by Nonnus
BOOK 46
ἕκτον τεσσαρακοστὸν ἴδε πλέον, ἧχι νοήσεις
Πενθέος ἄκρα κάρηνα καὶ ὠλεσίτεκνον Ἀγαύην.
ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ γίνωσκεν ἄναξ θρασύς, ὅττι λυθέντος
αὐτομάτου δεσμοῖο σιδηροφόρων ἀπὸ χειρῶν
μαινάδες ἐσσεύοντο μετήλυδες εἰς ῥάχιν ὕλης,
καὶ δόλον ἀλλοπρόσαλλον ἀθηήτου Διονύσου,
5 ἄστατος ὑβριστῆρι χόλῳ κυμαίνετο Πενθεύς:
καί μιν ἰδὼν παρεόντα παλίνδρομον ἠθάδι κισσῷ
βόστρυχα μιτρωθέντα, καὶ ἄπλοκον ὑψόθεν ὤμων
μηκεδανῆς ὁρόων κεχαλασμένον ὁλκὸν ἐθείρης,
τοῖον ἀπερροίβδησεν ἔπος λυσσώδεϊ λαιμῷ:
BOOK XLVI
See also the forty-sixth, where you will find the head of Pentheus and Agauë murdering her son.
As soon as Pentheus, that audacious king, understood that the fetters of iron had dropt of themselves from the prisoners’ hands, and the Mainads were rushing abroad to the mountain forest, as soon as he knew the crafty plan of unseen Dionysos, restless at once he swelled with violent wrath. Then he saw him returned there, with wreaths of the usual ivy about his head, and the long locks of hair flowing in unkempt trails over his shoulders, and blustered out these wild words from his frenzied throat —
10 ‘Ἡδὺς ὁ Τειρεσίαν ἀπατήλιον εἰς ἐμέ πέμπων:
οὐ δύναται σέο μάντις ἐμὸν νόον ἠπεροπεύειν:
ἄλλοις ἔννεπε ταῦτα. θεὰ πόθεν υἱέι Ῥείη
οὐ Διὶ μαζὸν ὄρεξε, καὶ ἔτρεφεν υἷα Θυώνης;
εἴρεο Δικταίης κορυθαιόλον ἄντρον ἐρίπνης,
εἴρεο καὶ Κορύβαντας, ὅπῃ ποτὲ κοῦρος ἀθύρων
μαζὸν Ἀμαλθείης κουροτρόφον αἰγὸς ἀμέλγων
15 Ζεὺς μένος ἠέξησε, καὶ οὐ γλάγος ἔσπασε Ῥείης.
ἤθεα σῆς δολίης ἀπεμάξαο καὶ σὺ τεκούσης:
ψευδομένην Σεμέλην Κρονίδης ἔφλεξε κεραυνῷ:
20 ἅζεο, μὴ Κρονίδης μετὰ μητέρα καὶ σὲ δαμάσσῃ.
βάρβαρον οὐ μεθέπω καὶ ἐγὼ γένος: ἀρχέγονος δὲ
Ἰσμηνός με φύτευσε, καὶ οὐ τέκεν ὑγρὸς Ὑδάσπης:
Δηριάδην οὐκ οἶδα καὶ οὐ Λυκόοργος ἀκούω.
ἀλλὰ σὺν ὑμετέροις Σατύροις καὶ θυιάσι Βάκχαις
25 Δίρκης λεῖπε ῥέεθρα, καί, ἢν ἐθέλῃς, σέο θύρσῳ
κτεῖνε παρ᾽ Ἀσσυρίοισι νεώτερον ἄλλον Ὀρόντην.
οὐ σὺ γένος Κρονίωνος Ὀλύμπιον: ὀλλυμένης γὰρ
ἀστεροπαὶ βοόωσιν ὀνείδεα σεῖο τεκούσης,
καὶ κρυφίων λεχέων ἐπιμάρτυρές εἰσι κεραυνοί.
30 οὐ Δανάην μετὰ λέκτρα κατέφλεγεν ὑέτιος Ζεύς,
καὶ γνωτὴν ἀδόνητον ἐμοῦ Κάδμοιο κομίζων
Εὐρώπην ἐφύλαξε, καὶ οὐκ ἔκρυψε θαλάσσῃ.
οἶδα μέν, ὡς ἀλόχευτον ἔτι βρέφος αἰθερίη φλὸξ
ὤλεσεν αἰθομένης μετὰ μητέρος, ἡμιτελῆ δὲ
35 λῦσε νόθην ὠδῖνα μαραινομένου τοκετοῖο:
εἰ δέ μιν οὐκ ἐδάμασσεν, ὅτι χθονίων ὑμεναίων
κρυπταδίης φιλότητος ἀναίτιός ἐσσι τεκούσης,
πείθομαι, ὡς ἐνέπεις, ἀέκων δέ σε παῖδα καλέσσω
Ζηνὸς ἐπουρανίοιο, καὶ οὐ φλεχθέντα κεραυνῷ.
40 καὶ σύ με τοῦτο δίδαξον ἀληθέι μάρτυρι μύθῳ:
Ζεὺς γενέτης πότε Φοῖβον ἢ Ἄρεα γείνατο μηρῷ;
εἰ Διὸς ἔλλαχες αἷμα, μετέρχεο κύκλον Ὀλύμπου
αἰθέρα ναιετάων, λίπε Πενθέι πατρίδα Θήβην.
ὤφελες ἅρμενον ἄλλον ἀμεμφέα μῦθον ἐνίψαι
45 ψεύδεϊ κερδαλέῳ κεράσας θελξίφρονα Πειθώ,
ὅττί σε παιδοτόκῳ Κρονίδης τέκεν ἠθάδι κόρσῃ:
οὐ τάχα τόσσον ἄπιστον ἔην ἔπος, ὅττι καὶ αὐτὸν
Βάκχον ἀνυμφεύτῳ μετὰ Παλλάδα τίκτε καρήνῳ.
ἤθελον, εἰ γένος ἔσχες Ὀλύμπιον, αἴθε Κρονίων
50 ὑψιμέδων σε φύτευσεν, ὅπως Διὸς αἷμα διώκων
νικήσω Διόνυσον, Ἐχίονος υἱὸς ἀκούων.’
[10] “I like you for sending that swindler Teiresias to me! Your seer cannot deceive my mind. Tell all that to someone else. How could goddess Rheia refuse her breast to Zeus her own son, and yet nurse the son of Thyone? Ask the cave in the rock of Dicte with its flashing helmets, ask the Corybants too, where little Zeus used to play, when he sucked the nourishing pap of goat Amaltheia and grew strong in spirit, but never drank Rheia’s milk. You also have a touch of your deceitful mother. Semele was a liar, and Cronides burnt her with his thunders: take care that Cronides does not crush you like your mother. I too have no share of barbaric race in me. I am sprung from primeval Ismenos, not from watery Hydaspes; I know nothing of Deriades, my name is not Lycurgos. Now leave the streams of Dirce and take your Satyrs and mad Bacchants with you; use your thyrsus, if you like, to kill another and a younger Orontes among the Assyrians. You are no Olympian offspring of Cronion: for the lightnings cry aloud the shame of your perishing mother, the thunders are witnesses of her illicit bed. Zeus of the Rains burnt not Danae after the bed; he carried Europa, the sister of my Cadmos, and kept her unshaken — he did not drown her in the sea. I know that fire from heaven consumed the babe unborn along with the burning mother, and released the bastard fruit of this scorching delivery half-formed: if it did not destroy the babe, because you are innocent of your mother’s furtive love of an earthly bedfellow, I believe it as you declare, and unwillingly I will call you son of heavenly Zeus and one not burnt up by the thunder. Now tell me in your turn, and bear true witness: when did their father Zeus ever produce Ares or Apollo from his thigh? If you have in you the blood of Zeus, migrate to the vault of Olympos and live in heaven, leave to Pentheus his native Thebes. You should find another tale to fit the case, something plausible, and mix with your cunning imposture persuasion to enchant the mind — that Cronides brought you forth from his prolific brow as usual. Perhaps it would not be quite so incredible a story that he produced Bacchos too like Pallas from that unwedded brow. I would wish if you had been of the Olympian breed, yes if only Cronion Lord on High had got you, that I might hunt the offspring of Zeus and conquer Dionysos, I, called the son of Echion!”
ὣς φαμένου νεμέσιζε θεὸς καὶ ἀμείβετο μύθῳ,
κρύπτων δαιμονίης ὑποκάρδιον ὄγκον ἀπειλῆς:
[52] At these words the god was indignant, and replied, concealing the wei
ght of a fatal threat deep in his heart:
‘Βάρβαρα θεσμὰ φέρουσαν ἐπολβίζω χθόνα Κελτῶν,
55 ἧχι νέων βρεφέων καθαρὴν ὠδῖνα δικάζων
Ῥῆνος ἀσημάντοιο θεμιστοπόλος τοκετοῖο
αἵματος ἀγνώστοιο νόθον γένος οἶδεν ἐλέγξαι.
οὐ μὲν ἐγὼ Ῥήνοιο φατιζομένου ποταμοῖο
χεύμασιν οὐτιδανοῖσι δικάζομαι, ἀλλὰ ῥεέθρων
60 πιστότεροι κήρυκες ἐμοὶ γεγάασι κεραυνοί:
κρείσσονα μαρτυρίην στεροπῆς μὴ δίζεο, Πενθεῦ:
ὕδατι μὲν Γαλάτης, σὺ δὲ πείθεο μάρτυρι πυρσῷ.
οὐ χατέω Πενθῆος ἐπιχθονίοιο μελάθρου:
δῶμα Διωνύσοιο πέλει πατρώιος αἰθήρ:
65 καὶ χθονός εἰ κρίσις ἦεν ἢ ἀστερόεντος Ὀλύμπου,
εἰπέ μοι εἰρομένῳ, τίνα φέρτερον αὐτὸς ἐνίψῃς,
οὐρανὸν ἑπτάζωνον ἢ ἑπταπύλου χθόνα Θήβης;
οὐ χατέω Πενθῆος ἐπιχθονίοιο μελάθρου.
[54] “I admire the Celtic land with its barbarous law, where the Rhine tests the pure birth of a young baby: he is judge of a doubtful birth, and knows how to detect the bastard offspring of unknown blood. But my appeal is not to the insignificant stream of that river called Rhine, but I have heralds more trustworthy than rivers, in the thunderbolts. Seek no better testimony than the lightning, Pentheus. The Gaul believes the water, do you believe the testifying fire. I need not the earthly palace of Pentheus; the home of Dionysos is his father’s heaven. If there were a choice between earth and starry Olympos, tell me I ask, which could you call better yourself, sevenzone heaven or the land of sevengate Thebes? I need not the earthly palace of Pentheus!
μοῦνον ἐμῆς κύδαινε μελισταγὲς ἄνθος ὀπώρης:
70 μὴ ποτὸν ἀμπελόεντος ἀτιμήσῃς Διονύσου.
Ἰνδοφόνῳ Βρομίῳ μὴ μάρναο, θηλυτέρῃ δέ,
εἰ δύνασαι, πολέμιζε μιῇ ῥηξήνορι Βάκχῃ.
σοὶ τάχα καλὸν ἔθεντο προμάντιες οὔνομα Μοῖραι
ὑμετέρου θανάτοιο προάγγελον: αἰνοπαθῆ δὲ
75 οὐ νέμεσις Πενθῆα πεδοτρεφέος γενετῆρος
γηγενὲς αἷμα φέροντα φέρειν μίμημα Γιγάντων,
οὐ νέμεσις καὶ Βάκχον Ὀλύμπιον αἷμα γενέθλης
Ζηνὸς ἔχειν μίμημα Γιγαντοφόνοιο τοκῆος.
εἴρεο Τειρεσίαν, τίνι χώεαι: εἴρεο Πυθώ,
80 τίς Σεμέλῃ παρίαυε, τίς ἤροσε παῖδα Θυώνης.
[69] “Only respect the honeydripping bloom of my fruit, do not despise the drink of Dionysos and his vine. War not against Bromios the slayer of Indians, but only one woman, fight if you can only with one manbreaking Bacchant! Perhaps the prophetic Fates named you well, to foreshow your death. No wonder that Pentheus having the earthborn breed of his ancestor sprung from the soil, should suffer the direful fate of the Giants. No wonder that Bacchos too, having the Olympian breed of his race, should play the part of Zeus his giantslaying father. Ask Teiresias who it is you are defying; ask Pytho who it is that slept with Semele, who it is begat Thyone’s child.
εἰ δὲ μαθεῖν ἐθέλεις χοροτερπέος ὄργια Βάκχου,
φάρεα καλλείψας βασιλήια τέτλαθι, Πενθεῦ,
θήλεα πέπλα φέρειν, καὶ γίνεο θῆλυς Ἀγαύη:
μὴ δέ σε θηρεύοντα παραΐξωσι γυναῖκες.
85 ἢν δὲ τεῇ παλάμῃ θηροκτόνα τόξα τανύσσῃς,
Κάδμος ἐπαινήσει σε συναγρώσσοντα τεκούσῃ.
Βάκχῳ μοῦνος ἔριζε, καί, εἰ θέμις, ἰοχεαίρῃ,
ὄφρα λεοντοφόνον σε μετ᾽ Ἀκταίωνα καλέσσω.
κάτθεο τεύχεα ταῦτα: σιδηροφόρους δὲ μαχητὰς
90 χερσὶν ἀθωρήκτοισιν ἐμαὶ κτείνουσι γυναῖκες:
εἰ δέ σε νικήσωσιν ἀτευχέι θήλεϊ χάρμῃ
ἔντεσι κοσμηθέντα, τίς αἰνήσειε πολίτης
ἄνδρα γυναικείῃ κεκαφηότα δηιοτῆτι;
Βασσαρὶς οὐ τρομέει πτερόεν βέλος, οὐ δόρυ φεύγει:
95 ἀλλὰ δόλῳ κρυφἱῳ πυκάσας ἄγνωστον ὀπωπὴν
ὄψεαι ὄργια πάντα χοροπλεκέος Διονύσου.’
[81] “And if you are willing to learn the mysteries of dancedelighting Bacchos, put off your royal robes, Pentheus, condescend to wear the garments of a woman and become the woman Agaue, and let not the women escape you when you hunt them. Or if your hand draws the bow to slay wild beasts, Cadmos will praise you when you join your mother in the hunt. Alone, rival Bacchos, and if it be lawful, the Archeress, that I may call you a new Actaion lionslayer. Put off these arms. My women slay steel-armed warriors with their bare hands; if they conquer with unarmed female onset you clad in armour, which of your people would praise a man outworn in a battle with women? The Bassarid fears no feathered shaft, she flees no spear. No — be crafty and secret, disguise your aspect that none may know, and you shall see all the mysteries of dancewreaving Dionysos.”
ὣς εἰπών παρέπεισεν, ἐπεὶ νόον ἀνδρὸς ἱμάσσων
φοιταλέης ἐδόνησε κατάσχετον ἅλματι λύσσης ...
καὶ Βρομίῳ συνάεθλος ἐπέχραε Πενθέι Μήνη
100 δαιμονίῃ μάστιγι: συνερχομένης δὲ Λυαίῳ
λυσσήεις θρασὺς οἶστρος ἀμερσινόοιο Σελήνης
φάσματα ποικιλόμορφα μεμηνότι Πενθέι δείξας
φρικτὸν Ἐχιονίδην προτέρης μετέθηκε μενοινῆς,
καὶ σφαλερῇ Πενθῆος ἐπεσμαράγησεν ἀκουῇ,
105 δαιμονίης σάλπιγγος ἀλάστορα δοῦπον ἀράσσων:
[97] Thus he persuaded Pentheus, since he lashed the man’s mind, and shook him, in the clutches of throbbing madness and distraction.... Mene also helped Bromios, attacking Pentheus with her divine scourge; the frenzied reckless fury of distracting Selene joining in displayed many a phantom shape to maddened Pentheus, and made the dread son of Echion forget his earlier intent, while she deafened his confused ears with the bray of her divine avenging trumpet, and she terrified the man.
ἀνέρα δ᾽ ἐπτοίησε. καἰ εἰς δόμον ἤλυθε Πενθεὺς
οἰστρομανής, ποθέων θιασώδεος ὄργια Βάκχου:
φωριαμοὺς δ᾽ ὤιξε θυώδεας, ἧχι γυναικῶν
κέκλιτο Σιδονίης ἁλιπόρφυρα πέπλα θαλάσσης:
110 καὶ χροΐ ποικιλόνωτον ἐδύσατο πέπλον Ἀγαύης:
Αὐτονόης δ᾽ ἔσφιγξεν ἐπὶ πλοκάμοισι καλύπτρην,
στήθεα μιτρώσας Βασιλήια κυκλάδι τέχνῃ:
καὶ πόδας ἐ
σφήκωσε γυναικείοισι πεδίλοις:
χειρὶ δὲ θύρσου ἄειρε: μετερχομένοιο δὲ Βάκχας
115 ποικίλος ἰχνευτῆρι χιτὼν ἐπεσύρετο ταρσῷ.
[106] Pentheus entered the house goaded to madness with a desire to see the secrets of Bacchos’s congregation. He opened the scented coffers, where lay the women’s garments dyed in purple of the Sidonian sea. He donned the embroidered robe of Agaue, bound Autonoe’s veil over his locks, laced his royal breast in a rounded handwork, passed his feet into women’s shoes; he took a thyrsus in hand, and as he walked after the Bacchants a broidered smock trailed behind his hunting heel.
Μιμηλοῖς δὲ πόδεσσιν ἕλιξ ὠρχήσατο Πενθεὺς
ἡδυμανής: λοξῷ δὲ πέδον κροτάλιζε πεδίλῳ
ἐκ ποδὸς αἰθύσσων ἕτερον πόδα: χεῖρα δὲ δισσὴν
θηλύνων ἐλέλιζεν ἀμοιβάδα δίζυγι παλμῷ,
120 οἷα γυνὴ παίζουσα χοροίτυπος: οἷα δὲ ῥόπτρῳ
δίκτυπον ἁρμονίην κροτέων ἑτερόζυγι χαλκῷ
ἠερίαις μεθέηκεν ἀλήμονα βόστρυχον αὔραις,
Λυδὸν ἀνακρούων μέλος Εὔιον. ἦ τάχα φαίης
ἄγρια κωμάζουσαν ἰδεῖν λυσσώδεα βάκχην.
125 καὶ διδύμους Φαέθοντας ἐδέρκετο καἰ δύο Θήβας:
