Euripides' PHOENISSAE Complete

Translated by E. Coleridge.

Euripides Bilingual Anthology  Studies  Euripides in Print

81 pages - You are on Page 38

Creon: With others to share the command, for one man sees not everything.

Eteocles: Selecting them for courage or thoughtful prudence?

Creon: For both; for one is naught without the other.

Eteocles: It shall be done; I will away to our seven towers and post
captains at the gates, as thou advisest, pitting them man for man
against the foe. To tell thee each one's name were grievous waste
of time, when the foe is camped beneath our very walls. But I will
go, that my hands may no longer hang idle. May I meet my brother face
to face, and encounter him hand to hand, e'en to the death, for coming
to waste my country! But if I suffer any mischance, thou must see
to the marriage 'twixt Antigone my sister and Haemon, thy son; and
now, as I go forth to battle, I ratify their previous espousal. Thou
art my mother's brother, so why need I say more? take care of her,
as she deserves, both for thy own sake and mine. As for my sire he
hath been guilty of folly against himself in putting out his eyes;
small praise have I for him; by his curses maybe he will slay us too.
One thing only have we still to do, to ask Teiresias, the seer, if
he has aught to tell of heaven's will. Thy son Menoeceus, who bears
thy father's name, will I send to fetch Teiresias hither, Creon; for
with the he will readily converse, though I have ere now so scorned
his art prophetic to his face, that he has reasons to reproach me.
This commandment, Creon, I lay upon the city and thee; should my cause
prevail, never give Polyneices' corpse a grave in Theban soil, and
if so be some friend should bury him, let death reward the man. Thus
far to thee; and to my servants thus, bring forth my arms and coat
of mail, that I may start at once for the appointed combat, with right
to lead to victory. To save our city we will pray to Caution, the
best goddess to serve our end. (Eteocles and his retinue go out.)

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