The Persians E-Book

Aeschylus

• Herausgeber: Sovereign
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Serie: Plays by Aeschylus
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 42

Beschreibung

The Persians takes place in Susa, which at the time was one of the capitals of the Persian Empire, and opens with a chorus of old men of Susa, who are soon joined by the Queen Mother, Atossa, as they await news of her son King Xerxes' expedition against the Greeks. Expressing her anxiety and unease, Atossa narrates what is probably the first dream sequence in European theatre.

Leseprobe

Aeschylus

Aeschylus

The Persians

LONDON ∙ NEW YORK ∙ TORONTO ∙ SAO PAULO ∙ MOSCOW

PARIS ∙ MADRID ∙ BERLIN ∙ ROME ∙ MEXICO CITY ∙ MUMBAI ∙ SEOUL ∙ DOHA

TOKYO ∙ SYDNEY ∙ CAPE TOWN ∙ AUCKLAND ∙ BEIJING

New Edition

Published by Sovereign Classic

www.sovereignclassic.net

This Edition

First published in 2016

Copyright © 2016 Sovereign Classic

ISBN: 9781911535737

Contents

THE PERSIANS

THE PERSIANS

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ATOSSA, widow of Darius and mother of XERXESMESSENGERGHOST OF DARIUSXERXESCHORUS OF PERSIAN ELDERS, who compose the Persian Council of State

SCENE

Before the Council-Hall of the Persian Kings at Susa. The tomb of Darius the Great is visible. The time is 480 B.C., shortly after the battle of Salamis. The play opens with the CHORUS OF PERSIAN ELDERS singing its first choral lyric.

CHORUS

While o’er the fields of Greece the embattled troops Of Persia march with delegated sway, We o’er their rich and gold-abounding seats Hold faithful our firm guard; to this high charge Xerxes, our royal lord, the imperial son Of great Darius, chose our honour’d age. But for the king’s return, and his arm’d host Blazing with gold, my soul presaging ill Swells in my tortured breast: for all her force Hath Asia sent, and for her youth I sigh. Nor messenger arrives, nor horseman spurs With tidings to this seat of Persia’s kings. The gates of Susa and Ecbatana Pour’d forth their martial trains; and Cissia sees Her ancient towers forsaken, while her youth, Some on the bounding steed, the tall bark some Ascending, some with painful march on foot, Haste on, to arrange the deep’ning files of war. Amistres, Artaphernes, and the might Of great Astaspes, Megabazes bold, Chieftains of Persia, kings, that, to the power Of the great king obedient, march with these Leading their martial thousands; their proud steeds Prance under them; steel bows and shafts their arms, Dreadful to see, and terrible in fight, Deliberate valour breathing in their souls. Artembares, that in his fiery horse Delights; Masistress; and Imaeus bold, Bending with manly strength his stubborn bow; Pharandaces, and Sosthanes, that drives With military pomp his rapid steeds. Others the vast prolific Nile hath sent; Pegastagon, that from Aegyptus draws His high birth; Susiscanes; and the chief That reigns o’er sacred Memphis, great Arsames; And Ariomardus, that o’er ancient Thebes Bears the supreme dominion; and with these, Drawn from their watery marshes, numbers train’dTo the stout oar. Next these the Lycian troops, Soft sons of luxury; and those that dwell Amid the inland forests, from the sea Far distant; these Metragathes commands, And virtuous Arceus, royal chiefs, that shine In burnish›d gold, and many a whirling car Drawn by six generous steeds from Sardis lead, A glorious and a dreadful spectacle. And from the foot of Tmolus, sacred mount, Eager to bind on Greece the servile yoke, Mardon and Tharybis the massy spear Grasp with unwearied vigour; the light lance The Mysians shake. A mingled multitude Swept from her wide dominions skill›d to draw The unerring bow, in ships Euphrates sends From golden Babylon. With falchions arm›dFrom all the extent of Asia move the hosts Obedient to their monarch›s stern command. Thus march›d the flower of Persia, whose loved youth The world of Asia nourish›d, and with sighs Laments their absence; many an anxious look Their wives, their parents send, count the slow days, And tremble at the long-protracted time. strophe 1Already o’er the adverse strand In arms the monarch’s martial squadrons spread; The threat’ning ruin shakes the land, And each tall city bows its tower’d head. Bark bound to bark, their wondrous way They bridge across the indignant sea; The narrow Hellespont’s vex’d waves disdain, His proud neck taught to wear the chain. Now has the peopled Asia’s warlike lord, By land, by sea, with foot, with horse, Resistless in his rapid course, O’er all their realms his warring thousands pour’d; Now his intrepid chiefs surveys, And glitt’ring like a god his radiant state displays. antistrophe 1Fierce as the dragon scaled in gold Through the deep files he darts his glowing eye; And pleased their order to behold, His gorgeous standard blazing to the sky, Rolls onward his Assyrian car, Directs the thunder of the war, Bids the wing’d arrows’ iron storm advance Against the slow and cumbrous lance. What shall withstand the torrent of his sway When dreadful o’er the yielding shores The impetuous tide of battle roars, And sweeps the weak opposing mounds away? So Persia, with resistless might, Rolls her unnumber’d hosts of heroes to the fight. strophe 2For when misfortune’s fraudful hand Prepares to pour the vengeance of the sky, What mortal shall her force withstand? What rapid speed the impending fury fly? Gentle at first with flatt’ring smiles She spreads her soft enchanting wiles, So to her toils allures her destined prey, Whence man ne’er breaks unhurt away. For thus from ancient times the Fates ordain That Persia’s sons should greatly dare, Unequall’d in the works of war; Shake with their thund’ring steeds the ensanguined plain,