Works of Nonnus
Page 260
οἶσιν ἐφωμάρτησε καὶ Αἰακός, ἄξια ῥέζων
Ζηνὸς ἐοῦ γενετῆρος, ὑπὲρ νώτοιο τιταίνων
5 ἀσπίδα χαλκείην πολυδαίδαλον, ἧς ἐνὶ κύκλῳ
δαίδαλα πολλὰ πέπαστο, τά περ κάμε Λήμνιος ἄκμων.
BOOK XXVIII
Look at the twenty-eighth also, where you will see a great fiery fight of Cyclopians.
Now there was implacable conflict; for both Phaunos and Aristaios fought side by side, and Aiacos joined them, doing deeds worthy of Zeus his father, shaking the shield over his back, that shield of bronze curiously wrought on its disc with many patterns of fine art, which the Lemnian anvil had made.
καὶ στρατιὴ κεκόρυστο πολύτροπος εἰς μόθον Ἰνδῶν
σπερχομένων ἀγεληδόν: ὁ μὲν ταμεσίχροϊ κισσῷ
κραιπνὸς ἐς ὑσμίνην πολυδαίδαλα δίφρα νομεύων
10 πορδαλίων ἐπέβαινεν, ὁ δὲ φρίσσοντι λεπάδνῳ
ζεῦξεν Ἐρυθραίων ὀρεσίδρομον ἅρμα λεόντων
καὶ βλοσυρὴν ἴθυνε συνωρίδα, κυανέας δὲ
ἄλλος ἐριπτοίητος ἀκοντίζων στίχας Ἰνδῶν
ἀστεμφὴς ἀχάλινον ἐτέρπετο ταῦρον ἱμάσσων,
15 καί τις ἀναΐξας Κυβελίδος εἰς ῥάχιν ἄρκτου
ἔχραε δυσμενέεσσι, καὶ οἴνοπα θύρσον ἑλίσσων
ἡνιόχους ἐφόβησε τανυκνήμων ἐλεφάντων:
ἄλλος ἀκοντίζων στρατιὴν ταμεσόχροϊ κτσσῷ
οὐ ξίφος, οὐ σάκος εἶχε περίτροχον, οὐ δόρυ χάρμης
20 φοίνιον, ἀλλὰ πέτηλα φυτῶν ἑλικώδεα σείων
λεπτῷ χαλκοχίτωνα κατέκτανεν ἀνέρα θαλλῷ.
καὶ πάταγος βρονταῖος ἐπέκτυπεν εἴκελος αὐλῷ:
Σειληνοὶ δ᾽ ἰάχησαν: ἐπεστρατόωντο δὲ Βάκχαι,
νεβρίδας ὡς θώρηκα κατὰ στέρνοιο βαλοῦσαι.
25 καί τις ὸρεσσινόμων Σατύρων, ἄτε πῶλον ἐλαύνων,
ποσσὶ διχαζομένοισιν ὑπὲρ ῥάχιν ἦστο λεαίνης.
[7] And the host came armed in all its many forms, hastening in troops to the Indian War. One with his fleshcutting ivy stormed into battle, guiding a fine car with a team of panthers; one yoked lions of the Erythraian hills to his chariot, and drove the grim pair bristling under the yokestrap. Another sat tight on an unbridled bull, and amused himself by lashing its flanks, as he cast his javelins furiously among the black Indian ranks. Another leapt on the back of a bear of Cybele, and attacked the enemy, shaking the vinewrapt thyrsus and scaring the drivers of long-legged elephants. Another shot at the foe with fleshcutting ivy; no sword he had, no round buckler, no deadly spear of battle, but shaking clustered leaves of plants he killed the mailed man with a tiny twig. Thunder crashed like sounding pipes: the Seilenoi shouted, the Bacchant women came to battle with fawnskins thrown across their chests instead of a corselet. And a Satyr of the mountains sat astride on the back of a lioness, as if he were riding a colt.
Ἰνδοὶ δ᾽ ἀνταλάλαζον, ἀολλίζων δὲ μαχητὰς
βάρβαρος ἐσμαράγησεν ἀγέστρατος αὐλὸς Ἐνυοῦς:
στέμματα μὲν κορύθεσσιν, ἐπέκτυπε δ᾽ αἰγίδι θώρηξ,
30 ἔγχεσι θύρσος ἔθυσε, καὶ ἰσάζοντο κοθόρνοις
ἀντίτυποι κνημῖδες: ὁμοζυγέων δὲ φορήων
στοιχάδες ἀλλήλῃσιν ἐπηρείδοντο βοεῖαι,
καὶ πρυλέες πρυλέεσσιν, ἀερσιλίφῳ δὲ καρήνῳ
Μυγδονίην πήληκα Πελασφιὰς ὤθεε πήληξ.
[27] The Indians on their part raised their warcry, and the barbarian pipes of war sounded to summon the host and assemble the fighting men. Garlands knocked against helmets, corselet against goatskin, thyrsus rushed upon spear, greaves were matched against buskins; rows of shields pressed against each other as the ranks which carried them met together, footmen against footmen; Pelasgian helmet pushed Mygdonian helmet with highnodding plume.
35 καὶ κλόνος ἦν προμάχων ἑτερότροπος: ὄς μὲν ἀείρων
Βακχείης ἐλέλιζε μετάρσιον ἅλμα χορείης,
ὃς δὲ πεσὼν στενάχιζεν, ὁ δ᾽ ἐκροτάλιζε πεδίλῳ,
ὃς δὲ τυπεὶς ἤσπαιρεν, ὁ δ᾽ ἐσκίρτησε Λυαίῳ:
ἄλλος ἀπὸ στομάτων πολεμήιον ἦχον ἰάλλων
40 Ἄρεος ἔγχος ἔμελπεν, ὁ δ᾽ εἰλαπίνην Διονύσου:
καὶ τελετῇ Βρομίοιο συνεσμαράγησεν Ἐνυώ,
εὔια δ᾽ ἴαχε ῥόπτρα, καὶ ἡγήτειρα κυδοιμοῦ
λαὸν ἀολλίζουσα συνέκτυπε πηκτίδι σάλπιγξ,
σπονδῇ λύθρον ἔμιξε, φόνον δ᾽ ἐκέρασσε χορείῃ.
[35] Many and various were the fates of the fighting men. One bounded high in air with the Bacchic dance; one lay groaning upon the ground; one merrily stamped his shoon; one gasped under a wound; one skipt in honour of Lyaios. Another let out the warcry from his lips, and sang of Ares’ lance, another of the festival of Dionysos; the warshout resounded together with the worship of Bromios, Euian tambours roared, trumpet blared with harp leading the combat and gathering the people, mingled gore with libation, confused bloodshed with dance.
45 ἔνθα πολὺ πρώτιστος, ἑῷ ποδὶ κοῦφος ὀρούσας,
ἀντία Δηριάδαο κατηκόντιζε Φαληνεύς,
καὶ τύχεν ἀρρήκτοιο σιδηρείοιο χιτῶνος:
οὐ δὲ τιταινομένη χροὸς ἥψατο λοίγιος αἰχμή,
ἀλλὰ παραΐξασα πάγη χθονί: λυσσαλέος δὲ
50 Δηριάδῃ πέλας ἐχθρὸν ἐπαΐσσοντα νοήσας
ἀλκήεις ἐκίχησε Κορύμβασος, ἐσσυμένου δὲ
λαιμὸν ἀπηλοίησε μεσαίτατον ἄορι τύψας,
καὶ κεφαλὴν ἤμησε: δαϊζομένου δὲ καρήνου
αἱμοβαφὴς ἀκάρηνος ἐπὶ χθόνα πῖπτε Φαληνεύς.
[45] There well to the front lightly poised on his foot, Phaleneus cast a spear straight at Deriades and struck the unbreakable coat of mail; the deadly point thus cast did not reach the flesh, but glanced off and stuck in the ground. Mighty Corymbasos noticed the enemy as he rushed at Deriades, and madly attacked him — struck his neck as he charged and sheared it through with his sword, mowing off the head: at the shearing stroke, Phaleneus headless and bathed in blood fell to the ground.
55 Ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ μόθος ὦρτο πολύθροος: ἀκρότατον δὲ
Δεξίοχος Φλογίοιο μεσόφρυον ἔξεσε χαλκῷ,
πλήξας ἄκρα μέτωπα διχαζομένης τρυφαλείης:
αὐτὰρ ὁ ταρβήσας, ὀλίγον γόνυ γουνὸς ἀμείβων,
μηκεδανῇ κεκάλυπτο κασιγνήτοιο βοείῃ,
Δαρδανίης ἅτ�
� Τεῦκρον ὀιστευτῆρα γενέυλης
εἰς σάκος ἐπταβόειον ἐδέχνυτο σύγγονος Αἴας,
60 πατρῴῃ συνάεθλον ἀδελφεὸν ἀσπίδι κεύθων.
αὐτίκα δ᾽ ἐκ κολεοῖο Κορύμβασος ῾̣̣̓ορ ἐρύσσας
αὐχένα Δεξιόχοιο κατεπρήνιξε μαχαίρῃ:
65 καὶ ταχὺς ἀσπαίροντι θορὼν περιδέδρομε νεκρῷ
οἰστρομανὴς Κλύτιος, πρυλέων πρόμος: ὑψιλόφο δὲ
κραιπνὸς ἐριπτοίητος ἀκόντισε Δηριαδῆος:
ἀλλὰ δόρυ προμάχοιο παρακλιδὸν ἔτραπεν Ἥρη,
καὶ Κλυτίῳ κοτέουσα καὶ Ἰνδοφόνῳ Διονύσῳ:
70 ἔμπης δ᾽ οὐκ ἀφάμαρτε ταχὺς πρόμος: ἀλλὰ τορήσας
θηρὸς ἀμαιμακέτοιο πελώριοω ἀνθερεῶνα
ὀρθοπόδην ἐλέφαντα κατέκτανε Δηριαδῆος:
καὶ μογέων ὀδύνῃσιν ὅλην ἐτίναξεν ἀπήνην
αὐχένι κυανέῳ περιδέξιος ὴλίβατος θήρ:
75 καὶ γένυν αἰθύσσων σκολιὴν προβλῆτα προσώπου
αἱμοβαφῆ ζυγίων ἀνεσείρασε δεσθὰ λεπάδνων:
ἀλλὰ πολυκλήιστον ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἄορι κάμψας
αὐχενίων ἀνέκοψεν ὁμόζυγον ὁλκὸν ἱμάντων
ἡνίοχος ταχυεργός: ἀπ᾽ εὐρυβάτοιο δὲ φάτνης
80 ὑψιφανῆ νέον ἄλλον ἑλὼν ἔζευξε Κελαινεύς.
[55] About him rose a tumultuous din. Dexiochos grazed the forehead of Phlogios, and his blade cleft the helmet and cut the brow: the wounded man, startled, moved back step by step and took shelter behind his brother’s great shield, as Aias used to receive his kinsman Teucros, that shooter of arrows against the Dardanian nation, under his sevenhide shield, and sheltered his brother and comrade under his father’s targe. In a moment, Corymbasos drew sword from sheath, and cut through the neck of Dexiochos with his blade. Quickly with a mad leap over the palpitating body came Clytios, a leader of the footmen, and raging wildly cast at high-crested Deriades; but Hera turned the spear away from the man, for she hated Clytios and Indian-slaying Dionysos both. Yet the warrior’s quick shot did not miss; it pierced the monstrous throat of the straightlegged elephant which Deriades rode, and killed the furious beast. The mountainous creature in agony cleverly shook the whole car which he carried on his black neck; and shooting out the trunk which curved round his face, disengaged the bloodstained ropes of his yokepads. The driver quickly dived under the famous yoke, and sword in hand, cut the mass of knotted straps which held the yoke over the neck; then Celaineus brought a new one hightowering from the wide stables and got it ready.
καὶ Κλύτιος θρασὺς ἔσκεν ἀνεικέος ἐλπίδι νίκης:
Δεξιόχου δὲ φονῆα καλέσσατο θυιάδι φωνῇ,
λοίγιον ὑβριστῆρι χέων ἔπος ἀνθερεῶνι:
‘στῆθι, κύων, μὴ φεῦγε, Κορύμβασε, καί σε διδάξω,
οἷοι ἀκοντιστῆρες ὀπάονές εἰσι Λυαίου.
[81] Now Clytios grew bold with hope of victory undisputed. He challenged the slayer of Dexiochos in a madman’s voice, and uttered fatal words with insulting tongue:
ὑμέας εἰς Φρυγίην ληίσσομαι, ἄστεα δ᾽ Ἰνδῶν
85 δῃώσει δόρυ τοῦτο, καὶ Ἰνδοφόνον μετὰ νίκην
Δηριάδην θεράποντα Διωνύσοιο τελέσσω:
παρθενικὴ δ᾽ ἀνάεδνος ἑὴν λύσειε κορείην,
90 δεχνυμένη Σατύροιο δασυστέρνους ὑμεναίους,
Ἰνδὴ Μυγδονίοιο μιαινομένη σχεδόν Ἕρμου.’
[84] “Stand, dog! Flee not from me, Corymbasos! I will show you what javelin-throwers are the servants of Lyaios! I will lead you all captive into Phrygia — this my spear shall devastate the cities of India — after the Indian-slaying victory I will make Deriades the lackey of Dionysos! The virgin shall loose her maidenhood without bridegifts — she shall accept a shaggychested Satyr for husband, an Indian ravished beside Mygdonian Hermos!”
ὣς φαμένου κεχόλωτο Κορύμβασος, ὀψιμόθου δὲ
φθεγγομένου Κλυτίοιο διέθρισεν ἀνθερεῶνα:
καὶ κεφαλὴ πεπότητο μετάρσιος ἅλματι Μοίρης,
αἱμαλέῃ ῥαθάμιγγι περιρραίνουσα κονίην.
καὶ νέκυν ὀρχηστῆρα παλινδίνητον ἐάσας
95 Σειληνοὺς ἐφόβησε Κορύμβασος, ἔξοχος Ἰνδῶν,
[92] Corymbasos was infuriated by these words. Clytios was too late — the other shore through his throat as he spoke. The head bounded high with a leap of fate, raining drops of blood on the dust.
ἔξοχος ἠνορέην μετὰ Μορρέα καὶ βασιλῆα.
αἰχμητὴν δὲ Σέβητα βαλὼν ὑπὲρ ἄντυγα μαζοῦ
100 χάλκεον ὤθεεν ἔγχος ἔσω χροός, αἱμαλέου δὲ
δούρατος ἑλκομένοιο χυτῇ κατέβαλλε κονίῃ.
Οἰνομάῳ δ᾽ ἐπόρουσεν: ὁ μὲν φυγὰς εἴκελος αὔραις
εἰς στρατιὴν Βρομίοιο τεθηπότι χάζετο ταρσῷ:
καί μιν ἰδὼν ἐδίωκεν ὀπίστερος, ἐν δ᾽ ἄρα νώτῳ
105 μεσσατίῳ δόρυ τῆξε: διαΐσσουσα δὲ ῥιπῇ
γαστέρος ἀντιπόροιο παρ᾽ ἀμφαλὸν ἄνθορεν αἰχμή:
αὐτὰρ ὁ φοινήεντι πεπαρμένος ἀμφὶ σιδήρῳ
πρηνὴς ἀρτιδάικτος ἐπωλίσθησε κονίῃ:
τὸν δὲ κατὰ βλεφάρων θανατηφόρος ἔσκεπεν ἀχλύς.
110 οὐδὲ μόθων ἀπέληγε πέλωρ πρόμος: ἀλλὰ μαχηταὶ
τέσσαρες εὐπήληκες ἑνὶ κτείνοντο φονῆι,
Τυνδάριός τε Θόων τε καὶ Αὐτεσίων καὶ Ὀνίτης.
[96] Corymbasos left the dead body dancing and rolling on the ground, and scattered the Seilenoi, Corymbasos chief of the Indians pre-eminent for valour next to Morrheus and their king. He struck Sebes the spearman above the circle of his breast, and drove the spear of bronze into the flesh, drew out the bloody spear and left him there in a heap of dust. He leapt upon Oinomaos: he was retreating quick as the wind with startled foot towards the army of Bromios, but the other saw him and pursued, and thrust his spear into the middle of his back — the point leapt in and went through the belly with the thrust and out at the midnipple. The man transfixed with the bloody steel and new-slain sprawled flat on his face in the dust; the mist of death came down on his eyelids. But the prodigious hero did not cease from slaughter. Four helmeted warriors were killed by this one slayer, Tyndarios and Thoon and Autesion and Onites.
καὶ πολὺς ἀρτιδάικτος ἔην νέκυς, οὐ χθονὶ πίπτων
πρηνής, οὐ δατέδῳ τετανυσμένος ὕπτιος ἀνήρ:
115 ἀλλὰ θανὼν ἀτίνακτος ὲπεστηρίζετο γαίῃ,
μαρναμένῳ προμ
άχῳ πανομοίιος, ὡς δόρυ πάλλων,
ὡς τανύων θοὰ τόξα καὶ ὡς βέλος εἰς σκοπὸν ἕλκων.
καὶ νέκυς ἀλκήεις ποθέων μετὰ πότμον Ἐνυὼ
νήματα Μοιράων ἐβιήσατο, δούρατι κούφῳ
120 εἴκελος αἰχμάζοντι, πολυσπερέων ἀπὸ τόξων
ἐκ κεφαλῆς βελέεσσι πεπαρμένος εἰς πόδας ἄκρους,
Ἄρεος ὀρθὸν ἄγαλμα: καὶ αἰχμητῆρα θανόντα
ὄμμασι θαμβαλέοισιν ἐθηήσαντο μαχηταί,
ἔγχος ἔτι κρατέοντα καὶ οὐ ῥίψαντα βοείην,
125 νεκρὸν ἀκοντιστῆρα καὶ ἄπνοον ἀσπιδιώτην.
[113] Many a dead man also was there, just slain, yet he fell not forward to the ground, he lay not stretched out on his back: no, though dead he stood firmly on the earth, like a warrior fighting in the front, as if poising a spear, as if drawing bow and aiming a quick shot at a mark. The valiant dead, yearning for battle after fate had found him, compelled the threads of the Fates, like one casting a light spear, pierced from head to foot with arrows from countless bows, a standing image of Ares. The warriors gazed with wondering eyes at the dead spearman, who still held his spear and had not dropt his oxhide, a spearman corpse, a targeteer without life.
καί τις Ἀθηναίοιο τυχὼν δασπλῆτι σιδήρῳ
δεξιτερὴν ἤμησε, βραχίονος ἄκρον ἀράξας:
ἡ δὲ κυβιστήσασα φόνου βητάρμονι παλμῷ
ἤριπεν ἀρτιδάικτος, ὁμήλικι σύμπλοκος ὤμῳ,
130 ξανθὰ διαστίζουσα κατάρρυτα νῶτα κονίης.
καί νύ κεν ἁλλομένης ταναὸν δόρυ χειρὸς ἐρύσσας
ἔγχεϊ τηλεβόλῳ παλινάγρετον εἶχεν Ἐνυώ,
καί λαιὴ πολέμιζε δορυσσόος ἀντίτυπος χείρ: