Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 42.438–542: Book 42: Poseidon woos Beroe; Aphrodite sets the contest and the oaths

So he was flogged by the maddening cestus of desire ; and he kept away from the girl, but full of bittersweet pangs, he sent his mind to wander a-hunting with the girl with ungirt tunic. Then out from the sea came Poseidon, moving his wet footsteps in search of the girl over the thirsty hills, a foreign land to him, and sprinkling the unwatered earth with watery foot ; and as he hasted along the fertile slope of the woodland, the topmost peaks of the mountains shook under the movement. . . . He espied Beroe, and from head to foot he scanned her divine young freshness while she stood. Clear through the filmy robe he noted the shape of the girl with steady eyes, as if in a mirror ; glancing from side to side he saw the shining skin of her breasts as if naked, and cursed the jealous bodice wrapt about in many folds which hid the bosom, he ran his lovemaddened eye round and round over her face, he gazed never satisfied on her whole body. Then mad with passion Earthshaker lord of the brine appealed in his trouble to Cythereia of the brine, and tried with flattering words to make friends with the maiden standing beside the country flock :

“One woman outshines all the lovely women of Hellas ! Paphos is celebrated no longer, nor Lesbos, Cyprus no longer has a name as mother of beauty ; no longer will I sing Naxos which the singers call isle of fair maids ; yes, even Lacedaimon is worsted for children and childbirth ! No more Paphos, no more Lesbos — the land of the rising sun, Amymone’s nurse, has plundered all the glory of Orchomenos, for one single Grace of her own ! For Beroe has appeared a fourth grace, younger than the three !

“Maiden, leave the land. That is just, for your mother grew not from the land, she is Aphrodite daughter of the brine. Here is my infinite sea for your bridegift, larger than earth. Hasten to challenge the consort of Zeus, that men may say that the lady of Cronides and the wife of Earthshaker hold universal rule, since Hera has the sceptre of snowy Olympos, Beroe has gotten the empire of the sea. I will not provide you with mad-eyed Bassarids, I will give you no dancing Satyr and no Seilenos, but I will make Proteus chamberlain of your marriage-consummating bed, and Glaucos shall be your underling— take Nereus too, and Melicertes if you like ; and I will call murmuring Oceanos your servant, broad Oceanos girdling the rim of the eternal world. I give you as a bridal gift all the rivers together for your attendants. If you are pleased to have waitingmaids also, I will bring you the daughters of Nereus ; and let Ino the nurse of Dionysos be your chambermaid, whether she likes it or not !

Thus he pleaded, but the maiden was angry and would not listen ; so he left her, pouring out his last words into the air —

“Happy son of Myrrha, you have got a fine daughter, and now a double honour is yours alone ; you alone are named father of Beroe and bridegroom of the Foamborn.”

Thus Earthshaker was flogged by the blows of the cestus ; but he offered many gifts to Adonis and Cythereia, bridegifts for the love of their daughter. Dionysos burning with the same shaft brought his treasures, all the shining gold that the mines near the Ganges had brought forth in their throes of labour ; earnestly but in vain he made his petition to Aphrodite of the sea.

“Now Paphia was anxious, for she feared both wooers of her muchwooed girl. When she saw equal desire and ardour of love in both, she announced that the rivals must fight for the bride, a war for a wedding, a battle for love. Cypris arrayed her daughter in all a woman’s finery, and placed her upon the fortress of her country, a maiden to be fought for as the dainty prize of contest. Then she addressed both gods in the same words :

“I could wish had I two daughters, to wed one as is justly due to Earthshaker, and one to Lyaios ; but since my child was not twins, and the undefiled laws of marriage do not allow us to join one girl to a pair of husbands together change and change about, let battle be chamberlain for one single bride, for without hard labour there is no marriage with Beroe. Then if you would wed the maid, first fight it out together ; let the winner lead away Beroe without brideprice. Both must agree to an oath, since I fear for the girl’s neighbouring city where I am known as Cityholder, that because of Beroe’s beauty I may lose Beroe’s home. Make treaty before the marriage, that seagod Earthshaker if he lose the victory shall not in his grief lay waste the land with his trident’s tooth ; and that Dionysos shall not be angry about Amymone’s wedding and destroy the vineyards of the city. And you must be friends after the battle : both be rivals in singlehearted affection, and in one contract of goodwill adorn the city of the bride with still more brilliant beauty.”

The wooers agreed to this proposal. Both took a binding oath, by Cronides and Earth, by Sky and the floods of Styx ; and the Fates formally witnessed the bargain. Then Strife grew greater to escort the Loves, and Turmoil also ; Persuasion the handmaid of marriage, armed them both. From heaven came all the dwellers on Olympos, with Zeus, and stayed to watch the combat upon the rocks of Lebanon.

Then appeared a great portent for lovestricken Dionysos. A stormswift falcon was in chase of a feeding pigeon ; he drooped his breeze-impregnated wings, when suddenly an osprey caught up the pigeon from the ground and flew to the deep, holding the bird high in gentle talons. When Dionysos beheld this, he cast away hope of victory ; nevertheless he entered the fray. Father Cronion was pleased with the contest of these two, as he watched from on high the match between his brother and his son with smiling eye.