Metamorphoses XII.271-360
Nestor continues describing the massacre at the wedding of Pirithoüs and Hippodame.
‘Ecce rapit mediis flagrantem Rhoetus ab aris
pruniceum torrem dextraque a parte Charaxi
tempora perfringit fulvo protecta capillo.
correpti rapida, veluti seges arida, flamma
arserunt crines, et vulnere sanguis inustus 275
terribilem stridore sonum dedit, ut dare ferrum
igne rubens plerumque solet, quod forcipe curva
cum faber eduxit, lacubus demittit: at illud
stridet et in trepida submersum sibilat unda.
saucius hirsutis avidum de crinibus ignem 280
excutit inque umeros limen tellure revulsum
tollit, onus plaustri, quod ne permittat in hostem,
ipsa facit gravitas: socium quoque saxea moles
oppressit spatio stantem propiore Cometen.
gaudia nec retinet Rhoetus: “sic, conprecor,” inquit 285
“cetera sit fortis castrorum turba tuorum!”
semicremoque novat repetitum stipite vulnus
terque quaterque gravi iuncturas verticis ictu
rupit, et in liquido sederunt ossa cerebro.
‘Victor ad Euagrum Corythumque Dryantaque transit; 290
e quibus ut prima tectus lanugine malas
procubuit Corythus, “puero quae gloria fuso
parta tibi est?” Euagrus ait, nec dicere Rhoetus
plura sinit rutilasque ferox in aperta loquentis
condidit ora viri perque os in pectora flammas. 295
te quoque, saeve Drya, circum caput igne rotato
insequitur, sed non in te quoque constitit idem
exitus: adsiduae successu caedis ovantem,
qua iuncta est umero cervix, sude figis obusta.
ingemuit duroque sudem vix osse revulsit 300
Rhoetus et ipse suo madefactus sanguine fugit.
fugit et Orneus Lycabasque et saucius armo
dexteriore Medon et cum Pisenore Thaumas,
quique pedum nuper certamine vicerat omnes
Mermeros, accepto tum vulnere tardius ibat; 305
et Pholus et Melaneus et Abas praedator aprorum,
quique suis frustra bellum dissuaserat augur
Asbolus: ille etiam metuenti vulnera Nesso
“ne fuge! ad Herculeos” inquit “servaberis arcus.”
at non Eurynomus Lycidasque et Areos et Imbreus 310
effugere necem; quos omnes dextra Dryantis
perculit adversos. adversum tu quoque, quamvis
terga fugae dederas, vulnus, Crenaee, tulisti:
nam grave respiciens inter duo lumina ferrum,
qua naris fronti committitur, accipis, imae. 315
‘In tanto fremitu cunctis sine fine iacebat
sopitus venis et inexperrectus Aphidas
languentique manu carchesia mixta tenebat,
fusus in Ossaeae villosis pellibus ursae;
quem procul ut vidit frustra nulla arma moventem, 320
inserit amento digitos “miscenda” que dixit
“cum Styge vina bibes” Phorbas; nec plura moratus
in iuvenem torsit iaculum, ferrataque collo
fraxinus, ut casu iacuit resupinus, adacta est.
mors caruit sensu, plenoque e gutture fluxit 325
inque toros inque ipsa niger carchesia sanguis.
‘Vidi ego Petraeum conantem tollere terra
glandiferam quercum; quam dum conplexibus ambit
et quatit huc illuc labefactaque robora iactat,
lancea Pirithoi costis inmissa Petraei 330
pectora cum duro luctantia robore fixit.
Pirithoi virtute Lycum cecidisse ferebant,
Pirithoi virtute Chromin, sed uterque minorem
victori titulum quam Dictys Helopsque dederunt,
fixus Helops iaculo, quod pervia tempora fecit 335
et missum a dextra laevam penetravit ad aurem,
Dictys ab ancipiti delapsus acumine montis,
dum fugit instantem trepidans Ixione natum,
decidit in praeceps et pondere corporis ornum
ingentem fregit suaque induit ilia fractae. 340
‘Ultor adest Aphareus saxumque e monte revulsum
mittere conatur; conantem stipite querno
occupat Aegides cubitique ingentia frangit
ossa nec ulterius dare corpus inutile leto
aut vacat aut curat tergoque Bienoris alti 345
insilit, haut solito quemquam portare nisi ipsum,
opposuitque genu costis prensamque sinistra
caesariem retinens vultum minitantiaque ora
robore nodoso praeduraque tempora fregit.
robore Nedymnum iaculatoremque Lycopen 350
sternit et inmissa protectum pectora barba
Hippason et summis exstantem Riphea silvis
Thereaque, Haemoniis qui prensos montibus ursos
ferre domum vivos indignantesque solebat.
haut tulit utentem pugnae successibus ultra 355
Thesea Demoleon: solidoque revellere trunco
annosam pinum magno molimine temptat;
quod quia non potuit, praefractam misit in hostem,
sed procul a telo Theseus veniente recessit
Pallados admonitu: credi sic ipse volebat. 360
“Then Rhoetus caught up a blazing brand of plum-wood from the altar and, whirling it on the right, smashed through Charaxus’ temples covered with yellow hair. The hair, caught by the greedy flames, burned fiercely, like a dry field of grain, and the blood scorching in the wound gave forth a horrid sizzling sound; such as a bar of iron, glowing red in the fire, gives when the smith takes it out in his bent pincers and plunges it into a tub of water; it sizzles and hisses when dipped in the bubbling liquid. The wounded man shook off the greedy fire from his shaggy locks, then tore up from the ground and heaved upon his shoulders a threshold-stone, a weight for a team of oxen. But its very weight prevented him from hurling it to reach his enemy. The massive stone, however, did reach Charaxus’ friend, Cometes, who stood a little nearer, and crushed him to the ground. At this Rhoetus could not contain his joy and said: ‘So, I pray, may the rest of the throng on your side be brave!’ and he redoubled his attack with the half-burned brand, and with heavy blows thrice and again he broke through the joinings of his skull until the bones sank down into his fluid brains.
“The victor next turned against Euagrus, Corythus, and Dryas. When one of these, young Corythus, whose first downy beard was just covering his cheeks fell forward, Euagrus cried: ‘What glory do you get from slaying a mere boy?’ Rhoetus gave him no chance to say more, but fiercely thrust the red, flaming brand into the man’s mouth while still open in speech, and through his mouth clear down into his breast. You also, savage Dryas, he pursued, whirling the brand about his head; but his attack upon you did not have the same result. As he came on, rejoicing in his successive killings, with a charred stake you thrust him through where neck and shoulder join. Rhoetus groaned aloud, with a mighty effort wrenched the stake out from the hard bone, and then fled, reeking with his own blood. Orneus also fled and Lycabas and Medon, wounded in his right shoulder, and Thaumas and Pisenor; and Mermeros, who but lately had surpassed all in speed of foot, now fared more slowly because of the wound he had received; Pholus also fled and Melaneus and Abas, hunter of the boar, and Asbolus, the augur, who had in vain attempted to dissuade his friends from battle. He said to Nessus, who also fled with him in fear of wounds: ‘Do not you flee; you will be reserved for the bow of Hercules.’ But Eurynomus and Lycidas, Areos and Imbreus did not escape death; for all these the right hand of Dryas slew as they fought fronting him. In front you, also, Crenaeus, received your wound, although you had turned in flight; for, as you looked back, you received a heavy javelin between the eyes where nose and forehead join.
“Midst all this uproar Aphidas lay, buried in endless sleep which filled all his veins, unawakened, still holding his cup full of mixed wine in his sluggish hand and stretched at full length upon an Ossaean bear’s shaggy skin. Him, all in vain striking no blow, Phorbas spied at a distance and, fitting his fingers in the thong of his javelin, cried out: ‘Mingle your wine with the Styx and drink it there.’ Straightway he hurled his javelin at the youth, and the iron-tipped ash was driven through his neck as he chanced to lie with head thrown back. He was not conscious of death, and from his filling throat out upon the couch and into the very wine-cup the dark blood flowed.
“I saw Petraeus striving to tear from the earth an acorn-laden oak. While he held this in both his arms, bending it this way and that, and just as he was wrenching forth the loosened trunk, Pirithoüs hurled a spear right through his ribs and pinned his writhing body to the hard oak. They say that by the might of Pirithoüs Lycus fell; and by the might of Pirithoüs, Chromis. But Dictys and Helops gave greater fame to the conqueror than either of these. Helops was thrust through by a javelin which passed through his temples and, hurled from the right, pierced to his left ear. Dictys, while fleeing in desperate haste from Ixion’s son who pressed him hard, stumbled on the edge of a steep precipice and, falling headlong, crashed into a huge ash-tree’s top with all his weight and impaled his body on the broken spikes.
“Aphareus, at hand to avenge him, heaved to throw a rock torn from the mountain-side; but, even as he heaved, the son of Aegeus caught him with an oaken club and broke the great bones of his elbow-joint. Having no time nor care to inflict further injury on his maimed body, he sprang on tall Bienor’s back, who never before had carried any but himself; and, pressing his knees into the centaur’s sides and with his left hand clutching his flowing locks, he crushed face and mouth, screaming out threatenings, and hard temples with his knotty club. With the club he slew Nedymnus and Lycopes, famed for the javelin throw, Hippasos, his breast covered by his flowing beard, and Ripheus, who overtopped the trees in height; Thereus as well, who used to catch bears upon the Thessalian mountains and carry them home alive and struggling. Demoleon could no longer brook Theseus’ unchecked success. He had been wrenching away with all his might at an old pine, trying to tear it up, trunk and all; failing in this, he broke it off and hurled it at his foe. But Theseus, seeing the weapon coming, withdrew beyond its range, for so had Pallas directed him; at least that is what he himself would have us understand.