Agamemnon 1 AGAMEMNON 450 BC by Aeschylus translated by E.D.A. Morshead DRAMATIS PERSONAE A WATCHMAN CHORUS OF ARGIVE ELDERS CLYTEMNESTRA , wife of AGAMEMNON A HERALD AGAMEMNON , King of Argos CASSANDRA , daughter of Priam, and slave of AGAMEMNON AEGISTHUS , son of Thyestes, cousin of AGAMEMNON SERVANTS , ATTENDANTS , SOLDIERS !'!9+9;S; (A beacon-light is seen reddening the distant sky .) ( SCENE :-Before the palace of AGAMEMNON in Fire of the night, that brings my spirit day, Argos. In front of the palace there are statues of the Shedding on Argos light, and dance, and song, gods, and altars prepared for sacrifice. It is night. On Greetings to fortune, hail! the roof of the palace can be discerned a WATCHMAN .) Let my loud summons ring within the ears WATCHMAN Of Agamemnon's queen, that she anon I pray the gods to quit me of my toils, Start from her couch and with a shrill voice cry To close the watch I keep, this livelong year; A joyous welcome to the beacon-blaze, For as a watch-dog lying, not at rest, For Ilion's fall; such fiery message gleams Propped on one arm, upon the palace-roof From yon high flame; and I, before the rest, Of Atreus' race, too long, too well I know Will foot the lightsome measure of our joy; The starry conclave of the midnight sky, For I can say, My master's dice fell fair- Too well, the splendours of the firmament, Behold! the triple sice, the lucky flame! The lords of light, whose kingly aspect shows- Now be my lot to clasp, in loyal love, What time they set or climb the sky in turn- The hand of him restored, who rules our home: The year's divisions, bringing frost or fire. Home-but I say no more: upon my tongue Treads hard the ox o' the adage. And now, as ever, am I set to mark When shall stream up the glow of signal-flame, Had it voice, The bale-fire bright, and tell its Trojan tale- The home itself might soothliest tell its tale; Troy town is ta'en: such issue holds in hope I, of set will, speak words the wise may learn, She in whose woman's breast beats heart of man. To others, nought remember nor discern. Thus upon mine unrestful couch I lie, (He withdraws. The CHORUS OF ARGIVE ELDERS Bathed with the dews of night, unvisited enters, each leaning on a staff. During their song By dreams-ah me!-for in the place of sleep CLYTEMNESTRA appears in the background, kindling Stands Fear as my familiar, and repels the altars .) The soft repose that would mine eyelids seal. CHORUS (singing) And if at whiles, for the lost balm of sleep, Ten livelong years have rolled away, I medicine my soul with melody Since the twin lords of sceptred sway, Of trill or song-anon to tears I turn, By Zeus endowed with pride of place, Wailing the woe that broods upon this home, The doughty chiefs of Atreus' race, Not now by honour guided as of old- Went forth of yore, To plead with Priam, face to face, But now at last fair fall the welcome hour Before the judgment-seat of War! That sets me free, whene'er the thick night glow With beacon-fire of hope deferred no more. A thousand ships from Argive land All hail! Put forth to bear the martial band, Agamemnon 2 That with a spirit stern and strong From heaven above, from earth below- Went out to right the kingdom's wrong- The mighty lords who rule the skies, Pealed, as they went, the battle-song, The market's lesser deities, Wild as the vultures' cry; To each and all the altars glow, When o'er the eyrie, soaring high, Piled for the sacrifice! In wild bereaved agony, And here and there, anear, afar, Around, around, in airy rings, Streams skyward many a beacon-star, They wheel with oarage of their wings, Conjur'd and charm'd and kindled well But not the eyas-brood behold, By pure oil's soft and guileless spell, That called them to the nest of old; Hid now no more But let Apollo from the sky, Within the palace' secret store. Or Pan, or Zeus, but hear the cry, The exile cry, the wail forlorn, O queen, we pray thee, whatsoe'er, Of birds from whom their home is torn- Known unto thee, were well revealed, On those who wrought the rapine fell, That thou wilt trust it to our ear, And bid our anxious heart be healed! Heaven sends the vengeful fiends of hell. That waneth now unto despair- Even so doth Zeus, the jealous lord Now, waxing to a presage fair, And guardian of the hearth and board, Dawns, from the altar, to scare Speed Atreus' sons, in vengeful ire, From our rent hearts the vulture Care. 'Gainst Paris-sends them forth on fire, Her to buy back, in war and blood, STROPHE 1 Whom one did wed but many woo'd! List! for the power is mine, to chant on high And many, many, by his will, The chiefs' emprise, the strength that omens gave! The last embrace of foes shall feel, List! on my soul breathes yet a harmony, And many a knee in dust be bowed, From realms of ageless powers, and strong to save! And splintered spears on shields ring loud, Of Trojan and of Greek, before How brother kings, twin lords of one command, That iron bridal-feast be o'er! Led forth the youth of Hellas in their flower, But as he willed 'tis ordered all, Urged on their way, with vengeful spear and Brand, by And woes, by heaven ordained, must fall- warrior-birds, that watched the parting hour. Unsoothed by tears or spilth of wine Poured forth too late, the wrath divine Go forth to Troy, the eagles seemed to cry- Glares vengeance on the flameless shrine. And the sea-kings obeyed the sky-kings' word, When on the right they soared across the sky, And we in grey dishonoured eld, And one was black, one bore a white tail barred. Feeble of frame, unfit were held To join the warrior array High o'er the palace were they seen to soar, That then went forth unto the fray: Then lit in sight of all, and rent and tare, And here at home we tarry, fain Far from the fields that she should range no more, Big Our feeble footsteps to sustain, with her unborn brood, a mother-hare. Each on his staff-so strength doth wane, And turns to childishness again. (Ah woe and well-a-day! but be the issue fair! For while the sap of youth is green, And, yet unripened, leaps within, ANTISTROPHE 1 The young are weakly as the old, And one beheld, the soldier-prophet true, And each alike unmeet to hold And the two chiefs, unlike of soul and will, The vantage post of war! In the twy-coloured eagles straight he knew, And ah! when flower and fruit are o'er, And spake the omen forth, for good and in. And on life's tree the leaves are sere, Age wendeth propped its journey drear, Go forth, he cried, and Priam's town shall fall. As forceless as a child, as light Yet long the time shall be; and flock and herd, And fleeting as a dream of night The people's wealth, that roam before the wall, Lost in the garish day! Shall force hew down, when Fate shall give the word, But thou, O child of Tyndareus, Queen Clytemnestra, speak! and say But O beware! lest wrath in Heaven abide, What messenger of joy to-day To dim the glowing battle-forge once more, Hath won thine ear? what welcome news, And mar the mighty curb of Trojan pride, That thus in sacrificial wise The steel of vengeance, welded as for war! E'en to the city's boundaries Thou biddest altar-fires arise? For virgin Artemis bears jealous hate Each god who doth our city guard, Against the royal house, the eagle-pair, And keeps o'er Argos watch and ward Who rend the unborn brood, insatiate- Agamemnon 3 Yea, loathes their banquet on the quivering hare. Men shall learn wisdom, by affliction schooled. (Ah woe and well-a-day! but be the issue fair!) In visions of the night, like dropping rain, Descend the many memories of pain EPODE Before the spirit's sight: through tears and dole Comes wisdom o'er the unwilling soul- For well she loves-the goddess kind and mild- A boon, I wot, of all Divinity, The tender new-born cubs of lions bold, That holds its sacred throne in strength, above the sky! Too weak to range-and well the sucking child Of every beast that roams by wood and wold. ANTISTROPHE 3 And then the elder chief, at whose command So to the Lord of Heaven she prayeth still, The fleet of Greece was manned, "Nay, if it must be, be the omen true! Cast on the seer no word of hate, Yet do the visioned eagles presage ill; But veered before the sudden breath of Fate- The end be well, but crossed with evil too!" Ah, weary while! for, ere they put forth sail, Healer Apollo! be her wrath controll'd Did every store, each minish'd vessel, fail, Nor weave the long delay of thwarting gales, While all the Achaean host To war against the Danaans and withhold At Aulis anchored lay, From the free ocean-waves their eager sails! Looking across to Chalcis and the coast Where refluent waters welter, rock, and sway; She craves, alas! to see a second life Shed forth, a curst unhallowed sacrifice- STROPHE 4 'Twixt wedded souls, artificer of strife, And rife with ill delay And hate that knows not fear, and fell device.