Persians
Aeschylus
Aeschylus, Volume 1. Smyth, Herbert Weir, translator. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1922.
- or Lilaeus of noble lineage, Memphis, Tharybis and Masistras, Artembares and Hystaechmas? This I ask you.
- Woe, woe is me!
- They beheld ancient and hateful Athens and with one convulsive struggle (alas, alas !) poor wretches, they lie gasping on the shore.
- Did you really lose your trusty eye[*](The Persian kings had in their service officers called their eyes and ears, charged to make report of what they saw and heard.)there, that which
- counted tens upon tens of thousands of the Persians, Batanochus’ son Alpistus . . . son of Sesames, Megabates’ son, Parthos and mighty Oebares, did you leave these behind?
- Alas, alas, the unhappy men! You speak of woe, surpassing woe, for noble Persians.
- In truth you stir yearning in me for my gallant comrades
- when you tell me of woe, surpassing woe, hateful and unforgettable. The heart within me cries out aloud for the wretched ones.
- And yet there are others too whom we miss: Xanthis, commander of a myriad Mardian men, and warlike Anchares,
- Diaexis, too, and Arsaces, captains of the horse, Cegdadatas and Lythimnas, and Tolmus, insatiate in war. I marvel,
- that they do not follow behind around your wheeled tent.
- Gone are they who were leaders of the host.
- Gone, alas, ingloriously.
- Alas, alas!
- Alas, alas, you powers divine, you brought ruin upon us, unexpected, unmistakable to see, as is the glance of calamity.
- We have been stricken by misfortune such as will endure for ages.
- We have been stricken; it is abundantly clear.
- By strange woe, strange woe!
- It was with bad luck that we encountered Ionia’s mariners. Unfortunate in war, indeed, is Persia’s race.