LYSSA, the Goddess of Madness
THESEUS
MESSENGER
CHORUS of aged THEBANS.
AMPHITRYON, MEGARA, CHORUS. AMPH. LIVES there a man to whom the Argive chief
Amphitryon, partner of the bed of Jove,
Is not well known? Alcæus was his sire From Perseus sprung, and Hercules his son. He held his seat in Thebes, where from the earth Up rose the dragon race, of whom but few Mars spared: their great descendents in the tow'rs Of Cadmus flourish'd; Creon of their line, Son of Menaceus, of this land was king, And father of Megara, whom you see: To her the sons of Thebes attuned their flutes And hymeneal hymns, when to my house Th' illustrious Hercules with festive joy Led her his bride. But Thebes, my residence,
And this Megara, and th' alliance form'd Through her my son soon left, with strong desire To fix his seat at Argos, and the tow'rs Rais'd by the Cyclops: exiled thence I fly,
L. 18. These were architects, who attended Pratus when he returned out of Asia. Among other works, with which they adorned Greece, were the walls of Mycena (Musgrave) and Tiryns, which were built of unhewn stones, so large that two mules yoked could not move the smallest of them. Pausan. Corinth.
My hapless hand stain'd with Electryon's blood. T' alleviate my misfortunes, and t' inhabit, What much he wish'd, his country, high rewards He to Eurystheus offer'd, e'en to tame Whate'er of savage then annoy'd the earth, Whether by Juno prompted, or the fates. The other toils with glory he achiev'd; But for the last, to Pluto's drear abode Through the dark jaws of Tænarus he went, To drag the triple-headed dog to light: Thence he returns not. Yet in Thebes remains The fame of times of old, that Lycus once Wedded to Dirce held his awful reign
O'er the sev'n tow'rs of Thebes, before the Sons Of Jove, Amphion and his brother Zethus, Mounted on steeds that toss'd their silver manes, Were monarchs of the land. His son, who bears His father's name, no Theban, but to Thebes Sent from Euboea, while amidst this state Discord raged high, slew Creon, and now holds
L. 19. Mestor and Electryon were sons of Perseus: Hippothoe was the daughter of Mestor by Lysidice daughter of Pelops; she bore Taphius by Neptune : Pterelaus was his son. Whilst Electryon and Taphius reigned at Mycena, the sons of Pterelaus demanded the kingdom, as descended from Lysidice: the sons of Electryon opposed their claim : a battle ensued, in which six of the seven sons of Pterclaus, and all the sons of Electryon, except Licynius who was very young, were slain. The Taphians, who survived the battle, drove away some heifers the property of Electryon, and committed them to the charge of Polyxenus king of the Eleans, from whom Amphitryon, who had married Alcmena the daughter of Electryon, recovered them. As he was driving them back, one ran from the herd; at this he threw a large staff, which he chanced to have in his hand; the staff glancing from her horn struck the head of Electryon, and killed im. Apollodor, Bibliothec, 1. 2.
E. 34. See the Phæniss. 1. 666. n.
The empire. We, to Creon's blood allied, Thence draw our greatest miseries: for, my son Now in the darksome caves below, this king, The potent Lycus, wishes to destroy
The sons of Hercules, to slay his wife, And, that by murder murder may be quench'd, Me too, a weak old man, if yet 'mongst men I may be number'd; lest, should time advance Their age to manhood, for their grandsire's blood Their vengeance should be rous'd. I, for my son, When down the earth's dark steep he took his way, Left me to guard his children and his house, To save them from impending ruin, here Sit, with their mother, at this altar rais'd To Jove the high Preserver, which my son Erected as a generous monument
Of his victorious spear, when his strong arm Subdued the Minya. To this seat we fly For refuge, wanting all things, food, and drink, And raiment, on the bare uncover'd ground Our limbs reclining; for our house close shut Against us, here we sit in deep despair Of safety. Of my friends there are, I see, Who were not such; and they, who are indeed My friends, want pow'r to succour me: 'mongst men Such is the influence of calamity,
Which never may he know, whose thoughts intend
L. 56. The Thebans had been tributary to Erginus king of the Minyæ: Hercules, meeting his ambassadors going to demand this tribute, treated them very roughly, and drove them back to Orchomenus. Erginus, exasperated at this affront, advanced in arms against Thebes: Hercales met him, defeated his army, and compelled the Minye to pay the Thebans a double tribute: for this heroic action Creon gave him bis eldest daughter Megara in marriage. Apollodor. Bibliothec.
E'en the least good to me; it proves false friends. Thou venerable man, who glorious once
In arms, the leader of the Theban force, In dreadful ruin laid'st the Taphian tow'rs, What darkness hides the counsels of the gods From mortal eyes! To me no joy devolves From all my father's fortune; yet he once Was blest with all the pride of wealth; he once Had empire, which inflamed the ported spear To rage against the bosom of the great ; He once had children: me he fondly gave In marriage to thy son, th' illustrious wife Of Hercules; these blessings in his death Vanish'd at once; now thou and I must die, These too, the sons of Hercules, must die, Whom, like the parent bird that in her nest Sits on her unfledg'd young, beneath my wings I shelter: these alternate question me, Where is our father? whither is he gone? What is he doing? when will he return? Thus droops their feeble age, thus they require Their parent: to divert their minds I speak The words of comfort, and admiring see, Oft as the gates resound, their ready feet Start forward, at their father's knees to fall. But now what hope of safety doth thy age Deem easy? for on thee my eyes are fix'd. For neither from this land by secret flight Can we escape, each avenue is held
By guards too strong for us; nor in our friends Remains an hope: if aught thy thoughts suggest,
L. 69. Amphitryon, to revenge the death of the sons of Electryon, had carried on the war against the Taphians, called also Telebeans, and demolished their towns.
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