Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  Βασσαρίδας ζώγρησεν ἀνάλκιδας ἕνδεκα Μορρεύς,

  ἃς μετὰ Χαλκομέδην ἐκρίνατο: Μαιναλίδων δὲ

  165 χεῖρας ὀπισθοτόνους ἀλύτῳ σφηκώσατο δεσμῷ,

  καὶ στίχα λυσιέθειραν ὑπὸ ζυγὰ δούλια σύρων

  ληίδας ἀμφιπόλους ἑκυρῷ πόρε Δηριαδῆι,

  ἕδνον ἑῆς ἀλόχοιο τὸ δεύτερον, ἧς χάριν εὐνῆς

  νυμφοκόμον μόθον εἶχεν ἀερσιλόφῳ παρὰ Ταύρῳ,

  170 ὁππότε Δηριάδαο νέην βασιληίδα κούρην,

  ἥλικα Χειροβίην, ζυγίῳ σφηκώσατο δεσμῷ:

  οὐ γὰρ δῶρον ἔδεκτο γαμήλιον ὄρχαμος Ἰνδῶν

  παιδὸς ἑῆς, οὐ χρυσὸν ἐπήρατον, οὐ λίθον ἅλμης

  μαρμαρέην, ἀγέλας δὲ βοῶν καὶ πώεα μήλων

  175 Δηριάδης ἀπέειπε, καὶ ἐγρεμόθοισι μαχηταῖς

  θυγατέρων ἔζευξεν ἀδωροδόκους ὑμεναίους,

  γαμβρὸν ἔχων Μορρῆα καὶ ἐννεάπηχυν Ὀρόντην:

  καὶ διδύμοις προμάχοισιν ἑὴν νύμφευσε γενέθλην,

  Μορρέι Χειροβίην καὶ Πρωτονόειαν Ὀρόντῃ:

  180 οὐ γὰρ ἐπιχθονίοισιν ὁμοίιος ἔπλετο Μορρεύς,

  ἀλλὰ Γιγαντείων μελέων ὑψαύχενι μορφῇ

  Ἰνδῶν Γηγενέων μιμήσατο πάτριον ἀλκήν,

  ἠλιβάτου Τυφῶνος ἔχων αὐτόχθονα φύτλην,

  εὖτε πυριτρεφέων Ἀρίμων παρὰ γείτονι πέτρῃ

  185 σύγγονον ἠνορέην ἐπεδείκνυε μάρτυρι Κύδνῳ,

  ἕδνα φέρων θαλάμων, Κιλίκων ἱδρῶτας ἀέθλων,

  νυμφίος ἀκτήμων, ἀρετῇ δ᾽ ἐκτήσατο νύμφην.

  ὥς ποτε Μορρείοιο γάμου μνηστῆρι σιδήρῳ

  Ἀσσυρίη γόνυ κάμψε, καὶ εἰς ζυγὰ Δηριαδῆος

  190 αὐχένα πετρήεντα Κίλιξ δοχμώσατο Ταῦρος,

  καὶ θρασὺς ὤκλασε Κύδνος, ὅθεν Κιλίκων ἐνὶ γαίῃ

  Σάνδης Ἡρακλέης κικλήσκεται εἰσέτι Μορρεύς.

  καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐν προτέροισιν: ἐν ὀψιγόνῳ δὲ κυδοιμῷ

  θυιάδας ἐζώγρησεν ἀφειδέι δούρατι Μορρεύς:

  195 κυδιόων δ᾽ ἀχάλινον ἀπερροίβδησεν ἰωήν:

  [162] Then Morrheus parting from that face, the image of the Graces, saved alive eleven of the weak Bassarids, whom he judged to be next after Chalcomede. He bound the Mainalids’ arms behind them in a knot too tight to be undone; then dragging them with hair flowing loose to the yoke of slavery, he gave them to his goodfather Deriades as servants won by the spear, to be a second brideprice for his wife; for whose sake he had fought beside peaksoaring Tauros, to win her for his bride, when he joined to himself in the bonds of wedlock the young princess, Deriades’ daughter, his yearsmate Cheirobie. For the Indian chieftain had received no marriage gift for his daughter, no precious gold, no bright stone of the sea; herds of oxen and flocks of sheep Deriades refused, and joined his daughters in marriage without price, to stirring warriors, taking for goodsons Morrheus and ninecubit Orontes — gave his own children as brides to two champions, Cheirobie to Morrheus and Protonoeia to Orontes. For Morrheus was not like men of this earth, but he resembled the national strength of the earthborn Indians in highnecked body and gigantic limbs; he had the earthborn breed which towering Typhon had, when near the neighbouring rock of firebreeding Arima he displayed his inborn courage for Cydnos to behold. The bride-price which he brought was the sweat of Cilician labours; a bridegroom without possessions, he possessed his bride by valour. So in those days Assyria bent the knee to the steel that wooed a bride for Morrheus, Cilician Tauros bowed his rocky neck to the yoke of Deriades, bold Cydnos curtseyed, and for that reason in the Cilieian land Morrheus is still called Heracles Sandes. But that is an old story; in this later conflict Morrheus captured the Thyiads with pitiless spear, and triumphant shouted an unbridled speech:

  ‘σοὶ μὲν ἐγώ, σκηπτοῦχε, τεῆς κειμήλια κούρης

  βάκχας πρῶτον ἄγω, μετέπειτα δὲ Βάκχον ὀπάσσω.’

  [196] “These are for you, my lord king, treasures for your daughter which I bring first; later I will give you Bacchos!”

  ὣς φαμένου Μορρῆος ἀμείβετο κοίρανος Ἰνδῶν:

  [198] To these words of Morrheus the Indian prince replied:

  ‘Χειροβίην ἀνάεδνον ἔχων, κορυθαιόλε Μορρεῦ,

  200 ἄξιά μοι πόρες ἕδνα φερεσσακέων ὑμεναίων,

  ἄστεα δουλώσας Κιλίκων ὑψήνορι νίκῃ.

  ἄρτι πάλιν νέα δῶρα χαρίζεαι: ἢν δ᾽ ἐθελήσῃς,

  ἄλλας Βασσαρίδας ληίσσεο, Χειροβίης δὲ

  ἀμφιπόλων ἔμπλησον ὅλον δόμον: ἀμφὶ δὲ Βάκχου

  205 οὐ χατέω Μορρῆος, ἀλυκτοπέδαις δὲ πεδήσας

  δούλιον εἰς ζυγόδεσμον ἐγὼ Διόνυσον ἐρύσσω.

  μοῦνον ἐμοὶ πεφύλαξο δορικτήτης πόθον εὐνῆς,

  μή σε γυναιμανέεσσιν ἴδω πανομοίιον Ἰνδοῖς:

  ὄμματα μὴ σκοπίαζε καὶ ἄργυφον αὐχένα Βάκχης,

  210 μὴ ποθέων τελέσειας ἐμὴν ζηλήμονα κούρην.

  αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν Βρομίου στρατιὴν ξύμπασαν ὀλέσσω,

  Μαιονίην ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἐλεύσομαι, ἔνθεν ἀφύξω

  Λυδῶν ἄσπετον ὄλβον, ὅσον Πακτωλὸς ἀέξει:

  ἵξομαι εἰς Φρυγίην εὐάμπελον, ὁππόθι Ῥείη

  215 παιδοκόμος Βρομίοιο, καὶ ἀγχικέλευθον ὀλέσσω

  ἀργυρέης Ἀλύβης πέδον ὄλβιον, ὄφρα κομίσσω

  φαιδρὰ ῥυηφενέων χιονώδεα νῶτα μετάλλων:

  πέρσω δ᾽, ἣν καλέουσι, καὶ ἑπταπύλου χθόνα Θήβης,

  καὶ φλέξω Σεμέλης φλογερὸν δόμον, ὁππόθι παστοὶ

  220 λείψανα θερμὰ φέρουσι μαραινομένων ὑμεναίων.’

  [199] “Cheirobie you had without price, Morrheus of the flashing helmet. You paid me price enough for your shieldbearing marriage by enslaving the Cilician cities in the lofty valour of victory. Now again you bestow new gifts. If it be your pleasure, make prisoners of the Bassarids as well, and fill the whole palace of Cheirobie with handmaids; but for Bacchos I need not Morrheus; I myself will drag Dionysos to a yoke of slavery laden with galling fetters. Only I bid you take care not to lust after a captive for your bed, that I may not see you just like the womanmad Indians. Do not look upon the eyes and silvery neck of a Bacchant woman, that you may not make my girl jealous by your lusts. But when I have destroyed the whole army of Bromios, I will invade the Maionian land, and thence I will drain the infinite wealth of Lydia, all that Pactolos produces;
I will march to vineclad Phrygia, where Rheia dwells who cared for Bromios in boyhood, and I will destroy the wealthy ground of silvery Alybe hard by, that I may bring home shining white sheets from mines that roll in riches. And I will devastate the land of sevengate Thebes, as they call it, and I will burn Semele’s fiery house, where the lady’s chamber still is in hot ruins from that parched bridal.”

  εἶπεν ἄναξ ἀθέμιστος, Ἐνυαλίοιο δὲ γαμβροῦ

  ἀμφιπόλων στίχα πᾶσαν ἐδέξατο δῶρα κυδοιμοῦ

  Δηριάδης, Φλογίῳ δὲ καὶ Ἀγραίῳ πόρε Βάκχας

  ἑλκομένας πλοκαμῖδος: ὁμοπλέκτῳ δ᾽ ἐνὶ δεσμῷ

  225 ἀρραγέες παλάμῃσιν ἐμιτρώθησαν ἱμάντες.

  [221] So spoke the lawless king Deriades, as he received the whole line of handmaidens, gifts of his warlike goodson from the battle. He handed over the Bacchants to Phlogios and Agraios dragged along by the hair, their hands all girdled with unbreakable straps in one long line.

  τὰς μὲν ἄγων Φλόγιος βασιληίδος ἄγγελα νίκης

  σφιγγομένας πόμπευε δι᾽ ἄστεος. ὑψιτενεῖς δὲ

  αἱ μὲν ἐυγλυφάνοιο παρὰ προπύλαια μελάθρου

  ἀλχονίῳ θλίβοντο περίπλοκον αὐχένα δεσμῷ:

  230 ἄλλαις θερμὸν ὄπασσε μόρον πυρόεντος ὀλέθρου:

  αἱ δὲ πεδοσκαφέεσσιν ἐτυμβεύοντο ῥεέθροις

  φρείατος ἐν γυάλοισιν, ὅπῃ βυθίων ἀπὸ κόλπων

  χερσὶν ἀμοιβαίαις βεβιημένον ἕλκεται ὕδωρ:

  καί τις ἔσω διεροῖο βαθυνομένου κενεῶνος

  235 ἡμιφανὴς ἀτίνακτος ἀμοιβαίῃ φάτο φωνῇ:

  [226] These Phlogios led bound, and conducted them through the city as tidings of the royal victory. Some were hung up beside the carved gateway of the palace, with nooses choking their encircled necks. To others he allotted a hot fate of death by fire. Others were entombed in water, in the earthdug hollows of a well, where water is drawn from deep-sunk pools by the hard work of hand over hand. Then they would cry, half-seen, immovable, from the watery depths of the pit, one after another —

  ‘ἔκλυον, ὡς Ἰνδοῖσι θεὸς πέλε γαῖα καὶ ὕδωρ:

  οὐδὲ μάτην ποτὲ τοῦτο φατίζεται: ἀμφότεροι γὰρ

  εἰς ἐμὲ θωρήχθησαν ὁμόφρονες, εἰμὶ δὲ μέσση

  καὶ χθονίου θανάτοιο καὶ ὑδατόεντος ὀλέθρου,

  240 καὶ μόρον ἐγγὺς ἔχω διδυμόζυγον: ἰλυόεις γὰρ

  ξεῖνος δεσμὸς ἔχει με, καὶ οὐκέτι ταρσὸν ἀείρω,

  ὑγρὰ δὲ ῥιζώσασα πεπηγότα γούνατα πηλῷ

  ἵσταμαι ἀστυφέλικτος ἐγὼ Μοίρῃσιν ἑτοίμη:

  καὶ ποταμός με δίωκε, καὶ οὐ χυτὸν ἔτρεμον ὕδωρ:

  245 αἴθε καὶ οὗτος ἔην κελάδων ῥόος, ὄφρα καὶ αὐτοῦ

  χεῖρας ἐρετμώσασα διατμήξω μέλαν ὕδωρ.’

  [236] “I have heard that the Indians’ god was Earth and Water, and there is reason for that saying: for both are arrayed against me together! I am between death by earth and destruction by water, and I have a double fate near me. A strange chain of mud holds me fast, and I can no longer lift a foot; my soaking knees are firmly rooted in mire, and I stand immovable ready for the Fates. There was a time when a river pursued me, and I feared not the running water; O that this also were a murmuring stream, that I might here also paddle my hands and cut its dark water too!”

  ἔννεπεν: οἰγομένῳ δὲ κατάρρυτα χεύματα λαιμῷ

  δεχνυμένη κατὰ βαιὸν ἀτυμβεύτῳ θάνε πότμῳ.

  [247] So she spoke, and receiving the pouring flood into her open throat, perished slowly by a fate which gave her no burial.

  αὐτὰρ ὁ Χαλκομέδης πεπεδημένος ἡδέι κέντρῳ

  250 Μαιναλίδων ἀσίδηρον ὅλον στρατὸν ἤλασε Μορρεὺς

  εἰς πόλιν ὀφρυόεσσαν, ὀπίστερος ἔγχεϊ νύσσων.

  ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε μηλονόμος πολυχανδέος εἰς μυχὰ μάνδρης

  συμμιγέων ὀίων σποράδας στίχας εἰς ἓν ἐλαύνων

  εἰροπόκων ἴθυνε καλαύροπι πώεα μήλων

  255 πασσυδίῃ, πολέες δὲ συνεστιχόωντο βοτῆρες

  μῆλα περισφίγγοντες ὁμόζυγι πήχεος ὁλκῷ

  προτροπάδην στοιχηδόν ἀρηρότα, μή ποτε ποίμνης

  κλειομένης πλάζοιτο παράτροπος ἑσμὸς ἀλήτης:

  ὣς ὅ γε θῆλυν ὅμιλον ἔσω πυλεῶνος ἐέργων

  260 εἰς πόλιν αἰπύδμητον ἀελλόπος ἤλασε Μορρεὺς

  Βακχείην στίχα πᾶσαν ἀποσπάδα δηιοτῆτος.

  καὶ μογέων δόλον εἶχεν ἐτώσιον, ὄφρα κυδοιμοῦ

  ληίδα καλλιγύναικα λιπὼν μετανάστιον ἄγρην

  Χαλκομέδην ἐρύσειεν ὑπὸ ζυγὰ δουλοσυνάων,

  265 ἄλλαις θηλυτέπῃσιν ὁμόστολον, ὄφρά οἱ αἰεὶ

  ἠματίη θεράπαινα καἰ ἔννυχος εὐνέτις εἴη,

  καὶ διδύμων τελέσειεν ἀμοιβαδὶς ἔργα θεάων,

  λάθρια Κύπριδος ἔργα καὶ ἀμφαδὸν ἱστὸν Ἀθήνης ...

  [249] But Morrheus, enchained by the sweet passion for Chaleomede, drove the whole unweaponed band of Mainalids into the frowning city, prodding them with his spear from behind. As a shepherd drives scattered clumps of mingled sheep into the shelter of a roomy pen together, and guides his fleecy flocks of sheep with his staff all in a flurry, while many drovers run by his side, stretching out their joined hands, to encircle them and drive them on in close files headlong, for fear some group of the enclosed sheep should break aside and run away: so windswift Morrheus drove to the steepwalled city all the column of Bacchant women cut out from the battle, and herded the female crowd into the gates. But for all his trouble his scheme was useless. He wished to leave all this booty of fair women from the battle, and to hunt afterwards for Chalcomede, to drag her away, to make her his slave with other women, that she might be his servant by day and his bedfellow by night, and do the work of two goddesses in turn — Cypris in secret and Athena’s loom in public....

  Μορρεὺς δ᾽ οὐκ ἀμέλησε δορυσσόος: ἀγχιμάχῳ γὰρ

  270 Δηριάδῃ φύξηλιν ἐπέτρεπε θῆλυν Ἐνυώ,

  Βακχιάδος δὲ φάλαγγος ἐπέχραεν ἄρσενι χάρμῃ,

  ὄφρα περικλείσειε καὶ ἀνέρας: ἐν δὲ κυδοιμοῖς

  εἰς φόβον ἠπείγοντο. Θυελλήεσσα δὲ κούρη

  ἵστατο κοσμηθεῖσα πρὸ ἄστεος ἐγγύθι πύργου,

  275 παρθένος ἀκρήδεμνος: ἐρωμανέων δὲ γυναικῶν

  νεύμασι ποιητοῖσι τύπον μιμήσατο κούρη,

  ὄμματα δινεύουσ�
�, καὶ ἠθάδος ἔκτοθι μίτρης

  λευκὸς ἐρευθιόωντι χιτὼν φοινίσσετο μαζῷ:

  Μορρεὺς δ᾽ εἰσορόων ἐπετέρπετο, καὶ διὰ πέπλου

  280 λεπταλέου σφριγόωσαν ἴτυν τεκμαίρετο μαζοῦ.

  [269] Shakespear Morrheus did not neglect this. He turned over the timid women’s war to Deriades, who was fighting near him, and attacked the male part of Bacchos’s army, that he might cut off the men too; and they were put to flight on the field. But the tempestuous girl stood in all her bravery in front of the city near the wall, a maiden unveiled. She mimicked the ways of love-mad women with artificial nods and becks, rolling her eyes, and her blushing breast gave colour to the white tunic which had escaped from its wonted belt. Morrheus gazed at her with delight, and saw the delicate round of her breast stretching the robe from within.

  καἰ λίθον εὐποίητον ἴσον τροχοειδέι δίσκῳ

  παρθένος ἁρπάξασα, πελώριον ἄχθος ἁμάξης,

  Μορρέος εὐπήληκος ἀκόντισεν ἴδμονι τέχνῃ:

  καἰ λίθος ἠερόθεν πεφορημένος ὀξέι ῥοίζῳ

  285 ἀσπίδος ἄκρον ἄραξεν, ὅπῃ χρυσήλατος εἰκὼν

  Χειροβίης νόθον εἶχε δέμας ψευδήμονι μορφῇ,

  ποιητὸν δὲ κάρηνον ἀπέξεσε, βαλλομένῃ δὲ

  μαρμαρέῃ γλωχῖνι χαρασσομένοιο προσώπου

  μιμηλῆς ἀμάθυνε περίτροχον εἰκόνα μορφῆς:

  290 καὶ σάκος ὀλβίζων ἀνεπάλλετο πολλάκι Μορρεύς,

  καὶ κραδίῃ γελόων κρυφίην ἐφθέγξατο φωνήν:

  [281] The maiden caught up a hewn stone rounded like a quoit, which would be a monstrous weight for a cart, and cast it with skilful hand at helmeted Morrheus. The stone hurtled through the air with a loud whizzing sound, and scraped the surface of his shield, where a chased image of gold showed the imitation portrait of an unreal Cheirobie. It tore off the depicted head, and scratched the face with its shining edge and disfigured the artistic beauty of a rounded portrait. “Happy shield!” thought Morrheus, and leapt about again and again, laughing in his heart as he said to himself,