Delphi Complete Works of Aeschylus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics) by Aeschylus Read Free Book Online Page B

haughty symbol
on his shield: a well-crafted sky, ablaze with stars, and the brightness of the
full moon shining in the center of the shield, the moon that is the most
revered of the stars, the eye of night. Raving so in his arrogant armor, he
shouts beside the river-bank, craving battle, like some charger that fiercely
champs at the bit as he waits in eagerness for the trumpet’s war-cry. Whom will
you send against him? Who will be capable of standing as our champion at the
Proetid gate when its bars are loosened?
    ETEOCLES
[397] I would
not tremble before any mere ornaments on a man. Nor can signs and symbols wound
and kill — crests and bell have no bite without the spear.  And regarding
this “night” which you describe on his shield, sparkling with heaven’s stars — perhaps
the folly of it might yield to one some prophetic understanding. For should
night fall on this man’s eyes as he dies, then to its bearer this arrogant
symbol would prove rightly and justly named; and it is against himself that he
will have prophesied this outrageous violence. Now as for me, against Tydeus I
will station the trusty son of Astacus as defender of this gate, since he is
full noble and  reveres the throne of Honor and detests proud speech. He
is slow to act disgracefully, and he has no cowardly nature. His race springs
from the men sown of the dragon’s teeth, from one of those whom Ares spared,
and so Melanippus is truly born of our land. Ares will decide the outcome with
a throw of the dice; but Justice, his kin by blood, indeed sends this man forth
to keep the enemy spear from the mother that gave him birth.
[ Exit Melanippus. ]
    CHORUS
[417] May the
gods grant success to our champion, since he rises up in a just cause, to
battle for his city! But I shudder to watch the bloody deaths of men cut down
for the sake of their own people.
    SCOUT
[422] Yes, may
the gods so grant success to this man. Capaneus is stationed at the Electran
gates, another giant of a man, greater than the one described before. But his
boast is too proud for a mere human, and he makes terrifying threats against
our battlements — which, I hope, chance will not fulfil! For he says he will
utterly destroy the city with god’s will or without it, and that not even
conflict with Zeus, though it should fall before him in the plain, will stand
in his way. The god’s lightning and thunderbolts he compares to midday heat.
For his shield’s symbol he has a man without armor bearing fire, and the torch,
his weapon, blazes in his hands; and in golden letters he says “I will burn the
city.” Against such a man make your dispatch — who will meet him in combat, who
will stand firm without trembling before his boasts?
    ETEOCLES
[437] Here too
gain follows with interest from gain. The tongue proves in the end to be an
unerring accuser of men’s wicked thoughts. Capaneus makes his threats, ready to
act, irreverent toward the gods, and giving his tongue full exercise in wicked
glee, he, though a mere mortal, sends a loud and swollen boast to Zeus in heaven.
But I trust that the fire-bearing thunderbolt will justly come to him, and when
it comes it will not be anything like the sun’s mid-day heat. And against him,
even though he is a big talker, a man of fiery spirit, mighty Polyphontes, is
stationed, a dependable sentinel  with the good will of guardian Artemis
and the other gods. Now tell me about another one allotted to other gates!
[ Exit Polyphontes. ]
    CHORUS
[452] Death to
him who exults so arrogantly over the city! May the thunderbolt stop him before
he leaps into my home and plunders me from my maiden chambers with his
outrageous spear!
    SCOUT
[457] Now I will
tell you about the man who next drew station at the gates. The third lot leaped
out of the upturned bronze helmet for Eteoclus,  to hurl his band against
the Neistan gates. He whirls his horses as they snort through their bridles,
eager to fall against the gate. Their muzzles whistle in a