FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   272   273  
274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   294   295   296   297   298   >>   >|  
se up and go to Argos, where punishment by stoning awaits you. IOL. Not so, since the altar of the God will aid me, and the free land in which we tread. COP. Do you wish to cause me trouble with this band? IOL. Surely you will not drag me away, nor these children, seizing by force? COP. You shall know; but you are not a good prophet in this. IOL. This shall never happen, while I am alive. COP. Depart; but I will lead these away, even though you be unwilling, considering them, wherever they may be, to belong to Eurystheus. IOL. O ye who have dwelt in Athens a long time, defend us; for, being suppliants of Jove, the Presider over the Forum,[3] we are treated with violence, and our garlands are profaned, both a reproach to the city, and an insult to the Gods. CHORUS. Hollo! hollo! what is this noise near the altar? what calamity will it straightway portend? IOL. Behold me, a weak old man, thrown down on the plain; miserable that I am. CHOR. By whose hand do you fall this unhappy fall? * * * * IOL. This man, O strangers, dishonoring your Gods, drags me violently from the altar of Jupiter. CHOR. From what land, O old man, have you come hither to this people dwelling together in four cities?[4] or, have you come hither from across [the sea] with marine oar, having quitted the Euboean shore? IOL. O strangers, I am not accustomed to an islander's life, but we are come to your land from Mycenae. CHOR. What name, O old man, did the Mycenaean people call you? IOL. Know that I am lolaus, once the companion of Hercules; for this body is not unrenowned. CHOR. I know, having heard of it before; but say whose youthful children you are leading in your hand. IOL. These, O strangers, are the sons of Hercules, who are come as suppliants of you and the city. CHOR. What do ye seek? or, tell me, is it wanting to have speech of the city? IOL. Not to be given up, and not to go to Argos, being dragged from your Gods by force. COP. But this will not be sufficient for your masters, who, having power over you, find you here. CHOR. It is right, O stranger, to reverence the suppliants of the Gods, and not for you to leave by violent hands the habitations of the deities, for venerable Justice will not suffer this. COP. Send now Eurystheus's subjects out of this land, and I will not use this hand violently. CHOR. It is impious for a state to reject the suppliant prayer of strangers. COP. But
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   272   273  
274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   294   295   296   297   298   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

strangers

 

suppliants

 

violently

 

Hercules

 

people

 

Eurystheus

 
children
 
Mycenaean
 

unrenowned

 
Mycenae

companion
 

lolaus

 
islander
 

seizing

 

cities

 

dwelling

 
marine
 
accustomed
 

Euboean

 

quitted


leading

 
Justice
 

suffer

 

venerable

 
deities
 

violent

 

habitations

 
subjects
 
reject
 

suppliant


prayer

 

impious

 

reverence

 

wanting

 

speech

 

dragged

 

sufficient

 

stranger

 

masters

 

youthful


Presider

 

treated

 

reproach

 

profaned

 

garlands

 
violence
 
defend
 

unwilling

 
belong
 

Athens