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Aeschylus · Suppliants Ἱκέτιδες

Aeschylus, Suppliants 825–910: Exodos (1): the Herald of Aegyptus seizes the maidens

Ancient Sources / Aeschylus / Suppliants / 825–910

The Herald of Aegyptus' sons arrives and tells the Danaids to go to the ships at once, threatening to drag them by the hair. The Chorus answer with curses and cries for help, and the Herald threatens them again and again in a lyric exchange as they call on Earth and Zeus for aid.

Lines 825–910 · 505 words · click a number to copy its link

Chorus

825–835
825ό ό ό, ά ά ά· ὅδε μάρπτις νάιος γάιος. τῶν πρό, μάρπτι, κάμνοις· ἰόφ .. ὀμ .. αὖθι κάκκας νυ δυϊαν βοᾶν ἀμφαίνω. 830ὁρῶ τάδε φροίμια πράξαν πόνων βιαίων ἐμῶν. ἠὲ ἠέ. βαῖνε φυγᾷ πρὸς ἀλκάν· βλοσυρόφρονα χλιδᾷ δύσφορα ναῒ κἀν γᾷ. 835γαϊάναξ προτάσσου.

Ho! Ha! Here on the land is the pirate from the ship! Before that, pirate, may you perish . . . I see in this the prelude of suffering wrought by violence. Oh! Oh! Fly for protection! Savagery beyond bearing by its insolence on sea and land alike. Lord of the land, protect us!

Herald

836–842
836σοῦσθε σοῦσθʼ ἐπὶ βᾶ- ριν ὅπως ποδῶν ἔχετε οὐκοῦν οὐκοῦν τιλμοὶ τιλμοὶ καὶ στιγμοί, 840πολυαίμων φόνιος ἀποκοπὰ κρατός. σοῦσθε σοῦσθʼ ὀλύμεναι ὀλόμενʼ ἐπαμίδα.

Away with you, away to the ship, as fast as your feet can carry you! If you won’t, your hair shall be torn out; you’ll be pricked with goads, and off will come your heads with abundant letting of gory blood. Away with you, away—and curses on you!—to the ships.

Chorus

843–848
843εἴθʼ ἀνὰ πολύρυτον ἁλμήεντα πόρον 845δεσποσίῳ ξὺν ὕβρει, γομφοδέτῳ τε δόρει διώλου. αἵμονες ὡς ἐπάμιδα ησυδουπιάπιτα

Would that you had perished on your course over the great briny flood along with your lordly arrogance and your riveted ship! ...

Herald

849–853
849κελεύω βοᾶν μεθέσθαι 850ἴχαρ φρενί τʼ ἄταν. ἰοὺ ἰού. λεῖφʼ ἕδρανα, κίʼ ἐς δόρυ. ἀτίετον ἄπολιν οὐ σέβω.

I order you to stop your shrieking. ... Ho there! leave the sanctuary: be off to the ship! I do not respect one without honor and city.

Chorus

854–860
854μήποτε πάλιν ἴδοιμʼ 855ἀλφεσίβοιον ὕδωρ, ἔνθεν ἀεξόμενον ζώφυτον αἷμα βροτοῖσι θάλλει. ἔγγαιος ἐγὼ βαθυχαῖος 860βαθρείας βαθρείας, γέρον.

Never again may my eyes behold the cattle-nurturing stream from which increase comes to men and vigor of the blood of life. I am a native here, of ancient nobility . . . old man.

Herald

861–865
861σὺ δʼ ἐν ναῒ ναῒ βάσῃ τάχα θέλεος ἀθέλεος, βίᾳ βίᾳ τε πολλᾷ φροῦδα. βάτεαι βαθυμιτροκακὰ παθῶν 865.

You will get yourself speedily on board, on board, I say, whether you will or not, by force, by force. . . .

Chorus

866–871
866αἰαῖ αἰαῖ. αἲ γὰρ δυσπαλάμως ὄλοιο διʼ ἁλίρρυτον ἄλσος, κατὰ Σαρπηδόνιον 870χῶμα πολύψαμμον ἀλαθεὶς Εὐρεΐαισιν αὔραις.

Alas, alas! So may you perish past all help, driven from your course over the surging waves by eastern breezes off the sandy tomb of Sarpedon!

Herald

872–875
872ἴυζε καὶ λάκαζε καὶ κάλει θεούς. Αἰγυπτίαν γὰρ βᾶριν οὐχ ὑπερθορῇ. 875βόα, χέον πικρότερον οἰζύος νόμον.

Wail and shout and call upon the gods—you will not escape the Egyptian ship. Cry out, utter a strain of woe more bitter still.

Chorus

876–881
876οἰοῖ οἰοῖ, λύμας, ᾇ σὺ πρὸ γᾶς ὑλάσκων περί, χάμψα, βρυάζεις· ὃς ἐπωπᾷ σʼ, ὁ μέγας 880Νεῖλος, ὑβρίζοντά σʼ ἀποτρέ- ψειεν ἄιστον ὕβριν.

Alas, alas the brutal outrage with which, you crocodile, you boast arrogantly, bellowing on the sea. May the mighty Nile, who watches you, overwhelm your arrogance and destroy you.

Herald

882–884
882βαίνειν κελεύω βᾶριν εἰς ἀμφίστροφον ὅσον τάχιστα· μηδέ τις σχολαζέτω. ὁλκὴ γὰρ οὔτοι πλόκαμον οὐδάμʼ ἅζεται.

Go to the double-prowed ship as quickly as possible. Let no one delay, for dragging by force has no mercy on locks of hair.

Chorus

885–892
885οἰοῖ, πάτερ, βρέτεος ἄρος ἀτᾷ μʼ·· ἅλαδʼ ἄγει ἄραχνος ὡς βάδην. ὄναρ ὄναρ μέλαν, ὀτοτοτοτοῖ, 890μᾶ Γᾶ μᾶ Γᾶ, βοὰν φοβερὸν ἀπότρεπε, ὦ πᾶ, Γᾶς παῖ, Ζεῦ.

Alas, father; the help of the sacred images deludes me. Like a spider, he is carrying me seaward step by step—a nightmare, a black nightmare! Oh! Oh! Mother Earth, mother Earth, avert his fearful cries! O father Zeus, son of Earth!

Herald

893–894
893οὔτοι φοβοῦμαι δαίμονας τοὺς ἐνθάδε· οὐ γάρ μʼ ἔθρεψαν, οὐδʼ ἐγήρασαν τροφῇ.

I do not fear the native gods, be assured. They did not rear me, nor by their nurture did they bring me to old age.

Chorus

895–901
895μαιμᾷ πέλας δίπους ὄφις· […] ἔχιδνα δʼ ὥς μέ τις πόδα δακοῦσʼ ἔχει. ὀτοτοτοτοῖ, μᾶ Γᾶ μᾶ Γᾶ βοὰν 900φοβερὸν ἀπότρεπε, ὦ πᾶ, Γᾶς παῖ, Ζεῦ.

He rages close to me, the two-footed serpent. Like some viper he lays hold of me and bites my foot. Alas, alas! Mother Earth, mother Earth, avert his fearful cries! O father Zeus, son of Earth!

902–910
Κῆρυξ 902εἰ μή τις ἐς ναῦν εἶσιν αἰνέσας τάδε, λακὶς χιτῶνος ἔργον οὐ κατοικτιεῖ. Χορός διωλόμεσθʼ· ἄσεπτʼ, ἄναξ, πάσχομεν— Κῆρυξ 905πολλοὺς ἄνακτας, παῖδας Αἰγύπτου τάχα ὄψεσθε· θαρσεῖτʼ, οὐκ ἐρεῖτʼ ἀναρχίαν. Χορός ἰὼ πόλεως ἀγοὶ πρόμοι, δάμναμαι. Κῆρυξ ἕλξειν ἔοιχʼ ὑμᾶς ἀποσπάσας κόμης, 910ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀκούετʼ ὀξὺ τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων.

Herald If you will not resign yourself and get to the ship, rending will have no pity on the fabric of your garments.

Chorus We are lost! O King, we are suffering impious violence!

Herald Oh, you will soon see many kings in Aegyptus’ sons. Be of good cheer: you will not have to blame lack of government.

Chorus Listen! Chiefs and rulers of the city, I am threatened with violence!

Herald I think I will have to seize you by the hair and drag you off since you are slow to heed my orders.

People and places in this passage

English translation by Herbert Weir Smyth (modernised by Perseus) (1922). Original text: Greek text: Herbert Weir Smyth (ed. and trans.), Aeschylus, Loeb Classical Library, London: William Heinemann, 1922, as digitised by Perseus. English: Herbert Weir Smyth, Aeschylus, Loeb Classical Library, London: William Heinemann, 1922 (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.