Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  νηυσὶν ὁμοζυλέεσσιν ἐμιτρώθη στόλος Ἰνδῶν

  135 εἰς λίνον ἐργομένων νεπόδων τύπον: Αἰακίδαις δὲ

  Αἰακὸς ὑγρὸν Ἄρηα προθεσπίζων Σαλαμῖνος

  ἀρχόμενος πολέμοιο θεουδέα ῥήξατο φωνήν:

  [131] Then there was din amongst the fighters, and the noise of clamour arose. The host fought with their accustomed skill, and surrounded all the enemy in ring; the Indian fleet was in the middle girt about with an unbroken circle of ships like a shoal of fish enclosed in a net. Then Aiacos beginning the battle cried aloud with inspired voice this prophecy of the watery strife at Salamis for the descendants of Aiacos:

  ‘ Εἰ πάρος ἡμετέρην ἀίων ἱκετήσιον ἠχὼ

  ἄσπορον εὐρυάλωος ἀπήλασας αὐχμὸν ἀρούρης,

  140 διψαλέην ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἄγων βιοτήσιον ὕδωρ,

  δὸς πάλιν ὀψιτέλεστον ἴσην χάριν, ὑέτιε Ζεῦ,

  ὕδατι κυδαίνων με καὶ ἐνθάδε: καί τις ἐνἰψῃ

  νίκην ἡμετέρην δεδοκημένος: ‘ὡς ἐνὶ γαίῃ

  Ζεὺς ἑὸν υἷα γέραιρε, καὶ ὲν πελάγεσσι γεραίρει.’

  145 ἄλλος ἀνὴρ λέξειεν Ἀχαιικός: ‘εἰν ένὶ θεσμῷ

  Αἰακὸς Ἰνδοφόνος φυσίζοος: ἀμφότερον γάρ,

  κείρων ἐχθρὰ κάρηνα καὶ αὔλακι καρπὸν ὀπάσσας

  χάρμα πόρεν Δήμητρι καὶ εὐφροσύνην Διονύσῳ.’

  ῥύεο δ᾽ ἡμετέρης πλόον ὁλκάδος: αὐσταλέῳ δὲ

  150 ὡς χθονίῳ κενεῶνι φερέσβιον ἤγαγον ὕδωρ,

  καὶ βυθίων λαγόνων θανατηφόρον οἶδμα καρύσσω

  μαρνάμενον στρατιῇσι καὶ ὁλκάσι Δηριαδῆος.

  [138] “If ever, O Zeus of the rains, thou hast heard our voice of prayer, and driven away seedless drought from the broad threshing floors of our country, and brought lifegiving water upon the thirsty land, then give us again an equal boon now at last, and glorify me here also with water! Then men may say when they see our victory, ‘As Zeus showed honour to his son on land, so he shows him honour on the sea.’ Some other man of Achaia may say, ‘Aiacos is both Indian-slayer and lifebringer at once; he both cuts off his enemies’ heads and brings fruit to the furrow, giving joy to Demeter and a merry heart to Dionysos.’ Protect thou the sailing of our ship! As I brought lifegiving water to the hollow of the parched earth, so now I arm this flood from the hollows of the deep to bring death, battling against the armies and ships of Deriades.

  ἀλλά, πάτερ, σκηπτοῦχε βίου, σκηπτοῦχε κυδοιμοῦ,

  πέμπέ μοι αἰετὸν ὄρνιν ἐμῆς κήρυκα γενέθλης

  155 δεξιτερὸν προμάχοισι καὶ ὑμετέρῳ Διονύσῳ:

  ἄλλος δ᾽ ἀντιβίοισιν ἀριστερὸς ὄρνις ἱκέσθω:

  σύμβολα δ᾽ ἀμφοτέροις ἑτερότροπα ταῦτα γενέσθω:

  τὸν μὲν ἐσαθρήσω πεφορημένον ἅρπαγι ταρσῷ

  θηγαλέων ὀνύχων κεχαραγμένον ὀξέι κέντρῳ

  160 νεκρὸν ὄφιν περίμετρον ἀερτάζοντα κεράστην,

  δυσμενέος κερόεντος ἀπαγγέλλοντα τελευτήν:

  λαῷ δ᾽ ἀντιβίων ἕτερος μελανόχροος ἔλθῃ

  κυανέαις πτερύγεσσι προθεσπίζων φόνον Ἰνδῶν,

  αὐτομάτου θανάτοιο μέλαν τύπον: ἢν δ᾽ ἐθελήσῃς,

  165 βρονταίοις πατάγοισιν ἐμὴν μαντεύεο νίκην,

  καὶ στεροπὴν Βρομίοιο λεχώια φέγγεα πέμπων

  υἱέα σεῖο γέραιρε πάλιν πυρί, δυσμενέων δὲ

  ὁλκάδας εὐπήληκας ὀιστεύσωσι κεραυνοί.

  ναί, πάτερ, Αἰγίνης μιμνήσκεο, μὴ σέο νύμφης

  170 νυμφίον αἰσχύνειας ὁμόπτερον ὄρνιν Ἐρώτων.’

  [153] “Come, O Father, monarch of life, monarch of battle! Send me an eagle, the auspicious herald of my birth, on the right hand of my captains and your own Dionysos! Let another omen come on the left for my adversaries, and let these two be opposite tokens for both. Let me see the one sailing along with robber’s wing and lifting a huge horned serpent, dead and torn by sharp points of his keen talons, proclaiming the end of my horned enemy: let the other come to my host of adversaries black-hued, with dark wings, foretelling the carnage of the Indians, the black image of self-inflicted death. If it be thy pleasure, foretell my victory with claps of thunder, and send the lightning which lighted the birth of Bromios to honour your son once again with fire, and let thunderbolts strike the helmeted ships of the foe. Yes, Father, remember Aigina, and do not shame the bridegroom ° of thy bride, the lovebird of like feather with this!”

  ὣς εἰπὼν πολέμιζεν, ἐς ἠερίας δὲ κελεύθους

  ὄμμα παλιννόστοιο βαλὼν ἀντώπιον Ἄρκτου

  γαμβρὸν ἑὸν λιτάνενε καὶ ἴαχε μῦθον Ἐρεχθεύς:

  [171] After this prayer, he began the fight; Erechtheus also east up his eye to the heavenly path of the ever-returning Bear, and prayed to his goodson in these words:

  ‘Γαμβρὸς ἐμὸς Βορέης, θωρήσσεο, καὶ σέο νύμφης

  175 μαρναμένῳ γενετῆρι βοηθόον ἄσθμα τιταίνων

  ἕδνα τεοῦ θαλάμοιο θαλασσαίην πόρε νίκην:

  ὁλκάσι μὲν Βρομίοιο φέρων νηοσσόον αὔρην

  δὸς χάριν ἀμφοτέροισιν, Ἐρεχθέι καὶ Διονύσῳ:

  νηυσὶ δὲ Δηριάδαο μεμηνότα πόντον ἱμάσσων

  180 ἄσθματι κυματόεντι τεὰς θώρηξον ἀέλλας —

  ἐσσὶ γὰρ ὑσμίνης ἐμπείραμος, ὅττι καὶ αὐτὸς

  Θρῄκην ναιετάεις, ἐμπείραμος, οἷά περ Ἄρης —

  ἀντιβίων δὲ φάλαγγι δυσήνεμον ἄσθμα κομίζων

  ἔγχεϊ παχυήεντι κορύσσεο Δηριαδῆι:

  185 στήσας δ᾽ ἀωτιβίοισι θυελλήεσσαν Ἐνυὼ

  δυσμενέας τόξευε χαλαζήεντι βελέμνῳ,

  καὶ Διὶ πρστὰ φέρων καὶ Παλλάδι καἰ Διονύσῳ.

  μνώεο Κεκροπίης εὐπαρθένου, ἧχι γυναῖκες

  κερκίδι ποικίλλουσι τεῶν ὑμέναιον Ἐρώτων:

  190 Ἰλισσὸν δὲ γέραιρε γαμοστόλον, ὁππόθι κούρην

  Ἀτθίδα δὴν παράκοιτιν ἀνήρπασαν ἅρπαγες αὖραι

  ἑζομένην ἀτίνακτον ἀκινήτῳ σέθεν ὤμῳ.

  [174] “Goodson Boreas, put on your armour, and send a helping blast to your bride’s father in battle! Give victory by sea as the price of your bride! Bring a ship-stirring wind for Bromios’s fleet and grant a boon to Erechtheus and Dionysos alike. For the ships of Deriades, flog the maddened deep into waves with your blast and arm your tempests — for you are well practised in fighting,
as one whose habitation is Thrace, well-practised as Ares himself — then drive a stormy wind upon the host of our enemies, arm yourself against Deriades with your icy spear. Raise a hurricane of war against our enemies, shoot the foe with your frozen shafts, and keep faith with Zeus and Pallas and Dionysos. Remember Cecropia with its lovely girls, where the women weave with their shuttle the love-story of your wedding. Honour Ilissos who led the bridal train, when the robber breezes made robbery of your Attic bride, sitting unshaken upon your unmoving shoulder.

  οἶδα μέν, ὡς συνάεθλος ἐλεύσεται ἄλλος ἀήτης

  γείτων ἀντιβίοισιν Ἑώιος: ἀλλ᾽ ἐνὶ χάρμῃ

  195 οὐ τρομέω θρασὺν Εὖρον, ὅτι πτερόεντες ἀῆται

  πάντες, ὅσοι πνείουσιν, ὀπάονές εἰσι Βορῆος:

  καὶ πρόμος Αἰθιόπων Νοτίην ἐπὶ πέζαν ἀρούρης

  μηκέτι νοστήσειε Κορύμβασος, ἀλλὰ δαμείη

  θερμὸν ἔχων συνάεθλον ἑὸν Νότον Αἰθσπῆα,

  200 ψυχρὸν ὑπὲρ πόντοιο πιὼν θανατηφόρον ὕδωρ:

  οὐκ ἀλέγω Ζεφύροιο, κορυσσομένιο Βορῆος.

  δεῖξον ὁμοφροσύνην ἑκυρῷ σέθεν: οὐρανόθεν δὲ

  σὺν σοὶ Βακχιάδεσσιν ἐμαῖς στρατιῇσιν ἀρήξει

  μαρνάμενος τριόδοντι Ποσειδάων καὶ Ἀθήνη,

  205 ἡ μὲν ἑοῖς ναέτῃσιν, ὁ δὲ γνωτοῖο γενέθλῃ:

  καὶ πυρόεις Ἥφαιστος Ἐρεχθέος αἷμα γεραίρων

  ἵξεται εὐάντητος ἐς ὑδατόεσσαν Ἐνυώ,

  ὁλκάσι Δηριάδαο μαχήμονα πυρσὸν ἑλίσσων.

  δὸς δέ με νικῆσαι καὶ ἐν ὕδασι, καὶ μετὰ νίκην

  210 Κεκροπίῃ κομίσειεν ἀπήμονα λαὸν Ἐρεχθεύς,

  καὶ Βορέην μέλψωσι καὶ Ὠρείθυιαν Ἀθῆναι.’

  [193] “I know that another wind will come to help our adversaries, the East Wind their neighbour: but I fear not bold Euros in battle, because all the winged breezes that blow are servants of Boreas. Let Corymbasos the chief of the Ethiopians never return to the arable land of the south; let him be brought low, although he is helped by his own hot Ethiopian South, let him drink the cold water of death beyond the sea. I care nothing for Zephyros, when Boreas is under arms. Show that you are of one heart with your goodfather. From heaven by your side will come Poseidon fighting for my Bacchiad armies with his trident, and Athena, she helping her countrymen, he his brother’s son; and fiery Hephaistos honouring the blood of Erechtheus will come full welcome to the watery war, swinging a warlike torch against the ships of Deriades. Grant me victory on the sea also, and after victory let Erechtheus take his people home to Cecropia unhurt, and let Athens chant of Boreas and Oreithyia.”

  τοῖον ἔπος βοόων ἁλιδίνεος ἥψατο χάρμης

  ἔγχεϊ τεχνήεντι, καὶ ὡς ναέτης Μαραθῶνος

  ναύμαχου εἶχεν ἔρωτα: φιληρέτμῳ δὲ κυδοιμῷ

  215 εὔστολος ἦεν Ἄρης τότε ναυτίλος, ἐν παλάμῃ δὲ

  πηδάλιον Φόβος εἶχε, κυβερνήτης δὲ κυδοιμοῦ

  Δεῖμος ἀκοντοφόρων ἀνελύσατο πείσματα νηῶν.

  [212] Thus he cried loudly, and fell to the fight on the eddies of the brine with well-skilled spear — as a man of Marathon he was in love with seafighting. In that tumult of many oars Ares was then an excellent mariner, Rout held rudder in hand, Terror was pilot of the fray and threw off the hawsers of the javelinbearing ships.

  Κυκλώπων δὲ φάλαγγες ἐωαυτίλλοντο θαλάσσῃ

  ὁλκάδας ἀγχιάλοισιν ὀιστεύοντες ἐρίπναις:

  220 Εὐρύαλος δ᾽ ἀλάλαζεν, ἁλιρροίζῳ δὲ κυδοιμῷ

  ἀγχινεφὴς οἴστρησεν ἐς ὑσμίνην Ἁλιμήδης.

  καὶ διδύμαις στρατιῇσιν ἐπέκτυπε πόντιος Ἄρης

  χερσαίην μετὰ δῆριν, ἁλιρροίζῳ δ᾽ ἀλαλητῷ

  ὁλκάσι Βακχείῃσιν ἐπέρρεον ὁλκάδες Ἰνδῶν:

  225 καὶ φόνος ἦν ἑκάτερθε, καὶ ἔζεε κύματα λύθρῳ,

  καὶ πολὺς ἀμφοτέρων στρατὸς ἤριπεν: ἀρτιχύτῳ δὲ

  αἵματι κυανέης ἐρυθαίνετο νῶτα θαλάσσης.

  [218] Troops of Cyclopians navigated the sea, showering rocks from the shore upon the ships; Euryalos shouted the warcry, and Halimedes high as the sky dashed raging into battle with brineblustering tumult. In both armies the sea-battle roared after the conflict on land, while Indian ships charged Bacchic ships with brineblustering yells. There was carnage on both sides, and the waves boiled with gore; a great company fell from both armies, the back of the blue sea grew red with newly-shed blood.

  πολλοὶ δ᾽ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα χυτῷ πίπτοντες ὀλέθρῳ

  οἰδαλέοι πλωτῆρες ἐναυτίλλοντο θαλάσσῃ:

  230 καὶ ῥοθίοις ἑλικηδὸν ἔχων πορθμῆας ἀήτας

  σύρετο νεκρὸς ὅμιλος ἀφειδέι σύνδρομος αὔρῃ:

  πολλοὶ δ᾽ αὐτοκύλιστον ὑπὸ στροδάλιγγα κυδοιμοῦ

  εἰς ῥόον ὠλίσθησαν, ἀναγκαίῃ δὲ πιόντες

  πικρὸν ὕδωρ ἐνόησαν ὑποβρυχίης λίνα Μοίρης,

  235 βριθόμενοι θώρηκι: καὶ οἰδαλέων μέλαν ὕδωρ

  κυανέων ἐκάλυπτεν ὁμόχροα σώματα νεκρῶν

  βένθεϊ φυκιόεντι, σὺν ὑγροπόρῳ δὲ φορῆι

  χάλκεος ἰλυόεντι χιτὼν ἐκαλύπτετο πηλῷ:

  καὶ τάφος ἔπλετο πόντος. ἐτυμβεύοντο δὲ πολλοὶ

  240 κητείοις γενύεσσιν, ἐν ὶχθυόεντι δὲ λαιμῷ

  ἄπνοον αἰθύσσουσα νέκυν τυμβεύσατο φώκη,

  ξανθὸν ἐρευγομένη ῥόον αἵματος. ὀλλυμένων δὲ

  τεύχεα πόντος ἔσεκτο, νεοσφαγέος δὲ φορῆος

  αὐτομάτη λοφόεσσα δι᾽ ὕδατος ἔπλεε πήληξ

  245 δεσμοῦ λυομένοιο, θυελλήεντι δὲ πολλῆς

  χεύματι φοιταλέης ἐπενήχετο κύκλα βοείης

  σὺν διερῷ τελαμῶνι. πολὺς δ᾽ ὑπὸ κύμασιν ἄκροις

  ἀφρὸς ἐρευθιόων πολιῆς ἀνεκήκιεν ἅλμης

  αἱμαλέῳ πάνλευκον ὑποστίξας χύσιν ὁλκῷ.

  [228] Many on this side and that side fell into the mess of carnage, and navigated the sea swollen and floating. The merciless winds dragged with them the crowds of dead bodies, tossed about by the surge with breezes to ferry them. Many fell of themselves under the whirlwind of battle, and slipt into the flood, then drank of the bitter brine, for they could not help it, and weighed down with their corselets knew the threads of the Fate who drowned them in the waters. The black water covered the black livid bodies of the swollen dead with seaweed in the depths; slimy mud covered coat of mail and seafaring wearer toget
her; the sea was their grave. Many again had sepulture in the maw of seamonsters, or the darting seal entombed the inanimate corpse in her fishy throat and belched out a stream of brownish blood. The sea took the armour of the dead; the plumed helmet worked loose from the strap and floated upon the water by itself, its owner newly slain; many a round shield swam at random on the flood with soaking sling driven by the gale, and under the surface of the waves masses of red foam bubbled up from the grey brine, marking the spread of white with streaks of blood.

  250 καὶ φονίαις λιβάδεσσιν ἐφοινίχθη Μελικέρτης:

  Λευκοθέη δ᾽ ὀλόλυζε, τιθηνήτειρα Λυαίον,

  αὐχένα γαῦρον ἔχουσα, καὶ Ἰνδοφόνου περὶ νίκης

  ἄνθεϊ φυκιόεντι κόμην ἐστέψατο Νύμφη:

  καὶ Θέτις ἀκρήδεμνος ὑπερκύψασα θαλάσσης

  255 χεῖρας ἐρεισαμένη καὶ Δωρίδι καὶ Πανοπείῃ

  ἄσμενον ὄμμα τίταινεν ἐπ᾽ εὐθύρσῳ Διονύσῳ.

  [250] Melicertes also was stained by the drops of gore; Leucothea cried out for joy, she the nurse of Lyaios, raising a proud neck, and the Nymph crowned her hair with flowers of seaweed for the Indian-slaying victory; and Thetis unveiled peeping up out of the sea, with her hands resting on Doris and Panopeia, turned a gladsome eye towards Dionysos with his thyrsus.

  καὶ βυθίη Γαλάτεια θαλασσαίου διὰ κόλπου

  ἡμιφανὴς πεφόρητο διαξύουσα γαλήνην,

  καὶ φονίου Κύκλωπος ἁλιπτοίητον Ἐνυὼ

  260 δερκομένη δεδόνητο, φόβῳ δ᾽ ἤμειψε παρειάς:

  ἔλπετο γὰρ Πολύφημον ἰδεῖν κατὰ φύλοπιν Ἰνδῶν

  ἀντία Δηριάδαο συναιχμάζοντα Λυαίῳ:

  ταρβαλέη δ᾽ ἱκέτευε θαλασσαίην Ἀφροδίτην