by Nonnus
225 Πρωτεὺς δ᾽ Ἴσθμιον οἶδμα λιπὼν Παλληνίδος ἅλμης
εἰναλίῳ θώρηκι κορύσσετο, δέρματι φώκης:
ἀμφὶ δέ μιν στεφανηδὸν ἐπέρρεον αἴθοπες Ἰνδοὶ
Βάκχου κεκλομένοιο, καὶ οὐλοκόμων στίχες ἀνδρῶν
φωκάων πολύμορφον ἐπηχύναντο νομῆα.
230 σφιγγομένου δὲ γέροντος ἔην ἑτερόχροος εἰκών:
Πρωτεὺς γὰρ μελέεσσι τύπον μιμηλὸν ὑφαίνων
πόρδαλις αἰολόνωτος ἑὴν ἐστίξατο μορφήν:
καὶ φυτὸν αὐτοτέλεστον ἐπὶ χθονὸς ὄρθιον ἔστη
δενδρώσας ἑὰ γυῖα, τινασσομένων δὲ πετήλων
235 ψευδαλέον ψιθύρισμα Βορειάδι σύρισεν αὔρῃ:
καὶ γραπταῖς φολίδεσσι κεκασμένα νῶτα χαράξας
εἷρπε δράκων, μεσάτου δὲ πιεζομένου κενεῶνος
σπεῖραν ἀνῃώρησεν, ὑπ᾽ ὀρχηστῆρι δὲ παλμῷ
ἄκρα τιταινομένης ἐλελίζετο κυκλάδος οὐρῆς,
240 καὶ κεφαλὴν ὤρθωσεν, ἀποπτύων δὲ γενείων
ἰὸν ἀκοντιστῆρα κεχηνότι σύρισε λαιμῷ:
καὶ δέμας ἀλλοπρόσαλλον ἔχων σκιοειδέι μορφῇ
φρῖξε λέων, σύτο κάπρος, ὕδωρ ῥέε: καὶ χορὸς Ἰνδῶν
ὑγρὸν ἀπειλητῆρι ῥόον σφηκώσατο δεσμῷ
245 χερσὶν ὀλισθηρῇσιν ἔχων ἀπατήλιον ὕδωρ:
κερδαλέος δὲ γέρων πολυδαίδαλον εἶδος ἀμείβων
εἶχε Περικλυμένοιο πολύτροπα δαίδαλα μορφῆς,
ὃν κτάμεν Ἡρακλέης, ὅτε δάκτυλα δισσὰ συνάψας
ψευδαλέον μίμημα νόθης ἔθραυσε μελίσσης.
250 χερσαίην δὲ γέροντος ἐκυκλώσαντο πορείην
πώεα κητώεντα, φιλοψαμάθοιο δὲ φώκης
οἰγομένῳ βαρύδουπον ὕδωρ ἐπεπάφλασε λαιμῷ.
[225] Proteus left the flood of the Isthmian sea of Pallene, and armed him in a cuirass of the brine, the sealskin. Round him in a ring rushed the swarthy Indians at the summons of Bacchos, and crowds of the woollyheaded men embraced the shepherd of the seals in his various forms. For in their grasp the Old Man Proteus took on changing shapes, weaving his limbs into many mimic images. He spotted his body into a dappleback panther. He made his limbs a tree, and stood straight up on the earth a selfgrown spire, shaking his leaves and whistling a counterfeit whisper to the North Wind. He scored his back well with painted scales and crawled as a serpent; he rose in coils squeezing his belly, and with a dancing throb of his curling tail’s tip he twirled about, lifted his head and spat hissing from gaping throat and grinning jaws a shooting shower of poison. So from one shadowy shape to another in changeling form he bristled as a lion, charged as a boar, flowed as water — the Indian company clutched the wet flood in threatening grasp, but found the pretended water slipping through their hands. So the crafty Old Man changed into many and varied shapes, as many as the varied shapes of Periclymenos, whom Heracles slew when between two fingers he crushed the counterfeit shape of a bastard bee. Flocks of sea-monsters ringed round the Old Man on his expedition to dry land, water splashed with a heavy roar from the open mouths of the sand-loving seals.
θυγατέρων δὲ φάλαγγα φιλεύιον εἰς μόθον ἕλκων
ἔγχεϊ κυματόεντι γέρων ὡπλίζετο Νηρεύς,
255 ποντοπόρῳ τριόδοντι καταθρῴσκων ἐλεφάντων,
δεινὸς ἰδεῖν: πολλαὶ δὲ παρ᾽ ᾐόνα γείτονες ὄχθαι
εἰναλίῃ Νηρῆος ἐδοχμώθησαν ἀκωκῇ.
Νηρεΐδων δὲ γένεθλα συνεκρούσαντο τοκῆι
ὑσμίνης ἀλάλαγμα: καὶ εἰς μόθον ὑψόθι πόντου
260 ἡμιφανὴς ἀπέδιλος ἐβακχεύθη χορὸς ἅλμης.
καὶ Σατύρων ἀσίδηρος ἐπαΐσσουσα κυδοιμῷ
ἀρχαίην ἐπὶ λύσσαν ἀνέδραμεν ἄστατος Ἰνώ,
λευκὸν ἐρευγομένη μανιώδεος ἀφρὸν ὑπήνης.
καὶ βλοσυρὴ Πανόπεια διαΐσσουσα γαλήνης
265 γλαυκὰ θαλασσαίης ἐπεμάστιε νῶτα λεαίνης:
καὶ ῥόπαλον δυσέρωτος ἀειρομένη Πολυφήμου
εἰναλίη Γαλάτεια κορύσσετο λυσσάδι Βάκχῃ:
κουφίζων δ᾽ ἀτίνακτον ἁλιτρεφέων ἐπὶ νώτων
πομπίλος ἠέρταζε δι᾽ ὕδατος ἄβροχον Εἰδώ.
[253] Ancient Nereus armed himself with a watery spear, and led his regiment of daughters into the Euian struggle. With sea-traversing trident he leapt at the elephants, terrible to behold: many a neighbouring cliff along the shore toppled sideways under the seapike of Nereus. The tribes of Nereids sounded for their sire the cry of battle-triumph: unshod, half hidden in the brine, the company rushed raging to combat over the sea. Restless Ino speeding unarmed into strife with the Satyrs, fell again into her old madness spitting white foam from her maddened lips. Terrible Panopeia also shot through the quiet water flogging the greeny back of a sealioness. Galateia too the sea-nymph lifting the club of her lovesick Polyphemos attacked a wild Bacchant. Eido rode unshaken, unwetted, over the water mounted on the back of a seabred pilot fish.
270 ὡς δέ τις ἱππεύων ἐλατὴρ ὑπὸ κυκλάδι τέχνῃ.
δοχμώσας ὅλον ἵππον ἀριστερὸν ἐγγύθι νύσσης,
δεξιτερὸν κάμψειε, παριεμένοιο χαλινοῦ
κέντρῳ ἐπισπέρχων, προχέων πλήξιππον ἀπειλήν,
ὀκλάζων ἐπίκυρτος, ἐπ᾽ ἄντυγι γούνατα πήξας
275 ἰξύι καμπτομένῃ, καὶ ἑκούσιον ἵππον ἐλαύνων
φειδομένῃ παλάμῃ τεχνήμονι βαιὸν ἱμάσσει,
ὄμμα βαλὼν κατόπισθε, παρελκομένου δὲ προσώπου
δίφρον ὀπισθοπόροιο φυλάσσεται ἡνιοχῆος:
ὣς τότε Νηρεΐδες διερὴν περὶ νύσσαν ἀγῶνος
280 ἰχθύας ὠκυπόροισιν ἐοικότας ἤλασαν ἵπποις.
ἄλλη δ᾽ ἀντικέλευθον ἁλίδρομον εἶχε πορείην
ἡνίοχος δελφῖνος ὑπερκύψασα θαλάσσης,
νώτῳ δ᾽ ἰχθυόεντι καθιππεύουσα γαλήνης
ὑγρομανῆ δρόμον εἶχε: μανεὶς δέ τις ὑγρὸς ὁδίτης
285 μεσσοφανὴς δελφῖνας ὁμόζυγας ἔσχισε δελφίς.
[270] As a driver in the circus rounding the post with skill, turns about the near horse to hug the post and lets the off horse follow along on a slackened rein, goading him on and yelling horselashing threats — he stoops and crouches, resting his knees on the rail, and leans to the side: as he drives a willing
horse with the sparing hand of a master, and a little touch of the whip, as he turns his face casting an eye behind while he watches the car of the driver behind — so then the Nereids drove their fishes like swift-moving horses about the watery goal of their contest. Another opposite handling her reins on a dolphin’s back peeped out over the water, and moved on her seaborne course as she rode down the quiet sea on the fish in a wild race over the waters; then the mad dolphin travelling in the sea half-visible cut through his fellow-dolphins.
καὶ ποταμοὶ κελάδησαν ἐς ὑσμίνην Διονύσου
θαρσύνοντες ἄνακτα, καὶ ἀενάων ἀπὸ λαιμῶν
ὑδατόεν μύκημα κεχηνότος Ὠκεανοῖο
ἄγγελος ὑσμίνης Ποσιδήιος ἔβρεμε σάλπιγξ:
290 καὶ πελάγη κυρτοῦτο συναιχμάζοντα τριαίνῃ:
Ἰκαρίῳ Μυρτῷος ἐπέτρεχεν, ἀγχιφανὴς δὲ
ἑσπερίῳ Σαρδῷος, Ἴβηρ ἐπεσύρετο Κελτῷ
οἰδαίνων πελάγεσσι, καὶ ἠθάδι δίζυγι πόντῳ
Βόσπορος ἀστήρικτος ἐμίγνυε καμπύλον ὕδωρ,
295 Αἰγαίου δὲ ῥέεθρα συναιθύσσοντες ἀέλλῃ
Ἰονίης κενεῶνες ἐμαστίζοντο θαλάσσης
συζυγέες, Σικελῆς δὲ παρὰ σφυρὰ θυιάδος ἅλμης
κύμασι πυργωθεῖσα συνέκτυπεν Ἀδριὰς ἅλμη
ἀγχινεφής: καὶ κόχλον ἑλὼν ὑπὸ Σύρτιος ὕδωρ
300 εἰναλίῃ σάλπιγγι Λίβυς μυκήσατο Νηρεύς:
καί τις ἀναΐξας ῥοθίων χερσαῖος ὁδίτης
εἰς σκοπιὴν πόδα λαιὸν ἐρείσατο, δεξιτερῷ δὲ
οὕρεος ἄκρα κάρηνα ταμὼν ἐνοσίχθονι ταρσῷ
μαινάδος ἀψαύστοιο κατηκόντιζε καρήνου:
305 καὶ βυθίῳ τριόδοντι καταιχμάζων Διονύσου
ἅλμασι μητρῴοισιν ἐβακχεύθη Μελικέρτης.
[286] The Rivers came roaring into the battle with Dionysos, encouraging their lord, and Oceanos gaped a watery bellow from his overflowing throat while Poseidon’s trumpet sounded to tell of the coming strife; the deeps rounded into a swell rallying to the Trident. Myrtoan hurried up to Icarian, Sardinian came near Hesperian, Iberian with swelling waves rolled along to Celtic; Bosporos never still mingled his curving stream with both his familiar seas; the deeps of the Ionian Sea rolling with the stormwind beat together upon the streams of Aegean, and the wild Adriatic brine rose high as the clouds and in towering waves beat on the feet of the raging Sicilian. Libyan Nereus caught up his conch under the water by Syrtis, and boomed on his sea-trumpet. Then one rising from the surge and stepping on land rested his left foot on a rock, and with right broke off the top of the cliff with earthshaking tread and hurled it at a Mainad’s inviolate head; and Melicertes lunging at Dionysos with his trident of the sea went madly along in leaps like his mother’s.
Βασσαρίδων δὲ φάλαγγες ἐπεστρατόωντο κυδοιμῷ,
ὧν ἡ μὲν δονέουσα μετήλυδα βότρυν ἐθείρης
εἰς μόθον ὑδατόεντα κορύσσετο φοντάδι λύσσῃ,
310 ἄστατος οἰστρηθεῖσα ποδῶν βητάρμονι παλμῷ:
ἡ δὲ Σάμου Θρήισσαν ὑπὸ σπήλυγγα Καβείρων
νασσαμένη Λιβάνοιο παρεσκίρτησεν ἐρίπνῃ,
βάρβαρον αἰθύσσουσα μέλος Κορυβαντίδος ἠχοῦς:
ἄλλη ἀπὸ Τμώλοιο λεχωίδος ὕψι λεαίνης
315 ἄρσενα μιτρώσασα κόμην ὀφιώδεϊ δεσμῷ,
Μαιονὶς ἀκρήδεμνος ὑπεβρυχᾶτο Μιμαλλών,
καὶ ποδὸς ἴχνος ἔπηξε μετήορον ὑψόθεν ὄχθης,
μιμηλαῖς γενύεσσιν ὑπαφριόωσα θαλάσσῃ.
Σειληνοὶ δὲ Κίλισσαν ἀναβλύζοντες ἐέρσην
320 Μυγδονίων ἐλατῆρες ἐθωρήσσοντο λεόντων,
καὶ βυθίῳ καναχηδὸν ἐπισκιρτῶντες ὁμίλῳ
ἀμπελόεν παλάμῃσιν ἀνέσχεθον ἔρνος Ἐνυοῦς,
καὶ παλάμας τανύσαντο λεοντείην ἐπὶ δειρὴν
δραξάμενοι πλοκαμῖδος, ἀμαιμακέτους δὲ φορῆας
325 θαρσαλέοι λασίοισιν ἀνεκρούσαντο χαλινοῖς.
ἁρπάξας δὲ τένοντα χαραδρήεντος ἐναύλου
Σειληνὸς πολέμιζε Παλαίμονι, φοιταλέην δὲ
ἔγχεϊ κισσήεντι δι᾽ ὕδατος ἤλασεν Ἰνώ.
ἄλλῳ δ᾽ ἄλλος ἔριζε: καὶ οὐκ ᾐδέσσατο Βάκχη
330 θύρσῳ ἀκοντιστῆρι καταΐσσουσα τριαίνης,
Βάκχη θῆλυς ἐοῦσα: προασπίζων δὲ θαλάσσης
Πανὶ φιλοσκοπέλῳ μετανάστιος ἤρισε Νηρεὺς
πήχεϊ παφλάζοντι: δαφοινήεντι δὲ κισσῷ
δαίμονα Παλληναῖον ὀρεστιὰς ἤλασε Βάκχη,
335 οὐ δέ μιν ἐστυφέλιξεν: ἐπερχόμενον δὲ Λυαίῳ
Γλαῦκον ἀκοντιστῆρι Μάρων ἀπεσείσατο θύρσῳ.
ὑψινεφὴς δ᾽ ἐλέφας μελέων ἐνοσίχθονι παλμῷ
δινεύων στατὸν ἴχνος ἀκαμπέι γούνατος ὀγκῷ
χείλεσι μηκεδανοῖσι χαμευνάδι μάρνατο φώκῃ:
340 καὶ Σάτυροι ῥώοντο κυβιστητῆρι κυδοιμῷ
ταυροφυεῖς κεράεσσι πεποιθότες, ἐσσυμένων δὲ
ἀλλοφανὴς κεχάλαστο δι᾽ ἰξύος ὄρθιος οὐρή.
Σειληνῶν δὲ φάλαγγες ἐπέρρεον, ὧν ὁ μὲν αὐτῶν
ποσσὶ διχαζομένοις ἐποχημένος ἰξύι ταύρου
345 συμπλεκέων ἔθλιψε μέλος διδυμόθροον αὐλῶν.
καὶ πλοκάμους βαλίῃσι συναιθύσσουσα θυέλλαις
Μυγδονὶς ἐκροτάλιζεν ὁμόζυγα κύμβαλα Βάκχη,
καὶ λοφιὴν ἐπίκυρτον ἐμάστιε λυσσάδος ἄρκτου
θηρὸς ὑποβρυχίης ἀντώπιον: ἀγροτέρη δὲ
350 πόρδαλις οὐρεσίφοιτος ἐλαύνετο κέντορι θύρσῳ.
καί τις ἀμερσινόοιο κατάσχετος ἅλματι λύσσης
ἴχνεσιν ἀβρέκτοισιν ἐπεσκίρτησε θαλάσσῃ,
οἷα Ποσειδάωνος ἐπισκαίρουσα καρήνῳ:
λὰξ ποδὶ κύματα τύψεν, ἐπηπείλησε δὲ πόντῳ
355 σιγαλέῳ, καὶ κωφὸν ὕδωρ ἐπεμάστιε θύρσῳ
Βασσαρὶς ὑγροφόρητος: ἀπὸ πλοκάμοιο δὲ νύμφης
ἀφλεγέος σελάγιζε κατ᾽ αὐχένος αὐτόματον πῦρ,
θάμβο�
� ἰδεῖν. κινυρὴ δὲ παρ᾽ ᾐόνι γείτονι πόντῳ
φύλοπιν εἰσορόωσα θαλασσομόθου Διονύσου
360 αἰνοπαθὴς Ψαμάθη πολυταρβέα ῥήξατο φωνήν:
[307] Companies of Bassarids marched to battle. One shaking the untidy clusters of her tresses to and fro, armed herself with raging madness for battle with the waters, driven wildly along with restless dancing feet. One whose home was in the Samothracian cavern of the Cabeiroi, skipt about the peaks of Lebanon crooning the barbarous notes of Corybantian tune. Another from Tmolos on a lioness newly whelped, having wreathed snakes in her own manly hair, a Maionian Mimallon unveiled, bellowed and set her foot on the lofty slope, with foam on her lips like the seafoam. Seilenoi spluttering drops of Cilician wine-dew equipt themselves as riders of Mygdonian lions, and danced “with a din against the crowd from the sea, brandishing in their hands their viny warpole, as they stretched their hands over the lions’ necks and plucked at the mane and boldly checked their furious mounts by this bristly bridle. A Seilenos tore off a roof from a rocky hole and attacked Palaimon, and drove Ino wandering through the water with his ivy spear. One fought with another: a Bacchant did not shrink but cast a thyrsus hurtling against the trident, she, a Bacchant and a woman; Nereus defending the sea came on land to fight with foaming arms against a rock-loving Pan; a mountain Bacchant chased the god of Pallene with blood-dripping ivy, but did not shake him! Glaucos assailed Dionysos, but Maron shot his thyrsus at him and shook him off. A cloudhigh elephant with earthshaking motions of his limbs stamped about his stiff legs with massive unbending knee, and attacked an earth-bedding seal with his long snout. Satyrs also bustled about in dancing tumult, trusting to the horns on their bull-heads, while the straight tail draggled from their loins for a change as they hurried. Hosts of Seilenoi rushed along, and one of them with his two legs straddling across the back of a bull, squeezed out a tune on his two pipes tied together. A Mygdonian Bacchant rattled her pair of cymbals, with hair fluttering in the brisk winds; she flogged the bowed neck of a wild bear against a monster of the deep, and the wild panther of the mountains was driven by a thyrsus-goad. One Bassarid possessed with mindrobbing throes of madness skipt over the sea with unwetted feet, as if she were dancing upon Poseidon’s head — she stamped on the waves, threatened the silent sea, flogged the deaf water with her thyrsus, that Bassarid who never sank; from her hair blazed fire selfkindled over her neck and burnt it not, a wonder to behold. Psamathe sorrowful on the beach beside the sea, watching the turmoil of seabattling Dionysos, uttered the dire trouble of her heart in terrified words:
