Obscure settings

Discuss the culture of Alexander's world and his image in art

Moderator: pothos moderators

Post Reply
system1988
Hetairos (companion)
Posts: 739
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2011 11:20 am
Location: Athens, Greece

Obscure settings

Post by system1988 »

A little dose of Aeschylus for the beggining of 2016. From the tragedy "Prometheus Bound" (lines 447-458) Prometheu's words lists the good he did bring to humanity in order to improve their lifes:


οἳ πρῶτα μὲν βλέποντες ἔβλεπον μάτην,
κλύοντες οὐκ ἤκουον, ἀλλ᾽ ὀνειράτων
ἀλίγκιοι μορφαῖσι τὸν μακρὸν βίον
450ἔφυρον εἰκῇ πάντα, κοὔτε πλινθυφεῖς
δόμους προσείλους, ᾖσαν, οὐ ξυλουργίαν:
κατώρυχες δ᾽ ἔναιον ὥστ᾽ ἀήσυροι
μύρμηκες ἄντρων ἐν μυχοῖς ἀνηλίοις.
ἦν δ᾽ οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς οὔτε χείματος τέκμαρ
455οὔτ᾽ ἀνθεμώδους ἦρος οὔτε καρπίμου
θέρους βέβαιον, ἀλλ᾽ ἄτερ γνώμης τὸ πᾶν
ἔπρασσον, ἔστε δή σφιν ἀντολὰς ἐγὼ
ἄστρων ἔδειξα τάς τε δυσκρίτους δύσεις.


Those who before, while the were watching, didn’t see
and while they heard they didn’t listen.
They wouldn’t listen but spent their lifes
like people from a dreamworld,
did everything randomly
and knew of neither stone huts out in the sunlight,
neither of carpentry but dwelt in the depths
of sunless caves like lightfooted ants.
For them there was no such thing as a valid sign of coming
winter neither of a blossomed spring,
nor of a fruitful summer; but they did everything without judgement
until I showed them the risings of the stars and their obscure settings.
Πάντες άνθρωποι του ειδέναι ορέγονται φύσει
Post Reply