of your anger? Children of this man, my sisters!
You at least, try to move our father, make him speak.
He’s so hard to get near, so hard to talk to.
Don’t let him cast me off like this, disgraced,
the god’s suppliant, without saying a word to me!
1280
ANTIGONE: Tell him yourself, unhappy brother, why
you’re here. Speak up! A plea spun out at length—
delighting, angering, or full, somehow, of pity—
may stir the voice in those who hold it back.
POLYNICES: That’s good advice. I’ll take it, starting
with the fact that the god himself is on my side,
from whose altar the ruler of this land
raised me up, sent me here, and granted the right
to speak and listen and depart unharmed.
From you, too, strangers, I hope to win all this,
1290
and from my sisters here, and from my father.
I want to tell you now, Father, why I’ve come.
I’ve been driven from my native land, an exile
because I thought I had the right, being the older,
to sit with full power upon your throne.
But Eteocles, though younger, drove me out.
He didn’t get his way by argument, or
by putting strength and merit to the test—
no, he bought the city.*87 I’m all but certain
1299
your Fury*88 was the cause behind all this.*89
1301
And so I went to Dorian Argos, and took
Adrastus as my father-in-law, joined hands,
on oath, with all who call themselves chiefs
of the Apian land,*90 their champions in battle.
I raised this host of seven spears against Thebes
either to die fighting with them in a just cause
or drive the evildoers from my land.
What, then, brings me before you now?
I come to ask you for your blessing, Father,
1310
for my own sake and that of my allies,
who now in seven cohorts under seven spears
ring the entire plain of Thebes—men like
Amphiaraus, brandishing his lance, foremost
in might of war, foremost in prophecy;
second is Tydeus, from Aeolia, offspring
of Oeneus; third, Eteoclus,*91 Argive born;
Hippomedon is fourth, sent by his father
Talaus; the fifth, Capaneus, swears that he
will soon burn the city of Thebes to the ground.
1320
Sixth is an Arcadian, Parthenopaeus,
1321
named to recall his mother’s maidenhood.*92
1323
And I, your son—or if not yours, then
some evil Fate’s, yet known, at least, as yours—
now launch this fearless Argive host at Thebes.
By these children here, by your life, Father,
we call on you, all of us together: let
your dire anger at me subside as I set out
to take vengeance on my brother, who has
1330
thrust me from my country, stolen it from me!
If oracles are to be believed, they’ve said
the side you’re on will win this war.
By our sacred springs, by our family gods,
hear my plea and yield, I implore you—I,
a beggar and an alien, just like you.
The two of us live by pleasing others;
we have a common lot, we share the same fate.
Meanwhile—how it hurts to say it!—that tyrant*93
struts in our halls, laughing at the two of us.
1340
If you’ll make common cause with me, I’ll
dispose of him, with little trouble or effort.
And so I’ll bring you home and settle you
in your palace, you and me, once he’s thrown out.
I can claim all this, if you want what I want.
Without you, I lack strength even to survive.
CHORUS LEADER: Oedipus, for the sake of him who sent him here,
say what will help, and send him on his way.
OEDIPUS: Well, guardians of the people of this land,
if Theseus hadn’t sent him here, and thought
1350
that he deserved a hearing, he would never
have known what I would say in response.
But now that he’s judged fit to hear, he’ll leave
with words of mine he’ll wish he never heard!
When you, traitor that you are, had the scepter
and the throne your brother has today in Thebes,
you cast me out, me, your own father—yes, you!
You made me an exile, you dressed me in these clothes
that now you weep to see, now that you’ve come
into the maelstrom of evils where I am, too!
1360
There’s no point in crying over that, though I
must live with it, and regard you as my killer.
For you put me in the arms of misery;
you drove me out; because of you I wander,
begging others for my food day by day.
And if I hadn’t had these two daughters, my nurses,
I wouldn’t even be alive, for all you care!
They keep me safe, they are my nurses, they
are men, not women, standing at my side.
But you two!*94 You’re someone else’s sons, not mine!
1370
And so the god*95 watches you now, though not
as soon he will, once those troops of yours
are on the way to Thebes. For you will never
tear that city down. You’ll fall yourself first, defiled
in blood, you and your brother with you. Such curses
I’ve cast on you and him before, and now
I call on them to fight for me, so you
may learn to reverence and not despise
your parents—if, blind father that I am, I sowed
the two of you: my daughters didn’t act that way!
1380
So my curses overrule your supplication
and your thrones—if Justice born of old
still sits by Zeus, and ancient law prevails.
Go now, spat out, disowned, of all
bad men the worst, and take these curses
with you! I call them down now: you’ll never raise
a conquering spear over your country, never
return to valleyed Argos; instead you’ll die
by your brother’s hand and kill the man who threw you out.
Such are my curses, and I call on Tartarus,*96
1390
father of loathsome darkness, to take you home.
I call on these goddesses,*97 I call on Ares
who flung deadly hate between the two of you.
Go, with this in your ears, and on your way
announce to all the Theban people, together
with all your trusty comrades in arms, that such
are the blessings Oedipus bequeaths his sons!
CHORUS LEADER: Polynices, your coming hasn’t brought me
any joy; go back now, as quickly as you can.
POLYNICES: oimoi—my journey here, my bad luck!
1400
oimoi, my comrades! Such, then, is the end
of our Argive invasion—unbearable!—
such an end, I can’t breathe a word of it
to any of them, or lead them back again,
but I must go to meet this doom in silence.
My sisters, daughters of this man, you at least—
for you hear what he says, the implacable
curses of a father—by the gods, I beg you:
if these father’s curses come to pass and you
somehow make
it home again, don’t dishonor me
1410
but lay me in the grave, perform the rites.*98
And the praise you’ve won for taking pains
in my father’s behalf will bring you other
praises greater still, for services to me.
ANTIGONE: Polynices, please: listen to me now.
POLYNICES: What is it, dearest Antigone?*99 Go on, tell me.
ANTIGONE: Lead the army back to Argos! Don’t delay,
don’t destroy your city or yourself.
POLYNICES: Impossible! How could I take the lead
of my army once again, once I’ve shown fear?
1420
ANTIGONE: But why, Brother,*100 why be angry once again?
Why tear your city to the ground? For what?
POLYNICES: It’s shameful to be an exile, shameful, too,
that I, the older, be laughed at by my brother.
ANTIGONE: Do you see, then, how you fulfill, to the letter,
his prophecy, his demand—that you kill each other?
POLYNICES: Yes, he wants it that way. Shouldn’t we oblige?
ANTIGONE: oimoi! And who, who will dare to follow
once your father’s prophecies are known?
POLYNICES: I won’t announce what serves no purpose. A good
1430
commander talks up his strengths, not weaknesses.
ANTIGONE: So then, my brother, this is your decision?
POLYNICES: Yes, and don’t hold me back. This is the path
I care to take, ill-fated and disastrous, thanks
to father there, and his Furies. (addressing Ismene too) But may Zeus
1435
favor you both, if you do this for me.*101
1437
And now, let me go. Bid me goodbye, since you’ll
never see me alive again.
ANTIG.: I—I can’t bear it!
POLYNICES: Don’t mourn for me.
1440
ANTIG.: And who would not mourn for you, Brother, on your way to certain death?
POLYNICES: I will die, if I must.
ANTIG.: No! No! Listen to me!
POLYNICES: Don’t try! You must not!
ANTIG.: No, I can’t go on, if I lose you.
POLY.: It’s in the hands
of fate, to end like this, or not. And so I beg
the gods, may you two never come to any harm!
You don’t deserve it. That, at least, is clear.
(Exit Polynices to the left. The Chorus now sing another kommos, two pairs of matching stanzas interrupted by spoken dialogue.)
strophe 1
New are these evils, new and newly revealed
blows of disaster, our blind guest’s doing
1450
or maybe it’s Fate closing in.
For I cannot say that any
decision of the gods is in vain.
Time sees, he sees all things always,
overturning some today,
lifting others up again tomorrow.
(A peal of thunder is heard.)
The sky thundered! O Zeus!
OEDIPUS: Children, children! Is someone at hand
who could bring Theseus, the best of all men, here?
ANTIGONE: What is it, Father? Why summon him?
1460
OEDIPUS: This winged thunderbolt of Zeus will bring me
soon to Hades.*102 Send for him, quickly!
(More thunder is heard.)
antistrophe 1
CHORUS: Look, listen! That sound—I can’t describe it—
that peal of thunder crashing down, flung by Zeus!
My hair stands on end,
my heart cowers—lightning
makes the heavens blaze again.
What, then? Will he hurl his bolt?
I am afraid, for never does it strike
1470
to no purpose, some dire result,
O mighty heavens, O Zeus!
OEDIPUS: Daughters of mine, the god-appointed end
has come for me—there is no turning from it now.
ANTIGONE: How do you know? Why come to this conclusion?
OEDIPUS: I know it well. Someone must go at once
to bring the lord of this land here to me!
(Thunder again.)
strophe 2
CHORUS: ea, ea! There it is again, look: again
that ear-piercing din, all around us!
1480
Gracious, O god, be gracious, if you come
bringing darkness to the land,
our mother. May I find favor with you
and not reap my reward in pain
because I laid eyes on a man accursed!*103
Lord Zeus, to you I pray.
OEDIPUS: Is the man near, then? Will he find me, children,
still alive, still in my right mind?
ANTIGONE: Why worry about that now?
OEDIPUS: Because I must fulfill the promise I made
1490
to pay him for the favor he showed me.
antistrophe 2
CHORUS: iō, iō my son!*104
If you are still at the edge*105
of the grove, sanctifying
Poseidon’s altar
with the blood of oxen—come!
Our guest believes he must repay
you and your city and friends
for kindness shown to him.
Hasten, hurry, my lord!
(Enter Theseus, with attendants.)
1500
THESEUS: Why this commotion, once again, from all of you—
(to the Chorus) clearly from you, and also from our guest?
Is a roaring bolt of Zeus the cause, or torrents
of hail bursting upon you? For when a god
storms like that, it may mean anything.
OEDIPUS: My lord, here you are, at last! And one of the gods
has brought your journey here good fortune.
THESEUS: What is it, son of Laius? What new event?
OEDIPUS: My life’s end looms, and I want to die true
to my promises, to you and to your city.
1510
THESEUS: What sign makes you sure the time has come?
OEDIPUS: The gods, acting as their own heralds, tell me so,
and keep their word: all the signs foretold are there.
THESEUS: What do you mean? How are they given?
OEDIPUS: In Zeus’ constant thunder and the hail
of bolts flashing from his invincible hand.
THESEUS: I believe it, for I’ve often seen you prophesy,
none of it false. Tell me, then, what must be done.
OEDIPUS: I will lay out, son of Aegeus, what awaits
this city of yours, safe from the wounds of time.
1520
In a moment, on my own, I’ll lead you, without
a guide’s touch, to the place where I must die.
This you must not reveal to any man, ever—
not where it’s hidden, nor in what region it lies.
So may it be a source of strength, mightier
than hosts of shields and spears brought by allies.
But what is sacred and not to be profaned
by speech, you’ll learn by going there, alone.
I will not speak of it to any townsman here,
nor to my own children, though I love them—
1530
no, keep it always to yourself, and when you’ve come
to life’s end, reveal it to your heir alone,
and he to his, and so on, forever.
And in this way your city shall not be destroyed
by men sprung from the dragon’s teeth.*106 Countless cities,
even those well-governed, easily turn violent.
For the gods mark well, but late, when a man
turns from them and swerves to madness.
May you, son of Aegeus, never choose that path!
Such are
my lessons, taught to one who knows.
1540
But now—for I feel the prompting of a god—
let us go to the place, and hesitate no longer.
This way, children, follow me—look: now, strangely,
I’ve become your guide, as you were mine.
Come along, and do not touch me; no,
let me find, myself, the sacred tomb
where I’m fated to lie hidden in this land.
This way, here, come this way—this is the way
Hermes, escort of souls, and the goddess*107 below
are leading me. O light, darkness now! I saw you once
1550
and now my body feels your touch
for the last time. For now I go to hide my life’s end
in Hades. So (turning toward Theseus), dearest of friends,
be blessed—you and this land and your attendants
and in your prosperity remember me
when I am dead, and so be fortunate forever!
(Oedipus exits to the right, followed by Theseus, Antigone, and Ismene. The Chorus now sing their fourth ode.)
strophe
CHORUS: If it’s right to honor in prayers
the goddess*108 unseen and you,
lord of those deep in night, Aidoneus,*109
1560
Aidoneus, I beseech you:
may our guest make his way free
of pain and fate’s heavy grief, to the plain*110
of the dead below, where all are hidden,
and their Stygian*111 home.
For though many sorrows
came to him undeservedly,
a just god may lift him up again.
antistrophe
O goddesses of earth!*112 O beast*113 invincible
crouching at the gates
1570
crowded with guests*114 and baying
from within the cavern,
Hades’ untamable watchdog
as legend ever tells us:
let him slink—I pray you, son of Earth
and Tartarus*115—out of the way
of our guest now passing
down to the plains of the dead;
on you I call, god of eternal sleep!
(Enter a messenger, from the right.)
MESSENGER: Citizens, the briefest way to tell the news
1580
would be for me to say that Oedipus is dead.
But what was done and what was said there
wasn’t brief, and can’t be briefly told.
CHORUS LEADER: The poor man has perished, then?
MESS.: You may rest assured: he’s left behind the life we know.
CHORUS LEADER: How? Blest by the gods, and without pain?
MESSENGER: That’s the very thing that moves our wonder now.
The Greek Plays Page 51