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

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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:

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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.

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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,

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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,

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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.

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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,

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

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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.

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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.

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Eteocles

O heaven-phrenzied, and great abomination of the gods!—Oh! for our race of Œdipus, worthy of all mourning—Alas for me! now verily are the curses of my sire coming to an accomplishment. But it becomes me not to weep or wail, lest birth be given to a lament yet more intolerable. But to Polynices, that well deserves his name, I say, soon shall we know what issue his blazonry will have; whether letters wrought in gold, vainly vaunting on his buckler, along with phrenzy of soul will restore him. If indeed Justice, the virgin daughter of Jove, attended on his actions or his thoughts, perchance this might be. But neither when he escape the darkness of the womb, nor in his infancy, nor ever in his boyhood, nor in the gathering of the hair on his chin, did Justice look on him, or deem him worthy her regards: nor truly do I suppose that she will now take her stand near to him, in his ill-omened possession of his father-land. Truly she would then in all reason be falsely called Justice, were she to consort with a man all-daring in his soul. Trusting in this I will go, and face him in person. Who else could do so with better right? Leader against leader, brother against brother, foeman with foeman, shall I take my stand. Bring me with all speed my greaves, my spear, and my armour of defence against the stones.

Exit Messenger.

Chorus

Do not, O dearest of men, son of Œdipus, become in wrath like to him against whom thou hast most bitterly spoken.—Enough it is that Cadmaeans come to the encounter with Argives. For such bloodshed admits of expiation. But the death of own brothers thus mutually wrought by their own hands—of this pollution there is no decay.

Eteocles

If any one receives evil without disgrace, be it so; for the only advantage is among the dead: but of evil and disgraceful things, thou canst not tell me honour.

Chorus

LE MESSAGER

Je passerai maintenant au septième chef que voici devant la septième porte : à ton propre frère et au sort que ses imprécations, ses prières demandent pour cette ville. Il veut, après avoir escaladé nos murs, s'être proclamé vainqueur et avoir entonné le
péan de la conquête, se mesurer avec toi, et, alors, ou te tuer et tomber mort près de toi, ou, s'il laisse vivre qui l'a privé de ses droits, du moins, par un exil qui te jette à ton tour hors de Thèbes, tirer de toi vengeance égale. Voilà
ce qu'il clame, en suppliant les divinités ancestrales de la terre paternelle de veiller à l'entier achèvement de ses vœux, le puissant Polynice ! Et il porte un écu rond ¹ , tout récemment forgé, où est fixé un double emblème : un
guerrier en or ciselé s'y voit conduit par une femme, guide au front serein. Et celle-ci se prétend la Justice, comme veulent l'indiquer les lettres placées près d'elle : « Et je ramènerai cet homme, pour qu'il recouvre sa ville et
l'accès de sa demeure paternelle ». Je t'ai dit exacte-
ment leurs inventions : tu n'auras jamais de blâme à adresser à mes rapports ; mais décide seul du coup de barre à donner à la cité.

ÉTÉOCLE

Ah ! furieuse et terrible haine des dieux ! Ah ! race d'Œdipe — ma race ! — digne de toutes les

ÉTÉOCLE

larmes ! Hélas ! voici accomplies aujourd'hui les malédictions d'un père ! Mais il ne convient ni de pleurer ni de se plaindre, de peur de faire naître des lamentations plus lourdes à mon front. Pour ce Polynice — vraiment si bien nommé ² ! — nous saurons bientôt jusqu'où se réalisera
son emblème, et si, pour le ramener, il suffira de lettres d'or ciselées sur un bouclier, flux d'insolence d'un cœur en délire. Si la vierge, fille de Zeus, la Justice, était dans ses actes et dans son âme, cela pourrait être. Mais jamais encore, ni le jour où il s'évada des ténèbres du sein mater-
nel, ni quand il grandissait, ni quand il entra dans l'adolescence, ni quand se formait en touffes le duvet sur son menton, la Justice ne l'a honoré d'un mot ; et ce n'est pas, je pense, au moment où il meurtrit la terre de ses pères, qu'elle peut être à ses côtés — ou elle serait alors
entièrement infidèle à son nom, cette Justice qui s'associerait à un homme dont l'audace ne recule devant rien. Voilà en quoi j'ai foi, et c'est moi-même qui irai me mesurer avec lui. Quel autre serait donc plus qualifié ? Roi contre roi, frère contre frère, ennemi contre ennemi, j'engagerai
le combat avec lui. Allons ! qu'on m'apporte aussitôt mes cnémides, défenses des pierres et des javelines.

LE CORYPHÉE

Non, ô le plus cher des hommes, fils d'Œdipe, ne deviens pas, dans ta colère, semblable à celui qui parle un si criminel langage ³ . C'est assez que les Cadméens en viennent aux mains avec des Argiens : de ce sang
on peut se purifier. Mais le meurtre de deux frères, tombés sous des coups mutuels, c'est là une souillure qui ne vieillit pas.

ÉTÉOCLE

Supporter un malheur que n'accompagne point la honte, soit ! puisqu'il n'est point d'autre profit qui demeure chez les morts. Mais aux malheurs qui sont aussi
des hontes tu ne saurais promettre un beau renom !

LE CHŒUR

Quel est ce délire, enfant ? Ne laisse pas l'égarement d'une folie meurtrière emplir

ETEOCLES.

How dreadful is the hatred of the Gods o

!

Unhappy ſons of Edipus, your fate

Claims many' a tear. Ah me! my father's curſe

Now ſtamps its vengeance deep.

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But to lament,

Or ſigh, or ſhed the tear, becomes me not,

Left more intolerable grief ariſe.

Be Polynices told, illomen'd name,

Soon ſhall we ſee how far his blazon'd ſhield

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Avails; how far inſcriptions wrought in gold,

With all their futile vauntings, will reſtore him.

If juſtice, virgin daughter of high Jove,

Had ever form'd his mind, or rul'd his actions,

This might have been: but neither when his eyes

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Firſt ſaw the light of life; nor in the growth

Of infancy; nor in th' advancing years

Of youth; nor in the riper age, that clothes

With gradual down the manly cheek, did juſtice

E'er deign t' inſtruct, or mark him for her own.

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Nor now, I ween, in this his fell intent

To crush his country will her preſence aid him:

For juſtice were not juſtice, ſhou'd ſhe favour

Th' injurious outrage of his daring ſpirit.

In this confiding I will meet his arms

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In armed oppoſition: Who more fit?

Chief ſhall engage with chief, with brother brother,

And foe with foe. Haſte, arm me for the fight,

Bring forth my greaves, my hauberk, my ſtrong ſpear.

CHORUS.

Dear to thy country, ſon of Edipus,

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Be not thy rage like his, whom we abhor.

Thebes has no dearth of valiant ſons t'oppoſe

Theſe Argives; and their blood may be aton'd;

The death of brothers by each other ſlain,

That ſtain no expiation can atone.

785

ETEOCLES.

Cou'd man endure defeat without diſhonour,

'Twere well: but to the dead nothing remains,

Save glory: to the daftard, and the baſe

Fame never pays that honourable meed.

CHORUS.

ETEOCLE

Oh dissennato, oh sommo odio dei Numi!

O stirpe mia, d'Edipo o stirpe misera,

quanto il padre imprecava oggi s'avvera.

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Ma non conviene piangere né gemere,

ch'altro non sorgà insopportabile ululo.

E vedrem presto a che varrà l'insegna

di Poliníce - oh nome all'opre cònsono! -:

se le lettere d'oro che millantano

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sovra lo scudo, con insana mente,

gli schiuderan le porte.

Oh, se Giustizia,

di Giove intatta figlia, e mente ed opere

a lui guidasse, essere ciò potrebbe;

745

ma né quando dal buio alvo materno

balzò, né quando fu poppante o pubere,

né quando al mento s'addensò la barba,

di fargli motto si degnò Giustizia.

Né or, credo, io, che la rovina cerca

750

della sua patria, presso a lui starà:

o menzognero è di Giustizia il nome,

se un uomo assiste ad ogni eccesso ardito.

Tale fiducia io nutro; e contro lui

io stesso moverò, starò. Piú adatto

755

chi mai di me? Re contro re, fratello

contro fratello ivi starò, nemico

contro nemico. Su, schinieri e lancia

e quanto giova a schermir pietre recami.

CORO

Figlio d'Edípo, a me su tutti gli uomini

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diletto, deh! non renda te la collera

pari a quel maledetto! E che s'azzuffino

con gli Argivi i Cadmei, basti: quel sangue

espiar si potrà; ma se l'un l'altro

si uccidon due fratelli, oh!, tale eccidio

765

tempo non v'ha che ad invecchiarlo giovi.

ETEOCLE

Senza obbrobrio almen sia l'ultimo danno:

a chi muore, mercede unica è questa:

ché gloria i vili e turpi atti non dànno.

CORO

Eteocles

O in deos inſaniens, et deorum magnum odiu.

O'deplorabile omnino meum Oedipi genus.

Heu me, patris execrationes perfectæ ſunt.

Sed neq; flere, aut lamentari decet.

625

Ne pariatur intolerabilior luctus.

Denominato uerò Polynici ualde dico,

Breui uidebimus infignia quò uertent,

Si illum reducent literæ auro elaborate,

In clypeo buliente faſtu mentis.

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Siue Iouis filia uirgo iuſtitia adfuerit

Operibus illius, mentibus fortaßis uerò adfuit.

Sed neq; ipſum cum effugißet tenebras ab utero ma

Neq; in educatione, neq; pubescentem,

Neq; in collectione capillorum lanuginis,

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Iusticia affata eſt, neq; dignum putauit.

Neq; in ærumnis paternæ terre,

Puto ipſam illi nunc adeſse prope.

Certe uidelicet iuſte falſo nomine appellata eſset

Iuſtitia, ſi adeffet uiro audaciſsimo mente.

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His conſisus contendo, efficiam ut intelligatur

Ipſe potius, aut alter iuſtior erit.

Imperatori imperator, fratri frater,

Hoſtis cum hoſte ſtabo: fer quàm citò

Caligas, hastam & galeam.

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Cho.

Ne chariſsime hominum Oedipi fili fis

Ira fimilis peßimo Locaci.

Sed uiros Thebanos fatis eſt cum Argiuis

Manus conferere, ſanguis eſt expiabilis.

At duorum fratrum mors ſpontanea ſic ueniens,

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Non eſt finis buius ſceleris.

Eteocles

Si quidem malum quis fert ſine pudore,

Sto tantum lucrum in mortuis.

Malarum turpium rerum nulla gloriam dices.

Cho.

Eteocles

Ah me, the madman, and the curse of Heaven!

And woe for us, the lamentable line

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Of Oedipus, and woe that in this house

Our father's curse must find accomplishment!

But now, a truce to tears and loud lament,

Lest they should breed a still more rueful wail!

As for this Polynices, named too well,

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Soon shall we know how his device shall end—

Whether the gold-wrought symbols on his shield,

In their mad vaunting and bewildered pride,

Shall guide him as a victor to his home!

For had but Justice, maiden-child of Zeus,

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Stood by his act and thought, it might have been!

Yet never, from the day he reached the light

Out of the darkness of his mother's womb,

Never in childhood, nor in youthful prime,

Nor when his chin was gathering its beard,

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Hath Justice hailed or claimed him as her own.

Therefore I deem not that she standeth now

To aid him in this outrage on his home!

Misnamed, in truth, were Justice, utterly,

If to impiety she lent her hand.

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Sure in this faith, I will myself go forth

And match me with him; who hath fairer claim?

Ruler, against one fain to snatch the rule,

Brother with brother matched, and foe with foe,

Will I confront the issue. To the wall!

685

Chorus

O thou true heart, O child of Oedipus,

Be not, in wrath, too like the man whose name

Murmurs an evil omen! 'Tis enough

That Cadmus' clan should strive with Argos' host,

For blood there is that can atone that stain!

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But—brother upon brother dealing death—

Not time itself can expiate the sin!

Eteocles

If man find hurt, yet clasp his honour still,

'Tis well; the dead have honour, nought beside.

Hurt, with dishonour, wins no word of praise!

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Chorus

Eteokles.

Du Gräuel allen Göttern, gottverblendeter

Und allbeweinter, grimmer Stamm des Oedipus!

Weh mir, des Vaters Flüche sind am Ziele nun!

630

Doch keine Seufzer ziemen hier, kein Klagelaut,

Daß nicht der Gram fortzeuge, thränenreicher noch.

Und Polyneikes, Haderreich mit Recht genannt,

Bald wird sich zeigen, wohinaus sein Wappen zielt,

Ob ihn zurückführt jene Schrift, in Gold geprägt,

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Die, seinen Wahnwik kündend, auf dem Schilde prahlt.

Ja, wenn die hohe Dike, Zeus' jungfräulich Kind,

Zu That und Nath ihm hülfe, möcht' es etwa sein.

Doch weder als er dunklem Mutterschooß entfloh,

Noch als er aufwuchs, oder als er Jüngling ward,

640

Noch als des Kinnes dichter Flaum sich sammelte,

Hat Dike sein geachtet und ihn angeblickt;

Auch jeho bei des Vaterlandes Ungemach

Wird ihm die Göttin nimmermehr zur Seite steh'n.

Denn wahrlich, arge Lüge wär' ihr Name dann,

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„Des Rechtes Göttin", liehe ste dem Frechen Schuß!

Darauf vertrauend geh' ich hin und trete selbst

Ihm gegenüber: wer vermag's mit größ'rem Recht?

Der Fürst dem Fürsten, Bruder meinem Bruder, Feind

Tret' ich dem Feind entgegen. Bringt mir ungesäumt

650

Speer, Doppelschienen und des Pfeil's Abwehr, den Schild!

Die Chorführerin.

O werde, liebster, bester Sohn des Oedipus,

Ihm, der so schlimmen Namen trägt, nicht gleich an Wuth!

Daß Kadmos' Söhne wider Argos' Volk zum Kampf

Auszieh'n, genügt wohl; sühnen läßt sich solches Blut.

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Doch, Herr, von Bruderhänden Tod durch Wechselmord,

So schauervolle Sünde tilgt niemals die Zeit.

Eteokles.

Ja, wenn man Unglück ohne Schmach erduldete,

Sei's immer; denn im Tode bleibt allein Gewinn;

Doch Leid, gepaart mit Schande, rühmst du nimmermehr!

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Erster Halbchor.

Erste Strophe.