Eumenides
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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
354a
354a
Chorus
354a
For I have chosen the overthrow of houses,
355a
whenever violence raised in the home seizes someone near and dear. Speeding after this man, we weaken him, even though he is strong, because of the fresh blood.
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Chorus
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Do not let anyone who is struck by misfortune make an appeal
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and cry aloud this word, Justice! Thrones of the Furies! Perhaps some father, or mother, in new sorrow,
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may cry out these words piteously, now that the house of Justice is falling.
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Chorus
172
There is a time when fear is good and ought to remain seated as a guardian of the heart.
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It is profitable to learn wisdom under strain. But who, if he did not train his heart in fear, either city or mortal,
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would still revere justice in the same way?
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Chorus
291
For me to suffer this, alas! For me, with ancient wisdom, to live beneath the earth, alas, without honor, unclean!
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I am breathing fury and utter rage. Oh, oh, the shame of it! What anguish steals into my breast! Hear my anger, mother
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Night; for the deceptions of the gods, hard to fight, have deprived me of my ancient honors, bringing me to nothing.
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Athena
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I will endure your anger, for you are older, and in that respect you are surely wiser than I;
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yet Zeus has given me, too, no mean understanding. But as for you, if you go to a foreign land, you will come to love this land—I forewarn you. For time, flowing on, will bring greater honor to these citizens. And you,
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having a seat of honor at the house of Erechtheus, will obtain from hosts of men and women more than you could ever win from other mortals. So do not cast on my realm keen incentives to bloodshed, harmful to young hearts,
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maddening them with a fury not of wine; and do not, as if taking the heart out of fighting cocks, plant in my people the spirit of tribal war and boldness against each other. Let their war be with foreign enemies, and without stint for one
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in whom there will be a terrible passion for glory; but I say there will be no battling of birds within the home. It is possible for you to choose such things from me: bestowing good, receiving good, well honored in this land that is most beloved to the gods.
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Chorus
299
For me to suffer this, alas! For me, with ancient wisdom, to live beneath the earth, alas, without honor, unclean! I am breathing fury and utter rage. Oh, oh the shame of it!
300
What anguish steals into my breast! Hear my anger, mother Night; for the deceptions of the gods, hard to fight, have deprived me of my ancient honors, bringing me to nothing.
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Athena
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No, I will not grow tired of telling you about these good things, so you will never be able to say that you, an ancient goddess, were cast out, dishonored and banished, from this land by me, a younger goddess, and by the mortal guardians of my city.
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But if you give holy reverence to Persuasion, the sweetness and charm of my tongue, then you might remain. But if you are not willing to stay, then surely it would be unjust for you to inflict on this city any wrath or rage or harm to the people.
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For it is possible for you to have a share of the land justly, with full honors.
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Chorus
331
I forbid deadly and untimely fate for men; grant to lovely maidens life with a husband,
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you that have the rightful power; you, divine Fates, our sisters by one mother, divinities who distribute justly, who have a share in every home,
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and whose righteous visitations press heavily at every season, most honored everywhere among the gods!
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Chorus
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I pray that discord, greedy for evil, may never clamor in this city, and may the dust not drink
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the black blood of its people and through passion cause ruinous murder for vengeance to the destruction of the state.The expression of the thought take reprisals in a civil war, is overloaded and the grammatical relation of the words is involved. More exactly: seize greedily (as a wild beast seizes his prey) upon calamities—of vengeance—to the State, calamities in which blood is shed in requital for blood.
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But may they return joy for joy in a spirit of common love, and may they hate with one mind; for this is the cure of many an evil in the world.
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Chorus of the Processional Escort
357
Gracious and favorable to the land, come here, venerable goddesses, with flame-fed torch, rejoicing as you go—cry aloud now in echo to our song!
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Chorus of the Processional Escort
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Peace endures for all time between Pallas’ citizens and these new dwellers here.
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Zeus who sees all and Fate have come down to lend aid—cry aloud now in echo to our song! Exeunt omnes.
49
49
Chorus
49
Although he is a prophet, he has stained his sanctuary
50
with pollution at its hearth, at his own urging, at his own bidding; against the law of the gods, he has honored mortal things and caused the ancient allotments to decay.
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Chorus
51
And he brings distress to me too, but he shall not win his release;
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even if he escapes beneath the earth, he is never set free. A suppliant, he will acquire another avenger from his family.As Agamemnon was slain by Clytaemestra and Clytaemestra by Orestes, so Orestes shall be slain by one of his own race. μιάστωρis properly polluter.
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Chorus
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And men’s thoughts, very proud under the sky, waste away and dwindle in dishonor beneath the earth,
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at our attack in black robes and the vindictive dance of our feet.
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Chorus
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For surely with a great leap from above I bring down the heavily falling force of my foot,
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my limbs that trip even swift runners—unendurable ruin.
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Chorus
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But, as he falls, he does not know it, because of his senseless folly; pollution hovers over the man in such darkness, and mournful rumor speaks of
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a dark mist over his house.
372a
372a
Chorus
372a
For surely with a great leap from above I bring down the heavily falling force of my foot,
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my limbs that trip even swift runners—unendurable ruin.
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Chorus
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Do not approve of a lawless life or one subject to a tyrant.
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The god grants power to moderation in every form, but he oversees other matters in different ways. I have a timely word of advice: arrogance is truly the child of impiety,
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but from health of soul comes happiness, dear to all, much prayed for.
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Chorus
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And as for the whole matter, I say to you: respect the altar of Justice
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and do not, looking to profit, dishonor it by spurning with godless foot; for punishment will come upon you. The appointed fulfilment remains.
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Therefore, let a man rightly put first in honor the reverence owed to his parents, and have regard for attentions paid to guests welcomed in his house.
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Chorus
343
Farewell, farewell, in the wealth allotted to you by fate. Farewell, people of the city, seated near to Zeus, the beloved of the beloved maiden,
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learning at last the way of wisdom. The Father stands in awe of you, since you are under Pallas’ wings.
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Chorus
348
Farewell, farewell, again, I repeat,
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all you in the city, both gods and mortals, living in Pallas’ city; if you duly revere my residence among you, you will not blame
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the chances of life.
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Chorus
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For it remains. We are skilled in plotting, powerful in execution, and we remember evil deeds; we are revered and hard for mortals to appease,
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pursuing our allotted office which is without rights, without honor, separated from the gods in sunless light—our office that makes the path rough for seeing and dim-sighted alike.
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Chorus
126
What mortal, then, does not
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stand in awe and dread of this, when he hears from me the law ordained by Fate, given by the gods for perfect fulfilment? My ancient privilege still remains, I do not meet with dishonor,
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although I have my place under the earth and in sunless darkness.
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Chorus
181
Whoever is just willingly and without compulsion will not lack happiness; he will never be utterly destroyed. But I say that the man who boldly transgresses, amassing a great heap unjustly—by force,
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in time, he will strike his sail, when trouble seizes him as the yardarm is splintered.
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Chorus
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He calls on those who hear nothing and he struggles in the midst of the whirling waters.
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The god laughs at the hot-headed man, seeing him, who boasted that this would never happen, exhausted by distress without remedy and unable to surmount the cresting wave. He wrecks the happiness of his earlier life on the reef of Justice,
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and he perishes unwept, unseen.