Amphitryon

“ Nowhere in all Kleist's writings has mysticism taken such strange possession of a perfectly pagan, not to say wanton, theme as in his Amphitryon, which is an adaptation of Molière's well-known comedy. The story, not a very easy one to treat, is as follows. During Amphitryon's absence, Jupiter assumes his form and visits his wife, Alcmene, who believes the god to be her husband. Amphitryon returns, and a whole series of comical confusions ensue between the real and the pretended husband, the real slave, Sosias, and Mercury as Sosias. ”

“ He notices that Theseus and Amphitryon turn away and will not meet his gaze. He asks them who has slain his family. At last, partly through their half-admissions, and partly through his own surmise, it comes to him that this dreadful deed is his own. His soul reels with the shock, and he prays wildly for death. No attempts of his two friends to palliate his deed can soothe his grief and shame. At last the threat of old Amphitryon instantly to anticipate the death of Hercules by his own leads the hero to give over his deadly purpose. ”

“ Hercules Atimos, the son of Amphitryon, when nearing manhood, received from his father a bow and arrows, forged by Vulcan, which dealt certain death to any creature whom they struck.
Now one day, when shooting wild cranes on the slopes of Cithæron, he met a herdsman who addressed him thus:
“Son of Amphitryon, there is an evil man who daily steals some of our cattle. Thou art full of youth and vigour. If thou canst find the thief and strike him with one of thy magic arrows, thou wilt gain great praise. ”

“ It must he said, at least, in favour of the great French dramatist, that the morality in his play is higher than that of the original. 'Amphitryon,' however, has some wit, which is more than can be well said for the 'Menæchmi.' Here, too, it is possible that we have the original of the two Dromios in Shakspeare's comedy. For, as Jupiter has assumed the character and likeness of Amphitryon, so he has directed Mercury to put on the resemblance of Sosia, Amphitryon's body-slave. ”

“ Amphitryon was the son of Alcaeus, the son of Perseus, and Alcmene was a grand-daughter of Perseus. Hence Heracles belonged to the family of Perseus. The story of his birth runs thus. Amphitryon, after having slain Electryon, was expelled from Argos, and went with his wife Alcmene to Thebes, where he was received and purified by his uncle Creon. ”

“ He accordingly consulted the famous seer Tiresias, who now informed him of the divine origin of his stepson, and prognosticated for him a great and distinguished future.
When Amphitryon heard the noble destiny which awaited the child intrusted to his care, he resolved to educate him in a manner worthy of his future career. At a suitable age he himself taught him how to guide a chariot; Eurytus, how to handle the bow; Autolycus, dexterity in wrestling and boxing; and Castor, the art of armed warfare; whilst Linus, the son of Apollo, instructed him in music and letters.
Heracles was an apt pupil ”

“ His old men are apt to be dotards and are treated with humorous contempt. Amphitryon in the Hercules is a type: he lives in a world of illusion: he sees visions and dreams dreams, but when serious counsel or vigorous action are necessary he is useless. ”

“ As an Amphitryon chez qui l'on dine, no one knows better than Ouidà the uses of a recherché dinner.—E. Yates, Celebrities, xix.
"Amphitryon": Le véritable Amphitryon est l'Amphitryon où l'on dine ("The master of the feast is the master of the house") . While the confusion was at its height between the false and true Amphitryon, Socie [Sosia] the slave is requested to decide which was which, and replied—
Je ne me trompois pas, messieurs; ce mot termine
Toute l'irrésolution;
Le véritable Amphitryon
Est l'Amphitryon où l'on dine. ”

“ Juno also suffered, when the brave son of Amphitryon smote her in the right breast with a three-pronged shaft. Then most irremediable pain seized her. Among these Pluto also endured a swift shaft, when the same hero, the son of ægis-bearing Jove, afflicted him with pains at Pylos among the dead, having wounded him. But he went to the palace of Jove, and the lofty Olympus, grieving in his heart, and transfixed with pains; for the shaft had pierced into his huge shoulder, and tortured his soul. But Pæon healed him, sprinkling pain-assuaging remedies, for he was not at all mortal. ”

“ But, favoured by the masks and costume of the ancient theatre, Plautus contrived to render Jupiter and Mercury so exactly like Amphitryon and Sosia, that they were obliged to retain certain marks, supposed to be invisible to the other persons of the drama, by which the audience themselves might be enabled to distinguish the gods from the mortals, whose forms they had assumed [1] . ”

“ Amphitryon accordingly took the field against the Taphians, accompanied by Creon, who had agreed to assist him on condition that he slew the Teumessian fox which had been sent by Dionysus to ravage the country. The Taphians, however, remained invincible until Comaetho, the king’s daughter, out of love for Amphitryon cut off her father’s golden hair, the possession of which rendered him immortal. Having defeated the enemy, Amphitryon put Comaetho to death and handed over the kingdom of the Taphians to Cephalus. ”

“ Amphitryon, the most considerable person and the chief of the Thebans, had married Alcmena, whom he loved to distraction, but had not any children by her. Jupiter, desirous of making her the mother of Hercules, repaired to Alcmena one night, in the absence and under the figure of her husband. ”

“ As soon as Lycus arrives, he asks: “What hope, what defence find ye against death? Believe ye that the father of these lads, he who lies in Hades, will return?” Whereupon he proceeds to a long tirade in abuse of the hero, and Amphitryon’s even more garrulous response deals almost solely with his son’s achievements and the gratitude which he merits from Thebes and Greece. As the doomed party go indoors the old man reminds Heaven itself of the help it owes to Heracles, and the following lyrics are an elaborate chronicle of his marvellous exploits. ”

“ Jupiter is carried back to Heaven.
Omnes. We all congratulate Amphitryon.
Merc. Keep your congratulations to yourselves, gentlemen. 'Tis a nice point, let me tell you that; and the less that's said of it the better. Upon the whole matter, if Amphitryon takes the favour of Jupiter in patience, as from a god, he's a good heathen.
Sos. I must take a little extraordinary pains to-night, that my spouse may come even with her lady, and produce a squire to attend on young Hercules, when he goes out to seek adventures ”

“ Breathing heaven’s odours, dropp’d ambrosial dew.
[254] Those herds, the cause of strife.] The story commonly runs, that the Taphians, and Teloboans, a lawless and piratical people, had made an inroad into the territory of Argos, and carried off Electryon’s herds: that in the pursuit a battle took place, and the robbers killed the brothers of Alcmena: and Amphitryon himself accidentally killed Electryon. ”

“ Now he catches sight of his children, cowering in fright; he thinks they are the children of Lycus, immediately lets fly an arrow at one of them, and seizes a second, whom he drags from the scene. Amphitryon, standing where he can see all that takes place, describes the wretched death of the second, and then the third, though Megara tries to save her last remaining child. She also falls before the blow of her husband, who thinks in his madness that she is his cruel stepmother, Juno. Hercules, re-entering, exults in his supposed victory over his enemies, and then sinks down in a deep faint. ”

“ The issue of Perseus was numerous: his son Alkæos was father of Amphitryôn; another of his sons, Elektryôn, was father of Alkmênê; [202] a third, Sthenelos, father of Eurystheus.
After the death of Perseus, Alkæos and Amphitryôn dwelt at Tiryns. The latter became engaged in a quarrel with Elektryôn [p. 92] respecting cattle, and in a fit of passion killed him: [203] moreover the piratical Taphians from the west coast of Akarnania invaded the country, and slew the sons of Elektryôn, so that Alkmênê alone was left of that family. She was engaged to wed Amphitryôn ”

“ Then quick the serving-men came speeding with torches burning, and the house waxed full p. 128as each man hasted along. Then truly when they saw the young child Heracles clutching the snakes twain in his tender grasp, they all cried out and smote their hands together. But he kept showing the creeping things to his father, Amphitryon, and leaped on high in his childish glee, and laughing, at his father’s feet he laid them down, the dread monsters fallen on the sleep of death. Then Alcmena in her own bosom took and laid Iphicles, dry-eyed and wan with fear ”

“ Brock (Adam) , in Charles XII., an historical drama by J. E. Planché.
Broken-Girth-Flow (Laird of) , one of the Jacobite conspirators in The Black Dwarf, a novel by sir W. Scott (time, Anne) .
Broker of the Empire (The) . Dari ́us, son of Hystaspês, was so called by the Persians from his great care of the financial condition of his empire.
Bro ́mia, wife of Sosia (slave of Amphitryon) , in the service of Alcme ́na. A nagging termagant, who keeps her husband in petticoat subjection. She is not one of the characters in Molière's comedy of Amphitryon.—Dryden, Amphitryon (1690) . ”

“ Exeunt omnes.
↑ Mycenæ, whence Amphitryon, having accidentally slain Elektryon, his uncle, was banished by Sthenelus, father of Eurystheus. ↑ Though Amphitryon had, with his family, been banished for shedding kindred blood, yet, having been ceremonially purified from the guilt by Kreon king of Thebes, he might now return by consent of the ruler of Mycenæ. ↑ καινὸς vice κλεινὸς, "glorious" (ironically) ; and so in line 541. ↑ So Paley; but, according to Hutchinson and Gray,
"Daughter, not easily, nor recklessly,
May one with careless haste give counsel here." ”

“ In earlier times Amphitryon, in conjunction with Cephalus, the son of Deïoneus, an exile from Athens, attacked, and then delivered them up to the government of Cephalus. But the poet says that [Pg 171] Mentes was their chief, and calls them robbers, which was the character of all the Teleboæ.
So much then concerning the islands off Acarnania.
21. Between Leucas and the Ambracian gulf is a sea-lake, called Myrtuntium.675 Next to Leucas followed Palærus, and Alyzia, cities of Acarnania, of which Alyzia is distant from the sea 15 stadia. ”

“ Amphiaraus, 235, in Æ. Septem, 91, 124. — in Carcinus’ Thyestes, 35. — — E. Hypsipyle, 304. Amphiaraus, see Sophocles. Amphion, in E. Antiope, 298. Amphitryon, in E. Herc. Fur., 228 ff. Amymone, see Æschylus. Anacreon, 337 n. Anatole France, vi, 326. Anaxagoras, 17, 18, 307. Andromache, 262; in E. Andr., 225 ff.; E. Troades, 243 ff. Andromache, see Euripides. Andromeda, in E. Andromeda, 8, 299 f. Andromeda, see Euripides. Anonymous Life of Sophocles, 15 n. Antæus, in Phrynichus’ Antæus, 7. Antæus, see Phrynichus. Antheus, see Agathon. Anthos, see Agathon. Antigone, 64; in Æ. Septem, 90-1 ”

“ He was the son of Anti ́ope and Jupiter. He obtained the kingdom of Thebes, which he governed conjointly with his twin-brother Zethus. Amphi ́on cultivated the art of music; he was instructed by Mercury, who gave him a golden lyre with which he is said to have built the walls of Thebes, causing the stones to move and place themselves in order, as he played. Amphi ́on married Ni ́obe, and became the father of seven sons and as many daughters, who were all slain by Apollo and Diana. He is said to have killed himself in despair. ”

“ Sometimes, one, with tentacles in-tucked and mouth sealed, seems dozing; while his waking brother is busily waving his arms for food. At another time, you may see them both folded together in sleep, like the Babes in the Woods all bestrewn with leaves.
Ah, you should have seen my Amphitrite! She bore her plumy crown so grandly, you would have said she was indeed the queen of Actiniae. But, alas! she could not brook imprisonment, and, pining for the unwalled grottoes of Poseidon, she drooped and died. ”

“ Amphion was a Theban, who, if he did not perform all the wonderful things attributed to him, certainly softened, by the sound of his lyre, the savage manners of the first inhabitants of Greece, and engaged them to build towns. ”

“ Amphiarāus, son of Oicleus, or, according to others, of Apollo by Hypermnestra, was at the chase of the Calydonian boar, and accompanied the Argonauts in their expedition. He was famous for his knowledge of futurity and thence he is called by some son of Apollo. He married Eriphyle, the sister of Adrastus king of Argos, by whom he had two sons, Alcmæon and Amphilochus. When Adrastus, at the request of Polynices, declared war against Thebes, Amphiaraus secreted himself, not to accompany his brother-in-law in an expedition in which he knew he was to perish. ”

“ The skull on the other hand is as distinctly Dog-like in form. The molars are large, broad, and crushing, and Bear-like. The largest known species, A. giganteus, is of about the size of the Brown Bear. Amphicyon is a Miocene genus. Eocene and allied to it is Pseudamphicyon. This genus has, like Amphicyon, the complete dentition of forty-four teeth. In the Amphicyoninae generally the feet are five-toed, the humerus has an entepicondylar foramen and the femur a third trochanter. The upper molars are large. ”