Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  καὶ ταχὺς ἐκ δίφροιο κατήλε: μηκεδανὴν δὲ

  465 εἰς ζυγὸν εὐποίητον ἑὴν ἔκλινεν ἱμάσθλην:

  ἵπποθς δ᾽ Ἀμφιδάμας θεράπων λύεν: ὠκύτερος δὲ

  τερπομένῃ παλάμῃ πρμτάγρια κούφισε νίκης,

  ἰοδόκην καὶ τόξα καὶ εὐπήληκα γυναῖκα,

  πάλλων ἡμιτόμοιο μεσόμφαλα νῶτα βοείης.

  [453] The quarrel had not ended when Erechtheus came in first, a near thing! unceasingly lashing his horses right and left down from the shoulder. Sweat ran in rivers over the horses’ necks and hairy chests, their driver was sprinkled with plentiful dry spatterings of dust; the car was running hard on the horses’ footsteps amid rising whirls, and the undisturbed surface of the light dust was disturbed by the rolling tyres. After this flying race, he came into their midst in his car. He wiped off with his dress the sweat which poured from his wet brow, and quickly got out of the car. He rested his long whip against the fine yoke, and his groom Amphidamas unloosed the horses. Then quickly with happy hand he lifted the first prize of victory, quiver and bow and helmeted woman, and shook the flat half-shield with the boss in the middle.

  470 τῷ δ᾽ ἐπὶ δεύτερος ἦλθε θαλασσαίων ἐπὶ δίφρων

  Σκέλμις, ἐπισπέρχων Ποσιδήιον ἅρμα θαλάσσης,

  κύκλος ὅσον τροχόεις ἀπολείπεται ὠκέος ἵππου,

  τοῦ μὲν ἐπαΐσσοντος ἐπισσώτρων μόγις ἄκραι

  ἐκταδίης ψαύουσιν ἑλισσομένης τρίχες οὐρῆς:

  475 δεύτερα δ᾽ εἷλεν ἄεθλα, καὶ ὤρεγε Δαμναμενῆι

  ἔγκυον ἵππον ἔχειν, ζηλήμονι χειρὶ τιταίνων.

  [470] Scelmis came second in his chariot from the sea — for he drove Poseidon’s car from the sea, as far behind as the round wheel is behind the running horse — as he gallops, the hairy tip of his long waving tail just touches the tyre. He took the second prize, the mare in foal, and gave her in charge to Damnamenes, offering her with jealous hand.

  καὶ τρίτος Ἀκταίων ἀνεκούφισε σύμβολα νίκης

  χρυσοφαῆ θώρηκα, παναίολον ἔργον Ὀλύμπου.

  [477] Third Actaion lifted his token of victory, the corselet shining with gold, the gorgeous work of Olympos.

  τῷ δ᾽ ἐπὶ Φαῦνος ἵκανε: καὶ αὐτόθι δίφρον ἐρύσσας

  480 ὀμφαλὸν ἀργυρόκυκλον ἀνηέρταζε βοείης,

  αὐχμηρῆς μεθέπων ἔτι λείψανα κεῖνα κονίης.

  [479] Next came Phaunos, and there checked his car. He lifted the shield with rounded silver boss, and he still showed those relics of the dirty dust.

  καὶ Σικελὸς θεράπων βραδυδινέος ἐγγύθι δίφρου

  χρυσοῦ δισσὰ τάλαντα κατηφέι δεῖξεν Ἀχάτῃ,

  οἰκτρὸν ἀγηνορέοντι φιλοστόργῳ Διονύσῳ.

  [482] When Achates arrived despondent beside his slowrolling car, a Sicilian groom displayed two ingots of gold, a consolation from his kind friend the splendid Dionysos.

  485 αὐτὰρ ὁ πυγμαχίης χαλεπῆς ἔστησεν ἀγῶνα:

  πρώτῳ μὲν θέτο ταῦρον ἀπ᾽ Ἰνδῴοιο βοαύλου

  δῶρον ἄγειν, ἑτέρῳ δὲ μελαρρίνων κτέρας Ἰνδῶν

  βάρβαρον αἰολόνωτον ἑλὼν κατέθηκε βοείην.

  ὀρθωθεὶς δ᾽ ἀγόρευεν ἀεθλητῆρας ἐπείγων,

  490 εὐπαλάμου δύο φῶτας ἐριδμαίνειν περὶ νίκης:

  [485] Next the god put up the boxing, a hard match that. For the first man, he offered a bull from an Indian stall as a prize; for the second, he put up a barbaric manicoloured shield which had been a treasure of the blackskin Indians. Then standing up he called with urgent voice for competitors, inviting two men to contend for the prize of ready hands:

  ‘Πυγμῆς οὗτος ἄεθλος ἀτειρέος: ἀθλοφόρῳ δὲ

  ἀνέρι νικήσαντι δασύτριχα ταῦρον ὀπάσσω,

  ἀνδρὶ δὲ νικηθέντι πολύπτυχον ἀσπίδα δώσω.’

  [491] “This is the battle for hardy boxers. The victor in this contest shall have a shaggy bull, to the loser I will give a shield with many layers of good hide.”

  ὣς φαμένου Βρομίοιο σακέσπαλος ὦρτο Μελισσεύς,

  495 ἠθάδι πυγμαχίῃ μεμελημένος: εὐκεράου δὲ

  ἁψάμενος ταύροιο τόσην ἐφθέγξατο φωνήν:

  [494] When Bromios had spoken, shakeshield Melisseus stood up, one well practised and familiar with boxing; and seizing the bull’s horn he shouted these big words,

  ‘Ἐλθέτω, ὃς ποθέει σάκος αἰόλον: οὐ γὰρ ἐάσω

  ἄλλῳ πίονα ταῦρον, ἕως ἔτι χεῖρας ἀείρω.’

  [497] “This way anyone who wants a painted shield! For I will not let another have the fat bull as long as I can hold up my hands!”

  ὣς φαμένου ξύμπαντας ἐπεσφρήγισσε σιωπή:

  500 Εὐρυμέδων δέ οἱ οἶος ἀνίστατο, τῷ πόρεν Ἑρμῆς

  ὄργανα πυγμαχίης γυιαλκέος, ὃς πάρος αἰεὶ

  πατρῴῳ μεμέλητο παρήμενος ἐσχαρεῶνι,

  Ἡφαιστηιάδης, σφυρήλατον ἄκμονα τύπτων.

  τὸν μὲν ἐριπτοίητος ἀδελφεὸς ἄμφεπεν Ἄλκων,

  505 ζῶμα δέ οἱ παρέθηκε, καὶ ἥρμοσεν ἰξύι μίτρην,

  καὶ δολιχαῖς παλάμῃσι κασιγνήτοιο συνάπτων

  ἀζαλέων ἔσφιγξε περίπλοκον ὁλκὸν ἱμάντων.

  καὶ πρόμος εἰς μέσον ἦλθεν, ἑοῦ προβλῆτα προσώπου

  λαιὴν χεῖρα φέρων, σάκος ἔμφυτον: ἀντὶ δὲ λόγχης

  510 ποιητῆς παλάμης ταμεσίχροες ἦσαν ἱμάντες.

  αἰεὶ δ᾽ ἀντιπάλοιο φυλάσσετο δύσμαχον ὁρμήν,

  μή ποτέ μιν πλήξειε κατ᾽ ὀφρύος ἠὲ μετώπου,

  ἠέ μιν αἱμάξειε, τετυμμένον ἄρθρον ἀμύξας,

  ἠὲ διατμήξειε, κατὰ κροτάφοιο τυχήσας,

  515 εἰς μέσον ἐγκεφάλοιο νοήμονος ἄκρον ἀράξας,

  ἢ παλάμην τρηχεῖαν ἐπὶ κροτάφοισι τιταίνων

  ὄμματα γυμνώσειε λιπογλήνοιο προσώπου,

  ἠὲ δαφοινήεντος ἀρασσομένοιο γενείου

  ὀξυτέρων ἐλάσειε πολύστιχον ὄγμον ὀδόντων.

  [499] At these words, silence sealed all lips. Only Eurymedon rose to face him, one to whom Hermes had given the gear of stronglimbed boxing. This man, a son of Hephaistos, had always been used to remain busy beside his father’s furnace hammering away at the beaten anvil. Now his brother Alcon attended him full of excitement, placed his body-belt beside him and fitted the girdle to his loins, coiled the straps of dry leather neatly round his brother’s long hands. Then the champion advanced into the ring, holding his left hand on guard before hi
s face like a natural shield, and the fleshcutting straps of his artificial hand did for a wrought lance. Always he kept on his defence before the dangerous attack of his adversary, that he might not get one in upon brow or forehead, or land on the face and draw blood, or smash his temple with a lucky blow, tearing a way to the very centre of his busy brain, or with a hard hook over the temples tear the eyes out of his blinded face, and smash his bloody jaw and drive in a long row of his sharp teeth.

  520 ἔνθα μὲν Εὐρυμέδοντος ἐπεσσυμένοιο μελισσεὺς

  στήθεος ἄκρον ἔλασσεν: ὁ δὲ σχεδὸν ἄντα προσώπου

  χεῖρα μάτην ἐτίταινε, καὶ ἤμβροτεν ἠέρα τύπτων:

  καί μιν ἀεὶ τρομέων περιδέδρομε, κόλπον ἀμείβων,

  δεξιτερὴν γυμνοῖο κάτω μαζοῖο τιταίνων.

  525 ἄμφω δ᾽ εἰς ἓν ἵκανον ἐπήλυδες, ἄλλος ἐπ᾽ ἄλλῳ

  ἴχνεσι φειδομένοισι ποδὸς πόδα τυτθὸν ἀμείβων:

  χερσὶ δὲ χεῖρας ἔμιξαν: ἐπασσυτέρῃσι δὲ ῥιπαῖς

  φρικτὸς ὁμοπλεκέων ἐπεβόμβεε δοῦπος ἱμάντων

  ἀκροτάτην περὶ χεῖρα: χαρασσομένης δὲ παρειῆς

  530 αἱμαλέαις λιβάδεσσιν ἐφοινίχθησαν ἱμάντες:

  καὶ γενύων πέλε δοῦπος: ἐπὶ θρωσμῷ δὲ προσώπου

  εὐρυτέρου γεγαῶτος ἐκυμαίνοντο παρειαί,

  ὀφθαλμοὶ δ᾽ ἑκάτερθεν ἐκοιλαίνοντο προσώπου.

  [520] But now as Eurymedon rushed him, Melisseus landed one high up on the chest; he countered with a lead at the face but missed — hit nothing but air. Shaking with excitement, he skipt round the man past his chest with a side-step and brought home his right on the exposed breast under the nipple. Then they clinched, one against the other, shifting a bit their feet carefully in short steps, hands making play against hands: as the blows fell in quick succession the straps wreathed about their fingers made a terrible noise. Cheeks were torn, drops of blood stained the handstraps, their jaws resounded under the blows, the round cheeks swelled and spread on the puffy face, the eyes of both sunk in hollows.

  Εὐρυμέδων μὲν ἔκαμνε Μελισσέος ἴδμονι τέχνῃ,

  535 ἄσχετον ἠελίοιο μένων ἀντώπιον αἴγλην,

  ὄμμα καταυγάζοντος: ἐπαΐξας δὲ Μελισσεὺς

  ὀξυτέρῃ στροφάλιγγι μετάρσιον ἴχνος ἀείρων

  ἄφνω γναθμὸν ἔτυψεν ὑπ᾽ οὔατος: αὐτὰρ ὁ κάμνων

  ὕπτιος αὐτοκύλιστος ἐρείσατο νῶτα κονίῃ,

  540 θυμολιπὴς μεθύοντι πανείκελος: εἶχε δὲ κόρσην

  κεκλιμένην ἑτέρωσε, καὶ αἵματος ἔπτυεν ἄχνην

  λεπτὰ παχυνομένοιο: λαβὼν δέ μιν ἐκτὸς ἀγῶνος

  στυγνὸς ὑπὲρ νώτοιο μετήγαγε σύγγονος Ἄλκων

  πληγῇ ἀμερσινόῳ βεβαρημένον. ἐσσύμενος δὲ

  545 Ἰνδῴην περίμετρον ἀνηέρταζε βοείην.

  [534] Eurymedon was badly shaken by Melisseus and his artful dodging. He had to stand with the sun shining intolerably in his face and blinding his eyes; Melisseus rushed in, dancing about with quickened twists and turns, and popped in a sudden one on the jaw beneath the ear; and Eurymedon being distressed fell on his back and rolled in the dust helpless, fainting, like a drunken man. He inclined his head to one side and spat out a foam of thickish blood. His brother Alcon slung him over his back and gloomily carried him out of the ring, stunned by the blow and unconscious, then quickly lifted the great Indian shield.

  καὶ διδύμους Διόνυσος ἀεθλητῆρας ἐπείγων

  ἀνδράσιν ἀθλοφόροισι πάλης κήρυξεν ἀγῶνα:

  καὶ τρίπος εἰκοσίμετρος ἀέθλιον ἵστατο νίκης

  πρώτῳ ἀεθλητῆρι: τίθει δ᾽ εἰς μέσσον ἀείρας

  550 ἀνθεμόεντα λέβητα χερείονι φωτὶ φυλάσσων.

  ὀρθωθεὶς δ᾽ ἰάχησε πάλιν σημάντορι φωνῇ:

  [546] Next Dionysos called for a couple of competitors in wrestling, and announced the contest for this prize. He offered a tripod of twenty measures as prize for the winner, and brought out a cauldron with flower-ornaments reserved for the defeated man. Then he rose, and called out with announcing voice,

  ‘Δεῦτε, φίλοι, καὶ τοῦτον ἐγείρατε καλὸν ἀγῶνα.’

  [552]— “This way, friends, for the next fine contest!”

  ἔννεπε: κεκλομένου δὲ φιλοστεφάνου Διονύσου

  πρῶτος Ἀρισταῖος, μετέπειτα δὲ δεύτερος ἔστη

  555 Αἰακὸς εὐπαλάμοιο πάλης δεδαημένος ἔργα.

  ζώματι δὲ σκεπόωντες ἀθηήτου φύσιν αἰδοῦς

  γυμνοὶ ἀεθλεύοντες ἐφέστασαν: ἀμφότεροι δὲ

  πρῶτα μὲν ἀμφοτέρας παλάμας ἐπὶ δίζυγι καρπῷ

  σύμπλεκον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα, χυτῆς ἐπὶ νῶτα κονίης

  560 ἀλλήλους ἐρύοντες ἀμοιβαδίς, ἅμματι χειρῶν

  ἀκροτάτῳ σφίγξαντες: ἔην δ᾽ ἀμφίδρομος ἀνήρ,

  ἄνδρα παλινδίνητον ἄγων ἑτερόζυγι παλμῷ,

  ἕλκων ἑλκόμενός τε: συνοχμάζοντο γὰρ ἄμφω

  χερσὶν ἀμοιβαίῃσιν, ἐκυρτώσαντο δὲ δειρήν,

  565 μεσσατίῳ δὲ κάρηνον ἐπηρείδοντο μετώπῳ

  ἀκλινέες, νεύοντες ἐπὶ χθονός: ἐκ δὲ μετώπων

  θλιβομένων καμάτοιο προάγγελος ἔρρεεν ἱδρώς:

  ἀμφοτέρων δ᾽ ἄρα νῶτα κεκυφότα πήχεος ὁλκῷ

  δίζυγι συμπλεκέος παλάμης ἐτρίβετο δεσμῷ:

  σμῶδιξ δ᾽ αὐτοτέλεστος ἀνέδραμεν αἵματι θερμῷ,

  575 αἰόλα πορφύρουσα: δέμας δ᾽ ἐστίζετο φωτῶν.

  [553] He spoke, and at the summons of crownloving Dionysos, Aristaios first rose, then second Aiacos, one well schooled in the lore of strongarmed wrestling. The athletes came forward naked but for the body-belts that hid their unseen loins. They both began by grasping each the other’s wrists, and wreathed this way and that way, and pulled each other in turn over the surface of the widespread dust, holding the arms in a close grip of the fingers. Between the two men it was like ebb and flow, man drawing man with evenly balanced pulls, dragging and dragged; for they hugged each other with both arms and bent the neck, and pressed head to head on the middle of the forehead, pushing steadily downwards. Sweat ran from their rubbed foreheads to show the hard struggle; the backs of both were bent by the pull of the arms, and pressed hard by the two pairs of twined hands. Many a weal ran up of itself and made a purple pattern with the hot blood, until the fellows’ bodies were marked with it.

  οἱ δὲ παλαισμοσύνης ἑτερότροπα μάγγανα τέχνης

  ἀλλήλοις ἀνέφαινον ἀμοιβαδίς: ἀντίβ�
�ον δὲ

  πρῶτος Ἀρισταῖος παλάμης πηχύνατο καρπῷ,

  ἐκ χθονὸς ὀχλίζων: δολίης δ᾽ οὐ λήθετο τέχνης

  580 Αἰακὸς αἰολόμητις, ὑποκλέπτοντι δὲ ταρσῷ

  λαιὸν Ἀρισταίοιο ποδὸς κώληπα πατάξας

  ὕπτιον αὐτοκύλιστον ὅλον περικάββαλε γαίῃ,

  ἠλιβάτῳ πρηῶνι πανείκελον: ἀμφὶ δὲ λαοὶ

  τηλίκον αὐχήεντα βοώμενον υἱέα Φοίβου

  585 ὄμμασι θαμβαλέοισιν ἐθηήσαντο πεσόντα.

  δεύτερος ἠέρταζε μετάρσιον ὑψόθι γαίης

  κουφίζων ἀμογητὶ πελώριον υἷα Κυρήνης

  Αἰακός, ἐσσομένην ἀρετὴν τεκέεσσι φυλάσσων,

  ἀκαμάτῳ Πηλῆι καὶ εὐρυβίῃ Τελαμῶνι,

  590 ἀγκὰς ἔχων, οὐ νῶτον ἢ ὄρθιον αὐχένα κάμπτων,

  πήχεσιν ἀμφοτέροισι μεσαίτατον ἄνδρα κομίζων,

  ἶσον ἀμειβόντεσσιν ἔχων τύπον, οὕς κάμε τέκτων

  πρηΰνων ἀνέμοιο θυελλήεσσαν ἀνάγκην.

  καὶ πελάσας ὅλον ἄνδρα περιστρωθέντα κονίῃ

  595 Αἰακὸς ἀντιπάλοιο μέσων ἐπεβήσατο νώτων

  καὶ πόδα πεπταμένης διὰ γαστέρος ἐκταδὰ πέμπων,

  καμπύλον ἀκροτάτῳ περὶ γούνατι δέσμα συνάπτων,

  ταρσῷ ταρσὸν ἔρειδε παρὰ σφυρὸν ἄκρον ἑλίξας:

  καὶ ταχὺς ἀντιβίου τετανυσμένος ὑψόθι νώτων,

  αὐχένι δεσμὸν ἔβαλλε βραχίονι, δάκτυλα κάμψας: