The fortieth has the Indian chief wounded, and how Dionysos visited Tyre, the native place of Cadmos.
Yet he escaped not allseeing Justice, nor the inflexible threads of Fate herself the inexorable Spinner. No — Pallas Athena beheld him in flight, for she sat on a headland high over the sea, and watched the Indians contending in their battle on the sea. Down from the height she leapt, and put on the shape of a man, the form of Morrheus ; and, all to please Dionysos, she checked Deriades, cajoling the Indian chieftain with mindstealing whispers. As if anxious about the conflict, she poured out words of affright in reproachful tones : “You flee, Deriades ! Whom have you left in charge of the seafight ? How can you show yourself to the people ? Or how will you look in the face of dauntless Orsiboe, if she hears that Deriades is in flight and will not stand before women ? Have respect for manbreaking Cheirobie, let her not see you shrinking from fight with Lyaios unarmed — why, she held a furious spear, she heaved up an oxhide and fought the Bassarids following her husband ! Give place, please, to Morrheus — you have left the field, and if you please, I will be champion myself and destroy that weakling Bacchos. I call you goodfather no more, you, a runaway — let your girl Cheirobie find another husband : for I am ashamed — I will leave your city and migrate to the Median country, I will go to Scythia, that I may not be called your goodson.
“But you will say My wife is well armed, she understands warfare ! ’ There are Amazons about Caucasos, and many women are there far better champions than Cheirobie. There I will carry off a strong one for my bed, captive of my spear, to wed me without brideprice, if I like. For I will never receive into my bridechamber your daughter, whose father is a fugitive from the battle !
With this reproach she persuaded proud Deriades, and gave him courage again, that he might be struck down by the mandestroying thyrsus of warring Bromios. He knew not that it was deceitful Athena before him ; he heard the reproachful voice of the pretended Morrheus, and bold again, spoke comforting words with shamed lips :
“Spare your words. Why do you reproach me, fearless Morrheus ? No soldier is this, no soldier, who is always changing shape. Indeed I am at a loss who it is I am fighting and whom I strike. Eager to shoot Dionysos with a feathered arrow, or to cut through his neck with a sword, or desiring to cast a spear and pierce his belly — instead of Lyaios I find a speckled panther charging upon me. . . . A lion is fighting and I hasten to shear his neck, and I see a bold horrible serpent instead of a lion — I attack, and instead of a serpent I behold a bear’s back — I cast my furious spear at the curving neck, but in vain I hurl the long shaft, for instead of a bear appears a flame flickering up into the air uninjured ! I see a boar rushing and I hear a bull’s bellow, instead of the boar I see a bull lowering his head sideways and stabbing our elephants with flashing horns. I swing my sword against all sorts of beasts, and cannot overcome that one beast. I behold a tree and take aim, but it is off and I see a spout of water curving into the path of the sky. Therefore I tremble at the bewitched miracles of his art, and shrink from the changeable warfare of Dionysos. But I will confront Bromios again, until I lay bare the cunning enchantments of Dionysos the botcher of guile !
He spoke, and a second time armed himself, wild as before ; again the uproar of battle rose on the plain — there after the seafight he met Dionysos in arms. He had forgotten the former victory of Bromios, when his neck was entangled in leafy bonds and he offered his prayers of many supplications to Bacchos, who saw it all. Again he was a soldier fighting against the gods ; doubtful only whether to kill or make Bromios a slave. Thrice he cast a spear, and missed, striking nothing but air ; but when the fourth time in his arrogance Deriades rushed upon wineface Bacchos, and cast his spear through the air at a mark which could not be hit, he called his goodson to help him — and Morrheus was no longer to be seen, but Athena had changed her deceptive shape and stood beside the vinegod. Deriades saw her, and his knees trembled with overwhelming fear : he understood that the human shape which bore the likeness of Morrheus was all a deception, and recognized the deluding trick of wise Athena. But Dionysos was glad when he saw Athena, and knew in his heart that she had been helping him in disguise.
Then the grapy deity was maddened with anger. He rose lofty and huge, like the rock of Parnassos, and pursued swiftrunning Deriades ; he raced off light and quick as the hurrying winds, but when they reached the place where ancient Hydaspes rolled his warbreeding water in wild bubbling waves, he stood immense on the river bank as having now an ally, his father, roaring loud, to shoot with his waters against Dionysos in battle : there the vine-deity cast his fleshcutting thyrsus and just grazed the skin of Deriades. Struck with the mandestroying ivy bunch he slipt headfirst into his father’s flood, and bridged all that water himself with his long frame.
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