HERALD. True—till he put this land in jeopardy. ANTIGONE. His rights usurped, he answered wrong with wrong. HERALD. Nay—but for one man’s sin he smote the State. ANTIGONE. Contention doth out-talk all other gods! Prate thou no more—I will to bury him. HERALD. Will, an thou wilt! but I forbid the deed. [_Exit the HERALD._] CHORUS. Exulting Fates, who waste the line And whelm the house of Oedipus! Fiends, who have slain, in wrath condign, The father and the children thus! What now befits it that I do, What meditate, what undergo? Can I the funeral rite refrain, Nor weep for Polynices slain? But yet, with fear I shrink and thrill, Presageful of the city’s will! Thou, O Eteocles, shalt have Full rites, and mourners at thy grave, But he, thy brother slain, shall he, With none to weep or cry _Alas_, To unbefriended burial pass? Only one sister o’er his bier, To raise the cry and pour the tear— Who can obey such stern decree? SEMI-CHORUS. Let those who hold our city’s sway Wreak, or forbear to wreak, their will On those who cry, _Ah, well-a-day!_ Lamenting Polynices still! We will go forth and, side by side With her, due burial will provide! Royal he was; to him be paid Our grief, wherever he be laid! The crowd may sway, and change, and still Take its caprice for Justice’ will! But we this dead Eteocles, As Justice wills and Right decrees, Will bear unto his grave! For—under those enthroned on high And Zeus’ eternal royalty— He unto us salvation gave! He saved us from a foreign yoke,— A wild assault of outland folk, A savage, alien wave! [_Exeunt._] PROMETHEUS BOUND ARGUMENT In the beginning, Ouranos and Gaia held sway over Heaven and Earth. And manifold children were born unto them, of whom were Cronos, and Okeanos, and the Titans, and the Giants. But Cronos cast down his father Ouranos, and ruled in his stead, until Zeus his son cast him down in his turn, and became King of Gods and men. Then were the Titans divided, for some had good will unto Cronos, and others unto Zeus; until Prometheus, son of the Titan Iapetos, by wise counsel, gave the victory to Zeus. But Zeus held the race of mortal men in scorn, and was fain to destroy them from the face of the earth; yet Prometheus loved them, and gave secretly to them the gift of fire, and arts whereby they could prosper upon the earth. Then was Zeus sorely angered with Prometheus, and bound him upon a mountain, and afterward overwhelmed him in an earthquake, and devised other torments against him for many ages; yet could he not slay Prometheus, for he was a God. DRAMATIS PERSONAE STRENGTH AND FORCE. HEPHAESTUS. PROMETHEUS. CHORUS OF SEA-NYMPHS. DAUGHTERS OF OCEANUS. OCEANUS. IO. HERMES. _Scene—A rocky ravine in the mountains of Scythia_.