Helen
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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
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wandering toil, searching for the treacherous rape of her daughter, she crossed the snow-capped heights of the nymphs of Mount Ida;
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and in sorrow cast herself down in the rocky woods deep in snow; and, by not making fruitful with crops the barren fields of the earth for mortals, she destroyed the human race.
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She would not send forth the rich nourishment of leafy tendrils for the herds, and life was leaving the cities. No sacrifice was offered to the gods, and on the altars were no cakes to burn;
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she made the dew-fed springs of clear water cease flowing, the avenger in sorrow for her child.
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Helen
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My friends, all goes well for us inside;
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for the daughter of Proteus, who aids us in our theft, has told her brother nothing when questioned as to my husband’s coming; for my sake she said that he was not alive, but dead and buried. . . . My husband has snatched up by chance fine things indeed;
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for he is carrying away the armor he was intending to let fall into the sea, putting his noble arm through the shield-strap and holding a spear in his right hand, on pretence of joining in the service to the dead. He has equipped his body with weapons conveniently for the battle,
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in order to to set up the trophies of countless barbarians, whenever we embark on the oared ship. I adorned him with robes in place of his shipwrecked garments, and I washed him, a long-delayed bath in water from the stream.
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But I must be silent, for the man is coming from the house who thinks he holds my marriage ready in his hands; and I claim your goodwill and strict silence, so that, when we have saved ourselves, we may be able some day to save you also.
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Theoklymenos
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Advance in order, servants, as the stranger directed, bearing the funeral gifts for the sea. But you, Helen, if you will agree with my words, be persuaded and stay here; for you will do your husband equal service whether you are present or not.
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For I am afraid that some sudden passion should persuade you to throw your body into the swelling waves, stricken by love for your former husband; you are grieving for him too much, although he is lost.
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Helen
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O my new husband, I must honor
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my first marriage-bed and the one whose company I shared as a bride; for I could even die with my husband, I loved him so much. But how could he thank me, if I were to share death with him? Let me go and pay funeral rites to the dead in person.
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May the gods give to you the things I wish and also to this stranger here, for his assistance! And you will have in me such a wife at home as you ought to have, since you are doing a good service to Menelaos and to me; for surely these events are leading to some good fortune.
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But now appoint someone to give us a ship in which to carry these gifts, so that I may have your kindness in full.
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Theoklymenos
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(to an attendant.) You, go and give them a Sidonian ship of fifty oars, and rowers also.
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Helen
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This man who is ordering the funeral will be in command of the ship, won’t he?
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Theoklymenos
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Most certainly; my sailors must obey him.
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Helen
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Repeat the order, so that they may clearly understand you.
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Theoklymenos
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I repeat the order, and a third time too, if you wish it.
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Helen
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May you have benefit from it—and I from my plans!
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Thoeklymenos
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Do not ruin your skin with too much weeping now.
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Helen
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This day will show my gratitude to you.
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Theoklymenos
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The state of the dead is nothingness; toil for them is vain.
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Helen
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There is something of what I say both there and here.
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Theoklymenos
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You will not find in me a husband at all inferior to Menelaos.
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Helen
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You are not at fault in any way; good luck is all I need.
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Theoklymenos
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That is in your power, if you show kindness to me.
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Helen
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This is not a lesson I shall have to learn now, to love my friends.
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Theoklymenos
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Would you like me to send out the equipment in person, working together with you?
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Helen
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Not at all! Do not become a slave to your slaves, lord.
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Theoklymenos
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Come then! I have no concern with the customs of the race of Pelops.
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My house is pure; for Menelaos did not die here. Let someone go and tell my chieftans to bring marriage-offerings to my house; the whole earth must ring with joyful wedding-songs
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in celebration of my wedding with Helen, so that it may be envied. You, stranger, go and give to the sea’s embrace these offerings to this woman’s husband, who was once alive; and then hurry back home with my wife, so that after sharing with me her marriage-feast, you may
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set out for home or remain here in happiness. Exit Theoklymenos.
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Menelaos
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O Zeus, called father and god of wisdom, look on us and alter our woes! As we drag our fortunes to the rocky hill, make haste to join with us; if you touch us with your finger-tip only,
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we shall reach our longed-for goal. There has been enough distress in what we have suffered before. I have invoked you, gods, with many names, good and painful; I am not bound to be unfortunate forever, but to advance in a straight course. If you grant me one favor,
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you will make me fortunate hereafter. Exeunt Menelaos and Helen.
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Chorus
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O swift Phoenician ship of Sidon, dear to the surging waves, mother of the oar, leader of the lovely dancing
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of dolphins, when the sea is clear of breezes and Ocean’s gray-green daughter, spirit of calm, says these words: Spread your sails
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to the sea-breezes, as you go on your way, grasp your oars of pine, oh! sailors, sailors, speeding Helen on her way to the shore with good harbor, where once Perseus lived..
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Chorus
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Perhaps you may find the daughters of Leukippos beside the swell of the river or before the temple of Pallas, when at last you join in the dances or the revels of Hyakinthos
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in night-long joy—Hyakinthos, whom Phoebus killed with the round discus, contesting for the farthest throw—a day of the sacrifice of oxen in the Lakonian land;
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the son of Zeus declared that his race would be honored; and you may find the girl whom you left at home, Hermione, for as yet no torch has lit the way to her marriage.
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Second Messenger
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(entering hurriedly.) O king, at last have I found thee in the palace; for new. . . troubles are you soon to hear from me.
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Theoklymenos
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What is it?
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woman; for Helen has left the country.
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Theoklymenos
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Carried up on wings, or treading on the earth?
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Messenger
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Menelaos has taken her off as plunder, out of the land; he was the one that came with the news of his own death.
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Theoklymenos
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O dreadful story! What ship carried her
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off from this land? Your story is unbelievable.
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Messenger
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The very one that you gave to the stranger; and he has gone with your sailors, so that you may know everything in brief.
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Theoklymenos
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How? I am eager to know; for I never expected that a single hand could excel over
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so many sailors, with whom you were sent.
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Messenger
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When the daughter of Zeus had left this royal house and started for the sea, delicately picking her way, she most cleverly began to mourn her husband, though he was close at hand and not dead.
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When we reached the enclosure of your dockyards, we began to launch the Sidonian ship on her first voyage, with her fifty benches and full measure of rowers. Task gave way to task: one set up the mast, another set up the oars
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. . . and the rudders were lowered by their cross-bars. And during this labor, men of Hellas who had been fellow-voyagers with Menelaos were watching us, it seems, and they drew near to the beach, clad in the rags of shipwrecked men,
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handsome, but rough to look upon. And the son of Atreus, when he saw them approach, spoke to them, craftily introducing the reason for his mourning: Unhappy sailors, how have you arrived? From the wreckage of what Achaean ship?
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Are you here to help bury the dead son of Atreus, whose missing body this lady, daughter of Tyndareus, is honoring with an empty grave? They wept in a feigned manner, and went to the ship, carrying aboard the offerings to be thrown into the sea for Menelaos. We were suspicious at this,
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and said to each other that there would be a crowd of those additional passengers; but still we remained silent, out of respect for your orders; for by bidding the stranger command the vessel, you threw everything into confusion.
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Well, we easily put the other victims on the ship, for they were light;
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but the bull did not want to go forward along the plank, but kept bellowing loudly, rolling his eyes around; and, arching his back and peering along his horns, he prevented us from touching him. But Helen’s husband
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called out: O you who sacked the town of Ilion, come pick up this bull on young shoulders, as is the way in Hellas, and cast him into the prow . . . the sacrifice to the dead man.
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Then they came at his summons, and caught up the bull and carried him on to the deck. And Menelaos stroked the horse on neck and brow, coaxing it to go aboard.
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Finally, when the ship was fully loaded,
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Helen climbed up the ladder with elegant step, and took her seat in the middle of the rowers’ benches, and he was near by, Menelaos who was called dead. The rest, equally divided on the right and left sides of the ship, sat down, each beside his man, with swords concealed beneath their cloaks,
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and the waves were filled with shouting as we heard the voice of the boatswain.
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Now when we had put out from land, neither very far nor very near, the helmsman asked, Shall we sail yet further, stranger, or is this far enough?
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For the command of this ship is yours. And he answered, Far enough for me. Holding a sword in his right hand, he stepped into the prow; and, standing over the bull to slay it, with no mention of any dead man, he cut its throat and prayed: O Poseidon of the sea,
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who lives in the deep, and you holy daughters of Nereus, bring me and my wife safe and sound from here to Nauplia’s shore! Streams of blood, a good omen for the stranger, darted into the waves. And someone said, There is treachery in this voyage;
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let us sail back again! You, give an order for the right oar, you, turn your rudder. But the son of Atreus, standing where he slew the bull, cried out to his comrades, Why do you, the pick of Hellas, delay to slaughter and kill the barbarians
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and hurl them from the ship into the waves? And the boatswain cried the opposite command to your rowers: Some of you catch up planks at the end, break up the benches, or snatch the oars from the locks, and make the heads of these foreign enemies bloody!.
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They all leapt upright, some with oars in their hands, others with swords; and the ship ran with blood. Helen cheered them on from the stern: Where is the fame you won in Troy? Show it against the barbarians! In their eagerness, some would
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fall, some stood upright, you would have seen others lying dead. But Menelaos, in full armor, wherever he spied that his comrades were suffering, would go there, sword in hand; and so we dived
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from the ship, and he cleared the benches of your rowers. Then going to the helmsman he told him to sail a straight course to Hellas. So they set up the mast, and favoring breezes blew.
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They are gone from here. But I escaped death and let myself down by the anchor into the sea;
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and just as I was worn out, some fisherman took me up, and put me out on land, to bring you this report. Nothing is more useful to mankind than a prudent distrust.
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Chorus Leader
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I never would have believed that Menelaos could have eluded both us
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and you, O king, the way he did on his arrival.
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Theoklymenos
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Caught by a woman’s tricks, unhappy that I am! My bride has escaped me. If the ship could have been pursued and overtaken, I would have made an effort to catch the strangers at once; but now I will avenge myself upon my treacherous sister,
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for she saw Menelaos in my house and did not tell me. Therefore she will never deceive another man by her oracles.
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Servant
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You, there! Where are you rushing off to, my lord? to what bloody deed?
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Theoklymenos
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Where justice calls me. Get out of my way!
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Servant
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I will not let go of your robe, for you are striving after great wickedness.
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Theoklymenos
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Will you rule over your master, although you are a slave?
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Theoklymenos
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Not in my opinion, if you will not let me—
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Theoklymenos
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Let me kill my most wicked sister—
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Theoklymenos
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Who betrayed me—
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Theoklymenos
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When she gave my bride to another.
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Theoklymenos
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Who has rights over my property?
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Theoklymenos
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But fortune gave her to me.
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Theoklymenos
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It is not for you to judge my affairs.
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Theoklymenos
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So I am your subject, not your ruler.
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Theoklymenos
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It seems you desire to be killed.
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you will not kill your sister with my consent, but me instead; to die for their masters is the most glorious act for noble slaves.
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Dioskouroi
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Restrain the anger that is wrongly carrying you away, Theoklymenos, king of this land. We, the twin sons of Zeus, are calling you; Leda once gave birth to us,
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with Helen, who has fled from your home. For you are angry about a marriage that is not destined for you; and your sister Theonoe, daughter of a Nereid goddess, does not wrong you when she honors the word of the gods and her father’s just commands.
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For it was ordained that Helen should live in your house up to the present time; but no longer, since Troy is wholly destroyed and she has provided her name to the gods; she must be united in her own marriage,
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and come home and live with her husband. But hold your black sword away from your sister, and believe that she is acting with discretion in this matter. Long ago, before this, we would have saved our sister, seeing that Zeus has made us gods;
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but we are weaker than fate and also than the gods, who decreed these things to happen in this way.