Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  οἱ δὲ γάμου χαρίεντος ὁμίλεον ἠδέι θεσμῷ:

  γαῖα δὲ κηώεσσαν ἀναπτύξασα λοχείην

  85 ἄνθεσιν ἱμερτοῖσι γαμήλιον ἔστεφεν εὐνήν:

  καὶ κρόκος ἐβλάστησε Κίλιξ καὶ ἐφύετο μῖλαξ,

  θήλεϊ δ᾽ ἄρσενα φύλλα συνέπλεκε γείτονι ποίῃ,

  90 οἷα πόθου πνείων καὶ ἐν ἄνθεσιν ἁβρὸς ἀκοίτης,

  καὶ λέχος ἀμφοτέρων ἐπεκόσμεε διπλόος ὄρπηξ,

  90 Ζῆνα κρόκῳ πυκάσας καὶ μίλακι σύγγαμον Ἥρην:

  καὶ Διὸς ὀξὺν ἔρωτα νοήμονι δείκνυε σιγῇ

  ἱμερόεις νάρκισσος ἐπιθρῴσκων ἀνεμώνῃ.

  οὐδέ τις ἀθανάτων σκιόεν λέχος, οὐ τότε Νύμφαι

  γείτονες, οὐ Φαέθων πανεπόψιος, οὐδὲ καὶ αὐτῆς

  95 ἔδρακεν ἄφθιτα λέκτρα βοώπιδος ὄμμα Σελήνης:

  πυκνοῖς γὰρ νεφέεσσιν ἐμιτρώθη σκέπας εὐνῆς,

  καὶ Διὸς ὄμματα θέλξεν ὁμόστολος Ὕπνος Ἐρώτων.

  [83] While they communed under the sweet canon of gracious marriage, Earth unfolded her teeming perfumes and crowned the marriage bed with lovely flowers: there sprouted Cicilian saffron, there grew bindweed, and wrapt his male leaves about the female plant by his side, as though breathing desire, and himself a dainty mate in the world of flowers. So the double growth adorned the bed of the pair, covering Zeus with saffron and Hera his wife with bindweed; lovely iris leaping upon anemone portrayed by a meaning silence the sharp love of Zeus. No immortal then beheld the shaded bed of the divine ones, not the Nymphs of the neighbourhood, not Phaethon allseeing, not even the soft eye of Selene herself saw that imperishable bed; for the couch was covered with thick shady clouds round about, and Sleep the servant of the Loves had charmed the eyes of Zeus.

  ὄφρα μὲν ἁβρὸς ἴαυεν ἐν ἄνθεσι θελγόμενος Ζεύς,

  ἀγκὰς ἔχων παράκοιτιν ἀθηήτων ἐπὶ λέκτρων,

  100 τόφρα δὲ ποικιλόμορφος ἐν οὔρεσι φοιτὰς Ἐρινὺς

  νεύμασιν Ἡραίοισιν ἐθωρήχθη Διονύσῳ:

  καὶ κτύπον ἐσμαράγησεν ἐπ᾽ ὀφθαλμοῖσι Λυαίου,

  σεισαμένη βαρύδουπος ἐχιδνήεσσαν ἱμάσθλην:

  καὶ κεφαλὴν ἐλέλιξε, δρακοντείων δὲ κομάων

  105 φρικτὰ τινασσομένων ἐπεσύρισε λοίγιος ἠχώ,

  καὶ σκοπιὴν ἔρραινον ἐρημάδα πίδακες ἰοῦ ...

  ἄλλοτε θηρείοιο τύπον φαίνουσα προσώπου

  αἰνομανὴς ἔφριξε λέων πυκινότριχι λαιμῷ,

  χάσματι φοινήεντι καταΐσσων Διονύσου.

  [98] While Zeus slept delicately charmed among the flowers, holding his wife in his arms on that bed unseen, the Fury of many shapes wandering among the hills armed herself against Dionysos by Hera’s commands. She made a great rattling over Lyaios’s eyes, loudly cracking her snaky whip; she shook her head, and a deadly hiss issued from her quivering serpent-hair, terrible, and fountains of poison drenched the rocky wilderness.... At times, again, she showed a face like some mid beast; a mad and awful lion with thick bristles upon his neck, threatening Dionysos with bloody gape.

  110 τὸν μὲν ἀμερσινόοιο κατάσχετον ἅλματι λύσσης

  Ἄρτεμις ἐσκοπίαζε, καὶ ἤθελε λύσσαν ἐλάσσαι,

  ἀλλά μιν ἐπτοίησε βαρύκτυπος ὑψόθεν Ἥρη,

  πυρσὸν ἀκοντίζουσα: καὶ εἴκαθε δεσπότις ἄγρης

  μητρυιῇ κοτέουσα: φύλαξ δέ τις ἔπλετο Βάκχου

  115 μαινομένου, καὶ θῆρας ἑοὺς ἀνέκοψεν ἀπειλῇ,

  καὶ κύνας ἀγρευτῆρας ἐπεσφηκώσατο δεσμῷ,

  αὐχενίων σφίγξασα πολύπλοκον ὁλκὸν ἱμάντων,

  μὴ χρόα δηλήσαιντο νοοσφαλέος Διονύσου.

  [110] Then Artemis saw Bacchos caught in a fit of mind-marauding madness, and would have driven the madness away, but Hera with heavy noise aloft cast a burning brand at her and scared her off. The mistress of the hunt gave way in anger to her stepmother. But she did protect maddened Bacchos a little; she held back her wild beasts with threatenings, and shackled the hunting dogs, fastening straps round and round their necks that they should not hurt the flesh of delirious Dionysos.

  Νερτερίῳ δὲ Μέγαιρα κελαινιόωσα χιτῶνι

  120 εἰς ζόφον αὖτις ἵκανεν, ἐπαιθύσσουσα Λυαίῳ

  φάσματα ποικιλόμορφα: κατὰ Βρομίοιο δὲ πολλαὶ

  ἰοβόλοι ῥαθάμιγγες ὀιστεύοντο καρήνου

  καὶ βλοσυροὶ σπινθῆρες: ἀεὶ δέ οἱ ἔνδον ἀκουῆς

  Ταρταρίης σύριζε λαθίφρονος ἦχος ἱμάσθλης.

  [119] Now Megaira black in her infernal robe went back into the darkness, and sent out many spectral visions to Lyaios. Showers of poison-drops were shot upon the head of Bromios and big fat sparks; ever in his ears was the whistling sound of the hellish whip which robbed him of his senses.

  125 καὶ μογέων Διόνυσος ἐρημάδος ἔνδοθι λόχμης

  δύσβατα φοιτητῆρι διέστιχεν οὔρεα ταρσῷ

  ἄσθματι δαιμονίῳ δεδονημένος: ἀμφὶ δὲ πέτραις,

  οἰστρομανὴς ἅτε ταῦρος, ἑάς ἤρασσε κεραίας,

  τρηχαλέον μύκημα χέων λυσσώδεϊ λαιμῷ:

  130 Πᾶνα δὲ καλλείψασα καὶ ὑστερόφωνον ἀοιδὴν

  φθόγγῳ μαινομένῳ μυκήσατο δύσθροος Ἠχώ,

  ἀντίτυπον θρασὺν ἦχον ἀμειβομένη Διονύσου.

  καὶ βαλίας ἐλάφους, λασίας δ᾽ ἐδίωκε λεαίνας

  Βάκχος ἀελλήεις, μεθέπων ὀρεσίδρομον ἄγρην:

  135 οὐδέ οἱ ἄγχι λέων θρασὺς ἤιε: ταρβαλέη δὲ

  ἄρκτος ἐριπτοίητος ἐκεύθετο φωλάδι πέτρῃ

  λύσσαν ἀπειλητῆρος ὑποπτήσσουσα Λυσίου,

  δεχνυμένη βλοσυρῇσι θεήλατον ἦχον ἀκουαῖς:

  μηκεδανοὺς δὲ δράκοντας ἐρειδομένους τινί πέτρῃ

  140 μείλιχα λιχμώοντας ἀπέθρισε νηλέι θύρσῳ:

  καὶ σκοπιὰς ἐτίναξε τανυγλώχινι κεραίῃ

  κτείνων ἀκλινέων ἱκετήσια φῦλα λεόντων:

  καί δρύας εὐκάρποιο μετερρίζωσεν ἀρούρης,

  Ἁδρυάδας δ᾽ ἐδίωκεν: ὀιστεύων δὲ κολώνας

  145 Νηιάδας ποταμοῖο μετήλυδας ἤλασε Νύμφας.

  Βασσαρίδες δ᾽ ἀλάληντο καὶ οὐχ ἥπτοντο Λυαίου,

  καὶ Σάτυροι φρίσσοντες ἐνεκρύπτοντο θ
αλάσσῃ,

  οὐδέ οἱ ἐγγὺς ἵκοντο τεθηπότες ὄγκον ἀπειλῇς,

  μή σφιν ἐπαΐξειε χέων ἑτερόθροον ἠχώ,

  150 ἀφρὸν ἀκοντίζων χιονώδεα, μάρτυρα λύσσης.

  [125] Thus tormented in the lonely forest, Dionysos paced the pathless mountains with wandering foot, shaken by terrible pantings. Like a mad bull, he dashed his horns against the rocks, and a harsh bellow came from his maddened throat. Echo left Pan and mimicked his tune no more, but bellowed an ugly sound in frenzied tone, repeating the wild noise of Dionysos. He swift as the storm chased the dappled deer and shaggy lionesses, plying his highland hunt. No lion so bold as to come near him; the bear appalled and scared hid in a secret cave, fearing the menacing madness of Lyaios, hearing the sound of the god in her rough ears. With pitiless thyrsus he cut through long pythons lying on a stone and gently licking him: he shook the rocks with long-pointed horn: he killed troops of lions, unyielding beasts but now seeking mercy: he rooted up trees from the fruitful soil, he chased the Hadryads, he volleyed the cliffs and drove the Naiad nymphs out of the river homeless. Bassarids went scattering and would not come within touch of Lyaios, Satyrs shivered and hid in the sea; they would not come near him, dazed at the threatening onset, lest he dash at them letting out that outlandish roar, spitting snowy foam, the witness of madness.

  Δηριάδης δ᾽ ὑπέροπλον ἔχων θράσος ἔχραε Βάκχαις,

  νεύμασιν Ἡραίοισι τινασσομένου Διονύσου.

  ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε χειμερίων ῥοθίων μυκώμενος ὁλκῷ

  ἄπλοος ἀντιπόροις βακχεύετο πόντος ἀέλλαις,

  155 κύμασιν ἠλιβάτοισι κατάρρυτον ἠέρα νίφων.

  πρυμναίους δὲ κάλωας ἀφειδέι κύματος ὁρμῇ

  λαίλαπες ἐρρήξαντο, καὶ ἄσθματι λαῖφος ἐλίξας

  ἰστὸν ἀνεχλαίνωσε κεκυφότα λάβρος ἀήτης

  λαίφεσιν ἀμφίζωστον, ἐδοχμώθη δέ κεραίη,

  160 ναῦται δ᾽ ἀσχαλόωντες ἐπέτρεπον ἐλπίδα πόντῳ:

  ὣς τότε Βάκχον ὄρινεν ὅλον στρατὸν Ἰνδικὸς Ἄρης.

  [151] Now Deriades with exceeding great boldness attacked the Bacchant women, while Dionysos was being shaken at the command of Hera. As when the sea bellowing with the rush of wintry surge, unnavigable, is driven wildly by contrary winds, and floods the soaking air with waves mountain-high: the blasts have parted the stern-hawsers in the pitiless assault of the billows, the violent wind has tangled up the canvas with its breath and made a cloak of girdling sails round the bending mast, the yard is askew, the sailors in despair have thrown hope to the sea — so the Indian Ares threw into confusion the whole Bacchic army.

  ἔνθά τις οὐ κατὰ κόσμον ἔην ἔρις, οὐ κλόνος ἀνδρῶν

  ἶσος ἔην, οὐ δῆρις ὁμοίιος: ἀκάματος γὰρ

  νόστιμος ἐγρεκύδοιμος ἐπέβρεμε χάλκεος Ἄρης,

  165 Μωδαίου προμάχοιο φέρων τύπον, ὃς πλέον ἄλλων

  ὑσμίνης ἀκόρητος ἀτερπέι τέρπετο λύθρῳ,

  ᾧ πλέον εἰλαπίνης φόνος εὔαδεν: ἐν δὲ βοείῃ,

  οἶά τε Γοργείων πλοκάμων ὀφιώδεας ὁλκούς,

  γραπτὸν ἐυσμήριγγος ἔχων ἴνδαλμα Μεδούσης

  170 Δηριάδῃ πέλεν ἶσος, ὁμόχροος: οὖ τότε μορφῆς

  ῥιγεδανῆς ἀγέλαστον ἔχων μίμημα προσώπου,

  καὶ σκολιὴν πλοκαμῖδα φέρων καὶ σῆμα βοείης,

  αἰνομανὴς πεφόρητο μόθῳ λαοσσόος Ἄρης,

  καὶ προμάχους θάρσυνεν. ὁμογλώσσῳ δ᾽ ἀλαλητῷ

  175 Βάκχου μὴ παρεόντος ἀταρβέες ἔβρεμον Ἰνδοί,

  καὶ κτύπον ἐννεάχιλον ἐπέκτυπε λοίγιος Ἄρης,

  φοιταλέην συνάεθλον ἔχων Ἔριν: δὲ κυδοιμοῖς

  στῆσε Φόβον καὶ Δεῖμον ὀπάονα Δηριαδῆος.

  καὶ στρατιὴν οἴστρησαν ἐρημονόμου Διονύσου

  180 Δηριάδης καὶ κῶμα Διὸς σύνδρομος Ἄρης.

  [162] Then came a struggle out of all order, then came an unequal fight, a one-sided struggle; for brazen Ares came back unwearied to awaken the conflict. He took the form of the champion Modaios, more than all others unsated with battle, whose joy was joyless carnage, whom bloodshed pleased better than banquets. On the shield he bore the graven image of Medusa with her bush of hair, like the viperine tresses of the Gorgon’s head, and he was equal to Deriades, of the same colour. So then Ares took on Modaios’s terrible shape and the copy of his unsmiling face, his curly hair and the blazon of his shield, and furiously raging rushed amid the fray to scatter the people, giving courage to his warriors. With one voice the Indians fearlessly roared their warcry, now Bacchos was not there, and deathly Ares shouted as loud as nine thousand, with Discord moving by his side to support him; in the battle he placed Rout and Terror to wait upon Deriades. So the army of Dionysos, absent in the wilderness, was driven pellmell by Deriades, and his comrade Ares, and the slumber of Zeus.

  συμμιγέες δὲ φάλαγγες ὁμοζήλοιο κυδοιμοῦ

  Βασσαρίδων στίχα πᾶσαν ἐμιτρώσαντο σιδήρῳ,

  καὶ πολέες φεύγοντες ἐνὶ κτείνοντο φονῆι,

  θεινόμενοι ξιφέεσσιν, Ὁμηρίδες, εἴπατε, Μοῦσαι,

  185 τίς θάνε, τίς δούπησεν ὑπ᾽ ἔγχεϊ Δηριαδῆος:

  Αἰβίαλος Θύαμίς τε καὶ Ὀρμένιος καὶ Ὀφέλτης,

  Κρίασος Ἀργασίδης, Τελέβης καὶ Λύκτιος Ἀνθεὺς

  καὶ Θρόνιος καί Ἄρητος ἐυμμελίης τε Μοληνεὺς

  ἀλκήεις τε Κόμαρκος: ἐτείνετο δ᾽ ἄλλος ἐπ᾽ ἄλλῳ

  190 ἔγχεϊ Δηριάδαο νέκυς στρατός: ὀλλυμένων δὲ

  ὃς μὲν ἔην δαπέδῳ τετανυσμένος, ὃς ῥεέθροις

  πλώετο κυματόεντα φέρων μόθον ὃς δὲ θαλάσσῃ

  ἀγχιπόρῳ δέδμητο, διωκόμενον δὲ σιδήρῳ

  κύμασιν ἀρτιχάρακτον Ἄραψ τυμβεύσατο Νηρεύς:

  195 ὃς δὲ θυελλήεντι δι᾽ οὔρεος ἔδραμε ταρσῷ

  κῆρα φυγών, ἕτερος δὲ πεπαρμένον ἔγχος ἐάσας

  μεσσοπαγὲς περὶ νῶτα μετέστιχεν ἔνδια λόχμης,

  χρηίζων ἀπεόντος ἀλεξικάκου Διονύσου.

  [181] So the mingled battalions fighting with one common ardour girded the whole company of Bassarids with a ring of steel; many were slain by one slayer in their flight, smitten by swords. O ye Muses of Homer! Tell me who died, who fell to the spear of Deriades! Aibialos and Thyamis, Ormenios and Opheltes, Criasos Argasides, Telebes and Lyctian Antheus, Thronios and Aretos, Moleneus with his ashplant and Comarcos in his might — a host were laid out dead one upon another by the spear of Deriades. They fell as they were slain, one stretched out on the ground; one swam in the water enduring trouble amid the waves; one drowned in
the sea hard by, whom Arabian Nereus buried in the waves newly wounded by the pursuing spear; another ran over the hills with stormswift sole fleeing his fate; another left the lance planted in the middle of his back and crawled into the heart of the bushes, longing for absent Dionysos to save him.

  Αὐχήεις δ᾽ Ἐχέλαος ἀτυμβεύτῳ πέσε πότμῳ,

  200 Μορρέος ἠλιβάτοιο τυπεὶς ῥηξήνορι πέτρῳ,

  Κύπριος, ἀρτιχάρακτον ἔχων ἔτι κύκλον ὑπήνης,

  ὑψικόμῳ φοίνικι πανείκελος: ἐν δὲ κυδοιμοῖς

  ἁβρὸς ἀκερσικόμης ἐκυλίνδετο λαμπάδα σείων,

  πληγεὶς ἰσχίον ἄκρον, ἄκρον, ὅπῃ χροὸς ἥλικι δεσμῷ

  205 συμφερτὸν κοτύλῃ φύσις ἥρμοσεν ἄξονα μηροῦ:

  καὶ θάνεν ἁπτομένην κρατέων ἔτι μυστίδα πεύκην,

  ἀσπαίρων δὲ κάρηνον ἑῷ τεφρώσατο πυρσῷ,

  φλέξας λιγνυόεντι πολύπλοκα βόστρυχα δαλῷ.

  καί οἱ ἐπαυχήσας φιλοκέρτομος ἴαχε Μορρεύς:

  [199] Proud Echelaos fell, and was left unburied, crushed by the manbreaking rock from gigantic Morrheus: he was a Cyprian, with the down fresh around his cheeks. He lay then like a palm spire with a head of leaves; but in the battle he rushed about shaking his torch, a tender lad with uncropt hair, until he was struck on the top of the hip, where nature had fitted the axle in the cup of the thigh to grow together with the flesh of his body. He died holding the mystic pine still alight, and in his convulsions burnt his head to ashes with his own torch, setting fire to the braided hair with the smoking brand. Then Morrheus triumphed over him and mocked him:

  210 ‘κοῦρε, φατιζομένης ἀλλότριε σεῖο τιθήνης,

  ἡβητὴρ Ἐχέλαε, γονὴν ἐψεύσαο Κύπρου: