aeschylus - Conscious Evolution TV

ELECTRA
this at her ripe age? Thinkest thou not that she Pae. Orestes is dead; that is the sum.
would go forward to any deed, without shame? EI. Oh, miserable that I am r I am lost this day!
El. Now be assured that I do feel shame for this, CI. What sayest thou, friend, what sayest thou?though
thou believe it not; I know that my behav- listen not to her!
iour is unseemly, and becomes me ill. But then the Pae. I said, and say again-Orestes is dead.
enmity on thy part, and thy treatment, compel me EI. I am lost, hapless one, I am undone!
in mine own despite to do thus; for base deeds are Cl. (to ELECTRA). See thou to thine own concerns.
taught by base. But do thou, sir, tell me exactly-how did he per-
CI. Thou brazen one! Truly I and my sayings and ish?
my deeds give thee too much matter for words. Pae. I was sent for that purpose, and will tell thee
El. The words are thine, not mine; for thine is the all. Having gone to the renowned festival, the pride
action; and the acts find the utterance. of Greece, for the Delphian games, when he heard
Cl. Now by our lady Artemis, thou shalt not fail the loud summons to the foot-race which was first
to pay for this boldness, so soon as Aegisthus returns. to be decided, he entered the lists, a brilliant form,
El. Lo, thou art transported by anger, after grant- a wonder in the eyes of all there; and, having finished
ing me free speech, and hast no patience to listen. his course at the point where it began, he went out
ct. Now wilt thou not hush thy clamour, or even with the glorious meed of victory. To speak briefly,
suffer me to sacrifice, when I have permitted thee to where there is much to tell, I know not the man
speak unchecked? whose deeds and triumphs have matched his; but
EI. I hinder not-begin thy rites, I pray thee; one thing thou must know; in all the contests that
and blame not my voice, for I shall say no more. the judges announced, he bore away the prize; and
C/. Raise then, my handmaid, the offerings of men deemed him happy, as oft as the herald promany
fruits, that I may uplift my prayers to this claimed him an Argive, by name Orestes, son of
our king, for deliverance from my present fears. Agamemnon, who once gathered the famous arma­
Lend now a gracious ear, 0 Phoebus our defender, ment of Greece.
to my words, though they be dark; for I speak not Thus far, 'twas well; but, when a god sends harm,
among friends, nor is it meet to unfold my whole not even the strong man can escape. For, on anthought
to the light, while she stands near me, lest other day, when chariots were to try their speed at
with her malice and her garrulous cry she spread sunrise, he entered, with many charioteers. One was
some rash rumour throughout the town: but hear an Achaean, one from Sparta, two masters of yoked
me thus, since on this wise I must speak. cars were Libyans; Orestes, driving Thessalian mares,
That vision which I saw last night in doubtful came fifth among them; the sixth from Aetolia, with
dreams-if it hath come for my good, grant, Ly- chestnut colts; a Magnesian was the seventh; the
cean king, that it be fulfilled; but if for harm, then eighth, with white horses, was of Aenian stock; the
let it recoilupon my foes. And if any are plotting to ninth, from Athens, built of gods; there was a Boeohurl
me by treachery from the high estate which tian too, making the tenth chariot.
now is mine, permit them not; rather vouchsafe They took their stations where the appointed umthat,
still living thus unscathed, I may bear sway pires placed them by lot and ranged the cars; then,
over the house of the Atreidae and this realm, shar- at the sound of the brazen trump, they started. All
ing prosperous days with the friends who share them shouted to their horses, and shook the reins in their
now, and with those of my children from whom no hands; the whole course was filled with the noise of
enmity or bitterness pursues me. rattling chariots; the dust flew upward; and all, in a
o Lycean Apollo, graciously hear these prayers, confused throng, plied their goads unsparingly, each
and grant them to us all, even as we ask! For the of them striving to pass the wheels and the snortrest,
though I be silent, I deem that thou, a god, ing steeds of his rivals; for alike at their backs and
must know it; all things, surely, are seeg,by the sons at their rolling wheels the breath of the horses
of Zeus.. foamed and smote.
EnterthePAEDAGOGUS. Orestes, driving close to the pillar at either end
Pae. Ladies, might a stranger crave to know if of the course, almost grazed it with his wheel each
this be the palace of the king Aegisthus? time, and, giving rein to the trace-horse on the right,
Ch. It is, sir; thou thyself hast guessed aright. checked the horse on the inner side. Hitherto, all
Pac. And am I right in surmising that this lady is the chariots had escaped overthrow; but presently
hisconsort?Sheisofqueenlyaspect. the Aenian's hard-mouthed colts ran away, and,
Ch. Assuredly; thou art in the presence of the swerving, as they passed from the sixth into the
queen. seventh round, dashed their foreheads against the
Pae. Hail, royal lady! I bring glad tidings to thee team of the Barcaean. Other mishaps followed the
and to Aegisthus, from a friend. first, shock on shock and crash on crash, till the
ct. I welcome the omen; but I would fain know whole race-ground of Crisa was strewn with the
from thee, first, who may have sent thee. wreck of the chariots.
Pae. Phanoteus the Phocian, on a weighty mission. Seeing this, the wary charioteer from Athens drew
ct. What is it, sir? Tell me: coming from a friend, aside and paused, allowing the billow of chariots,
thou wilt bring, I know, a kindly message. surging in mid course, to go by. Orestes was driving
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