευθεῖσα Λυαίῳ,

  καὶ θρασύς εἰς ἐμόν οἶκον ὁμαρτήσειε Παλαίμων

  ἀβρέκτοις μελέεσσιν ὑποδρήσσων Λυκοόργῳ,

  390 ὄφρα λιπὼν Ἐφύρειον ἁλιτρεφέων δρόμον ἵππων

  δίφρον ἐμὸν ζεύξειεν ἐπιχθονίῃ παρὰ φάτνῃ,

  αὐτός ὁμοῦ καὶ Βάκχος ὀπάονες: εἷς δόμος ἔστω,

  εἷς δόμος ἀμφοτέροισι, Παλαίμονι καὶ Διονύσῳ.’

  [384] “Ho Fishermen! searchers of the haunts of Nereus! Spread not your nets for the denizens of the deep, but haul out Dionysos in the meshes! Let Leucothea be caught along with Lyaios, and let her come back to the land; let bold Palaimonc come with them to my house, let him dry his body and be slave to Lycurgos! Then he may leave the courses of his seabred horses round Ephyreia, and yoke my car beside a terrestrial manger, he and Bacchos grooms together. Let there be one house — one house for both, Palaimon and Dionysos.”

  ὣς εἰπὼν κεχόλωτο, καὶ ἠπείλησε θαλάσσῃ

  395 καὶ πολιῷ Νηρῆι, καὶ ἤθελε πόντον ἱμάσσειν.

  Ζεύς δὲ πατὴρ ἰάχησεν ἀμαιμακέτῳ Λυκοόργῳ:

  [394] Thus full of fury he railed at the sea, and hoary Nereus, and wished to flog the deep. But Father Zeus cried aloud to Lycurgos in his raging —

  ‘ἀφραίνεις, Λυκόοργε, μάτην ἀνέμοισιν ἐρίζων:

  χάζεο σοῖσι πόδεσσιν, ἕως ὁρόωσιν ὀπωπαί.

  ἔκλυες, ὡς τὸ πάροιθεν ὀρεσσιχύτῳ παρὰ πηγῇ

  400 γυμνὴ Τειρεσίας θηήσατο μοῦνον Ἀθήνην,

  οὐ δόρυ θοῦρον ἄειρε καὶ οὐ πολέμιζε θεαίνῃ.

  ἔμπης μοῦνον ὄπωπε καὶ ὤλεσε φέγγος ὀπωπῆς.’

  [397] “You are mad, Lycurgos, you challenge the winds in vain! Away on your feet, while your eyes can still see! You have heard how a while ago by a trickling spring in the mountains Teiresias only saw Athena naked — he lifted no furious spear and made no attack on the goddess, he only saw, and yet lost the sight of his eyes.”

  τοῖον ἔπος κατέλεξε δι᾽ ἠέρος ὑψιμέδων Ζεὺς

  δυσσεβίην ὑπέροπλον ὀπιπεύων Λυκοόργου.

  [403] Such was the rebuke of Zeus who rules on high, spoken through the air when he saw the outrageous impiety of Lycurgos.

  BOOK 21

  εἰκοστὸν πρώτιστον ἔχει χόλον ἐννοσιγαίου

  καὶ μόθον Ἀμβροσίης ῥηξήνορα καὶ λόχον Ἰνδῶν.

  οὐδὲ Δρυαντιάδης προτέρης ἐπελήσατο χάρμης:

  ἀλλὰ λαβὼν βουπλῆγα τὸ δεύτερον ἔνδοθι λόχμης ...

  ἔθνεα Βασσαρίδων διζήμενος. ἀμβροσίῃ δὲ

  δῶκε μένος καὶ θάρσος ἀρειμανές οὐράνιος Ζεύς,

  5 ἣ τότε βακχευθεῖσα κατάσχετος οἴδματι λύσσης

  μάρμαρον ἠέρταζε, καταιχμάζουσα Λυκούργου,

  καὶ βριαρήν τρυφάλειαν ἀπεστυφέλιξε κομάων.

  αὐτὰρ ὁ θαρσήεις ἐπεμάρνατο μείζονι πέτρῳ

  τρηχαλέῳ, καὶ στέρνα βοώπιδος ἤλασε Νύμφης:

  10 οὐδέ μιν ἐπρήνιξε, χόλῳ δ᾽ ἀνενείκατο φωνήν:

  BOOK XXI

  The twenty-first contains Earthshaker’s wrath, and the man-breaking battle of Ambrosia, and the Indian ambush.

  NOR did Dryas’ son forget the first combat. He seized the poleaxe, and a second time went in search of the troops of Bassarids in the forest. But heavenly Zeus gave courage and warlike boldness to Ambrosia, and then possessed of a wave of wild madness she raised a stone and hurled it at Lycurgos, knocking off the ponderous helmet from his locks. But he boldly attacked with a larger stone all jagged, and drove at the chest of the soft-eyed nymph. He did not overthrow her however, and he cried out in rage —

  ‘�
��ρες, ἄναξ πολέμοιο, πάτερ κρατεροῖο Λυκούργου,

  αἰδόμενος σκοπίαζε τεὸν γόνον ἀντὶ Λυαίου

  οὐτιδανήν ἀσίδηρον ὀιστεύοντα γυναῖκα.

  πόντος ἐμόν βουπλῆγα βιάζεται: ἐν ῥοθίοις γὰρ

  15 κρύπτετο μὲν Διόνυσος, ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἄπρηκτος ὁδεύων

  ἵξομαι εἰς ἐμὸν ἄστυ, πόνον δ᾽ ἀτέλεστον ἀνήσω.’

  [11] “Ares, lord of war, father of strong Lycurgos! Can you see without shame your son attacking a weak unarmed woman, instead of Lyaios? The sea is too strong for my poleaxe, for Dionysos was hidden in the waves; I have had my journey in vain, and I will return to my own city, and leave my task unfinished.”

  ἔννεπεν: ἀμβροσίην δὲ μέσην γυιαλκέι δεσμῷ

  χειρὶ λαβὼν ἐπίεζε: καὶ ἤθελε δεσμὰ καθάψαι,

  οἷα δορικτήτην μετανάστιον εἰς δόμον ἕλκων,

  20 παιδοκόμον Βρομίοιο φέρων θιασώδεα Νύμφην,

  ἀμφιτόμῳ βουπλῆγι μετάφρενα δούλια νύσσων.

  οὐ δέ μιν ἱσταμένην ἀνεσείρασεν, οὐδέ ἑ λύθρῳ

  ἀρτιχύτῳ φοίνιξεν ἀρασσομένοιο καρήνου:

  ἀλλά φύγε θρασὺν ἄνδρα καὶ εὔξατο μητέρι Γαίῃ

  25 ἀμβροσίη κροκόπεπλος, ὅπως Λυκόοργον ἀλύξῃ.

  γαῖα δὲ καρποτόκεια πετασσαμένη κενεῶνα

  ἀμφίπολον Βρομίοιο φιλήτορι δέξατο κόλπῳ

  ἀμβροσίην ζώουσαν: ἀιστωθεῖσα δὲ Νύμφη

  εἰς φυτόν εἶδος ἄμειψε καὶ ἀμπελόεις πέλεν ὄρπηξ:

  30 σειρὴν δ᾽ αὐτοέλικτον ἐπιπλέξασα Λυκούργου