Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  γυῖα μεταστρέψας ῥοδέην ἐτανύσσατο κούρην

  ἐν δαπέδῳ στορέσας: καὶ ἐπὶ χθονὶ κέκλιτο κούρη

  170 χεῖρας ἐφαπλώσασα: τιταινομένης δ᾽ ἐπὶ πέζῃ

  εὐπαλάμῳ σφήκωσεν ὁμόζυγον αὐχένα δεσμῷ.

  [150] But the girl jumped up again from the dust and stood up steady on her feet once more. Then Dionysos with an agile movement mercilessly set his knee against Pallene’s belly, and holding her tried to roll her over on the ground with a sideways heave, changed his arms to a grasp round her waist, bent his head to one side and shifted his fingers behind to the middle of her back, and tried to hook ankle or shin, or to catch the knee. At last the god fell back of himself rolling on the ground and let a feeble hand conquer him: a charming physic it was for his love, when he lay beautiful in that happy dust on his back, bearing upon his own belly that lovely burden — he lay still, and did not throw off the girl, but held her fast with soulconsoling bonds of desire. She pulled herself from the manly hands of love mad Dionysos, and lifted herself to her feet with a twist of her legs in a quick supple movement; but the god with a slight effort simply rolled over and laid the rosy girl flat on the ground. So there lay the girl on the ground stretching her arms abroad, and as she lay along the ground he joined his arms neatly in a clasp about her neck.

  Ὠκυτέροις δὲ πόδεσσι πατὴρ κατὰ μέσσον ὀρούσας

  ἀθλεύειν ἐθέλουσαν ἑὴν ἀνεσείρασε κούρην,

  καὶ γαμίην ἀνέκοψεν ἀεθλοσύνην ὑμεναίων

  175 νίκην ἱμερόεσσαν ἐπιτρέψας Διονύσῳ,

  μή μιν ἀποκτείνειεν ἔχων ἀστεμφέι δεσμῷ.

  καὶ Διὸς αἰνήσαντος ἀεθλοφόρον μετὰ νίκην

  γνωτὸν Ἔρως ἔστεψε γάμων πομπῆι κορύμβῳ

  ἱμερτὴν τελέσαντα παλαισμοσύνην ὑμεναίων.

  180 καὶ πέλε τοῖος ἄεθλος ὁμοίιος, ὡς ὅτε κούρην

  χρυσοφαῆ προπάροιθε γαμήλια δῶρα κυλίνδων

  Ἱππομένης νίκησεν ἐπειγομένην Ἀταλάντην.

  [172] Then with swift feet her father leapt between them. The girl wanted to try again, but he held her back, and put an end to this wedding-contest for a bride by yielding love’s victory to Dionysos, for fear he might kill her in that immovable grip. So after the victory in this contest, with the consent of Zeus, Eros crowned his brother with the cluster that heralds a wedding; for he had accomplished a delectable wedding-bout. It was indeed a contest like that when Hippomenes once conquered flying Atalanta, by rolling golden marriage-gifts in front of her feet.

  ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε νυμφοκόμοιο πάλης ἐτέλεσσεν ἀγῶνα

  Βάκχος, ἔτι στάζων γαμίους ἱδρῶτας ἀέθλων

  185 Σιθόνα μὲν πρήνιξε τετυμμένον ὀξέι θύρσῳ,

  μνηστήρων ὀλετῆρα, κυλινδομένου δὲ κονίῃ

  κούρῃ θύρσον ἔδωκε μιαιφόνον ἕδνον Ἐρώτων.

  καὶ γάμος ἦν πολύυμνος: ἀσιγήτῳ δ᾽ ἐνὶ παστῷ

  Σειληνοὶ κελάδησαν, ἐπωρχήσαντο δὲ Βάκχαι,

  190 καὶ Σάτυροι μεθύοντες ἀνέπλεκον ὕμνον Ἐρώτων

  συζυγίην μέλποντες ἀεθλοφόρων ὑμεναίων.

  Νηρεΐδων δὲ φάλαγγες ὑπὸ σφυρὰ γείτονος ἰσθμοῦ

  νυμφιδίῃ Διόνυσον ἐμιτρώσαντο χορείῃ,

  καὶ μέλος ἐφθέγξαντο, παρὰ Θρήικι δὲ πόντῳ

  195 ξεινοδόκος Βρομίοιο γέρων ὠρχήσατο Νηρεύς,

  καὶ γαμίῃ Γαλάτεια περισκαίρουσα θαλάσσῃ

  Παλλήνην ἐλίγαινε συναπτομένην Διονύσῳ,

  καὶ Θέτις ἐσκίρτησε, καὶ εἰ πέλε νῆις Ἐρώτων,

  καὶ γαμίην ἔστεψεν ἁλιζώνου ῥάχιν ἰσθμοῦ

  200 Παλλήνης ὑμέναιον ἀνευάζων Μελικέρτης:

  καί τις Ἁμαδρυάδων φλογερῇ παρὰ γείτονι Λήμνῳ

  νυμφιδίην Θρήισσαν Ἀθωιὰς ἥψατο πεύκην.

  καὶ φιλίοις ὀάροισι παρηγορέων ἕο νύμφην

  μυρομένην γενετῆρα φιλεύιος εἶπεν ἀκοίτης:

  [183] But when Bacchos had ended the wrestling-match for his bride, still dripping with the sweat of his wedding contest he struck down Sithon with a stab of his sharp thyrsus, Sithon the murderer of wooers; and as the father rolled in the dust he gave his daughter the thyrsus that slew him, as a love-gift. That was however the right to pursue in his own chariot and spear the suitor if he could catch him. In one version of the story of Pallene (Parthenios vi. 3-4), chariots are introduced also, though it is said that the competitors for her hand (cf note on 93) were to fight from them, not race in them, a very odd archaism, since fighting in (as opposed to from) chariots was already obsolete in the days of Homer. This suggests that here again a pursuit (not a race in the ordinary sense) may have been the original contest. Atalante also, in a version preserved by Hyginus (Fab. 185. 2, see Rose ad loc.), did not race with her suitors, but ran after them, killing them if she caught them before they got to the goal. Now if we compare the curious ritual of Orchomenos (Plutarch, Quaest. Grace. 38), in which the priest of Dionysos pursued with a sword certain women, and might kill any one of them he caught, it seems in no way impossible that all these stories, or some of them at least, represent a ritual flight and pursuit (a common enough ceremony in itself) with a real or pretended killing involved. That such a performance should be confused with a ritual combat, also a fairly common proceeding, is natural enough. a wedding of many songs: the bridechamber was never silent, Seilenoi chanted, Bacchants danced, drunken Satyrs wove a hymn of love and sang the alliance which came of this victorious match. Companies of Nereids under the foothills of the neighbouring isthmus encircled Dionysos with wedding dances and warbled their lay; beside the Thracian sea danced old Nereus, who once had Bromios for a guest; Galateia tript over the wedding-sea and carolled Pallene joined with Dionysos; Thetis capered although she knew nothing of love; Melicertes crowned the seagirt wedding-reef of the isthmus chanting Euoi for Pallene’s bridal; many a Hamadryad of Athos kindled a Thracian torch for the bridal in fiery Lemnos close by. And while the bride mourned her father, the Euian bridegroom comforted her with lover’s tender talk: —

  205 ‘ Παρθένε, μὴ στενάχιζε τεὸν δυσέρωτα τοκῆα:

  παρθένε, μὴ στενάχιζε τεῆς μνηστῆρα κορείης:

  τίς γενέτης ἔσπειρε καὶ εἰς γάμον ἤγαγε κούρην;

  σὸν κενεὸν λίπε πένθος, ὅτι κταμένοιο τοκῆος,

  Σιθόνος ὑμετέροιο, Δίκη γελόωσα χορεύει,

  210 χερσὶ δὲ παρθενίῃσι γαμήλιον ἁψαμένη πῦρ,

  ἡ γάμον ἀγνώσσουσα, τεὸν γάμον εἰσέτι μέλπει,

  Οἰνόμαον πάλιν ἄλλον ὀπιπεύουσα θανόντα:

  Οἰνόμαος μὲν ὄλωλε, καταφθιμένου δὲ τοκῆος

  τέρπεται Ἱπποδάμεια δὺν ἀρτιγάμῳ παρακοίτῃ.

  215 κα
ὶ σὺ τεοῦ γενέταο πόθους ῥίψασα θυέλλαις

  τέρπεο βοτρυόεντι συναπτομένη παρακοίτῃ,

  μῶμον ἀλευομένη πατρώιον: οὕ σε διδάξω

  Σιθόνος ἐχθρὸν ἔρωτα καὶ ἀμβολίην ὑμεναίων,

  ὃς φονίῃ παλάμῃ γαμβροκτόνον ἔγχος ἀείρων

  220 γηραλέην σε τέλεσσεν, ἀπειρήτην Ἀφροδίτης,

  συζυγίην δ᾽ ἐκέδασσεν ἀνυμφεύτων σέο λέκτρων.

  μνηστήρων σκοπίαζε σεσηπότα λείψανα νεκρῶν,

  οὓς Παφίη κόσμησε καὶ ἔκτανε θοῦρις Ἐρινύς:

  ἠνίδε κεῖνα κάρηνα θαλύσια σεῖο μελάθρων,

  225 λύθρον ἔτι στάζοντα κακοξείνων ὑμεναίων.

  Σιθόνος οὐ μεθέπεις χθόνιον γένος: οὐράνιος δὲ

  πείθομαι ὥς σε λόχευσε τεὸς Θρηίκιος Ἄρης,

  πείθομαι, ὡς Κυθέρεια τεὴν ὤδινε γενέθλην:

  καὶ σὺ τεῶν διδύμων ἀπεμάξαο θεσμὰ τοκήων,

  230 Ἄρεος ἦθος ἔχουσα καὶ ἀγλαΐνη Ἀφροδίτης:

  πείθομαι, ὥς σε φύτευσεν ἅναξ ἐναγώνιος Ἑρμῆς

  ἁβρὰ τελεσσιγάμοιο μολὼν ἐπὶ δέμνια Πειθοῦς,

  καί σε παλαισμοσύνην ἐδιδάξατο πομπὸν Ἐρώτων.’

  [205] “Maiden, lament not for your father so wicked in his love! Maiden, lament not for one that wooed your maidenhood! What father ever begat and then married his own daughter? Leave your empty mourning, because now that Sithon your father is slain Justice dances and laughs, and kindles a wedding-torch with her virgin hands; she who knows not marriage still is singing your marriage, as she beholds a new Oinomaos dead. Oinomaos died indeed, but although her father had perished, Hippodameia took her joy with her husband newly-wedded. Then you too must throw to the winds your regret for your father, and take your joy united with your vinegod lover, now that you have escaped a father’s disgrace. I need not tell you of Sithon’s hateful love and your marriage delayed; how he took in hand a murderous blade to kill your wooers, and let you grow old without a taste of Aphrodite, scattered your hopes of a husband and left your bed solitary. Look at the rotting relics of your pretenders’ bodies, whom the Paphian adorned and the furious Avenger slew! See those heads hung before your doors like first-fruits of harvest, still dripping with the gore of those inhospitable bridal feasts! You are no mortal daughter of Sithon. I believe a heavenly being begat you, your own Thracian Ares. I believe Cythereia brought you to birth; and you have marks of both parents imprinted, the temper of Ares and the radiance of Aphrodite. Or I believe your father was Lord Hermes of the ring, when he entered the delicate bed of Peitho who brings marriage to pass, and he taught you the wrestling which leads the way to love.”

  εἶπε παρηγορέων ἀχέων παιήονι μύθῳ,

  235 μυρομένης δ᾽ εὔνησεν ἐπήρατα δάκρυα κούρης.

  καὶ γαμίης δήθυνεν ἐπὶ χρόνον ἐγγύθι νύμφης

  τερπόμενος φιλότητι νεοζυγέων ὑμεναίων.

  [234] So he consoled her with words that healed her sorrow, and stilled the lovely tears of the mourning maiden. And he lingered for some time beside his wedded bride, taking his joy in the love of this new marriage.

  Παλλήνης δὲ μέλαθρα λιπὼν καὶ Θρῇκα Βορῆα

  Ῥείης εἰς δόμον ἦλθεν, ὅπῃ Φρυγίῃ παρὰ πέζῃ

  240 δαίμονος εὐώδινος ἕσαν Κυβεληίδες αὐλαί.

  ἐνθάδε θηρεύουσα παρὰ σφυρὰ Δίνδυμα πέτρης

  Ῥυνδακὶς οὐρεσίφοιτος ἀέξετο παρθένος Αὔρη,

  εἰσέτι νῆις Ἔρωτος, ὁμόδρομος ἰοχεαίρης,

  ἀπτολέμων φεύγουσα νοήματα παρθενικάων,

  245 Ἄρτεμις ὁπλοτέρη Ληλαντιάς, ἥν ποτε Τιτὴν

  νυμφεύσας Περίβοιαν ἀπόσπορον Ὠκεανοῖο

  πρεσβυγενὴς Λήλαντος ἀελλόπον ἤροσε κούρην,

  κούρην ἀντιάνειραν, ἀπειρήτην Ἀφροδίτης.

  ἡ μὲν ἀνεβλάστησεν ὑπέρτερος ἥλικος ἥβης,

  250 ἱμερτὴ ῥοδόπηχυς, ἀεὶ χαίρουσα κολώναις:

  πολλάκι δ᾽ ἀγρώσσουσα κατέτρεχε λυσσάδος ἄρκτου,

  καὶ δόρυ θοῦρον ἔπεμπε καταιχμάζουσα λεαίνης,

  οὐ κεμάδας κτείνουσα καὶ οὐ βάλλουσα λαγωούς:

  ἀλλὰ δαφοινήεσσαν ἐλαφρίζουσα φαρέτρην

  255 ὠμοβόρων τόξευεν ὀρίδρομα φῦλα λεόντων

  θηροφόνοις βελέεσσιν: ἐπωνυμίῃ δὲ καὶ ἔργῳ

  ὀξύτατον δρόμον εἶχεν ὀρειάσι σύνδρομος αὔραις.

  [238] Then he left the halls of Pallene and Thracian Boreas, and went on to Rheia’s house, where the divine court of the prolific Cybele stood on Phrygian soil. There grew Aura the mountain maiden of Rhyndacos, and hunted over the foothills of rocky Dindymon. She was yet unacquainted with love, a comrade of the Archeress. She kept aloof from the notions of unwarlike maids, like a younger Artemis, this daughter of Lelantos; for the father of this stormfoot girl was ancient Lelantos the Titan, who wedded Periboia, a daughter of Oceanos; a manlike maid she was, who knew nothing of Aphrodite. She grew up taller than her yearsmates, a lovely rosy-armed thing, ever a friend of the hills. Often in hunting she ran down the wild bear, and sent her swift lance shooting against the lioness, but she slew no prickets and shot no hares. No, she carried her tawny quiver to shoot down hillranging tribes of ravening lions, with her shafts that were death to wild beasts. Her name was like her doings: Aura the Windmaid could run most swiftly, keeping pace with the highland winds.

  καί ποτε διψαλέοιο πυραυγέι καύματος ὥρῃ

  παρθένος ὑπνώουσα πόνων ἀμπαύετο θήρης:

  260 καὶ δέμας ἁπλώσασα Κυβηλίδος ὑψόθι ποίης

  κρᾶτα παρακλίνασα σαόφρονος ἔρνεϊ δάφνης

  εὗδε μεσημβρίζουσα, καὶ ἐσσομένων ὑμεναίων

  ἱμερτήν ἐνόησε προμάντιος ὄψιν ὀνείρου,

  ὅττι θεός πυρόεις τανύσας βέλος αἴθοπι νευρῇ

  265 θοῦρος Ἔρως τόξευε λαγωβόλος ἔνδοθι λόχμης,

  οὐτιδανοῖς βελέεσσιν ὀιστεύων στίχα θηρῶν:

  παιδὶ δὲ θηρεύοντι συνέμπορος υἱέι Μύρρης

  Κύπρις ἔην γελόωσα: καὶ ἵστατο παρθένος Αὔρη,

  Ἀρτέμιδος μετὰ τόξον ἀήθεος ὑψόθεν ὤμου

  270 ἀγρευτῆρος Ἔρωτος ἐλαφρίζουσα φαρέτρην:

  αὐτὰρ ὁ θῆρας ἔπεφνεν, ἕως ἐκορέσσατο νευρῆς

  βάλλων πορδαλίων βλοσυρὸν στόμα καὶ γένυν ἄρκτου,

  ζωγρήσας δὲ λέαιναν ἑῷ πανθελγέι κεστῷ


  θῆρα πιεζομένην φιλοπαίγμονι δεῖξε τεκούσῃ:

  275 παρθενικὴ δ᾽ ἐδόκησε κατὰ κνέφας, ὅττι καὶ αὐτήν

  πῆχυν ἐπικλίνουσαν Ἀδώνιδι καὶ Κυθερείῃ

  μάργος Ἔρως ἐρέθιζεν, ὑπογνάμπτων Ἀφροδίτῃ

  ληιδίης, γόνυ δοῦλον ὑπερφιάλοιο λεαίνης,

  τοῖον ἔπος βοόων: ‘στεφανηφόρε μῆτερ Ἐρώτων,

  280 αὐχένα σοι κλίνουσαν ἄγω φιλοπάρθενον Αὔρην:

  ἀλλά, ποθοβλήτοιο χορίτιδες Ὀρχομενοῖο,

  στέψατε κεστόν ἱμάντα γαμοστόλον, ὅττι μενοινήν

  τοσσατίην νίκησεν ἀνικήτοιο λεαίνης.’

  τοῖον ἔπος μαντῷον ὀρεστιάς ἔδρακεν Αὔρη:

  285 οὐδὲ μάτην πρὸς Ἔρωτας ἔην ὄναρ, ὅττι καί αὐτοὶ

  εἰς λίνον ἄνδρα φέρουσι καὶ ἀγρώσσουσι γυναῖκα.

  [258] One day in the scorching season of thirsty heat the maiden was asleep, resting from her labours of hunting. Stretching her body on Cybele’s grass, and leaning her head on a bush of chaste laurel, she slept at midday, and saw a vision in her dreams which foretold a delectable marriage to come — how the fiery god, wild Eros, fitted shaft to burning string and shot the hares in the forest, shot the wild beasts in a row with his tiny shafts; how Cypris came, laughing, wandering with the young son of Myrrha as he hunted, and Aura the maiden was there, carrying the quiver of huntsman Eros on the shoulder which was ere now used to the bow of Artemis. But Eros went on killing the beasts, until he was weary of the bowstring and hitting the grim face of a panther or the snout of a bear; then he caught a lioness alive with the allbewitching cestus, and dragging the beast away showed her fettered to his merry mother. The maiden saw in the darkness how mischievous Eros teased herself also as she leaned her arm on Cythereia and Adonis, while he made his prey the proud lioness, bend a slavish knee before Aphrodite, as he cried loudly, “Garlanded mother of the loves! I lead to you Aura, the maiden too fond of maidenhood, and she bows her neck. Now you dancers of lovestricken Orchomenos, crown this cestus, the strap that waits on marriage, because it has conquered the stubborn will of this invincible lioness!” Such was the prophetic oracle which Aura the mountain maiden saw. Nor was it vain for the loves, since they themselves bring a man into the net and hunt a woman.