BOOK XVIII

In the eighteenth come Staphylos and Botrys, in viting the mountainranging son of Thyone MEANTIME manytongued Rumour was on the wing ; and she flew along the whole line of Assyrian cities, proclaiming the name of Dionysos with his gift of the vine, the glorious fruit of grapes, and his bold warfare with the Indians. of Satyrs, the holy secrets of the vine and the Euian gear of Lyaios. He wished therefore to see Bacchos ; and the. Assyrian prince brought his son Botrys ® high of the vine. Botrys Longhair checked his father’s car when he saw Dionysos approaching in his silverwheeled wagon, the panthers in their yokestraps and the lions with shining reins ; and Staphylos the sceptred king leapt out of the car when he saw the panthers of Dionysos halt. He sank to the ground on bended knee, and held out an olivebranch with reverent hand. Then the prince addressed Dionysos in conciliating words of friendship : own father, Dionysos, in the name of Semele the young god’s mother, disregard not my son! I have authority, as he al of Nicander the Alexandrian this worthy tells us Ὑ τὸ ἀρ « dkaehaer of anon Sam or chief of, apparently, the Telchines, and that because had entertained Zeus hospitably she was god destroyed the Telchines (if it was they) seed-corn. The most curious thing about her is that is pretty obviously a Latin invention, made up from mecellwm, heard how Lycaon entertained your father himself with the Blessed, how he cut up his son Nyctimos with his own hand and served him up to your father unknowing and touched one table with Zeus Almighty, in the land of Arcadia. Again, on the heads of Sipylos, I have heard how Tantalos received your father as his guest, butchered his own son and set him before the gods at dinner ; how Cronion fitted together again the separated limbs and restored to life the butchered son, replacing the broad shoulder of Pelops—the only part which Deo had eaten—by a makeshift artificial shape of ivory.

Lycaon the Sonmurderer who entertained the Blessed, or Tantalos visitor of the skies, who planned the crafty theft of the cups of nectar—why mention the ravisher of nectar and ambrosia? Macello entertained Zeus and Apollo at one table . . . and when Earthshaker had shattered the whole island with his trident and rooted all the Phlegyans at the bottom of the sea, he saved both women and did not strike them down with the trident. a market. Nonnos, it would seem, connects her with the Phlegyes, an impious people who lived on an island and for their sins were destroyed by Poseidon, and their part of the island with them (Servius on Aen. vi. 618, citing Euphorion, something missing in the text and the sense may have been : table, and had her reward, for she was spared when her wicked countrymen, the Telchines (?), were destroyed ; X. and her women are mentioned) did a similar favour to Poseidon, and so he did not hurt them when he drowned the rest of the Phlegyes.”” Staphylos’s point is that as these people were rewarded for their piety, so he hopes to be.

the Friend of Guests: enter my mansion for one day. Grant this grace to us both, to Botrys and to his with his car, blessing the happiness of his house, while Dionysos followed. Bold Botrys raised his whip, and drove his father’s car by winding ways through the wilderness of Mount Tauros, until he guided Lyaios into the Assyrian land. Meanwhile Maron the god’s charioteer took up the golden reins of the Mygdonian chariot, and drove the team of stormswift panthers with yokestraps on their necks, sparing not the whip, but whizzing a lavish lash to manage the beasts. Satyrs ran in front, striking up a dance and skipping round and round the hillranging car of Lyaios; troops of flowerloving Bacchant women ran on this side and that side, treading the rough tracks afoot, climbing with quick feet the narrow steps of the mountain-side, while their shoes beat in time with their rattling hands—thus they beguiled the labour of the steep stony path, stung with madness. And the Pans, high on their familiar rocks, danced in the dust with nimble feet, passing over the headlands of those untrodden became visible, shining afar with checkered patterns of stone, then longhaired Botrys left his father’s carriage and went swiftshoe into the house, vancourier of the company : he made all ready, and with attentive care prepared the diversified dishes of a Lyaios, the king of magnificent bounty displayed to Bacchos the artist’s hand in the stonework of his hall, from which poured a shining brightness of many colours and shapes like the sun and his reflecting moon. ‘The walls were white with solid silver. There was the lychnite, which takes its name from light, turning its glistening gleams in the faces of men.

The place was also decorated with the glowing ruby stone, and showed winecoloured amethyst set beside sapphire. The pale agate threw off its burnt sheen, and the snakestone sparkled in speckled shapes of scales ; the Assyrian emerald discharged its greeny flash. Stretched over a regiment of pillars along the hall the gilded timbers of the roof showed a reddish glow in their opulent roofs. The floor shone with the intricate patterns of a tessellated pavement of metals; and the huge door with a baulk of wood delicately carved looked like ivory freshly cut. displayed to watchful Bacchos. He could hardly manage to move through the hall with his divine guest, holding Dionysos by the hand; the other followed with slow obedient foot, and turned his wandering gaze to each thing in order. The god was amazed at the hospitable king's hall, embellished with gold and starry with glittering decorations.

serfs, to slaughter a herd of fine fat bulls and flocks of sheep for the Satyrs of bullhorn Dionysos. Then there was quick work, under the menaces of busy Menelaos and, more elaborately, that of Alcinods, there must bea description here of the palace where Dionysos is to be entertained; the details are not Homeric. Staphylos with relays of serfs. A crowd of servants were hard at it preparing the banquet, bulls were butchered and processions of fat sheep from the pasture. There was dancing too; fragrant air was wafted through a house full of harping, the streets of the city were filled with sweet steamy odours, ample streams of wine made the whole house carouse. Cymbals clanged, panspipes whiffled about the melodious table, double hoboys were drooning, the round of the loudthrumming drum made the hall ring again with its double bangs, there were castanets rattling over that supper ! with wine, staggering on unsteady feet and moving to and fro as frenzy drove him. He threw his arms over the shoulders of two Satyrs and supported himself between them, then climbed right up from the ground twisting his legs about them. So he was lifted by the dancing feet of others, with red skin, his whole face emitting ruddy rays and shining between them, the very image of the crescent moon. In his left hand he held a newly flayed skin teeming with the inevitable wine and tied at the neck with a cord; in his right a cup. Bacchant women were all round the old creature as he skips on other men’s feet, with lolling head, every moment threatening to fall but never down.

Servants and serfs alike were rolling drunk and danced wildly about, after tasting for the first time the delicious wine they never had before. mother of a noble son, was made drunken by the winedew of Bacchos. With heavy head she begged the Bacchants for more drink, dancing round the full mixingbowl of Lyaios. She rolled her head moving this way and that way, shook the hair over her shoulders unsteadily, dipping her head first here, then there, on one side and the other again and again, ever on the point of falling on her slippery feet, until a Bacchant’s hands caught the wild creature and held her up. Staphylos too was drunk; the cheeks of drunken Botrys were red from his tippling cup; still a boy with the down on his face, he with Staphylos his father bound his loosened locks with the unfamiliar ivy and wreathed it like a garland. Then interchanging step with step Botrys danced about with ready feet, changing feet right after left ; and Staphylos went skipping in dancing movement, carrying his feet round and round in a running step, with one arm thrown round the neck of dancing Botrys.

Staggering he blest the potion of danceweaving Dionysos, and shook his long hair falling over his shoulder from side to side. Methe was dancing too, with an arm round son and husband both, between Staphylos and Botrys. There was a sight to see, the triple-entwined delight of a close-embracing dance! And Pithos, hale old man, shaking his hoary locks in the wind, stuffed to the teeth with the delicious potation, danced heavy with wine, and twirled a drink-tottering foot ; he whitened his yellow beard with foam from the sweet libations that ran out from his throat. still being filled when shadowy darkness grew black at the fringe, and covered all the western lands, be literal, Nonnos eepamably werascthea hake: aah ie when the twilight air darkened and lit up the spangled stars with faint light, when Phaéthon set under the cone of shadow 5 and left on his way behind a small trace yet of the day,’ when silent Night shrouded the west in her own colour, and scored the sky across with her own starry cloak. Then after the tipsy bowl and after the feast of the table, Botrys together with his father, and Dionysos dispenser of wine, went off in a line, each to his separate wellstrown bed ; they took the boon of sleep, and had traffic with dreams.

enger of Dawn,° cut through the edge of fading mist with rosy sparkles, then long-haired Bacchos leapt up early from his bed, shaken by the hope of victory. For in the night he had destroyed the Indian race with his ivytwined thyrsus, busy in the illusive image of a dream-battle. The noise of Satyrs and the rattle of javelins falling on his ears, shook off the din of his dreamland warfare and scattered that warlike sleep. But dreadful fear was in his heart that the dream foreboded some threatening danger. For in this unreal spectacle he had seen an image of his battle with Lycurgos,’ prophetic of things to come. In a forest, a bold formidable lion leapt from a rock with deathly jaws upon Bacchos, while he was dancing and still without weapons, and scared him to flight, driving him down to the sea where he hid under water, fleeing from the dangerous beast. He saw another terror besides—how the _ bold lion chased the thyrsus-bearing women with gaping thinks of as a sort of evening-dawn (as we speak of morningtwilight). But elsewhere ἠώς seems to be simply a day.

throat and gored them with his claws ; as the women were torn, their gear fell from their mystic hands and rolled in the dust, their cymbals lay on the ground. Then a Bacchant turned, and muzzled the lion’s jaws by tying a string of vineleaves over his head, and wreathed his neck lightly in a noose. Then crowds of women ran up to the beast one upon another, and scratched with brambles the ugly pads and paws. At last Artemis saved him alive with difficulty, entangled in the clustering meshes ; and from the bosom of the sky a flash of lightning shot into the beast’s face, and made him a blind vagabond of the roads. from his bed, he donned about his chest the starspangled corselet of bronze stained with Indian blood, and entwined his hair with a circlet of writhing snakes, and wedged his feet in the reddened boots, took thyrsus in hand—that flowery spear of Enyo— and called a servant Satyr. Prince Botrys, hearing the echoing call from the divine lips of Bacchos hard by, roused himself, put on his own dress, and called to sleeping Pithos. When Methe heard the voice, she reluctantly lifted her heavy head, and letting it fall lazily, went to sleep again; all through the morning the queen still remained with her eyes gathering the most sweet bloom of sleep. At last she left her bed with slow unwilling foot.

offering him the guest’s gifts as he was hasting for his journey : a two-handled jar of gold with silver cups, from which hitherto he used always to quaff Persian weavers. Arachne, the skilled weaver who tried to rival Athena, is as natural a metonymy for “ weaving” as Saturn is the cold planet. Jupiter on the μα δικόν te tontt the milk of milch-goats ; and he brought embroidered robes, which Persian Arachne 5 beside the waters of Tigris had cleverly made with her fine thread. Then the generous king spoke to Bromios : of your sire! Show that you have the blood of Cronides in you! For your father in his first youth battered the earthborn Titans out of Olympos, when he was only a boy: on then and do your part in the struggle, destroy the overweening nation of earthborn Indians! I remember a tale which once my father heard from his father, Assyrian Belos the sovereign of my country ; this I will tell to you. sickleblade, after he had cut off the manly crop of his father’s plow and robbed him of the Mother’s bed to which he was hastening, and warred against your sire at the head of the Titans. Broadbeard Cronos fanned the flame of Enyo as he cast icy spears?

against Cronion, shooting his cold watery shafts : sharp pointed arrows of hail were shot from the sky. But Zeus armed himself with more fires than Helios, and melted the petrified water with hotter sparks. Whip up now ravening lions to the Indian War; fear not their elephants! For your Zeus ruling in the heights destroyed highheaded Campe° with a thunderbolt, for all the many crooked shapes of her monster which, in some later accounts of the war between Zeus and Cronos (reflected in Apollodoros i. 6), was set to guard the Hundred-handed giants and the Cyclopes in Tartaros. When Zeus needed their help, he freed them by killing Campe. Nonnos’s description of her is based upon that of Typhoeus in Hesiod, Theog. 820 ff. spitting poison afar, were fanning Enyo to a flame, a mass of misshapen coils. Round her neck flowered fifty various heads of wild beasts: some roared with lion’s heads like the grim face of the riddling Sphinx ; others were spluttering foam from the tusks of wild boars; her countenance was the very image of Scylla with a marshalled regiment of thronging dogs’ heads. Doubleshaped, she appeared a woman to the middle of her body, with clusters of poison-spitting serpents for hair. Her giant form, from the chest to the parting-point of the thighs, was covered all over with a bastard shape of hard sea-monsters’ scales. The claws of her widescattered hands were curved like a crooktalon sickle.

From her neck over her terrible shoulders, with tail raised high over her throat, a scorpion with an icy sting sharp-whetted crawled and coiled upon itself. writhing, and flew roaming about earth and air and briny deep, and flapping a couple of dusky wings, rousing tempests and arming gales, that blackwinged nymph of Tartaros: from her eyelids a flickering flame belched out far-travelling sparks. Yet heavenly Zeus your father killed that great monster, and conquered the snaky Enyo of Cronos. Show yourself like your father, that I may call you also destroyer of the earthborn next to Cronides, when you have reaped the enemy harvest of earthborn Indians. the conflict with Cronos brought low that champion of warfare with towering limbs, that excellent son occasion. Greeks, especially in later times, were very free with such stop-gap ancestors of whose history did eet know, ἐς as Italos the Italians, Lludaios of the soil, Indos, whence the Indians are sprung: your father fought Indos, you fight Deriades.

Show me yourself like Ares, for he also brought low such another, Echidna’s son, the gods’ enemy, spitting the horrible poison of hideous Echidna. He had two shapes together, and in the forest he shook the twisting coils of his mother’s spine. Cronos used this huge creature to confront the thunderbolt, hissing war with the snaky soles of his feet ; when he raised his hands above the circle of the breast and fought against your Zeus, and lifting his high head, covered it with masses of cloud in the paths of the sky. Then if the birds came wandering into his tangled hair, he often swept them together into his capacious throat for a dinner. This masterpiece your brother Ares killed! I do not call you less than Ares ; for you could challenge all the sons of Zeus; since with your bloodstained thyrsus you are a masterpiece as much as Ares warring with his spear, and your exploits are equal to Phoibos. of Zeus I have entertained in my mansion. The other day Perseus came flying on wings to my house.

He had lately left translucent Cydnos, the neighbour of Corycion, like you, my friend, and said he had marked out a newfounded city in Cilicia named after his own quick foot.’ He carried the head which had topped Gorgon Medusa whom no eye may see ; and you carry the winefruit, that messenger of hearty reason one of them, Corinthos son of Zeus, the founder of Corinth, won no favour except among his own people, and passed into a proverb for nonsensical tiresome talk. have founded Tarsos (or Tarsoi, to give the city its older fied (for instance by Aratos, Phaen. 96 ff.) Justice, killed the sea-monster beside the Erythraian Sea, and you have brought low the race of Erythraian Indians, Slay Deriades as you slew Orontes the Indian, one worse than the sea-monster. Perseus saved Andromeda in her affliction, do you save by a greater victory the Virgin of the Stars,’ bitterly oppressed at the nod of wicked Indians, that I may offer one triumphal feast for Gorgonslayer Perseus and Indianslayer Dionysos.”’ ous king went back to his palace; and Dionysos thyrsus-mad was delighted to hear the spurring words of the royal voice. His ears bewitched with hearing of his father’s battle, he was wild for a fight, he vied with Zeus, and wished for a third and greater future victory after the double defeat of the Indians, to rival Cronides. He summoned Pherespondos,? one swift like the wind, the offspring of the heavenly herald, the clever son of Iphthime, and greeted him with friendly words : this message to proud Deriades : ‘ Prince, accept the gifts of Lyaios without war, or fight against Bromios and you shall be like Orontes ! ” ing his father’s rod travelled from land to land, until he made his way to the Eastern country. On a golden car, carrying the fruit of the vintage, the heartgladdening grape, he passed from city to city Dionysos is to rescue her by overthrowing an unjust and violent people. The pagel! is forced, but eased a little by the fact that Andromeda too is a constellation.

with devious feet, and filled all the Assyrian land with his fruit, as he offered to the countrymen the grapegrowing flower of the vineyard. the Syrian soil by the wing of Euros in the glowing east, death laid a hand on Staphylos. In the palace the servants tore the garments on their bodies, the attendants cried out in lamentation; breasts were beaten and reddened, the round cheeks of mourning women were torn with their nails as they sang the car returned to Botrys’s palace, remembering the amiable entertainment of Staphylos. Noticing the downcast looks of Pithos, he divined untold the fate of his friend Staphylos, proclaimed by the eloquent silence, and he called Methe and asked : your looks? I see you disordered, and I left you radiant. Who has quenched your unspeakable beauty ? You show no longer the natural crimson glow on those cheeks once ruddy as wine! And you, ancient sir, hide not why you shed tears. Who has cut the flowing mass of your broad beard? Who has deranged that white hair? Who rent your garments?

And you, son of Staphylos my friend, offspring of Methe your mother so fond of wine, why are your temples bare of the hair? What envious hand tore the curly locks? Your tresses no longer fall free over your shoulders, glossy like silver, breathing Tyrian frankincense, you no longer hold revel, your cheeks no longer emit a rosy sheen from your face. Why do you wear these robes soiled with streaks of dust ? Why do I not see your royal robes of Tyrian purple? I no longer know you with this desolated countenance. Where has Prince Staphylos gone, pray let me know? Speak! who has robbed you of your father even for an hour? I understand your trouble, even if you try to hide it. I need no words from you, for your looks alone silently proclaim your mourning. I understand your trouble, even if you try to hide it. The tears reveal your pains, your disordered dress cries aloud the fate of Staphylos my friend. Envy has robbed me of my hope ; for I did think that after the Indian War I should lift the evening torches in my hands, in company of King Staphylos, to wait on the consummated wedding of Botrys the comrade of my battles!”