SERVANT
  A　numerous　force；　I　cannot　otherwise　describe　the　number。
  IOLAUS
  The　leaders　of　the　Athenians　know　this；　I　suppose？
  SERVANT
  They　do；　already　is　their　left　wing　set　in　array。
  IOLAUS
  Is　then　the　host　already　armed　for　battle？
  SERVANT
  Yea；　and　already　are　the　victims　brought　near　the　ranks。
  IOLAUS
  About　what　distance　is　the　Argive　host　from　us？
  SERVANT
  Near　enough　for　their　general　to　be　plainly　seen。
  IOLAUS
  What　is　he　about？　marshalling　the　enemy's　line？
  SERVANT
  So　we　guessed；　we　could　not　hear　exactly。　But　I　must　go；　for　I
  would　not　that　my　master　should　engage　the　foe　without　me；　if　I　can
  help　it。
  IOLAUS
  I　also　will　go　with　thee；　for　I　like　thee　am　minded；　so　it
  seems；　to　be　there　and　help　my　friends。
  SERVANT
  It　least　of　all　becomes　thee　thus　to　utter　words　of　folly。
  IOLAUS
  Far　less　to　shrink　from　sharing　with　my　friends　the　stubborn
  fight。
  SERVANT
  Mere　looks　can　wound　no　one；　if　the　arm　do　naught。
  IOLAUS
  Why；　cannot　I　smite　even　through　their　shields？
  SERVANT
  Smite　perhaps；　more　likely　be　smitten　thyself。
  IOLAUS
  No　foe　will　dare　to　meet　me　face　to　face。
  SERVANT
  Friend；　the　strength；　that　erst　was　thine；　is　thine　no　more。
  IOLAUS
  Well；　at　any　rate；　I　will　fight　with　as　many　as　ever　I　did。
  SERVANT
  Small　the　weight　thou　canst　throw　into　the　balance　for　thy
  friends；
  IOLAUS
  Detain　me　not；　when　I　have　girded　myself　for　action。
  SERVANT
  The　power　to　act　is　thine　no　more；　the　will　maybe　is　there。
  IOLAUS
  Stay　here　I　will　not；　say　what　else　thou　wilt。
  SERVANT
  How　shalt　thou　show　thyself　before　the　troops　unarmed？
  IOLAUS
  There　be　captured　arms　within　this　shrine；　these　will　I　use；
  and；　if　I　live；　restore；　and；　if　I　am　slain；　the　god　will　not　demand
  them　of　me　back。　Go　thou　within；　and　from　its　peg　take　down　a　suit
  of　armour　and　forthwith　bring　it　to　me。　To　linger　thus　at　home　is
  infamous；　while　some　go　fight；　and　others　out　of　cowardice　remain
  behind。
  （The　SERVANT　goes　into　the　temple。）
  CHORUS　（singing）
  Not　yet　hath　time　laid　low　thy　spirit；　'tis　young　as　ever；　but　thy
  body's　strength　is　gone。　Why　toil　to　no　purpose？　'Twill　do　thee　hurt
  and　benefit　our　city　little。　At　thy　age　thou　shouldst　confess　thy
  error　and　let　impossibilities　alone。　Thou　canst　in　no　way　get　thy
  vigour　back　again。
  ALCMENA
  What　means　this　mad　resolve　to　leave　me　with　my　children
  undefended　here？
  IOLAUS
  Men　must　fight；　and　thou　must　look　to　them。
  ALCMENA
  And　what　if　thou　art　slain？　what　safety　shall　I　find？
  IOLAUS
  Thy　son's　surviving　children　will　care　for　thee。
  ALCMENA
  Suppose　they　meet　with　some　reverse？　which　Heaven　forefend！
  IOLAUS
  These　strangers　will　not　give　thee　up；　fear　not。
  ALCMENA
  They　are　my　last　and　only　hope；　I　have　no　other。
  IOLAUS
  Zeus　too；　I　feel　sure；　cares　for　thy　sufferings。
  ALCMENA
  Ah！　of　Zeus　will　I　never　speak　ill；　but　himself　doth　know
  whether　he　is　just　to　me。
  （The　SERVANT　enters　from　the　temple；　carrying　the　arms。）
  SERVANT
  Lo！　here　thou　seest　a　full　coat　of　mail；　make　haste　to　case
  thyself　therein；　for　the　strife　is　nigh；　and　bitterly　doth　Ares　loathe
  loiterers；　but　if　thou　fear　the　weight　of　the　armour；　go　now　without
  it；　and　in　the　ranks　do　on　this　gear；　meantime　will　I　carry　it。
  IOLAUS
  Well　said！　keep　the　harness　ready　to　my　hand；　put　a　spear　within
  my　grasp；　and　support　me　on　the　left　side；　guiding　my　steps。
  SERVANT
  Am　I　to　lead　this　warrior　like　a　child？
  IOLAUS
  To　save　the　omen；　we　must　go　without　stumbling。
  SERVANT
  Would　thy　power　to　act　were　equal　to　thy　zeal！
  IOLAUS
  Hasten；　I　shall　feel　it　grievously；　if　I　am　too　late　for　the
  battle。
  SERVANT
  'Tis　thou　who　art　slow；　not　I；　though　thou　fanciest　thou　art　doing
  wonders。
  IOLAUS
  Dost　not　mark　how　swift　my　steps　are　hasting？
  SERVANT
  I　mark　more　seeming　than　reality　in　thy　haste；
  IOLAUS
  Thou　wilt　tell　a　different　tale　when　thou　seest　me　there。
  SERVANT
  What　shall　I　see　thee　do？　I　wish　thee　all　success；　at　any　rate。
  IOLAUS
  Thou　shalt　see　me　smite　some　foeman　through　the　shield。
  SERVANT
  Perhaps；　if　ever　we　get　there。　I　have　my　fears　of　that。
  IOLAUS
  Ah！　would　to　Heaven　that　thou；　mine　arm；　e'en　as　I　remember　thee
  in　thy　lusty　youth；　when　with　Heracles　thou　didst　sack　Sparta；　couldst
  so　champion　me　to…day！　how　I　would　put　Eurystheus　to　flight！　since
  he　is　to　craven　to　wait　the　onslaught。　For　prosperity　carries　with
  it　this　error　too；　a　reputation　for　bravery；　for　we　think　the
  prosperous　man　a　master　of　all　knowledge。
  （IOLAUS　and　the　SERVANT　depart。）
  CHORUS　（singing）
  strophe　1
  O　earth；　and　moon　that　shines　by　night；　and　dazzling　radiance　of
  the　god；　that　giveth　light　to　man；　bear　the　tidings　to　me；　shout　aloud
  to　heaven　for　joy；　and　beside　our　ruler's　throne；　and　in　the　shrine　of
  grey…eyed　Athene。　For　my　fatherland　and　home　will　I　soon　decide　the
  issue　of　the　strife　with　the　gleaming　sword；　because　I　have　taken
  suppliants　under　my　protection。
  antistrophe　1
  'Tis　a　fearful　thing；　that　a　city　prosperous　as　Mycenae　is；　one
  famed　for　martial　prowess；　should　harbour　wrath　against　my　land；
  still；　my　countrymen；　it　were　a　shameful　thing　in　us　to　yield　up
  suppliant　strangers　at　the　bidding　of　Argos。　Zeus　is　on　my　side；　I
  am　not　afraid；　Zeus　hath　a　favour　unto　me；　as　is　my　due；　never　by　me
  shall　gods　be　thought　weaker　than　mortal　men。
  strophe　2
  O　dread　goddess；　thine　the　soil　whereon　we　stand；　thine　this　city；
  for　thou　art　its　mother；　queen；　and　saviour；　wherefore　turn　some　other
  way　the　impious　king；　who　leadeth　a　host　from　Argos　with　brandished
  lance　against　this　land；　for；　such　my　worth；　I　little　merit　exile　from
  my　home。
  antistrophe　2
  For　thy　worship　is　aye　performed　with　many　a　sacrifice；　and
  never　art　thou　forgotten　as　each　month　draweth　to　its　close；　when
  young　voices　sing　and　dancers'　music　is　heard　abroad；　while　on　our
  wind…swept　hill　goes　up　the　cry　of　joy　to　the　beat　of　maidens'　feet　by
  night。
  （The　SERVANT　enters。）
  SERVANT
  Mistress；　the　message　that　I　bring　is　very　short　for　thee　to
  hear　and　fair　for　me；　who　stand　before　thee；　to　announce。　O'er　our
  foes　we　are　victorious；　and　trophies　are　being　set　up；　with
  panoplies　upon　them；　taken　from　thy　enemies。
  ALCMENA
  Best　of　friends！　this　day　hath　wrought　thy　liberty　by　reason　of
  these　tidings。　But　there　still　remains　one　anxious　thought　thou　dost
  not　free　me　from；…a　thought　of　fear；…are　those；　whose　lives　I　cherish；
  spared　to　me？
  SERVANT
  They　are；　and　high　their　fame　through　all　the　army　spreads。
  ALCMENA
  The　old　man　Iolaus；…is　he　yet　alive？
  SERVANT
  Aye；　that　he　is；　a　hero　whom　the　gods　delight　to　honour。
  ALCMENA
  How　so？　Did　he　perform　some　deed　of　prowess？
  SERVANT
  He　hath　passed　from　age　to　youth　once　more。
  ALCMENA
  Thy　tale　is　passing　strange；　but　first　I　would　that　thou
  shouldst　tell　me　how　our　friends　won　the　day。
  SERVANT
  One　speech　of　mine　puts　it　all　clearly　before　thee。　When　we　had
  deployed　our　troops　and　marshalled　them　face　to　face　with　one　another；
  Hyllus　dismounted　from　his　four…horsed　chariot　and　stood　midway
  betwixt　the　hosts。　Then　cried　he；　〃Captain；　who　art　come　from　Argos；
  why　cannot　we　leave　this　land　alone？　No　hurt　wilt　thou　do　Mycenae；
  if　of　one　man　thou　rob　her；　come！　meet　me　in　single　combat。　and　if
  thou　slay　me；　take　the　children　of　Heracles　away　with　thee；　but；　if
  thou　fall；　leave　me　to　possess　my　ancestral　honours　and　my　home。〃
  The　host　cried　yes！　saying　the　scheme　he　offered　was　a　fair　one；
  both　to　rid　them　of　their　trouble　and　satisfy　their　valour。　But　that
  other；　feeling　no　shame　before　those　who　heard　the　challenge　or　at　his
  own　cowardice；　quailed；　general　though　he　was；　to　come　within　reach　of
  the　stubborn　spear；　showing　himself　an　abject　coward；　yet　with　such
  a　spirit　he　came　to　enslave　the　children　of　Heracles。　Then　did
  Hyllus　withdraw　to　his　own　ranks　again；　and　the　prophets　seeing　that
  no　reconciliation　would　be　effected　by　single　combat；　began　the
  sacrifice　without　delay　and　forthwith　let　flow　from　a　human　throat
  auspicious　streams　of　blood。　And　some　were　mounting　chariots；　while
  others　couched　beneath　the　shelter　of　their　shields；　and　the　king　of
  the　Athenians；　as　a　highborn　chieftain　should；　would　exhort　his
  host…〃Fellow…citizens；　the　land；　that　feeds　you　and　that　gave　you
  birth；　demands　to…day　the　help　of　every　man。〃　Likewise　Eurystheus
  besought　his　allies　that　they　should　scorn　to　sully　the　fame　of
  Argos　and　Mycenae。　Anon　the　Etrurian　trumpet　sounded　loud　and　clear；
  and　hand　to　hand　they　rushed；　then　think　how　loudly　clashed　their
  ringing　shields；　what　din　arose　of　cries　and　groans　confused！　At　first
  the　onset　of　th