The Persians and Other Plays by Aeschylus & Alan H. Sommerstein
Author:Aeschylus & Alan H. Sommerstein
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141955896
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2009-10-26T16:00:00+00:00
[By now the CHORUS are all seated close to the altar, on which they have laid some of their suppliant-branches. PELASGUS enters from the direction of the city, in a chariot, escorted by soldiers.]
234–6 PELASGUS: From what place does this company come that I am addressing, in un-Greek garb, wearing luxurious barbarian robes and headbands? The dress of these women is not from the Argive region, nor from any place in Greece. And how
238–40 you dared to come to this land so fearlessly, under the protection neither of heralds nor of native sponsors,40 and without guides – that is astonishing. And yet suppliant-branches are lying beside you, before the Assembled Gods, in accordance with our customs: only in that respect would ‘Greece’ be a reasonable guess.41 About other things, too, it would be proper to make many more conjectures, if there were not a
245 person here with a voice to explain to me.
CHORUS: What you have said about our attire is perfectly true; but how should I address you – as a private individual, or a temple warden carrying a sacred staff, or the leader of the city?42
250 PELASGUS: So far as that is concerned, you can answer and speak to me with confidence. I am Pelasgus, ruler of this city, son of earth-born Palaechthon; and this land is cultivated by the race of the Pelasgians, appropriately named after me
254–5 their king. I am master of all the land43 through which flows the holy Strymon, on the side of the setting sun,44 and I mark as my boundary the land of the Paeonians,45 and the parts beyond Pindus near the Perrhaebians,46 and the mountains of Dodona;47 the limit that cuts it short is the watery sea. I rule what is on the hither side of these. The soil
260 of this land itself, Apia, received its name long ago in honour of a healer. Apis the healer and seer, son of Apollo, came from the land of Naupactus across the sea48 and cleansed
265–6 this land of the man-destroying creatures which the angry earth, stained by the pollution of old bloodshed, had sent up from below, a hostile horde of serpents sharing our home. From these Apis effected, beyond all cavil, a decisive, liberating
270 cure for the Argive land and in return won as his reward the right to be remembered in prayers. Now you have the evidence from me, you can declare what race you are of, and tell me more. However, our city does not love long speeches.49
275–6 CHORUS: Our statement is brief and clear. We declare that we are Argive by race, the offspring of the cow that bore a fine child; and to show that this is true, we will add proofs to what we have said.
PELASGUS: What you say, strangers, is unbelievable for me to hear, that this group of yours is of Argive descent. You
279–80 bear more resemblance to the women of Libya – certainly not to those of this country. The Nile too might nurture such a crop; and a similar stamp is struck upon the dies of Cyprian womanhood by male artificers.
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