Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  195 σπλάγχνα δαφοινήεντι συνέσπασε θερμὰ σιδήρῳ:

  ἄλλου μαρναμένοιο κατέδραμε φάσγανον ἕλκων,

  ἄορι δ᾽ εὐθήκτῳ παλάμην τάμεν, ἡ δὲ πεσοῦσα

  αἱμοβαφὴς ἤσπαιρεν ἐπὶ χθονὸς ἁλλομένη χείρ:

  καὶ παλάμη τέτμητο καὶ οὐ μεθέηκε βοείην

  200 ἄκρα περισφίγγουσα κονιομένου τελαμῶνος

  ψυχὴ δ᾽ ἠνεμόφοιτος ἀναΐξασα θανόντος

  συμπλεκέος ποθέεσκεν ἐθήμονα σώματος ἥβην.

  ἄλλον ἀπηλοίησεν ἀφειδέι δουρὶ πατάξας,

  θηγαλέῃ γλωχῖνι βραχίονος ἄκρα τορήσας,

  205 ἄορι δ᾽ ἀσπίδα τύψεν, ἀρασσομένης δὲ σιδήρῳ

  ἀρραγέος βόμβησε μεσόμφαλα νῶτα βοείης.

  [187] Here whom first, whom last did Oiagros send to Hades, as the man of Bistonia sliced them down, killing one after another, doing deeds that needed Calliopeia his consort, to tell them! One he struck above the nipple with darting spear, one with hilted sword in the neck; another furious foe he pierced in the navel, drew back his spear from the bleeding wound, and as he pulled, dragged out the bowels hot after his gory steel. When another showed fight he drew sword and ran upon him, cut the wrist with the sharp blade, and the hand fell bleeding and wriggling and jumping on the ground: or a hand was cut off, but did not loose the shield, but still clutched the end of the strap down in the dust, while the dead man’s soul flew off on the wind longing for the youthful strength of the familiar body which had been bound up with it. Another he destroyed with a blow of his unsparing spear, piercing the shoulder-top with the sharp point, then struck the shield with his sword — the steel struck the oxhide in the middle with a clash, but it did not break.

  αὐτάρ ὁ λυσσήεντι μόθου δεδονημένος οἴστρῳ

  ἐγχείην ἐλέλιζε μετήλυδα κυκλάδι τέχνῃ

  ἢ πλευρῆς ἑκάτερθεν ἤ αὐχένος ἢ σχεδὸν ὤμου:

  210 σείων δ᾽ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα παλινδίνητον ἀκωκὴν

  στεινομένης μέσα νῶτα διέτμαγε δηιοτῆτος,

  κραιπνός, ἀερσιλόφοιο καθήμενος ὑψόθεν ἵππου.

  ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε ῥιγαλέου σκιερὴν μετὰ χείματος ὥρην

  φαίνεται ἀσκεπέων νεφέων γυμνούμενος ἀήρ,

  215 φέγγεος εἰαρινοῖο δεδεγμένος αἴθριον αἴγλην:

  ὣς ὅ γε βακχεύων πυκινὰς στίχας ἄτρομος ἀνὴρ

  Ἰνδῶν σχιζομένων μεσάτην γυμνώσατο χάρμην.

  [207] So he went on wild with the madness of battle, wielded his spear in all directions with masterly skill, right and left flank, over the neck, across the shoulder, darted the ever-returning point this way and that way, until he cut through the front of the dense combat, full of energy as he sat on his horse with flying mane. As after the dark season of freezing winter the air shows free of the covering clouds, and takes the clear light of shining spring, so this inspired fearless man routed the dense ranks of broken Indians, and made a bare space in the middle of the fray.

  καὶ τότε τις προμάχοιο περὶ στόμα χαλκὸν ἐρείσας

  δεξιτερὴν δασπλῆτι γενειάδα τύψε μαχαίρῃ:

  220 καί τις ἐπ᾽ ἀντιβίοισιν ἐν ἠέρι βόμβον ἰάλλων

  εἰς σκοπὸν ὑψικέλευθον ἐπέμπετο λᾶας ἀλήτης,

  καὶ λίθος ἠερόφοιτος ἐπεσμαράγησε καρήνῳ,

  καὶ λόφον εὐπήληκος ἀπεστυφέλιξεν ἐθείρης,

  αὐχενίου δεσμοῖο παρ᾽ ἀνθερεῶνα λυθέντος:

  225 τῆς δὲ κυλινδομένης κεφαλὴ γυμνοῦτο φορῆος.

  οὐ μοῦνοι τότε φῶτες ἐπέβρεμον, ἀλλὰ καἰ αὐτοὶ

  ἵπποι χαλκοχίτωνες ἐπεσμαράγησαν Ἐνυώ,

  Ἄρεα σαλπίζοντες ἐνυαλίῳ χρεμετισμῷ.

  κούρη δ᾽ ὑστερόφωνος ὀρεσσαύλων ἀπὸ λαιμῶν

  230 πετραίοις στομάτεσσιν ἀμειβομένη κτύπον αὐτῶν

  μιμηλὴ χρεμέτιζε μέλος πολεμήιον Ἠχώ.

  [218] Then in the front ranks, one drove his blade at another’s mouth and struck the right cheek with the terrible sword. Here a stone cast against the enemy soared high to its mark, whizzing through the air; the stone fell from the air and crashed upon a head, knocking off the crest of a plumed helmet and snapping the neckstrap under the chin — the helmet went rolling away and the man’s head was bare. Then not only men roared battle, but even the armoured horses joined in the noise, trumpeting Ares with bellicose whinny: and maiden Echo aftersounding answered the din of their hillranging throats with her stony lips, and whinnied too — mimicking their warlike notes.

  καὶ πολὺς ἀρτιδάικτος ἑλίσσετο νεκρὸς ἀρούραις

  θερμὸν ἀποπτύων ῥόον αἵματος: ὀλλυμένων δέ

  οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ πλευρῇσιν ἐπῃώρηντο θανόντες,

  235 ὃς δὲ τυπεὶς ἐλέλικτο χαρασσομένου κενεῶνος,

  ἄλλος ὑπέρ δαπέδοιο χυτῇ κεκύλιστο κονίῃ,

  ἄλλος ἐπεστήρικτο παρ᾽ ὀμφαλόν, ὃς δ᾽ ἐπὶ γαίῃ

  ἀνέρος ἀσπαίροντος ἐπεσκίρτησε καρήνῳ,

  ὃς δέ πεσὼν ἰάχησε τετυμμένος ἀνθερεῶνα,

  240 καὶ πόδας ἀμφελέλιξεν ἔχων ὀρχηθμὸν ὀλέθρου:

  πρηνὴς δ᾽ ἄλλος ἔκειτο, καὶ ὡς κοτέων ὀλετῆρι

  εὐρυχανὴς ἔσφιγξε μεμηνότι γαῖαν ὀδόντι.

  ἄλλου βαλλομένοιο τανυγλώχινι σιδήρῳ

  λευκὸς ἀκοντιστῆρι χιτὼν ἐρυθαίνετο λύθρῳ:

  245 ἄλλου μαρναμένοιο τιταινομένων ἀπὸ τόξων

  αἱμοβαφὴς πτερόεντι χαράσσετο μηρὸς ὀιστῷ.

  [232] Many a corpse newly slain rolled over the fields, spitting out a hot stream of blood. Of the dying, some lay on their sides and died, one with belly torn open turned over on the wound, another rolled in the dust which was scattered on the ground, another died leaning upon his middle, this one trod upon the head of a man gasping on the ground, that one wounded in the throat fell with a groan and moved his feet about in a dance of death. Another lay on his face, and as if venting his rage on the slayer, opened his mouth and bit the earth with mad teeth. Another had been struck with a long steel blade, and his white tunic was red from a jet of gore. Another, as he fought, was shot in the thigh by a winged arrow from the bows drawn at him, and covered with blood.

  καί τις ἑὴν σάλπιγγα μάτην περὶ χεῖλος ἐρείσας

  ἐχθρὸς ἀνὴρ κελάδησεν ἐγερσιμόθου μέλος ἠχοῦς,

  ὀκναλέον φύξηλιν ἑὸν στρατὸν εἰς μόθον ἕλκων.

  250 οἱ δὲ βοῆς ἀίοντες ἐπὶ κλόνον ἔρρεον
Ἰνδοί.

  θαρσαλέοι δ᾽ ἥψαντο παλιννόστοιο κυδοιμοῦ

  αἰδόμενοι βασιλῆι φανήμεναι ἔκτοθι νίκης.

  [247] There was one of the enemy who pressed his trumpet to his lips in vain, and sounded the call to attack, hoping to bring back into the battle his cowardly shrinking host. The Indians hearing the call poured back to the fray, and boldly began a new conflict, ashamed to appear without victory before their king.

  καὶ πολέες στεφανηδὸν ἀπόσσυτον εἰν ἑνὶ χώρῳ

  Αἰακὸν εὐθώρηκες ἐκυκλώσαντο μαχηταί.

  255 αὐτὰρ ὁ μέσσος ἔην βεβιημένος, οὐ τρυφαλείῃ,

  οὐ πίσυνος σακέεσσι καὶ οὐ θώρηκι κυδοιμοῦ:

  ἀλλά ἑ πατρῴοις πεπυκασμένον ἀντὶ σιδήρου

  ἀρρήκτοις νεφέεσσιν ὅλον πύργωσεν Ἀθήνη,

  οἶς πάρος ἀβρέκτοιο κατέσβεσεν αὐχμὸν ἀρούρης

  260 διψαλέην ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἄγων βιοτήσιον ὕδωρ

  Ζηνὸς ἐπομβρήσαντος, ἀμαλλοτόκοιο δὲ γαίης

  αὔλακες εὐώδινες ἐνυμφεύθησαν ἀρότρῳ:

  καὶ μέσος ἀντιβίων κυκλούμενος ἔνθεος ἀνὴρ

  τοὺς μέν ἀπηλοίησε θοῷ δορί, τοὺς δὲ μαχαίρῃ,

  265 τοὺς δὲ λίθοις κραναοῖσι: πέδον δ᾽ ἐρυθαίνετο λύθρῳ

  Ἰνδῶν κτεινομένων, καὶ ἀκαμπέος ἀνέρος αἰχμῇ

  κεῖτο πολυσπερέων νεκύων χύσις, ὦν ὁ μὲν αὐτῶν

  ἡμιθανὴς ἤσπαιρεν, ὁ δὲ χθόνα ποσσὶν ἀράσσων

  ὕπτιος αὐτοκύλιστος ὁμίλεε γείτονι πότμῳ:

  270 καὶ δαπέδῳ στείνοντο, νέκυς δ᾽ ἐπερείδετο νεκρῷ

  κεκλιμένῳ μετρηδόν, ἀπ᾽ ἀρτιτόμοιο δὲ λαιμοῦ

  ψυχρὸν ἐρευθιόωντι δέμας θερμαίνετο λύθρῳ:

  καὶ φόνος ἄσπετος ἦεν, ἐπασσυτέρων δὲ πεσόντων

  γαῖα κελαινιόωσα κατάρρυτος αἵματος ὁλκῷ,

  275 υἱέας οἰκτείρουσα, χαραδραίῃ φάτο φωνῇ:

  [253] A large company of warriors in panoply drove Aiacos apart, and surrounded him there. He stood in the midst at their mercy; no helmet nor shield nor corselet could have saved him from that assault, but Athena built all round him a defence in place of steel, his father’s impregnable clouds, the same clouds which once had quenched the drought of the soil, and brought lifegiving water upon the thirsty earth, when Zeus sent the rain, so that the fertile furrows of sheafbearing earth were wedded to the plow. Thus the inspired man, surrounded by enemies, destroyed some with quickdarting spear, some with sword, some with jagged stones; the ground was red with the blood of slain Indians, and the corpses lay scattered in heaps by the blade of the unshaken man. One panted half-dead, one hammered the earth with his feet and rolled over helpless on his back, holding converse with fate his neighbour. They crowded the place, corpse lying as if fitted on corpse in rows, and cold bodies were warmed by the red gore from throats newly cut, endless carnage. As they fell and fell, Earth darkened with pouring streams of blood lamented her sons, and cried with a torrent of words —

  ‘υἱὲ Διὸς ζείδωρε μιαιφόνε — καὶ γὰρ ἀνάσσεις

  ὄμβρου καρποτόκοιο καὶ αἱμαλέου νιφετοῖο, —

  ὄμβρῳ μὲν γονόεσσαν ὅλην ἐδίηνας ἀλωὴν

  Ἑλλάδος, Ἰνδῴην δὲ κατέκλυσας αὔλακα λύθρῳ,

  280 ὁ πρὶν ἀμαλλοφόρος, θανατηφόρος: ἀγρονόμοις μὲν

  σὸς νιφετὸς στάχυν εὗρε, σὺ δὲ στρατὸν ἔθρισας Ἰνδῶν

  ἀνέρας ἀμώων ἅτε λήιον: ἀμφότερον δὲ

  ἐκ Διὸς ὄμβρον ἄγεις, ἐξ Ἄεος αἵματι νίφεις.’

  [276] “Son of Zeus, beneficent butcher — for you are lord of the fruitbearing rain and the deluge of blood! With rain you did irrigate all the productive orchards of Hellas, with gore you have deluged Indian furrows! Once stookbearing, now deathbearing! Your deluge found corn-ears for the farmers, now you have reaped the Indian host, men like a ripe harvest! You do both — bring rain from Zeus, and shower blood from Ares!”

  τοῖα μὲν ἔννεπε Γαῖα φερέσβιος. ἀλλὰ Κρονίων

  285 οὐρανόθεν κελάδησε, καὶ Αἰακὸν εἰς φόνον Ἰνδῶν

  βρονταίοις πατάγοισι Διὸς προκαλίζετο σάλπιγξ.

  καί τις ἐν ἀντιβίοισιν ἐς Αἰακὸν ὄμμα τανύσσας

  πέμπε βέλος, καὶ βαιόν ὅσον χροὸς ἄκρον ἀμύξαι,

  μηρὸν ἐπιγράψαντα παρέτραπεν ἰὸν Ἀθήνη.

  290 μάρνατο δ᾽ εἰσέτι μᾶλλον ἀνώδυνος εἰς μέσον Ἰνδῶν

  Αἰακὸς ἀστήρικτος, ἐπεὶ βέλος ἥπτετο μηροῦ,

  λεπτὸς ὄνυξ ἅτε φωτός, ὅτε χροὸς ἄκρα χαράξῃ.

  [284] So cried Earth, the mother of life. But Cronion sounded from heaven, the trumpet of Zeus called Aiacos to the slaughter of Indians with thunderclaps. There one of the enemy fixed his eye on Aiacos and let fly a shot: the arrow just grazed his thigh so as to scratch the skin, but Athena turned it aside. Aiacos felt no pain, and fought still more without ceasing among the Indians, after the arrow touched his thigh, like the light touch of a man’s nail which just scratches the skin.

  καί τις ἀνὴρ ἀκίχητος ἐχάζετο πεζὸς ὁδίτης

  ἴχνεσιν ὠκυτέροισι, καὶ ἤθελε γείτονα λόχμην

  295 δύμεναι, ἧχι πάροιθεν ἐκεύθετο: τὸν δὲ διώκων

  εἰς δρόμον ἡνιόχευε ποδήνεμον ἵππον Ἐρεχθεύς:

  ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε τόσσον ἔμαρψεν, ὅσον προμάχοιο βαλόντος

  ἔγχεος ἱπταμένοιο τιταίνεται ὄρθιος ὁρμή,

  δὴ τότε οἱ μετὰ νῶτα βαλὼν ἀντώπιος ἔστη

  300 πεζὸς ἀνήρ, ἱππῆα δεδεγμένος: αὐτὰρ ὁ κάμψας

  ὀκλαδὸν ἐστήριξεν ἀριστερὸν ἴχνος ἀρούρῃ

  λοξὸς ἐπὶ πλευρῇσιν, ὀπισθοτόνοιο δὲ ταρσοῦ

  ἴχνιον ἠέρταζε μετάρσιον, ὀρθὰ τιταίνων

  δεξιτεροῦ ποδὸς ἄκρα πεπηγότα δάκτυλα γαίῃ,

  305 Ἰνδικὸν ἑπταβόειον ἔχων σάκος, εἰκόνα πύργου,

  γυμνὸν ἔχων ξίφος ὀξύ: προϊσχόμενος δὲ προσώπου

  ἀσπίδα χαλκεόνωτον ἐπέδραμεν Ἰνδὸς ἀγήνωρ,

  ἢ θανέειν ἤ φῶτα βαλεῖν ἤ πῶλον ἐλάσσαι

  ἄορι τολμήεντι: καὶ ὀμφαλόεντι σιδήρῳ

  310 δόχμιος ἀντικέλευθον ἀνακρούσας γένυν ἵππου

  πεζὸς ἐὼν ἐτίναξεν ὑπέρτερον ἡνιοχῆα:

  κ�
�ὶ νύ εἰς χθόνα ῥῖψεν ἀμήτορος ἀστὀν Ἀθήνης,

  ἀλλά μιν ἔγχεϊ νύξε παρ᾽ ὀμφαλὸν ἄκρον Ἐρεχθεὺς

  καὶ φονίῳ μέσον ἄνδρα πεπαρμένον ὀξέι χαλκῷ

  315 εἰς πέδον ἠκόντιζεν: ὁ δὲ στροφάδεσσιν ἐρωαῖς

  ἠερόθεν προκάρηνος ἐπωλίσθησε κονίῃ

  κρᾶτα κυβιστητῆρα φέρων βητάρμονι παλμῷ.

  τὸν δὲ λιπὼν σπαίροντα, μετατρέψας δρόμον ἵππου,

  ἄλλοις δυσμενέεσσιν ἐπέχραεν ἀστὸς Ἀθήνης.

  [293] One man got away on foot uncaught, running at full speed, and wished to get into the coppice not far off where he had been hidden before; but Erechtheus pursued him riding a windfoot horse. When he had caught him up so close that a front-fighter could aim his flying lance for a straight throw, the man turned about and faced him, awaiting the horseman on foot. He bent his knee, and planted his left foot on the ground turning sideways, lifted his right foot and stretched it behind, stiffened the toes of his right foot and pressed them firmly into the ground. He carried a sevenhide Indian shield like a tower, he carried a sharp naked sword; holding the bronzeplated shield before his face the brave Indian faced his foe, ready to die or strike the man or pierce the horse with daring sword. As he came on the footman from one side struck up at the horse’s cheek with a knob of steel and unsettled the man above on his back, and he would have thrown the citizen of unmothered Athena; but Erechtheus struck him with a spear by his midnipple-tip, and with sharp-slaughtering bronze pierced the man through the middle and sent him flying till he fell through the air to the ground, slipping headforemost, and rolled over and over in the dust, and with a somersault took a header like a tumbling clown. There the Athenian left him in convulsions, and turned back his horse to attack other enemies.

  320 ... κυκλώσας ἑὰ τόξα, καὶ ἁπλώσας ἐπὶ νευρὴν