Πέρσαι
Aeschylus
lane V.I.Ivanov
CHARACTERS
The choir of elders who make up the State Council of Persia, called the Council of the Faithful
Atossa, widow of King Darius, mother of King Xerxes
Herald
Shadow of Darius
Xerxes
PAROD
The square in front of the palace of the Persian kings in Susa.
To the side of the orchestra is the mausoleum of Darius.
Leader of the choir
Here we are. Faithful Council as trusted servants
The sovereign's name is.
The entire Persian people went to Hellas;
We are abandoned - the Kremlin and untold riches
Guard the storerooms. And Darius himself is the son
Xerxes commanded us, as the elders,
Watch for him, the autocrat.
But the spirit is worried about the return of the king
And regiments, burdened with dear goods;
10 And thought torments, and doubt oppresses,
And a premonition of trouble prophesies.
All the young Asian power is gone
To a foreign limit;
But there is no news, just as there are no messengers galloping,
Proclaiming victory to the capital:
But everyone rose - from Ecbatana, from Susa,
From the Kissi relatives, ancient strongholds, -
They rose, they flowed,
On horseback and on foot, and on black ships:
Darknesses have taken up arms
20 And the cloud moved in thickly.
And Amnestra leads them, and Artaphrene leads them,
Megabat leads them and Astasp leads them, -
The forces of the Persian leaders,
Voivodes are kings, but the lord of lords,
To Xerxes, all tributaries; each horde of his own
The Lord and the Storm; each with a curved bow,
On horseback, the hero is fearful and fierce,
His love of abuse in battles is terrible.
Artembar flies on horseback to help them,
30 Masistre, Farandak and Imei perform
Noble, archer of archers, and Sosthenes
He drives thundering chariots.
And - the breadwinner stream - the multi-seeded Nile -
Competes with people to increase their campaign:
A number of Egyptians are leading
Lord Susiskan, and Pegasus, and Tagon,
And the great Arsam, prince of the Memphis shrines,
And the judge of divine Thebes, Ariomard;
Lagoon speeders, rowers emerge
40 On countless Nile galleys.
And the Lydians abandoned it for battle,
And they brought others natives of those places:
The king's servants are with them -
Mitrogatus and Arcteus, a man of great valor.
And from Sardis the golden battle ranks
Fours, gears of harnessed horses
Chariots attract, - and their uniform appearance,
And their single sound is terrifying.
And please that Tmol overshadows the saint,
50 Residents rushed to Hellas to load
Bonded by the yoke. Faribid and Mardon
(Their spear does not take them, they are dashing spear fighters)
They leave and follow into the bristling forest
The peak of the Mysians is being dragged out. And the rich man - Babylon
The human mixture spews out like a river: selection
Accurate archers, ship's people.
And the languages of the Asian steppes with a sword
They girded themselves - that's it
They are drawn to the banners of Xerxes.
So huge was the gathering, so countless the troops!
60 Everyone took off, everyone left. And all Asia is crying
The coveted color incessantly calls;
And the melancholy of mothers, and the despair of wives
We lost count of the sad days.
Choir
Stanza 1
The path is blocked:
Like a river - a show off.
And about he-sex
There is a foreign land ["shore"],
Copper clamps
And linen ties
The king did not regret
And he set to go,
And he built a bridge:
To a foreign shore
Translated the army -
Across the strait
Where did you find the coffin?
In the old days daughter
70 Afamanta, -
And harnessed to the yoke
Fatal show-off.
Antistrophe I
You are a herd of people
Bootes, Xerxes!
From the steppe depths,
From Asian -
Drives away the darkness
Shepherd's rod.
They send across bridges,
Along the ridges of the waves
Behind the regiment there is a regiment
Leaders of the forces.
And the leader of the leaders -
You are with them, God,
80 In Whose Blood Is Alive
Golden Rain,
What Zeus brought down
On yours, king,
To the foremother!
Stanza II
Stormy darkness
Darkening my gaze,
Fire serpent -
About the number of hands
Immense, -
Ship spirit -
About the number of wings
About the innumerable, -
You are rolling, king,
And bunches of arrows
Sending from the bowstring
To the spear fighters!
Antistrophe II
Who will find the power
copper muscles
Opposite of becoming
Combat themes?
Bogatyr who
90 Will dam the abyss
And the waves run
Will it reverse?
Who would you like, Persian,
Forbidden the path?
Who would you, Persian,
Could you overcome?..
But the gods have revenge
Watches over us
And forges a forge
Quietly:
No matter how quickly
Path to nodes
Leaning ahead,
You won't back away.
We don't know
Secret Captivity:
For he hid it in flattery,
Dismantled into lies
100 Trap Rock.
The fishing was successful -
From those snares
Don't lose your legs.
Who got caught in the net
It won't go away intact.
Stanza III
From the gods, to know
Destined for us
This fate is
And for that, pers.
You were born
To drive the horses
To a dashing feast
Udalykh slaughter,
So that the storm of battles
Behind the Kremlin is the Kremlin
To throw into dust -
And destroy hail after hail!
Antistrophe III
From the gods, to know
You are learned
Overcome the abyss
What a cool wind
Whitened everything
Gray storms
110 Lead the way
Through the forest of waves
And tackle fabric
To honor for a stronghold
Under the play of thunderstorms,
And entrust the troops to the boards!
Stanza IV
A pale fear enters the soul,
There is sadness in his black robe.
Alas! Alas!
If the color of the Persian troops
Rock will reap
The proud city will be desolate!
Antistrophe IV
And the Kissi ancient walls
120 The echoing vault will echo:
Alas! Alas!
To the women in the square
Tearing the robe
Flax, valuable in shreds.
Stanza V
Because suddenly
Left the place
Horse people and foot people
All over the earth
Following the leader,
130 Like a swarm
Spring bees from the hive, -
To an overseas land, paths, two shores
The king linked with a wondrous link
In a single chain, across the sea.
Antistrophe V
In spoons
Tears are flowing
Widows of living husbands.
Woe to you,
Female host,
Widow's host!
Dear friend, mighty friend
Left home, stern warrior.
Double harness, two yokes
How to carry a husbandless woman?
EPISODE ONE
Leader of the choir
140 Advice befits
To us, O Persians, inhabitants of eternal strongholds,
Collectively hold, and the need will be present
The faithful think deeply.
How can we be here? What's wrong with the king?
Where is the divine Xerxes, son of the god Darius,
Whose Perseus blood gave the name to the Persians?
Does a tense bow win the fight?
Or the sting of a spear,
Directed by a strong right hand?
But, like the eye of the gods, a light shone for us:
150 Then the king's crowned mother comes out
And my queen! Let's fall at our feet
All the Empresses and greetings
Let's bring her willing tributes!
The choir welcomes Atossa as she leaves the palace
kneeling.
Choir
Mother of the lord, lady of the long-robed wives of Persis,
Hello, old queen, hello, widow Daria!
You shared a bed with God, you gave birth to God to the Persians,
Since the ancient demon did not retreat from the army these days.
Atossa
From the chambers, dressed in gold, I come out to you in grief,
160 The elders, leaving the spoon where I slept with Darius, -
Tell me what thought weighed heavily on my heart.
Friends, I confess to you: my soul is troubled by a secret fear,
As if insolent Excess, all the riches that he collected
Not without the will of God, Darius did not push his foot into the dust,
Dust rising in a column above the house. Two worries weigh on my spirit:
Abundance is not honorable without husbands; and there is no share,
Worthy of great feats if a strong husband is poor.
So, in the mansions there are piles of gold, before the eyes of pale fear:
The eye of the house, I remember, is the lord: he is gone, and the light went out.
170 About this - how to survive this time - and be with me
You are advisors, Persians, a faithful host of wise elders.
From whom, if not from you, should I expect good advice?
Leader of the choir
Know, queen: you must say a word to us more than once,
Whether by speech or deed, you command to prove what we can;
If you deign to have a meeting, we will show the same devotion.
Atossa
Quite a few of my night dreams visit me
Since my son sent his army on a campaign
And the Ionians themselves left to ruin the country.
But until now there have not been such obvious
180 Like last night, signs. I was having a dream:
They appeared close, in magnificent robes,
Two women: Persian on one outfit,
And on the other - Dorian. They are our wives
And superior in stature and beauty of face;
And, it seems, the sisters are both from the same family.
And I know that this is the land of the Hellenes,
Those barbarians were given the ancestral inheritance.
And the sisters started some kind of quarrel;
And my son seems to be right there. Wants peace between them
190 Adjust, tame them. And then harnessed
Both in the chariot and threw them
Yoke on the top. Shows off in harness
One is like a tower and obeys the reins;
The other kicks and tears with her hands
The lines, the reins, - it is knocked out by force,
Having stolen the bridle, breaking the yoke in half.
The driver fell. Darius, lean over him,
He regrets his son. Xerxes, seeing his father,
The royal robe is torn on the body.
200 I had such a dream last night.
I, getting out of bed, hands with spring water
She washed herself and went to the altar with gifts,
Bring a gift to the gods to avert troubles,
As it should be. At this moment the eagle
He flies, I see, to the altar of Phoebus,
Fleeing from pursuit. I'm numb
Out of fear, friends! Falcon at the same moment,
Having overtaken him, he let the enemy into his head
Crooked claws; he tears and tears the eagle,
210 But he, bent and timid, does not resist.
I happened to see such marvels,
And you can hear it. Son's battle success
Glorify; he is not liable for failure:
As long as he lives, he will reign in Persia.
Leader of the choir
Neither to frighten you, queen, nor to overly encourage you
We do not want. Run to the gods with earnest prayer:
If there is a threat in the signs, ask to avert the misfortune;
If the foreshadowing is good, may that good thing come to pass,
And for the joy of you and your children, and the sons of the fatherland
220 Give a libation to the Earth, you give a libation to the departed:
The soul of Darius (he appeared to you at night, you say!)
Die, praying that your son and you from the dark depths
He sent prosperity into the world, but closed the opposite
With the undead into the dungeon of darkness. The word is inspired by the heart:
All kinds of good will come if you listen to me.
Atossa
You heard my dream first, and discussed it with sympathy;
The royal house will benefit from your holy advice.
May everything come to pass for good! And prayers and gifts,
As you command, I will bring it to the gods and dear ones who have fallen asleep,
230 As soon as I return to the palace again. But now I want to know:
The notorious Athens, friends, where is that city located?
Leader of the choir
Madam, in a distant country, where Helium sunsets.
Atossa
And does my son desire to take possession of that distant city?
Leader of the choir
Perhaps all of Hellas has already been conquered by him.
Atossa
Is there enough military strength in that country, or is there a shortage?
Leader of the choir
That power was overwhelming - to cause a lot of trouble to the Medes.
Atossa
What else is the earth rich in? Is there wealth in their homes?
Leader of the choir
There is a silver vein in the hidden depths of the depths.
Atossa
Do they hold the bow with a tight hand, do they shoot clouds of well-aimed arrows?
Leader of the choir
240 No, compliant spears are their weapons and shields.
Atossa
Who is the leader of those armies, the autocratic ruler?
Leader of the choir
They do not know citizenship and do not serve anyone.
Atossa
But how will the formidable aliens be met without a leader?
Leader of the choir
Many daredevils invaded them with Darius: they all died.
Atossa
Your answer is terrible to the neighbors who undertook this campaign.
Leader of the choir
Not guessingly, not lyingly, he will inform us about everything
This messenger will tell about the Persian raid.
Should we rejoice or cry? It’s time to find out the truth.
The Messenger enters
Herald
Oh, the whole land of the Asian city, region!
250 Treasure haven, rich Persia!
With one blow - how greatness collapsed!
In the blink of an eye, the blossom is gone!
Alas! Misfortune - to the messengers of misfortune
Appear for the first time. Fate forces the misfortune to speak.
Oh, Persians! Your army is all dead!
Choir
Stanza I
Trouble, terrible, unheard of trouble!
Alas! Cry, wail, my people!
Herald
260 The whole great horde is finished,
And I myself see the light of day by accident.
Choir
Antistrophe I
What has my long life led to?
Experience sorrow such as the spirit never foresaw!
Herald
Witness, eyewitness, I'm not rumored
I will tell you, Persians, our destruction.
Choir
Stanza II
Woe! Blind hike!
Mixed, they all rushed en masse
270 Asian languages
To that fateful Hellas!
Herald
The bodies of those who perished are strewn with pity
Pomerania of Salamis and surrounding areas.
Choir
Antistrophe II
Sorrowful sweet rock!
Soaked in sea water
Corpses are carried by the waves:
They hit the shore and swim away.
Herald
The bows were powerless: the army perished,
With blows from ships.
Stanza III
280 Terrible news! Moan, people!
Raise a pitiful cry!
They visited us cruelly
Gods, having destroyed
Our living power!
Herald
O name of Salamis! Hateful sound!
With lamentation, Athens, I remember you!
Choir
Antistrophe III
Athens, formidable to enemies!
Oh, how many poor widows
They will call you in tears!
How many orphans
You will be remembered forever!
Atossa
290 I have remained silent for a long time, unfortunate one,
Overwhelmed by grief. So great is the evil
That there is not a word on the lips to express
Suffering - no question. But they must carry
We are all gifts from the gods. Take control of yourself
O messenger, and tell me, even if it’s a moaning speech
More than once it will be interrupted: who are their shepherds alive?
For whom should we cry - who, having dropped his staff,
Did you leave your flock without attention?
Herald
Xerxes is alive and sees the light of the sun with his eyes.
Atossa
300 You spoke great light to the royal house;
Out of the impenetrable night, white day flashed.
Herald
At the rocks, at the Silenei, which sprinkles the surf,
The leader of the countless cavalry - Artembar - was killed.
Pierced by a spear, from the stained deck
Chiliarch Dadak rushed headlong into a tailspin.
Bactr, the glorious knight, Tenagon, from now on became
The hero is a resident of Ayantov Island,
Which washes the noisy sea.
Lilea and Arsama and Argesta shaft -
Island cliffs, shelter for pigeons.
310 Forced to butt. One ship
Arcteus, Adeva (near the sources of the Nile he
Ruled the country) and Farnukh - triple damage.
Matallus of Chrysa, who led the black cavalry
Three Myriads, Redfire Thicket
Brady's shaggy own blood
When I died, I repainted it purple.
Arab, from Magi, and Artam from Bactra
In the harsh land they found eternal shelter.
320 Amestria; tireless Amphistray, spear
Mighty; and the knight (there will be crying in Sardis!)
Ariomard; Sisam Misiyets; chief of the sea
Five detachments, each of fifty ships,
A Lyrnean by birth, Faribid, a handsome husband, -
They met a deplorable death in a foreign land.
Synnesius, first in the army in valor,
Governor of Cilicia, who alone is the enemy
Delivered great labor - was without pity
Kidnapped by fate. That's who I remembered
330 From the first in the camp: I took a handful from the heap of troubles.
Atossa
Alas! I hear a tale of great troubles,
Shame of Persis, long funeral lament!
But, turning again to the beginning of things,
Tell me, what a multitude floated up
Hostile ships, if measured against us
Did the enemies dare with the power of the ship?
Herald
The Persians clearly outnumbered the ships:
The Hellenes had only three hundred of them;
340 Moreover, there were ten selected ones, in addition to three hundred.
And Xerxes the Lord, I know for certain,
Leading in battle, he led ordinary people
There are a thousand military ships; yes two hundred seven
He had the best, unheard of speed.
This is the calculation. You can’t say: the enemy was stronger.
Atossa
So a certain demon destroyed the army, scales
Pumping up fate in favor of the Hellenes?
Herald
(347) The Kremlin is saved by the celestials Palladin.
Atossa
So, would you say Athens is an indestructible city?
Herald
The citizens stand around with a strong fence.
Atossa
350 Tell me, how did the battle at sea break out?
Who started the battle? Hellenes, or my son, Xerxes,
Inflated by the number of the many-oared power?
Herald
Avenging spirit, O queen, is another evil god,
Coming from nowhere, he was to blame for everything.
A certain Hellene from the Athenian troops arrives
And he makes the following speech to the lord:
They decided, supposedly, to rent a parking lot for the Hellenes
And under the cover of darkness, jumping onto the ships,
Fleeing in secret; how will they break out
360 Into the open space - who can scatter where.
And the king somehow heard it without understanding anything
Enemy, no intrigues from the envious gods,
An order was sent to the leaders of the floating force:
[In manuscript: swimmer]
Only the light-giver Sun will exhaust the quiver
Scorching arrows and ethereal darkness will enter the temple,
Build ships in a continuous outpost in three rows,
Guard the exits into the expanse of swells,
Others should cordon off Ayantov Island with a ring;
At least part of the enemy's sea camp
370 She escaped death through a loophole, -
He threatened to take the bosses' heads off their shoulders.
He gave this order in a frenzy:
Zane did not know from the gods what was to come.
They prepared with great care,
Listening with your heart; dinner was served, -
The rower adjusted the oar to the rowlock.
When the light of the sun faded and darkness
The waters were covered, each lord of the oar,
The owner of the weapon boarded the ship;
380 And, line after line, long ships in the darkness
The community is equal: every turn
And he knows the place. So all night the bosses
The seaworthy camp was set up in order.
The light has already dawned, and from the camp of the Hellenes
No one is planning to sneak in secretly.
But here comes the white-colored day with its radiance
Flooded the whole earth. The first sound that came
Before us, there were loud Greeks praying
Paean consonant; echoed the reviews
390 Island cliffs to military cliques.
Then fear attacked the barbarians, deceived
In your hope. Obviously, the enemy is not before fleeing
He sang, with victorious power, a solemn hymn;
He strives fiery for battle, there is no doubt;
Courage is inflamed by the roar of copper pipes.
And suddenly, at a sign, they struck together in harmony
Across the shifting salt with splashing oars,
And soon the ships could be seen.
In order, the right led wing
400 The rest of the gang. Hellenic speech
Exclamations were heard from everywhere:
“Forward, O children of the Hellenes! For everything - this fight!
Liberate your homeland, children and wives,
Thrones of native gods, coffins of ancestors!
This is a competition about everything cherished!”
In response to them our proud talk is heard,
Like the roar of the sea; one moment and fighting will break out...
Suddenly a ship hits a ship,
Crashing into the side with a copper nose. And the first one was
What started the matter - Hellenic: he shattered
410 The Phoenician's stern was crushed and the sign
It led to a general massacre. Our multitude
At first it holds firm. But the power is stifled
The strait is narrow: there is no room for action;
They are crushing their own people; the oars are broken
Copper-breasted monsters with a heavy onslaught.
And the Hellenes, having conceived a cunning move,
We were squeezed into a semicircle. Overturned
The ships sank; the sea is completely covered
420 Floating flesh, wood fragments;
Corpses lined the shore like foamy scum.
Rowing, in a disorganized flight, with all their strength,
The surviving remnants of the Persian troops:
The fishermen beat the tuna with such sharpness,
Like their parts of ship frames,
The enemy uses the trunks of masts and oars.
A groan rang out across the sea and a wild cry rang out,
Until Night looked with its black eye,
Our losses, if only for ten days in a row,
430 Queen, I said, I cannot count.
But know for sure: never on a single day
Not that many mortals died.
Atossa
Alas, what a sea of troubles appeared
Against the Persians and all the barbarian peoples!
Herald
I haven’t even said half of the troubles yet:
Another erupted and such evil
Which will twice outweigh what was before.
Atossa
What grief could be worse than this?
What could this test surpass?
440 Tell me, what do you call greater misfortune?
Herald
All the best with muscle strength and courage
They were excellent, they were famous for their ancient family,
The royal servants of tested loyalty,
Every single one of them died ingloriously.
Atossa
Oh, what it’s like for me, bitter friend, to hear that!
What kind of merciless fate ruined them?
Herald
An island lies among the waves near Salamis,
Without a pier convenient for a sailor. Pan
There he leads round dances over the rapids.
450 The king sent men there to ambush the best,
So that the rest of the enemies can be easily killed,
When, having lost the ships, swim to those cliffs
They will be saved; there would be somewhere to escape
And to the Persians, carried away by the current.
But he miscalculated the coming day. Gave
In a naval battle, God won the victory for the Hellenes
And on the same day, covered with copper armor,
Having landed on the island, they arranged
A round-up of those holed up, cordoning off their camp.
The ring is constricting, the Hellenes are on all sides
460 They are frequently showered with stone hail,
They fire a cloud of arrows; then, alone
With a friendly impulse, rushing at the unfortunate ones,
They chopped everyone into pieces with sharp damask steel.
And seeing the abyss of evil, Xerxes himself groaned!
He sat, surveying the entire battle from above,
On a lofty peak, above the abyss of water.
And he tore the vestments to pieces and howled in anguish;
He immediately ordered the infantry troops to flee,
470 And he himself inappropriately rushed into flight.
This is what is worthy of crying more than ever.
Atossa
Oh, cruel God! How you seduced the Persians!
For glorious Athens - oh, how bitter
Sought retribution! You weren't satisfied with the blood
Those many whom Marathon previously destroyed.
For them my son intended the winners
To take revenge - and this is what he has now brought upon the country!
Where are the rest, the messenger, the ships that escaped?
Tell me exactly where did you leave them?
Herald
480 They do not wait, in confusion, for favorable winds
The ships of the last shipmasters, -
They are in a hurry to escape. Ground forces
The remains melt, having reached Boeotia:
Who fell ill after drinking at the living springs,
Who fell from exhaustion. Barely dragging along the spirit,
We wander through Phocaea and Doris
To the fields that Spercheus waters with blessed moisture,
To the Gulf of Melia. Further the path leads
To Phthiotis, Thessalian Thebes.
490 During those travels, most of them died out
From hunger and thirst: we have suffered
Both tortures are enough. Through the Magnetsky region
And the lands of the Macedonians, across the Axii River,
Through the swamps of Bolba, overgrown with reeds,
Through the Pangea ridge we got to Edonia.
That night there was a breath of untimely cold:
The sacred Strymon froze; here is the one who was of old
I didn’t see gods anywhere, suddenly I believed,
He began to worship the earth and sky together.
500 Having finished praying, the army moved forward,
Daring to trust the ice bridges.
And who managed to cross the river before
When the sun began to scatter arrows, they were saved.
But the hot rays of a luminous day,
Melting the ice, the stream unchained in the middle,
And the hosts fell on each other. Happy is he
Who was soon crushed or went to the bottom.
And those who survived, through Thrace,
With many hardships and labors and troubles,
510 Reached by fugitives, in small numbers,
Native ashes. Cry for the motherland
About youth, blossoming and ruined!
My story is true in everything. But count everyone
The misfortunes that God sent to the Persians are impossible.
Leader of the choir
O ardent demon! Like a heavy foot,
Having jumped on our race, you trample and crush us!
Atossa
Alas for me, wretched one! The military power collapsed!
Night dream, here is your clear meaning!
The dream showed me what happened with my own eyes.
520 This is not how you, elders, interpreted it to me.
You were right about one thing: my first duty
To the gods, as you inspired, I will offer prayers.
I will send down gifts to the earth and to those who live in it,
Taking treats for the deceased from home.
What happened, I know, cannot be changed;
But may a better fate await us in the future,
From you, the faithful, we are in everything that has happened
We are waiting for the faithful support in grief and advice.
And if my son returns before me, he will
530 Welcome me warmly and bring me into the house,
So that he does not add another misfortune to the misfortune.
He goes to the palace.
STASIM I
Leader of the choir
Oh, powerful Zeus! Ruined, crushed
You are the arrogant power of a populous country,
He destroyed our army!
And in sadness and shame, like on a grave night,
Buried Ecbatana and Susa!
Tender hands tear the covers from the face,
Torn to shreds
And endless tears, an unstoppable stream
540 Waters the blooming persies.
Persian women call their lifeless husbands
And they yearn for them with loving longing:
The shelter of intoxicating bliss is becoming orphaned,
Do not return to them the pleasures of shared love:
The sadness of the widowed is insatiable!
Oh, and we old people are overwhelmed by sadness,
A cry of many tears escapes from the lips!
Choir
Stanza I
All Asia is crying today,
Wailing empty.
550 The warrior Xerxes led the people away,
The destroyer has destroyed the people - Xerxes!
The madman Xerxes entrusted his people
Fragile, in the abyss of the waves, plows!
What about Darius, the wise leader,
He knew the measure, he preserved the country
And unharmed in troubles,
Dear Lord of Suza?
Antistrophe I
Infantry and naval forces
You are a blue-breasted flock
560 Alas, they were being taken to execution, the courts!
Destroyed the black ships
Villages of copper-billed fierce birds!
You are in the hands of the Ionians
They released their cargo alive!
Barely escaped them
Along untravelled paths
The king himself is the king of wild Thrace.
Stanza II
The first slain host, -
Oh!
Sacrificed to Rock, -
Woe, ah,
570 Woe! At the Kikhrei rocks,
Alas! How you died, how you drowned!
Resurrect your teeth
Call to the sky:
"Alas!"
Raise a long cry!
Howl, howl, city, howl wildly!
Antistrophe II
Hosts of those carried by the ripples,
Oh!
Given to the unclean for food!
Woe, ah!
To the silent children of the abyss!
Alas!...
“Where is our breadwinner?” - the house groans;
580 Mother: “My son, where are you?”
Calling to the sky:
"Alas!"
Old grandfathers are crying
The bad news will spread everywhere.
Stanza III
Woe to the Persian power!
She has no subjects in Asia!
There will be no more dues
Carry for the master's needs
Countries conquered languages,
To bow to the dust before the Lord:
590 Believe in the royal name.
Antistrophe III
All dissatisfied are unleashed
Insolent tongue, and no need
Beware of free speech:
The yoke has slipped off!
Ayanta Memorial Island,
Impregnated with Persian blood, -
The strength of the Persian grave!
EPISODE TWO
Atossa, at the head of a procession of women carrying funeral offerings, leaves the palace.
Atossa
Oh, others! Who has experienced misfortune in life,
The character of mortals knows by itself: trouble has come, -
600 The fearful mind sees a threat in everything,
And as we spend our days in happiness, we hope
And henceforth, with a fair wind from the good gods.
My eyes are now full of horrors
And it appears as a sign of wrath;
The ears hear an ominous melody everywhere;
I am overwhelmed with grief and intimidated.
Then I am without chariots, without pomp,
This procession was organized so simply.
I bring a gentle gift for my son to my father’s grave,
610 Of those with which we please the dead:
Here is the pure white milk from a young girl,
A blessed drink and a golden gift
Flower bees; virgin springs of the stream, -
And then the wild mother, the hop vine,
Unmixed child of the vineyard
Vintage Juice; and light brown olives,
Keeping foliage all its life, fragrant fruit;
With fragrant wreaths from the children of the earth.
And you, O others, these offerings
620 Sing the hymn and call Darius
From the darkness of the grave, while the ashes cry out
Sacrifices offered to the underground gods.
Leader of the choir
You, queen, mother of the king and the fatherland,
Pour libations into the mansion where they live
Givers of blessings: we are the hymns of the saints
Underworld lords
We beg you to favor the dear ones.
Listen, the holy depths of the deity,
Mother Earth, and Hermes, and the departed King,
630 And send the soul of Darius to us into the light.
If the king knows how to heal the living,
Evil will only show us the limit.
STASIM II
Choir
Stanza I
Can the king hear?
In the bowels of the earth
My mournful cry
King equal to God, king blessed?
Native
With barbaric speech, king,
In any sorrow I call you!
I'll spill it into the night
Lament to the Lord:
The deceased will hear the call.
Antistrophe I
Mother Earth,
640 Gods of the depths,
Guardians of the shadows,
Demon of glory, spirit of power
Into the light
Let the sun come to us, -
God born in Susa,
Greetings to all,
whose remains
The finger has taken the Persians!
Stanza II
This husband is dear to us
This coffin is dear to us:
Sweet heart
It rested within him.
650 Aidonei!
Bring the lord to us yourself,
Aidoneus! He -
Our only king:
Give us Daria!
Antistrophe II
He didn't destroy
Their troops
In an ambitious
Blinded
And he became known
He is the “provider” of the kingdom.
Provider
He truly was
The helmsman of the army.
Stanza III
My king, the former king,
Come out and show yourself!
Stand on the head of this mound,
660 So that sandals
Golden
The shine sparkled for us,
So that the shine sparkles
tiaras,
Pointed, clear!
Alas!..
Antistrophe III
You will hear grief
New grief, standing up,
Oh, lord of lords dear!
From Stygian
The waves rose
To the living darkness,
Took away the light!
Has drooped,
670 Earthborn youth!
Come out, immaculate father, Darius!
Alas!
Epod
Alas, alas!
Oh, inconsolably mourned king!
Look, lord, lord,
What about your country
Foolishness is a double sin,
What has he brought on! Take a look
Where are the houses with many garrisons?
680 Ah, not houses - houses!
EPISODE THREE
The Shadow of Darius appears at the top of the Mausoleum
Oh, faithful of the faithful, elders, peers
My blooming time! Than the fatherland
Are you sick? The depths groan; the earth shook.
My wife, I see, is shedding tears on my mound:
My soul was troubled; I accepted the gifts.
You are crying before the grave; plaintive
With a cry that raises the souls of the dead,
You're calling me. It's hard for us to rise:
There are quite a few obstacles; the gods of the underground
690 They take souls more willingly than send them to earth.
But I defeated them and came to the call.
Hurry to tell me, - my deadline is strictly missed, -
What hard times are burdening the country?
Leader of the choir
I don’t dare look up
I don’t dare exchange words:
From time immemorial I was in awe
Before you, king!
Shadow of Darius
I came from the shadow of darkness, having heard your bitter cry.
Answer me briefly: I don’t require unnecessary speeches.
But dare and tell everything, having conquered sacred fear.
Leader of the choir
700 I tremble to please your temper;
I tremble to arouse your anger.
How to tell me you shouldn't
Talking friend?
Shadow of Darius
If the timidity of ancient days stops their lips,
You, married wife, noble wife,
Suppressing crying and moaning, conquering sadness, say
In a clear word what happened. Sorrows are everywhere:
Grief will burst from the blue sea, will rise dashingly from the earth,
And the more troubles, the longer mortal life lasts.
Atossa
Oh, most blessed of mortals, the days of earth will end with a good end
710 To everyone, while you saw the sun, your lot was enviable:
You, like some god, O Darius, saw off a happy century.
The dead also took the good part: you do not see the abyss of evils,
What has opened up before us. I'll tell you everything by saying one thing:
The Persian empire is collapsing. Here, without pompous words, is the answer.
Shadow of Darius
Has the plague visited the kingdom? Has the citizens been in turmoil?
Atossa
No! But the military force died around Athens.
Shadow of Darius
Which of my sons led an army to Athens?
Atossa
The ardent Xerxes, for the sake of the campaign, depopulated the mainland.
Shadow of Darius
Did the madman move by land? Or, unfortunate one, on ships?
Atossa
720 Land and sea travel together was a double campaign.
Shadow of Darius
How did he step over the show with a horde of infantry?
Atossa
It connected the long shore of the Gella Strait with a bridge.
Shadow of Darius
How? Did he dare to close the great Bosporus and succeed?
Atossa
Apparently, the demon who owned him was his accomplice.
Shadow of Darius
Powerful was, alas, this demon that drove him mad.
Atossa
Based on the outcome of the case, we see how destructive it was.
Shadow of Darius
Well, tell me, have you endured much crying and groaning?
Atossa
The naval camp, suffering a wreck, destroyed the infantry camp.
Shadow of Darius
How? Are my people completely destroyed by evil abuse?
Atossa
730 They groan in desolate Susa, having lost their sons.
Shadow of Darius
There is no stronghold for the state, no defenders for the country?
Atossa
All the Bactrians, except the elders, perished.
Shadow of Darius
Oh, unfortunate one! How many young people and fresh forces he crushed!
Atossa
735 Alone, with a small squad, Xerxes, a wanderer, they say, -
Shadow of Darius
Where and what outcome did he find? Is it still possible to be saved?
Atossa
I was glad to leave this shore, crossing the sea bridge.
Shadow of Darius
Is he saved? Did he set foot on the Asian shore? Is the news true?
Atossa
That news is reliable. There is no suspicion about anyone.
Shadow of Darius
Woe! Soon the prophetic words will come true,
740 And Zeus judged, so that their truth would be justified on their son!
I prayed that the gods would postpone the execution for a long time;
But Rock speeds up the meeting for those who are hastening towards them.
Now the evil keys have opened to my dear relatives.
My son, in his youthful ardor, did not know what he was doing.
He dared to put chains on the sacred Hellespont,
And Bosporus, sought by God like a slave, to be yoked.
Change the law of the elements, rivet the abyss with mortar
And leave the sea free for the crowds to trample.
750 Mortal, thought the fool to force Poseidon himself
From immortality to obedience. Obviously, he was not sane in his thoughts
And my son was sick in soul. Now I'm afraid:
That having acquired my labor, the first newcomer will plunder it for nothing.
Atossa
From communicating with bad people I learned to be bad
Ardent Xerxes. They inspired: you have acquired for your sons
Wealth of battle valor; there is no need to multiply it;
And without valor there is room for them to reign autocratically.
And he learned the lessons of his evil relatives,
And the whole of Asia planned a campaign against the Hellenes.
Shadow of Darius
It happened, to please them, a terrible thing,
760 Forever unforgettable, such damage
And desolation, which was unknown
To this day Susa is from the summer, as Zeus set
The autocratic leader of one king
Over all the abundant pastures of Asia.
There was the first, Mid, the supreme commander of the troops,
And his son is the finisher of his father’s deeds.
The favorite of happiness, Cyrus reigned third
And, having strengthened the world, he made his subjects happy.
770 Lydian and Phrygian powers
He increased the kingdom. He is Ionia
Humbled, dear to the gods, with good thoughts.
Cyrus's son was the fourth ruler,
And the fifth is Smerdis, dishonor to the homeland,
Shame on the throne. Killed him with cunning
Leader Artafren, or Right-thinker, in our opinion, -
By whose will thought, like a vigilant helmsman, rules,
In the royal chambers, with a handful of conspirators.
Marathis was sixth in the row, Artaphrenes seventh.
Then I got the lot I desired.
780 And I fought many wars with many hosts,
But there was no reason for such great evil.
Ninth - Xerxes; he is young; your mind
He hasn’t made money yet, but he doesn’t want to know mine
Lessons and covenants. No, oh peers,
Sharing the royal burden with me!
We would not have led the country to such devastation.
Leader of the choir
Where, Lord Darius, is the word heading?
What do you command your people?
790 To save him from final destruction?
Shadow of Darius
You will not fight more than the Hellenic cities,
Even if it were with a larger army than the current one.
The Earth itself is an ally of the Hellenes there.
Leader of the choir
What do you think? How can mortals overcome the Earth?
Shadow of Darius
Killing too many of the aliens by starvation.
Leader of the choir
If we have selected forces, we will equip the best campaign...
Shadow of Darius
Still, the army, whose trace was lost in Hellas,
Returns to dear homes are not celebrated.
Leader of the choir
What you said? After all, the army that survived
The route from Europe through the Hellespont is not blocked.
Shadow of Darius
800 Few out of many will find the way home,
The broadcast says. How can you not believe him?
Seeing what happened? Or a prophecy
Is it partly true? If everything is true, -
Xerxes left the chosen ones, deceived again
Empty hope - where the Boeotian valley
Asopus gives water, abundant in sweet moisture.
The greatest of misfortunes awaits them there,
Retribution of arrogance and godless deeds.
They were not ashamed of the Hellenic temples
810 Loot treasuries, burn sanctuaries;
Altars were leveled to the ground; idols
The gods were overthrown from their foundations.
For sacrilege, punishment is commensurate
They have endured and will endure: the bottom of evil is not visible,
Everything new is boiling up, gushing from the depths.
Dorian darts into the swamp of blood
The Plataean plain will be turned, and the bodies
Persian piles on the field are rotten
Until the third living generation
They will remain dumb as a sign in the eyes of people,
820 That it is vain to be arrogant when you are mortal.
The arrogance grows like a heavy ear -
Sev Ata, reapers of the many-tearful summer.
May punishment be for Athens and the Hellenes
You will remember that no one among you
Having despised what the gods gave, desiring strangers
It’s good to get hold of good things, why great
I didn’t waste my wealth. Zeus punishes
Excessively greedy thoughts; the formidable is the judge.
Wanting to return Xerxes to good thoughts,
830 Exhort with good instructions
The Lord should not anger the gods with boldness.
Well, you, old queen, dear mother,
Come out to meet your son in royal robes
From the inner chambers, how he will appear
In pathetic rags and rags of purple,
Torn on the body by fierce sorrow,
Comfort him with words of consolation:
You are the only unfortunate son who will listen to you.
Enough! I descend into the underground darkness.
840 Rejoice, O elders, even in times of trouble!
Open your soul to joy every day!
There is no consolation for the departed from the riches of the earth.
Disappears.
Leader of the choir
I grieved when I heard how many troubles there were in my homeland
It has collapsed and how long we have to endure.
Atossa
Oh, cruel rock! How much new bitterness
You're letting me taste it! But most of all it hurts
The sight of dishonor stings my soul
The filial, torn royal robe is a disgrace.
I'll go to the halls and take the festive attire
850 And with a clear gaze I will try to meet
Alien. In grief I will not betray my loved one.
He goes to the palace.
STASIM III
Choir
Stanza I
How she magnified, how she showed off
Homeland with happiness and prosperity
In the days when he reigned over her
Darius is kind, all-providential,
Rescue pilot
God-loving sovereign!
Antistrophe I
The army was famous for its battle glory,
And the cities were established by laws,
860 Stronger than tower strongholds.
The regiments were returning from long campaigns,
Proud and cheerful
To ancient hearths.
Stanza II
How many cities are adjacent to us,
Without crossing Galis,
Without leaving the hearths, -
How far is it along the Thracian coastline,
Opposite the mouths of Strymon,
870 The kingdom's power has been multiplied!
Antistrophe II
How many others have submitted to the ruler
Far from the coast
Walled cities!
And he won the Hellespont Pomerania,
And the Propontides backwaters
Coupled with the mouths of the Pontus.
Stanza III
880 Took the islands separated by splashing abyss
With continental overhang:
Lesbos and Samos, feeding the olive tree,
Chios and Paros and Naxos and Mykonos,
Tenos and Tenosu at sea
Nearby Andros.
Antistrophe III
He is to the islands and to the middle waters
Between two big lands,
890 Became ruler of: Lemnos, Icarus,
Rhodes, Cnidus; and he was king of Cyprus
Paphos, Sol, Salamis,
This is the cause of all troubles!
Epod
897 And in the most populous Hellenic communities
Ruled autocratically
Darius, inheritance of the Ionians, abundance
900 Glorious, having acquired. Tireless
Multi-tribal strength
Ratey was ready.
Today, turning against us unequivocally, -
Fate changed us:
The glory of the power was destroyed
Among the swells of the infidels.
EXOD
Xerxes approaches, in torn clothes, with an empty quiver behind his back; he is accompanied by dejected warriors. The choir performs at the first words of the Leader of the Choir to meet the king.
Xerxes
Alas! Alas!
My ill-fated fate! A bleak lot!
910 Unprecedented blow! Unfathomable blow!
How fiercely Fate punished our race!
What have I been given to carry? What is destined to endure!
I'm relaxed; the strength of my loins is exhausted;
I tore the purple to shreds, trampled on it,
Seeing the decline of the color of our dear youth.
Well, Zeus, and me, along with a host of husbands
Slain, earth
Didn't cover it with grave cloth?
Leader of the choir
The heroic squads cannot be returned, sir!
Where is the great honor of the lord of lords?
920 Where is your hope?
The evil demon has crushed our power!
The Earth grieved, the Earth wept;
Inhabited by the lord of the abode of souls
The youth of the country!
Its color, these hordes of the strong,
These dark horsemen, myriads of archers,
Through the gates of shadows they rushed into Hades,
Clan after clan, tribe after tribe.
Where is Asian power? O King! O King!
930 Persis's knees have broken!
Xerxes
Stanza I
How pathetic I am! Alas, how despised I am!
I was born to the people on the mountain
And in a famous country!
Choir
Your harbinger of return
A groan rises across the Asian land:
You will be greeted with the tears of screaming wives
940 And the Mariandin flutes.
Xerxes
Antistrophe I
Well? Sing me a tearful hymn,
For God turned to me, -
And pay me!
Choir
Can't stop crying so many tears!
Do not forget, do not forgive the widowed country
No trouble on land, no trouble on ships,
And discordant grief suits her.
Xerxes
Stanza II
950 Ares was to the Ionians,
An ally to the Ionians on the swells!
He mowed down on the waters,
On the shores of fate
Our strength!
Choir
Alas! - I’ll call you and ask you about everything.
Where are the leaders of the royal squads?
Where are your companions?
Where, tell me, is Farandak?
Where is Susa? Pelagon? Where is Dotama? Psammead?
960 Akdabata - where is he? Where is the hero Susiskan,
Ecbatana beauty?
Xerxes
Antistrophe II
I left them at sea
Carried away from the ships of the broken Tyrians,
And the surf carried them away
To the shores of Salamis,
Lifeless.
Choir
Alas! - I'm calling. Tell me, where is Farnuk?
Where is Ariomard the valiant?
Where is the sovereign Sevalk?
970 Noble one, where is Lily?
Where is Memphid, Faribid? Where is Masistra, tell me?
What's missing Artembar? Why is Istekhma not coming?
Where are they, answer me!
Xerxes
Stanza III
Alas, alas for me!
Under Athens, the ancient stronghold,
Terrible enemies
Swept away by one storm,
Alas, alas, everyone died
In a distant foreign land!
Choir
There is your faithful one, the king’s eye,
Who looked after you, summing up the score
980 Your warriors countless myriads,
Alpist is forgotten there among the dead,
Son of Batanokh,
Megabatha, Sesama's descendant?
There Parfa abandoned the great one,
And Oibara, king, are you our dashing leader?
Behind grief is grief
You croak to your homeland!
Xerxes
Antistrophe III
Melancholy
By your companions you will be brave
In the king's heart,
990 You revive the pain in me.
Oh, cara cara! My heart
Grieving, languishing.
Choir
And give us the others! We will exact it.
Where is the leader of the Mards, Xanthius?
Brawl-loving Ankhar? Where is Diexius?
And Arsam, the leaders of the cavalry?
Where is Dadak?
Where is Lifimna? Where is Tholme, the insatiable
1000 Spear fighter? I wonder without seeing
They are in your squad. In transport tents,
They must be on their way
Among your escorts?
Xerxes
Stanza IV
Descended into the grave
All leaders of great powers.
Choir
Descended into an unmarked tomb!
Xerxes
Yes, to the grave, alas! To the grave, alas!
Choir
Alas, alas! Gods are punished,
Negadan was
This blow!
Terrible blow
Was calculated by Atoi!
Xerxes
Antistrophe IV
Unheard of
In memory of ancient affairs!
Choir
There is no example, no similarity...
Xerxes
1010 No equal misfortune has ever been seen!
Choir
Ionia gave us rock
Experience the power -
Bad lesson!
Ah, on the swells
The power of the Persians was destroyed!
Xerxes
Stanza V
It crashed, yes! I ruined -
And what strength!
Choir
All died:
What's left of her?
Xerxes
Look: that's all
What from her
All that's left is for me.
Choir
I see, king.
Xerxes
1020 This quiver: that's all I...
Choir
What did you save intact during the campaign?
Xerxes
Yes! My quiver is golden-eyed.
Choir
The remainder is small because of the excess.
Xerxes
I wasted my entire squad.
Choir
Yes, king! The Ionians are not cowards.
Xerxes
Antistrophe V
Bogatyrs! I didn't guess
I'm so sad.
Choir
That everything is down
A seaworthy camp?
Xerxes
1030 In despair
Torn to pieces
I'm porphyry.
Choir
Oh, woe to us!
Xerxes
Worse than anything can be said.
Choir
Oh, twice, thrice bitter!
Xerxes
Us! The enemy rejoices!
Choir
The root of the power has been cut!
Xerxes
1035 I have no guides.
Choir
The squads died at sea.
Xerxes
Stanza VI
Sigh, sigh about grief, and go home!
Choir
Alas, I sigh and mourn.
Xerxes
1040 Echo my groans!
Choir
The echo of deplorable deeds is crying.
Xerxes
Coordinate your crying with mine!
Choir
Alas! Alas!
Xerxes
Oh, the burden of grief is heavy!
Choir
The pain of inescapable sorrow!
Xerxes
Antistrophe VI
Hit the chest, hit the chest with your hands! Cry for me!
Choir
Worthy of tears myself, I cry.
Xerxes
Echo my groans!
Choir
I could not help but groan, O king!
Xerxes
1050 Raise a loud cry, cry out!
Choir
Alas! Alas!
Xerxes
Scourge and torment the flesh until it bleeds!
Choir
The pain is fierce! A burning wound!
Xerxes
Stanza VII
Smash your hands! Howl like the Mysians!
Choir
Attack! Attack!
Xerxes
Tear your beard, oh old man! Don't be sorry for your gray hairs!
Choir
Xerxes
And cry out: oh!..
Choir
Oh, woe! Woe!
Xerxes
Antistrophe VII
1060 Tear the clothes on your chest! Tear apart the clothes!
Choir
Attack! Attack!
Xerxes
Toss up your curls! Remember the army - and tear your hair out!
Choir
I'm tearing out my gray hair in clumps and clumps.
Xerxes
And shed tears, tears...
Choir
They flow like a river!
Xerxes
Echo my groans!
Choir
Alas! Alas!
Xerxes
Come home crying!
Choir
1070 Alas! Alas! Persia is trampled!
Xerxes
There was a cry over the stacks of hail!
Choir
There was crying... And moaning.
Xerxes
Pampered ones, weep!
Choir
Alas! Alas! Persia is trampled!
Xerxes
Call out!
Choir
Moan!
Xerxes
The homeland collapsed, alas, alas, -
On ships with many oars!
Choir
I cry and accompany you to the king’s house.
PERSIANS
As follows from the didascalia, preserved in almost all manuscripts, “The Persians” was staged in 472 as part of a tetralogy, which also included the tragedies “Phinaeus”, “Glaucus” (see fr. 38-46) and the satyr drama “Prometheus” - fire igniter" (fr. 37, 47-51). The tetralogy took first place in the competition of tragic poets. Repeated attempts to establish some kind of semantic connection between the dramas included in it did not lead to success. Apparently, in 472, Aeschylus combined four independent works into one tetralogy - a rather rare case in his practice.
Another feature of “The Persians” is that it is based not on a myth, but on a historical event (albeit quite mythologized) - the victory of the Greek fleet over the Persians at Salamis in 480. In choosing the topic, Aeschylus had a predecessor - the already known Phrynichus, who in 476 he staged the tragedy “The Phoenician Women,” named after the chorus of Phoenician women mourning the death of their husbands at Salamis. It is known that the drama of Phrynichus, which has not reached us, began with the words of the eunuch, who was preparing seats for the royal advisers: “Here are the Persians who have gone on a long campaign”... From the same eunuch, the audience learned about the defeat of the Persians, to which they obviously served as a response. extensive laments put into the mouths of Phoenician women. From this it is clear that the entire section of the "Persians", preceding the appearance of the messenger and saturated with the disturbing forebodings of the chorus and Atossa, as well as the summoning of the shadow of Darius and his monologues, are completely an innovation of Aeschylus, who managed to turn into a kind of funeral cantata, which was the play of Phrynichus, into a genuine tragedy with deep ideological problems.
The idea developed in it about the advantage of the Greek world over the barbarian East, where everyone is subjects of the king-autocrat, was the reason that soon after the production of “The Persians” in Athens they were shown with the participation of Aeschylus himself in Syracuse. The victory won by the Syracusan fleet over the Carthaginians at Himera almost on the same day as the battle of Salamis was perceived in the west of the Greek world as a symbol of the general liberation of Hellas from the threat of the invasion of Asian despotism.
Judging by Aristophanes' "Frogs" (vv. 1026-1029), "The Persians" was staged after the death of Aeschylus, at the end of the 5th century.
The action takes place in Susa, the Persian capital, some time after the naval battle of Salamis. The scenery depicts the facade of the royal palace. The altar standing in the middle of the orchestra in the second half of the tragedy depicts the tomb of Darius.
6. ...Darius's son... - Xerxes ascended the throne after the death of Darius in 486.
16 words Ecbatana is an ancient Persian city lying north of Susa. Kissia is a mountainous region stretching between them.
21-51. In the list of Xerxes’ commanders, which amazed the audience with its exotic sound, there are genuine names known from other sources (for example, Artaphrenes, Artembarus, Masister, Ariomard); others may have been heard somewhere by Aeschylus or invented based on those heard - for his contemporaries the general flavor was important, and not individual names.
34. ...the many-seeded Nile... - More precisely, “feeding many.” Egypt came under Persian rule ca. 525
37. ...both Pegasus and Tagon... - All manuscripts give one name - Pegastagon.
38. Memphis - see "Petitioners", 311, and note.
39. ...Thebes judge... - This does not mean the Boeotian “seven-gate” Thebes, but a city of the same name, located in the middle reaches of the Nile.
41-45. The Lydians abandoned it... - Lydia with its capital Sardis became part of the Persian monarchy in 546, after Cyrus' victory over the Lydian king Croesus, who was famous for his untold riches. Hence the characterization of the Lydians as “leading a pampered lifestyle.”
49. Tmol - mountain in Lydia.
51. Mission - see “Petitioners”, 549, and note. Babylon is a city on the river. Euphrates, capital of the Neo-Babylonian kingdom, which fell under Persian rule ca. 538 and made the center of the satrapy of the same name.
65-70. The story of how Xerxes built a bridge across the Hellespont (pont). See Herodotus, VII, 37. Athamas is the legendary king of Orchomenus in Boeotia. His second wife planned to kill the children from his first marriage - Phrixus and Gella, but they were saved by a wonderful golden-fleeced ram, which carried the children through the air to Colchis. On the way, Hella, having looked away, let go of the ram's wool, which she was holding on to, and fell into the strait, which has since been called the Hellespont, the “sea of Hella” (now the Dardanelles) (see below, art. 722).
81. Golden shower... - The Greeks related the name of the Persian people to the name of Persian - the son of the Greek hero Perseus, conceived by Danaë from Zeus, who descended to her with golden rain.
100. Rock - the original talks about Ata - the personified delusion, the blindness of the mind.
106. From the gods, to know... - The parallelism created by V. Ivanov with the beginning of the stanza contradicts the original, where the idea is exactly the opposite: from the gods the Persians are supposed to own the land, Xerxes dared to entrust his army to the sea - that is why (stanza IV) the soul the elders are filled with fear.
146 words bow... Or the sting of a spear... - The bow is a symbol of the Persian army, the spear is a symbol of the Greek. Wed. Art. 240.
178. ...Ionians... country. - They called Ionia in the proper sense in the 5th century. the western coast of Asia Minor, covered with a network of ancient Greek settlements (colonies). However, the Athenians also considered themselves part of the Ionian tribe, tracing this name back to the legendary ancestor Ion.
183. ...outfit... Dorian. - The Dorians, along with the Ionians, are one of the ancient Greek tribes. In the historical era, the Dorian dialect was spoken in the Peloponnese, but Aeschylus uses this definition as a generalized characteristic of all of Hellas.
232. ...Helium sunset. - That is, the west; sunset - Helium.
236. The Medes were originally a group of tribes that occupied the territory south of the Caspian Sea. The Median kingdom reached its rise in 550, when it was defeated by Cyrus and became part of the Persian monarchy. Since then, Medes have often been synonymous with Persians. The troubles they caused were the defeat at Marathon. Wed. Art. 244.
238. ...silver vein... - Silver mines in Lavrion, in the south of Attica.
242. They do not know citizenship... - An idealized characteristic of Athenian democracy.
254. Rock bores... - In the original, “it is inevitable to utter all the trouble.”
302. Silenian rocks - a cape on the coast of Salamis.
304. Chiliarch - literally: commander of a detachment of a thousand people.
306. Bactria is a region in the extreme east of the Persian kingdom, on the border with India.
307. Island of Ayants - Salamis, whose patron was considered the legendary participant in the Trojan War Ayant (more correctly: Eant).
314. Chrysa - a small island near Lemnos and a city in Troas are known by this name. In any case, however, it is unlikely that he could supply an army of three myriads (30 thousand people). True, in modern editions of Art. 315 is usually placed after Art. 318, so that the three myriads refer to the army under the command of Artab, but the ten thousand remaining in the original belong to Matallus - also a fairly large contingent, if by Chrysa we mean the points mentioned above.
317. Magi - Median tribe.
324. Lyrna - the location of this Lyrna is unknown. The Iliad, II, 690, mentions the Mysian city of Lyrnessos.
327. Cilicia - see “Petitioners”, Art. 551 and note.
340. There were over three hundred and ten. - According to Herodotus, VIII, 48, there were 380 Greek ships.
345 words So a certain demon... - In the manuscripts, these two verses, together with 347, complete the speech of the messenger (of course, without a question mark).
355. A certain Hellene comes... - According to Herodotus, VIII, 75, it was a certain Sikinnus, the teacher of the children of Themistocles. Since there was no agreement in the Greek fleet whether to accept a naval battle at Salamis, Themistocles decided to confront the remaining commanders with a fait accompli and force them to unite in the face of the enemy. For this purpose, he provoked Xerxes to encircle the Greek fleet.
372. In a frenzy - translated according to the reading ύπ’ έχθύμου φρενός; more authoritative manuscripts give ύπ’ εύθύμου - “fully mastering the mind.” The failure of Xerxes, according to Aeschylus, is rooted not in individual errors of a tactical nature, but in pride, which forced him to set out on a sea voyage to bridle the Hellespont, etc. (see below, art. 723-725, 744-751).
389. Paean - prayer addressed to Apollo.
447. An island among the waves - Psittaleia, between Salamis and the Attic coast. Wed. Herodotus, VIII, 76 and 95. The historian's source was obviously Aeschylus.
466 words Looking around from above... - Xerxes’ command post was apparently located at the foot of Mount Aegalea, opposite Salamis. Wed. Herodotus, VIII, 90.
482-509. The route of the retreating detachments of the Persian army lies first to the west - through Boeotia, Phocaea and Dorida, neighboring Attica, to the Gulf of Mali, into which Spercheus flows; from there - north, through Phthiotis, Thessaly and Macedonia to the River Strymon, the southern border of the region of Edonia in Thrace. Wed. Herodotus, VIII, 115.
484. Having gotten drunk at the living springs. - We are probably talking about a disease consisting of unquenchable thirst.
492-494. Magnet region is an area adjacent to Thessaly from the east and ending with a peninsula. The Axii River flows in Macedonia, Bolba is a lake on the border of Thessaly and Magnesia. The exact sequence in the description of the path of the remnants of the Persian army by Aeschylus is not observed here. Pangea is a mountain range in Edonia, on the other side of Strymon. To reach it, the Persians still had to survive the crossing of the Strymon, see Art. 495-508.
555. How about Darius, the wise leader... - Here and further Aeschylus portrays Darius, in contrast to Xerxes, as a wise ruler who did not encroach on the freedom of Hellas, although Darius brutally suppressed the uprising of Ionian cities in 494, and in 492 A fleet was sent against Hellas, which was scattered by a storm along the way. Finally, under Darius, in 490, the Persians were defeated at Marathon.
570. At the Kychreian rocks - off the coast of Salamis.
650. Aidoneus is another name for Hades, the god of the underworld.
724. Bosporus is the name of several sea straits. Most often, this was the name given to the current Bosphorus - the strait separating the Pontus Euxine from the Propontis (Black Sea from Marmara). However, here and in Art. 746 Aeschylus calls the Hellespont the Bosporus. Wed. also Sophocles, Ajax, Art. 884.
773. Kirov's son - Cambyses. See next. note
774-778. We are talking here about a certain Gaumata, who rebelled against King Cambyses, the predecessor of Darius, who was with an army in Egypt, taking the name Smerdis (from Aeschylus - Mardis), the deceased brother of Cambyses, Darius, who took over power after the death of Cambyses, captured in 522 and killed Gaumata. Aeschylus, who idealizes Darius in every way in contrast to Xerxes, here again exposes a certain Artaphrene as the murderer of Smerdis. The interpretation of his name as “Right-thinker” does not follow from the Greek text. Art. 778 (The sixth in the series was...) modern publishers exclude, considering it a late insertion. Firstly, it is known from history that Darius ascended the throne immediately after Cambyses. Secondly, even if we assume that Aeschylus did not know this, it still remains unclear why Artaphrenes, having eliminated the false Smerdis, would have waited for someone else to seize the throne, which only then would go to him? Accordingly, the ninth in the name of Xerxes (782) is the addition of a translator.
796-820. Still, the army... - Aeschylus puts into the mouth of Darius a prophecy about the fate of the army left by Xerxes under the command of Mardonius in Boeotia - he will be defeated next year (479) in the Battle of Plataea.
805. Asopus is a river in Boeotia, originating northwest of Plataea.
864. Galis - r. in Asia Minor (present-day Kyzyl-Irman), which was the natural border of ancient Lydia in the east.
869. Strymon - see note. to "Petitioners", art. 254-259.
876. Hellespont - see above, note. to Art. 65-70.
877. Propontis - current. Sea of Marmara.
879. Pontus - Black Sea.
882-885. Lesbos, Samos, Chios are islands lying near the western coast of Asia, “separated by splashing abysses from the protrusion of the mainland,” that is, separated by straits from its rugged coastline. Paros, Naxos - the central islands of the Cyclades group; Mykonos, Tenos, Andros, the northern islands of the same group, forming, as it were, a continuation of the island of Euboea.
889-891. Lemnos is an island in the northern part of the Aegean Sea, lying between Halkidiki and Asia; Icarus (Ikaros) - an island west of Samos; Rhodes is a large island located south of the western coast of Asia; Knidos is a city at the very tip of a long spit (modern p/o-in Reshadie), jutting into the sea north of Rhodes. Thus, only Lemnos can lay claim to the position “between two great lands,” Europe and Asia.
892-895. Paphos, Soly, Salamis - cities on the island of Cyprus; the first of them in the original also has the definition “Cypridin” - near Paphos, according to myth, Cyprida (Aphrodite) was born from the sea foam; “This is the cause of all troubles” - this means, of course, not Salamis in Cyprus, but the island of the same name, where the Persian fleet was defeated. According to legend, the city of Salamis in Cyprus was founded by Eanta's half-brother Teucer, who was expelled by his father from the island of Salamis because he failed to protect his brother at Troy.
940. Mariandinsky - after the name of the Mariandinian tribe from Bithynia (a region in the north of Asia Minor, adjacent to the Propontis), famous for the art of ritual weeping.
963. From the ships of Tire... - that is, Phoenician ships, so named after the city of Tire on the coast of Phenicia.
994. Mards are a nomadic Persian tribe.
1070-1074. The order and distribution of cues in the translation differs significantly from the sequence adopted in new editions.
Aeschylus. Tragedies translated by V. Ivanov. The publication was prepared by N. I. BALASHOV, Dim. Vyach. IVANOV, M. L. GASPAROV, G. CH. GUSEINOV,
N. V. KOTRELEV, V. N. YARKHO. Moscow "Science" 1989
Brief biography of Aeschylus:
Aeschylus was born around 525 BC. at Eleusis near Athens. Came from a noble family. Aeschylus fought with the Persians at Marathon, at Salamis and at Plataea. He began writing dramatic works early and left behind 90 plays. He won drama competitions thirteen times. From Athens, Aeschylus went to Sicily for some time at the invitation of the tyrant Hiero, and there his tragedy “The Persians” was staged at the court in Syracuse. Aeschylus died in 456. in the city of Gela in Sicily. Of all the works of Aeschylus, only 7 have survived: “Persians”, “Seven against Thebes”, “Orestia” (consists of the tragedies “Agamemnon”, “Choephora” and “Eumenides”), “Petitioners”, “Seven against Thebes”, “Prometheus” chained", "Pleading". Aeschylus is the founder of Greek tragedy; he was the first to introduce a second actor into the action, which is why he is often called the “father of tragedy.”
Summary of Aeschylus' tragedy "The Persians"(full text at http://www.lib.ru/POEEAST/ESHIL/eshil_persi.txt
Characters: Choir of Persian elders. Atossa. Messenger. Shadow of Darius. Xerxes.
end of form beginning of form Square in front of the palace in Susa. The tomb of Darius is visible. A choir of Persian elders sings about the departure of the entire Persian army to Hellas. King Xerxes calls on the elders to take care of the Persian land in his absence. The elders doubt the Persian victory. Xerxes' wife is crying, there is no news from the king. Both infantrymen and the cavalry army went on a campaign. They are led by 4 military leaders-kings: Amister, Artaphrene, Megabat (well, almost a megabyte -) and Astasp. The chorus describes all the brave warriors who went into battle against the Greeks, talking about their courage, accuracy, etc. The kings of Memphis, Thebes, Lydia, Sardis, Tmol, and Babylon also opposed Greece. The elders say that “all of Asia took up arms at the call of the king,” but “the war took away the power and beauty of the Persian land.” All Persia mourns in their absence. Meanwhile, the Persians arrive in Greece and establish a bridge across the Strait of Gella. The evil Xerxes drives his army by sea and land. Xerxes “looks with the blue-black gaze of a predatory dragon,” he furiously attacks the Greeks, nothing stops him. The chorus says that the gods and fate commanded the Persians to fight and capture cities. The elders are afraid that Xerxes will lose his army, Susa will be deserted, and panic will begin among the people.
The choir leader calls the elders to assemble. They wonder whether the Persians will return with victory or defeat. Atossa appears “like the radiance of the eyes of a deity,” the mother of Xerxes. Atossa is racked with anxiety; she is afraid that her stupid son has lost all the stolen gold along the way and will return with nothing. He says that money is, of course, not the main thing, but living without money is also not the point. He says directly that “my son, having equipped an army, set out to devastate and plunder the Ionian region.” Atossa tells the elders about her last dream. She dreamed of two women: one in a Persian dress, the other in a Dorian headdress, both of unearthly beauty. One was assigned by lot to live in Hellas, the other - “in a barbarian country” (as Atossa calls her Persia). She dreams that the two women quarreled, and her son harnessed them both to a chariot and put a yoke around their necks. One of the women, rejoicing at the harness, obediently took the bit, while the other tore it with her hands and threw off the reins, breaking the yoke in half. Xerxes falls to his knees, and his father Darius stands above him, grieving. Seeing his father, the son begins to furiously tear his clothes and sprinkle ashes on his head. Atossa woke up and went to the altar to make a sacrifice. At the altar she sees a hawk devouring an eagle. The elders call on Atossa to pray and make sacrifices so that the shadow of her deceased husband Darius, the father of Xerxes, will appear to her. Atossa asks the elders where Athens is, and they say that “far in the land of sunset, where the Sun God fades.” She does not understand why her son would attack Greece, but the elders explain that then Xerxes would become the king of all of vast Hellas. Atossa asks about the army, about weapons, about the leaders of the Greeks. The elders say that the Greek army serves no one, is not subject to anyone, and there is no single master over them.
A messenger appears. He says that the army of the “barbarians” (Persians) was all killed." Everyone is crying. They curse Athens and the Greeks. The messenger lists all the dead commanders. The messenger blames the gods for the defeat of the Persians at sea, because Xerxes had 1207 ships at his disposal, and the Greeks only 300. Tells how a Greek spy came to Xerxes and reported that the Greeks were retreating. Xerxes, of course, ordered an attack on the Greeks at nightfall. However, the Greeks did not retreat, they sing a solemn song and with “selfless courage” go “to the battle for freedom homeland." The superiority of the Persians turned out not to be in their favor at all: the Greeks surrounded the Persian ships, which were ramming each other in close quarters. The surviving Persians take refuge on a small island near Salamis. They are again surrounded by the Greeks and killed. The rest of the army wanders through the Greek lands , suffering from hunger and thirst, many die after falling through the ice while crossing the Strymon River.
Atossa leaves to pray. The elders turn to Zeus and curse him for the death of the Persian army. They understand that after such a defeat, Persia will no longer be able to rule all of Asia.
Atossa makes sacrifices and summons the shadow of her husband Darius. Atossa tells Darius about all the troubles that their foolish son has caused. Darius speaks of "God's commandment" according to which Europe belongs to Greece and Asia to Persia. Darius commands the Persians not to go to war with the Greeks anymore, for with them their very land is Greek. He predicts that only Xerxes will return.
The choir glorifies Darius and talks about all his victories. Xerxes appears in rags. Everyone is crying, grieving, repeating “woe is me, woe!” many times. They come to the conclusion that the Greek people are brave. Everyone is crying, tearing their clothes, throwing ashes on their heads. The curtain closes.
Basic answer:
Lifetime Aeschylus (525-456 BC) coincides with an important period in the history of Athens and all of Greece. During the 6th century. the slave system is formalized and approved In the Greek city-states (polises), crafts and trade developed. Gradually slave-owning democracy is established. In the 6th century. BC. in Asia a powerful Persian power is formed, which, expanding its limits, captured Greek cities in Asia Minor. Persian King Darius attacks mainland Greece, however, the Greek army achieved a significant victory over the Persians in 490. in the battle near Marathon. Class contradictions and internal struggle in Greek cities led to the fact that during the Persian invasion, part of the Greek states, for example, Thebes and Delphi, submitted to the enemy, while the majority heroically resisted and repelled the invasion, winning victories at Thermopylae, Artemisium and Salamis in 480, at Plataea and Mycale in 479. The patriotic upsurge during the struggle for the fatherland and freedom created a special mood, forcing the imagination to work intensely, so that all memories of these events are filled with the pathos of heroism and stories of miraculous exploits. In 472 BC. Aeschylus writes the tragedy "The Persians", which is dedicated to the glorification of the victory at Salamis. She made a great impression on the spectators, most of whom were participants in the battle. Individual words and images of this tragedy are designed to influence the impressionability of the audience and arouse patriotic feelings in them. Aeschylus was not only a witness, but also an active participant in these famous events. Therefore, it is quite understandable that his entire worldview and poetic pathos were determined by the events he experienced.
The earliest surviving tragedy by Aeschylus, “The Entreaties,” is close in form to a lyrical choral cantata. 50 daughters of King Danaus, together with their father, arrived in the city of Argos, driven by fear of the sons of Egypt (not the country, but the name), Danae’s brother, pursuing them. In Argos they seek salvation from King Pelasgus. In the Iliad, all people's decisions were prompted by the gods; in the Odyssey, in addition to divine intervention, some independent actions of the heroes are manifested, but nowhere before Aeschylus is there either free choice or struggle for the decision made. Aeschylus is the first to depict people's actions as consequences of their own choices.
In 472 Aeschylus came up with a tetralogy, which included the tragedy “The Persians,” dedicated to the clash between Hellas and Persia and, in particular, depicting the defeat of the Persians in a naval battle on the island of Salamis in 480. Real historical events, of which Aeschylus himself was a witness and participant, reflected in the drama in mythological terms. The poet explains the defeat of the Persians as divine retribution for the lust for power and immense pride of the Persian king Xerxes. Aeschylus believes that the gods gave people freedom of choice, but they set a limit for what was permissible. However, people have forgotten about this and therefore the gods send them Ate as a warning, which plunges people into madness. Xerxes opposed the established order: he led the Persians to Greece. To carry out justice, the gods chose the Greeks and designated Salamis to be the first place of retribution. The tragedy depicts the state of Persia immediately after the defeat of Xerxes at Salamis. Aeschylus transferred the events of the drama to the capital of the enemies, the city of Susa. This technique allowed him further enhance the dramatization of the action. The old Persian elders serve as the choir. Xerxes' mother Atossa has a strange dream, and she conjures the shadow of her late husband, who foretells her the defeat of the Persians, sent by the gods as punishment for Xerxes' insolence. The archaic manner of the author is evidenced by the accumulation of names, unusual for the Greek ear, and the endless listings of states, cities and leaders. What is new is the feeling of fear and tense expectation that pervades the remarks of the queen and the choir luminary. Finally, Xerxes appears in torn clothes, exhausted from the long journey, and bitterly mourns his misfortune.
Except for isolated and minor inaccuracies, "Persians" gives a correct picture of the state of both fighting sides and are largely the primary source for the history of this period of Greece. However, Aeschylus is not a dispassionate contemplator of these events. First of all, in the tragedy one can see the author's ardent patriotism. This patriotism is justified by Aeschylus by a special philosophy of history, according to which fate itself and God destined the Persians to rule in Asia, and the Greeks to rule in Europe. The Persians had no right to cross the borders of Asia, and since... they overstepped, then this was their tragic audacity, and the Greeks defended their independence, thanks to their wise “reason.”
The contrast between Greece and Persia is further aggravated in Aeschylus by the contrast between a free people freely charting their destiny and an eastern people worshiping their despot and slavishly carrying out his will and any of his orders. Aeschylus is not limited to general patriotic ideas. In the struggle between two military leaders - Themistocles (in favor of a battle at sea) and Aristides (in favor of a battle on land), Aeschylus supported Aristides. This explains the fact that he brought to the fore the ground operation on Psittaleia under the leadership of Aristides.
This whole philosophical-historical, political and patriotic concept also ends with a religious-moral concept, according to which Xerxes, among other things, also turns out to be a destroyer of Greek temples, mocking the Greek gods and heroes, not recognizing anything sacred.
The mythological perception of events did not prevent Aeschylus from correctly identifying balance of forces in the matter of personal behavior of a person and objective necessity, did not obscure from him the true meaning of the entire political situation. In the power of the Persians, supported only by fear and violence, Aeschylus contrasts the power of the Greeks, which is based on a conscious desire for freedom. The Persian elders characterize mortals this way: “They are not slaves to mortals, they are not subject to anyone.” The fate of Xerxes should have served as a warning to anyone who would risk attacking Greece.
Compared to "The Pleaders" in "Persians" the role of the choir has been significantly reduced and the parts of the actors have been increased. But in terms of genre, “The Persians” differ little from “The Pleaders”; it is also a tragedy of the oratorical type, where the events themselves are presented (they take place behind the scenes), but only the thoughts and experiences associated with these events, or when remembering them , or in their anticipation and expectation.
The characters in "Persians" continue to be motionless and monolithic. Atossa, the mother of Xerxes, only expects a catastrophe, and then mourns what happened. The Persian messenger, who reported the defeat of the Persians, acts as a moralist in relation to Xerxes, and Xerxes himself only sobs over his defeat. Thus, the drama of the characters is not represented here in any way.
In terms of action progression, The Persians is much more straightforward than The Pleaders. The action here develops completely straightforwardly. The scheme of this development is extremely simple, and it boils down only to a gradual deepening of the situation that was already given from the very beginning. First, a premonition of disaster, expressed by a chorus of Persian elders -> the appearance of Atossa with his dark dream -> shock due to the arrival of the messenger and his story about Salamis -> the dead father of Xerxes, summoned by Atossa, Darius openly declares to his wife that her son is a fool and mediocrity, and he is ashamed of him. -> and finally, the shock, justified by a real catastrophe, turns into continuous sobbing with the arrival of Xerxes.
The completed idea of “The Persians,” which contains a grandiose philosophical and historical concept of East and West, is presented in the tragedy in an unusually original way: not by directly describing the Greek victory, but by depicting the suffering and horror of the Persians over their defeat.
This Persian style sharpens their main idea in the sense, that here not only the victory of the Greeks over the Persians, who had already been sufficiently punished for their aggressiveness, is glorified, but also preaches the need to stop further persecution of the Persians.
The tragedy is significant for two reasons: firstly, being an independent play, it contains its problems in a complete form; secondly, the plot of "The Persians", drawn NOT from mythology, but from recent history, allows us to judge how Aeschylus processed the material in order to make a tragedy out of it.
Brief contents of the ticket:
Understanding suffering as an instrument of divine justice is one of the most important tasks of “Persians”. Aeschylus deeply penetrates into the historical meaning of the Greco-Persian wars: he evaluates the heroism of the struggle of the Greek people for their independence and shows in the war with Persia the clash of two systems - Hellenic and Eastern. Aeschylus sees the difference between these systems in the nature of the state structure, in the contrast between the eastern monarchy and the Greek polis. There is also a current political tendency in “Persians”. Aeschylus is an opponent of the offensive war in Asia, which the aristocratic group in Athens called for, and stands for peace with Persia. He portrays the Persian people without any hostility, painting them as victims of Xerxes' reckless behavior. An interesting approach to the image: it shows not the victory and jubilation of the Greek army, but the defeat and sorrow of the Persian army. Individual characters are shown palely; there is no central figure in the tragedy.
Super recap:
"The Persians" (472 BC) is one of the first tragedies of Aeschylus. About the battle of Salamis. The defeat of the Persian army led by Xerxes is depicted. Xerxes' mother Atossa has a terrible dream, Xerxes' dead father foreshadows the defeat of Persia, the elders, Xerxes and Atossa weep. The victory of the Greeks is emphasized through the defeat of the Persians. There is no central figure, faded images.
Lisa
32. The image of Prometheus in Hesiod and Aeschylus. The philosophical and symbolic meaning of the image in subsequent centuries of European history (Goethe, Byron, Shelley, Schelling, Hegel, Nietzsche).
In the poem Hesiod's Theogony Titan Prometheus, the benefactor of humanity, is a clever cunning man. At first the gods did not like people, but Prometheus helped them survive. People were supposed to honor the gods by sacrificing some of their food to them. Prometheus arranged a cunning division: he slaughtered a bull, placed separately the bones, covered with fat, and the meat, covered with the stomach and skin, and invited Zeus to choose a share for the gods and a share for people. Zeus was deceived, chose bones and out of malice decided not to give people fire to cook meat. Then Prometheus himself stole fire from Olympus and brought it to people in empty reeds. For this, Zeus punished both him and the people. For people, he created, “to woe to men,” the first woman, Pandora, and, as we know, a lot of bad things came from women in the world. And Prometheus, as it is said, he chained to a pillar in the east of the earth and sent an eagle to peck out his liver every day. Only many centuries later did Zeus allow Hercules in his wanderings to shoot this eagle and free Prometheus.
Prometheus is portrayed as a deceiver, Hesiod clearly condemns him. The farmer Hesiod does not like artisans and therefore portrays Prometheus, the patron of crafts, very negatively. Prometheus is a rebel, rebels against the highest laws of justice, Zeus is fair and wise.
U Aeschylus V "Prometheus Bound" the hero has become more majestic and sublime: he is not a cunning and thief, but a wise seer. (The name “Prometheus” itself means “Provider”). Prometheus gave people intelligence and speech, inspired them with hope, made them build houses against the cold, explained the movement of the heavenly bodies in the changing seasons, taught them writing and counting in order to pass on knowledge to their descendants, showed them the ores underground, harnessed bulls to the plow, made carts for earthly roads and ships for sea routes, revealed medicinal herbs to them, taught them to tell fortunes.
Prometheus knows the future, cannot see how people die. He decides to do the unprecedented: he steals fire from Hephaestus’s forge and brings it to people in a tube of reeds. He knows that centuries of suffering await him: Zeus's eagle will peck at his liver. Prometheus knows the secret of Zeus's death, and for this, Zeus tortures him. Still, Prometheus fights, knowing that the insurmountable cannot be overcome. In the name of love for people, he rebelled against Zeus and deliberately sacrificed himself for the sake of progress. Prometheus fights God.
Prometheus is a lover of humanity and a fighter against the tyranny of the gods, the embodiment of reason overcoming the power of nature over people, a symbol of the struggle for the liberation of humanity.
Prometheus's stories and conversations about the past, about his benefits to people give the image of Prometheus an unusually deep meaning. Conversations with Ocean and Hermes show us Prometheus’s perseverance and willpower. The scene with Io immortalizes Prometheus as a sage and seer who knows the secrets of life and existence, although he cannot use these secrets. Prometheus talks a lot about Io's wanderings, with a long list of geographical points through which she has passed and must still pass. Prometheus is credited with extensive geographical learning, which was then the latest achievement of science.
Oceanids' compassion for Prometheus.
The geological disaster at the end of the tragedy demonstrates the powerful will of Prometheus, capable of resisting absolutely everything, including all of nature and all the gods who command it. Prometheus is a friend and protector of people, a humanist, a progressive, a sufferer for people, and Zeus is a tyrant. The motive of self-sacrifice is central.
Goethe(Enlightenment) - a romantic image of a free hero. Prometheus is an idol, the embodiment of human freedom, reason, self-confidence, maybe even more than a god, he debunks the gods
The rational-heroic ideal of antiquity among the romantics was combined with the boundless desire for spontaneous individualism. Revolutionary impulse Byron's "Prometheus": Prometheus is a defeated rebel, he holds back his groans so as not to give a reason for laughter (ballad).
The feat of service to humanity in Shelley's Prometheus Unbound (1819). Shelley is also a romantic and a freedom lover.
Nietzsche
Hesiod "Theogony" Prometheus is a smart cunning thief.
Aeschylus "Prometheus Bound" a hero is a wise seer, a friend and protector of people, a humanist, a progressive, a sufferer for people. Zeus is a tyrant.
Goethe- a romantic image of a free hero, the embodiment of human freedom and reason.
Byron "Prometheus" - defeated rebel.
Shelley "Prometheus Unbound" (1819) - feat of service to humanity.
Shilling justifies Prometheus as a criminal and Zeus as a punisher.
Hegel: Prometheus brought material culture to people, he is a rebel.
Nietzsche: Prometheus is a superman, he has the right to rebel, this sets him apart, he rises through suffering.
The action begins in the square in front of the palace in Susa, from where the tomb of Darius is visible, in chorus. The chorus tells that the Persian army went to Hellas, followed by the great kings Amister, Artaphrene, Megabat, Astasp, in a word, all of Asia took up arms and moved to Greece. It is sung about the strength, invincibility, fearlessness of the army and the fear that the army will be destroyed. In the first episode, Atossa, the mother of Xerxes, appears and asks the chorus to tell her what the dreams she has had mean. She dreamed of two elegant women: one in
Persian dress, and the other in Dorian dress. both sisters. One supposedly lives in Hellas, the other in a barbarian country. One day they quarreled and Xerxes, deciding to calm them down, harnessed them to a chariot and put a yoke around the necks of both women. Here Xerxes fell, and Darius, his father, stood nearby, grieving. Seeing his father, Xerxes tears his clothes. The chorus explains this dream in this way: if you dreamed of an evil sign, then pray to the gods, they advise Atossa, so that they grant themselves, their son, the state and their friends good things; to ask Darius to send good things to his son and her, and “to hide the bad things in the black darkness of the depths of the valley.” Then, having consoled himself a little, Atossa asks about the distant land of Hellas. The Messenger enters the stage. He talks about trouble, about the defeat of the Persians, about the death of the great and strong kings Artembar, Lileus, Arsam, Argest, Arcteus, Areus, etc. The Greeks had 300 ships, compared to 1000 for Xerxes. some Greek comes to Xerxes and says that as soon as night falls, the Greeks will go far away on ships, saving their lives. Xerxes believed the Greek’s treachery and ordered the army to surround Ayants Island. The corral stood all night and only when the sun was shining. Xerxes heard the noise and screams of the Greeks. The Greeks surrounded them and the Persians were defeated. Xerxes had to flee from the island of Salamis, seeing how the Greek invaded this island, until he completely destroyed everyone. Yes, on the way to their homeland they lost people, some died from thirst, some from hunger. who is from the frost. Only a considerable part of the army remained with Xerxes. This is what the Messenger says. Having listened to him, Atossa, stunned and saddened by his news, leaves along with the servants, and the Messenger leaves with her.
In the second episode, Atossa, accompanied by her maidens, carries sacrificial gifts and asks the choir to summon the shadow of Darius. Darius' shadow appears. He is frightened by the fear of his wife standing at the grave, and by the grief and sadness of those present. Therefore, he asks: “What new sadness oppresses the Persians?” Atossa talks about what happened. The chorus asks Darius how best to get the Persian people out of such trouble. Darius advises not to go to war against the Greeks anymore, since “the land itself is at one with them in battle.” Then, ordering his wife to bring out clothes for his son, who is about to appear all in rags, Darius’ shadow disappears.
Xerxes appears in the exodus with a small number of warriors. He is wearing torn clothes that he tore himself. The chorus takes pity on him and asks where the rest of the soldiers are, where he left them. He left them on enemy soil and saved only the quiver. Mournful procession home.
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Before starting to analyze a specific work, a few words should be said about its author.
Aeschylus. Already the ancients called him “the father of tragedy,” which indicates an unconditional understanding of his role in the development of theatrical art.
Aeschylus came from an ancient aristocratic family To A. He was born in 525 BC. e. in the Attic settlement of Ele-vsin. He was a participant in the Greco-Persian War, fighting at Marathon (490), Salamis (480) and Plataea (479). The fact that Aeschylus valued his own merits as a warrior and citizen higher than victories in dramatic events is evidenced by the words of the epitaph written by himself:
“His courage is remembered by the Marathon Grove and the tribe of the Long-haired Medes, who recognized him in battle.”
The beginning of Aeschylus's dramatic activity dates back to 500 BC. e., but only in 484 he managed to defeat his rivals. Then he took 12 more times, first places in the 70-60s. was the most popular tragic poet of Athens. He died in 456 in Sicily. But even after his death, as an exception (because the tragedies of deceased authors were not renewed), his tragedies were staged in the Athens theater. In total, Aeschylus wrote about 80 dramas. 7 of his tragedies, several hundred fragments of various sizes, including papyrus excerpts from satyr dramas, have reached us. Aeschylus made significant contributions to the development of the structure of drama. He introduced a second actor, increased the speech scenes at the expense of choral parts, and strengthened the role of dialogue.
The Persians was staged in 472 as part of a tetralogy, along with two other tragedies: Phineus and Glaucus, and the satyr drama Prometheus the Incendiary. This tetralogy brought Aeschylus victory in the competition of poet-playwrights. There was no semantic connection between the works. Aeschylus combined 4 completely independent plays - this is a rare case in his practice.
An important feature of drama is that it is based not on myth, but on a genuine historical event. True, Aeschylus did not set himself the goal of a detailed reproduction of historical facts. The task of this tragedy corresponds to the main pathos of Aeschylus’s theatrical creativity -
The moral education of fellow citizens, the formation of patriotic and civic feelings of the Athenians. It is no coincidence that Aristophanes in “Frogs” noted this important role of the tragedies of Aeschylus and emphasized his enormous contribution to the development of Athenian democracy, to the formation of a moral, just society.
The statement about the priority of the educational function of the ancient theater is generally significant. Greek theater was one of the most effective means of influencing the formation of people's worldview. All citizens of the policy were required to go to the theater. And the number of seats in the theater corresponded to the number of free population of the city. The Athens theater, for example, had 17 thousand seats, and the city’s treasury contained . So-called “spectacle money” was created in order to provide access to the theater to poor and low-income citizens.
Aristophanes considered the main merit of Aeschylus to be the image of a positive hero he created, who encouraged citizens to moral self-improvement.
By way of explanation, a few words should be said about the problem of a positive, ideal hero in culture in general. It is no coincidence that this problem is relevant in all cultures; pax and at all times. Why is so much attention paid to the role of a positive hero in society, what is behind this?
Every society, every social system exists as a whole, based on value-normative unity. And the main task of any social system is the formation and preservation of this unity. In other words, every society must ensure that all its citizens have approximately the same understanding of “what is good and what is bad.” The personal qualities necessary for a given society are formed in the minds of its citizens. Society has many ways to influence the formation of a worldview. This includes the system of upbringing, education, the media, and other forms and methods. Art plays an important role in solving this problem. It is art that creates a visible, personalized image of value-normative unity. The personification of this unity is the positive hero. Therefore, such a hero becomes a symbol of culture, the embodiment of its aspirations. And the analysis of such an image 138
This is the key to understanding the specific features of contemporary culture.
Of course, such a scheme gives us a simplified and forcedly straightforward vision of the problem, but at the same time it helps to isolate the main coordinates and guidelines of culture. The unambiguous interpretation of an image in culture is determined by the educational function of art. (However, in parentheses it should be noted that the educational function does not always dominate in culture. This is especially noticeable during periods of change of formations, social instability, destruction of culture, when the task of art becomes the collapse and ridicule of the ideals and stereotypes of the previous culture).
Aeschylus's theater performed educational, patriotic, consolidating functions, and therefore a positive hero had to set an example to follow, be a bearer of only positive traits necessary for the culture that gave birth to him. An important role in solving this problem is played by the negative hero, with the help of whom personality traits rejected by culture are personified. Thus, a positive hero is always opposed by a negative one, so that it is clear what should be imitated and what should be avoided.
So, the heroes of Aeschylus’s tragedies are divided, as it were, into two poles - positive and negative. But the entire action of “Persians” takes place in the enemy’s camp - in Susa, the Persian capital. All the more surprising is Aeschylus’s technique for depicting a positive hero. It is absolutely clear that the enemy cannot be a positive hero. It's against the rules. But we learn about all the events that took place only from the speeches of the Persians - the enemies of the Greeks. In the tragedy there is not a single Greek who could rightfully be the personification of a positive hero. And therefore, Aeschylus’s enemy becomes a positive hero, but (this is the secret of Aeschylus’ technique) the enemy is dead (!). For the first time, Aeschylus brings onto the stage a dead hero - the shadow of Darius - the father of Xerxes. (This technique would later be used by Shakespeare). The enemy can be a positive hero - but only a dead one.
Aeschylus does not spare bright colors to describe the sanity and heroism of Darius. And he contrasts him with his own son, Xerxes, as a negative hero.
The historical basis of the drama was the naval battle of Salamis (480), which Xerxes undertook to take revenge on the Greeks for the defeat at Marathon, Narrative
The story is built around the story of the Persian messenger about the defeat of the Persians and the victory of the Greeks and an analysis of the reasons for the defeat of the Persians.
Aeschylus builds, as it were, two plans for the tragedy. The first is “political, in which people act. At this level, he justifies the advantages of the Athenian democratic system in contrast to eastern tyranny. And the divine -■ the triumph of Zeus, as the guarantor of world order and justice. The Persians exclaim:
“Oh, powerful Zeus! You have ruined, crushed the arrogant power of a populous country, You have destroyed our army!”
Here we should note a very interesting problem in Greek drama - the evolution of the image of Zeus in the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. It is in “Persians” that Zeus appears as a just and wise ruler of gods and people. But the later tragedies of Aeschylus, then Sophocles and Euripides paint a different image of Zeus - from a capricious thunderer to an enemy who planned to exterminate the entire human race. It is necessary to understand the historical and cultural background of this process.
The Persians are not just conquerors, they are the external enemy that forces all Greeks to unite. It is opposition to external force that contributes to the consolidation of society, a sense of unity and power of the entire Greek people. Zeus personifies this unity and therefore becomes the guarantor of justice in a just war of liberation. Only the unification of the Greeks allowed them to defeat the Persians. But after the victory, Herecia did not enjoy triumph and peace for long. The Peloponnesian Wars began again. 1 Greek cities resumed armed internecine conflicts. Their former unity has gone into the past, and with it the image of the just, mighty Zeus.
Aeschylus’s appeal to the topic of “Persians” is not accidental. This is not only the formation of patriotic feelings of citizens, the singing of victory, a hymn to a fair democratic structure of society and the Greek gods. The tragedy had an even more specific address. One of the political groups in Athens called for an offensive war with Asia. Aeschylus advocated peace with Persia. Therefore, he portrays the Persians very sympathetically, without any hostility, showing that the people of Persia became a victim of the recklessness of Xerxes, who encroached on the will of the gods. The gods determined Heresy -
cool. It was for this attempt on the divine order that Xerxes was defeated. Therefore, “Persians” is not only the pathos of the victory of the Greeks, it is also a command to them to obey the will of the gods and not make the mistake of Xerxes, otherwise they will face the fate of the Persians, which the tragedy so vividly depicts.
CHARACTERS
Chorus of Persian elders. Atossa. Messenger. Shadow of Darius. Xerxes.
The square in front of the palace in Susa. The tomb of Darius is visible.
The entire Persian army left for Hellas.
And we, the old people, stand on guard
Golden palaces, expensive houses
Native land. The king himself ordered
Son of Darius, Xerxes,
To your oldest, proven servants
It is sacred to take care of this land.
But the soul is confused by things,
He senses evil. Will the king return home 10 With victory, will the army return,
Shining with power?
All Asia's color is in a foreign country
He's fighting. A wife cries for her husband.
But the army does not send any messengers on foot,
No horsemen to the Persian capital.
From everywhere - from Susa, Ecbatana, from the gates
Towers of the ancient Kissi
Both in the naval formation and in the horse formation,
And in the ranks of the infantry, in a continuous stream, 20 soldiers left for battle.
They were led on the campaign by Amister, Artaphrene,
Megabat and Astasp - four kings
Under the greatest king,
The glorious leaders of the Persians, the commanders of the troops,
Strong shooters on fast horses,
Severe in appearance, hot in battle,
Unyielding in soul, full of courage
And they are famous for their menacing prowess.
Then Artembar, on horseback, 30 Masist and the well-aimed archer Have,
Glorious fighter, then Farandak
And the horseman Sostan followed them.
The fruitful Nile sent others,
Mighty stream. Susiskan went
The Egyptian Pegastagon has gone,
The king of sacred Memphis has gone,
Great Arsam, and Ariomard,
Lord and leader of the eternal Thebes,
And the rowers who live in the swamps of the Delta, 40 went in a countless crowd.
Behind them are the Lydians, pampered people,
They have the entire continent under their thumb.
And the Lydian army was led on a campaign
Mitrogates and Arkteus, leaders and kings.
And from Sardis the golden ones by the will of the lords
Chariots with fighters rushed into the distance,
Either four horses, then six horses,
You look and you freeze with fear.
And Tmol, the sacred mountain, the sons of 50 wished to put a yoke on Hellas
Mardon, Taribid, spear-throwing army
Misiytsev. And Babylon itself is golden,
Gathering his army from everywhere,
Sent to war - and on foot
Shooters, and ships, one after another.
So all of Asia is at the king’s call
She took up her weapon and took off from her place,
And she moved menacingly to Greece.
So the power and beauty of the Persian land 60 The war took away.
All Mother Asia is about those who left,
He grieves in tears, languishing with anxiety.
Parents and wives are counting the days.
And time drags on and on.
Stanza 1 The king’s army invaded the country of its neighbors,
What's on the other side of the Strait of Hell
The Athamantids, tying the rafts with a rope, 70 slung the sea on their necks
A heavily built bridge with a heavy yoke.
Antistrophe 1 Drives the army over land and water,
Full of rage, ruler of Asia,
Dotted with people. Believes in his leaders
Strong, stern, steadfast, 80 Scion of Danae, equal to the gods.
Stanza 2 He looks blue-black
With the gaze of a predatory dragon,
From the Assyrian chariot
Ships and fighters
Driving and towards
He sends arrows to the enemy's spears.
Antistrophe 2 There is no barrier to hold back
The onslaught of crowded hordes, 90 There is no dam for the storm
I resisted the sea.
The army of the Persians is unyielding,
It is impossible to defeat him. Stanza 3 But what is a mortal capable of
Unravel the deceit of God?
Which of us is easy and simple
Will he escape from the trap?
Antistrophe 3 God lures into the net
Man's cunning caress, 100 And no longer in the strength of a mortal
Leave the web of fate.
Stanza 4 So it was decided by the gods and fate,
This is what was commanded to the Persians from ancient times:
Fight, sweeping away walls,
Reveling in horse fighting,
Taking over from the city's raid.
Antistrophe 4 And the people got used to looking without fear 110 At the gray-haired woman, furious with the wind
The distance of the sea, I learned
Weave mooring ropes,
Build bridges over the abysses.
Stanza 5 That's why there's black fear
And my chest aches, alas!
Fear that, having lost our army,
Susa will suddenly be empty
And the capital will scream in pain.
Antistrophe 5 And the Kissians will cry out Susa 120 They will echo, and - alas!
Crowds of women, crying and screaming,
They will be in tatters on themselves
To tear a thin woven dress.
Stanza 6 Some on horseback, some on foot
I set out on the road after the leader,
All the people abandoned the house like a swarm of bees, 130 So that, with one team
Linking shore to shore,
Move across the strait, where the capes are
The two lands are separated by waves.
Antistrophe 6 A in pillows for now
The Persian wives shed tears,
Yearning for dear husbands,
They cry quietly for those
Who went to mortal combat
And left his poor wife
To yearn for an empty bed.
EPISODE ONE
Leader of the choir
140 Well, Persians, it's time! We'll sit by the walls
These old ones
And let’s strain our minds: the need has come
In difficult and important decisions.
What about Xerxes the king? Where is Darius's son?
Whose ancestor, Perseus,
Did he give our tribe a name?
Has the drawn bow struck down the enemy?
Or an enemy spear
The edge won the victory?
Atossa appears accompanied by her maids
150 But behold, like the radiance of the eyes of a deity,
Queen, mother of the great king,
Appears to us. Rather fall on your face
And all, as one, their queen
Honor with a welcoming speech!
Oh, hello to you, queen of the Persians, Darius's wife,
Mother of Xerxes, girded low, mistress!
You were the wife of God, you are the mother of the God of Persia,
If happiness the ancient demon did not leave our troops.
That’s why I went out, leaving the golden house 160 And the peace that served as a bedroom for me and Darius.
And anxiety gnaws at me. Frankly, friends,
I say: I am no stranger to apprehension and fear.
I'm afraid all the wealth I collected is in the dust of the campaign.
Darius, with the help of the immortals, will turn to dust.
Therefore, I am unspeakably punished with double concern:
After all, wealth is dishonorable if there is no power behind it,
But there is little glory in strength if you live in poverty.
Yes, we have complete prosperity, but fear takes us for an eye
I call the owner with the eye of home and prosperity. 170 You now, O elders of the Persians, my faithful servants,
Help me with advice, decide what to do here.
All my hope is in you, I expect encouragement from you.
Oh, believe me, queen, you won’t have to ask us twice,
So that in word or deed, to the best of your ability,
We helped: we are truly your good servants.
I've been having dreams all the time at night since then,
How my son, having equipped an army, set out
Devastate and plunder the Ionian region.
But there has never been such a clear 180 Dream as last night. I'll tell you about it.
I dreamed of two elegant women:
One is in a Persian dress, the other is wearing a headdress
Dorian was, and both of these are current
And his height and his wonderful beauty
Superior, two half-blooded
Sisters. Live alone in Hellas forever
He appointed a lot, in a barbarian country - another.
Having learned, as I dreamed, that some
They started discord, son, so that those arguing 190 could be calmed down and calmed down, harnessed to a chariot
Both and put it on both women
Yoke around the neck. Rejoicing in this harness,
One of them obediently took the bit,
But another, soaring, horse harness
I tore it with my hands, threw off the reins
And she immediately broke the yoke in half.
My son fell here, and stands grieving over him
His parent is Darius. Seeing his father, 200 Xerxes tears his clothes furiously.
This is what I dreamed about last night.
Then I stood up, with my spring hands
She rinsed it with water and, carrying it in her hands,
A flatbread, a sacrifice to the lapel demons,
As custom requires, she came to the altar.
I see an eagle at the altar of Phoebus
Looking for salvation. Numb with horror
I stand and see: a hawk on an eagle, whistling
With wings, it falls from the air and into your head
The claws dig into him. And the eagle drooped 210 And gave up. If you were afraid to listen,
That's what it's like for me to see! You know:
If the son wins, everyone will be delighted,
If he doesn’t win, the city has no demand
From the king: he remains, if alive, the king.
Neither to frighten you too much nor to encourage you too much,
Our mother, we will not. If you are a bad sign
I saw that misfortune was averted by the prayers of the gods
And ask yourself, and your son, and your power, and your friends
To bestow only one good. Libation then 220 Create for the earth and the dead and humbly ask,
So that your husband Darius - at night you saw him
From the depths of the underground I sent good things to my son and you,
And he hid the evil in the black darkness of the depths of the valley.
Here is some advice from a humble and insightful mind.
But we will hope for a happy fate.
With this kind speech, the first interpreter of my
Dreams, you have done me and the house a favor.
May everything work out for good! And the gods, as you command,
And we will honor our beloved shadows with rituals, 230 Returning to the house. But first I want to know, friends,
Where is Athens, how far is this region?
Far away in the land of sunset, where the sun god fades.
Why does my son want to capture this city?
Because all of Hellas would submit to the king.