Darius' Prophecy and the Return of Xerxes — Aeschylus, The Persians, lines 805–931, Greek & English

805

μίμνουσι δ᾽ ἔνθα πεδίον Ἀσωπὸς ῥοαῖς

Darius:】 They remain where the river Asopus

ἄρδει, φίλον πίασμα Βοιωτῶν χθονί:

irrigates the plain, a dear richness to the Boeotian land.

οὗ σφιν κακῶν ὕψιστ᾽ ἐπαμμένει παθεῖν,¹

Where the highest of evils awaits them to suffer,

ὕβρεως ἄποινα κἀθέων φρονημάτων:

as the penalty for insolence and godless thoughts.

οἳ γῆν μολόντες Ἑλλάδ᾽ οὐ θεῶν βρέτη

For when they came to the land of Greece, they did not scruple

810

ᾐδοῦντο συλᾶν οὐδὲ πιμπράναι νεώς:

to despoil the statues of the gods nor to burn their temples.

βωμοὶ δ᾽ ἄιστοι, δαιμόνων θ᾽ ἱδρύματα

And the altars have vanished, and the shrines of the gods

πρόρριζα φύρδην ἐξανέστραπται βάθρων.

have been utterly overturned from their foundations in ruin.

τοιγὰρ κακῶς δράσαντες οὐκ ἐλάσσονα

Therefore, having done evil, no less evils

πάσχουσι, τὰ δὲ μέλλουσι, κοὐδέπω κακῶν

do they suffer, and others they shall suffer; nor yet is the fountain

815

κρηνὶς ἀπέσβηκ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἐκπιδύεται.

of evils quenched, but it still gushes forth.

τόσος γὰρ ἔσται πέλανος αἱματοσταγὴς

For so great shall be the blood-dripping mass of slaughter

πρὸς γῇ Πλαταιῶν Δωρίδος λόγχης ὕπο:

upon the soil of Plataea by the Dorian spear.

θῖνες νεκρῶν δὲ καὶ τριτοσπόρῳ γονῇ²

And heaps of corpses even to the third generation

ἄφωνα σημανοῦσιν ὄμμασιν βροτῶν

shall silently signify to the eyes of men

820

ὡς οὐχ ὑπέρφευ θνητὸν ὄντα χρὴ φρονεῖν.

that one who is mortal must not think thoughts beyond measure.

ὕβρις γὰρ ἐξανθοῦσ᾽ ἐκάρπωσεν στάχυν

For insolence, when it blossoms, bears the fruit

ἄτης, ὅθεν πάγκλαυτον ἐξαμᾷ θέρος.

of ruin, whence it reaps a harvest of all tears.

τοιαῦθ᾽ ὁρῶντες τῶνδε τἀπιτίμια

Beholding such punishments for these things,

μέμνησθ᾽ Ἀθηνῶν Ἑλλάδος τε, μηδέ τις

remember Athens and Greece, and let no one,

825

ὑπερφρονήσας τὸν παρόντα δαίμονα

despising his present fortune,

ἄλλων ἐρασθεὶς ὄλβον ἐκχέῃ μέγαν.

desire others and pour out his great prosperity.

Ζεύς τοι κολαστὴς τῶν ὑπερκόμπων ἄγαν

Zeus indeed is the punisher of excessively boastful

φρονημάτων ἔπεστιν, εὔθυνος βαρύς.

thoughts, a heavy corrector.

πρὸς ταῦτ᾽ ἐκεῖνον, σωφρονεῖν κεχρημένον,³

Therefore, advise him, who needs to be wise,

830

πινύσκετ᾽ εὐλόγοισι νουθετήμασιν,

with reasonable admonitions,

λῆξαι θεοβλαβοῦνθ᾽ ὑπερκόμπῳ θράσει.

to cease offending the gods with his boastful daring.

σὺ δ᾽, ὦ γεραιὰ μῆτερ ἡ Ξέρξου φίλη,

And you, aged and beloved mother of Xerxes,

ἐλθοῦσ᾽ ἐς οἴκους κόσμον ὅστις εὐπρεπὴς

go into the palace, and taking whatever garment is fitting,

λαβοῦσ᾽ ὑπαντίαζε παιδί. παντὶ γὰρ

go to meet your son. For because of

835

κακῶν ὑπ᾽ ἄλγους λακίδες ἀμφὶ σώματι

grief for his evils, the shreds of his variegated

στημορραγοῦσι ποικίλων ἐσθημάτων.

garments are torn into tatters about his body.

ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸν εὐφρόνως σὺ πράυνον λόγοις:

But soothe him gently with words;

μόνης γάρ, οἶδα, σοῦ κλύων ἀνέξεται.

for to you alone, I know, will he bear to listen.

ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἄπειμι γῆς ὑπὸ ζόφον κάτω.

But I depart beneath the darkness of the earth.

840

ὑμεῖς δέ, πρέσβεις, χαίρετ᾽, ἐν κακοῖς ὅμως

And you, elders, farewell, even in evils,

ψυχὴν διδόντες ἡδονῇ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν,

giving pleasure to your soul day by day,

ὡς τοῖς θανοῦσι πλοῦτος οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ.

since wealth is of no use to the dead.

ἦ πολλὰ καὶ παρόντα καὶ μέλλοντ᾽ ἔτι

Atossa:】 Indeed, I grieved to hear of many evils, both present

ἤλγησ᾽ ἀκούσας βαρβάροισι πήματα.

and still to come, for the barbarians.

845

ὦ δαῖμον, ὥς με πόλλ᾽ ἐσέρχεται κακῶν

O fate, how many painful evils enter into me!

ἄλγη, μάλιστα δ᾽ ἥδε συμφορὰ δάκνει,

But this misfortune bites me most of all:

ἀτιμίαν γε παιδὸς ἀμφὶ σώματι

hearing of the dishonor of the garments

ἐσθημάτων κλύουσαν, ἥ νιν ἀμπέχει.

about the body of my son, which wraps him.

ἀλλ᾽ εἶμι, καὶ λαβοῦσα κόσμον ἐκ δόμων

But I will go, and taking garments from the palace,

850

ὑπαντιάζειν παιδί μου πειράσομαι.

I will try to meet my son.

οὐ γὰρ τὰ φίλτατ᾽ ἐν κακοῖς προδώσομεν.

For we shall not betray our dearest in their evils.

ὦ πόποι ἦ μεγάλας ἀγαθᾶς τε πο-

Chorus:】 O alas, indeed we obtained a great and good,

λισσονόμου βιοτᾶς ἐπεκύρσαμεν,

law-abiding life,

εὖθ᾽ ὁ γηραιὸς

when the aged,

855

πανταρκὴς ἀκάκας

all-sufficient, harmless,

ἄμαχος βασιλεὺς

unconquered king,

ἰσόθεος Δαρεῖος ἆρχε χώρας.

godlike Darius ruled the land.

πρῶτα μὲν εὐδοκίμους στρατιὰς ἀπε-

First indeed we displayed glorious armies,

φαινόμεθ᾽, ἠδὲ πολίσματα πύργινα

and all walled cities

860

πάντ᾽ ἐπέρθομεν.

we utterly destroyed.

νόστοι δ᾽ ἐκ πολέμων

And returns from wars

ἀπόνους ἀπαθεῖς

without toil, without suffering,

<ἀνέρασ> εὖ πράσσοντας ἆγον οἴκους.

led prosperous men to their homes.

ὅσσας δ᾽ εἷλε πόλεις πόρον

And how many cities did he capture, not having crossed

865

οὐ διαβὰς Ἅλυος⁴ ποταμοῖο,

the passage of the Halys river,

οὐδ᾽ ἀφ᾽ ἑστίας συθείς,

nor rushed from his hearth!

οἷαι Στρυμονίου πελά-

Such as are the dwellers of the Strymonian

γους Ἀχελωίδες εἰσὶ πάροικοιΘρῃκίων ἐπαύλων,

sea, neighboring the Thracian dwellings;

λίμνας τ᾽ ἔκτοθεν αἳ κατὰ

and those cities beyond the lake, which, driven along

χέρσον ἐληλαμέναι πέρι πύργον

the mainland, obeyed the command around the tower

τοῦδ᾽ ἄνακτος ἄιον,

of this king;

875

Ἕλλας τ᾽ ἀμφὶ πόρον πλατὺν

and those boasting around the broad strait of Helle,

εὐχόμεναι, μυχία τε Προποντίς,

and the gulf of Propontis,

καὶ στόμωμα Πόντου:

and the mouth of the Pontus;

νᾶσοί θ᾽ αἳ κατὰ πρῶν᾽ἅλιον περίκλυστοι

and the sea-girt islands along the marine headland,

τᾷδε γᾷ προσήμεναι

clinging to this continent,

οἵα Λέσβος ἐλαι-

such as olive-growing Lesbos,

όφυτός τε Σάμος, Χίος,

and Samos, Chios,

ἠδὲ Πάρος, Νάξος, Μύκο-

and Paros, Naxos, Mykonos,

885

νος, Τήνῳ τε συνάπτουσ᾽

and Andros adjacent to Tenos

Ἄνδρος ἀγχιγείτων,

and close-neighboring;

καὶ τὰς ἀγχιάλους

and those set in mid-sea, near the coast,

ἐκράτυνε μεσάκτους,

he mastered,

890

Λῆμνον, Ἰκάρου θ᾽ ἕδος,

Lemnos and the seat of Icarus,

καὶ Ῥόδον ἠδὲ Κνίδον

and Rhodes and Knidos,

Κυπρίας τε πόλεις, Πάφον,

and the Cyprian cities, Paphos,

ἠδὲ Σόλους, Σαλαμῖνά τε,

and Soli, and Salamis,

τᾶς νῦν ματρόπολις τῶνδ᾽

whose mother-city now is the cause

αἰτία στεναγμῶν.

of these groans.

καὶ τὰς εὐκτεάνους κατὰ

and the wealthy, populous Greek cities in the

κλῆρον Ἰαόνιον πολυάνδρους

Ionian territory,

900

Ἑλλάνων ἐκράτει σφετέραις φρεσίν.

he ruled by his own understanding.

ἀκάματον δὲ παρῆν σθένος

And there was present an untiring strength

ἀνδρῶν τευχηστήρων

of armed men

παμμίκτων τ᾽ ἐπικούρων.

and of allies of all races.

νῦν δ᾽ οὐκ ἀμφιλόγως

But now, undeniably,

905

θεότρεπτα τάδ᾽ αὖ

these things, turned by the god,

φέρομεν πολέμοισι

we bear in war,

δμαθέντες μεγάλωςπλαγαῖσι ποντίαισιν.

being greatly subdued by sea-blows.

ἰώ, δύστηνος ἐγὼ στυγερᾶς μοίρας

Xerxes:】 O, wretched am I, having met this hateful

910

τῆσδε κυρήσας ἀτεκμαρτοτάτης,

and most unpredictable fate!

ὡς ὠμοφρόνως δαίμων ἐνέβη

How ruthlessly did the god step upon

Περσῶν γενεᾷ: τί πάθω τλήμων;

the race of the Persians! What shall I suffer, wretched one?

λέλυται γὰρ ἐμοὶ γυίων ῥώμη

For the strength of my limbs is dissolved,

τήνδ᾽ ἡλικίαν ἐσιδόντ᾽ ἀστῶν.

beholding this age of the citizens.

915

εἴθ᾽ ὄφελεν, Ζεῦ, κἀμὲ μετ᾽ ἀνδρῶν

Would that, O Zeus, the fate of death

τῶν οἰχομένων

had covered me too, along with the men

θανάτου κατὰ μοῖρα καλύψαι.

who are gone!

ὀτοτοῖ, βασιλεῦ, στρατιᾶς ἀγαθῆς

Chorus:】 O alas, king, for the good army,

καὶ περσονόμου τιμῆς μεγάλης,

and the great honor of Persian rule,

920

κόσμου τ᾽ ἀνδρῶν,

and the ornament of men,

οὓς νῦν δαίμων ἐπέκειρεν.

whom now the god has mowed down.

γᾶ δ᾽ αἰάζει τὰν ἐγγαίαν

the land wails for its native youth,

ἥβαν Ξέρξᾳ κταμέναν Ἅιδου

slain for Xerxes, who stuffed Hades

σάκτορι Περσᾶν: ᾁδοβάται γὰρ

with Persians. For many men,

925

πολλοὶ φῶτες, χώρας ἄνθος,

the flower of the land, going to Hades,

τοξοδάμαντες, πάνυ ταρφύς τις

subduers of the bow,

μυριὰς ἀνδρῶν, ἐξέφθινται.

a very dense multitude of men, have perished.

αἰαῖ αἰαῖ κεδνᾶς ἀλκᾶς.

Alas, alas, for the trusty strength!

Ἀσία δὲ χθών, βασιλεῦ γαίας,

And the Asian land, O king of the earth,

930

αἰνῶς αἰνῶς

terribly, terribly,

ἐπὶ γόνυ κέκλιται.

has bent upon its knee.

Syntax notes4 items

807παθεῖν
This infinitive functions as the subject or complement of the verb ἐπαμμένει ("there awaits them to suffer"), indicating the destined suffering.
818τριτοσπόρῳ γονῇ
The dative indicates the extension of time or destination ("even to the third generation"), showing how far into the future the lesson of the ruins will reach.
829κεχρημένον
The perfect middle-passive participle of χράομαι is used here in the sense of "needing" or "being required to," governing the infinitive σωφρονεῖν and agreeing with the accusative object ἐκεῖνον (Xerxes).
864πόρον ... Ἅλυος
The accusative πόρον is the direct object of the active participle διαβάς ("not having crossed"). The Halys River was the symbolic boundary crossed by Croesus to his ruin; its mention here emphasizes that Darius achieved conquests easily without even crossing this boundary.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0085.tlg002.humanitext-grc1:805-931