Phoenissae
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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
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and you brought, you brought a murderous grief, a deadly curse to our native land. A deadly god he was who brought all this to pass. Mourning of mothers, mourning of maidens,
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filled the houses with groans; a lamenting cry, a lamenting song, one after another wailed out, in turn throughout the city. The roar of the groaning
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was like thunder, whenever the winged maiden bore a man out of sight from the city.
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Chorus
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At last came Oedipus, the man of sorrow, sent from Delphi
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to this land of Thebes, a joy to us then, but afterwards a cause of grief; for, when he guessed the riddle triumphantly, he formed with his mother an unhallowed union, woe to him!
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polluting the city; and striking down his sons by his curses, he handed them over to loathsome strife, through blood, the wretched man.
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We admire him, we admire him,
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who has gone to his death in his country’s cause, leaving tears to Creon, but bringing a crown of victory to our seven fenced towers.
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May we be mothers in this way, may we have such fair children, dear PalIas, you who with well-aimed stone spilled the serpent’s blood, rousing Cadmus to brood upon the task,
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from which a demon’s curse swooped upon this land and ravaged it.
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Messenger
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Ho there! Who is at the palace-gates? Open the door, summon Jocasta forth. Ho there! once again I call; in spite of this long delay,
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come forth; listen, noble wife of Oedipus, cease your lamentation and your tears of woe.
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Jocasta
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Surely you have not come, dear friend, with the sad news of Eteocles’ death, beside whose shield you have always marched, warding off from him the enemy’s darts?
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What tidings are you here to bring me? Is my son alive or dead? Tell me.
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Messenger
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He is alive, do not fear that, so that I may rid you of your terror.
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Jocasta
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Well? How is it with the seven towers that wall us in?
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Messenger
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They stand unshattered; the city is not plundered.
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Jocasta
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Have they been in jeopardy of the Argive spear?
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Messenger
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Yes, on the very brink; but our Theban warriors proved stronger than Mycenae’s might.
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Jocasta
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One thing tell me, by the gods, if you know anything of Polyneices; for this too is my concern, if he is alive.
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Messenger
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As yet your sons are living, the pair of them.
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Jocasta
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God bless you! How did you succeed in beating off from our gates the Argive army, when beleaguered? Tell me, so that I may go within and cheer the old blind man, since our city is still safe.
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Messenger
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After Creon’s son, who gave up his life for his country, had taken his stand on the turret’s top and plunged a dark-hilted sword through his throat to save this land, your son told off seven companies with their captains to the seven gates to keep watch on the Argive warriors,
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and stationed cavalry to cover cavalry, and infantry to support infantry, so that assistance might be close at hand for any weak point in the walls. Then from our lofty towers we saw the Argive army with their white shields leaving
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Teumesus, and, when near the trench, they charged up to our Theban city at a run. In one loud burst from their ranks and from our walls rang out the battle-cry and trumpet-call.
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First to the Neitian gate, Parthenopaeus, son of the huntress,
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led a company bristling with thick rows of shields, and he had his own device in the centre of his shield: Atalanta slaying the Aetolian boar with an arrow shot from far. To the gates of Proetus
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came the prophet Amphiaraus, bringing the victims on a chariot; he had no boastful sign, but weapons chastely plain.
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Next lord Hippomedon came marching to the Ogygian gates with this device in the middle of his shield:
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Argus the all-seeing dappled with eyes on the watch, some open with the rising stars, others hiding when they set, as could be seen after he was slain.
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At the Homoloian gates Tydeus had his post,
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a lion’s skin with shaggy mane upon his shield, while the Titan Prometheus bore a torch in his right hand, to fire the town.
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Your own Polyneices led the battle against the Fountain gate; upon his shield for a device
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were the colts of Potniae galloping at frantic speed, revolving by some clever contrivance on pivots by the handle, so as to appear distraught.
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At Electra’s gate Capaneus brought up his company, bold as Ares for the battle;
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this device his shield bore upon its iron back: an earth-born giant carrying on his shoulders a whole city which he had wrenched from its base, a hint to us of the fate in store for Thebes.
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Adrastus was at the seventh gate;
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a hundred vipers engraved on his shield, as he bore on his left arm the hydra the boast of Argos, and serpents were carrying off in their jaws the sons of Thebes from within our very walls. Now I was able to see each of them,
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as I carried the watch-word along to the leaders of our companies.
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To begin with, we fought with bows and thonged javelins, with slings that shoot from far and crashing stones; and as we were conquering, Tydeus and your son suddenly cried aloud:
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You sons of Danaus, before you are torn to pieces by their attack, why delay to fall upon the gates with all your might, light-armed and cavalry and charioteers? No loitering then, soon as they heard that call; and many fell with bloody head,
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and many of us you could have seen thrown to the earth like tumblers before the walls, breathing their last, bedewing the dry ground with streams of blood.
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Then Atalanta’s son, who was not an Argive but an Arcadian, hurling himself like a hurricane at the gates, called for
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fire and picks to raze the town; but Periclymenus, son of the ocean-god, stayed his wild career, heaving on his head a wagon-load of stone, the coping from the battlements; and it shattered his head with yellow hair and
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crashed through the seams of the skull, dabbling with blood his fresh cheek; and he will never go back alive to his mother with her lovely bow, the maid of Maenalus.
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Your son then, seeing these gates secure, went on to the next, and I followed him.
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I saw Tydeus and his thick rows of targeteers hurling their Aetolian spears into the opening at the top of the turrets, so that our men fled and left the battlements; but your son rallied them once more, as a huntsman cheers his hounds,
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and stationed them at the towers again. And then we hastened to other gates, after stopping the affliction there. As for the madness of Capaneus, how can I describe it? He was going about with a long scaling-ladder, and boasting
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that even the holy fire of Zeus would not hold him back from giving the city to utter destruction. And even as he spoke, he climbed up beneath the hail of stones, crouched under the shelter of his shield, rung by smooth rung going up the ladder.
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But, just as he was scaling the parapet of the wall, Zeus smote him with a thunderbolt; the earth re-echoed, and fear seized everyone; for from the ladder his limbs were slung far apart, his head toward Olympus, his blood toward earth,
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while his legs and arms went spinning round like Ixion’s wheel he was hurled, spinnning; his burning corpse fell to the ground.
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But when Adrastus saw that Zeus was hostile to his army, he drew the Argive troops outside the trench. Meanwhile our armed cavalry, seeing the lucky omen of Zeus before us,
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were driving forth their chariots, and the armed men charged with spears into the middle of the Argives, and all troubles happened at once: men were dying, hurled headlong from chariots, wheels flew off, axles crashed together,
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while the dead were heaped up on the dead. So for to-day we have prevented destruction of the towers of our land; but if this land will be fortunate for the future, that rests with the gods; for even now it owes its safety to some deity.
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Chorus Leader
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Victory is fair; and if the gods are growing kinder, it would be well with me.
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Jocasta
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The gods and fortune have treated us well; for my sons are alive and my land has escaped ruin. But Creon seems to have had bitter enjoyment
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from my marriage with Oedipus, by losing his son to his sorrow, a public success, a private grief. But please, come back to your tale again and say what my two sons intend to do next.
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Messenger
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Let the rest be; all is well with you so far.
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Jocasta
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Your words rouse my suspicions; I cannot let it be.
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Messenger
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Have you any further wish than your sons’ safety?
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Jocasta
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Yes, to hear if I shall fare well in the future.
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Messenger
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Let me go; your son is left without his squire.
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Jocasta
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There is some evil you are hiding, veiling it in darkness.
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Messenger
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I would not add ill news to the good you have heard.
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Jocasta
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You must, unless you take wings and fly away.
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Messenger
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Ah! Why did you not let me go after my good news, instead of forcing me to disclose evil? Those two sons of yours are resolved on
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deeds of shameful recklessness, a single combat apart from the army; they addressed to Argives and Thebans alike words I would they had never uttered. Eteocles, taking his stand on a lofty tower, after ordering silence to be proclaimed to the army, began:
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and said: O captains of Hellas, chieftains of Argos here assembled, and you people of Cadmus, do not barter your lives for Polyneices or for me! For I myself excuse you from this risk,
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and will engage my brother in single combat; and if I slay him, I will possess my house alone, but if I am conquered I will hand down the city to him alone. You men of Argos, give up the struggle and return to your land, do not lose your lives here;
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there are enough of the Sown-men who lie dead.
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So he spoke; then your son Polyneices rushed from the battle-line and assented to his proposal. And all the Argives and the people of Cadmus shouted their approval, as though they thought it just.
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On these terms the armies made a truce, and in the space between them the generals took an oath to abide by.
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At once, the two sons of the old Oedipus were hiding themselves in bronze armor; and lords of Thebes with friendly care equipped the captain of this land,
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while Argive chieftains armed the other. There they stood dazzling, nor were they pale, all eagerness to hurl their lances at each other. Then their friends came to their sides first one, then another, with words of encouragement, saying:
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Polyneices, it rests with you to set up an image of Zeus as a trophy and crown Argos with fair renown.
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Others to Eteocles: Now you are fighting for your city; now, if victorious, you have the scepter in your power.
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So they spoke, cheering them to the battle.
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The seers were sacrificing sheep and noting the tongues and forks of fire, the damp reek which is a bad omen, and the tapering flame which gives decisions on two points, being both a sign of victory and defeat.
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But, if you have any power or subtle speech
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or charmed spell, go, restrain your children from this terrible combat, for great is the risk they run. The prize of the contest will be grievous sorrow for you, if to-day you are deprived of both your sons. Exit Messenger.
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Jocasta
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Antigone, my daughter, come out of the house;
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this heaven-sent crisis is no time for dances or girlish pursuits. But you and your mother must prevent two brave men, your own brothers, from plunging into death and falling by each other’s hand.
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Antigone
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Mother, what new terror are you proclaiming to your friends before the palace?
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Jocasta
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Daughter, your brothers’ lives are going to ruin.
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Antigone
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What do you mean?
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Antigone
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Oh no! what do you have to say, mother?
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Antigone
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Where, away from my maiden’s chamber?
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Antigone
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I cannot face the crowd.
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Antigone
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But what shall I do?
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Antigone
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How so, mother?
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Antigone
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Lead on till we are between the armies; we must not delay.
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Jocasta
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Haste, my daughter, haste! For, if I can forestall the onset of my sons, I may yet live; but if they are dead, I will lie down in death with them. Exeunt Jocasta and Antigone.
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Chorus
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Alas, alas! My mind is trembling with fear,
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trembling; and through my flesh goes a throb of pity, of pity for the hapless mother. Which of her two sons will stain the other with blood—
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ah, for the suffering! O Zeus, O earth, alas!—a brother’s throat, a brother’s life, through his shield, through his blood? Ah me! ah me! which of them
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will I lament as dead?
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Chorus
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Ah, the earth! Ah, the earth! Twin savage beasts, two murderous souls with brandished spears will soon be draining the fallen, fallen enemy’s blood. Unhappy,
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that they ever thought of single combat! In foreign voice I will chant a dirge of tears and wailing, in mourning for the dead. Close to murder stands their fortune;
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the coming day will decide it. Fatal this slaughter, fatal, because of the Furies.
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Chorus Leader
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But hark! I see Creon on his way here to the house with clouded brow, and so I will cease my present lamentations.