Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  Λυσσήεις δ᾽ Ἰόβακχος ἐπέδραμε δηιοτῆτι,

  320 καὶ νεφέων ἔψαυσε καὶ ἥψατο χερσὶν Ὀλύμπου,

  ἄλλοτε μηκύνων ταναὸν δέμας, αἰθέρι γείτων,

  καὶ χθονὶ ταρσὸν ἔπηξε, καὶ ἠέρα τύψε καρήνῳ.

  [319] Madly Iobacchos rushed into the fray; he lengthened his tall body until he reached the clouds and grasped Olympos with his hands, near neighbour to the sky, standing firm on earth and touching heaven with his head.

  τοῖσι δὲ μαρναμένοισιν ἐπήλυθεν Ἕσπερος ἀστήρ,

  λύων Ἰνδοφόνοιο θεμείλια δηιοτῆτος.

  325 Ἄρεϊ δ᾽ ὑπνώοντι παρίστατο νεύματι Ῥείης

  φάσματα ποικίλλουσα δολοπλόκος ὄψις ὀνείρου,

  τοῖον ἔπος βοόωσα, νόθῃ σκιοειδέι μορφῇ:

  [323] So they fought, until the evening star came on them and razed the foundations of the Indian massacre. Then at Rheia’s nod a deceitful vision stood by Ares, painting fantastic pictures in his sleep, and spoke thus in shadowy counterfeit shape:

  ‘Ἆρες, Ἄρες, σὺ μὲν εὗδε, δυσίμερε, μοῦνος ἰαύων

  χαλκοχίτων: Παφίην δὲ τὸ δεύτερον ὑψόθι λέκτρων

  330 ὑμετέρην Ἥφαιστος ἔχει προτέρην Ἀφροδίτην,

  ἐκ δὲ δόμων ἐδίωκε Χάριν, ζηλήμονα νύμφην:

  ἀρχαίην δὲ δάμαρτα παλίνδρομον εἰς γάμον ἕλκων

  αὐτὸς Ἔρως τόξευεν ἀναινομένην Ἀφροδίτην,

  Ἡφαίστῳ γενετῆρι φέρων χάριν. ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ

  335 Ζῆνα μέγαν παρέπεισε πόθων ἀδίδακτος Ἀθήνη,

  παρθενικὴ δολόμητις, ὅπως Ἥφαιστον ἀλύξῃ,

  μνησαμένη νόθα λέκτρα πεδοτρεφέων Ὑμεναίων,

  μὴ προτέρου μετὰ πότμον Ἐρεχθέος ἄρσενι μαζῷ

  ἄλλον ἀεξήσειε νεώτερον υἱὸν ἀρούρης.

  [328] “Sleep on Ares, sleep on hapless lover, now you lie alone in your coat of mail! But the Paphian — Hephaistos lies again in his bed and possesses Aphrodite, once yours! He has chased out of the house Charis his jealous bride; Eros himself has shot reluctant Aphrodite with an arrow, and brought back the ancient wife to a second marriage to please Hephaistos his father. Indeed, Athena herself, who knows nothing of love, has persuaded great Zeus — the cunning virgin! She wants to evade Hephaistos, for she remembers the makeshift marriage on the nourishing soil, and would not nurse another son of the earth on her manlike breast, a younger brother of Erechtheus now the first is dead.

  340 ἔγρεο, καὶ Θρήισσαν ἰὼν ἐπὶ πέζαν ἐρίπνης

  δέρκεο σὴν Κυθέρειαν ἐθήμονος ἔνδοθι Λήμνου,

  δέρκεο, πῶς προπύλαια Πάφου καὶ ἐδέθλια Κύπρου

  ἄνθεσιν ἐστεφάνωσεν ὁμόστολος ἑσμὸς Ἐρώτων,

  Βυβλιάδων δ᾽ ἐπάκουε μελιζομένων Ἀφροδίτην

  345 καὶ νεαρὴν φιλότητα παλιννόστων ὑμεναίων.

  [340] “Awake! Go to the upland plain of the Thracian mountain, and see your Cythereia in her own familiar Lemnos. See how her swarm of attendant Loves have crowned with flowers the portals of Paphos and the buildings of Cyprus; hear the women of Byblos celebrate Aphrodite in their hymns, and the fresh love of a wedlock renewed again.

  Ἆρες, ἐνοσφίσθης σέο Κύπριδος: ἀνδροφόνον γὰρ

  ὁ βραδὺς ὠκὺν Ἄρηα παρέδραμε. μέλπε καὶ αὐτὸς

  Ἡφαίστῳ πυρόεντι συναπτομένην Ἀφροδίτην.

  Σικελίης δ᾽ ἐπίβηθι, παρισταμένους δὲ καμίνῳ

  350 λίσσεό μοι Κύκλωπας: ἀριστοπόνου δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ

  ἴδμονες Ἡφαίστοιο, σοφῶν ζηλήμονες ἔργων,

  σοὶ δόλον ἐντύνουσι, καὶ ἀρχαίῳ σέο δεσμῷ

  ὁπλότερον τελέσουσιν ὁμοίιον, ὄφρα καὶ αὐτὸς

  ἀμφοτέρους δολίῃσιν ἀλυκτοπέδῃσι πιέζων

  355 δήσῃς φῶρα γάμοιο τεῷ ποινήτορι δεσμῷ,

  εἰλιπόδην Ἥφαιστον ἐπισφίγξας Ἀφροδίτῃ:

  καί σε θεοὶ ξύμπαντες ἐπαινήσουσιν Ὀλύμπου

  δέσμιον ἀγρεύσαντα τεῶν συλήτορα λέκτρων.

  ἔγρεο, καὶ σὺ γένοιο δολοπλόκος: ἔγρεο, νύμφης

  360 ἁρπαμένης ἀλέγιζε. τί σοι κακὰ Δηριαδῆος;

  σιγῇ ἐφ᾽ ἡμείων, Φαέθων μὴ μῦθον ἀκούσῃ.’

  [346] “Ares, you have lost your Cypris! The slow one has outrun murderous Ares the quick! Sing a hymn yourself to Aphrodite united with fiery Hephaistos! Set foot in Sicily, put your prayer, if you please, to the Cyclopes standing by their forge. They are in the secrets of Hephaistos the master craftsman, they can rival his clever work; they will invent an artifice for you and make a later imitation of your net, that you too may smother them both in galling meshes, and fasten the thief of your marriage in avenging toils, and bind limpfoot Hephaistos to Aphrodite. Then all the gods of Olympos will applaud you, when you have caught the ravisher of your bed in those bonds. Awake! be the cunning schemer in your turn! Awake — attend to your stolen bride! What are the woes of Deriades to you? — But let us be silent, or Phaethon may hear.”

  ὣς φαμένη πεπότητο. καὶ αὐτίκα κῶμα τινάξας

  πρώιον ἀρτιχάρακτον ὀπιπεύων φάος Ἠοῦς

  θερμὸς Ἄρης ἀνέπαλτο, Φόβον καὶ Δεῖμον ἐγείρας

  365 ζεῦξαι φοίνιον ἄρμα ταχύδρομον: οἱ δὲ τοκῆι

  σπερχομένῳ πείθοντο: καὶ ἀγκυλόδοντι χαλινῷ

  Δεῖμος ἐριπτοίητος ἐπισφίγξας γένυν ἵππων

  δέσμιον αὐχένα δοῦλον ἐπεσφήκωσε λεπάδνῳ,

  ζεύγλην δ᾽ ἀμφὶς ἔδησεν: Ἄρης δ᾽ ἐπεβήσατο δίφρου:

  370 καὶ Φόβος ἡνιόχευεν ὄχον πατρῷον ἐλαύνων,

  εἰς Πάφον ἐκ Λιβάνου πεφορημένος, ἐκ δὲ Κυθήρων

  ἄστατον ἔτραπεν ἄρμα Κεραστίδος εἰς χθόνα Κύπρου:

  πολλάκι, πολλάκι Λῆμνον ἐδέρκετο, καὶ πλέον ἄλλων

  ζηλήμων σκοπίαζε πυρίπνοον ἐσχαρεῶνα,

  375 Κύπριν ἀνιχνεύων τροχαλῷ ζηλήμονι ταρσῷ,

  εἴ μιν ἐσαθρήσειε παρ᾽ Ἡφαίστοιο καμίνοις,

  ὡς πάρος, ἱσταμένην, καὶ ἐδείδιε, μή οἱ ὀπωπὴν

  καπνὸς ἀμαλδύνειε μελαινομένης Ἀφροδίτης.

  ἔδραμε καὶ μετὰ Λῆμνον ἐς οὐρανόν, ὄφρα σιδήρῳ

  380 νυμφιδίην μακάρεσσιν ἀναστήσειεν Ἐνυώ,

  καὶ Διὶ καὶ Φαέθοντι καὶ Ἡφ
αίστῳ καὶ Ἀθήνῃ.

  [362] She spoke, and flew away. At once lusty Ares threw off slumber and saw the early streaks of the morning’s light. In hot haste he leapt up, and awoke Rout and Terror to yoke his deadly quickrunning car. They obeyed their urgent father. Furious Terror set the crooktooth bit in the horses’ mouths, and fastened their obedient necks under the yokestrap, and fitted the neckloop on each: Ares mounted the car, and Rout took the reins and drove his father’s chariot. From Libanos to Paphos he sped, and turned the hurrying car from Cythera to the land of horned Cyprus. Often, often he looked towards Lemnos; most of all he jealously watched the firebreathing forge, tracking Cypris with swift jealous foot, if perchance he could see her standing as long ago beside Hephaistos’s furnace, and feared the smoke might hide Aphrodite’s face with black. Then he left Lemnos and rose into the heaven, that spear in hand he might arouse battle for his bride among the Blessed, confronting Zeus and Phaethon and Hephaistos and Athena.

  BOOK 30

  ἐν δὲ τριηκοστῷ μετὰ νέρτερον οἶκον ἀνάγκης

  Τέκταφον Εὐρυμέδων δεδαϊγμένον Ἄιδι πέμπει.

  ὣς ὁ μὲν ἑπτάζωνον ἐς οὐρανὸν ἔδραμεν Ἄρης

  ζηλήμων, βαρύμηνις. ἐς ὑσμίνην δὲ χορεύων

  θαρσήεις Διόνυσος ἐπέχραεν αἴθοπι λαῷ,

  πῇ μὲν ἐνὶ πρώτοισι θορὼν ἐνοσίχθονι παλμῷ,

  5 πῇ δὲ μέσος προμάχοισιν: ἀκοντιστῆρι δὲ θύρσῳ

  κυανέης ἤμησε θαλύσια δηιοτῆτος,

  δυσμενέος δὲ φάλαγγος ἐμαίνετο φῦλα δαΐζων:

  καὶ Σατύρους θάρσυνεν ἐς Ἄρεα Δηριαδῆος,

  ὡς ἴδε Βάκχος Ἄρηα λελοιπότα φύλοπιν Ἰνδῶν:

  10 ἄλλῳ δ᾽ ἄλλος ἔριζε. κορυμβοφόρου δὲ κυδοιμοῦ

  δεξιτερὸν στόμα λάβρον ἐπιτρέψας Διονύσῳ

  λαιὸν Ἀρισταῖος κέρας ἔτρεχε δηιοτῆτος.

  BOOK XXX

  In the thirtieth, Eurymedon sends Tectaphos slain to Hades, into the lowest house of constraint.

  So Ares rose to the sevenzone sky, jealous, heavy with rancour. But Dionysos danced boldly into the battle and assailed the swarthy people, now leaping upon the first ranks with earthshaking bound, now right in the midst of the forefighters. With his darting thyrsus he mowed the firstfruits of his black harvest, and furiously cut down the tribes of the enemy throng. When he saw that Ares had abandoned the Indian contest, he cheered on the Satyrs to attack Deriades, and each outdid the other. Aristaios left to Dionysos the boisterous right wing of the clusterbearing host, and ran to the left of the battle.

  καὶ Βρομίου θεράποντος ὀπιπεύων ἔτι Μορρεὺς

  μαρναμένους πετάλοισι καὶ ἀνθεμόεντι βελέμνῳ

  15 ἄφρονι Δηριάδῃ πολυθαμβέα ῥήξατο φωνήν:

  [13] Now when Morrheus saw the servants of Bromios still fighting with leaves and flowery shafts, he called out in great amazement to foolish Deriades —

  ‘Δηριάδη, τί τὸ θάμβος; ἐμοὶ πίπτουσι μαχηταί,

  βαλλόμενοι θύρσοισι καὶ οὐτιδανοῖσι πετήλοις,

  ὁπλοφόρους δ᾽ ὀλέκουσιν ἀνάσπιδες: ἀκλινέες δὲ

  Βασσαρίδες, πελέκεσσι καὶ ἀμφιπλῆγι μαχαίρῃ

  20 τυπτόμεναι, μίμνουσιν ἀνούτατοι. εἰ θέμις εἰπεῖν,

  καὶ σύ, λιπών, σκηπτοῦχε, τεὴν χαλκήλατον αἰχμὴν

  οἴνοπα θύρσον ἄειρε μιαιφόνον, ὅττι σιδήρου

  δυσμενέες πολὺ μᾶλλον ἀριστεύουσι κορύμβοις.

  οὕ ποτε τοῖον ὄπωπα μόθου τύπον: οὐτιδανοὶ δὲ

  25 θύρσοι ἀκοντιστῆρες ἀρείονές εἰσιν ἀκόντων.

  [16] “What is this marvel, Deriades? My warriors fall, struck with a thyrsus or rubbishy leaves — the shieldless slay the armed! Nothing shakes the Bassarids; strike them with axe or two-edged sword, they remain unwounded! You do the same, if I may say so, my lord king — let be your bronze- beaten spear and lift a vinethyrsus, if you would shed blood, since the enemy are much more triumphant with their bunches of twigs than steel. I never saw a conflict of this kind: the rubbishy thyrsus in volleys is better than our javelins.

  δὸς καὶ ἐμοὶ κλονέειν χλοερὸν βέλος: ἡμέτεροι γὰρ

  ἀπτολέμου νάρθηκος ἐνικήθησαν ὀιστοί:

  δός μοι ξανθὰ πέδιλα φορήμεναι, ὅττι καὶ αὐταὶ

  ἀρραγέες κνημῖδες ὑπεκλίνοντο κοθόρνοις.

  30 τί πλέον, εἰ χάλκειον ἔχω σάκος, εὖτε γυναῖκες

  μᾶλλον ἀριστεύουσιν ἀτευχέες, ἐν δὲ κυδοιμοῖς

  κύμβαλα δινεύουσι, καὶ ὀκλάζουσι μαχηταί,

  καὶ στεφάνοις τρυφάλεια καὶ εἴκαθε νεβρίδι θώρηξ;

  πολλάκι δ᾽ ἀντικέλευθος ἀνουτήτου Διονύσου

  35 ὠισάμην ἄρρηκτον ἀνασχίσσαι κενεῶνα,

  πέμπων εὔσκοπα δοῦρα, καὶ ὡς ἔψαυε Λυαίου,

  ὀξυβελὴς ἄγναμπτος ἐκάμπτετο χαλκὸς ἀκόντων.’

  [26] “Give me too a green weapon to shake! for our arrows have been beaten by the unwarlike fennel. Give me yellow boots to wear, since even our unbreakable greaves have given way to the buskins. What good is it if I have a brazen shield, when women are more triumphant unarmed, and swing their cymbals in battle, while warriors collapse, while helmets yield to garlands and corselet to fawnskin? Often I have met unwounded Dionysos and thought to tear through his unbreakable flank: I have let fly my spear with good aim, and when it touched Dionysos, the unbending sharp point of the bronze was bent!”

  ὣς φαμένου μείδησεν ἄναξ θρασύς, ἀμφὶ δὲ γαμβρῷ

  ὄμματα λοξὰ τίταινε χόλου κήρυκι σιωπῇ:

  40 καί οἱ ἀπειλήτειραν ἀπερροίβδησεν ἰωήν:

  [38] When he finished, the bold monarch smiled, and looked askance at his goodson in silent witnessing anger; then he broke out into bold menacing words:

  ‘τί τρομέεις Διόνυσον ἀτευχέα, νήπιε Μορρεῦ;

  ἡδὺς ὁ δειμαίνων Σατύρων παίζουσαν Ἐνυώ.’

  [41] “Why do you tremble at unarmed Dionysos, you fool Morrheus? A nice thing to fear Satyrs playing at battle!”

  ὣς φάμενος θάρσυνεν ἀταρβέι γαμβρὸν ἀπειλῇ.

  καὶ Βρομίου προμάχοισι πέλωρ ἐκορύσσετο Μορρεύς:

  45 οὔτασε δ᾽ Εὐρυμέδοντα, μέσον βουβῶνα χαράξας

  ἔγχεϊ φοινήεντι: διαΐσσουσα δὲ μηροῦ

  πιαλέην τάμε σάρκα λιπόχροα θυιὰς ἀκωκή:

  γούνατι δ᾽ ὀκλάζοντι χαμαὶ πέσε. Χαλκοχίτων δὲ

  Ἄλκων οὐκ ἀμέλησε κασιγνήτοιο πεσόντος,

  50 ἀλλὰ βιαζομένῳ πρόμος ἤλυθεν ἔγχος ἀείρων

  κα
ὶ σάκος εὐδίνητον: ὅλον δ᾽ ἐκάλυπτε μαχητήν,

  ἀσπίδι πυργώσας δέμας ἀνέρος, ἀντιβίοις δὲ

  σείων ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα παλινδίνητον ἀκωκὴν

  γνωτῷ γνωτὸς ἄμυνε: καὶ οὐταμένῳ περιβαίνων,

  55 οἷα περὶ σκύμνοισι λέων, βρυχήσατο λαιμῷ,

  χείλεϊ λυσσήεντι χέων Κορυβαντίδα φωνήν.

  καί μιν ὀπιπεύων κυκλούμενον ἴδμονι ταρσῷ

  60 γνωτοῦ κεκλιμένοιο προασπιστῆρα Καβείρου

  ἰσοφυὴς Τυφῶνι πέλωρ βακχεύετο Μορρεύς,

  γνωτοῖς διχθαδίοις κεκορυθμένος, ὄφρά κε μήτηρ

  δίζυγα δακρύσειεν ὀλωλότα τέκνα Καβειρώ,

  εἰς μίνα ἠριγένειαν ἑνὶ τμηθέντα σιδήρῳ.

  καί νύ κεν ἀμφοτέρους ἰσοελκέι δῶκεν ὀλέθρῳ,

  ἀλλὰ διὰ στομάτων βεβιημένον ἄσθμα τιταίνων

  65 Λήμνιον Εὐρυμέδων γενέτην ἐκαλέσσατο φωνῇ.

  [43] This fearless boast encouraged his goodson. The prodigious Morrheus attacked the warriors of Bromios. He wounded Eurymedon, cut through the groin with his blood-stained spear: the mad point ran through the thigh and tore the skin from the fat flesh; collapsing he fell on his knee to the ground. Mailclad Alcon did not neglect his brother’s fall; but lifting spear and round buckler he made for the fallen man, and covered the warrior well, holding the shield tower-like over his body, and thrusting right and left his unresting spear, brother protecting brother against the foe. He straddled across the wounded man, as a lion over his cubs, shouting loud and letting out mad Corybantic cries from his lips. When Morrheus saw him moving with neat steps about his brother, defending the fallen Cabeiros, the monster went raging like Typhon and attacked both brothers, that Cabeiro might shed her tears for two dead sons, slain in one day with one spear. And now he would have dealt equal destruction to both, but Eurymedon called upon his Lemnian father with voice that gasped and strained from his mouth: