_Orest._ O Pallas, thou who hast redeemed my house, Thou, thou hast brought me back when I had been Bereaved of fatherland, and Hellenes now Will say, “The man's an Argive once again, And dwells upon his father's heritage, Because of Pallas and of Loxias, And Zeus, the true third Saviour, all o'erruling, Who, touched with pity for my father's fate, 730 Saves me, beholding these my mother's pleaders.” And I will now wend homeward, giving pledge To this thy country and its valiant host, To stand as firm for henceforth and for ever, That no man henceforth, chief of Argive land, Shall bring against it spearmen well equipped: For we ourselves, though in our sepulchres, On those who shall transgress these oaths of ours, Will with inextricable evils work, Making their paths disheartening, and their ways 740 Ill-omened, that they may their toil repent. But if these oaths be kept, to those who honour This city of great Pallas, our ally, Then we to them are more propitious yet. Farewell then, Thou, and these who guard thy city. Mayst thou so wrestle that thy foes escape not, And so win victory and deliverance! STROPHE _Chor._ Ah! ah! ye younger God! Ye have ridden down the laws of ancient days, And robbed me of my prey. But I, dishonoured, wretched, full of wrath, 750 Upon this land, ha! ha! Will venom, venom from my heart let fall, In vengeance for my grief, A dropping which shall smite The earth with barrenness! And thence shall come, (O Vengeance!) on the plain Down swooping, blight of leaves and murrain dire That o'er the land flings taint of pestilence. 760 Shall I then wail and groan? Or what else shall I do? Shall I become a woe intolerable Unto these men for wrongs I have endured? Great, very great are they, Ye virgin daughters of dim Night, ill-doomed, Born both to shame and woe! _Athena._ Nay, list to me, and be not over-grieved; Ye have not been defeated, but the cause Came fairly to a tie, no shame to thee. But the clear evidence of Zeus was given, And he who spake it bare his witness too That, doing this, Orestes should not suffer. Hurl ye not then fierce rage on this my land; Nor be ye wroth, nor work ye barrenness, *By letting fall the drops of evil Powers,[536] The baleful influence that consumes all seed. 770 For lo! I promise, promise faithfully, That, seated on your hearths with shining thrones, Ye shall find cavern homes in righteous land, Honoured and worshipped by these citizens. ANTISTROPHE