Alas! alas! a mighty ocean of ills has, in truth, burst upon both the Persians and the entire race of the barbarians.
MESSENGER
Be now well assured of this, that the evil hath not yet reached its half. Such a visitation of ills hath come upon them, as to overbalance these even twice over.
Be now well assured of this, that the evil hath not yet reached its half. Such a visitation of ills hath come upon them, as to overbalance these even twice over.
ATOSSA
And what event can have befallen that is yet more hateful than this? Say what misfortune this is, which, thou sayest, hath farther come upon the host, verging to greater horrors.
And what event can have befallen that is yet more hateful than this? Say what misfortune this is, which, thou sayest, hath farther come upon the host, verging to greater horrors.
MESSENGER
As many of the Persians as were in the very bloom of life, most valiant in their spirit, and distinguished by their high birth, and were ever foremost in faithfulness to our monarch himself, have fallen foully by a most inglorious doom.
As many of the Persians as were in the very bloom of life, most valiant in their spirit, and distinguished by their high birth, and were ever foremost in faithfulness to our monarch himself, have fallen foully by a most inglorious doom.
ATOSSA
Alas! the wretch that I am, my friends, by this evil hap. And by what kind of doom sayest thou that these of whom thou speakest perished?
Alas! the wretch that I am, my friends, by this evil hap. And by what kind of doom sayest thou that these of whom thou speakest perished?
MESSENGER
There is a certain island lying off the shores of Salamis, small, a dangerous station for ships, which Pan, who delights in the dance, haunts on its beach. Thither [Xerxes] sends these men, in order that, when the foeman wandering out of their ships should make their escape to the island, they might slay the soldiery of the Greeks, an easy prey, and rescue their comrades from the streams of the sea, ill knowing of the future; for when God gave the glory of the naval battle to the Greeks, on that very day having fortified their bodies in their armour well-wrought of brass, they leaped out of their vessels, and encompassed the whole island around, so that they were at a loss whither they should betake themselves; for often were they smitten by stones from their hands, and arrows falling on them from the bowstring destroyed them. And at last, having charged them with one onslaught, they smite, they how in pieces the limbs of the wretches, until they had utterly destroyed the life of all of them. And Xerxes shrieked aloud, when he saw the depth of his calamities; for he had a seat that afforded a clear prospect
1
of the whole armament, a high hill near the ocean brine; and having rent his clothes, and uttered a shrill wail, after issuing orders quickly to the land forces, he dismisses them in disorderly flight. Such a misfortune is it thine to wail over, in addition to the aforementioned.
There is a certain island lying off the shores of Salamis, small, a dangerous station for ships, which Pan, who delights in the dance, haunts on its beach. Thither [Xerxes] sends these men, in order that, when the foeman wandering out of their ships should make their escape to the island, they might slay the soldiery of the Greeks, an easy prey, and rescue their comrades from the streams of the sea, ill knowing of the future; for when God gave the glory of the naval battle to the Greeks, on that very day having fortified their bodies in their armour well-wrought of brass, they leaped out of their vessels, and encompassed the whole island around, so that they were at a loss whither they should betake themselves; for often were they smitten by stones from their hands, and arrows falling on them from the bowstring destroyed them. And at last, having charged them with one onslaught, they smite, they how in pieces the limbs of the wretches, until they had utterly destroyed the life of all of them. And Xerxes shrieked aloud, when he saw the depth of his calamities; for he had a seat that afforded a clear prospect
1
of the whole armament, a high hill near the ocean brine; and having rent his clothes, and uttered a shrill wail, after issuing orders quickly to the land forces, he dismisses them in disorderly flight. Such a misfortune is it thine to wail over, in addition to the aforementioned.
ATOSSA
Persians. Aeschylus. Theodore Alois Buckley (Translator). London. 1849.
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