§667ὡς δεινὰ δρῶσι θαυμάτων τε κρείσσονα.
How terrible are their deeds, and beyond wonders!
§668θέλω δʼ ἀκοῦσαι, πότερά σοι παρρησίᾳ §669φράσω τὰ κεῖθεν ἢ λόγον στειλώμεθα· §670τὸ γὰρ τάχος σου τῶν φρενῶν δέδοικʼ, ἄναξ, §671καὶ τοὐξύθυμον καὶ τὸ βασιλικὸν λίαν.
But I wish to hear whether I should speak with freedom of the things from there to you, O King, or should restrain my words; for I fear the quickness of your mind, O King, and your hot temper, and your overly royal disposition.
§672λέγʼ, ὡς ἀθῷος ἐξ ἐμοῦ πάντως ἔσῃ.
Speak, for you shall be entirely unpunished by me.
§673τοῖς γὰρ δικαίοις οὐχὶ θυμοῦσθαι χρεών.
For one must not be angry with the just.
§674ὅσῳ δʼ ἂν εἴπῃς δεινότερα βακχῶν πέρι, §675τοσῷδε μᾶλλον τὸν ὑποθέντα τὰς τέχνας §676γυναιξὶ τόνδε τῇ δίκῃ προσθήσομεν.
The more terrible things you tell about the Bacchae, the more we shall bring to justice this man who suggested these arts to the women.
§677ἀγελαῖα μὲν βοσκήματʼ ἄρτι πρὸς λέπας §678μόσχων ὑπεξήκριζον, ἡνίχʼ ἥλιος §679ἀκτῖνας ἐξίησι θερμαίνων χθόνα.
Just now, the herded cattle of calves were making their way up to the ridge of the hill, when the sun was sending forth its rays, warming the earth.
§680ὁρῶ δὲ θιάσους τρεῖς γυναικείων χορῶν, §681ὧν ἦρχʼ ἑνὸς μὲν Αὐτονόη, τοῦ δευτέρου §682μήτηρ Ἀγαύη σή, τρίτου δʼ Ἰνὼ χοροῦ.
And I saw three bands of women's choruses, of one of which Autonoe was the leader, of the second your mother Agave, and of the third Ino.
§683ηὗδον δὲ πᾶσαι σώμασιν παρειμέναι, §684αἳ μὲν πρὸς ἐλάτης νῶτʼ ἐρείσασαι φόβην, §685αἳ δʼ ἐν δρυὸς φύλλοισι πρὸς πέδῳ κάρα §686εἰκῇ βαλοῦσαι σωφρόνως, οὐχ ὡς σὺ φῂς §687ᾠνωμένας κρατῆρι καὶ λωτοῦ ψόφῳ §688θηρᾶν καθʼ ὕλην Κύπριν ἠρημωμένας.
They were all sleeping with their bodies relaxed, some resting their backs against the foliage of a silver fir, others having cast their heads at random on oak leaves upon the ground, in a chaste manner, not as you say, drunk with the mixing-bowl and the sound of the flute, and hunting Aphrodite through the woods in isolation.
§689ἡ σὴ δὲ μήτηρ ὠλόλυξεν ἐν μέσαις §690σταθεῖσα βάκχαις, ἐξ ὕπνου κινεῖν δέμας, §691μυκήμαθʼ ὡς ἤκουσε κεροφόρων βοῶν.
But your mother, standing in the midst of the Bacchae, raised a ritual cry, urging them to arouse their bodies from sleep, when she heard the lowing of the horned cattle.
§692αἳ δʼ ἀποβαλοῦσαι θαλερὸν ὀμμάτων ὕπνον §693ἀνῇξαν ὀρθαί, θαῦμʼ ἰδεῖν εὐκοσμίας, §694νέαι παλαιαὶ παρθένοι τʼ ἔτʼ ἄζυγες.
And casting off deep sleep from their eyes, they sprang upright—a wonder of orderly behavior to behold— young, old, and virgins still unwed.
§695καὶ πρῶτα μὲν καθεῖσαν εἰς ὤμους κόμας §696νεβρίδας τʼ ἀνεστείλανθʼ ὅσαισιν ἁμμάτων §697σύνδεσμʼ ἐλέλυτο, καὶ καταστίκτους δορὰς §698ὄφεσι κατεζώσαντο λιχμῶσιν γένυν.
And first they let down their hair over their shoulders, and adjusted their fawnskins, as many as had the fastenings of their knots loosened, and they girt the dappled skins with snakes that licked their cheeks.
§699αἳ δʼ ἀγκάλαισι δορκάδʼ ἢ σκύμνους λύκων §700ἀγρίους ἔχουσαι λευκὸν ἐδίδοσαν γάλα, §701ὅσαις νεοτόκοις μαστὸς ἦν σπαργῶν ἔτι §702βρέφη λιπούσαις·
And some, holding a gazelle or wild wolf cubs in their arms, gave them white milk— those who, having recently given birth, had breasts still swollen, leaving their babies behind.
ἐπὶ δʼ ἔθεντο κισσίνους §703στεφάνους δρυός τε μίλακός τʼ ἀνθεσφόρου.
And they put on crowns of ivy and oak and flowering yew.
§704θύρσον δέ τις λαβοῦσʼ ἔπαισεν ἐς πέτραν, §705ὅθεν δροσώδης ὕδατος ἐκπηδᾷ νοτίς· §706ἄλλη δὲ νάρθηκʼ ἐς πέδον καθῆκε γῆς, §707καὶ τῇδε κρήνην ἐξανῆκʼ οἴνου θεός· §708ὅσαις δὲ λευκοῦ πώματος πόθος παρῆν, §709ἄκροισι δακτύλοισι διαμῶσαι χθόνα §710γάλακτος ἑσμοὺς εἶχον· ἐκ δὲ κισσίνων §711θύρσων γλυκεῖαι μέλιτος ἔσταζον ῥοαί.
And one, taking a thyrsus, struck it against a rock, whence a dewy moisture of water leaped forth; another let down her fennel wand to the ground of the earth, and there the god sent up a fountain of wine for her; and as many as had a desire for the white drink, scratching the earth with their fingertips, had pools of milk; and from the ivy thyrsoi sweet streams of honey were dripping.
So that, if you had been present, having seen these things, you would have approached with prayers the god whom you now blame.
§714ξυνήλθομεν δὲ βουκόλοι καὶ ποιμένες, §715κοινῶν λόγων δώσοντες ἀλλήλοις ἔριν §716ὡς δεινὰ δρῶσι θαυμάτων τʼ ἐπάξια·
And we, herdsmen and shepherds, gathered together, to share with one another a dispute of common talk, as to how they do terrible deeds, worthy of wonder.
§717καί τις πλάνης κατʼ ἄστυ καὶ τρίβων λόγων §718ἔλεξεν εἰς ἅπαντας· Ὦ σεμνὰς πλάκας §719ναίοντες ὀρέων, θέλετε θηρασώμεθα §720Πενθέως Ἀγαύην μητέρʼ ἐκ βακχευμάτων §721χάριν τʼ ἄνακτι θώμεθα; εὖ δʼ ἡμῖν λέγειν §722ἔδοξε, θάμνων δʼ ἐλλοχίζομεν φόβαις §723κρύψαντες αὑτούς·
And a certain wanderer about the city and skilled in words spoke to all: "O you who inhabit the sacred terraces of the mountains, do you wish that we hunt Pentheus' mother Agave out of her Bacchic revels, and do a favor for the king?" And he seemed to us to speak well, and we lay in ambush in the foliage of the bushes, hiding ourselves.
αἳ δὲ τὴν τεταγμένην §724ὥραν ἐκίνουν θύρσον ἐς βακχεύματα, §725Ἴακχον ἀθρόῳ στόματι τὸν Διὸς γόνον §726Βρόμιον καλοῦσαι·
And they, at the appointed hour, began to move the thyrsus for the revels, calling with one voice upon Iacchus, the son of Zeus, Bromius.
πᾶν δὲ συνεβάκχευʼ ὄρος §727καὶ θῆρες, οὐδὲν δʼ ἦν ἀκίνητον δρόμῳ.
And the whole mountain and the beasts joined in the Bacchic frenzy, and there was nothing unmoved by their running.
§728κυρεῖ δʼ Ἀγαύη πλησίον θρῴσκουσά μου· §729κἀγὼ ʼξεπήδησʼ ὡς συναρπάσαι θέλων, §730λόχμην κενώσας ἔνθʼ ἐκρυπτόμην δέμας.
And Agave happened to be leaping near me; and I sprang forth, wishing to snatch her, leaving empty the thicket where I had hidden my body.
And she cried out: "O my running hounds, we are being hunted by these men!
ἀλλʼ ἕπεσθέ μοι, §733ἕπεσθε θύρσοις διὰ χερῶν ὡπλισμέναι. §734ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν φεύγοντες ἐξηλύξαμεν §735βακχῶν σπαραγμόν, αἳ δὲ νεμομέναις χλόην §736μόσχοις ἐπῆλθον χειρὸς ἀσιδήρου μέτα.
But follow me, follow, armed with the thyrsoi in your hands!" We then fled and escaped the tearing-to-pieces of the Bacchae, but they descended upon the grazing heifers, with weaponless hands.
§737καὶ τὴν μὲν ἂν προσεῖδες εὔθηλον πόριν §738μυκωμένην ἔχουσαν ἐν χεροῖν δίχα, §739ἄλλαι δὲ δαμάλας διεφόρουν σπαράγμασιν.
And you might have seen one holding a well-uddered heifer bellowing, tearing it in two in her hands, while others were tearing young cows to pieces.
§740εἶδες δʼ ἂν ἢ πλεύρʼ ἢ δίχηλον ἔμβασιν §741ῥιπτόμενʼ ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω· κρεμαστὰ δὲ §742ἔσταζʼ ὑπʼ ἐλάταις ἀναπεφυρμένʼ αἵματι.
And you could have seen either ribs or cloven hoofs being tossed up and down; and hanging under the silver firs they dripped, smeared with blood.
§743ταῦροι δʼ ὑβρισταὶ κἀς κέρας θυμούμενοι §744τὸ πρόσθεν ἐσφάλλοντο πρὸς γαῖαν δέμας, §745μυριάσι χειρῶν ἀγόμενοι νεανίδων.
And bulls, previously violent and raging in their horns, were tripped to the ground, dragged by countless hands of young girls.
And the coverings of their flesh were torn apart faster than you could close your eyelids over your royal pupils.
§748χωροῦσι δʼ ὥστʼ ὄρνιθες ἀρθεῖσαι δρόμῳ §749πεδίων ὑποτάσεις, αἳ παρʼ Ἀσωποῦ ῥοαῖς §750εὔκαρπον ἐκβάλλουσι Θηβαίων στάχυν· §751Ὑσιάς τʼ Ἐρυθράς θʼ, αἳ Κιθαιρῶνος λέπας §752νέρθεν κατῳκήκασιν, ὥστε πολέμιοι, §753ἐπεσπεσοῦσαι πάντʼ ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω
And they went, raised up like birds in their course, over the stretches of the plains which by the streams of Asopus produce the fertile harvest for the Thebans; and falling like enemies upon Hysiae and Erythrae, which lie built below the ridge of Cithaeron, they turned everything upside down.