In the eighteenth come Staphylos and Botrys, inviting the mountainranging son of Thyone to a feast.
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.
Now Staphylos heard of the unweaponed host 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 in a windswift chariot, and met the advancing god of the vine. Botrys Longhair checked his father’s car when he saw Dionysos approaching in his silver-wheeled 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 :
“In the name of Zeus the suppliant’s god, your own father, Dionysos, in the name of Semele the young god’s mother, disregard not my son! I have 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.
“‘Do you now follow the example of your Father the Friend of Guests: enter my mansion for one day. Grant this grace to us both, to Botrys and to his father.”
He won the god’s consent, and drove on 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 precipices.
But when they arrived, and the royal palace became visible, shining afar with checkered patterns of stone, then longhaired Botrys left his father’s carriage and went swiftshoe into the house, van-courier of the company : he made all ready, and with attentive care prepared the diversified dishes of a rich banquet.
While Botrys was yet arranging the feast for 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.
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