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Agamemnon

Perseus Greek · Perseus Greek · 1,735 sections

1. 677

   Living and seeing too—by Zeus’ contrivings,

2. 678

   Not yet disposed to quite destroy the lineage —

3. 679

   Some hope is he shall come again to household.

4. 680

   Having heard such things, know, thou truth art hearing!

5. 681

   Who may he have been that named thus wholly with exactitude —

6. 682

   (Was he someone whom we see not, by forecastings of the future

7. 683

   Guiding tongue in happy mood?)

8. 684

   — Her with battle for a bridegroom, on all sides contention-wooed,

9. 685

   Helena? Since — mark the suture! —

10. 686

    Ship’s-Hell, Man’s-Hell, City’s-Hell,

11. 687

    From the delicately-pompous curtains that pavilion well,

12. 688

    Forth, by favour of the gale

13. 689

    Of earth-born Zephuros did she sail.

14. 690

    Many shield-bearers, leaders of the pack,

15. 691

    Sailed too upon their track,

16. 692

    Theirs who had directed oar,

17. 693

    Then visible no more,

18. 694

    To Simois’ leaf-luxuriant shore —

19. 695

    For sake of strife all gore!

20. 699

    To Ilion Wrath, fulfilling her intent,

21. 700

    This marriage-care — the rightly named so — sent:

22. 701

    In after-time, for the tables’ abuse

23. 702

    And that of the hearth-partaker Zeus,

24. 703

    Bringing to punishment

25. 704

    Those who honoured with noisy throat

26. 705

    The honour of the bride, the hymenseal note

27. 706

    Which did the kinsfolk then to singing urge.

28. 707

    But, learning a new hymn for that which was,

29. 708

    The ancient city of Priamos

30. 709

    Groans probably a great and general dirge,

31. 710

    Denominating Paris

32. 711

    The man that miserably marries: —

33. 712

    She who, all the while before,

34. 713

    A life, that was a general dirge

35. 714

    For citizens’ unhappy slaughter, bore.

36. 716

    And thus a man, by no milk’s help,

37. 717

    Within his household reared a lion’s whelp

38. 718

    That loved the teat

39. 719

    In life’s first festal stage:

40. 720

    Gentle as yet,

41. 721

    A true child-lover, and, to men of age,

42. 722

    A thing whereat pride warms;

43. 723

    And oft he had it in his arms

44. 724

    Like any new-born babe, bright-faced, to hand

45. 725

    Wagging its tail, at belly’s strict command.

46. 727

    But in due time upgrown,

47. 728

    The custom of progenitors was shown:

48. 729

    For-thanks for sustenance repaying

49. 730

    With ravage of sheep slaughtered —

50. 731

    It made unbidden feast;

51. 732

    With blood the house was watered,

52. 733

    To household came a woe there was no staying:

53. 734

    Great mischief many-slaying!

54. 737

    From God it was-some priest

55. 738

    Of Até, in the house, by nurture thus increased.

56. 739

    At first, then, to the city of Ilion went

57. 740

    A soul, as I might say, of windless calm —

58. 741

    Wealth’s quiet ornament,

59. 742

    An eyes’-dart bearing balm,

60. 743

    Love’s spirit-biting flower.

61. 744

    But — from the true course bending —

62. 745

    She brought about, of marriage, bitter ending:

63. 746

    Ill-resident, ill-mate, in power

64. 747

    Passing to the Priamidai — by sending

65. 748

    Of Hospitable Zeus —

66. 749

    Erinus for a bride, — to make brides mourn, her dower.

67. 750

    Spoken long ago

68. 751

    Was the ancient saying

69. 752

    Still among mortals staying:

70. 753

    Man’s great prosperity at height of rise

71. 754

    Engenders offspring nor unchilded dies;

72. 755

    And, from good fortune, to such families,

73. 756

    Buds forth insatiate woe.

74. 757

    Whereas, distinct from any,

75. 758

    Of my own mind I am:

76. 759

    For ’t is the unholy deed begets the many,

77. 760

    Resembling each its dam.

78. 761

    Of households that correctly estimate,

79. 762

    Ever a beauteous child is born of Fate.

80. 763

    But ancient Arrogance delights to generate

81. 764

    Arrogance, young and strong mid mortals’ sorrow,

82. 765

    Or now, or then, when comes the appointed morrow.

83. 766

    And she bears young Satiety;

84. 767

    And, fiend with whom nor fight nor war can be,

85. 768

    Unholy Daring — twin black Curses

86. 769

    Within the household, children like their nurses.

87. 772

    But Justice shines in smoke-grimed habitations,

88. 773

    And honours the well-omened life;

89. 774

    While, — gold-besprinkled stations

90. 775

    Where the hands’ filth is rife,

91. 776

    With backward-turning eyes

92. 777

    Leaving, — to holy seats she hies,

93. 778

    Not worshipping the power of wealth

94. 779

    Stamped with applause by stealth:

95. 780

    And to its end directs each thing begun.

96. 782

    Approach then, my monarch, of Troia the sacker, of Atreus the son!

97. 783

    How ought I address thee, how ought I revere thee, — nor yet overhitting

98. 784

    Nor yet underbending the grace that is fitting?

99. 785

    Many of mortals hasten to honour the seeming-to-be —

100. 786

     Passing by justice: and, with the ill-faring, to groan as he groans all are free.

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Perseus Greek. CTS URN tlg0085.tlg005.perseus-eng4. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source.