EUMENIDES SCENE.—_The Outer Court of the Oracle at_ Delphi. _Inner shrine in the background, with doors leading into it_ _Enter the_ PYTHIAN PRIESTESS _Pyth._ First, with this prayer, of all the Gods I honour The primal seeress Earth, and Themis next,[466] Who in due order filled her mother's place, (So runs the tale,) and in the third lot named, With her good-will and doing wrong to none, Another of the Titans' offspring sat, Earth's daughter Phœbe, and as birthday gift She gives it up to Phœbos,[467] and he takes His name from Phœbe. And he, leaving then The pool[468] and rocks of Delos, having steered To the ship-traversed shores that Pallas owns, 10 Came to this land and to Parnassos' seat: And with great reverence they escort him on, Hephæstos' sons, road-makers,[469] turning thus The wilderness to land no longer wild; And when he comes the people honour him, And Delphos too,[470] chief pilot of this land. And him Zeus sets, his mind with skill inspired, As the fourth seer upon these sacred seats; And Loxias is his father Zeus's prophet. These Gods in prologue of my prayer I worship; 20 Pallas Pronaia[471] too claims highest praise; The Nymphs adore I too where stands the rock Korykian,[472] hollow, loved of birds and haunt Of Gods. [And Bromios[473] also claims this place, Nor can I now forget it, since the time When he, a God, with help of Bacchants warred, And planned a death for Pentheus, like a hare's.[474] Invoking Pleistos'[475] founts, Poseidon's might, And Zeus most High, supreme Accomplisher, I in due order sit upon this seat As seeress, and I pray them that they grant To find than all my former divinations 30 One better still. If Hellas pilgrims sends, Let them approach by lot, as is our law; For as the God guides I give oracles.[476] [_She passes through the door to the adytum, and after a pause returns trembling and crouching with fear, supporting herself with her hands against the walls and columns. The door remains open, and Orestes and the Erinnyes are seen in the inner sanctuary_