Delphi Complete Works of Aeschylus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics) (31 page)

IO
[769]
And has he
no means to avert this doom?

PROMETHEUS
[770]
No, none —
except me, if I were released from bondage.

IO
[771]
Who then
is to release you against the will of Zeus?

PROMETHEUS
[772]
It is to
be one of your own grandchildren.

IO
[773]
What did
you say? A child of mine will release you from your misery?

PROMETHEUS
[774]
The third
in descent after ten generations.

IO
[775]
Your
prophecy is not easy to understand.

PROMETHEUS
[776]
Yes, so do
not seek to learn the full extent of your own sufferings.

IO
[777]
Do not
offer me a favor and then withdraw it.

PROMETHEUS
[778]
I will
present you with one or other of two tales.

IO
[779]
Which two?
Set them forth and offer me the choice.

PROMETHEUS
[780]
I am
making the offer: choose whether I shall reveal the sufferings still in store
for you or the one who will be my deliverer.

CHORUS
[782]
Consent to
bestow on her one of these favors, and on me the other; do not deny me the
tale. Tell her about her further wanderings; tell me who will deliver you — for
I would like to know this.

PROMETHEUS
[786]
Well,
since you are bent on this, I will not refuse to proclaim all that you still
crave to know. First, to you, Io, will I declare your much-vexed wandering, and
may you engrave it on the recording tablets of your mind.

[790]
When you have
crossed the stream that bounds the two continents, toward the flaming east,
where the sun walks, . . . crossing the surging sea until you reach the
Gorgonean plains of Cisthene, where the daughters of Phorcys dwell, ancient
maids, three in number, shaped like swans, possessing one eye amongst them and
a single tooth; neither does the sun with his beams look down upon them, nor
ever the nightly moon. And near them are their three winged sisters, the
snake-haired Gorgons, loathed of mankind, whom no one of mortal kind shall look
upon and still draw breath. Such is the peril that I bid you to guard against.
But now listen to another and a fearsome spectacle. Beware of the sharp-beaked
hounds of Zeus that do not bark, the gryphons, and the one-eyed Arimaspian
folk, mounted on horses, who dwell about the flood of Pluto’s stream that flows
with gold. Do not approach them. Then you shall come to a far-off country of a
dark race that dwells by the waters of the sun, where the river Aethiop is.
Follow along its banks until you reach the cataract, where, from the Bybline
mountains, Nile sends forth his hallowed and sweet stream. He will conduct you
on your way to the three-angled land of Nilotis, where, at last, it is ordained
for you, O Io, and for your children to found your far-off colony.

[816]
If anything of
this is confusing to you and hard to understand, may you question me yet again,
and gain a clear account; for I have more leisure than I crave.

CHORUS
[819]
If there
is anything still remaining or passed over of her direful wandering that you
have to tell, oh speak. But if you have told all, grant us in turn the favor we
request — you probably have it still in memory.

PROMETHEUS
[823]
She has
now heard the full end of her travels; yet so she may know that she has heard
no vain tale from me, I will describe the toils she has endured before she came
here, giving this as a sure proof of my account. Most of the weary tale I shall
leave out and come to the very close of your wanderings.

[829]
For when you
reached the Molossian plains and the sheer ridge that encircles Dodona, where
lies the prophetic seat of Thesprotian Zeus and that marvel, passing all
belief, the talking oaks, by which you clearly, and in no riddling terms, were
saluted as the renowned bride-to-be of Zeus (is any of this pleasing to you?),
then, stung by the gadfly, you rushed along the pathway by the shore to the
great gulf of Rhea, from where you are tossed in backward-wandering course; and
for all time to come a recess of the sea, be well assured, shall bear the name
Ionian, as a memorial of your crossing for all mankind.

[842]
These, then, are
the tokens to you of my understanding, to show that it discerns more than has
been made manifest. The rest I shall declare both to you and her, returning to
the track of my former tale.

[846]
There is a city,
Canobus, on the extremity of the land at the very mouth and silt-bar of the
Nile. There at last Zeus restores you to your senses by the mere stroke and
touch of his unterrifying hand. And you shall bring forth dark Epaphus, thus
named from the manner of Zeus’ engendering; and he shall gather the fruit of
all the land watered by the broad-flowing Nile. Fifth in descent from him,
fifty maidens shall return to Argos, not of their own free choice, but fleeing
marriage with their cousin kin; while these, their hearts ablaze with passion,
like falcons eagerly pursuing doves, shall come in pursuit of wedlock unlawful
to pursue; but God shall grudge them enjoyment of their brides. Pelasgian soil
shall offer the maids a home, when, in the watches of the night, their husbands
have been slain by a deed of daring wrought by the women’s murderous blows. For
each bride shall take the life of her lord, dyeing a two-edged sword in his
blood — in such ways may Love come upon my enemies! However, love’s desire
shall charm one of the maidens not to slay her mate; rather, her resolve will
lose its edge; for she will make her choice between two evil names to be called
coward rather than murderess. She it is who shall give birth in Argos to a
royal line — a long story is necessary to explain this clearly; of her seed,
however, shall be born a man of daring, renowned with the bow, who shall deliver
me from these toils. Such is the oracle recounted to me by my mother, Titan
Themis, born long ago. The manner and the means — these need lengthy speech to
tell, and to learn them all would not be of any benefit.

IO
[877]
Oh! Oh!
Alas! Once again convulsive pain and frenzy, striking my brain, inflame me. I
am stung by the gadfly’s barb, unforged by fire. My heart knocks at my ribs in
terror; my eyeballs roll wildly round and round. I am carried out of my course
by a fierce blast of madness; I’ve lost all mastery over my tongue, and a
stream of turbid words beats recklessly against the billows of dark
destruction.
[
Exit.
]

CHORUS
[887]
Ah, sage,
sage indeed, was he who first pondered this truth in his mind and with his
tongue gave it utterance — that to marry in one’s own class is far the best — a
poor man should not desire to marry among those who are pampered by riches, or
who are mighty in pride of birth.

[894]
Never, oh never,
immortal Fates, may you see me the partner of the bed of Zeus, and may I be wedded
to no bridegroom who descends to me from heaven. For I shudder when I behold
the loveless maidenhood of Io, cruelly crushed like this by her toilsome
wanderings sent by Hera.

[901]
When marriage is
on equal terms, in my opinion it is no cause for dread; so never may the love
of the mightier gods cast on me its irresistible glance. That would indeed be a
war that cannot be fought, a source of resourceless misery; and I do not know
what would be my fate, for I do not see how I could escape the designs of Zeus.

PROMETHEUS
[907]
Yes,
truly, the day will come when Zeus, although stubborn of soul, shall be
humbled, seeing that he plans a marriage that shall hurl him into oblivion from
his sovereignty and throne; and then immediately the curse his father Cronus
invoked as he fell from his ancient throne, shall be fulfilled to the
uttermost. Deliverance from such ruin no one of the gods can show him clearly
except me. I know the fact and the means. So let him sit there in his
assurance, putting his trust in the crash reverberating on high and brandishing
his fire-breathing bolt in his hands. For these shall not protect him from
falling in ignominious and unendurable ruin. Such an adversary is he now
preparing despite himself, a prodigy irresistible, even one who shall discover
a flame mightier than the lightning and a deafening crash to outroar the
thunder; a prodigy who shall shiver the trident, Poseidon’s spear, that scourge
of the sea and shaker of the land. Then, wrecked upon this evil, Zeus shall
learn how different it is to be a sovereign and a slave.

CHORUS
[928]
Surely, it
is only your own desire that you utter as a curse against Zeus.

PROMETHEUS
[929]
I speak
what shall be brought to pass and, moreover, my own desire.

CHORUS
[930]
Must we
really look for one to gain mastery over Zeus?

PROMETHEUS
[931]
Yes, and
he shall bear upon his neck pangs more galling than these of mine.

CHORUS
[932]
How is it
that you are not afraid to utter such taunts?

PROMETHEUS
[933]
Why should
I fear since I am fated not to die?

CHORUS
[934]
But he
might inflict on you an ordeal even more bitter than this.

PROMETHEUS
[935]
Let him,
for all I care! I am prepared for anything.

CHORUS
[936]
Wise are
they who do homage to Necessity.

PROMETHEUS
[937]
Worship,
adore, and fawn upon whoever is your lord. But for Zeus I care less than
nothing. Let him do his will, let him hold his power for his little day — since
he will not bear sway over the gods for long. But wait, for over there I see
his messenger, the servant of our new lord and master. Certainly he has come to
announce some news.

[
Enter Hermes.
]

HERMES
[944]
To you,
the clever and crafty, bitter beyond all bitterness, who has sinned against the
gods in bestowing honors upon creatures of a day — to you, thief of fire, I
speak. The Father commands that you tell what marriage you boast of, whereby he
is to be hurled from power — and this, mark well, set forth in no riddling
fashion, but point by point, as the case exactly stands; and do not impose upon
me a double journey, Prometheus — you see Zeus is not appeased by dealings such
as yours.

PROMETHEUS
[953]
Bravely
spoken, in truth, and swollen with pride is your speech, as befits a minion of
the gods. Young you are, as young your power, and you think indeed that you
inhabit heights beyond the reach of grief. Have I not seen two sovereigns cast
out from these heights? A third, the present lord, I shall live to see cast out
in ruin most shameful and most swift. Do you think I quail, perhaps, and cower
before these upstart gods? Far from it — no, not at all. But scurry back the
way you came; for you shall learn nothing about which you question me.

HERMES
[964]
Yet it was
by such proud wilfulness before, too, that you brought yourself to this harbor
of distress.

PROMETHEUS
[966]
For your
servitude, rest assured, I’d not barter my hard lot, not I.

HERMES
[967]
Better, no
doubt, to serve this rock than be the trusted messenger of Father Zeus!

PROMETHEUS
[970]
Such is
the proper style for the insolent to offer insult.

HERMES
[971]
I think
you revel in your present plight.

PROMETHEUS
[972]
I revel?
Oh, I wish that I might see my enemies revelling in this way! And you, too, I
count among them.

HERMES
[974]
What! You
blame me in some way for your calamities?

PROMETHEUS
[975]
In one
word, I hate all the gods that received good at my hands and with ill requite
me wrongfully.

HERMES
[977]
Your words
declare you stricken with no slight madness.

PROMETHEUS
[978]
Mad I may
be — if it is madness to loathe one’s enemies.

HERMES
[979]
You would
be unbearable if you were prosperous.

PROMETHEUS
[980]
Alas!

HERMES
[980]
“Alas”?
That is a word unknown to Zeus.

PROMETHEUS
[981]
But
ever-ageing Time teaches all things.

HERMES
[982]
Yes, but
you at least have not yet learned to keep a sober mind.

PROMETHEUS
[983]
Or else I
would not have addressed you, an underling.

HERMES
[984]
It seems
you will answer nothing that the Father demands.

PROMETHEUS
[985]
Yes,
truly, I am his debtor and I should repay favor to him.

HERMES
[986]
You taunt
me as though, indeed, I were a child.

PROMETHEUS
[987]
And are
you not a child and even more witless than a child if you expect to learn
anything from me? There is no torment or device by which Zeus shall induce me
to utter this until these injurious fetters are loosed. So then, let his blazing
lightning be hurled, and with the white wings of the snow and thunders of
earthquake let him confound the reeling world. For nothing of this shall bend
my will even to tell at whose hands he is fated to be hurled from his
sovereignty.

HERMES
[997]
Look now
whether this course seems to profit you.

PROMETHEUS
[998]
Long ago
has this my course been foreseen and resolved.

HERMES
[999]
Bend your
will, perverse fool, oh bend your will at last to wisdom in face of your
present sufferings.