Beneath　the　bolt　of　heaven！
  THE　SPY
  Last；　let　me　name　yon　seventh　antagonist；
  Thy　brother's　self；　at　the　seventh　portal　set…
  Hear　with　what　wrath　he　imprecates　our　doom；
  Vowing　to　mount　the　wall；　though　banished　hence；
  And　peal　aloud　the　wild　exulting　cry…
  The　town　is　ta'en…then　clash　his　sword　with　thine；
  Giving　and　taking　death　in　close　embrace；
  Or；　if　thou　'scapest；　flinging　upon　thee；
  As　robber　of　his　honour　and　his　home；
  The　doom　of　exile　such　as　he　has　borne。
  So　clamours　he　and　so　invokes　the　gods
  Who　guard　his　race　and　home；　to　hear　and　heed
  The　curse　that　sounds　in　Polyneices'　name！
  He　bears　a　round　shield；　fresh　from　forge　and　fire；
  And　wrought　upon　it　is　a　twofold　sign…
  For　lo；　a　woman　leads　decorously
  The　figure　of　a　warrior　wrought　in　gold；
  And　thus　the　legend　runs…I　Justice　am；
  And　I　will　bring　the　hero　home　again；
  To　hold　once　more　his　place　within　this　town；
  Once　more　to　pace　his　sire's　ancestral　hall。
  Such　are　the　symbols；　by　our　foemen　shown…
  Now　make　thine　own　decision；　whom　to　send
  Against　this　last　opponent！　I　have　said…
  Nor　canst　thou　in　my　tidings　find　a　flaw…
  Thine　is　it；　now；　to　steer　the　course　aright。
  ETEOCLES
  Ah　me；　the　madman；　and　the　curse　of　Heaven
  And　woe　for　us；　the　lamentable　line
  Of　Oedipus；　and　woe　that　in　this　house
  Our　father's　curse　must　find　accomplishment！
  But　now；　a　truce　to　tears　and　loud　lament；
  Lest　they　should　breed　a　still　more　rueful　wail！
  As　for　this　Polyneices；　named　too　well；
  Soon　shall　we　know　how　this　device　shall　end…
  Whether　the　gold…wrought　symbols　on　his　shield；
  In　their　mad　vaunting　and　bewildered　pride；
  Shall　guide　him　as　a　victor　to　his　home！
  For　had　but　justice；　maiden…child　of　Zeus；
  Stood　by　his　act　and　thought；　it　might　have　been！
  Yet　never；　from　the　day　he　reached　the　light
  Out　of　the　darkness　of　his　mother's　womb；
  Never　in　childhood；　nor　in　youthful　prime；
  Nor　when　his　chin　was　gathering　its　beard；
  Hath　justice　hailed　or　claimed　him　as　her　own。
  Therefore　I　deem　not　that　she　standeth　now
  To　aid　him　in　this　outrage　on　his　home！
  Misnamed；　in　truth；　were　justice；　utterly；
  If　to　impiety　she　lent　her　hand。
  Sure　in　this　faith；　I　will　myself　go　forth
  And　match　me　with　him；　who　hath　fairer　claim？
  Ruler；　against　one　fain　to　snatch　the　rule；
  Brother　with　brother　matched；　and　foe　with　foe；
  Will　I　confront　the　issue。　To　the　wall！
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  O　thou　true　heart；　O　child　of　Oedipus；
  Be　not；　in　wrath；　too　like　the　man　whose　name
  Murmurs　an　evil　omen！　'Tis　enough
  That　Cadmus'　clan　should　strive　with　Arges'　host；
  For　blood　there　is　that　can　atone　that　stain！
  But…brother　upon　brother　dealing　death…
  Not　time　itself　can　expiate　the　sin！
  ETEOCLES
  If　man　find　hurt；　yet　clasp　his　honour　still；
  'Tis　well；　the　dead　have　honour；　nought　beside。
  Hurt；　with　dishonour；　wins　no　word　of　praise！
  CHORUS　（chanting）
  Ah；　what　is　thy　desire？
  Let　not　the　lust　and　ravin　of　the　sword
  Bear　thee　adown　the　tide　accursed；　abhorred！
  Fling　off　thy　passion's　rage；　thy　spirit's　prompting　dire！
  ETEOCLES
  Nay…since　the　god　is　urgent　for　our　doom；
  Let　Laius'　house；　by　Phoebus　loathed　and　scorned；
  Follow　the　gale　of　destiny；　and　win
  Its　great　inheritance；　the　gulf　of　hell！
  CHORUS　（chanting）
  Ruthless　thy　craving　is…
  Craving　for　kindred　and　forbidden　blood
  To　be　outpoured…a　sacrifice　imbrued
  With　sin；　a　bitter　fruit　of　murderous　enmities！
  ETEOCLES
  Yea；　my　own　father's　fateful　Curse　proclaims…
  A　ghastly　presence；　and　her　eyes　are　dry…
  Strike！　honour　is　the　prize；　not　life　prolonged！
  CHORUS　（chanting）
  Ah；　be　not　urged　of　her！　for　none　shall　dare
  To　call　thee　coward；　in　thy　throned　estate！
  Will　not　the　Fury　in　her　sable　pal
  Pass　outward　from　these　halls；　what　time　the　gods
  Welcome　a　votive　offering　from　our　hands？
  ETEOCLES
  The　gods！　long　since　they　hold　us　in　contempt；
  Scornful　of　gifts　thus　offered　by　the　lost！
  Why　should　we　fawn　and　flinch　away　from　doom？
  CHORUS　（chanting）
  Now；　when　it　stands　beside　thee！　for　its　power
  May；　with　a　changing　gust　of　milder　mood；
  Temper　the　blast　that　bloweth　wild　and　rude
  And　frenzied；　in　this　hour！
  ETEOCLES
  Ay；　kindled　by　the　curse　of　Oedipus…
  All　too　prophetic；　out　of　dreamland　came
  The　vision；　meting　out　our　sire's　estate！
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  Heed　women's　voices；　though　thou　love　them　not！
  ETEOCLES
  Say　aught　that　may　avail；　but　stint　thy　words。
  LEADER
  Go　not　thou　forth　to　guard　the　seventh　gate！
  ETEOCLES
  Words　shall　not　blunt　the　edge　of　my　resolve。
  LEADER
  Yet　the　god　loves　to　let　the　weak　prevail。
  ETEOCLES
  That　to　a　swordsman；　is　no　welcome　word！
  LEADER
  Shall　thine　own　brother's　blood　be　victory's　palm？
  ETEOCLES
  Ill　which　the　gods　have　sent　thou　canst　no…shun！
  （ETEOCLES　goes　out。）
  CHORUS　（singing）
  strophe　1
  I　shudder　in　dread　of　the　power；　abhorred　by　the　gods　of　high
  heaven；
  The　ruinous　curse　of　the　home　till　roof…tree　and　rafter　be　riven！
  Too　true　are　the　visions　of　ill；　too　true　the　fulfilment　they
  bring
  To　the　curse　that　was　spoken　of　old　by　the　frenzy　and　wrath　of　the
  king！
  Her　will　is　the　doom　of　the　children；　and　Discord　is　kindled
  amain；
  antistrophe　1
  And　strange　is　the　Lord　of　Division；　who　cleaveth　the　birthright
  in　twain；…
  The　edged　thing；　born　of　the　north；　the　steel　that　is　ruthless
  and　keen；
  Dividing　in　bitter　division　the　lot　of　the　children　of　teen！
  Not　the　wide　lowland　around；　the　realm　of　their　sire；　shall　they
  have；
  Yet　enough　for　the　dead　to　inherit；　the　pitiful　space　of　a　grave！
  strophe　2
  Ah；　but　when　kin　meets　kin；　when　sire　and　child；
  Unknowing；　are　defiled
  By　shedding　common　blood；　and　when　the　pit
  Of　death　devoureth　it；
  Drinking　the　clotted　stain；　the　gory　dye…
  Who；　who　can　purify？
  Who　cleanse　pollution；　where　the　ancient　bane
  Rises　and　reeks　again？
  antistrophe　2
  Whilome　in　olden　days　the　sin　was　wrought；
  And　swift　requital　brought…
  Yea　on　the　children　of　the　child　came　still
  New　heritage　of　ill！
  For　thrice　Apollo　spoke　this　word　divine；
  From　Delphi's　central　shrine；
  To　Laius…Die　thou　childless！　thus　alone
  Can　the　land's　weal　be　won！
  strophe　3
  But　vainly　with　his　wife's　desire　he　strove；
  And　gave　himself　to　love；
  Begetting　Oedipus；　by　whom　he　died；
  The　fateful　parricide！
  The　sacred　seed…plot；　his　own　mother's　womb；
  He　sowed；　his　house's　doom；
  A　root　of　blood！　by　frenzy　lured；　they　came
  Unto　their　wedded　shame。
  antistrophe　3
  And　now　the　waxing　surge；　the　wave　of　fate；
  Rolls　on　them；　triply　great…
  One　billow　sinks；　the　next　towers；　high　and　dark；
  Above　our　city's　bark…
  Only　the　narrow　barrier　of　the　wal
  Totters；　as　soon　to　fall；
  And；　if　our　chieftains　in　the　storm　go　down；
  What　chance　can　save　the　town？
  strophe　4
  Curses；　inherited　from　long　ago；
  Bring　heavy　freight　of　woe：
  Rich　stores　of　merchandise　o'erload　the　deck；
  Near；　nearer　comes　the　wreck…
  And　all　is　lost；　cast　out　upon　the　wave；
  Floating；　with　none　to　save！
  antistrophe　4
  Whom　did　the　gods；　whom　did　the　chief　of　men；
  Whom　did　each　citizen
  In　crowded　concourse；　in　such　honour　hold；
  As　Oedipus　of　old；
  When　the　grim　fiend；　that　fed　on　human　prey；
  He　took　from　us　away？
  strophe　5
  But　when；　in　the　fulness　of　days；　he　knew　of　his　bridal　unblest；
  A　twofold　horror　he　wrought；　in　the　frenzied　despair　of　his
  breast…
  Debarred　from　the　grace　of　the　banquet；　the　service　of　goblets
  of　gold
  He　flung　on　his　children　a　curse　for　the　sple