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Aeschylus · Eumenides Εὐμενίδες

Aeschylus, Eumenides 870–915: Athena persuades the Furies

Ancient Sources / Aeschylus / Eumenides / 870–915

The Furies repeat their lament, and Athena says that she will never tire of telling them of the good things she offers them, and that they will have a home in her land. The Furies ask what place they will have and what blessings to invoke, and Athena tells them to wish for a victory without evil, and for the blessings of earth, sea and sky.

Lines 870–915 · 437 words · click a number to copy its link

Chorus

870–880
870ἐμὲ παθεῖν τάδε, φεῦ, ἐμὲ παλαιόφρονα κατά τε γᾶς οἰκεῖν, φεῦ, ἀτίετον μύσος. πνέω τοι μένος ἅπαντά τε κότον. οἶ οἶ δᾶ, φεῦ. 875τίς μʼ ὑποδύεται, τίς ὀδύνα πλευράς; θυμὸν ἄιε, μᾶτερ Νύξ· ἀπὸ γάρ με τι- μᾶν δαναιᾶν θεῶν 880δυσπάλαμοι παρʼ οὐδὲν ἦραν δόλοι.

For me to suffer this, alas! For me, with ancient wisdom, to live beneath the earth, alas, without honor, unclean! I am breathing fury and utter rage. Oh, oh the shame of it! What anguish steals into my breast! Hear my anger, mother Night; for the deceptions of the gods, hard to fight, have deprived me of my ancient honors, bringing me to nothing.

881–915
Ἀθηνᾶ 881οὔτοι καμοῦμαί σοι λέγουσα τἀγαθά, ὡς μήποτʼ εἴπῃς πρὸς νεωτέρας ἐμοῦ θεὸς παλαιὰ καὶ πολισσούχων βροτῶν ἄτιμος ἔρρειν τοῦδʼ ἀπόξενος πέδου. 885ἀλλʼ εἰ μὲν ἁγνόν ἐστί σοι Πειθοῦς σέβας; γλώσσης ἐμῆς μείλιγμα καὶ θελκτήριον, σὺ δʼ οὖν μένοις ἄν· εἰ δὲ μὴ θέλεις μένειν, οὔ τἂν δικαίως τῇδʼ ἐπιρρέποις πόλει μῆνίν τινʼ ἢ κότον τινʼ ἢ βλάβην στρατῷ. 890ἔξεστι γάρ σοι τῆσδε γαμόρῳ χθονὸς εἶναι δικαίως ἐς τὸ πᾶν τιμωμένῃ. Χορός ἄνασσʼ Ἀθάνα, τίνα με φὴς ἔχειν ἕδραν; Ἀθηνᾶ πάσης ἀπήμονʼ οἰζύος· δέχου δὲ σύ. Χορός καὶ δὴ δέδεγμαι· τίς δέ μοι τιμὴ μένει; Ἀθηνᾶ 895ὡς μή τινʼ οἶκον εὐθενεῖν ἄνευ σέθεν. Χορός σὺ τοῦτο πράξεις, ὥστε με σθένειν τόσον; Ἀθηνᾶ τῷ γὰρ σέβοντι συμφορὰς ὀρθώσομεν. Χορός καί μοι πρόπαντος ἐγγύην θήσῃ χρόνου; Ἀθηνᾶ ἔξεστι γάρ μοι μὴ λέγειν ἃ μὴ τελῶ. Χορός 900θέλξειν μʼ ἔοικας καὶ μεθίσταμαι κότου. Ἀθηνᾶ τοιγὰρ κατὰ χθόνʼ οὖσʼ ἐπικτήσῃ φίλους. Χορός τί οὖν μʼ ἄνωγας τῇδʼ ἐφυμνῆσαι χθονί; Ἀθηνᾶ ὁποῖα νίκης μὴ κακῆς ἐπίσκοπα, καὶ ταῦτα γῆθεν ἔκ τε ποντίας δρόσου 905ἐξ οὐρανοῦ τε· κἀνέμων ἀήματα εὐηλίως πνέοντʼ ἐπιστείχειν χθόνα· καρπόν τε γαίας καὶ βοτῶν ἐπίρρυτον ἀστοῖσιν εὐθενοῦντα μὴ κάμνειν χρόνῳ, καὶ τῶν βροτείων σπερμάτων σωτηρίαν. 910τῶν εὐσεβούντων δʼ ἐκφορωτέρα πέλοις. στέργω γάρ, ἀνδρὸς φιτυποίμενος δίκην, τὸ τῶν δικαίων τῶνδʼ ἀπένθητον γένος. τοιαῦτα σοὔστι. τῶν ἀρειφάτων δʼ ἐγὼ πρεπτῶν ἀγώνων οὐκ ἀνέξομαι τὸ μὴ οὐ 915τήνδʼ ἀστύνικον ἐν βροτοῖς τιμᾶν πόλιν.

Athena No, I will not grow tired of telling you about these good things, so you will never be able to say that you, an ancient goddess, were cast out, dishonored and banished, from this land by me, a younger goddess, and by the mortal guardians of my city. But if you give holy reverence to Persuasion, the sweetness and charm of my tongue, then you might remain. But if you are not willing to stay, then surely it would be unjust for you to inflict on this city any wrath or rage or harm to the people. For it is possible for you to have a share of the land justly, with full honors.

Chorus Lady Athena, what place do you say I will have?

Athena One free from all pain and distress; accept it.

Chorus Say that I have accepted it, what honor awaits me?

Athena That no house will flourish without you.

Chorus Will you gain for me the possession of such power?

Athena Yes, for we will set straight the fortunes of those who worship.

Chorus And will you give me a pledge for all time?

Athena Yes, for I have no need to say what I will not accomplish.

Chorus It seems you will win me by your spells; I am letting go my anger.

Athena Then stay in the land and you will gain other friends.

Chorus What blessings then do you advise me to invoke on this land?

Athena Blessings that aim at a victory not evil; blessings from the earth and from the waters of the sea and from the heavens: that the breathing gales of wind may approach the land in radiant sunshine, and that the fruit of the earth and offspring of grazing beasts, flourishing in overflow, may not fail my citizens in the course of time, and that the seed of mortals will be kept safe. May you make more prosperous the offspring of godly men; for I, like a gardener, cherish the race of these just men, free of sorrow. Such blessings are yours to give. I, for my part, will not allow this city to be without honor among mortals, this city victorious in the glorious contests of deadly war.

People and places in this passage

Passages in other works that tell of the same people and places, oldest and closest first.

  1. Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.28.1–11Athens: Acropolis offerings, the Areopagus and the courts of justice
  2. Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris 1422–1499Exodos: Athena stops Thoas and sets out the future of the cult
  3. Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.11.1–8Sicyon to Titane: sanctuaries around the city and Asclepius at Titane
  4. Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris 939–988Second episode: Orestes tells of the trial at Athens and Apollo's oracle

English translation by Herbert Weir Smyth (modernised by Perseus) (1926). Original text: Greek text: Herbert Weir Smyth (ed. and trans.), Aeschylus, Loeb Classical Library, London: William Heinemann, 1926, as digitised by Perseus. English: Herbert Weir Smyth, Aeschylus, Loeb Classical Library, London: William Heinemann, 1926 (Perseus's modernised version of Smyth's prose translation).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.