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AGAMEMNON.
First, indeed,
Argos
, and the gods, the local,
810
’T is right addressing — those with me the partners
In this return and right things done the city
Of Priamos: gods who, from no tongue hearing
The rights o’ the cause, for
Ilion
’s fate man-slaught’rous
Into the bloody vase, not oscillating,
815
Put the vote-pebbles, while, o’ the rival vessel,
Hope rose up to the lip-edge: filled it was not.
By smoke the captured city is still conspicuous:
Até’s burnt offerings live: and, dying with them,
The ash sends forth the fulsome blasts of riches.
820
Of these things, to the gods grace many-mindful
’T is right I render, since both nets outrageous
We built them round with, and, for sake of woman,
It did the city to dust — the Argeian monster,
The horse’s nestling, the shield-bearing people
825
That made a leap, at setting of the Pleiads,
And, vaulting o’er the tower, the raw-flesh-feeding
Lion licked up his fill of blood tyrannic.
I to the gods indeed prolonged this preface;
But — as for
thy thought, I remember hearing —
830
I say the same, and thou co-pleader hast me.
Since few of men this faculty is born with —
To honour, without grudge, their friend, successful.
For moody, on the heart, a poison seated
Its burthen doubles to who gained the sickness:
835
By his own griefs he is himself made heavy,
And out-of-door prosperity seeing groans at.
Knowing, I’d call (for well have I experienced)
Fellowship’s mirror,
phantom of a shadow,
Those seeming to be mighty gracious to me:
840
While just Odusseus — he who sailed not willing —
When joined on, was to me the ready trace-horse.
This of him, whether dead or whether living,
I say. For other city-and-gods’ concernment —
Appointing common courts, in full assemblage
845
We will consult. And as for what holds seemly —
How it may lasting stay well, must be counselled:
While what has need of medicines Paionian
We, either burning or else cutting kindly,
Will make endeavour to turn pain from sickness.
850
And now into the domes and homes by altar
Going, I to the gods first raise the right-hand —
They who, far sending, back again have brought me.
And Victory, since she followed, fixed remain she!
First, indeed,
Argos
, and the gods, the local,
810
’T is right addressing — those with me the partners
In this return and right things done the city
Of Priamos: gods who, from no tongue hearing
The rights o’ the cause, for
Ilion
’s fate man-slaught’rous
Into the bloody vase, not oscillating,
815
Put the vote-pebbles, while, o’ the rival vessel,
Hope rose up to the lip-edge: filled it was not.
By smoke the captured city is still conspicuous:
Até’s burnt offerings live: and, dying with them,
The ash sends forth the fulsome blasts of riches.
820
Of these things, to the gods grace many-mindful
’T is right I render, since both nets outrageous
We built them round with, and, for sake of woman,
It did the city to dust — the Argeian monster,
The horse’s nestling, the shield-bearing people
825
That made a leap, at setting of the Pleiads,
And, vaulting o’er the tower, the raw-flesh-feeding
Lion licked up his fill of blood tyrannic.
I to the gods indeed prolonged this preface;
But — as for
thy thought, I remember hearing —
830
I say the same, and thou co-pleader hast me.
Since few of men this faculty is born with —
To honour, without grudge, their friend, successful.
For moody, on the heart, a poison seated
Its burthen doubles to who gained the sickness:
835
By his own griefs he is himself made heavy,
And out-of-door prosperity seeing groans at.
Knowing, I’d call (for well have I experienced)
Fellowship’s mirror,
phantom of a shadow,
Those seeming to be mighty gracious to me:
840
While just Odusseus — he who sailed not willing —
When joined on, was to me the ready trace-horse.
This of him, whether dead or whether living,
I say. For other city-and-gods’ concernment —
Appointing common courts, in full assemblage
845
We will consult. And as for what holds seemly —
How it may lasting stay well, must be counselled:
While what has need of medicines Paionian
We, either burning or else cutting kindly,
Will make endeavour to turn pain from sickness.
850
And now into the domes and homes by altar
Going, I to the gods first raise the right-hand —
They who, far sending, back again have brought me.
And Victory, since she followed, fixed remain she!
Agamemnon. Aeschylus. London. 1889.
Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.