Scout

Last I will tell of the seventh champion, him at the seventh gate, ¹ your own brother, and of what fate he prays for and calls down on the city. His prayer is that after he mounts the battlements and is proclaimed king in the land,

and shouts the paian in triumph over its capture, he may then meet you in combat, and once he kills you, that he may perish at your side, or, if you survive, make you pay with banishment in the same way as you dishonored him with exile. Mighty Polynices shouts such threats and

635

invokes his native gods, the gods of his fatherland, to watch over his prayers in every way. He holds a shield, a perfect circle, newly-made, with a double symbol cleverly fastened on it:

640

a woman modestly walking in the fore leads a man in arms made, it appears, of hammered gold. She claims to be Justice, as the lettering indicates, I will bring this man back and he will have his city and move freely in his father’s halls.
  Such are the inventions fixed to their shields.

645

Quickly determine yourself whom you think it best to send. Know that you will find no fault with me in the substance of my report, but you yourself determine on what course to pilot the city. Exit.

650

Eteocles

O my family sired by Oedipus, steeped in tears,

driven to madness by the gods and by the gods detested! Ah, now indeed our father’s curses are brought to fulfillment. But neither weeping nor wailing is proper for me now, lest a grief even harder to bear is brought to life. As for him whose name is so very fitting, Polynices, we shall know soon enough what the symbol on his shield will accomplish,

655

whether the babbling letters shaped in gold on his shield, together with his mind’s wanderings, will bring him back. If Justice, Zeus’s maiden daughter, were attending his actions and his thoughts, this might be so. But as it is, neither when he escaped the darkness of his mother’s womb,

660

nor in childhood, nor at any point in his early manhood, nor when the beard first thickened on his cheek, did Justice acknowledge him and consider him worthy. And even now I do not think that she is standing by his side to aid the destruction of his fatherland.

665

Indeed, Justice would truly be false to her name, if she should ally herself with a man so utterly audacious in his plans. Trusting in this fact I will go and stand against him—I myself in person. Who else has a more just claim? Commander against commander, brother against brother,

670

enemy against enemy, I will take my stand. Quick, bring my greaves to protect against spears and stones!

675

Chorus

No, son of Oedipus, most dear of our men, do not be like in temperament to him who is called by such an evil name. It is enough that Cadmeans

are advancing to close combat with Argives. That bloodshed can be expiated. But when men of the same blood kill each other as you desire, the pollution from this act never grows old.

680

Eteocles

If indeed a man should suffer evil, let it be without dishonor, since that is the only benefit for the dead.

But you cannot speak of any glory for happenings that are at once evil and held in dishonor.

685

Eteocles

Alas! for the omen

that associates a righteous man with the impious!—Indeed in every matter, nothing is worse than evil fellowship—the field of infatuation has death for its fruits

. For whether it be that a pious man hath embarked in a vessel along with violent sailors, and some villany, he perishes with the race of men abhorred of heaven; or, being righteous, and having rightly fallen into the same toils with his countrymen, violators of hospitality, and unmindful of the gods, he is beaten down, smitten with the scourge of the deity, which falls alike on all. Now this seer, I mean the son of Oïcleus, a moderate, just, good, and pious man, a mighty prophet, associated with unholy bold-mouthed men, in spite of his [better] judgment, when they made their long march, by the favour of Jove, shall be drawn along with them to go to the distant city

. I fancy, indeed, that he will not make an attack on our gates, not as wanting spirit, nor from cowardice of disposition, but he knows that it is his doom to fall in battle, if there is to be any fruit in the oracles of Apollo: 'tis his wont too to hold his peace, or to speak what is seasonable. Nevertheless against him we will marshal a man, mighty Lasthenes, a porter surly to strangers, and who bears an aged mind, but a youthful form; quick is his eye, and he is not slow of hand to snatch his spear made naked from his left hand

. But for mortals to succeed is a boon of the deity.

Chorus

LE MESSAGER

sillon profond d'où germent les nobles desseins. — A
celui-là je t'engage à envoyer des adversaires sages et braves à la fois : redoutable est celui qui révère les dieux.

ÉTÉOCLE

Hélas ! quel présage rapproche ici un juste des impies ! dans toute entreprise, rien de mauvais comme
de mauvais compagnons. La récolte n'en est point à engranger ⁴ . Qu'un homme pieux s'embarque avec des marins ardents à achever un crime, et il périt avec leur
engeance maudite. Qu'un juste s'associe à des citoyens inhospitaliers, oublieux du Ciel, et le voilà fatalement pris au même filet : il succombe sous le harpon divin qui ne distingue pas ! Ainsi le devin, fils d'Oïclée, homme sage,
juste, brave et pieux, illustre prophète, pour s'être trouvé mêlé malgré lui à des impies au langage téméraire, engagés dans une route sur laquelle le retour doit être long ⁵ , sera, si Zeus le veut, ramassé par le même coup de filet. — Je
crois qu'il n'attaquera même pas nos portes, non qu'il soit sans courage ou de volonté lâche, mais il dit savoir qu'il tombera dans la bataille, si les oracles de Loxias ne sont pas stériles, et il a coutume de ne dire que ce qui
convient ou de se taire. En face de lui toutefois nous placerons un portier inhospitalier, le puissant Lasthène ⁶ : si son esprit est d'un vieillard, ses muscles sont jeunes, son œil agile et son bras prompt à frapper de la javeline le flanc

ÉTÉOCLE

découvert par le bouclier. Mais, pour les mortels, le succès n'est qu'un don

ETEOCLES.

I mourn the deſtiny, that blends the juſt

680

With theſe unhallow'd wretches. Nothing worſe

In whate'er cauſe, than impious fellowſhip;

Nothing of good is reap'd; for when the field,

Is ſown with wrong, the ripen'd fruit is death...

If with a deſperate band, whoſe hearts are hot

685

With villany, the pious hoists his ſails,

The vengeance of the Gods bursts on the bark

And ſinks him with the heav'ndeteſted crew.

If 'midſt a race, inhoſpitably bent

On ſavage deeds, regardleſs of the Gods,

690

The juſt man fix his ſeat, th' impending wrath

Spares not, but ſtrikes him with vindictive fury,

Crush'd in the general ruin.

So this ſeer,

Of temper'd wiſdom, of unſullied honour,

695

Juſt, good, and pious, and a mighty prophet,

In deſpite to his better judgment join'd

With men of impious daring, bent to tread

The long, irremeable way, with them

Shall, if high Jove aſſiſt us, be drag'd down

700

To joint perdition.

Ne'er ſhall he advance

Againſt our gates, withheld not by baſe fear,

Or cowardice of ſoul; but that he knows

His fate, if Phœbus ought of truth foretells,

705

To fall in fight: he loves then to be ſilent,

Since what the time demands he cannot ſpeak.

Yet him againſt the ſtrength of Laſthenes,

Who from the ſtranger's inroad guards our gates,

Shall I oppoſe: in manhood's vig'rous prime

710

He bears the providence of age; his eye

Quick as the lightning's glance; before his ſhield

Flames his protended ſpear n

, and longs t' obey

His hand.

But victory is the gift of Heav'n.

715

CHORUS.

ETEOCLE

Ahi!, cieca sorte, come unisci gli uomini !

Con gli empissimi il giusto. E in ogni evento

danno peggior che mala compagnia

non v'ha: frutto non dà che possa cogliersi :

675

morte produce il campo della colpa.

Se l'uomo pio con navichieri tristi,

con l'opere empie, il legno ascende, anch'egli

muore con quella gente invisa ai Numi.

E se fra i cittadini ostili agli ospiti

680

e immemori dei Numi, un giusto vive

senza sua colpa, nella rete stessa,

colto, percosso dal flagel che il Dio

vibra su tutti, giace.

Ugualemente

685

questo indovino, figlio d'Oïclèo,

uom saggio, e giusto, e buono e pio, profeta

grande, con gli empî, a suo mal grado è tratto,

coi tracotanti, che la lunga via

batteran presto del ritomo; e anch'egli

690

travolto ivi sarà. Giove lo vuole.

Ei non s'abbatterà, credo, sui valli:

non perché vile o d'animo codardo;

ma in questa mischia, il so, cadere ei deve,

se pur frutto han gli oracoli d'Apollo,

695

che sogliono tacere, o il vero parlano.

Ma pure, contro lui, Làstene prode,

ostile agli stranieri, io schiererò,

che le soglie tuteli. Annosa mente,

floride membra, rapida pupilla;

700

e non trattiene la sua mano, quando

deve ghermir la spada al lato manco.

I Numi, poi, dan la fortuna agli uomini.

CORO

Eteocles

Heu aufpicium, quod coniungit mortalibus

Iustum uirum his improbiſsimis.

In omni negotio uerò eſt conuerſatione mala

570

Nihil peius, fructus non reponendus.

Nocumenti mortem terra præcipit.

Pius uir enim aut nauim confcendens

Cum nautis callidis, aftutia quadam indutis,

Perit cum hominum genere inuifo dijs:

575

Aut cum ciuibus uiris, iuſtus exiſtens,

Inhofpitalibus, deorumq; immemoribus:

Affecutus meritò hanc cladem

Domatur, percuffus flagello Dei communi.

Iſte uates uerò (filium Oiclei dico)

580

Prudens, iuſtus, probus, generofus uir,

Magnus prædictor, improbis mixtus,

Imprudentibus uiris mentium ui,

Contendunt uenire magno comitatu ad urbem.

Ioue uolente, unà cum illis trahetur.

585

Arbitror enim ipsum non inſtare portis,

Tanqam ignauum, neq; malitia conſilij:

Sed nouit quòd se oportet occumbere pugna,

Si fructus erit uaticinijs Apollinis.

Cupit tacere,aut dicere opportuna.

590

Tamen illi uirum Laitonem

Inhumanum ianitorem opponemus,

Senem mente, corpore pubescentem natura.

Veloci oculo, manu non tardus eſt,

Sine clypeo nudatam arripere hastam.

595

Dei uerò donum est, mortales fælices eſse.

Cho.

Eteocles

Out on the chance that couples mortal men,

595

Linking the just and impious in one!

In every issue, the one curse is this—

Companionship with men of evil heart!

A baneful harvest, let none gather it!

The field of sin is rank, and brings forth death.

600

At whiles a righteous man who goes aboard

With reckless mates, a horde of villainy,

Dies by one death with that detested crew;

At whiles the just man, joined with citizens

Ruthless to strangers, recking nought of Heaven,

605

Trapped, against nature, in one net with them,

Dies by God's thrust and all-including blow.

So will this prophet die, even Oecleus' child,

Sage, just, and brave, and loyal towards Heaven,

Potent in prophecy, but mated here

610

With men of sin, too boastful to be wise!

Long is their road, and they return no more,

And, at their taking-off, by hand of Zeus,

The prophet too shall take the downward way.

He will not—so I deem—assail the gate—

615

Not as through cowardice or feeble will,

But as one knowing to what end shall be

Their struggle in the battle, if indeed

Fruit of fulfilment lie in Loxias' word.

He speaketh not, unless to speak avails!

620

Yet, for more surety, we will post a man,

Strong Lasthenes, as warder of the gate,

Stern to the foeman; he hath age's skill,

Mated with youthful vigour, and an eye

Forward, alert; swift too his hand, to catch

625

The fenceless interval 'twixt shield and spear!

Yet man's good fortune lies in hand of Heaven.

Chorus

Eteokles.

Ha, welch ein Unglücksvogel, der dem biedern Mann

Die gottvergess'nen Frevler als Genossen gab!

Denn aller Dinge schlimmstes ist Genossenschaft

Mit Schlimmen, - unheilvolle Frucht, nicht sammelnswerth!

575

Und auf des Lasters Felde sprießt als Frucht der Tod.

Und wenn der frommgesinnte Mann Ein Schiff bestieg

Mit rohem Schiffsvolk, ungestümer Frevlerbrut,

Schlingt sammt den Gottverworfnen ihn die Flut hinab.

Und wenn ein Edler unter Gottvergessenen,

580

Die kühn das Gastrecht schänden, als Mitbürger lebt;

Umgarnt von gleichem Neke dann, erliegt auch er

Erzürnter Götter Geißelschlag, der alle trifft.

So wird der hohe Seher auch, des Oikles Sohn,

Ein weiser, edler, tapfrer, frommgesinnter Mann,

585

Der große Schicksalsdeuter, weil er Frevlern sich,

Den zungenfrechen, seinem Sinn zum Troy gesellt,

Die Kadmos' Stadt auf dieser weiten Fahrt sich nah'n, —

Er wird mit ihnen, will es Zeus, hinabgerafft.

Zwar glaub' ich, wagt er keinen Sturm auf jenes Thor,

590

Nicht weil er muthlos oder feigen Sinnes ist,

Nein, weil er einsteht, daß er fallen muß im Kampf,

Wenn nicht die Seherstimme trügt des Loxias,

Der Wahres meldet oder stumm den Mund verschließt.

Doch stell' ich ihm auch einen Mann, den Lasthenes,

595

Den Fremdlingsfeind, entgegen als des Thores Hut,

Der frisch in Jugendfülle blüht, an Geist ein Greis,

Blipschnellen Auges, dessen Hand, stets kampfbereit,

Das nackte Schwert von schildbewehrter Hüfte reißt.

Doch Götterhuld ist's, krönt das Glück die Sterblichen.

600

(Lasthenes ab mit einem Theile des Gefolges.)

Zweiter Halbchor.

Dritte Gegenstrophe.