Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  καὶ τεὸν ἱμερόεντα γάμων ὑμέναιον ἀείσω

  405 ζῆλον ὑποκλέπτουσα νεοζυγέος σέο νύμφης.

  [364] “That lawless sailor sinned: but I myself was blinded when I desired the countryman of chaste Athena. Would that I had not desired him, love-lorn! For Theseus is as savage as he is charming in love. This is not what he said to me while yet he handled my thread, this is not what he said at our labyrinth!

  O that the cruel bull had killed him! Hush, my voice, no more folly, do not kill the delightful boy. Alas, my love! Theseus has sailed alone to Athens his happy mother. I know why he left me — in love no doubt with one of the maidens who sailed with him, and now he holds wedding dance for the other at Marathon while I still walk in Naxos. My bridal bower was Naxos, O Theseus my treacherous bridegroom! I have lost both father and bridegroom: alas my love! I see not Minos, I behold not Theseus; I have left my own Cnossos, but I have not seen your Athens; both father and fatherland are lost. O unhappy me! Your gift for my love is the water of the brine. Who can be my refuge? What god will catch me up and convey to Marathon Ariadne, that she may claim her rights before Cypris and Theseus? Who will take me and carry me over the flood? If only I could myself see another thread, to guide my way too! Such a thread I want for myself, to escape from the Aigaian flood and cross to Marathon, that I may embrace you even if you hate Ariadne, that I may embrace you my perjured husband. Take me for your chambermaid, if you like, and I will lay your bed, and be your Ariadne (in Marathon) instead of Crete, like some captive girl. I will endure to serve your most happy bride; I will ply the rattling loom, and lift a pitcher on envious shoulders, an unfamiliar task, and bring handwash after supper for sweet Theseus — only let me see Theseus! My mother too once was the menial of a farmer, and bowed her neck for a herdsman, and prattled of love to a dumb bull in the pasture, and brought the bull a calf. She cared not to hear the herdsman make music on his pipe so much as to hear the bellowing bull. I will not touch the crook, I will not stand in the stall; but I will be ready beside my queen to hear the voice of Theseus, not the bellowing of a bull. I will sing a lovely song for your wedding, and hide my jealousy of your newly wedded bride.

  στῆσον Ναξιάδεσσι παρ᾽ ᾐόσι ποντοπορεύων,

  στῆσον ἐμοὶ σέο νῆα: τί, ναυτίλε, καὶ σὺ χαλέπτεις;

  ὣς ἄρα καὶ σὺ πέλεις Μαραθώνιος: εἰ μὲν ἱκάνεις

  εἰς ἐρατήν σέο γαῖαν, ὅπῃ δόμος ἐστὶν Ἐρώτων,

  410 δέξό με δειλαίην, ἵνα Κέκροπος ἄστυ νοήσω:

  εἰ δέ με καλλείψεις καί, ἀμείλιχε, ποντοπορεύεις,

  εἰπὲ τεῷ Θησῆι κινυρομένην Ἀριάδνην,

  μεμφομένην ἀτέλεστον ἐπίκλοπον ὅρκον Ἐρώτων.

  οἶδα, πόθεν Θησῆος ὑπόσχεσιν ἠπεροπῆος

  415 θῆκεν Ἔρως βαρύμηνις ἀνήνυτον: ἀντὶ γάρ Ἥρης,

  ἣν Ζυγίην καλέουσιν, ἀπειρογάμοιο θεαίνης

  ὤμοσεν ἀχράντοιο γαμήλιον ὅρκον Ἀθήνης:

  Παλλάδος ὅρκον ὄμοσσε: τί Παλλάδι καὶ Κυθερείῃ;’

  [406] “Stay your voyage by the sands of Naxos, sailor, stay your ship for me! What — are you angry too? So you too come from Marathon? If you are bound for your lovely land, where is the home of love, take this unhappy girl on board that I may behold the city of Cecrops. If you must leave me, pitiless, and go on your voyage, tell your Theseus of mourning Ariadne, how she reproaches the treacherous oath of love unfulfilled. I know why angry Eros has left unfulfilled Theseus the deceiver’s promise. He swore his marriage-oath not by Hera, whom they call the Nuptial goddess, but by the immaculate Athena, the goddess who knows nothing of marriage. He swore by Pallas — and what has Pallas to do with Cythereia?”

  τοῖα κινυρομένης ἐπετέρπετο Βάκχος ἀκούων:

  420 Κεκροπίην δ᾽ ἐνόησε καὶ οὔνομα Θησέος ἔγνω

  καὶ στόλον ἐκ Κρήτης ἀπατήλιον: ἄγχι δὲ κούρης

  ἔνθεον εἶδος ἔχων ἀμαρύσσετο: παρθενικὴν δὲ

  φέρτερον εἰς πόθον ἄλλον ἐμάστιε κέντορι κεστῷ

  θοῦρος Ἔρως περίφοιτος, ὅπως Μινωίδα κούρην

  425 πειθομένην ζεύξειε κασιγνήτῳ Διονύσῳ.

  καὶ κινυρὴν δυσέρωτα παρηγορέων Ἀριάδνην

  τοῖον ἔπος φάτο Βάκχος ἐῇ φρενοθελγέι φωνῇ:

  [419] Bacchos was enraptured to hear this lament.

  He noticed Cecropia, and knew the name of Theseus and the deceitful voyage from Crete. Before the girl he appeared in his radiant godhead; Eros moved swiftly about, and with stinging cestus he whipt the maiden into a nobler love, that he might lead Minos’s daughter to join willingly with his brother Dionysos. Then Bacchos comforted Ariadne, lovelorn and lamenting, with these words in his mindcharming voice:

  ‘Παρθένε, τί στενάχεις ἀπατήλιον ἀστὸν Ἀθήνης;

  μνῆστιν ἔα Θησῆος: ἔχεις Διόνυσον ἀκοίτην,

  430 ἀντὶ μινυνθαδίου πόσιν ἄφθιτον: εἰ δέ σε τέρπει

  ἥλικος ἠιθέου βρότεον δέμας, οὔ ποτε Θησεὺς

  εἰς ἀρετὴν καὶ κάλλος ἐριδμαίνει Διονύσῳ.

  ἀλλ᾽ ἐρέεις: ᾿ ναετῆρα πεδοσκαφέος λαβυρίνθου

  δισσοφυῆ φοίνιξεν ὁμόζυγον ἀνέρα ταύρᾠ:

  435 οἶδας ἀοσσητῆρα τεὸν μίτον: οὐ γὰρ ἀγῶνα

  εὗρεν ἀεθλεύειν κορυνηφόρος ἀστὸς Ἀθήνης,

  εἰ μὴ θῆλυς ἄμυνε ῥοδόχροος: οὔ σε διδάξω

  καὶ Παφίην καὶ Ἔρωτα καὶ ἠλακάτην Ἀριάδνης.

  αἰθέρος οὐκ ἐρέεις ὅτι μείζονές εἰσιν Ἀθῆναι:

  440 οὐ Διὶ παμμεδέοντι πανείκελος ἔπλετο Μίνως,

  σὸς γενέτης: οὐ Κνωσσὸς ὁμοίιός ἐστιν Ὀλύμπῳ.

  οὐδὲ μάτην στόλος οὗτος ἐμῆς ἀπεβήσατο Νάξου,

  ἀλλὰ Πόθος σε φύλαξεν ἀρειοτέροις ὑμεναίοις:

  ὀλβίη, ὅττι λιποῦσα χερείονα Θησέος εὐνὴν

  445 δέμνιον ἱμερόεντος ἐσαθρήσεις Διονύσου.

  τί πλέον ἤθελες εὖχος ὑπέρτερον; ἀμφότερον γὰρ

  οὐρανὸν οἶκον ἔχεις, ἑκυρὸς δέ σοί ἐστι Κρονίων.

  οὔ σοι Κασσιέπεια δυνήσεται ἰσοφαρίζειν

  παιδὸς ἑῆς διὰ κόσμον Ὀλύμπιον: αἰθερίους γὰρ

  450 δεσμοὺς Ἀνδρομέδῃ καὶ ἐν ἄστρασιν ὤπασε Περσεύς:

  ἀλλά σοι ἀστερόεν τελέσω στέφος, ὥς κεν ἀκούσῃς

  εὐνέτις αἰγλήεσσα φιλοστεφάνου Διονύσου.’

  [428] “Maiden, why do you sorrow for the deceitful man of Athens? Let pass the memory of Theseus; you have Dionysos for your lover, a husband incorruptible for the husband of a day! If you are pleased with the mortal body of a youthful yearsmate, Theseus can never challe
nge Dionysos in manhood or comeliness. But you will say, ‘He shed the blood of the halfbull man whose den was the earthdug labyrinth!’ But you know your thread was his saviour: for the man of Athens with his club would never have found victory in that contest without a rosy-red girl to help him. I need not tell you of Eros and the Paphian and Ariadne’s distaff. You will not say that Athens is greater than heaven. Minos your father was not the equal of Zeus Almighty, Cnossos is not like Olympos. Not for nothing did that fleet sail from my Naxos, but Desire preserved you for a nobler bridal. Happy girl, that you leave the poor bed of Theseus to look on the couch of Dionysos the desirable! What could you pray for higher than that? You have both heaven for your home and Cronion for your goodfather. Cassiepeia will not be equal to you because of her daughter’s Olympian glory; for Perseus has left her heavenly chains to Andromeda even in the stars, but for you I will make a starry crown, that you may be called the shining bedfellow of crownloving Dionysos.”

  εἶπε παρηγορέων: καὶ ἐπάλλετο χάρματι κούρη

  μνῆστιν ὅλην Θησῆος ἀπορρίψασα θαλάσσῃ,

  455 οὐρανίου μνηστῆρος ὑποσχεσίην ὑμεναίων

  δεξαμένη. καὶ παστὸν Ἔρως ἐπεκόσμεε Βάκχῳ:

  καὶ χορὸς ἐσμαράγησε γαμήλιος: ἀμφὶ δὲ παστῷ

  ἄνθεα πάντα τέθηλε: καὶ εἰαρινοῖσι πετήλοις

  Νάξον ἐκυκλώσαντο χορίτιδες Ὀρχομενοῖο:

  460 καὶ θαλάμους ἐλίγαινεν Ἁμαδρυάς, ἀμφὶ δὲ πηγαῖς

  νηιὰς ἀκρήδεμνος ἀσάμβαλος ᾔνεσε Νύμφη

  δαίμονι βοτρυόεντι συναπτομένην Ἀριάδνην:

  Ὀρτυγίη δ᾽ ὀλόλυζε, πολισσούχοιο δὲ Φοίβου

  γνωτῷ νυμφίον ὕμνον ἀνακρούουσα Λυαίῳ

  465 εἰς χορὸν ἐσκίρτησε καὶ ἀστυφέλικτος ἐοῦσα.

  πορφυρέοις δὲ ῥόδοισι περίτροχον ἄνθος ἐρέπτων

  μάντις Ἔρως πυρόεις στέφος ἔπλεκε, σύγχροον ἄστρων,

  οὐρανίου Στεφάνοιο προάγγελον: ἀμφὶ νύμφης

  Ναξιάδος σκίρτησε γαμοστόλος ἐσμὸς Ἐρώτων.

  [453] So he comforted her; the girl throbbed with joy, and cast into the sea all her memories of Theseus when she received the promise of wedlock from her heavenly wooer. Then Eros decked out a bridal chamber for Bacchos, the wedding dance resounded, about the bridal bed all flowers grew; the dancers of Orchomenos surrounded Naxos with foliage of spring, the Hamadryad sang of the wedding, the Naiad nymph by the fountains unveiled unshod praised the union of Ariadne with the vine-god: Ortygia cried aloud in triumph, and chanting a bridal hymn for Lyaios the brother of Phoibos cityholder she skipt in the dance, that unshakable rock. Fiery Eros made a round flowergarland with red roses and plaited a wreath coloured like the stars, as prophet and herald of the heavenly Crown; and round about the Naxian bride danced a swarm of the Loves which attend on marriage.

  470 καὶ ζυγίοις θαλάμοισιν ὁμιλήσας ὑμεναίοις

  Χρυσοπάτωρ πολύπαιδα γονὴν ἔσπειρεν ἀκοίτης.

  καὶ δολιχὴν πολιοῖο χρόνου στροφάλιγγα κυλίνδων

  μητέρος εὐώδινος ἑῆς ἐμνήσατο Ῥείης:

  καὶ Χαρίτων πλήθουσαν ἀμεμφέα Νάξον ἐάσας

  475 Ἑλλάδος ἄστεα πάντα μετήιεν: ἱπποβότου δὲ

  Ἄργεος ἐγγὺς ἵκανε, καὶ εἰ λάχεν Ἴναχον Ἥρη.

  οἱ δέ μιν οὐκ ἐδέχοντο, χοροπλεκέας δὲ γυναῖκας

  καὶ Σατύρους ἐδίωκον, ἀπηρνήσαντο δὲ θύρσους,

  μή ποτε δηλήσαιτο Πελασγικὸν ἕδρανον Ἥρη

  480 ζηλήμων, βαρύμηνις ἐπιβρίθουσα Λυαίῳ:

  Σειληνοὺς δὲ γέροντας ἐρήτυον. ἀχνύμενος δὲ

  Ἰναχίδας Διόνυσος ὅλας οἴστρησε γυναῖκας:

  μυκηθμῷ δ᾽ ἀλάλαζον Ἀχαιίδες: ἀντομένοις δὲ

  ἔχραον ὲν τριόδοισιν: ἐπὶ σφετέροισι δὲ δειλαὶ

  485 ἀρτιτόκοις βρεφέεσσιν ἐπωξύνοντο μαχαίρας,

  ὦν ἡ μὲν ξίφος εἷλκε καὶ ἔκτανεν υἱέα μήτηρ,

  ἄλλη δὲ τριέτηρον ἀπηλοίησε γενέθλην,

  καί τις ἀνηκόντιζεν ἐς ἠέρα κοῦρον ἀλήτην

  εἰσέτι μαστεύοντα φίλον γλάγος: ὀλλυμένων δὲ

  490 Ἴναχος ἀρτιτόκων βρεφέων ἐπεμαίνετο πότμῳ:

  μήτηρ δ᾽ ἔκτανεν υἷα, καὶ οὐ πόθος ἔπλετο μαζῶν

  παιδοκόμων, οὐ μνῆστις ἀναγκαίου τοκετοῖο:

  Ἀστερίων δ᾽ , ὅθι πολλὰ θαλύσια μείζονος ἤβης

  ἠιθέων κείροντο λιπότριχος ἄνθεα κόρσης,

  495 αὐτοὺς παῖδας ἔδεκτο καὶ οὐκέτι βόστρυχα χαίτης.

  [470] The Golden Father entering the chamber of wedded love sowed the seed of many children. Then rolling the long circle of hoary time, he remembered Rheia his prolific mother; and leaving faultless Naxos still full of Graces he visited all the towns of Hellas. He came near horsebreeding Argos, even though Hera ruled the Inachos. But the people would not receive him; they chased away the danceweaving women and Satyrs; they repudiated the thyrsus, lest Hera should be jealous and destroy her Pelasgian seat, if her heavy wrath should press hard on Lyaios; they checked the old Seilenoi. Then Dionysos, angry, sent madness upon all the Inachian women. The women of Achaia loudly bellowed; they attacked those they met at the threeways; the poor creatures sharpened knives for their own newborn babies — one mother drew sword and slew her son, another destroyed her three year old child, one again hurled into the air her baby boy still searching for the welcome milk. Inachos was stained with the death of perishing newborn babes; a mother killed a son, never missed him at her nursing breast, never thought of the pangs of travail. Asterion, where the young men so often cut the flower of their bared brows as firstfruits of growing age, now received the children themselves and no longer locks of hair.

  καί τις ἰδών τινα λάτριν ἐπερχομένοιο Λυαίου

  τοῖον ἔπος κατέλεξε Πελασγίδας ἀστὸς ἀρούρης:

  [496] As Lyaios came up, a man of the Pelasgian country thus called out to one of the servants of the god:

  ‘Οὗτος ὁ βότρυν ἔχων, διφυὲς γένος: ἄξιον Ἥρης

  Αργος ἔχει Περσῆα καὶ οὐ χατέει Διονύσου:

  500 ἄλλον ἔχω Διὸς υἷα καὶ οὐ Βάκχοιο χατίζω.

  ποσσὶ πολυσκάρθμοισι πατεῖ Διόνυσος ὀπώρην:

  ἴχνεσιν ὑψιπόροισιν ἐμὸς γόνος ἠέρα τέμνει.

  μὴ κισσῷ δρεπάνην ἰσάζετε: καὶ γὰρ ἀρείων

  Βάκχου θυρσοφόρου δρεπανηφόρος ἔπλετο Περσεύς:

  505 εἰ στρατὸν Ἰνδὸν ἔπεφνεν, ἀέθλιον ἶσον ἐνίψω

  Γοργοφόνῳ Π�
�ρσῆι καὶ Ἰνδοφόνῳ Διονύσῳ:

  εἰ δὲ πολυκλύστοιο παρ᾽ Ἑσπέριον κλίμα πόντου

  ὁλκάδα λαϊνέην Τυρσηνίδα πῆξε θαλάσσῃ,

  κῆτος ὅλον περίμετρον ἐμὸς πετρώσατο Περσεύς.

  510 εἰ δὲ τεὸς Διόνυσος ἐρημονόμῳ παρὰ πόντῳ

  ὑπναλέην ἐσάωσεν ἐπ᾽ ἠιόνων Ἀριάδνην,

  δεσμοὺς Ἀνδρομέδης πτερόεις ἀνελύσατο Περσεύς,

  ἄξιον ἕδνον ἔχων πετρώδεα θῆρα θαλάσσης:

  οὔ πως Ἀνδρομέδην Παφίης χάριν, οὔ ποτε Περσεὺς

  515 Θησέος ἱμείρουσαν ἑὴν ἐρρύσατο νύμφην:

  ἀλλὰ σαοφρονέοντα γάμον λάχεν. ὡς Σεμέλην δέ,

  οὐ Δανάην πυρόεντες ἐτεφρώσαντο κεραυνοί:

  ἀλλὰ πατὴρ Περσῆος Ὀλύμπιος ὄμβρος Ἐρώτων

  χρύσεος εἰς γάμον ἦλθε, καὶ οὐ φλογόεις παρακοίτης.

  [498] “You there with the grapes, you hybrid! Argos has her Perseus, one worthy of Hera, and needs not Dionysos. I have another son of Zeus and I want no Bacchos. Dionysos treads the vintage with dancing feet; my countryman cuts the air with high-travelling steps. Do not think ivy as good as the sickle, for Perseus with his sickle is better than Bacchos with his ivy; if Bacchos destroyed the Indian host, I will announce an equal prize for Perseus Gorgonslayer and Dionysos Indianslayer. If Bacchos once in the western region of the rolling sea turned into stone a Tyrrhenian ship and fixt it in the sea, my Perseus turned into stone a whole huge monster of the deep. If your Dionysos saved Ariadne, sleeping on the sands beside an empty sea, Perseus on the wing loosed the chains of Andromeda and offered the stone seamonster as a worthy bridal gift. Not for the Paphian’s sake, not while she longed for Theseus did Perseus save Andromeda to be his bride; a chaste wedding was his. No fiery lightnings burnt Danae to ashes, like Semele; but the father of Perseus came to his wedding as a golden shower of love from heaven, not as a flaming bedfellow.