Aeschylus

“ Rock-roof'd and self-create, to visit earth,
The mother of this iron? Didst thou come
To look upon my griefs, and grieve withal?
Behold a spectacle!—me, friend of Jove—
Me, the creator of his royalty—
Beneath what torture from his hand I bow!
Ocea. Prometheus, I behold, and fain would lend
Thine ear my chiefest counselling, albeit
Thou hast a subtle mind. Know thine own self,
And change thy ways, since heav'n hath changed her king ”

“ Rock-fixed, in the desert air, in chains.
Ah me! ah me! ah me! what sound.
What viewless odour hovers round?
From god or man, or half divine
Being, who nears this rock of mine,
This limit of the earth, to see
My woes, or seek—whate'er it be?
View me a bound and sorrowing god,
The foe of Jove, the hate of such
As Jove's imperial courts have trod;
Because I loved man too much.
Ah me! ah me! what sound I hear
Of coming birds! Air murm'ring sings,
Beneath the soft light stroke of wings—
And all society is fear. ”

“ In what offences, Jove detecting thee,
Imposed such cruel and dishon'ring woe.
Instruct us, if th' instruction grieve thee not.
Pro. Grievous to me to speak of what is past:
Grievous, to speak not—each way miserable!—
What time the gods their primal wrath began,
And 'mid their ranks arose the mutual strife,
Some eager to thrust Saturn from his throne,
That Jove forsooth should fill it; some averse,
Resolved that Jove should never rule the gods—
Did I by wisest counsel seek to move
The Titans, children of the heav'ns and earth;
But fail'd in power. ”

“ The wedded spouse of Jove!
And never may a bridegroom woo me.
Of those who dwell above!
Because I fear, beholding late
Io's spouse-hating virgin state,
Tortured by Juno with a wand'ring fate.
Epode.
I fear no equal unions. Never may
The eyes of mightiest gods, which I can flee not,
Their love upon me fling!
Quenchless the strife, impassable the way!
I know not what I should become; I see not
How I should 'scape Saturnius' counselling.
Pro. And yet, albeit absolute of mind,
Jove shall wax weak. A marriage he prepares,
T' accomplish which, shall hurl him power-extinct ”

“ Who of the gods, save Jove? He, ever lending
To wrath his soul unbending,
Ruleth the heav'ns, nor e'er shall cease from ill,
Until his heart be satiate, or until
By fraud the sceptre's strength be wrested from his will. ”

“ Where dwell the Phorcides, three ancient maids,
Swan-form'd, possessive of one common eye,
And single-tooth'd; on whom doth never gaze
The rayed sun, nor yet the nightly moon.
And near them are their winged sisters three,
The Gorgons, serpent-hair'd and man-abhorr'd,20
Whom mortal cannot look upon and live;
I warn thee against such: but hearken now
Unto another dreary spectacle.
Beware of Jove's sharp-mouth'd, unbarking dogs,21
The griffins; and the Arimaspian host,
One-eyed, horse-governing, who dwell beside
The gold-imbubbling wave of Pluto's stream:
To whom approach not. ”

“ Nor e'er my lips offend in pride!
But may this counsel aye abide;
And never from its source be dried.
Antistrophe 1.
'Tis sweet, our life to lengthen out
With hopes unshadow'd o'er by doubt;
The soul enriched all the while
With joys that wear a golden smile!
But Titan, shudd'ring I behold thee,
What time a thousand woes enfold thee
With macerating power; because
Thou didst not tremble at Jove's laws;
But gavest, with unbending mind,
Too much weal to human kind. ”

“ Me, in what crime, thou Jove, what crime, detected,
Yok'st thou to suff'ring, so,
And thus to goading terror dost thou doom me
Wretched and madden'd? Oh, with fire consume me,
Hide me with earth, to beasts my body fling:
Spurn not my prayer, oh king!
Too many wand'rings on my strength have press'd,
Nor know I where I shall attain to rest.
Cho. What saith the horned virgin, hearest thou?15
Pro. How can I hear not the fly-goaded maid,
The child of Inachus, who warm'd with love
Saturnius' breast; and now, by Juno's hate,
Is forced to tread the ever-length'ning ways?
Io. ”

“ Maketh me dare—neglect of Jove were awful.
Oh! of sagacious Themis, sagest son,
Thee loath, I loath, with chains insoluble
Shall fix against this desolated rock,—
Where never voice nor form of mortal man
Shall meet thee friend of man—where, 'stablished
'Neath the fierce sun, thy brow's white flower shall fade—
Star-broider'd night enshadow thee well pleased,
And day disperse the morning dews again! ”

“ For Jove's mind is obdurate,
And ever cruel is a new-made king.
Strength. Amen!—Why laggest thou with vain compassion?
Why hat'st thou not a god who hateth gods—
Who yielded up thy glory unto men?
Vul. Strong is the tie of kindred and of friendship!3
Strength. I grant it. But how canst thou disobey
The father? Doth not this affright thee more?
Vul. Aye wert thou stern and full of hardihood.
Strength. Because it booteth not, bewailing him;
Nor labour thou for what can profit nought.
Vul.Oh hateful hateful art, learn'd by mine hands!
Strength. Why hate it? ”

“ But on the plain descending, what shall come,
Attend, that ye may learn the perfect whole,
Obey me, nymphs, obey me; labour with
Him who is toiling now; for wand'ring Woe
Sits at the feet of every one by turns. ”

“ The lips of Jove are impotent to lie,
And consummation waiteth on the word.
Weigh well and ponder: thou shouldst not esteem
Self-will a better guide than prudent counsel.
Cho. Hermes appears to us to argue well:
For he exhorts thee to deliver up
Self-willedness, and seek for prudent counsel.
Yield thou: the error of the wise is shame. ”

“ Mortals, neglecting thy sad self. For me,
I have good hope that thou, escaped from chains,
Wilt put on strength, omnipotent as Jove's.
Pro. Not yet—not so, doth Fate, the Perfecter,
Perform these things; but having bow'd beneath
Toils, griefs unnumber'd, thus I 'scape the chain.
Far weaker than necessity is art.
Cho. Who holds the helm of that necessity?
Pro. The threefold Fates, and unforgetting Furies.
Cho. Is Jove less absolute than these are?
Pro.Yea;
And therefore cannot 'scape what is ordain'd.
Cho. What is ordain'd for Jove, except to rule?
Pro. Thou mayst not hear ”

“ Yea! stricken by this evil, Jove shall learn
What diff'rence lies between a king and slave.
Cho. In sooth, thou threat'nest Jove with what thou wouldst.
Pro. With what I would, and also what will be.
Cho. And must we look for one to master Jove?
Pro. These chains weigh lighter than his future grief.
Cho. Dost thou not fear, such daring words ejecting?
Pro. What should I fear, who cannot die?
Cho.But he
Can visit thee with woe more dread than death.
Pro. Whate'er can be accomplish'd, I foreknow. ”

“ For none is free, save Jove.
Vul.I have known that;
And can in nothing contradict thy words.
Strength. Why then not hasten to encompass round
This god with chains, lest Jove behold thee lagging?
Vul. The manacles are here.
Strength.Then, seizing him,
On either side his hands, with nervous might
Strike with the hammer,—fix him to the rocks.
Vul.The work is done, and not imperfectly.
Strength. Strike with a stronger stroke, compress, relax not:—
He can find ways where others find no ways.
Vul. This arm is fix'd indissolubly. ”

“ Prometheus. Vulcan. Strength. Force. Oceanus. Hermes. Io. Chorus of sea-nymphs.
PROMETHEUS BOUND.
Scene in European Scythia. Rocks facing the
Euxine Sea.
Prometheus,1 Vulcan, Strength2 and Force.
Strength. We have attain'd the utmost bound of earth,
The Scythian way, th' unpeopled wilderness;
And now it fits thee, Vulcan, to perform
The father's will; and this audacious god
Fix to the lofty-browëd rocks, by links
Infrangible of adamantine chains.
Thy crown, the glory of constructive fire,
Stole he, and gave to men; for which offence
'Tis just he pay to gods exacted vengeance ”

“ Her. Jove knoweth not that word.
Pro. Maturing Time24
Teacheth all things.
Her.Yet thou hast learn'd no wisdom.
Pro. None—since I commune with a slave like thee.
Her. Of all our Sire demands, thou utt'rest nought.
Pro. In very sooth, I owe him gratitude!
Her. Thou tauntest me, as if I were a child.
Pro. No child thou art, but weaker than a child,
If thou expect to gather aught from me.
Nor is there chast'ning, nor device, whereby
Jove shall constrain me to reveal these things,
Or ere he loosen my pernicious chains. ”