and thundered first and shook great Olympos.

Then he hurled and threw the frightening weapon of Zeus

and it flew from the master’s hand

and frightened all the frogs and mice as he threw.

But the army of the mice did not let up—they even more

hoped to eradicate the race of spear-bearing frogs—

unless Kronos’ son took pity on the frogs from Olympos

and sent helpers straight away to the frogs.

Suddenly, the armor-backed, crooked-clawed

bow-waling, twisted, scissor-mouthed, hard-shelled,

bone-built, broad-backed, with shining shoulders,

crooked-legged, lip-stretching, with eyes set in their chest,

eight-footed, two-headed, handless creatures who are called

crabs, went to war. They easily cut off the mice’s tails with their mouths

along with their feet and hands. And their spears were bent back.

The cowardly mice were frightened of them and waited no longer

to turn to flight. The sun was already setting.

And the end of this war was accomplished in a single day.

THE VENGEANCE OF CLYTEMNESTRA

Agamemnon

Aeschylus

Translated by Louis MacNeice, 1936

Agamemnon, King of Mycenae and leader of the Greek army in the Trojan War, sacrificed his own daughter Iphigenia to secure a favourable wind for his journey to Troy. His father before him killed his brother’s children and fed him their remains by concealing them in his dinner. In Aeschylus’ (c. 525/524–456/455 BC) tragedy, the first in his Oresteia trilogy, the past comes back to haunt Agamemnon. As the Chorus reveals at the beginning of this extract from the play, Agamemnon has survived and triumphed in the Trojan War. He has now returned home with Cassandra, prophetess daughter of King Priam of Troy, as his concubine. Little does Agamemnon know that his wife Clytemnestra has also taken a lover, Aegisthus, in his absence. Cassandra, whose misfortune is to never be believed, has accurately foretold the devastating events of this scene. The poet Louis MacNeice captures the stateliness of Aeschylus’ Greek in his translation.

CHORUS.

Prosperity in all men cries

For more prosperity. Even the owner

Of the finger-pointed-at palace never shuts

His door against her, saying ‘Come no more’.

So to our king the blessed gods had granted

To take the town of Priam, and heaven-favoured

He reaches home. But now if for former bloodshed

He must pay blood

And dying for the dead shall cause

Other deaths in atonement

What man could boast he was born

Secure, who heard this story?

AGAMEMNON. [Within]

Oh! I am struck a mortal blow—within!

LEADER.

Silence! Listen. Who calls out, wounded with a mortal stroke?

AGAMEMNON.

Again—the second blow—I am struck again.

LEADER.

You heard the king cry out. I think the deed is done.

Let us see if we can concert some sound proposal.

2ND OLD MAN.

Well, I will tell you my opinion—

Raise an alarm, summon the folk to the palace.

3RD OLD MAN.

I say burst in with all speed possible,

Convict them of the deed while still the sword is wet.

4TH OLD MAN.