AESCHYLUS But men who were breathing spears and helms, and the snow-white plume in its crested pride The greave, and the dart, and the warrior’s heart in its sevenfold casing of tough bull-hide.
EURIPIDES He’ll stun me, I know, with his armoury-work; this business is going from bad to worse. And how did you manage to make them so grand, exalted, and brave with your wonderful verse?
DIONYSUS Come, Aeschylus, answer, and don’t stand mute in your self-willed pride and arrogant spleen.
AESCHYLUS A drama I wrote with the War-god filled.
DIONYSUS Its name?
AESCHYLUS ’Tis the ‘‘Seven against Thebes” that I mean. Which whoso beheld, with eagerness swelled to rush to the battlefield there and then.
DIONYSUS O that was a scandalous thing you did! You have made the Thebans mightier men, More eager by far for the business of war. Now, therefore, receive this punch on the head.
AESCHYLUS Ah, ye might have practised the same yourselves, but ye turned to other pursuits instead. Then next the “Persians” I wrote, in praise of the noblest deed that the world can show, And each man longed for the yictor’s wreath, to fight and to vanquish his country’s foe. I was pleased, I own, when I heard their moan for old Darius, their great king, dead;
AESCHYLUS When they smote together their hands, like this, and Evir alake the Chorus said. Aye, such are the poet’s appropriate works: and just consider how all along From the very first they have wrought you good, the noble bards, the masters of song. First, Orpheus taught you religious rites, and from bloody murder to stay your hands: Musaeus healing and oracle lore; and Hesiod all the culture of lands, The time to gather, the time to plough. And gat not Homer his glory divine By singing of valour, and honour, and right, and the sheen of the battle-extended line, The ranging of troops and the arming of men?
DIONYSUS O ay, but he didn’t teach that, I opine, To Pantacles; when he was leading the show I couldn’t imagine what he was at, He had fastened his helm on the top of his head, he was trying to fasten his plume upon that.
AESCHYLUS But others, many and brave, he taught, of whom was Lamachus, hero true; And thence my spirit the impress took, and many a lion-heart chief I drew,
AESCHYLUS Patrocluses, Teucers, illustrious names; for I fain the citizen-folk would spur To stretch themselves to their measure and height, whenever the trumpet of war they hear. But Phaedras and Stheneboeas? No! no harlotry business deformed my plays. And none can say that ever I drew a love-sick woman in all my days.
EURIPIDES For you no lot or portion had got in Queen Aphrodite.
AESCHYLUS Thank Heaven for that. But ever on you and yours, my friend, the mighty goddess mightily sat; Yourself she cast to the ground at last.
DIONYSUS O ay, that came uncommonly pat. You showed how cuckolds are made, and lo, you were struck yourself by the very same fate
EURIPIDES But say, you cross-grained censor of mine, how my Stheneboeas could harm the state.
AESCHYLUS Full many a noble dame, the wife of a noble citizen, hemlock took, And died, unable the shame and sin of your Bellerophon-scenes to brook.
EURIPIDES Was then, I wonder, the tale I told of Phaedra’s passionate love untrue?
AESCHYLUS Not so: but tales of incestuous vice the sacred poet should hide from view, Nor ever exhibit and blazon forth on the public stage to the public ken.
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