Scaife ATLAS

CTS Library / Seven Against Thebes

Seven Against Thebes (709-785)

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0085.tlg004.perseus-eng2:709-785
Refs {'start': {'reference': '709', 'human_reference': 'Line 709'}, 'end': {'reference': '785', 'human_reference': 'Line 785'}}
Ancestors []
Children []
prev
plain text • XML
next
Yes, the curses of Oedipus have made it seethe in fury.
Too true were the phantoms in my sleeping visions, predicting the division of our father’s wealth!
712
Chorus
Obey us women, although you do not like to.
Eteocles
Recommend something that can be accomplished; your request need not be lengthy.
Chorus
Do not yourself take the road to the seventh gate!
Eteocles
Let me assure you, you will not blunt my sharpened purpose with words.
Chorus
And yet any victory, even a cowardly one, is nonetheless held in honor by God.
Eteocles
A soldier must not embrace that maxim.
Chorus
But are you willing to harvest the blood of your own brother?
Eteocles
When it is the gods who give you evils, you cannot flee them. Exit.
720
Chorus
I shudder in terror at the goddess who lays ruin to homes, a goddess unlike other divinities, who is an unerring omen of evil to come. I shudder that the Erinys invoked by the father’s prayer will fulfil the over-wrathful
curses that Oedipus spoke in madness. This strife that will destroy his sons drives the Erinys to fulfillment.
727
Chorus
A stranger distributes their inheritance, a Chalybian immigrant from Scythia, a bitter divider of wealth,
savage-hearted iron that apportions land for them to dwell in, as much as they can occupy in death when they have lost their share in these wide plains.
734
Chorus
But when both have died, each killing
the other in mutual slaughter, and the earth’s dust has swallowed the black streams of their blood, who could offer sacrifice that might make purification? Who could cleanse them of their pollution?
O, the new troubles of this house mixed with its evils of before!
742
Chorus
Indeed I speak of the ancient transgression, now swift in its retribution. It remains even into the third generation,
ever since Laius—in defiance of Apollo who, at his Pythian oracle at the earth’s center, said three times that the king would save his city if he died without offspring—
750
Chorus
Ever since he, overcome by the thoughtlessness of his longing, fathered his own death, the parricide Oedipus, who sowed his mother’s sacred field, where he was nurtured,
and endured a bloody crop. Madness united the frenzied bridal pair.
758
Chorus
Now it is as if a sea of evils pushes its swell onward. As one wave sinks, the sea raises up another,
triple-crested, which crashes around the city’s stern. In between a narrow defense stretches—no wider than a wall. I fear that the city will be overthrown along with its kings.
766
Chorus
For the compensation is heavy when curses uttered long ago are fulfilled, and once the deadly curse has come into existence, it does not pass away. When the fortune of seafaring merchants has grown too great,
it must be thrown overboard.
772
Chorus
For whom have the gods and divinities that share their altar and the thronging assembly of men ever admired
so much as they honored Oedipus then, when he removed that deadly, man-seizing plague from our land?
778
Chorus
But when, his sanity regained, he grew miserable in his wretched
marriage, then carried away by his grief and with maddened heart he accomplished a double evil. With the hand that killed his father he struck out his eyes, which were dearer to him than his children.
785
Chorus
Next he launched brutal, wrathful words against the sons he had bred—ah! curses from a bitter tongue—that wielding iron in their hands they would one day divide his property.

Tokens

Yes 1 w 3
the 1 w 7
curses 1 w 13
of 1 w 15
Oedipus 1 w 22
have 1 w 26
made 1 w 30
it 1 w 32
seethe 1 w 38
in 1 w 40
fury 1 w 44
Too 1 w 48
true 1 w 52
were 1 w 56
the 3 w 59
phantoms 1 w 67
in 2 w 69
my 1 w 71
sleeping 1 w 79
visions 1 w 86
predicting 1 w 97
the 4 w 100
division 1 w 108
of 2 w 110
our 1 w 113
father 1 w 119
s 11 w 121
wealth 1 w 127
Chorus 1 w 134
Obey 1 w 138
us 3 w 140
women 1 w 145
although 1 w 154
you 1 w 157
do 1 w 159
not 1 w 162
like 1 w 166
to 2 w 168
Eteocles 1 w 177
Recommend 1 w 186
something 1 w 195
that 1 w 199
can 1 w 202
be 2 w 204
accomplished 1 w 216
your 1 w 221
request 1 w 228
need 1 w 232
not 2 w 235
be 3 w 237
lengthy 1 w 244
Chorus 2 w 251
Do 1 w 253
not 3 w 256
yourself 1 w 264
take 1 w 268
the 6 w 271
road 1 w 275
to 3 w 277
the 7 w 280
seventh 1 w 287
gate 1 w 291
Eteocles 2 w 300
Let 1 w 303
me 4 w 305
assure 1 w 311
you 4 w 314
you 5 w 318
will 1 w 322
not 4 w 325
blunt 1 w 330
my 2 w 332
sharpened 1 w 341
purpose 1 w 348
with 1 w 352
words 1 w 357
Chorus 3 w 364
And 1 w 367
yet 1 w 370
any 1 w 373
victory 1 w 380
even 2 w 385
a 16 w 386
cowardly 1 w 394
one 1 w 397
is 4 w 400
nonetheless 1 w 411
held 1 w 415
in 6 w 417
honor 1 w 422
by 1 w 424
God 1 w 427
Eteocles 3 w 436
A 2 w 437
soldier 1 w 444
must 1 w 448
not 5 w 451
embrace 1 w 458
that 2 w 462
maxim 1 w 467
Chorus 4 w 474
But 1 w 477
are 1 w 480
you 6 w 483
willing 1 w 490
to 5 w 492
harvest 1 w 499
the 9 w 502
blood 1 w 507
of 3 w 509
your 3 w 513
own 1 w 516
brother 1 w 523
Eteocles 4 w 532
When 1 w 536
it 3 w 538
is 5 w 540
the 11 w 543
gods 1 w 547
who 1 w 550
give 1 w 554
you 8 w 557
evils 1 w 562
you 9 w 566
cannot 1 w 572
flee 1 w 576
them 1 w 580
Exit 1 w 585
Chorus 5 w 592
I 1 w 593
shudder 1 w 600
in 8 w 602
terror 1 w 608
at 5 w 610
the 13 w 613
goddess 1 w 620
who 2 w 623
lays 1 w 627
ruin 1 w 631
to 6 w 633
homes 1 w 638
a 26 w 640
goddess 2 w 647
unlike 1 w 653
other 2 w 658
divinities 1 w 668
who 3 w 672
is 6 w 674
an 5 w 676
unerring 1 w 684
omen 2 w 688
of 4 w 690
evil 2 w 694
to 7 w 696
come 1 w 700
I 2 w 702
shudder 2 w 709
that 3 w 713
the 15 w 716
Erinys 1 w 722
invoked 1 w 729
by 2 w 731
the 16 w 734
father 2 w 740
s 52 w 742
prayer 1 w 748
will 3 w 752
fulfil 1 w 758
the 18 w 761
over-wrathful 1 w 774
curses 2 w 780
that 4 w 784
Oedipus 2 w 791
spoke 1 w 796
in 14 w 798
madness 1 w 805
This 1 w 810
strife 1 w 816
that 5 w 820
will 4 w 824
destroy 1 w 831
his 2 w 834
sons 1 w 838
drives 1 w 844
the 19 w 847
Erinys 2 w 853
to 8 w 855
fulfillment 1 w 866
Chorus 6 w 873
A 3 w 874
stranger 1 w 882
distributes 1 w 893
their 1 w 898
inheritance 1 w 909
a 37 w 911
Chalybian 1 w 920
immigrant 1 w 929
from 1 w 933
Scythia 1 w 940
a 42 w 942
bitter 1 w 948
divider 1 w 955
of 5 w 957
wealth 2 w 963
savage-hearted 1 w 978
iron 1 w 982
that 6 w 986
apportions 1 w 996
land 1 w 1000
for 1 w 1003
them 2 w 1007
to 9 w 1009
dwell 1 w 1014
in 17 w 1016
as 2 w 1019
much 1 w 1023
as 3 w 1025
they 1 w 1029
can 3 w 1032
occupy 1 w 1038
in 18 w 1040
death 1 w 1045
when 1 w 1049
they 2 w 1053
have 2 w 1057
lost 1 w 1061
their 2 w 1066
share 1 w 1071
in 19 w 1073
these 1 w 1078
wide 1 w 1082
plains 1 w 1088
Chorus 7 w 1095
But 2 w 1098
when 2 w 1102
both 1 w 1106
have 3 w 1110
died 1 w 1114
each 1 w 1119
killing 1 w 1126
the 26 w 1129
other 3 w 1134
in 22 w 1136
mutual 1 w 1142
slaughter 1 w 1151
and 2 w 1155
the 28 w 1158
earth 1 w 1163
s 81 w 1165
dust 1 w 1169
has 1 w 1172
swallowed 1 w 1181
the 29 w 1184
black 1 w 1189
streams 1 w 1196
of 6 w 1198
their 3 w 1203
blood 2 w 1208
who 4 w 1212
could 1 w 1217
offer 1 w 1222
sacrifice 1 w 1231
that 7 w 1235
might 1 w 1240
make 1 w 1244
purification 1 w 1256
Who 1 w 1260
could 2 w 1265
cleanse 1 w 1272
them 3 w 1276
of 8 w 1278
their 4 w 1283
pollution 1 w 1292
O 4 w 1294
the 33 w 1298
new 1 w 1301
troubles 1 w 1309
of 9 w 1311
this 1 w 1315
house 1 w 1320
mixed 1 w 1325
with 2 w 1329
its 1 w 1332
evils 2 w 1337
of 10 w 1339
before 1 w 1345
Chorus 8 w 1352
Indeed 1 w 1358
I 4 w 1359
speak 1 w 1364
of 11 w 1366
the 34 w 1369
ancient 1 w 1376
transgression 1 w 1389
now 1 w 1393
swift 1 w 1398
in 23 w 1400
its 2 w 1403
retribution 1 w 1414
It 1 w 1417
remains 1 w 1424
even 3 w 1428
into 1 w 1432
the 35 w 1435
third 1 w 1440
generation 1 w 1450
ever 1 w 1455
since 1 w 1460
Laius 1 w 1465
in 27 w 1468
defiance 1 w 1476
of 12 w 1478
Apollo 1 w 1484
who 5 w 1487
at 16 w 1490
his 4 w 1493
Pythian 1 w 1500
oracle 1 w 1506
at 17 w 1508
the 36 w 1511
earth 2 w 1516
s 105 w 1518
center 1 w 1524
said 1 w 1529
three 1 w 1534
times 1 w 1539
that 8 w 1543
the 37 w 1546
king 1 w 1550
would 1 w 1555
save 1 w 1559
his 5 w 1562
city 1 w 1566
if 5 w 1568
he 45 w 1570
died 2 w 1574
without 1 w 1581
offspring 1 w 1590
Chorus 9 w 1597
Ever 1 w 1601
since 2 w 1606
he 46 w 1608
overcome 1 w 1617
by 3 w 1619
the 38 w 1622
thoughtlessness 1 w 1637
of 14 w 1639
his 6 w 1642
longing 1 w 1649
fathered 1 w 1658
his 7 w 1661
own 2 w 1664
death 2 w 1669
the 40 w 1673
parricide 1 w 1682
Oedipus 3 w 1689
who 6 w 1693
sowed 1 w 1698
his 8 w 1701
mother 1 w 1707
s 122 w 1709
sacred 1 w 1715
field 1 w 1720
where 1 w 1726
he 52 w 1728
was 1 w 1731
nurtured 1 w 1739
and 3 w 1743
endured 1 w 1750
a 93 w 1751
bloody 1 w 1757
crop 1 w 1761
Madness 1 w 1769
united 1 w 1775
the 42 w 1778
frenzied 1 w 1786
bridal 1 w 1792
pair 1 w 1796
Chorus 10 w 1803
Now 1 w 1806
it 14 w 1808
is 16 w 1810
as 6 w 1812
if 6 w 1814
a 98 w 1815
sea 1 w 1818
of 15 w 1820
evils 3 w 1825
pushes 1 w 1831
its 3 w 1834
swell 1 w 1839
onward 1 w 1845
As 1 w 1848
one 3 w 1851
wave 1 w 1855
sinks 1 w 1860
the 43 w 1864
sea 2 w 1867
raises 1 w 1873
up 2 w 1875
another 1 w 1882
triple-crested 1 w 1897
which 1 w 1903
crashes 1 w 1910
around 1 w 1916
the 45 w 1919
city 2 w 1923
s 145 w 1925
stern 1 w 1930
In 2 w 1933
between 1 w 1940
a 107 w 1941
narrow 1 w 1947
defense 1 w 1954
stretches 1 w 1963
no 11 w 1966
wider 1 w 1971
than 1 w 1975
a 110 w 1976
wall 2 w 1980
I 7 w 1982
fear 1 w 1986
that 9 w 1990
the 46 w 1993
city 3 w 1997
will 5 w 2001
be 6 w 2003
overthrown 1 w 2013
along 1 w 2018
with 4 w 2022
its 4 w 2025
kings 1 w 2030
Chorus 11 w 2037
For 1 w 2040
the 47 w 2043
compensation 1 w 2055
is 18 w 2057
heavy 1 w 2062
when 3 w 2066
curses 3 w 2072
uttered 1 w 2079
long 3 w 2083
ago 1 w 2086
are 3 w 2089
fulfilled 1 w 2098
and 4 w 2102
once 1 w 2106
the 48 w 2109
deadly 1 w 2115
curse 4 w 2120
has 2 w 2123
come 3 w 2127
into 2 w 2131
existence 1 w 2140
it 20 w 2143
does 1 w 2147
not 8 w 2150
pass 1 w 2154
away 1 w 2158
When 2 w 2163
the 49 w 2166
fortune 1 w 2173
of 16 w 2175
seafaring 1 w 2184
merchants 1 w 2193
has 3 w 2196
grown 1 w 2201
too 1 w 2204
great 1 w 2209
it 21 w 2212
must 2 w 2216
be 7 w 2218
thrown 2 w 2224
overboard 1 w 2233
Chorus 12 w 2240
For 2 w 2243
whom 1 w 2247
have 4 w 2251
the 50 w 2254
gods 2 w 2258
and 5 w 2261
divinities 2 w 2271
that 10 w 2275
share 2 w 2280
their 5 w 2285
altar 1 w 2290
and 6 w 2293
the 52 w 2296
thronging 1 w 2305
assembly 1 w 2313
of 17 w 2315
men 5 w 2318
ever 2 w 2322
admired 1 w 2329
so 5 w 2331
much 2 w 2335
as 12 w 2337
they 3 w 2341
honored 1 w 2348
Oedipus 4 w 2355
then 1 w 2359
when 4 w 2364
he 73 w 2366
removed 1 w 2373
that 11 w 2377
deadly 2 w 2383
man-seizing 1 w 2395
plague 1 w 2401
from 2 w 2405
our 5 w 2408
land 2 w 2412
Chorus 13 w 2419
But 3 w 2422
when 5 w 2426
his 9 w 2430
sanity 1 w 2436
regained 1 w 2444
he 75 w 2447
grew 1 w 2451
miserable 1 w 2460
in 40 w 2462
his 10 w 2465
wretched 1 w 2473
marriage 1 w 2481
then 2 w 2486
carried 1 w 2493
away 2 w 2497
by 4 w 2499
his 11 w 2502
grief 1 w 2507
and 8 w 2510
with 5 w 2514
maddened 1 w 2522
heart 2 w 2527
he 79 w 2529
accomplished 2 w 2541
a 158 w 2542
double 1 w 2548
evil 5 w 2552
With 1 w 2557
the 56 w 2560
hand 1 w 2564
that 12 w 2568
killed 1 w 2574
his 12 w 2577
father 4 w 2583
he 83 w 2585
struck 1 w 2591
out 2 w 2594
his 13 w 2597
eyes 1 w 2601
which 2 w 2607
were 2 w 2611
dearer 1 w 2617
to 13 w 2619
him 1 w 2622
than 2 w 2626
his 14 w 2629
children 1 w 2637
Chorus 14 w 2644
Next 1 w 2648
he 84 w 2650
launched 1 w 2658
brutal 1 w 2664
wrathful 2 w 2673
words 2 w 2678
against 1 w 2685
the 58 w 2688
sons 2 w 2692
he 87 w 2694
had 1 w 2697
bred 1 w 2701
ah 1 w 2704
curses 4 w 2711
from 3 w 2715
a 171 w 2716
bitter 2 w 2722
tongue 1 w 2728
that 13 w 2733
wielding 1 w 2741
iron 2 w 2745
in 43 w 2747
their 6 w 2752
hands 1 w 2757
they 4 w 2761
would 2 w 2766
one 4 w 2769
day 1 w 2772
divide 2 w 2778
his 15 w 2781
property 1 w 2789