t perished in great numbers in battle.

SEMI-CH. Ill-fated was she that bare them before all women, as many as
are mothers of children. Having taken to herself her own son for a
husband, she brought forth these, and they have ended their existence
thus by fraternal hands that dealt mutual slaughter.

SEMI-CH. Fraternal in very truth! and utterly undone were they by a
severing in no wise amicable, by frenzied strife at the consummation of
their feud.

SEMI-CH. But their emnity is terminated; and in the reeking earth is
their life-blood mingled, and truly are they of the same blood. A bitter
arbiter of strife is the stranger from beyond the sea, the whetted steel
that bounded forth from the fire; and bitter is the horrible distributer
of their substance, Mars, who hath brought the curse of their father
truly to its consummation.

SEMI-CH. Hapless youths! They have obtained their portion of
heaven-awarded woes, and beneath their bodies shall be a fathomless
wealth of earth.[175] Alas! ye that have made your houses bloom with
many troubles! And at its fall these Curses raised the shout of triumph
in shrill strain, when the race had been put to flight in total rout; a
trophy of Ate has been reared at the gate at which they smote each
other, and, having overcome both, the demon rested.

_Enter_ ANTIGONE _and_ ISMENE.

ANT. When wounded thou didst wound again.[176]

ISM. And thou, having dealt death, didst perish.

ANT. With the spear thou didst slay.

ISM. By the spear thou didst fall.

ANT. Wretched in thy deeds!

ISM. Wretched in thy sufferings!

ANT. Let tears arise.

ISM. Let groans resound.

ANT. Having slain, he shall lie prostrate. Alas! alas! my soul is
maddening with sighs.

ISM. And my heart mourns within me.

ANT. Alas! thou that art worthy of all lamentation!

ISM. And thou again also utterly wretched.

ANT. By a friend didst thou fall.

ISM. And a friend didst thou slay.

ANT. Double horrors to tell of.

ISM. Double horrors to behold!

ANT. These horrors are near akin to such sorrows.

ISM. And we their sisters here are near to our brothers.

CH. Alas! thou Destiny, awarder of bitterness, wretched! and thou dread
shade of OEdipus! and dark Erinnys! verily art thou great in might.

ANT. Alas! alas! sufferings dismal to behold hath he shown to me after
his exile.

ANT. And he returned not when he had slain him.

ISM. No--but after being saved he lost his life.

ANT. In very t