THE PHOENICIAN VIRGINS.

ARGUMENT.

An agreement is effected between Eteocles and Polynices, the rival sons of Edipus, to share the royalty of Thebes,. and reign alternately, each a year. The throne is first occupied by Eteocles, by right of seniority; but, after the expiration of the term, he violates the mutual arrangement by a retention of the sovereignty. Polynices implores the assistance of Adrastus, king of Argos, whose daughter he marries; and, accompanied by his father-in-law, with five other renowned chieftains and a numerous army, arrives at the gates of Thebes, which city he prepares to capture by immediate assault. A conference is now held by the young men, through the mediation of their mother; but the unyielding arrogance of Eteocles drives his younger brother to extremities. In the mean time, at the desire of the Theban monarch, the prophet Tiresias is consulted by Creon, who learns that victory, in the ensuing contest, can only be secured by the sacrifice of his son Menaceus. To avoid this painful alternative, Creon sends his son to Thesprotia; but no sooner has Menaceus quitted his presence than he generously destroys himself, in order thereby to secure the safety of his country. A furious attack is now made on the city, which proves unsuccessful: the Argive leaders are slain, and the two brothers destroy each other in single combat; while their mother, in despair, puts a period to her own existence. The government of Thebes now devolves on Creon, who forbids the rites of sepulture to be afforded to the dead body of Polynices, and banishes Edipus, whose daughter Antigone piously resolves to accompany him in his exile, after paying the last duties to her brother, at the peril of her own life.

JOCASTA.

O THOU, that whirling 'mid the stars of heaven
Thy radiant course, and on thy golden car

High seated, glorying in thy fiery steeds,
Rollest the orient light, resplendent Sun,
How inauspicious didst thou dart thy beams

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That day on Thebes, when from the sea-wash'd coast

Of fair Phoenicia Cadmus on this land

Set his ill-omen'd foot! Yet to his arms

The queen of love consign'd her beauteous daugh

ter

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Harmonia; and from her, to crown his joys,
Sprung Polydorus; Labdacus from him
Derived his birth; the father he of Laius.
Menaceus was my sire, and from one mother
Creon my brother: me my father named
Jocasta, and to Laius wedded me.
Year after year roll'd on, our nuptial bed
Yet childless, when to Phœbus he his way
Inquiring took, and of the god requests
The sweet society of a son to cheer
His house the oracle replied, "O king
Of warlike Thebes, sow not, the gods averse
For such a fatal harvest: should a son
Spring up, that son shall kill thee, and thine house
Shall sink in blood." Yet one night in his wine
He yielded to his pleasure, and a son
From thence arose: but, conscious of his fault
Offending 'gainst the oracular voice, that son
He to his herdsmen gave in charge to expose him
In the rich meads of Juno, where Citharon
O'ershades the vale, and with sharp-pointed steel
Bored through his legs; hence Greece gave him
the name

Of Edipus. Him there the wandering grooms,
That watch'd the grazing steeds of Polybus,
Took up, and to their royal mistress bore:
She cherish'd at her breast the child that cost me
A mother's throes, and works upon her lord
To deem it hers. When now the blooming down
Spoke manhood in my son, by instinct moved,

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Or some report, to Apollo's shrine he went,
Ardent to know his parents: at that time
To the same shrine went Laius, to inquire,
If haply he might learn, what fate attended
His exposed child: at Phocis, where the road
Divides itself, they met; the charioteer
Of Laius sternly bids him quit the way,
Yielding to kings: he silent moved and slow,
Greatly indignant; but the rushing steeds
Rent with their trampling hoofs his bleeding feet:
At this (but why relate each circumstance
Of bloody action distant far?) the son
There kills the father, and to Polybus

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In triumph sends the chariot. Now the sphinx
Prey'd with a vulture's talons on the city.
My husband now no more, my brother Čreon
Proclaim'd to him, whose deep thought should un-
fold

The subtle monster's intricate enigma,

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My bed the prize: chance then brought Edipus,
My son; the sphinx's riddle he explain'd;
And, as the monarch of this land, assumes
The sceptre, his just meed, and marries me
His mother, hapless he, and knew it not:

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Nor did she know that her son shared her bed.
I to my child bore children; two brave sons,
Eteocles, and the illustrious worth
Of Polynices; and two daughters, one
Her father call'd Ismene, but the elder
I named Antigone. But when he knew,
Much suffering Edipus, that sharing mine
He shared his mother's bed, in grief, in rage,
He did a deed of desperate horror,-rent
His eyes, and with his golden buckles bored
Their bleeding orbs. When now the manly down
Began to darken on their cheeks, his sons
In secret shun him, from the eyes of men
Immured, that the sad memory of his fortune,
Which needed much the best plann'd policy,

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Might wear away. yet in the house he lives,
With most unhallowed execrations cursing

His sons, that with the sword's sharp edge his house

Their mutual hate may share. They, fearing this,
Fearing the gods might execute this curse,
Should they reside beneath one roof, agreed
In friendly compact, that my Polynices,
The younger, should a willing exile go,
Leaving this land, and to Eteocles
Consign the throne, till the revolving year
With grateful interchange should call him back.
The imperial seat he quits not, but with scorn
Drives Polynices out to banishment,
Who flies to Argos, and accepting there
The alliance of Adrastus, drew to arms

A host of Argives, who with many a shield

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Form the firm phalanx round their chief, and march
To the seven gates of Thebes: before these walls
His father's sceptre he demands, his share
Of empire. To prevent this dreadful contest,
I wrought my son, ere his hand grasp the spear,
Confiding in a truce to enter Thebes,

Brother with brother holding conference:
Gentle his answer; soon he will be here.
O thou, that in the shining clouds of heaven
Dwellest enthroned, all-powerful Jove, preserve us,
Dispose my sons to peace: well it becomes
Thy wisdom, nor on one devoted head

To pour the unceasing storm of wretchedness! 105

PHORBAS, ANTIGONE.

PHOR. Pride of thy father's house, sweet-breathing flower,

Since, with leave granted, thou hast left the apart.

ments

Where virgin modesty retires to shun

The gaze of men, and to this tower approachest, Anxious to view the Argive troops beneath,

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Yet stay thy steps, Antigone; mine eye
Shall first explore the pass; haply some Theban
May be in sight, and with opprobrious taunts
Revile me as a slave, nor spare ev'n thee
Of royal birth: this caution had, my tongue
Shall tell thee all, whate'er I saw or heard
From the Argives, to thy brother when I bore
The offer of a truce, and thence return'd.
But nigh this house no Theban is in sight;
Come then, ascend this height; let thy foot tread
These stairs of ancient cedar; thence survey 121
The plains beneath: see, what a host of foes
At Dirce's fount encamp, and stretch along
The valley where Ismenus rolls his stream.

ANT. Stretch forth thy hand, thy aged hand: support

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My youth, assist me while I mount this height. PHOR. Lean on my hand; in lucky hour thou

comest:

In motion is the wide Pelasgian host,

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Each wheeling phalanx forming round its chief.
ANT. Awful Diana, virgin goddess, see
The field all brass glares like the lightning's blaze.
PHOR. Not tamely Polynices to this land
Returns, but raging leads a numerous host,—
Horsemen, and deepening ranks of foot in arms.
ANT. Are the gates closed, fasten'd with bars of
brass

To the strong bulwarks by Amphion raised
Of rock impregnable?

PHOR.

Be confident;

Within the city is secure: but view

That chief, if thy desire to know excite thee.

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ANT. Who is that chief, o'er whose bright helmet

waves

The snowy plume, as marshalling the van

He moves, and on his arm his brazen shield

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Lifts lightly? Whence his race, and what his

nanie?

EURIP. VOL. I.-Z