Orestes
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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
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if not immediately useful to the state, yet prove so afterwards. And this is the way in which to regard a party leader; for the position is much the same in the case of an orator and a man in office. He was for stoning you and Orestes to death,
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but it was Tyndareus who kept suggesting arguments of this kind to him as he urged the death of both of you.
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Another then stood up and said the opposite; he was not handsome in appearance, but a brave man, rarely coming in contact with the town or the circle in the market-place;
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a farmer—and they are the only ones who preserve our land—but clever, and eager to grapple with the arguments, his character without a blemish, his walk in life beyond reproach. He said that they should crown Orestes, the son of Agamemnon, for showing his willingness to avenge a father
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by the murder of a wicked and godless woman who would prevent men from taking up arms and going on foreign service, if those who remain behind, corrupt and seduce wives left at home to keep house.
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To the better sort, at least, his word carried conviction.
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No one spoke after him. Then your brother came forward and said: You dwellers in the land of Inachus! Pelasgians in ancient times, and later Danaids I helped you no less than my father
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when I slew my mother; for if the murder of men by women is to be sanctioned, then the sooner you die, the better, or you must become the slaves of women; and that will be doing the very reverse of what you should. As it is, she who betrayed my father’s bed
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has died, but if you take my life, the law becomes relaxed, and the sooner each one of you dies, the better; for it will never be daring at any rate that they will lack. Yet, for all he seemed to speak well, he did not persuade the assembly; but that villain who spoke in favor of slaying you and your brother
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gained his point by appealing to the mob.
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Poor Orestes scarcely persuaded them not to kill him by stoning, promising to die by his own hand, with you, on this day. Pylades, in tears, is now bringing him from the conclave;
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and his friends bear him company, with wailing and lamentation; so he comes, a bitter sight and piteous vision. Make ready the sword or prepare the noose for your neck, for you must leave the light; your noble birth
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availed you nothing, nor did Phoebus from his seat on the tripod at Delphi; he was your undoing. Exit Messenger.
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Chorus Leader
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Ah, hapless maiden! How silent you are, your face covered and bent to the ground, as if about to dash upon a course of lamentation and wailing.
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Electra
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O Pelasgia, I take up the dirge, doing bloody outrage on my cheeks with white nail, and beating on my head; these are the portion of Persephone, fair young goddess of the nether world.
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Let the Cyclopian land break forth into wailing for the sorrows of our house, laying the steel upon the head to crop it close. This is the piteous, piteous strain that goes up for those who are about to die,
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once the battle-leaders of Hellas.
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Electra
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It has gone, it has gone, and is lost, all the race of Pelops, and the glory that crowned their happy home once; the envy of heaven seized them and that cruel
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murdering vote among the citizens.
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Oh, oh! you tribes of short-lived men, full of tears, full of suffering, see how fate runs counter to your hopes! All receive in turn their different
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troubles in length of time; and the whole of mortal life is uncertain.
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Electra
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Oh! to reach that rock which hangs suspended midway between earth and heaven, that fragment from Olympus, which swings on chains of gold, so that I may utter my lament
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to Tantalus, my forefather, who begot the ancestors of my house. They saw infatuate ruin, the chase of winged steeds, when Pelops in four-horse chariot
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drove over the sea, hurling the body of murdered Myrtilus into the ocean swell, after his race near Geraestus’ strand, foam-flecked from the tossing sea.
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From this came a woeful curse upon my house, brought to birth among the sheep by the son of Maia, when there appeared a baleful, baleful portent of a lamb with golden fleece,
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for Atreus, breeder of horses; from which Strife changed the course of the sun’s winged chariot, fitting the westward path of the sky towards the single horse of Dawn;
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and Zeus diverted the career of the seven Pleiads into a new track and exchanged . . . death for death: both the banquet to which Thyestes gave his name, and the treacherous love of Cretan Aerope,
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in her treacherous marriage; but the crowning woe has come on me and on my father by the bitter constraints of our house.
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Chorus Leader
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Look, here comes your brother, condemned to die, and with him Pylades, most loyal of friends,
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true as a brother, guiding his feeble steps, his yoke-fellow, pacing carefully.
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Electra
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Alas! I weep to see you stand before the tomb, my brother, face to face with the funeral pyre.
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Alas, again! as I take my last look at you, my senses leave me.
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Orestes
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Be silent! an end to womanish lamenting! resign yourself to your fate. It is piteous, but nevertheless you must bear the present fate.
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Electra
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How can I be silent, when we poor sufferers are no longer to gaze upon the sun-god’s light?
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Orestes
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Oh! spare me that death! Enough that this unhappy wretch is already slain by Argives; let our present sufferings be.
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Electra
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Alas for your unhappy youth, Orestes, and for your fated
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untimely death! When you should have lived, you are going to die.
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Orestes
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By the gods, do not unman me, bringing me to tears by the recollection of my sorrows.
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Electra
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We are about to die; it is not possible for me not to grieve over our troubles; it is a piteous thing for all men to lose life, that is so sweet.
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Orestes
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This is the day appointed for us; we must fit the dangling noose about our necks or whet the sword for use.
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Electra
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You be the one to kill me, brother, so that no Argive may insult Agamemnon’s son by my death.
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Orestes
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Enough that I have a mother’s blood upon me; I will not kill you,
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but die by your own hand, however you wish.
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Electra
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Agreed; I will not be behind you in using the sword; only I long to throw my arms about your neck.
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Orestes
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Enjoy that empty satisfaction, if embraces have any joy for those who have come so near to death.
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Electra
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My dearest, you who have a name that sounds most loved and sweet to your sister, partner in one soul with her!
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Orestes
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Oh, you will melt my heart! I want to give you back a fond embrace. And why should such a wretch as I still feel any shame? Embracing Electra Heart to heart, my sister! how sweet to me this close embrace!
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In place of children and the marriage bed this greeting is all that is possible to us poor sufferers.
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Electra
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Ah! If only the same sword, if it is right, could kill us both, and one coffin of cedar-wood receive us!
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Orestes
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That would be very sweet; but surely you see
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we are too destitute of friends to be allowed one tomb between us.
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Electra
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Did that coward Menelaus, that traitor to my father, not even speak for you, or make an effort to save your life?
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Orestes
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He did not even show himself, but, with his hopes centered on the throne, he was careful not to attempt the rescue of his friends.
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But let us see how we may die a noble death, one most worthy of Agamemnon. I, for my part, will let the city see my noble spirit when I plunge the sword to my heart, and you in turn must imitate my daring.
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Pylades, be the arbitrator of our slaughter and, when we both are dead, lay out our bodies decently; carry them to our father’s grave and bury us there with him. Farewell, now; I am leaving for the deed, as you see.
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Pylades
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Stop! there is first one point I have to blame you for,
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if you thought I would care to live when you are dead.
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Orestes
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But why are you called on to die with me?
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Pylades
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Do you ask? What is life to me without your companionship?
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Orestes
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You did not kill your mother, as I did to my sorrow.
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Pylades
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At least I helped you; and so I ought to suffer the same penalty.
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Orestes
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Surrender to your father, do not die with me. You still have a city, while I no longer have, and your father’s home, and a great refuge of wealth. You have failed to marry my poor sister, whom I betrothed to you from a deep regard for your companionship;
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but find another bride and rear a family; for the marriage-tie which bound us is no more. Farewell, be happy, my beloved friend; we cannot, but you may; for we, the dead, are robbed of happiness.
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Pylades
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How far you are from grasping what I mean! May the fruitful earth, the radiant sky refuse to hold my blood, if ever I turn traitor and desert you when I have freed myself. For I shared in the murder, which I will not deny,
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and also schemed the whole plot, for which you are now paying the penalty; and so I ought to die together with you and her. For I consider her, whom you betrothed to me, as my wife. Whatever shall I say, when I reach Delphi, the citadel of Phocis,
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if I was your friend before your misfortunes, but ceased to be your friend, when you were unfortunate? That must not be; no, this concerns me, too. But since we are to die, let us take counsel together that Menelaus may share our misfortune.
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Orestes
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Best of friends! if only I could see this before I die.
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Pylades
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Listen to me, and delay the stroke of the sword.
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Orestes
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I will, if I may take vengeance on my enemy.
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Pylades
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Hush now! I have small confidence in women.
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Orestes
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Have no fear of these; for they are our friends who are here.
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Pylades
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Let us kill Helen, a bitter grief to Menelaus.
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Orestes
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How? I am ready, if there is any chance of success.
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Pylades
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With our swords; she is hiding in your house.
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Orestes
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Indeed she is; and already she is putting her seal on everything.
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Pylades
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No longer, after she is married to Hades.
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Orestes
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But how? She has her barbarian attendants.
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Pylades
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Barbarians indeed! I am not the man to fear any Phrygian.
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Orestes
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They are only fit to look after mirrors and perfumes!
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Pylades
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Has she brought Trojan luxury with her here?
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Orestes
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So much so, that Hellas is too small for her to live in.
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Pylades
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The race of slaves is nothing to those who are free.
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Orestes
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Well, if I can do this deed, I do not shrink from dying twice over.
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Pylades
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No, nor I either, if it is you I am avenging.
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Orestes
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Explain the matter, and continue describing your plan.
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Pylades
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We will enter the house on the pretence of going to our death.
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Orestes
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So far I follow you, but not beyond.
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Pylades
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We will lament our sufferings to her.
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Orestes
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So that she will shed tears, although her heart is glad.
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Pylades
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And our condition will be like hers.
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Orestes
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How shall we proceed next in our contest?
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Pylades
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We shall have swords concealed in our cloaks.
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Orestes
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Will we dispose of her attendants first?
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Pylades
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We will shut them up in different parts of the house.
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Orestes
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And whoever refuses to be quiet, we must kill.
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Pylades
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And then the deed itself shows us where we must exert ourselves.
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Oretes
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To kill Helen; I understand that watchword.
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Pylades
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You have it; now hear how sound my scheme is. If we drew the sword upon a woman of greater chastity, the murder would be infamous; but, as it is, she will be punished for the sake of all Hellas,
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whose fathers she slew, whose children she destroyed, and made widows out of brides. There will be shouts of joy, and they will kindle the altars of the gods, invoking on our heads many blessings, because we shed a wicked woman’s blood.
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After killing her, you will not be called the matricide, but, resigning that title, you will succeed to a better, and be called the slayer of Helen the murderess. It can never, never be right that Menelaus should prosper, and your father, your sister and you should die,