but wields our
city’s shame on his bronze-forged shield, his body’s circular defence, on which
the Sphinx who eats men raw is cleverly fastened with bolts, her body embossed
and gleaming. She carries under her a single Cadmean, so that against this man
chiefly our missiles will be hurled. He does not seem to have come to do any
petty trading in the battle, nor to shame the making of his long journey — he
is Parthenopaeus of Arcadia. Such is the man, and aiming to make full payment
for the fine support given him in Argos,
his adopted land, he now threatens our fortifications — may God not fulfil his
threats!
ETEOCLES
[550] If
only they would get from the gods what they wish for, because of those unholy
boasts of theirs, then surely they would perish in utter ruin and misery. There
is a man for this one, too, whom you name an Arcadian, a man who does not
boast, but who knows the thing to do — Actor, brother of him I named before. He
will not allow words that lack deeds to overrun his gate and increase fear, nor
will he let in a man who carries on his hostile shield the image of the
ravenous, detested beast. That beast outside his shield will blame the man who
carries her into the gate, when she has taken a heavy beating beneath the city’s
walls. If the gods are willing, what I speak may prove true!
[ Exit Actor. ]
CHORUS
[563] His words
penetrate to my heart, my hair stands on end as I hear the loud threats
of these loud-boasting, impious men. May the gods destroy them here in our
land!
SCOUT
[568] The sixth
man I will name is of the highest moderation and a seer brave in combat, mighty
Amphiaraus. Stationed at the Homoloid gate, he repeatedly rebukes mighty Tydeus
with evil names “Murderer, maker of unrest in the city, principal teacher of
evils to the Argives, summoner of vengeance’s Curse, servant of Slaughter,
counselor to Adrastus in these evil plans.” And next, with eyes looking upward,
he addressed your own brother, mighty Polynices who shares your blood, and
called him by name, dwelling twice upon its latter part. These were his words: “Will
such a deed as this be pleasing to the gods, fine to hear of and to relate to
those in the future — that you sacked the city of your ancestors and your
native gods and launched a foreign army against them? What justice is it to
drain dry the font of your existence? And how shall your fatherland, captured
by the spear for the sake of your ambition, be won over to your cause? As for
me, I will enrich this earth, a seer interred beneath enemy soil. Let us fight!
I anticipate no dishonorable death.” So the seer spoke as untroubled he held
his all-bronze shield. No symbol was fixed to his shield’s circle. For he does
not wish to appear the bravest, but to be the bravest, as he harvests the fruit
of his mind’s deep furrow, where his careful resolutions grow. I advise
you to send wise and brave opponents against him. He who reveres the gods is to
be feared.
ETEOCLES
[597] Ah, the
pity of fate’s omen when it makes a just man associate with the irreverent! In
all things, nothing is more evil than evil partnership. Its fruit should
not be gathered in: the field of recklessness yields a harvest of death. For it
may be that a pious man, embarked shipboard with sailors hot for some crime,
perishes along with the sort of men hated by the gods; or, a man, though
upright himself, when among fellow-citizens who hate all strangers and neglect
the gods, may fall undeserving into the same trap as they, and be subdued,
struck by the scourge of God that strikes all alike.
[609] Just so the
seer, Oecles’ son, although a moderate, just, noble, reverent man and a great
prophet, mixes with impious, rash-talking men against his own judgment, men
stretching out in a procession that is long to retrace, and, if it is Zeus’s
will, he will be be dragged down in ruin along with them.
[615] So then, I expect that he will not
even charge the gates: not because he lacks
city’s shame on his bronze-forged shield, his body’s circular defence, on which
the Sphinx who eats men raw is cleverly fastened with bolts, her body embossed
and gleaming. She carries under her a single Cadmean, so that against this man
chiefly our missiles will be hurled. He does not seem to have come to do any
petty trading in the battle, nor to shame the making of his long journey — he
is Parthenopaeus of Arcadia. Such is the man, and aiming to make full payment
for the fine support given him in Argos,
his adopted land, he now threatens our fortifications — may God not fulfil his
threats!
ETEOCLES
[550] If
only they would get from the gods what they wish for, because of those unholy
boasts of theirs, then surely they would perish in utter ruin and misery. There
is a man for this one, too, whom you name an Arcadian, a man who does not
boast, but who knows the thing to do — Actor, brother of him I named before. He
will not allow words that lack deeds to overrun his gate and increase fear, nor
will he let in a man who carries on his hostile shield the image of the
ravenous, detested beast. That beast outside his shield will blame the man who
carries her into the gate, when she has taken a heavy beating beneath the city’s
walls. If the gods are willing, what I speak may prove true!
[ Exit Actor. ]
CHORUS
[563] His words
penetrate to my heart, my hair stands on end as I hear the loud threats
of these loud-boasting, impious men. May the gods destroy them here in our
land!
SCOUT
[568] The sixth
man I will name is of the highest moderation and a seer brave in combat, mighty
Amphiaraus. Stationed at the Homoloid gate, he repeatedly rebukes mighty Tydeus
with evil names “Murderer, maker of unrest in the city, principal teacher of
evils to the Argives, summoner of vengeance’s Curse, servant of Slaughter,
counselor to Adrastus in these evil plans.” And next, with eyes looking upward,
he addressed your own brother, mighty Polynices who shares your blood, and
called him by name, dwelling twice upon its latter part. These were his words: “Will
such a deed as this be pleasing to the gods, fine to hear of and to relate to
those in the future — that you sacked the city of your ancestors and your
native gods and launched a foreign army against them? What justice is it to
drain dry the font of your existence? And how shall your fatherland, captured
by the spear for the sake of your ambition, be won over to your cause? As for
me, I will enrich this earth, a seer interred beneath enemy soil. Let us fight!
I anticipate no dishonorable death.” So the seer spoke as untroubled he held
his all-bronze shield. No symbol was fixed to his shield’s circle. For he does
not wish to appear the bravest, but to be the bravest, as he harvests the fruit
of his mind’s deep furrow, where his careful resolutions grow. I advise
you to send wise and brave opponents against him. He who reveres the gods is to
be feared.
ETEOCLES
[597] Ah, the
pity of fate’s omen when it makes a just man associate with the irreverent! In
all things, nothing is more evil than evil partnership. Its fruit should
not be gathered in: the field of recklessness yields a harvest of death. For it
may be that a pious man, embarked shipboard with sailors hot for some crime,
perishes along with the sort of men hated by the gods; or, a man, though
upright himself, when among fellow-citizens who hate all strangers and neglect
the gods, may fall undeserving into the same trap as they, and be subdued,
struck by the scourge of God that strikes all alike.
[609] Just so the
seer, Oecles’ son, although a moderate, just, noble, reverent man and a great
prophet, mixes with impious, rash-talking men against his own judgment, men
stretching out in a procession that is long to retrace, and, if it is Zeus’s
will, he will be be dragged down in ruin along with them.
[615] So then, I expect that he will not
even charge the gates: not because he lacks
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