MESS. Ho there! who is at the gate of the palace? Open, conduct Jocasta
from out of the house.--What ho! again--after a long time indeed, but yet
come forth, hear, O renowned wife of Œdipus, ceasing from thy lamentations,
and thy tears of grief.
JOC. O most dear man, surely thou comest bearing the news of some calamity,
of the death of Eteocles, by whose shield thou always didst go, warding off
the weapons of the enemy. What new message, I pray, dost thou come to
deliver? Is my son dead or alive? Tell me.
MESS. He lives, be not alarmed for this, for I will rid thee of this fear.
JOC. But what? In what state are our seven-towered ramparts?
MESS. They stand unshaken, nor is the city destroyed.
JOC. Come they in danger from the spear of Argos?
MESS. To the very extreme of danger; but the arms of Thebes came off
superior to the Mycenæan spear.
JOC. Tell me one thing, by the Gods, whether thou knowest any thing of
Polynices (since this is a concern to me also) whether he sees the light.
MESS. Thus far in the day thy pair of children lives.
JOC. Be thou blest. But how did ye stationed on the towers drive off the
spear of Argos from the gates? Tell me, that I may go and delight the old
blind man in the house with the news of his country's being preserved.
MESS. After that the son of Creon, he that died for the land, standing on
the summit of the towers, plunged the black-handled sword into his throat,
the salvation of this land, thy son placed seven cohorts, and their leaders
with them, at the seven gates, guards against the Argive spear; and he drew
up the horse ready to support the horse, and the heavy-armed men to
reinforce the shield-bearers, so that to the part of the wall which was in
danger there might be succor at hand. But from the lofty citadel we view
the army of the Argives with their white shields, having quitted Tumessus
and now come near the trench, at full speed they reached the city of the
land of Cadmus. And the pæan and the trumpets at the same time from them
resounded, and off the walls from us. And first indeed Parthenopæus the son
of the huntress (_Atalanta_) led his division horrent with their thick
shields against the Neïtan[35] gate, having a family device in the middle
of his shield, Atalanta destroying the Ætolian boar with her
distant-wounding bow. And against the Prætan gate marched the prophet
Amphiaraüs, having victims in his car, not bearing an insolent emblem, but
modestly having his arms without a device. But against the Ogygian gate
stood Prince Hippomedon, bearing an emblem in the middle of his shield, the
Argus gazing with his spangled[36] eyes, [some eyes indeed with the rising
of the stars awake,[37] and some with the setting closed, as we had the
opportunity of seeing afterward when he was dead.] But Tydeus was drawn up
at the Homoloïan gate, having on his shield a lion's skin rough with his
mane, but in his right hand he bore a torch, as the Titan Prometheus,[38]
intent on firing the city. But thy son Polynices drew up his array at the
Crenean gate; but the swift Potnian mares, the emblem on his shield, were
starting through fright, well circularly[39] grouped within _the orb_ at
the handle of the shield, so that they seemed infuriated. But Capaneus, not
holding less notions than Mars on the approaching battle, drew up his
division against the Electran gate. Upon the iron embossments of his shield
was an earth-born giant bearing upon his shoulders a whole city, which he
had torn up from the foundations with bars, an intimation to us what our
city should suffer. But at the seventh gate was Adrastus, having his shield
filled with a hundred vipers, bearing on his left arm a representation of
the hydra, the boast of Argos, and from the midst of the walls the dragons
were bearing the children of the Thebans in their jaws. But I had the
opportunity of seeing each of these, as I took the word of battle to the
leaders of the divisions. And first indeed we fought with bows, and
javelins, and distant-wounding slings, and fragments of rocks; but when we
were conquering in the fight, Tydeus shouted out, and thy son on a sudden,
"O sons of the Danaï, why delay we, ere we are galled with their missile
weapons, to make a rush at the gates all in a body, light-armed men,
horsemen, and those who drive the chariots?" And when they heard the cry,
no one was backward; but many fell, their heads besmeared with blood; of us
also you might have seen before the walls frequent divers toppling to the
ground; and they moistened the parched earth with streams of blood. But the
Arcadian, no Argive, the son of Atalanta, as some whirlwind falling on the
gates, calls out for fire and a spade, as though he would dig up the city.
But Periclymenus the son of the God of the Ocean stopped him in his raging,
hurling at his head a stone, a wagon-load, a pinnacle[40] _rent_ from the
battlement; and dashed in pieces his head with its auburn hair, and crushed
the suture of the bones, and besmeared with blood his lately blooming
cheeks; nor shall he carry back his living form to his mother, glorious in
her bow, the daughter of Mænalus. But when thy son saw this gate was in a
state of safety, he went to another, and I followed. But I see Tydeus, and
many armed with shields around him, darting with their Ætolian lances at
the highest battlements of the towers, so that our men put to flight
quitted the heights of the ramparts; but thy son, as a hunter, collects
them together again; and posted them a second time on the towers; and we
hasten on to another gate, having relieved the distress in this quarter.
But Capaneus, how can I express the measure of his rage! For he came
bearing the ranges of a long-reaching ladder, and made this high boast,
"That not even the hallowed fire of Jove should hinder him from taking the
city from its highest turrets." And these things soon as he had proclaimed,
though assailed with stones, he clambered up, having contracted his body
under his shield, climbing the slippery footing of the bars[41] of the
ladder: but when he was now mounting the battlements of the walls Jupiter
strikes him with his thunder; and the earth resounded, insomuch that all
trembled; and his limbs were hurled, as it were by a sling, from the ladder
separately from one another, his hair to heaven, and his blood to the
ground, and his limbs, like the whirling of Ixion on his wheel, were
carried round; and his scorched body falls to the earth. But when Adrastus
saw that Jove was hostile to his army, he stationed the host of the Argives
without the trench. But ours on the contrary, when they saw the auspicious
sign from Jove, drove out their chariots, horsemen and heavy-armed, and
rushing into the midst of the Argive arms engaged in fight: and there were
all the sorts of misery together: they died, they fell from their chariots,
and the wheels leaped up and axles upon axles: and corses were heaped
together with corses.--We have preserved then our towers from being
overthrown to this present day; but whether for the future this land will
be prosperous, rests with the Gods.
CHOR. To conquer is glorious; but if the Gods have the better intent, may I
be fortunate!
JOC. Well are the ways of the Gods, and of fortune; for my children live,
and my country has escaped; but the unhappy Creon seems to feel the effects
of my marriage, and of Œdipus's misfortunes, being deprived of his child;
for the state indeed, happily, but individually, to his misery: but recount
to me again, what after this did my two sons purpose to do?
MESS. Forbear the rest; for in every circumstance hitherto thou art
fortunate.
JOC. This hast thou said so as to raise suspicion; I must not forbear.
MESS. Dost thou want any thing more than that thy sons are safe?
JOC. In what follows also I would hear if I am fortunate.
MESS. Let me go: thy son is deprived of his armor-bearer.
JOC. Thou concealest some ill and coverest it in obscurity.
MESS. I can not speak thy ills after thy happiness.
JOC. _But thou shalt_, unless fleeing from me thou fleest through the air.
MESS. Alas! alas! Why dost thou not suffer me to depart after a message of
glad tidings, but forcest me to tell calamities?--Thy sons are intent on
most shameful deeds of boldness--to engage in single combat apart from the
whole army, having addressed to the Argives and Thebans in common a speech,
such as they never ought to have spoken. But Eteocles began, standing on
the lofty turret, having commanded to proclaim silence to the army. And he
said, "O generals of the Grecian land, and chieftains of the Danaï, who
have come hither, and O people of Cadmus, neither for the sake of Polynices
barter your lives, nor for my cause. For I myself, taking this danger on
myself, alone will enter the lists with my brother; and if indeed I slay
him, I will dwell in the palace alone; but should I be subdued, I will give
it up to him alone. But you, ceasing from the combat, O Argives, shall
return to your land, not leaving your lives here; [of the Theban people
also there is enough that lieth dead,"] Thus much he spake; but thy son
Polynices rushed from the ranks, and approved his words. But all the
Argives murmured their applause, and the people of Cadmus, as thinking this
plan just. And after this the generals made a truce, and in the space
between the two armies pledged an oath to abide by it. And now the two sons
of the aged Œdipus clad their bodies in an entire suit of brazen armor. And
their friends adorned them, the champion of this land indeed the chieftains
of the Thebans; and him the principal men of the Danaï. And they stood
resplendent, and they changed not their color, raging to let forth their
spears at each other. But their friends on either side as they passed by
encouraging them with words, thus spoke. "Polynices, it rests with thee to
erect the statue of Jove, emblem of victory, and to confer a glorious fame
on Argos." But to Eteocles on the other hand; "Now thou fightest for the
state, now if thou come off victorious, thou art in possession of the
sceptre." These things they said exhorting them to the combat. But the
seers sacrificed the sheep, and scrutinized the shooting of the flames, and
the bursting _of the gall_, the moisture adverse[42] _to the fire_, and the
extremity of the flame, which bears a two-fold import, both the sign of
victory,[43] and the sign of being defeated.[44] But if thou hast any
power, or words of wisdom, or the soothing charms of incantation, go, stay
thy children from the fearful combat, since great the danger, [and dreadful
will be the sequel of the contest, _namely_, tears for thee, deprived this
day of thy two children.]
JOC. O my child, Antigone, come forth from before the palace; the state of
thy fortune suits not now the dance, nor the virgin's chamber, but it is
thy duty, in conjunction with thy mother, to hinder two excellent men, and
thy brothers verging toward death from falling by each other's hands.