Prometheus Bound

By Aeschylus

Aeschylus was an ancient Greek tragedian who is often considered to be the father of tragedy.  Aeschylus was one of only three ancient tragedians whose plays have survived.  This edition of Prometheus Bound includes a table of contents.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charles River Editors
• Release date: Mar 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781531284633

Aeschylus

Aeschylus (c.525-455 B.C) was an ancient Greek playwright and solider. Scholars’ knowledge of the tragedy genre begins with Aeschylus’ work, and because of this, he is dubbed the “father of tragedy”. Aeschylus claimed his inspiration to become a writer stemmed from a dream he had in which the god Dionysus encouraged him to write a play. While it is estimated that he wrote just under one hundred plays, only seven of Aeschylus’ work was able to be recovered.

Book preview

PROMETHEUS BOUND

..................

Aeschylus

KYPROS PRESS

Thank you for reading. If you enjoy this book, please leave a review or connect with the author.

All rights reserved. Aside from brief quotations for media coverage and reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the author’s permission. Thank you for supporting authors and a diverse, creative culture by purchasing this book and complying with copyright laws.

Copyright © 2016 by Aeschylus

Interior design by Pronoun

Distribution by Pronoun

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prometheus Bound

Characters in the Play

SCENE: Mountainous country, and in the middle of a deep gorge a Rock, towards which KRATOS and BIA carry the gigantic form OF PROMETHEUS. HEPHAESTUS follows dejectedly with hammer, nails, chains, etc.

PROMETHEUS BOUND

..................

Translated by E.D.A. Morshead

CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY

Kratos

Bia

Hephaestus

Prometheus

Chorus of the Oceanides

Oceanus

Io

Hermes

SCENE: MOUNTAINOUS COUNTRY, AND IN THE MIDDLE OF A DEEP GORGE A ROCK, TOWARDS WHICH KRATOS AND BIA CARRY THE GIGANTIC FORM OF PROMETHEUS. HEPHAESTUS FOLLOWS DEJECTEDLY WITH HAMMER, NAILS, CHAINS, ETC.

Kratos

Now have we journeyed to a spot of earth

Remote — the Scythian wild, a waste untrod.

And now, Hephaestus, thou must execute

The task our father laid on thee, and fetter

This malefactor to the jagged rocks

In adamantine bonds infrangible;

For thine own blossom of all forging fire

He stole and gave to mortals; trespass grave

For which the Gods have called him to account,

That he may learn to bear Zeus’ tyranny

And cease to play the lover of mankind.

Hephaestus

Kratos and Bia, for ye twain the hest

Of Zeus is done with; nothing lets you further.

But forcibly to bind a brother God,

In chains, in this deep chasm raked by all storms

I have not courage; yet needs must I pluck

Courage from manifest necessity,

For woe worth him that slights the Father’s word.

O high-souled son of them is sage in counsel,

With heavy heart I must make thy heart heavy,

In bonds of brass not easy to be loosed,

Nailing thee to this crag where no wight dwells,

Nor sound of human voice nor shape of man

Shall visit thee; but the sun-blaze shall roast

Thy flesh; thy hue, flower-fair, shall suffer change;

Welcome will Night be when with spangled robe

She hides the light of day; welcome the sun

Returning to disperse the frosts of dawn.

And every hour shall bring its weight of woe

To wear thy heart away; for yet unborn

Is he who shall release Chee from thy pain.

This is thy wage for loving humankind.

For, being a God, thou dared’st the Gods’ ill will,

Preferring, to exceeding honour, Man.

Wherefore thy long watch shall be comfortless,

Stretched on this rock, never to close an eye

Or bend a knee; and vainly shalt thou lift,

With groanings deep and lamentable cries,

Thy voice; for Zeus is hard