Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  ἔκτανε δ᾽ Ἀλκιμάχειαν ὀρίδρομον, εἰν ἑνὶ θεσμῷ

  ἠνορέην καὶ κάλλος ὑπέρτερον ἥλικος ἥβης,

  κούρην Ἁρπαλίωνος ἐρισταφύλοιο τοκῆος,

  195 ἣ πέλε τολμήεσσα καὶ εἰς δόμον ἤλυθεν Ἥρης

  κισσὸν ἀερτάζουσα, τὸν Ἀργολὶς ἔστυγε δαίμων,

  ὅσσον ἐρευθιόωσαν ἐθήμονα φίλατο ῥοιήν:

  καὶ βρέτας εὐποίητον ἐμάστιεν οἵνοπι θύρσῳ,

  χάλκεον ἀμπελόεντι δέμας πλήσσουσα κορύμβῳ,

  200 μητρυιὴν βαρύμηνιν ἀτιμάζουσα Λυαίου.

  οὐδὲ χόλον δασπλῆτα καθαψαμένης φύγεν Ἥρης

  Λημνιὰς Ἀλκιμάχεια θεημάχος: ἀλλ᾽ ἐνὶ γαίῃ

  ὀθνείῃ κτερέιστο, μετὰ πτολέμους δὲ τοκῆα

  οὐκ ἴδεν Ἁρπαλίωνα τὸ δεύτερον, οὐκ ἴδε πάτρην,

  205 Λῆμνον Ἰησονίης νυμφήιον Ὑψιπυλείης:

  ἀλλὰ παρὰ ξείνοισι χυτῇ κεκάλυπτο κονίῃ,

  πότμον ἀμειβομένη τιμήορον. ἆ μέγα δειλή,

  ἤμβροτεν Ἁρπαλίωνος, ἐνοσφίσθη δὲ Λυαίου.

  [186] So she cried amid her tears. Now the battle grew fiercer: Enyo fanned the flame in both armies. Morrheus killed Dasyllios Tainarides with his sword, driving the blade through the right jawbone: Dasyllios the man of Amyclai, ever unshaken by any assault, who never lost shield to an enemy. He killed also Alcimacheia the highland girl, for beauty and valour alike pre-eminent above her yearsmates. She was daughter to Harpalion famous for his vines; she had dared to enter the temple of Hera laden with ivy, which that goddess of Argos hated as much as she loved her favourite red pomegranate, dared to beat the fine statue with the vineleaves of her thyrsus, to beat the brazen figure with bunches of grapes — insulting the resentful stepmother of Lyaios! But she did not escape the frightful wrath thus kindled in Hera: — no, Lemnian Alcimacheia who defied the gods was buried in a strange land — she did not return from the war, she never again saw Harpalion her father, she never saw her own country, Lemnos, the bridechamber of Jason and Hysipyleia; death was her punishment, and she lay among strangers under a mound of earth. Ah hapless girl! she lost Harpalion, she was severed from Lyaios.

  οὐδὲ δαϊζομένης ζαμενὴς ἐκορέσσατο Μορρεὺς

  210 μαινάδος Ἀλκιμάχης θεοπαίγμονος: ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴν

  Ἤλιδα ναιετάουσαν Ὀλύμπιον οὖδας ἀρούρης

  Ἀλφειοῦ παρὰ χεῦμα φιλοστεφάνου ποταμοῖο

  ἔκτανε Κωδώνην ἔτι παρθένον. ἵλατε, Μοῖραι,

  οὐ πλοκάμους ἐλέαιρε μαραινομένοιο καρήνου,

  215 οὐ ῥοδέην ἀκτῖνα κονιομένοιο προσώπου:

  οὐδὲ περὶ στέρνοισιν ἴσον τροχοειδέι μήλῳ

  μαζὸν ἰδὼν ἐλέαιρεν, ἀκαμπέα κέντορα μίτρης,

  οὐδὲ βαθυνομένοιο τομὴν ᾐδέσσατο μηροῦ,

  ἀλλὰ τόσον κτάνε κάλλος ἀώριον: οὐταμένη δὲ

  220 ἡ μὲν ἐπὶ χθονὶ πῖπτεν: ἀπειρεσίας δὲ διώκων

  μαινάδας εὐπέπλους κορυθαιόλος ἔκτανε Μορρεύς,

  Εὐρυπύλην Στερόπην τε Σόην τ᾽ ἤμησε μαχαίρῃ,

  καὶ Σταφύλην ἐδάιξεν, ἐρευθαλέην τε Γιγαρτὼ

  οὔτασε, καὶ ῥοδόεντος ὑπὲρ μαζοῖο τορήσας

  225 στέρνα Μελικταίνης φονίῳ πόρφυρε σιδήρῳ.

  [209] But furious Morrheus was not content with slaying Alcimache, the Mainad who mocked the gods; he slew also Codone, still a maiden, whose home was the Olympian soil of Elis beside Alpheios, the garland-loving river. Forgive me, ye Fates! He had no pity for the tresses of that head which was soon to wither, none for the rosy glow of that face soiled in the dust; no pity when he saw the breast with its two round apples, and the firm pressure on the breastband; no respect for the deep cleft of the thigh. No! all that beauty he killed in the bud. Struck down she fell to the ground; and Morrheus with nodding plume chased Mainads innumerable in their fine robes. Eurypyle, Sterope, Soe he mowed down with his sword, Staphyle he cleft asunder, ruddy Gigarto he wounded, and pierced Melictaina’s breast above the pink nipple, staining his deadly steel with crimson.

  καὶ φθονεροὶ Τελχῖνες ἐπεστρατόωντο κυδοιμῷ,

  ὃς μὲν ἔχων ἐλάτην περιμήκετον, ὃς δὲ κρανείου

  θάμνον ὅλον πρόρριζον, ὁ δὲ πρηῶνος ἀράξας

  ἄκρον ἀπηλοίησε, καὶ εἰς μόθον ἤιεν Ἰνδῶν

  230 λᾶαν ἀκοντιστῆρα μεμηνότι πήχεϊ σείων.

  [226] The spiteful Telchines also joined the battle. One held a tall firtree; one had a cornel, trunk and roots and all; one broke off the peak of a cliff and rushed against the Indians, whirling his darting rock with furious arms and crushing the foe.

  Ἥρη δ᾽ ἀλλοπρόσαλλος ἐπιβρίθουσα Λυαίῳ

  δῶκε μένος καὶ θάρσος ἀγήνορι Δηριαδῆι,

  καί οἱ ἀριστεύοντι σελασφόρον ὤπασεν αἴγλην

  εἰς φόβον ἀντιβίοισι: κορυσσομένου δὲ φορῆος

  235 ἀσπίδος Ἰνδῴης ἀμαρύσσετο φοίνιος αἴγλη,

  καὶ κυνέης σελάγιζεν ὑπὲρ λόφον ἁλλομένη φλόξ.

  καὶ θρασὺς ἔτρεμε Βάκχος, ὅπως ἴδε Δηριαδῆος

  ὀμφαλὸν ἀστράπτοντα πυριβλήτοιο βοείης

  καὶ σέλας ἠερόφοιτον ἀναπτομένης τρυφαλείης:

  240 τὸν μὲν ἰδὼν Διόνυσος ἐθάμβεεν, οὐδέ οἱ ἔτλη

  ἀντιάσαι, νοέων δὲ κορυσσομένης δόλον Ἥρης

  ποσσὶν ἀναινομένοισιν ἐχάζετο δηιοτῆτος.

  [231] Fickle Hera, still heavy against Lyaios, gave courage and spirit to lordly Deriades, and showed a brilliant glow upon his triumphant course for the terror of his foes. When lie came forth in arms a fatal glow sparkled from the Indian shield, dazzling flames leapt over the crest of his helmet. Bold as he was, Bacchos trembled when he saw the flashing boss of Deriades’ fireshot shield and the plumes of the helmet burning in the air. Dionysos was amazed when he saw, and had not the heart to meet him; but he retreated from the battle with unwilling feet, when he understood the device of Hera in arms.

  καὶ τότε θαρσήεντες ἐπὶ κλόνον ἤιον Ἰνδοί,

  ὑσμίνην Βρομίοιο λελοιπότος: εἰσορόων δὲ

  245 Δηριάδης ἐδάϊζεν ἐπασσυτέρων στίχα Βάκχων

  ἐγχείην ἑκάτερθε παλινδίνητον ἑλίσσων.

  [243] Then the Indians took courage, and moved to the fight as Bromios left the field; Deriades saw it, and swept the thronging ranks of Bacchants while he swung his blade right and left again and again.

  ἀσχαλόων δ᾽ Ἰόβακχος ἀνήιεν εἰς ῥά
χιν ὕλης,

  καὶ κλονέειν ἀνέμοισιν ἐπέτρεπεν ἐλπίδα χάρμης,

  μητρυιῆς τρομέων χόλον ἄγριον. ἦλθε δ᾽ Ἀθήνη

  250 οὐρανόθεν: πρὸ γὰρ ἧκε διάκτορον ὑψιμέδων Ζεύς,

  γνωτὸν ὅπως φεύγοντα, φόβῳ πεφοβημένον Ἥρης,

  εἰς ἐνοπὴν ἐρύσειε μεταστρέψαντα μενοινήν:

  στῆ δ᾽ ὄπιθεν ξανθῆς δὲ κόμης ἐδράξατο Βάκχου,

  μούνῳ φαινομένη βλοσυρὴ θεός: ἐκ δὲ προσώπου

  255 μαρμαρυγὴν πυρόεσσαν ἀνηκόντιζον ὀπωπαί:

  καὶ νοεροὺς σπινθῆρας ἐπιπνείουσα Λυαίῳ

  μεμφομένῃ κοτέουσα φιλοπτολέμῳ φάτο φωνῇ:

  ‘[247] Iobacchos in distress retired to the woodland ridge, and left the winds to blow away his hope of victory, since he feared his stepmother’s fierce resentment. But Athena came down from heaven; for Zeus ruling on high sent her, on the errand to change the mind of her brother, now a fugitive in dread of Hera, and to bring him back to the battle. She stood behind him, and caught Bacchos by his yellow hair, seen by him alone, that grim goddess: from her face the eyes flashed a fiery gleam, and breathing sparks of good sense upon Lyaios she spoke angrily in warlike tones of rebuke:

  πῇ φεύγεις, Διόνυσε; τί σοι φόβος ἀντὶ κυδοιμοῦ;

  πῇ σέθεν ἄλκιμα θύρσα καὶ ἀμπελόεντες ὀιστοί;

  260 ἀμφὶ σέθεν τίνα μῦθον ἐμῷ Κρονίωνι βοήσω;

  ποῖον ἴδον κατὰ δῆριν ὀλωλότα κοίρανον Ἰνδῶν;

  ζώει Δηριάδης καὶ μάρναται εἰσέτι Μορρεύς.

  [258] “Whither do you flee, Dionysos? Why flight instead of fight? Where is your mighty thyrsus and your arrows of vine? What word shall I tell of you to my Cronion? Have I seen the Indian king dead on the battlefield? No — Deriades lives, Morrheus fights on!

  ποίην δ᾽ οὐρανίην ἐπεδείκνυες ἔμφυτον ἀλκήν;

  ἢ Λιβύης ἐπέβης; ἢ Περσέος εἶχες ἀγῶνα;

  265 ἢ Σθεννοῦς ἴδες ὄμμα λιθώπιδος ἠὲ καὶ αὐτῆς

  δύσμαχον Εὐρυάλης μυκώμενον ἀνθερεῶνα;

  ἢ πλοκάμους ἐνόησας ἐχιδνοκόμοιο Μεδούσης,

  καί σε πολυσπερέων περιδέδρομε χάσμα δρακόντων;

  οὐ Σεμέλη τέκε παῖδα μαχήμονα: Γοργοφόνον δὲ

  270 ἄξιον υἷα λόχευσεν ἐμοῦ Διὸς Ἀκρισιώνη:

  οὐ γὰρ ἐμὴν δρεπάνην πτερόεις ἀπεσείσατο Περσεύς,

  Ἑρμείαν δὲ γέραιρεν ἑῶν δωτῆρα πεδίλων.

  γείτονα μάρτυν ἔχω πετρώδεα θῆρα θαλάσσης:

  εἴρεό μοι Κηφῆα, τά περ κάμε Περσέος ἅρπη:

  275 ἀντολίην δ᾽ ἐρέεινε καὶ ἕσπερον: ἀμφότερον γάρ,

  Νηρεΐδες τρομέουσι τὸν Ἀνδρομέδης παρακοίτην,:

  Ἑσπερίδες μέλπουσι τὸν ἀμητῆρα Μεδούσης.

  [263] “What have you shown of inborn heavenly prowess? Have you set foot in Libya? Have you had the task of Perseus? Have you seen the eye of Sthenno which turns all to stone, or the bellowing invincible throat of Euryale herself? Have you seen the tresses of viperhair Medusa, and have the open mouths of her tangled serpents run round you? No fighter was Semele’s son; Acrisios’s daughter bore the Gorgonslayer, a son worthy of my Zeus, for winged Perseus did not throw down my sickle, and he thanked Hermeias for lending his shoes. I have a witness ready here, the monster of the deep turned to stone; pray ask Cepheus, what the sickle of Perseus did. Ask the east, and ask the west; for both know — the Nereids tremble before Andromeda’s husband, the Hesperids sing him who cut down Medusa.

  Αἰακὸς ἀπτοίητος ὁμοίιος οὐ πέλε Βάκχῳ,

  οὐ φύγε Δηριάδην, οὐκ ἔτρεμε φύλοπιν Ἰνδῶν.

  280 χθιζὰ πάλιν σε φόβησεν Ἄραψ πρόμος; ἐξέτι κείνου

  ἅζομαι Ἄρεα θοῦρον ἰδεῖν γενετῆρα Δυκούργου,

  ἀδρανίην βοόωντα φυγοπτολέμου Διονύσου.

  [278] “Aiacos was not affrighted, he was not like Bacchos, he did not run from Deriades, he did not shrink from the Indian battle! Did the Arab chief frighten you again yesterday? I am still ashamed to look at Ares, the furious father of Lycurgos, when he publishes abroad the cowardice of runaway Dionysos.

  σὸς καὶ ἐμὸς γενέτης οὐκ ἔτρεμε δηιοτῆτα,

  εὖτε θεοὶ Τιτῆνες ἐθωρήχθησαν Ὀλύμπῳ.

  285 ποίην Ὀρσιβόην ληίσσαο δεσπότιν Ἰνδῶν;

  Χειροβίην οὐκ εἶδε δορικτήτην σέο Ῥείη.

  ἱλήκοι Διὸς εὖχος, ἀδελφεὸν οὔ σε καλέσσω

  Δηριάδην φεύγοντα καὶ ἀπτολέμων γένος Ἰνδῶν.

  ἀλλὰ λαβὼν σέο θύρσα πάλιν μιμνήσκεο χάρμης,

  290 καὶ στρατιῆς προμάχιζε, κορυσσομένῃσι δὲ Βάκχαις

  ὄψεαι εὐθώρηκα συναιχμάζουσαν Ἀθήνην,

  αἰγίδα κουφίζουσαν ἀνούτατον ὅπλον Ὀλύμπου.

  [283] “Your father and mine feared not battle, when the Titan gods armed themselves against Olympos. Where is Orsiboe — have you taken the Indian Queen? Rheia has not seen Cheirobie captive of your spear. Zeus forgive my boast — but I will not call you brother, when you run from Deriades and the unwarlike nation of India! Come, take your thyrsus again and remember the battle; fight in the van of the army, and you will see Athena well armed and fighting beside the armed Bacchants:she will lift her aegis-cape, the invincible weapon of Olympos!”

  ‘ὣς φαμένη Βρομίῳ μένος ἔμπνεεν: αὐτὰρ ὁ θυμῷ

  θαρσήεις πολέμιζε τὸ δεύτερον, ἐσσομένης δὲ

  295 νίκης ἐλπίδα πᾶσαν ἐπέτρεπε Τριτογενείῃ.

  [293] Thus the goddess inspired Bromios with strength. Then he took courage and fought boldly again, entrusting all his hope of coming victory to Tritogeneia.

  ἔνθα τίνα πρῶτον, τίνα δ᾽ ὕστατον ἔκτανε Βάκχος,

  ὁππότε μιν θάρσυνε μόθων ἀκόρητος Ἀθήνη;

  κτεῖνε μὲν ἀντιβίων ἑκατοντάδα νηλέι θύρσῳ,

  πολλοῖς δ᾽ ἕλκος ὄπασσε πολύτροπον ἔγχεϊ τύπτων

  300 ἠὲ φυτῶν ἑλίκεσσιν ἢ εὐόρπηκι κορύμβῳ,

  ἢ λίθον αἰχμάζων κραναὸν βέλος: οἱ δὲ τυπέντες

  δαιμονίῃ καναχηδὸν ἐβακχεύθησαν ἱμάσθλη.

  Φρίγγου δ᾽ οὔτασεν ὦμον ἀριστερὸν ὀξέι θύρσῳ:

  ὃς δὲ θορὼν ἀκίχητος ἐχάζετο: τὸν δὲ φυγόντα

  305 θηγαλέῳ βουπλῆγι κατεπρήνιξε Μελισσεύς.

  Ἐγρετίῳ δ᾽ ἐπόρουσε φιλεύιον ἔγχος ἑλίσσων

 
θυρσομανὴς Διόνυσος ἑκηβόλος: ἱπταμένη δὲ

  Βακχιὰς ἐρροίζησε δι᾽ ἠέρος ἔγχεος αἰχμὴ

  ἄνδρα βαλεῖν ἐθέλουσα, καὶ Ἐγρετίοιο φυγόντος

  310 ἔχραε Βωλίγγεσσι, καὶ ἐγρεμόθους Ἀραχώτας

  εἰς φόβον ἐπτοίησε: φιλακρήτῳ δὲ πετήλῳ

  φρικτὰ δοριθρασέων ἐδαΐζετο φῦλα Σαλαγγῶν:

  καὶ στρατὸς ἐρτοίητο φερεσσακέων Ἀριηνῶν:

  καὶ προμάχους Φρίγγοιο καὶ Ἐγρετίοιο διώκων

  315 Εὔιος ἐπτοίησεν ὅλον στρατὸν Οὐατοκοίτην:

  καὶ Λύγον αἱματόεντος ἀπεστυφέλιξε κυδοιμοῦ

  ἀλκήεις Ἰόβακχος: ἐφεδρήσσοντα δὲ δένδρῳ

  οὔτασε Μειλανίωνα δολοπλόκον οἴνοπι θύρσῳ,

  Βασσαρίδας κρυφίοισιν ὀιστεύοντα βελέμνοις:

  320 ἀλλά μιν ἐζώγρησεν ἀπήμονα δύσμαχος Ἥρη,

  ὅττι δόλῳ κεκόρυστο καὶ ἔχραε πολλάκι Βάκχαις

  κρυπταδίοις πολέμοισιν: ἀεὶ δέ μιν ἔκρυφε πέτρη

  ἢ φυτὸν ὑψικάρηνον ὑποκλεφθέντα πετήλοις,

  ἀνέρας ἀφράστοισιν ὀιστεύοντα βελέμνοις.

  [296] Now whom first, whom last did Bacchos slay, when Athena insatiate of battle made him brave? He slew a round hundred of his enemies with destroying thyrsus, and he wounded many in many ways, striking with spear or bunches of twigs or clustered branches, or throwing stone, a rough missile. Those who were hit by the divine flail went rushing madly about with a great noise. He wounded Phringos in the left shoulder with sharp thyrsus, and he rushed away out of reach; but Melisseus caught him and brought him down with a sharp poleaxe. Dionysos thyrsus-mad leapt after Egretios, shaking his Euian spear for a long shot: the sharp Bacchic blade flew whizzing through the air, eager to strike the man — and Egretios escaped. But the god attacked the Bolinges, and scared into flight the strife-stirring Arachotai. With his intoxicating vine leaves he swept away the terrible tribes of spearbold Salangoi; and the host of shielded Arienoi were scattered. The Euian scattered the whole host of the Ear-sleepers in his chase after the forefighters of Phringos and Egretios. Iobacchos in his might beat off Lygos also out of the gory battle. Cunning Meilanion hid in a tree, and from his hiding-place showered arrows among the Bassarids, but the god hit him with his thyrsus of vine. Formidable Hera saved him unhurt, because he had often used this trick of arms, and attacked Bacchants, making war from ambush. He was always hidden by a rock or concealed by the leaves of a tall tree, shooting men unnoticed with his arrows.