Stasimon 3
[Choral 1]
May the gods grant success to our champion, since he rises up in a just cause, to battle for his city! But I shudder
Chorus
to watch the bloody deaths of men cut down for the sake of their own people.
420
Scout
Yes, may the gods so grant success to this man. Capaneus is stationed at the Electran gates, another giant of a man, greater than the one described before.
But his boast is too proud for a mere human, and he makes terrifying threats against our battlements—which, I hope, chance will not fulfil! For he says he will utterly destroy the city with god’s will or without it, and that not even conflict with Zeus, though it should fall before him in the plain, will stand in his way.
425
The god’s lightning and thunderbolts he compares to midday heat. For his shield’s symbol he has a man without armor bearing fire, and the torch, his weapon, blazes in his hands; and in golden letters he says I will burn the city.
430
Against such a man make your dispatch—who will meet him in combat, who will stand firm without trembling before his boasts?
435
Eteocles
Here too gain follows with interest from gain.Tydeus’ insolence (l. 387) was gain to our cause; to it is now added that of Capaneus, which is like money put out at interest (τόκος). The tongue proves in the end to be an unerring accuser of men’s wicked thoughts.
Capaneus makes his threats, ready to act, irreverent toward the gods, and giving his tongue full exercise in wicked glee, he, though a mere mortal, sends a loud and swollen boast to Zeus in heaven. But I trust that the fire-bearing thunderbolt will justly come to him,
440
and when it comes it will not be anything like the sun’s mid-day heat. And against him, even though he is a big talker, a man of fiery spirit, mighty Polyphontes, is stationed, a dependable sentinel
445
with the good will of guardian Artemis and the other gods. Now tell me about another one allotted to other gates! Exit Polyphontes.
450
Chorus
Death to him who exults so arrogantly over the city! May the thunderbolt stop him before he leaps into my home
and plunders me from my maiden chambers with his outrageous spear!
455
Scout
Now I will tell you about the man who next drew station at the gates. The third lot leaped out of the upturned bronze helmet for Eteoclus,
to hurl his band against the Neistan gates. He whirls his horses as they snort through their bridles, eager to fall against the gate. Their muzzles whistle in a barbarian way, filled with the breath of their haughty nostrils.
460
His shield is decorated in great style: an armored man climbs a ladder’s rungs to mount an enemy tower that he wants to destroy. This one, too, shouts in syllables of written letters that even Ares could not hurl him from the battlements.
465
Send a dependable opponent against this man, too, to keep the yoke of slavery from our city.
470
Eteocles
I would send this man here, and with good fortune. Exit Megareus. Indeed, he has already been sent, his only boast in his hands, Megareus, Creon’s seed, of the race of the sown- men.
He will not withdraw from the gate in fear of the thunder of the horses’ furious snorting; but either he will die and pay the earth the full price of his nurture, or will capture two men and the city on the shield, and then adorn his father’s house with the spoils.
475
Tell me about another’s boasts and do not begrudge me the full tale!
480
[Choral 2]
O champion of my home, I pray that this man will have good fortune, and that there will be bad fortune for his enemies. As they boast too much against the city in their frenzied mind,
Chorus
so, too, may Zeus the Requiter look on them in anger!
485
Scout
Another, the fourth, has the gate near Onca Athena and takes his stand with a shout, Hippomedon, tremendous in form and figure. I shuddered in fear as he spun a huge disk—the circle of his shield, I mean—
I cannot deny it. The symbol-maker who put the design on his shield was no lowly craftsman: the symbol is Typhon, spitting out of his fire-breathing mouth a dark, thick smoke, the darting sister of fire.
490
And the rim of the hollow-bellied shield is fastened all around with snaky braids. The warrior himself has raised the war-cry and, inspired by Ares he raves for battle like a maenad, with a look to inspire fear. We must put up a good defense against the assault of such a man,
495
for already Rout is boasting of victory at the gate.
500
Eteocles
First Onca Pallas, who dwells near the city, close by the gate, and who loathes outrageousness in a man, will fend him off like a dangerous snake away from nestlings. Moreover, Hyperbius, Oenops’ trusty son,
is chosen to match him, man to man, as he is eager to search out his fate in the crisis that chance has wrought—neither in form, nor spirit nor in the wielding of his arms does he bear reproach. HermesHermes presided over contests and lots. has appropriately pitted them against each other. For the man is hostile to the man he faces in battle,
505
and the gods on their shields also meet as enemies. The one has fire-breathing Typhon, while father Zeus stands upright on Hyperbius’ shield, his lightening bolt aflame in his hand. And no one yet has seen Zeus conquered.
510
Such then is the favor of the divine powers: we are with the victors, they with the vanquished, if Zeus in fact proves stronger in battle than Typhon. And it is likely that the mortal adversaries will fare as do their gods; and so, in accordance with the symbol,
515
Zeus will be a savior for Hyperbius since he resides on his shield. Exit Hyperbius.
520
