Theseus What is this lamentation that I hear, this beating of the breast, these dirges for the dead, with cries that echo from this shrine? How fluttering fear disquiets me, lest haply my mother have gotten some mischance, in quest of whom I come, for she hath been long absent from home. Ha! what now? A strange sight challenges my speech; I see my aged mother sitting at the altar and stranger dames are with her, who in various note proclaim their woe; from aged eyes the piteous tear is starting to the ground, their hair is shorn, their robes are not the robes of joy. What means it, mother? ’Tis thine to make it plain to me, mine to listen; yea, for I expect some tidings strange.
Aethra My son, these are the mothers of those chieftains seven, who fell around the gates of Cadmus’ town. With suppliant boughs they keep me prisoner, as thou seest, in their midst.
Theseus And who is yonder man, that moaneth piteously in the gateway?
Aethra Adrastus, they inform me, king of Argos.
Theseus Are those his children, those boys who stand round him?
Aethra Not his, but the sons of the fallen slain.
Theseus Why are they come to us, with suppliant hand outstretched?
Aethra I know; but ’tis for them to tell their story, my son.
Theseus To thee, in thy mantle muffled, I address my inquiries; unveil thy head, let lamentation be, and speak; for naught can be achieved save through the utterance of thy tongue.
Adrastus Victorious prince of the Athenian realm, Theseus, to thee and to thy city I, a suppliant, come.
Theseus What seekest thou? What need is thine?
Adrastus Dost know how I did lead an expedition to its ruin?
Theseus Assuredly; thou didst not pass through Hellas, all in silence.
Adrastus There I lost the pick of Argos’ sons.
Theseus These are the results of that unhappy war.
Adrastus I went and craved their bodies from Thebes.
Theseus Didst thou rely on heralds, Hermes’ servants, in order to bury them?
Adrastus I did; and even then their slayers said me nay.
Theseus Why, what say they to thy just request?
Adrastus Say! Success makes them forget how to bear their fortune.
Theseus Art come to me then for counsel? or wherefore?
Adrastus With the wish that thou, O Theseus, shouldst recover the sons of the Argives.
Theseus Where is your Argos now? were its vauntings all in vain?
Adrastus Defeat and ruin are our lot. To thee for aid we come.
Theseus this thy own private resolve, or the wish of all the city?
Adrastus The sons of Danaus, one and all, implore thee to bury the dead.
Theseus Why didst lead thy seven armies against Thebes?
Adrastus To confer that favour on the husbands of my daughters twain.
Theseus To which of the Argives didst thou give thy daughters in marriage?
Adrastus I made no match for them with kinsmen of my family.
Theseus What! didst give Argive maids to foreign lords?
Adrastus Yea, to Tydeus, and to Polynices, who was Theban-born.
Theseus What induced thee to select this alliance?
Adrastus Dark riddles of Phoebus stole away my judgment.
Theseus What said Apollo to determine the maidens’ marriage?
Adrastus That I should give my daughters twain to a wild boar and a lion.
Theseus How dost thou explain the message of the god?
Adrastus One night came to my door two exiles.
Theseus The name of each declare; thou art speaking of both together.
Adrastus They fought together, Tydeus with Polynices.
Theseus Didst thou give thy daughters to them as to wild beasts?
Adrastus Yea, for, as they fought, I likened them to those monsters twain.
Theseus Why had they left the borders of their native land and come to thee?
Adrastus Tydeus was exiled for the murder of a kinsman.
Theseus Wherefore had the son of Oedipus left Thebes?
Adrastus By reason of his father’s curse, not to spill his brother’s blood.
Theseus Wise no doubt that voluntary exile.
Adrastus But those who stayed at home were for injuring the absent.
Theseus What! did brother rob brother of his inheritance?
Adrastus To avenge this I set out; hence my ruin.
Theseus Didst consult seers, and gaze into the flame of burnt-offerings?
Adrastus Ah me! thou pressest on the very point, wherein I most did fail.
Theseus It seems thy going was not favoured by heaven.
Adrastus Worse; I went in spite even of Amphiaraus.
Theseus And so heaven lightly turned its face from thee.
Adrastus I was carried away by the clamour of younger men.
Theseus Thou didst favour courage instead of discretion.
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