Aeschylus

thumb|right|Time waxing old can many a lesson teach. Aeschylus (Greek: Αἰσχύλος; 525 BC – 456 BC) was a playwright of ancient Greece, the earliest of the three greatest Greek tragedians, the others being Sophocles and Euripides. Quotes thumb|Success is man’s god. thumb|right|His resolve is not to seem, but to be, the best. thumb|right| It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath. thumb|right|Of all the gods, Death only craves not gifts: / Nor sacrifice, nor yet drink-offering poured / Avails; no altars hath he, nor is soothed / By hymns of praise. The Persians (472 BC) The English translations are by Christopher Collard (Oxford University Press, 2008), Janet Lembke and C. J. Herington (Oxford University Press, 1981), S. G. Benardete (University of Chicago Press, 1956) and Robert Potter (1777). Ἔστι γὰρ πλοῦτός γ᾽ ἀμεμφής, ἀμφὶ δ᾽ ὀφθαλμῷ φόβος·ὄμμα γὰρ δόμων νομίζω δεσπότου παρουσίαν. Wealth itself is blameless, but there can be fear for its precious eye; for I consider the presence of a house's master to be its saving light. lines 168–169 (tr. Christopher Collard) Ὤμοι, κακὸν μὲν πρῶτον ἀγγέλλειν κακά. Bitter, being first to tell you bitter news. line 253 (tr. Janet Lembke and C. J. Herington) Ἀνδρῶν γὰρ ὄντων ἕρκος ἐστὶν ἀσφαλές. The walls of Athens are impregnable,Their firmest bulwarks her heroic sons. line 349 (tr. Robert Potter) Φίλοι, κακῶν μὲν ὅστις ἔμπειρος κυρεῖ,ἐπίσταται βροτοῖσιν ὡς, ὅταν κλύδωνκακῶν ἐπέλθῃ, πάντα δειμαίνειν φίλον,ὅταν δ᾽ ὁ δαίμων εὐροῇ, πεποιθέναιτὸν αὐτὸν αἰὲν ἄνεμον οὐριεῖν τύχας. My friends, anyone with real experience of trouble knows how, when a surge of it comes upon them, they are apt to fear everything; but when fortune's tide is good, they trust that the same breeze will blow favourably for ever. lines 598–602 (tr. Christopher Collard) Ἀλλ᾽, ὅταν σπεύδῃ τις αὐτός, χὠ θεὸς συνάπτεται. But when a manspeeds toward his own ruin,a god gives him help. line 742 (tr. Janet Lembke and C. J. Herington) θῖνες νεκρῶν δὲ καὶ τριτοσπόρῳ γονῇἄφωνα σημανοῦσιν ὄμμασιν βροτῶνὡς οὐχ ὑπέρφευ θνητὸν ὄντα χρὴ φρονεῖν. And corpses, piled up like sand, shall witness,Mute, even to the century to come,Before the eyes of men, that never, beingMortal, ought we cast our thoughts too high. lines 818–820 (tr. S. G. Benardete) Ὕβρις γὰρ ἐξανθοῦσ᾽ ἐκάρπωσεν στάχυνἄτης, ὅθεν πάγκλαυτον ἐξαμᾷ θέρος. Arrogance in full bloom bears a crop of ruinous folly from which it reaps a harvest all of tears. lines 821–822 (tr. Christopher Collard) The Suppliants Αἰόλ᾽ ἀνθρώπων κακά,πόνου δ᾽ ἴδοις ἂν οὐδαμοῦ ταὐτὸν πτερόν. Mankind's troubles flicker about, and you'll nowhere see misery fly on the same wings. lines 328–329 (tr. Christopher Collard) Φύλακα πολυπόνωνβροτῶν. The guardian of poor suffering mankind. lines 382–383 (tr. Christopher Collard) Καὶ γλῶσσα τοξεύσασα μὴ τὰ καίρια,γένοιτο μύθου μῦθος ἂν θελκτήριος. When a tongue at the wrong moment shoots off sharp-pointed words to rouse and hurt the spirit, speech may well soothe speech. lines 446–447 (tr. Christopher Collard) θέλω δ᾿ ἄϊδρις μᾶλλον ἢ σοφὸς κακῶνεἶναι. I would far rather be ignorant than knowledgeable of evil. lines 454–455; comparable to "where ignorance is bliss, / 'Tis folly to be wise", Thomas Gray, On a Distant Prospect of Eton College, stanza 10 τό τ᾿ αὖ τεκόντων σέβαςτρίτον τόδ᾿ ἐν θεσμίοιςΔίκας γέγραπται μεγιστοτίμου. "Reverence for parents" stands written among the three laws of most revered righteousness. lines 707–709; alternately reported with "Honour thy father and thy mother" in place of "Reverence for parents", in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919) Prometheus Bound thumb|On me the tempest falls. It does not make me tremble. O holy Mother Earth, O air and sun, behold me. I am wronged. Ἅπας δὲ τραχὺς ὅστις ἂν νέον κρατῇ. New-made kings are cruel. line 35 (tr. Elizabeth Barrett Browning) Ἐλεύθερος γὰρ οὔτις ἐστὶ πλὴν Διός. For none is free but Zeus. line 50 (tr. Henry David Thoreau) ποντίων τε κυμάτωνἀνήριθμον γέλασμα. Innumerable twinkling of the waves of the sea. lines 89–90 Τὴν πεπρωμένην δὲ χρὴαἶσαν φέρειν ὡς ῥᾷστα, γιγνώσκονθ' ὅτιτὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης ἔστ' ἀδήριτον σθένος. What's determinedBear, as I can, I must, knowing the mightOf strong Necessity is unconquerable. lines 103–105 (tr. G. M. Cookson) ἔνεστι γάρ πως τοῦτο τῇ τυραννίδινόσημα, τοῖς φίλοισι μὴ πεποιθέναι. For somehow this is tyranny's disease, to trust no friends. lines 224–225 Variant translation: In every tyrant's heart there springs in the endThis poison, that he cannot trust a friend. Ἐλαφρὸν ὅστις πημάτων ἔξω πόδαἔχει παραινεῖν νουθετεῖν τε τοὺς κακῶςπράσσοντας. Easy, whoever out of trouble holds hisFoot, to admonish and remind those faringIll. lines 263–265 (tr. Henry David Thoreau) Γίγνωσκε σαυτὸν καὶ μεθάρμοσαι τρόπουςνέους. νέος γὰρ καὶ τύραννος ἐν θεοῖς. Learn to know thy heart,And, as the times, so let thy manners change,For by the law of change a new God rules. lines 309–310 (tr. G. M. Cookson) Οὔκουν ἔμοιγε χρώμενος διδασκάλῳπρὸς κέντρα κῶλον ἐκτενεῖς. Therefore, while thou hast me for schoolmaster,Thou shalt not kick against the pricks. lines 322–323 (tr. G. M. Cookson) Ἢ οὐκ οἶσθ' ἀκριβῶς ὢν περισσόφρων ὅτιγλώσσῃ ματαίᾳ ζημία προστρίβεται. Know'st thou not well, with thy superior wisdom, thatOn a vain tongue punishment is inflicted? lines 328–329 (tr. Henry David Thoreau) Πολλῷ γ' ἀμείνων τοὺς πέλας φρενοῦν ἔφυςἢ σαυτόν. ἔργῳ κοὐ λόγῳ τεκμαίρομαι. Thou are a better counsellor to othersThan to thyself:—I judge by deeds not words. lines 335–336 (tr. G. M. Cookson) Ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐκ εἰ δυστυχῶ, τοῦδ' εἵνεκαθέλοιμ' ἂν ὡς πλείστοισι πημονὰς τυχεῖν. If I grieve,I do not therefore wish to multiplyThe griefs of others. lines 345–346 (tr. Elizabeth Barrett Browning) ὀργῆς νοσούσης εἰσὶν ἰατροὶ λόγοι Words are the physicians of a mind diseased. line 378; compare: "Apt words have power to suage / The tumours of a troubl'd mind", John Milton, Samson Agonistes. Κέρδιστον εὖ φρονοῦντα μὴ φρονεῖν δοκεῖν. Since it most profits that the truly wiseShould seem not wise at all. line 385 (tr. Elizabeth Barrett Browning) Μνήμην ἁπάντων, μουσομήτορ' ἐργάνην. Memory, Muse-mother, doer of all things. line 461 (tr. Henry David Thoreau) ΧΟ. μή νυν βροτοὺς μὲν ὠφέλει καιροῦ πέρα,σαυτοῦ δ᾿ ἀκήδει δυστυχοῦντος· ὡς ἐγώεὔελπίς εἰμι τῶνδέ σ᾿ ἐκ δεσμῶν ἔτιλυθέντα μηδὲν μεῖον ἰσχύσειν Διός.ΠΡ. οὐ ταῦτα ταύτῃ Μοῖρά πω τελεσφόροςκρᾶναι πέπρωται, μυρίαις δὲ πημοναῖςδύαις τε καμφθεὶς ὧδε δεσμὰ φυγγάνω·τέχνη δ᾿ ἀνάγκης ἀσθενεστέρα μακρῷ.ΧΟ. τίς οὖν ἀνάγκης ἐστὶν οἰακοστρόφος;ΠΡ. Μοῖραι τρίμορφοι μνήμονές τ᾿ Ἐρινύες.ΧΟ. τούτων ἄρα Ζεύς ἐστιν ἀσθενέστερος;ΠΡ. οὔκουν ἂν ἐκφύγοι γε τὴν πεπρωμένην.ΧΟ. τί γὰρ πέπρωται Ζηνὶ πλὴν αἰεὶ κρατεῖν;ΠΡ. τοῦτ᾿ οὐκέτ᾿ ἂν πύθοιο· μηδὲ λιπάρει.ΧΟ. ἦ πού τι σεμνόν ἐστιν ὃ ξυναμπέχεις.ΠΡ. ἄλλου λόγου μέμνησθε· τόνδε δ᾿ οὐδαμῶςκαιρὸς γεγωνεῖν, ἀλλὰ συγκαλυπτέοςὅσον μάλιστα· τόνδε γὰρ σῴζων ἐγώδεσμοὺς ἀεικεῖς καὶ δύας ἐκφυγγάνω. Chorus: Let not thy love to man o'erleap the bounds Of reason, nor neglect thy wretched state: So my fond hope suggests thou shalt be free From these base chains, nor less in power than Jove.Prometheus: Not thus — it is not in the Fates that thus These things should end; crush'd with a thousand wrongs, A thousand woes, I shall escape these chains. Necessity is stronger far than art.Chorus: Who then is ruler of necessity?Prometheus: The triple Fates and unforgetting Furies.Chorus: Must Jove then yield to their superior power?Prometheus: He no way shall escape his destined fate.Chorus: What, but eternal empire, is his fate?Prometheus: Thou mayst not know this now: forbear to inquire.Chorus: Is it of moment what thou keep'st thus close?Prometheus: No more of this discourse; it is not time Now to disclose that which requires the seal Of strictest secresy; by guarding which I shall escape the misery of these chains. lines 507–525 (tr. R. Potter, 1860) βούλευμα μὲν τὸ Δῖον, Ἡφαίστου δὲ χείρ. The will of Zeus,The hand of his Hephæstus. line 619 (tr. Elizabeth Barrett Browning) Ὡς τἀποκλαῦσαι κἀποδύρασθαι τύχαςἐνταῦθ', ὅπου μέλλοι τις οἴσεσθαι δάκρυπρὸς τῶν κλυόντων, ἀξίαν τριβὴν ἔχει. Since to open outAnd mourn out grief, where it is possibleTo draw a tear from the audience, is a workThat pays its own price well. lines 637–639 (tr. Elizabeth Barrett Browning) κρεῖσσον γὰρ εἰσάπαξ θανεῖνἢ τὰς ἁπάσας ἡμέρας πάσχειν κακῶς. For it would be better to die once and for all than to suffer pain for all one's life. lines 750–751 Variant translation by John Stuart Blackie (1850):"Life and life's sorrows? Once to die is better Than thus to drag sick life." Τὸ κηδεῦσαι καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀριστεύει μακρῷ. True marriage is the union that matesEqual with equal. line 890 (tr. G. M. Cookson) Σεμνόστομός γε καὶ φρονήματος πλέωςὁ μῦθός ἐστιν, ὡς θεῶν ὑπηρέτου. A speech well-mouthedIn th' utterance, and full-minded in the sense,As doth befit a servant of the gods! lines 953–954 (tr. Elizabeth Barrett Browning) Ἀλλ' ἐκδιδάσκει πάνθ' ὁ γηράσκων χρόνος. Time waxing old can many a lesson teach. line 981 (tr. E. H. Plumptre). Variant translations: Time brings all things to pass. Time as he grows old teaches all things. Δακὼν δὲ στόμιον ὡς νεοζυγὴςπῶλος βιάζῃ καὶ πρὸς ἡνίας μάχῃ. Like a young horseWho bites against the new bit in his teeth,And tugs and struggles against the new-tried rein. lines 1009–1010 (tr. Elizabeth Barrett Browning) Αὐθαδία γὰρ τῷ φρονοῦντι μὴ καλῶςαὐτὴ καθ' αὑτὴν οὐδενὸς μεῖζον σθένει. For stubborness, if one be in the wrong,Is in itself weaker than naught at all. lines 1012–1013 (tr. G. M. Cookson) ἄψορρον ἥξεις εἰς φάος. You shall come back again to the light line 1021 (tr. Herbert Weir Smyth, 1922) Ψευδηγορεῖν γὰρ οὐκ ἐπίσταται στόματὸ Δῖον, ἀλλὰ πᾶν ἔπος τελεῖ. God's mouth knows not how to speak falsehood, but he brings to pass every word. lines 1032–1033 τοιάδ᾿ ἐπ᾿ ἐμοὶ ῥιπὴ Διόθεντεύχουσα φόβον στείχει φανερῶς.ὦ μητρὸς ἐμῆς σέβας, ὦ πάντωναἰθὴρ κοινὸν φάος εἱλίσσων,ἐσορᾷς μ᾿ ὡς ἔκδικα πάσχω; On me the tempest falls. It does not make me tremble. O holy Mother Earth, O air and sun, behold me. I am wronged. lines 1089–1093 Seven Against Thebes (467 BC) Μέλει γὰρ ἀνδρί, μὴ γυνὴ βουλευέτω,τἄξωθεν· ἔνδον δ᾽ οὖσα μὴ βλάβην τίθει. Let not a woman's voiceBe loud in council! for the things without,A man must care; let women keep within—Even then is mischief all too probable! lines 200–201 (tr. E. D. A. Morshead) Πειθαρχία γάρ ἐστι τῆς εὐπραξίαςμήτηρ, γυνὴ σωτῆρος. Obedience mother is of good success,Sure pledge of safety. lines 224–225 (tr. Anna Swanwick) Ἔστι· θεοῦ δ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἰσχὺς καθυπερτέρα·πολλάκι δ᾽ ἐν κακοῖσι τὸν ἀμάχανονκἀκ χαλεπᾶς δύας ὕπερθ᾽ ὀμμάτωνκρημναμενᾶν νεφελᾶν ὀρθοῖ. True, but the strength of god is mightier still,And oft, in direst strait,It lifteth from the lowest depths of illHim who, with cloud-veiled eyes, was desperate. lines 226–229 (tr. Anna Swanwick) Ἀψυχίᾳ γὰρ γλῶσσαν ἁρπάζει φόβος. Through want of heart fear seizes on my tongue. line 259 (tr. Anna Swanwick) κόσμον μὲν ἀνδρὸς οὔτιν᾽ ἂν τρέσαιμ᾽ ἐγώ,οὐδ᾽ ἑλκοποιὰ γίγνεται τὰ σήματαλόφοι δὲ κώδων τ᾽ οὐ δάκνουσ᾽ ἄνευ δορός. To me, no blazon on a foeman's shieldShall e'er present a fear! such pointed threatsAre powerless to wound; his plumes and bells,Without a spear, are snakes without a sting. lines 397–399 (tr. E. D. A. Morshead) Καὶ τῷδε κέρδει κέρδος ἄλλο τίκτεται. Gain upon gain, and interest to boot! line 437 (tr. G. M. Cookson) Ἀνὴρ ἄκομπος, χεὶρ δ᾽ ὁρᾷ τὸ δράσιμον. No boaster he,But with a hand which sees the thing to do. line 554 (tr. Anna Swanwick) Oὐ γὰρ δοκεῖν ἄριστος, ἀλλ᾽ εἶναι θέλει His resolve is not to seem, but to be, the best. line 592; compare: esse quam videri. ἐν παντὶ πράγει δ᾽ ἔσθ᾽ ὁμιλίας κακῆςκάκιον οὐδέν In every enterprise is no greater evil than bad companionship lines 599–600 (tr. David Grene) Ἄτης ἄρουρα θάνατον ἐκκαρπίζεται. The field of SinBrings forth the fruits of Death. line 601 (tr. G. M. Cookson) φιλεῖ δὲ σιγᾶν ἢ λέγειν τὰ καίρια. He or silence keeps or speaks in season. line 619 (tr. Anna Swanwick) γέροντα τὸν νοῦν, σάρκα δ᾽ ἡβῶσαν φύει He has the wisdom of an old man, but his body is at its prime line 622 (tr. Herbert Weir Smyth) Εἴπερ κακὸν φέροι τις, αἰσχύνης ἄτερἔστω· μόνον γὰρ κέρδος ἐν τεθνηκόσι·κακῶν δὲ κᾀσχρῶν οὔτιν᾽ εὐκλείαν ἐρεῖς. If any one bear evil, let it beWithout disgrace, sole profit to the dead;On base and evil deeds no glory waits. lines 683–685 (tr. Anna Swanwick) Oresteia (458 BC) Agamemnon thumb|right| He who learns must suffer. / And even in our sleep, pain that cannot forget / Falls drop by drop upon the heart, / And in our own despite, against our will, / Comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God. thumb|right|Only when man's life comes to its end in prosperity can one call that man happy. thumb|right|Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny. thumbnail|I think the slain care little if they sleep or rise again. Θεοὺς μὲν αἰτῶ τῶνδ᾿ ἀπαλλαγὴν πόνων,φρουρᾶς ἐτείας μῆκος, ἣν κοιμώμενοςστέγαις Ἀτρειδῶν ἄγκαθεν κυνὸς δίκηνἄστρων κάτοιδα νυκτέρων ὁμήγυριν,καὶ τοὺς φέροντας χεῖμα καὶ θέρος βροτοῖςλαμπροὺς δυνάστας, ἐμπρέποντας αἰθέρι,ἀστέρας ὅταν φθίνωσιν, ἀντολάς τε τῶν. I pray the gods will give me some reliefAnd end this weary job. One long full yearI've been lying here, on this rooftop,The palace of the sons of Atreus,Resting on my arms, just like a dog.I've come to know the night sky, every star,The powers we see glittering in the sky,Bringing winter and summer to us all,As the constellations rise and sink. lines 1–7 βοῦς ἐπὶ γλώσσῃ μέγαςβέβηκεν. A great ox stands on my tongue. lines 36–37 ὡς ἑκὼν ἐγὼμαθοῦσιν αὐδῶ κοὐ μαθοῦσι λήθομαι. I, of set will, speak words the wise may learn,To others, nought remember nor discern. (tr. E. D. A. Morshead) lines 38–39 τελεῖται δ᾿ εἰς τὸ πεπρωμένον·οὔθ᾿ ὑποκαίων οὔτ᾿ ἐπιλείβωνοὔτε δακρύων ἀπύρων ἱερῶνὀργὰς ἀτενεῖς παραθέλξει. But as he willed 'tis ordered all,And woes, by heaven ordained, must fall—Unsoothed by tears or spilth of winePoured forth too late, the wrath divineGlares vengeance on the flameless shrine. (tr. E. D. A. Morshead) lines 68–71 τὸν φρονεῖν βροτοὺς ὁδώ-σαντα, τὸν πάθει μάθοςθέντα κυρίως ἔχειν.στάζει δ᾽ ἔν θ᾽ ὕπνῳ πρὸ καρδίαςμνησιπήμων πόνος: καὶ παρ᾽ ἄ-κοντας ἦλθε σωφρονεῖν.δαιμόνων δέ που χάρις βίαιοςσέλμα σεμνὸν ἡμένων. Zeus, who guided mortals to be wise, has established his fixed law—wisdom comes through suffering.Trouble, with its memories of pain,drips in our hearts as we try to sleep,so men against their willlearn to practice moderation.Favours come to us from godsseated on their solemn thrones—such grace is harsh and violent. (tr. I. Johnston) lines 176–183 Variant translations: Zeus has led us on to know,the Helmsman lays it down as lawthat we must suffer, suffer into truth.We cannot sleep, and drop by drop at the heartthe pain of pain remembered comes again,and we resist, but ripeness comes as well.From the gods enthroned on the awesome rowing-benchthere comes a violent love. (tr. R. Fagles) Zeus, whose will has marked for manThe sole way where wisdom lies;Ordered one eternal plan:Man must suffer to be wise.Head-winds heavy with past illStray his course and cloud his heart.Sorrow takes the blind soul’s part —Man grows wise against his will.For powers who rule from thrones aboveBy ruthlessness commend their love. (tr. P. Vellacott) God, whose law it is that he who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despite, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God. (tr. E. Hamilton) Robert F. Kennedy quoted these lines in his speech announcing the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. on 4 April 1968. His version: Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God. Variant translations of πάθει μάθος: By suffering comes wisdom. The reward of suffering is experience. Wisdom comes alone through suffering. ἐπεὶ δ᾿ ἀνάγκας ἔδυ λέπαδνον. Then he put onThe harness of Necessity. (tr. P. Vellacott) line 218 Δίκα δὲ τοῖς παθοῦσιν μαθεῖν ἐπιρρέπει·τὸ μέλλον. Justice turns the scaleFor those to whom through painAt last comes wisdom's gain. (tr. E. H. Plumptre) lines 250–251 εὐάγγελος μέν, ὥσπερ ἡ παροιμία,ἕως γένοιτο μητρὸς εὐφρόνης πάρα. May Morning, as the proverb runs, appearBearing glad tidings from his mother Night! (tr. E. H. Plumptre) lines 264–265 ὄξος τ' ἄλειφά τ' ἐγχέας ταὐτῷ κύτειδιχοστατοῦντ' ἂν οὐ φίλως προσεννέποις. Within one cup pour vinegar and oil,And look! unblent, unreconciled, they war. (tr. E. D. A. Morshead) lines 322–323 ἄγουσα τ᾿ ἀντίφερνον Ἰλίῳ φθοράν. She [Helen] brought to Ilium her dowry, destruction. line 406 βαρεῖα δ᾿ ἀστῶν φάτις ξὺν κότῳ. Dangerous is a people's voice charged with wrath. (tr. H. W. Smyth) line 456 πιθανὸς ἄγαν ὁ θῆλυς ὅρος ἐπινέμεταιταχύπορος· ἀλλὰ ταχύμορονγυναικογήρυτον ὄλλυται κλέος. Quickly, with rapid steps, too credulous,The limit which a woman sets to trustAdvances evermore; And with swift doom of deathA rumour spread by woman perishes. (tr. E. H. Plumptre) line 485–487 πάλαι τὸ σιγᾶν φάρμακον βλάβης ἔχω. Sole cure of wrong is silence. (tr. E. D. A. Morshead) line 548 Alternate translation: Least said is soonest mended. (P. Vellacott) παροίχεται δέ, τοῖσι μὲν τεθνηκόσιντὸ μήποτ᾿ αὖθις μηδ᾿ ἀναστῆναι μέλειν. I think the slain care little if they sleep or rise again. (tr. Gilbert Murray) lines 568–569 ἀεὶ γὰρ ἥβη τοῖς γέρουσιν εὐμαθεῖν. Old men are always young enough to learn. (tr. R. Lattimore [l. 583]) line 584 Variant translations: Learning is ever in the freshness of its youth, even for the old. Old and ready to learnIs always young. (tr. P. Vellacott) δίχα δ᾿ ἄλλων μονόφρων εἶ-μι. I hold my own mind and think apart from other men. lines 757–758 τὸ δυσσεβὲς γὰρ ἔργονμετὰ μὲν πλείονα τίκτει,σφετέρᾳ δ' εἰκότα γέννᾳ. Prolific truly is the impious deed;Like to the evil stock, the evil seed. (tr. A. Swanwick) lines 758–760 μαλθακὸν ὀμμάτων βέλος. Glances whose gentle fireBestowed both wound and balm. (tr. P. Vellacott) line 742 φιλεῖ δὲ τίκτειν Ὕβριςμὲν παλαιὰ νεά-ζουσαν ἐν κακοῖς βροτῶν Ὕβριν τότ' ἢ τόθ', ὅτε τὸ κύριον μόλῃ. But ancient Arrogance, or soon or late,When strikes the hour ordained by Fate,Breedeth new Arrogance, which stillRevels, wild wantoner in human ill. (tr. A. Swanwick) lines 764–766 Δίκα δὲ λάμπει μὲν ἐν δυσκάπνοις δώμασιν,τὸν δ᾿ ἐναίσιμον τίειβίον· τὰ χρυσόπαστα δ᾿ ἔδεθλα σὺν πίνῳχερῶν παλιντρόποισ⟨ιν⟩ὄμμασι λιποῦσ᾿ ὅσια προσέμολε,δύναμιν οὐ σέβουσα πλού-του παράσημον αἴνῳ. But Justice with her shining eyesLights the smoke-begrimed and meanDwelling; honours those who prizeHonour; searches far to findAll whose hearts and hands are clean;Passes with averted gazeGolden palaces which hideEvil armed in insolence;Power and riches close combined,Falsely stamped with all men’s praise,Win from her no reverence. (tr. P. Vellacott) lines 774–781 τῷ δυσπραγοῦντί τ᾿ ἐπιστενάχειν πᾶς τις ἕτοιμος,δῆγμα δὲ λύπης οὐδὲν ἐφ᾿ ἧπαρ προσικνεῖται,καὶ ξυγχαίρουσιν ὁμοιοπρεπεῖςἀγέλαστα πρόσωπα βιαζόμενοι. The show of weeping and of ruthTo the forlorn will all men pay,But of the grief their eyes display,Nought to the heart doth pierce its way.And, with the joyous, they beguileTheir lips unto a feigned smile. (tr. E. D. A. Morshead) lines 790–794 παύροις γὰρ ἀνδρῶν ἐστι συγγενὲς τόδε, φίλον τὸν εὐτυχοῦντ᾿ ἄνευ φθόνων σέβειν. It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered. lines 832–833 Alternate translation: There are few whose inborn love Warms without envy to a friend’s prosperity. (tr. P. Vellacott) δύσφρων γὰρ ἰὸς καρδίαν προσήμενοςἄχθος διπλοίζει τῷ πεπαμένῳ νόσον·τοῖς τ᾿ αὐτὸς αὐτοῦ πήμασιν βαρύνεται,καὶ τὸν θυραῖον ὄλβον εἰσορῶν στένει. The jealous poison, lodged within the heart,Tortures with twofold pang whom it infects;By his own griefs oppressed, the envious manGroans also to behold another's joy. lines 834–837 νῦν δέ μοι φίλον κάραἔκβαιν᾿ ἀπήνης τῆσδε, μὴ χαμαὶ τιθείςτὸν σὸν πόδ᾿ ὦναξ Ἰλίου πορθμήτορα.δμῳαί, τί μέλλεθ᾿, αἷς ἐπέσταλται τέλοςπέδον κελεύθου στορνύναι πετάσμασιν;εὐθὺς γενέσθω πορφυρόστρωτος πόρος,εἰς δῶμ᾿ ἄελπτον ὡς ἂν ἡγῆται Δίκη. Now, dearest husband, come, step from your chariot.But do not set to earth, my lord, the conquering footThat trod down Troy.Servants, do as you have been bidden;Make haste, carpet his way with crimson tapestries,Spread silk before your master’s feet; Justice herselfShall lead him to a home he never hoped to see. (tr. P. Vellacott) lines 905–911 Thought to be the earliest known reference to "red carpet" τὸ μὴ κακῶς φρονεῖνθεοῦ μέγιστον δῶρον. God’s best gift Is a mind free from folly. (tr. P. Vellacott) line 927–928 ὀλβίσαι δὲ χρήβίον τελευτήσαντ᾿ ἐν εὐεστοῖ φίλῃ. Only when man's life comes to its end in prosperity can one call that man happy. lines 928–929. Variant translations: Hold him alone truly fortunate who has ended his life in happy well-being. Call no man happy till he is dead. Also expressed by Sophocles at the end of "Oedipus The King". ὁ δ' ἀφθόνητός γ' οὐκ ἐπίζηλος πέλει. Life envy-free is life unenviable. (tr. Anna Swanwick) line 939 Alternate translation: Greatness wins hate. Unenvied is unenviable. (tr. P. Vellacott) τὸν κρατοῦντα μαλθακῶςθεὸς πρόσωθεν εὐμενῶς προσδέρκεται. God on highLooks graciously on him whom triumph's hourHas made not pitiless. (tr. E. D. A. Morshead) lines 951–952 ἐκὼν γὰρ οὐδεὶς δουλίῳ χρῆται ζυγῷ. None of their own will choose a bond-slave's life. (tr. E. H. Plumptre) line 953 κακῶν γὰρ διαὶπολυεπεῖς τέχναιθεσπιῳδοὶ φόβον φέρουσιν μαθεῖν. Prophets find bad news useful. Why, the primary aim Of all their wordy wisdom is to make men gape. (tr. P. Vellacott) lines 1133–1135 ΧΟ. ἀλλ᾿ ἴσθι τλήμων οὖσ᾿ ἀπ᾿ εὐτόλμου φρενός.ΚΑ. οὐδεὶς ἀκούει ταῦτα τῶν εὐδαιμόνων.ΧΟ. ἀλλ᾿ εὐκλεῶς τοι κατθανεῖν χάρις βροτῷ. CHORUS: Courage and destiny in you Are proudly matched.CASSANDRA: The happy never hear such praise.CHORUS: Yet a brave death lends brightness to mortality. (tr. P. Vellacott) lines 1302–1304 ἰὼ βρότεια πράγματ᾿· εὐτυχοῦντα μένσκιά τις ἂν τρέψειεν· εἰ δὲ δυστυχῇ,βολαῖς ὑγρώσσων σπόγγος ὤλεσεν γραφήν. Ah state of mortal man! in time of weal,A line, a shadow! and if ill fate fall,One wet sponge-sweep wipes all our trace away. (tr. E. D. A. Morshead) lines 1327–1329 Alternate translation: Alas for human destiny! Man’s happiest hours Are pictures drawn in shadow. Then ill fortune comes, And with two strokes the wet sponge wipes the drawing out. And grief itself’s hardly more pitiable than joy. (tr. P. Vellacott) τὸ μὲν εὖ πράσσειν ἀκόρεστον ἔφυ πᾶσι βροτοῖσ⟨ιν⟩,δακτυλοδείκτων δ᾿ οὔτις ἀπειπὼν εἴργει μελάθρων,"μηκέτ᾿ ἐσέλθῃς", τάδε φωνῶν. Of fortune no man tastes his fill. While pointing envy notes his store, And tongues extol his happiness, Man surfeited will hunger still. For who grows weary of success, Or turns good fortune from his door Bidding her trouble him no more? (tr. P. Vellacott) lines 1331–1334 Alternate translation of l. 1331 (E. D. A. Morshead): Too true it is! our mortal stateWith bliss is never satiate. ᾤμοι, πέπληγμαι καιρίαν πληγὴν ἔσω. Oh me, I have been struck a mortal blow right inside. line 1343 κατθανεῖν κρατεῖ·πεπαιτέρα γὰρ μοῖρα τῆς τυραννίδος. Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny. line 1364–1365 Variant translation: Death is softer by far than tyranny. σάφ᾿ εἰδότας χρὴ τῶνδε μυθεῖσθαι πέρι·τὸ γὰρ τοπάζειν τοῦ σάφ᾿ εἰδέναι δίχα. When we know clearly, then should we discuss:To guess is one thing, and to know another. (tr. E. H. Plumptre) lines 1368–1369 οὕτω τὸν αὑτοῦ θυμὸν ὁρμαίνει πεσών,κἀκφυσιῶν ὀξεῖαν αἵματος σφαγήνβάλει μ᾿ ἐρεμνῇ ψακάδι φοινίας δρόσου,χαίρουσαν οὐδὲν ἧσσον ἢ διοσδότῳγάνει σπορητὸς κάλυκος ἐν λοχεύμασιν. CLYTEMNESTRA: He collapsed, snorting his life away,spitting great gobs of blood all over me,drenching me in showers of his dark blood.And I rejoiced—just as the fecund earthrejoices when the heavens send spring rains. (tr. I. Johnston) lines 1388–1392 γνώσῃ διδαχθεὶς ὀψὲ γοῦν τὸ σωφρονεῖν. Thou shalt learn,Late though it be, the lesson to be wise. (tr. E. H. Plumptre) line 1425 Alternate translation: Old as you are, you shall be taught some wisdom yet. (tr. P. Vellacott) ἣ δέ τοι κύκνου δίκηντὸν ὕστατον μέλψασα θανάσιμον γόονκεῖται, φιλήτωρ τοῦδ᾿. And she who, like a swan,Has chanted out her last and dying song,Lies, loved by him. (tr. E. H. Plumptre) lines 1444–1446 ἰὼ ἰή, διαὶ Διόςπαναιτίου πανεργέτα·τί γὰρ βροτοῖς ἄνευ Διὸς τελεῖται; Zeus, first cause, prime mover; for what thing without Zeus is done among mortals? lines 1485–1487 πρὸς κέντρα μὴ λάκτιζε. Do not kick against the pricks. line 1624 οἶδ᾿ ἐγὼ φεύγοντας ἄνδρας ἐλπίδας σιτουμένους. I know how men in exile feed on dreams of hope. line 1668 κόμπασον θαρσῶν, ἀλέκτωρ ὥστε θηλείας πέλας. Be boastful and be bold, like cock beside his partner. (tr. A. Swanwick) line 1671 The Libation Bearers σέβας δ᾿ ἄμαχον ἀδάματον ἀπόλεμον τὸ πρίνδι᾿ ὤτων φρενός τε δαμίας περαῖνοννῦν ἀφίσταται, φοβεῖται δέ τις. τὸ δ᾿ εὐτυχεῖν,τόδ᾿ ἐν βροτοῖς θεός τε καὶ θεοῦ πλέον. Time was, when one creed ruled the people’s mind:Reverence for royal powerUnquestioned, firm as love could bind.Now reverence has resignedHer faith; fear has his hour.Success is now men’s god, men’s more than god. (tr. P. Vellacott) lines 55–60 Alternative translations of lines 59–60 Good fortune is a god among men, and more than a god. Success is man's god. τὸ μόρσιμον γὰρ τόν τ᾿ ἐλεύθερον μένεικαὶ τὸν πρὸς ἄλλης δεσποτούμενον χερός. Destiny waits alike for the free man as well as for him enslaved by another's might. lines 103–104 ἀντὶ δὲ πληγῆς φονίας φονίαν πληγὴν τινέτω."δράσαντι παθεῖν", τριγέρων μῦθος τάδε φωνεῖ. For a deadly blow let him pay with a deadly blow; it is for him who has done a deed to suffer. lines 312–313 παῖδες γὰρ ἀνδρὶ κληδόνος σωτήριοιθανόντι. φελλοὶ δ᾿ ὣς ἄγουσι δίκτυον,τὸν ἐκ βυθοῦ κλωστῆρα σῴζοντες λίνου. For to a dead man his children are the fame that preserves him; like corks they bear the net up, keeping safe the spun flax that stretches up from the depths. (tr. A. H. Sommerstein) lines 505–506 Paraphrase (E. D. A. Morshead): Children are memory's voices, and preserveThe dead from wholly dying. θηλυκρατὴς ἀπέρωπος ἔρως παρανικᾷκνωδάλων τε καὶ βροτῶν. For love unlovely, when its evil spell'Mong brutes or men the feebler sex befools,Conjugial bands o'errules. (tr. A. Swanwick) lines 600–601 τί γάρξένου ξένοισίν ἐστιν εὐμενέστερον; What is pleasanter than the tie of host and guest? lines 702–703 Eumenides μέγας γὰρ Ἅιδης ἐστὶν εὔθυνος βροτῶνἔνερθε χθονός,δελτογράφῳ δὲ πάντ᾽ ἐπωπᾷ φρενί. For Hades, ruler of the nether sphere,Exactest auditor of human kind,Graved on the tablet of his mindDoth every trespass read. lines 273–275 (tr. A. Swanwick) ἐγὼ διδαχθεὶς ἐν κακοῖς ἐπίσταμαιπολλοὺς καθαρμούς, καὶ λέγειν ὅπου δίκησιγᾶν θ᾽ ὁμοίως. To me, long disciplined in woe, are knownDivers lustrations; when to speak I know,When to be silent. lines 276–278 (tr. A. Swanwick) χρόνος καθαιρεῖ πάντα γηράσκων ὁμοῦ. Time, waxing old, doth all things purify. line 286 (tr. A. Swanwick) καὶ ζῶν με δαίσεις οὐδὲ πρὸς βωμῷ σφαγείς. Chorus of Furies: Living, you will be my feast, not slain at an altar. line 305 (tr. H. W. Smyth) εὐθυδίκαιοι δ᾿ οἰόμεθ᾿ εἶναι·τοὺς μὲν καθαρὰς ⟨καθαρῶς⟩ χεῖρας προνέμονταςοὔτις δ᾿ ἀλιτὼν ὥσπερ ὅδ᾿ ἁνὴρχεῖρας φονίας ἐπικρύπτει,μάρτυρες ὀρθαὶ τοῖσι θανοῦσιν παραγιγνόμεναιπράκτορες αἵματος αὐτῷ τελέως ἐφάνημεν. Chorus of Furies: We claim to be just and upright. No wrath from us will come stealthily to the one who holds out clean hands, and he will go through life unharmed; but whoever sins, as this man has, and hides his blood-stained hands, as avengers of bloodshed we appear against him to the end, presenting ourselves as upright witnesses for the dead. lines 312–320 (tr. H. W. Smyth) κλύειν δικαίως μᾶλλον ἢ πρᾶξαι θέλεις. Repute of justice, not just act, thou wishest. line 430 (tr. A. Swanwick) ὅρκοις τὰ μὴ δίκαια μὴ νικᾶν λέγω. I say that oaths shall not enforce the wrong. line 432 (tr. E. D. A. Morshead) ἔσθ᾿ ὅπου τὸ δεινὸν εὖ,καὶ φρενῶν ἐπίσκοπονδεῖμ᾿ ἄνω καθήμενον·ξυμφέρεισωφρονεῖν ὑπὸ στένει.τίς δὲ μηδὲν ἐν φάεικαρδίας δέος τρέφων —ἢ πόλις, βροτός θ᾿ ὁμοί-ως — ἔτ᾿ ἂν σέβοι Δίκαν; For fear, enforcing goodness,Must somewhere reign enthroned,And watch men’s ways, and teach them,Through self-inflicted sorrow,That sin is not condoned.What man, no longer nursingFear at his heart – what city,Once fear is cast away,Will bow the knee to JusticeAs in an earlier day? (tr. P. Vellacott) lines 517–525 μήτ᾿ ἄναρκτον βίονμήτε δεσποτούμενοναἰνέσῃς·παντὶ μέσῳ τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν,ἄλλ᾿ ἄλλᾳ δ᾿ ἐφορεύει. Seek neither licence, where no laws compel,Nor slavery beneath a tyrant’s rod;Where liberty and rule are balanced wellSuccess will follow as the gift of God. (tr. P. Vellacott) lines 526–531 Alternate translation of lines 526–530: Praise not, O man, the life beyond control,Nor that which bows unto a tyrant's sway.Know that the middle wayIs dearest unto God, and they, thereon who wend,They shall achieve the end. (tr. E. D. A. Morshead) ἐκ δ᾿ ὑγιείαςφρενῶν ὁ πᾶσιν φίλοςκαὶ πολύευκτος βίος. While from inward health doth flow,Beloved of all, true bliss which mortals seek. lines 535–537 (tr. A. Swanwick) εἰς τὸ πᾶν {δέ} σοι λέγω·βωμὸν αἴδεσαι Δίκας,μηδέ νινκέρδος ἰδὼν ἀθέῳ ποδὶ λάξ ἀτί-σῃς, ποινὰ γὰρ ἔπεσται·κύριον μένει τέλος. This above all I bid you: reverenceJustice' high altar; let no sight of gainTempt you to spurn with godless insolenceThis sanctity. Cause and effect remain;From sin flows sorrow. (tr. P. Vellacott) lines 538–543 ἑκὼν δ᾽ ἀνάγκας ἄτερ δίκαιος ὢνοὐκ ἄνολβος ἔσται·πανώλεθρος δ᾽ οὔποτ᾽ ἂν γένοιτο. Whoever is just willingly and without compulsion will not lack happiness; he will never be utterly destroyed. lines 550–552 (tr. H. W. Smyth) ἀνδρὸς δ᾽ ἐπειδὰν αἷμ᾽ ἀνασπάσῃ κόνιςἅπαξ θανόντος, οὔτις ἔστ᾽ ἀνάστασις. But when the dust has drawn up the blood of a man, once he is dead, there is no return to life. lines 647–648 (tr. H. W. Smyth) τὸ μήτ᾿ ἄναρχον μήτε δεσποτούμενονἀστοῖς περιστέλλουσι βουλεύω σέβειν,καὶ μὴ τὸ δεινὸν πᾶν πόλεως ἔξω βαλεῖν·τίς γὰρ δεδοικὼς μηδὲν ἔνδικος βροτῶν;τοιόνδέ τοι ταρβοῦντες ἐνδίκως σέβαςἔρυμά τε χώρας καὶ πόλεως σωτήριονἔχοιτ᾿ ἄν. Guard well and reverence that form of governmentWhich will eschew alike licence and slavery;And from your polity do not wholly banish fear.For what man living, freed from fear, will still be just?Hold fast such upright fear of the law’s sanctity,And you will have a bulwark of your city's strength. (tr. P. Vellacott) lines 696–702 γνώμης δ᾿ ἀπούσης πῆμα γίγνεται μέγα,βαλοῦσά τ᾿ οἶκον ψῆφος ὤρθωσεν μία. The defaultOf one vote only bringeth ruin deep,One, cast aright, may stablish house and home. lines 750–751 (tr. E. D. A. Morshead) Fragments Greek text of fragments cited from S. Radt, Tragicorum Graecorum Fragmenta, vol. 3 Aeschylus (Göttingen, 1985), whose numbering is also followed. ὧδ᾿ ἐστὶ μύθων τῶν Λιβυστικῶν κλέος,πληγέντ᾿ ἀτράκτῳ τοξικῷ τὸν αἰετὸνεἰπεῖν ἰδόντα μηχανὴν πτερώματος·'τάδ᾿ οὐχ ὑπ᾿ ἄλλων, ἀλλὰ τοῖς αὑτῶν πτεροῖςἁλισκόμεθα.' So in the Libyan fable it is toldThat once an eagle, stricken with a dart,Said, when he saw the fashion of the shaft,"With our own feathers, not by others' hands,Are we now smitten." (tr. E. H. Plumptre) Fragment 139 (63 Smyth), from the Myrmidons. μόνος θεῶν γὰρ Θάνατος οὐ δώρων ἐρᾷ,οὐδ᾿ ἄν τι θύων οὐδ᾿ ἐπισπένδων ἄνοις,οὐδ᾿ ἔστι βωμὸς οὐδὲ παιωνίζεται·μόνου δὲ Πειθὼ δαιμόνων ἀποστατεῖ. Of all the gods, Death only craves not gifts:Nor sacrifice, nor yet drink-offering pouredAvails; no altars hath he, nor is soothedBy hymns of praise. From him alone of allThe powers of heaven Persuasion holds aloof. (tr. Ε. Η. Plumptre) Fragment 161 (82 Smyth), from the Niobe. Included in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919). ὦ θάνατε παιών, μή μ᾿ ἀτιμάσῃς μολεῖν·μόνος ⟨γὰρ⟩ εἶ σὺ τῶν ἀνηκέστων κακῶνἰατρός, ἄλγος δ᾿ οὐδὲν ἅπτεται νεκροῦ. O Death the Healer, scorn thou not, I pray,To come to me: of cureless ills thou artThe one physician. Pain lays not its touchUpon a corpse. (tr. E. H. Plumptre) Fragment 255 (141 Smyth), from the Philoctetes. Included in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919). ὅπου γὰρ ἰσχὺς συζυγοῦσι καὶ δίκη,ποία ξυνωρὶς τῶνδε καρτερωτέρα; For where might and justice are yoke-fellows—What pair is stronger than this? Fragment 381 (209 Smyth), from an unidentified play. ἦ βαρὺ φόρημ᾿ ἄνθρωπος εὐτυχῶν ἄφρων. A prosperous fool is a grievous burden. Fragment 392 (220 Smyth), from an unidentified play. Included in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919). κάτοπτρον εἴδους χαλκός ἐστ᾿, οἶνος δὲ νοῦ. Bronze is the mirror of the form; wine, of the heart. Fragment 393 (221 Smyth), from an unidentified play. Included in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919). οὐκ ἀνδρὸς ὅρκοι πίστις, ἀλλ᾿ ὅρκων ἀνήρ. It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath. Fragment 394 (222 Smyth), from an unidentified play. Included in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919). δράσαντι γάρ τοι καὶ παθεῖν ὀφείλεται. The man who does ill, ill must suffer too. (tr. E. H. Plumptre) Fragment 456 (236 Smyth), from an unidentified play. Aeschylean authorship contested. Misattributed Appearances are a glimpse of the unseen. Anaxagoras, frg. B 21a Better to die on your feet than live on your knees. This is usually attributed to Emiliano Zapata, but sometimes to Aeschylus, who is credited with expressing similar sentiments in Prometheus Bound: "For it would be better to die once and for all than to suffer pain for all one's life". In war, truth is the first casualty. This is often attributed to U.S. Senator Hiram Johnson, but does not appear anywhere in his speeches. Arthur Ponsonby#Falsehood in Wartime (1928) quoted: "When war is declared, Truth is the first casualty", but the first recorded use seems to be by Philip Snowden in his introduction to Truth and the War, by E. D. Morel. London, July 1916: "'Truth,' it has been said, 'is the first casualty of war.'" Samuel Johnson#The Idler (1758–1760) expressed a similar idea: "Among the calamities of war may be justly numbered the diminution of the love of truth, by the falsehoods which interest dictates and credulity encourages." Quotes about Aeschylus thumb|Aeschyli Tragoediae septem, 1552 Aeschylus I define to have been a truly gigantic man (I mean by this much more than the mere trivial figure of elocution usually expressed by the word gigantic), one of the largest characters ever known, and all whose movements are clumsy and huge, like those of a son of Anak. In short, his character is just that of Prometheus himself as he has described him. I know no more pleasant thing than to study Aeschylus. You fancy that you hear the old dumb rocks speaking to you of all things they had been thinking of since the world began, in their wild, savage utterances. Thomas Carlyle, Lectures on the History of Literature (1838) My favorite poet was Aeschylus. Robert F. Kennedy, "On the Death of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." (4 April 1968), quoted in "Robert Kennedy: Delivering News of King's Death", National Public Radio (4 April 2008) τοῦ δ᾿ Αἰσχύλου φαντασίαις ἐπιτολμῶντος ἡρωικωτάταις, ὥσπερ καὶ ⟨οἱ⟩ Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ Θήβας παρ᾿ αὐτῷ—,    ἄνδρες (φησιν) ἑπτὰ θούριοι λοχαγέται,    ταυροσφαγοῦντες εἰς μελάνδετον σάκος,    καὶ θιγγάνοντες χερσὶ ταυρείου φόνου,    Ἄρη τ᾿ Ἐνυὼ καὶ φιλαίματον Φόβον    ὁρκωμότησαν,τὸν ἴδιον αὑτῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους δίχα οἴκτου συνομνύμενοι θάνατον—ἐνίοτε μέντοι ἀκατεργάστους καὶ οἱονεὶ ποκοειδεῖς τὰς ἐννοίας καὶ ἀμαλάκτους φέροντος . . . Aeschylus, of course, ventures on the most heroic visualizations; he is like his own Seven against Thebes—    Seven men of war, commanders of companies,    Killing a bull into a black-bound shield,    Dipping their hands in the bull's blood,    Took oath by Ares, by Enyo, by bloothirsty Terror—in a joint pledge of death in which they showed themselves no mercy. At the same time, he does sometimes leave his thoughts unworked, tangled and hard. 'Longinus', On the Sublime, 15.5 (tr. D. A. Russell, 1965) The first half of the Eumenides is equal to anything in poetry. The close is also very fine. Thomas Babington Macaulay, quoted in George Otto Trevelyan, The Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay, Volume I (1876), p. 473 One of the greatest of human compositions. Thomas Babington Macaulay on Prometheus Bound, quoted in George Otto Trevelyan, The Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay, Volume I (1876), p. 474 Aeschylus is not impersonal but transpersonal, a believer in fate and moral responsibility at the same time. Rollo May, Love and Will (1969), p. 136 He raised everything he touched to grandeur. The characters in his hands became heroic; the conflicts became tense and fraught with eternal issues. Gilbert Murray, Aeschylus: The Creator of Tragedy (1940), p. 205 Tragoedias primus in lucem Aeschylus protulit, sublimis et gravis et grandilocus saepe usque ad vitium, sed rudis in plerisque et incompositus: propter quod correctas eius fabulas in certamen deferre posterioribus poetis Athenienses permisere: suntque eo modo multi coronati. As to Tragedy, it was Aeschylus who first brought it into the world; lofty, dignified, and grandiloquent often almost to a fault, he is however often crude and lacking polish; hence the Athenians allowed later poets to enter revised versions of his plays in the competitions, and many won the crown in this fashion. (tr. D. A. Russell, 2002) Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, X.1.66 The tragic style of Aeschylus is stillimperfect. Now and then its constituents,epic and lyric, are not properly fused.He is often abrupt, immoderate, hard.To succeed him with a more artful tragedywas easy; in his almost superhumangreatness he is likely to remain unexcelled. . . . August Wilhelm Schlegel, as quoted in The Art of Aeschylus (1982) by Thomas G. Rosenmeyer I regard the Oresteia as probably on the whole the greatest spiritual work of man. Algernon Charles Swinburne, letter to Walter Headlam (2 October 1900), in The Swinburne Letters, ed. Cecil Y. Lang, Vol. 6 (Yale University Press, 1962), p. 147 Aeschylus is above all things the poet of righteousness. "But in any wise, I say unto thee, revere thou the altar of righteousness": this is the crowning admonition of his doctrine, as its crowning prospect is the reconciliation or atonement of the principle of retribution with the principle of redemption, of the powers of the mystery of darkness with the coeternal forces of the spirit of wisdom, of the lord of inspiration and of light. Algernon Charles Swinburne, The Age of Shakespeare (1908) External links Author:Aeschylus Selected Poems of Aeschylus Aeschylus-related materials at the Perseus Digital Library Aeschylus Aeschylus Online English Translations of Aeschylus Photo of a fragment of The Net-pullers Aeschylus articles at Perseus Encyclopedia "Aeschylus, I: Persians" from the Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press "Aeschylus, II: The Oresteia" from the Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press "Aeschylus, III: Fragments" from the Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press Category:Playwrights from Greece Category:BCE deaths Category:BCE births Category:People from Athens Category:People of the Greco-Persian Wars