Æschylos Tragedies and Fragments. Aeschylus

in the night just past. And this I'll tell thee:

      There stood by me two women in fair robes;

      And this in Persian garments was arrayed,

      And that in Dorian came before mine eyes;

      In stature both of tallest, comeliest size;

      And both of faultless beauty, sisters twain

      Of the same stock.20 And they twain had their homes,

      One in the Hellenic, one in alien land.

      And these two, as I dreamt I saw, were set

      At variance with each other. And my son

      Learnt it, and checked and mollified their wrath,

      And yokes them to his chariot, and his collar

      He places on their necks. And one was proud

      Of that equipment,21 and in harness gave

      Her mouth obedient; but the other kicked,

      And tears the chariot's trappings with her hands,

      And rushes off uncurbed, and breaks its yoke

      Asunder. And my son falls low, and then

      His father comes, Dareios, pitying him.

      And lo! when Xerxes sees him, he his clothes

      Rends round his limbs. These things I say I saw

      In visions of the night; and when I rose,

      And dipped my hands in fountain flowing clear,22

      I at the altar stood with hand that bore

      Sweet incense, wishing holy chrism to pour

      To the averting Gods whom thus men worship.

      And I beheld an eagle in full flight

      To Phœbos' altar-hearth; and then, my friends,

      I stood, struck dumb with fear; and next I saw

      A kite pursuing, in her wingèd course,

      And with his claws tearing the eagle's head,

      Which did nought else but crouch and yield itself.

      Such terrors it has been my lot to see,

      And yours to hear: For be ye sure, my son,

      If he succeed, will wonder-worthy prove;

      But if he fail, still irresponsible

      He to the people, and in either case,

      He, should he but return, is sovereign still.23

      Chor. We neither wish, O Lady, thee to frighten

      O'ermuch with what we say, nor yet encourage:

      But thou, the Gods adoring with entreaties,

      If thou hast seen aught ill, bid them avert it,

      And that all good things may receive fulfilment

      For thee, thy children, and thy friends and country.

      And next 'tis meet libations due to offer

      To Earth and to the dead. And ask thy husband,

      Dareios, whom thou say'st by night thou sawest,

      With kindly mood from 'neath the Earth to send thee

      Good things to light for thee and for thine offspring,

      While adverse things shall fade away in darkness.

      Such things do I, a self-taught seer, advise thee

      In kindly mood, and any way we reckon

      That good will come to thee from out these omens.

      Atoss. Well, with kind heart, hast thou, as first expounder,

      Out of my dreams brought out a welcome meaning

      For me, and for my sons; and thy good wishes,

      May they receive fulfilment! And this also,

      As thou dost bid, we to the Gods will offer

      And to our friends below, when we go homeward.

      But first, my friends, I wish to hear of Athens,

      Where in the world do men report it standeth?24

      Chor. Far to the West, where sets our king the Sun-God.

      Atoss. Was it this city my son wished to capture?

      Chor. Aye, then would Hellas to our king be subject.

      Atoss. And have they any multitude of soldiers?

      Chor. A mighty host, that wrought the Medes much mischief.

      Atoss. And what besides? Have they too wealth sufficing?

      Chor. A fount of silver have they, their land's treasure.25

      Atoss. Have they a host in archers' skill excelling?

      Chor. Not so, they wield the spear and shield and bucklers.26

      Atoss. What shepherd rules and lords it o'er their people?

      Chor. Of no man are they called the slaves or subjects.

      Atoss. How then can they sustain a foe invading?

      Chor. So that they spoiled Dareios' goodly army.

      Atoss. Dread news is thine for sires of those who're marching.

      Chor. Nay, but I think thou soon wilt know the whole truth;

      This running one may know is that of Persian:27

      For good or evil some clear news he bringeth.

Enter Messenger

      Mess. O cities of the whole wide land of Asia!

      O soil of Persia, haven of great wealth!

      How at one stroke is brought to nothingness

      Our great prosperity, and all the flower

      Of Persia's strength is fallen! Woe is me!

      'Tis ill to be the first to bring ill news;

      Yet needs must I the whole woe tell, ye Persians:

      All our barbaric mighty host is lost.28

Strophe I

      Chor. O piteous, piteous woe!

      O strange and dread event!

      Weep, O ye Persians, hearing this great grief!

      Mess. Yea, all things there are ruined utterly;

      And I myself beyond all hopes behold

      The light of day at home.

Antistrophe I

      Chor. O'er-long doth life appear

      To me, bowed down with years,

      On hearing this unlooked-for misery.

      Mess. And I, indeed, being present and not hearing

      The tales of others, can report, ye Persians,

      What ills were brought to pass.

Strophe II

      Chor. Alas, alas! in vain

      The many-weaponed

20

With reference either to the mythos that Asia and Europa were both daughters of Okeanos, or to the historical fact that the Asiatic Ionians and the Dorians of Europe were both of the same Hellenic stock. The contrast between the long flowing robes of the Asiatic women, and the short, scanty kilt-like dress of those of Sparta must be borne in mind if we would see the picture in its completeness.

21

Athenian pride is flattered with the thought that they had resisted while the Ionian Greeks had submitted all too willingly to the yoke of the Barbarian.

22

Lustrations of this kind, besides their general significance in cleansing from defilement, had a special force as charms to turn aside dangers threatened by foreboding dreams. Comp. Aristoph. Frogs, v. 1264; Persius, Sat. ii. 16.

23

The political bearing of the passage as contrasting this characteristic of the despotism of Persia with the strict account to which all Athenian generals were subject, is, of course, unmistakable.

24

The question, which seems to have rankled in the minds of the Athenians, is recorded as an historical fact, and put into the mouth of Dareios by Herodotos (v. 101). He had asked it on hearing that Sardis had been attacked and burnt by them.

25

The words point to the silver mines of Laureion, which had been worked under Peisistratos, and of which this is the first mention in Greek literature.

26

Once more the contrast between the Greek hoplite and the light-armed archers of the invaders is dwelt upon. The next answer of the Chorus dwells upon the deeper contrast, then prominent in the minds of all Athenians, between their democratic freedom and the despotism of Persia. Comp. Herod. v. 78.

27

The system of postal communications by means of couriers which Dareios had organised had made their speed in running proverbial (Herod. vii. 97).

28

With the characteristic contempt of a Greek for other races, Æschylos makes the Persians speak of themselves throughout as 'barbarians,' 'barbaric.'