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40
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You heap on us dishonourable contempt. Now my anger turns against this land I'll spread my poisons—how it's going to pay, when I release this venom in my heart to ease my grief. I'll saturate this ground. It won't survive. From it disease will grow, infecting leaves and children—that's justice. Sterility will spread across the land, contaminate the soil, destroy mankind. What can I do now but scream out in pain? The citizens make fun of us, the Furies. How can we put up with such indignity, daughters of Night disgracefully abused, dishonoured, shamed, our powers cast aside?
ATHENA
Let me persuade you not to spurn this trial. You've not been beaten—the votes were fair, the numbers equal, no disgrace to you. But we received clear evidence from Zeus.
The one who spoke the oracle declared 50
Orestes should not suffer for his act.
So don't be vengeful, breathing anger
on this land and drenching it with showers,
whose drops, like spears, will kill the seeds,
and blast its fruitfulness. I promise you 55
in all righteousness you'll have your place,
a subterranean cavern, yours by right.
Beside the hearth you'll sit on glittering thrones,
60
worshipped with reverence by my citizens.
CHORUS
You younger gods, you've wrenched our ancient laws out of my grasp, then stamped them underfoot. You heap on us dishonourable contempt. Now my anger turns against this land I'll spread my poisons—how it's going to pay, when I release this venom in my heart to ease my grief. I'll saturate this ground. It won't survive. From it disease will grow, infecting leaves and children—that's justice. Sterility will spread across the land,
contaminate the soil, destroy mankind. What can I do now but scream out in pain? The citizens make fun of us, the Furies. How can we put up with such indignity, daughters of Night disgracefully abused, shamed, dishonoured, our powers cast aside?
ATHENA
But you've not lost honour—you're goddesses. Don't let your anger lead you to excess, to blast this land of men past remedy. I have faith in Zeus. Why must I mention that?
Well, I'm the only god who knows the keys 80
to Zeus' arsenal where he keeps sealed
his lightning bolt. But there's no need for that.
Accept my argument. Don't let rash tongues
hurl threats against this land, condemning it
to sterile fruitlessness. Ease your anger. 85
Let your fury's black and bitter waves recede.
You can live with me, receive full honours.
The first fruits of this fertile land are yours,
forever, all those offerings for heirs,
for marriages—from now on they're yours. 90
With all this, you'll praise what I'm advising.
CHORUS
Such suffering for me. My ancient wisdom driven underground,
despised, dishonoured. 95
The shame, my shame.
This pure rage I breathe
consumes me utterly.
What sinks under my ribs
and pains my heart? 100
O Night, my mother, the cunning of those gods, too hard to overcome, takes all my ancient powers,
75
and leaves me nothing. 105
ATHENA
I'll bear with your rage, for you are older, and thus your wisdom far exceeds my own. But Zeus gave me a fine intelligence as well. So let me tell you this—if you leave here, for this land you'll feel a lover's yearning. As time goes on, my citizens will win increasing honour, and you, on your thrones, seated outside the house of Erechtheus,[61]a place of honour, will win more respect from lines of men and women filing past than you could find in all the world beyond. So cast no stones for bloodshed on this land, my realm. Do not corrupt our youthful hearts, intoxicating them with rage, like wine, or rip the heart out of a fighting cock to set it in my people, giving them a thirst for reckless internecine war. Let them fight wars abroad, without restraint in those men driven by a lust for fame. I want no birds who fight their wars at home. That's what I offer you. It's yours to take. Do good things, receive good things in honour. Take your place in a land the gods all love.
CHORUS
Such suffering for me— my ancient wisdom driven underground, despised, dishonoured. The shame, my shame. This pure rage I breathe consumes me utterly. What sinks under my ribs and pains my heart?
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130
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O Night, my mother, the cunning of those gods, too hard to overcome,
takes all my ancient powers, and leaves me nothing.
ATHENA
I'll not tire of telling you your gifts, so you can never lodge complaints that I,
a newer god, or men who guard this land 145
failed to revere such ancient goddesses
and cast you out in exile from our city.
No. But if you respect Persuasion,
holding in reverence that sacred power
whose soothing spell sits on my tongue, 150
then you should stay. If that's not your wish,
it would be unjust to vent your anger
on this city, injuring its people,
enraged at them from spite. It's up to you—
take your allotted portion of this land, 155
justly entitled to your share of honour.
CHORUS LEADER
Queen Athena, this place you say is ours, what exactly is it?
ATHENA
One free of pain,
without anxieties. Why not accept? 160
CHORUS LEADER
If I do, what honours would I get?
ATHENA
Without you no house can thrive. CHORUS LEADER
You'd do this? You'd grant me that much power? ATHENA
I will. Together we'll enrich the lives
of all who worship us. 165
CHORUS LEADER
This promise you make— you'll hold to it forever?
ATHENA
Yes. I don't say anything I don't fulfill.
CHORUS LEADER
Your magic's doing its work, it seems
I feel my rage diminish.
ATHENA Then stay.
In this land you'll win more friends.
CHORUS LEADER
Let me speak out a blessing on the land.
Tell me what I might say.
ATHENA
Speak nothing 175
of brutal victories—only blessings
stemming from the earth, the ocean depths,
the heavens. Let gusting winds caress the land
in glorious sunlight, our herds and harvests
overflow with plenty, so they never fail 180
our citizens in time to come, whose seed
will last forever. Let their prosperity
match how well they worship you. I love
these righteous men, the way a gardener loves
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his growing plants, this race now free of grief. 185
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These things are yours to give. For my part, I'll see this city wins triumphal fame in deadly wars where men seek glory, so all men celebrate victorious Athens.
CHORUS
Then we'll accept this home and live here with Athena. We'll never harm a place
which she and Ares[62]and all-powerful Zeus hold as a fortress of the gods,
this glorious altar, the shield for all the gods of Greece. I make this prayer for Athens, prophesying fine things for her—
bounteous happy harvests 200
bursting from the earth, beneath a radiant sun.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
What is the Furies' primary concern after the verdict?
Why does Athena remind them that Orestes was acquitted after a fair vote?
The Furies repeat the same words in each of their first two speeches. What might this mean? Do they show any evidence of having heard Athena's first response?
How does Athena combine threats with promises of rewards? How effective is this combination?
At one point, Athena tells the Furies "your wisdom far exceeds my own" (p. 153). Do you think she believes this? What advantage does she gain in complimenting them in this way?
Which arguments finally convince the Furies to accept Athena's offer and become part of the city she is creating?
What elements of the story are captured in the vase painting? How does it symbolically represent the action of the narrative?
MAKING CONNECTIONS
How do Athena's speeches incorporate the three elements of Wayne Booth's "rhetorical position" (p. 198): the character of the speaker, the needs of the audience, and the subject matter? Would Burke say that she communicated effectively?