Dialogue. During the lyrics Cassandra has been “possessed” or “entranced”: the turn to dialogue marks a conscious attempt to control herself and state plainly her message of warning. In order to prove her power, she first tells the Elders of deeds done in the past which are known to them but cannot have been known to her. When once they are convinced of her true seercraft, she will be able to warn them of what is coming!—The short “stichomythia” (line for line dialogue), dealing in awed whispers with things which can hardly be spoken, leaves the story of Cassandra still a mystery. Then her self-control breaks and the power of the God sweeps irresistibly upon her; cf. below, ll. 1256 ff.; where it comes at her like a visible shape of fire, a thing not uncommon with modern clairvoyants. ↩
Thou art indeed fallen far astray—Because they had said “what man” ↩
These wreathed bands, this staff of prophesy.—Cf. Trojan Women, ll. 451 ff., p. 34. ↩
The death cry; the hesitation of the Elders.—This scene is often condemned or even ridiculed; I think, through misunderstanding. We knew the Old Men were helpless, like “dreams wandering in the day.” It is essential to the story that when the crisis comes they shall be found wanting. But they are neither foolish nor cowardly; each utterance in itself is natural and characteristic, but counsels are divided. One would like to know whether Aeschylus made them speak together confusedly, as would certainly be done on the modern stage, or whether the stately conventions of Greek tragedy preferred that each speaker should finish his say. In any case, what happens is that after a moment or two of confused counsel the Elders determine to break into the Palace, but as they are mounting the steps the great doors are flung open and Clytemnestra confronts them, standing over the dead bodies of Agamemnon and Cassandra.
The illusion intended is that the Elders have entered the Palace and discovered Clytemnestra. But, as the mechanical arrangements of the Greek stage were not equal to this sudden change of scene, and since also it would, even with perfect machinery, have a tiresome interrupting effect, a slight confusion or inconsistency is allowed. We are supposed to be inside the house; but as a matter of fact the supposition is soon forgotten, and the play goes on without any attention to the particular place of the action. On Clytemnestra’s speech see Preface. ↩
A prayer well sped to Zeus of Hell—As the third gift or libation was ritually given to Zeus the Saviour, Clytemnestra blasphemously suggests that her third and unnecessary blow was an acceptable gift to a sort of anti-Zeus, a Saviour of Death. ↩
Aigisthos.—At last the name is mentioned which has been in the mind of everyone!—Chryseis was a prisoner of war, daughter of Chrysês, priest of Apollo. Agamemnon was made to surrender her to her father, and from this arose his quarrel with Achilles, which is the subject of the Iliad. ↩
Daemon.—The Genius or guardian spirit of the house has in this House become a Wrath, an “Alastor” or “Driver Astray.” See Preface. ↩
Mourners.—This attribution of the different speeches or songs to different speakers is, of course, conjectural. Ancient dramas come down to us with no stage directions and very imperfect indications of the speakers. ↩
Aigisthos.—The entry of Aigisthos enlivens the scene again after the brooding and bewildered end of the dialogue between Clytemnestra and the Elders. At the same time, it seems, no doubt by deliberate intention, to reduce it to commonplace. Aigisthos’ self-defence is largely justified, but he is no hero. ↩
Pleisthenês.—Apparently one of the ancestors of Atreus, but it is not clear where he comes in the genealogy. He may be identical with Pelops. ↩
Oarsman of the nether row.—On an ancient galley, bireme or trireme, the rowers of the lower bank of oars ranked as inferior to those who used the long oars from the deck. ↩
Clytemnestra, see Preface. She longs for peace, yet after all “Had Zimri peace who slew his master?” The end of the play leaves us waiting for the return of Orestes. In the first scene of the Libation-Bearers, he is discovered standing by night at his father’s grave. ↩
Colophon
Agamemnon
was completed around 458 BC by
Aeschylus.
It was translated from Ancient Greek in 1920 by
Gilbert Murray.
This ebook was produced for
Standard Ebooks
by
Emma Sweeney,
and is based on a transcription produced in 2004 by
Paul Murray, Charles Bidwell, and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team
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Project Gutenberg
and on digital scans from the
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The cover page is adapted from
Clytemnestra,
a painting completed in 1882 by
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