Nonnus of Panopolis · Dionysiaca Διονυσιακά

Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 14.105–227: Book 14: The Satyrs' leaders; the horned race

The Satyr leaders are named as sons of Hermes and Iphthime. The poet tells how the infant Dionysos took animal shapes to hide from Hera, and how she changed his guardians into horned creatures. The Cyprian Centaurs, born from the seed of Zeus, and the Bacchants and nurses of Dionysos then arrive.

Lines 14.105–227 · 1057 words · click a number to copy its link
105καὶ Σατύρους κερόεντας ἐκόσμεον ἡγεμονῆες Ποιμένιος Θίασός τε καὶ Ὑψίκερως καὶ Ὀρέστης, καὶ κεραῷ Φλεγραῖος ἐφωμάρτησε Ναπαίῳ· ἦλθε Γέμων, κεκόρυστο Λύκων θρασύς· ἀκροπότῃ δὲ πετραίῳ γελόωντι φιλέψιος ἕσπετο Φηρεύς, 110καὶ Λάμις οὐρεσίφοιτος ὁμόστολον εἶχε πορείην

And the horned Satyrs were commanded by these leaders : Poimenios and Thiasos, Hypsiceros and Orestes, and Phlegraios with horned Napaios. There was Gemon, there was bold Lycon armed ;

111Ληνοβίῳ, καὶ Σκιρτὸς ἐκώμασε σύνδρομος Οἴστρῳ, σὺν δὲ Φερεσπόνδῳ Λύκος ἤιεν, ἠχέτα κῆρυξ, καὶ Πρόνομος πραπίδεσσι κεκασμένος, οὓς τέκεν Ἑρμῆς ἰφθίμην κρυφίοισιν ὑποζεύξας ὑμεναίοις, 115τήν ποτε Δῶρος ἔτικτε, Διὸς βλάστημα γενέθλης, ῥίζα γονῆς Ἕλληνος, ἀπʼ ἀρχεγόνοιο δὲ Δώρου Δωρίδος ἐβλάστησεν Ἀχαιικὸν αἷμα γενέθλης· τοῖσι γέρας καὶ σκῆπτρον ἐπέτρεπεν Εἰραφιώτης οὐρανίου κήρυκος ἀεξινόοιο τοκῆος. 120αἰεὶ μὲν μεθύουσα φιλακρήτοισι κυπέλλοις πᾶσα γονὴ Σατύρων θρασυκάρδιος, ἐν δὲ κυδοιμῷ μοῦνον ἀπειλητῆρες ἀεὶ φεύγοντες Ἐνυώ, νόσφι μόθοιο λέοντες, ἐνὶ πτολέμοις δὲ λαγωοί, ἴδμονες ὀρχηστῆρες, ἐπιστάμενοι πλέον ἄλλων 125οἰνοδόκου μέθυ λαρὸν ἀπὸ κρητῆρος ἀφύσσειν· τῶν ὀλίγοι γεγάασι μαχήμονες, οὓς θρασὺς Ἄρης παντοίην ἐδίδαξε μεληδόνα δηιοτῆτος, κοσμῆσαι δὲ φάλαγγα· κορυσσομένου δὲ Λυαίου οἱ μὲν ἀδεψήτοισι δέμας κρύψαντο βοείαις, 130οἱ δὲ δοραῖς λασίῃσιν ἐκαρτύνοντο λεόντων, ἄλλοι πορδαλίων βλοσυρὰς δύσαντο καλύπτρας, οἱ δὲ τανυπτόρθοισιν ἐθωρήσσοντο κορύμβοις, οἱ δὲ τανυκραίρων ἐλάφων ἀντίρροπον ἄστρων ποικίλον ἐν στέρνοισιν ἀνεζώννυντο χιτῶνα· 135τοῖς μὲν ἐπὶ κροτάφοις διδυμάονες ἀμφὶ μετώπῳ ὀξυτενεῖς γλωχῖνες ἐμηκύνοντο κεραίης, ψεδνὴ δʼ ὀκριόεντι καρήατι φύετο χαίτη ἀκροφανὴς σκολιοῖσιν ἐπʼ ὄμμασιν, οὔατα δʼ ἄμφω νισσομένων πτερόεντες ἀνερρίπιζον ἀῆται 140ἰθυτενῆ, λασίοισιν ἐπικτυπέοντα γενείοις ἐκταδόν, ἱππείη δὲ τιταινομένη διὰ νώτου ὄρθιος ἀμφιέλικτος ἀπʼ ἰξύος ἔρρεεν οὐρή. Ἀλλοφυὴς δʼ ἑτέρη Κενταυριὰς ἵκετο φύτλη, Φηρῶν εὐκεράων λάσιον γένος, οἷς πόρεν Ἥρη

Phereus followed laughing tippling Petraios, ranging Lamis marched with Lenobios, and Scirtos tripped along beside Oistros. With Pherespondos walked Lycos the loud-voiced herald, and Pronomos renowned for intelligence—all sons of Hermes, when he had joined Iphthime to himself in secret union. She was the daughter of Doros, himself sprung from Zeus and a root of the race of Hellen, and Doros was ancestor whence came the Achaian blood of the Dorian tribe. To these three, Eiraphiotes entrusted the dignity of the staff of the heavenly herald, their father the source of wisdom. The whole tribe of Satyrs is bold-hearted while they are drunken with bumpers of wine ; but in battle they are but braggarts who run away from the fight—hares in the battlefield, lions outside, clever dancers, who know better than all the world how to ladle strong drink from the full mixing-bowl. Few of these have been men of war, but bold Ares has taught all the […] of the fray and how to manage a battalion.

145ἀνδροφυὲς δέμας ἄλλο κερασφόρον· ὑγρογόνων γὰρ Νηιάδων ποτὲ παῖδες ἔσαν βροτοειδέι μορφῇ, ἃς Ὑάδας καλέουσι, Λάμου ποταμηίδα φύτλην, καὶ Διὸς εὐώδινα τιθηνήσαντο γενέθλην, Βάκχον ἔτι πνείοντα πολυρραφέος τοκετοῖο, 150παιδοκόμοι ῥυτῆρες ἀθηήτου Διονύσου, οὐ ξένον εἶδος ἔχοντες· ἐνὶ σκοτίῳ δὲ μελάθρῳ πολλάκι πηχύναντο κεκυφότι κοῦρον ἀγοστῷ, αἰθέρα παππάζοντα, Διὸς πατρώιον ἕδρην, εἰσέτι κουρίζοντα, σοφὸν βρέφος. ἀρτιτόκῳ δὲ 155πῇ μὲν ἔην ἐρίφῳ πανομοίιος, ἔνδοθι μάνδρης κρυπτόμενος, δολιχῇ δὲ δέμας πυκνώσατο χαίτῃ

Here when Lyaios prepared for war, some of them covered their bodies with raw oxhides, others fortified themselves with skins of shaggy lions, others put on the grim pelts of panthers, others equipped themselves with long pointed staves, others girt about their chests the skins of long-antlered stags dappled like stars in the sky. With these creatures, the two Horns on the temples right and left lengthened their points, and a scanty fluff grew on the top of the pointed skull over the crooked eyes. When they ran, the winged breezes blew back their two ears, stretched out straight and flapping against their hairy cheeks : behind them a horse’s tail stuck out straight and lashed round their loins on either side.

157ἀλλοφανής, δολίων δὲ χέων βληχηθμὸν ὀδόντων ἴχνεσιν αἰγείοισι νόθην μιμήσατο χηλήν· πῇ δὲ γυναικείην φορέων ψευδήμονα μορφὴν 160μιμηλὴ κροκόπεπλος ἐν εἵμασι φαίνετο κούρη ἀρτιθαλής, φθονερῆς δὲ παραπλάζων νόον Ἥρης χείλεσιν ἀντιτύποισιν ἀνήρυγε θῆλυν ἰωήν, καὶ πλοκάμοις εὔοδμον ἐπεσφήκωσε καλύπτρην θήλεα πέπλα φέρων πολυδαίδαλα· μεσσατίῳ δὲ 165στήθεϊ δεσμὸν ἔβαλλε καὶ ὄρθιον ἄντυγα μαζοῦ . . . παρθενίῳ ζωστῆρι, καὶ οἷά περ ἅμμα κορείης πορφυρέην λαγόνεσσι συνήρμοσε κυκλάδα μίτρην. καὶ δόλος ἦν ἀνόνητος, ἐπεὶ μάθεν ὑψόθεν Ἥρη πάντοθι δινεύουσα πανόψιον ὄμμα προσώπου, 170μορφὴν ἀλλοπρόσαλλον ὀπιπεύουσα Λυαίου· καὶ Βρομίου φυλάκεσσιν ἐχώσατο· δεξαμένη δὲ Θεσσαλίδος δολόεντα παρʼ Ἀχλύος ἄνθεα ποίης ὕπνον θελγομένων φυλάκων ἐπέχευε καρήνῳ, μάγγανα φαρμακόεντα κατασταλάουσα κομάων· 175καὶ μάγον ἁβρὸν ἄλειφα περιχρίσασα προσώπῳ ἀνδρομέης ἤμειψε παλαίτερον εἶδος ὀπωπῆς· τοῖσι μὲν οὐατόεσσα φυῆς ἰνδάλλετο μορφή, ἱππείη δʼ ἀνέτελλε διʼ ἰξύος ὄρθιος οὐρὴ ἰσχία μαστίζουσα δασυστέρνοιο φορῆος, 180καὶ βοέη βλάστησε κατὰ κροτάφοιο κεραίη, ὄμματα δʼ εὐρύνοντο τανυκραίροιο μετώπου, καὶ σκολιαὶ πλοκαμῖδες ἀνηέξηντο καρήνων, γναθμοὶ δʼ ἀργιόδοντες ἐμηκύνοντο γενείων, ξείνη δʼ αὐτοτέλεστος ἀπʼ ἰξύος εἰς πόδας ἄκρους 185ἀμφιλαφὴς λασίοιο κατʼ αὐχένος ἔρρεε χαίτη. δώδεκα δὲ ξύμπαντας ἐκόσμεον ἡγεμονῆες,

Another kind of the twiform Centaurs also appeared, the shaggy tribe of the horned Pheres, to whom Hera had given a different sort of human shape with horns. These were sons of the water-naiads in mortal body, whom men call Hyads, offspring of the river Lamos. They had played the nurses for the babe that Zeus had so happily brought forth, Bacchos, while he still had a breath of the sewn-up birth-pocket. They were the cherishing saviours of Dionysos when he was hidden from every eye, and then they had nothing strange in their shape; in that dark cellar they often dandled the child in bended arms, as he cried Daddy to the sky, the seat of his father Zeus, still a child at play, but a clever babe. Oft he would mimic a newborn kid ; hiding in the fold, he covered his body with long hair, and in this strange shape let out a deceptive bleat between his teeth, and tended to walk on hooves in goat-like steps. Oft he would show himself like a young girl in saffron robes and take on the feigned shape of a woman; to mislead the mind of spiteful Hera, he moulded his lips to speak in a girlish voice, tied a scented veil on his hair. He put on all a woman’s manycoloured garments: fastened a […] vest […] his chest and the firm circle of bosom, and fitted a […] over his […] like a band of […], but his guile was useless. Hera, who turns her all-seeing eye to every place, saw from on high the ever-changing shape of Lyaios, and knew all. Then she was angry with the guardians of Bromios. She procured from Thessalian Achlys treacherous flowers of the field, and shed a sleep of enchantment over their heads; she distilled poisoned drugs over their hair, she smeared a subtle magical ointment over their faces, and changed their earlier human shape. Then they took the form of a creature with long ears, and a horse’s tail sticking out straight from the loins and flogging the flanks of its shaggy-crested owner; from the temples cow’s horns sprouted out, their eyes widened under the horned forehead, the hair ran across their heads in tufts, long white teeth grew out of their jaws, a strange kind of mane grew of itself, covering their necks with rough hair, and ran down from the loins to the feet underneath.

187Σπαργεύς τε Γληνεύς τε χοροίτυπος, ἀλλοφυὴς δὲ σύνδρομος Εὐρυβίῳ σταφυληκόμος ἵκετο Κητεύς, καὶ Ῥιφόνῳ Πετραῖος ὁμάρτεεν, ἀκροπότης δὲ 190Αἴσακος Ὀρθάων τε συνέστιχον, οἷς μίαν ἄμφω Ἀμφίθεμις καὶ Φαῦνος ἐποιήσαντο πορείην, εὐκεράῳ δὲ Φάνητι συνέμπορος ἦλθε Νομείων.

Twelve captains commanded them all […] and Gleneus the dancer, and beside Eurybios the strange figure of Ceteus the vine-dresser ; Petraios with Rhiphonos, Alsacos the deep drinker and Orthaon, with whom marched both Amphithemis and Phaunos, and Nomelon side by side with well-horned Phanes.

193Κενταύρων δʼ ἑτέρη διφυὴς κεκόρυστο γενέθλη, Κυπριάς, ὁππότε Κύπρις ἐπέτρεχεν εἴκελον αὔραις 195ἴχνιον ἱμείροντος ἀλυσκάζουσα τοκῆος, μὴ γενέτην ἀθέμιστον ἐσαθρήσειεν ἀκοίτην, Ζεὺς δὲ πατὴρ ὑπόειξε γάμων ἄψαυστον ἐάσας ὠκυτέρην ἀκίχητον ἀναινομένην Ἀφροδίτην· ἀντὶ δὲ Κυπριδίων λεχέων ἔσπειρεν ἀρούρῃ 200παιδογόνων προχέων φιλοτήσιον ὄμβρον ἀρότρων· γαῖα δὲ δεξαμένη γαμίην Κρονίωνος ἐέρσην ἀλλοφυῆ κερόεσσαν ἀνηκόντιζε γενέθλην. τοῖσι κορυσσομένοισι συνέδραμον εἰν ἑνὶ Βάκχαι,

Another tribe of twiform Centaurs was ready, the Cyprian. Once when Cypris fled like the wind from the pursuit of her lascivious father, that she might not see an unhallowed bedfellow in her own begetter, Zeus the Father gave up the chase and left the union unattempted, because unwilling Aphrodite was too fast and he could not catch her ; instead of the Cyprian’s bed, he dropt on the ground the love-shower of seed from the generative plow. Earth received Cronion’s fruitful dew, and shot up a strange looking horned generation.

204αἱ μὲν Μῃονίης ἀπὸ ῥωγάδος, αἱ δὲ κολώνης 205ἠλιβάτων ἤιξαν ὑπὲρ Σιπύλοιο καρήνων. νύμφαι δʼ ἑλκεχίτωνες Ὀρειάδες ἄρσενι θυμῷ λυσσάδες ἐρρώοντο σὺν εὐθύρσοισι μαχηταῖς, αἵ τε παλιννόστων ἐτέων πολυδινέι νύσσῃ μηκεδανὸν ζώεσκον ἐπὶ χρόνον, αἱ μὲν ἐρίπναις 210γείτονες οἰονόμων ἐπιμηλίδες, αἱ δὲ λιποῦσαι ἄλσεα δενδρήεντα καὶ ἀγριάδος ῥάχιν ὕλης, συμφυέες Μελίαι δρυὸς ἥλικος· αἳ τότε πᾶσαι εἰς μόθον ἠπείγοντο συνήλυδες, αἱ μὲν ἑλοῦσαι τύμπανα χαλκεόνωτα, Κυβηλίδος ὄργανα Ῥείης, 215αἱ δὲ κατηρεφέες πλοκάμους ἑλικώδεϊ κισσῷ, ἄλλαι ἐμιτρώθησαν ἐχιδναίοισι κορύμβοις· χειρὶ δὲ θύρσον ἄειρον ἀκαχμένον, αἷς τότε Λυδαὶ μαινάδες ὡμάρτησαν ἀταρβέες εἰς μόθον Ἰνδῶν· ὧν τότε Βασσαρίδες θιασώδεες ἴδμονι τέχνῃ 220κρείσσονες ἠπείγοντο Διωνύσοιο τιθῆναι, Αἴγλη Καλλιχόρη τε καὶ Εὐπετάλη καὶ Ἰώνη καὶ Καλύκη γελόωσα Βρύουσά τε, σύννομος Ὥραις, Σειλήνη τε Ῥόδη τε καὶ Ὠκυνόη καὶ Ἐρευθὼ Ἀκρήτη τε Μέθη τε, καὶ ἕσπετο σύννομος Ἅρπῃ 225Οἰνάνθη ῥοδόεσσα καὶ ἀργυρόπεζα Λυκάστη,

These combatants were joined by the Bacchoi, some coming from the Maionian, some from the mountain above the precipitous peaks of Sipylos. Nymphs hastened to join the soldiers of the thyrsus, the wild Oreads with hearts of men trailing their long robes. Many a year had they seen roll round the turning […] as they lived out their long lives. Some were the Meliads who lived on the heights near the shepherds ; some were from the woodland glades and the ridges of the wild forest, nymphs of the mountain ash, coeval with their tree, All these onwards together to the fray, some with […]-backed drums, the instruments of Cybelid Rheia, others with overhanging ivy-tendrils wreathed in their hair, or girt with rings of snakes. They carried the sharpened thyrsus which the mad Lydian women then took with them fearless to the Indian […]. Stronger than these then came the nurses of Dionysos, troops of Bassarids well skilled in their art : Aigle and Callichore, Eupetale and Ione, laughing Calyce, Bryusa, […] of the Seasons, Scilene and Rhode, Ocynoe, Ereutho, Acrete and Methe, rosy Oinanthe with Harpe and silverfoot Lycaste,

226Στησιχόρη Προθόη τε· φιλομμειδὴς δὲ γεραιὴ οἰνοβαρὴς Τρυγίη πυμάτη κεκόρυστο καὶ αὐτή.

Stesichore and Prothoé : last of all came ready for the fray Trygi too, that grinning old gammer, heavy with wine.

People and places in this passage

English translation by W. H. D. Rouse (1940). Original text: W. H. D. Rouse (ed.), Nonnos, Dionysiaca, Loeb Classical Library 344, 354, 356, London: Heinemann; Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1940-1942 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library, Greek text); translation public domain (Rouse, Loeb 1940-42: US copyright not renewed; Rouse died 1950; OCR from the Internet Archive scans). Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.