Phaethon

Fragments from a Lost Tragedy of Euripides

Translated by Patrick Rourke

INTRODUCTION

The following could be characterized as a gesture towards a verse translation of the surviving fragments of Euripides’ Phaethon. It is by no means a finished work; but lack of interest on the part of readers led me to abandon it.

Dramatis Personae

Klymene, Queen of the East Phaethon, son of Klymene Chorus of slavewomen, serving the Palace of Merops Temple herald Merops, King of the East Helios’ messenger Chorus of bridesmaids Nurse to Phaethon deus ex machina

PROLOGUE

[It is just before sunrise, at the gates of the palace of Merops, the King of Aethiopia. Before the gate stands Merops queen, Klymene. Klymene tells us that she is a daughter of Ocean, the god of the river that surrounds the world. Once she was the beloved of Helios, the god of the sun; but Helios tired of her, as gods always do of their mortal beloveds. Realizing that she carried Helios’ child, she took Merops as her lover, and deceived him into believing the child to be his own. He married her and made her his queen, and when she bore her son, Phaethon, Merops acknowledged him, never suspecting his true parentage.

Klymene explains that Aethiopia is on the very edges of the Earth, along the river that surrounds the world, near the palaces of her father Ocean and her former lover, Helios.]

Klymene

. . . to Merops, the king of this land, where the rising Sun, the four-horse chariot of Lord Helios, first strikes the Earth. The dark-skinned peoples who dwell along our borders call this the stableyard of Helios and shining Dawn.

The bright Lord restrains his golden flames as he passes low over these lands until he is at full height in the sky

. . .

[Phaethon is now full-grown, and this is his wedding day. Merops has arranged a marriage to one of the minor goddesses dwelling nearby in the Kingdom of the Sun, in an effort to extend his influence and enlarge his treasury. Phaethon, an athletic and impetuous young man, is bitterly oppossed to the match – to marriage in general, and to his father s arrangement in particular.

Phaethon comes out of the palace to ask his mother s help in forstalling the wedding, expressing his wish that he could somehow evade Merops parental authority. Foolishly, Klymene reveals Phaethon’s true parentage to him.

Phaethon finds his mother s story hard to swallow: he does not believe that the sun is a god, he does not believe that the gods take human lovers, and he suspects that his mother may have fathered him on Helios to obscure some premarital transgression. His mother eventually convinces him to at least test her story, to travel to the Palace of the Sun and ask Helios to acknowledge him.]

Phaethon

The sun is only a golden stone, hanging in heaven . . .

. . .

Phaethon and Klymene

….. . . . the envy of the Gods . . . father, casting out . . . marriage ….. . . . for a time . . . bed. ….. . . . I see ….. . . . conjugal . . . to the father ….. . . . father . . . nature . . . bed of a goddess . . . you always say . . . gods . . . hope . . . released

….. . . . married, he loves . . . marriages . . . attending to . . . the bitter ….. . . . of whom ….. ….. . . . tell me . . . the father’s ….. . . . dear ….. . . . most dear . . . touch . . . most bright.

Klymene

. . . remind him that he’d told me once, when I shared his bed for a time, that my son could ask anything of him _ any one thing; he can give no more. From this you will know you are the god’s own son _ if you are not, then I have lied.

Phaethon

How could I reach the palace of the Sun?

Klymene

He will take care that you come to no harm.

Phaethon

I’m sure he will – if I am him son.

Klymene

You understand me, then – and when you see him, you will know for certain.

Phaethon

Fine. I imagine you couldn t be lying.

Now come inside – the slave women are coming out to start their morning chores: sweeping the yard and the entryway, cleaning the furnishings and tapestries, perfuming the hallways with incense.

When my father wakes, and walks outside, I know he will bring up my marriage. Then I will go to Helios, Mother – to learn for myself if what you say is true.

PARODOS

[A chorus of slavewomen enters, singing and dancing in celebration of the morning as they perform their chores. Phaethon and Klymene withdraw into the palace before they can be seen, Klymene to return to the women’s quarters to prepare for the wedding, and Phaethon to prepare for his confrontation with Merops.]

chorus of slavewomen

As clear, bright Dawn drives across the land, overhead, the Pleiades take flight _ among the branches the nightingale sings a pale melody in sunrise lamentation grieving Itys! Itys!

The shepherds, roaming the hills, take up their pipes to play, and the yoked plough teams plod out to the fields. The hunters in the wild begin to stalk their prey, and the sweet crying Swan whines in Ocean’s currents.

Ships take to sea under the rush of oar and wind; the crewmen, raising sail, call out “O Lady Breeze, take us home over silent stormless seas, home to our wives and children” and the sail snaps taut.

But now is not the time for us to celebrate the daily details of others lives.

As slaves of this household in its time of joy, we celebrate the wedding of our master’s son today.

chorus leader

For as the master’s misfortunes will find his slaves, so his slaves will prosper in his prosperity.

chorus

In the stars this day is fixed for the consecration of the marriage rite.

I have long remembered this union in my prayers, and I sing with joy in its celebration.

What a god has provided time has fulfilled: the marriage-bed of my lord’s son.

Now begin the songs to solemnize their bliss: –

[The chorus stops dancing as they see the temple herald, Merops, and Phaethon enter from the palace.]

chorus leader

But wait – the king! He comes from the palace with Phaethon his son, and the temple herald, all walking side by side.

Hold your tongues; the herald will need silence.

They’ve come to announce the king’s command for the teaming of the son and his bride in the holy yoke of matrimony.

FIRST EPEISODEION

Temple herald

People of the lands of Ocean, let us have silence.

Come out of your houses; let the people come forth.

I proclaim to you the prayer of our king for the fertility of his son’s marriage.

This is the procession come for its celebration.

I proclaim to you this father’s wish that today be solemnized the wedding of his son.

Let us be silent.

[The temple herald’s introduction is followed by Merops’ short prayer for good luck. Merops explains that the marriage, the connection with a goddess, will strengthen his dynasty and thereby secure the safety of the kingdom. Merops himself is growing old, and may not be long to this world, but it does his heart good to know that he will someday leave his kingdom in the good hands of his son and his son’s bride. Phaethon may not yet be entirely cognizant of the importance of companionship, and the role it plays in assuring stability and safety, but at least he will know the pleasures of having a wife, and soon he will grow into the roles of father and ruler.]

Merops

. . . if my words are reverent.

. . .

and of whom . . . ready . . . with you . . . When a ship has only one anchor, it is at more risk than one with three. And when a city has only one ruler who can make mistakes, it is not seaworthy: it needs the security of another who can help to keep it from harm. strength . . . marrying . . . wedding . . . other . . . you’ll give . . . young but . . . youth . . . no . . . child . . . old man . . . young . . . but such . . . wonderful . . . pursue . . . and please . . . fallen . . . but having . . . will steal . . . war . . . sorrow . . . afraid . . . but you will have . . . and when . . . and undress . . . you marry . . . and do not . . . being . . . ….. all . . . looked upon . . . senseless . . .

. . . [Phaethon interrupts, telling Merops he has no intention of selling himself for a dowry. ]

Phaethon

When a free man sells his body for a dowry, he enslaves himself to his own bed.

. . .

[Merops warns Phaethon that he is inflexible on this subject, that yielding to his son in this would be tantamount to abdicate his crown and throne. With this warning he leaves to make the final arrangements for the wedding.]

Merops

I think the worst foolishness for a man is to yield the father’s authority to his son, or the king’s authority to the people.

. . .

[Merops exits, believing that he has made his position clear to his son. Phaethon apostrophizes on his father’s greed, believing that alone motivates the marriage arrangement. He leaves for the Palace of the Sun, to find his true father.]

Phaethon

This terrible clumsiness of the rich: what causes it? Does the blindness of wealth delude them, blind them from their real fortunes?

. . .

FIRST STASIMON

[The Chorus is terrified by the disastrous signs they see in the heavens: the sun leaves its course, wavers, and stops; then there is a great thunderbolt, and a burning star falls from the heavens and crashes to earth; conflagrations break out around the world. Fright drives Klymene outside to the comfort of her Slavewomen.]

SECOND EPEISODION

[When the violent omens have calmed, and the sun has resumed its course, a messenger arrives from the Palace of the Sun. He brings Klymene sad news: her son is dead.

Phaethon had arrived at the Palace of the Sun, to ask Helios to acknowledge his paternity. Helios agreed, offering him the one favor he had promised as proof. Phaethon rashly asked to drive the Chariot of the Sun itself. Helios’ every attempt to reason with the boy, to beg him to accept some other gift, was rejected; the god had no choice but to relent. Helios advises his son how best to accomplish his task.]

Helios’ messenger

“. . . Drive ahead, but avoid the Libyan air _ its heat will dry and split your wheels. Make your course for the seven Pleaides.” Hearing this, the boy seized the reins, and struck the ribs of the winged chariot team. He let them fly, and they flew along the folds of the clouds and elements. The father rode behind him, on Seirios, giving advice: “Straighten your course this way, turn the chariot here, now here.”

. . .

. . . three Hyades . . .

. . .

[Phaethon did not heed the god’s advice, strayed into the hot air over the desert, and lost control of the Chariot of the Sun. The Chariot wandered wildly, threatening to burn up all the earth, and Helios could not take control of the vehicle away while his son still held the reins. Finally Zeus, King of the Gods, was forced to strike Phaethon down with a thunderbolt, stopping the Chariot team and allowing Helios to take back control. The burning star the chorus had seen falling from heaven was Phaethon’s smoking corpse, crashing to Earth.]

. . . and smoke blossomed from the body on a wind blowing through the air; like a star fallen from the heavens.

. . .

[Helios’ Messenger finishes his story and departs. Klymene tries to express her grief.]

Klymene

My child lies dead, rotting in some ravine

. . .

I hope never to see toy bows again, never to see other children playing.

. . .

SECOND STASIMON

[The chorus sings a lament for Phaethon, answering Klymene s grief.]

THIRD EPEISODION

[Phaethon’s body is brought to the Palace, still smoking. Klymene weeps over her sons’ body, cradling it one last time in her arms. Eventually, she becomes paralyzed with grief. Suddenly, the realization of her danger sinks in: Merops will surely blame her for Phaethon’s death, and punish her – perhaps even kill her. In her panic, she tries to think of some escape – exile, deception, something.]

Klymene and Chorus

. . . desires ….. . . . fortunes . . . misfortune . . . leave behind . . . from the country . . . wealth to me All the nourishing Earth is a homeland. . . . I . . . track of . . . I move . . . in the dark earth . . . the city . . . to the kingship ….. . . . free . . . rich . . . city . . . law . . . I commend . . . wise woman . . . issues . . . at a loss . . . for again the web . . . this . . . stars . . . these horrors . . . to the gloom . . . in what grave . . . to do . . . the city . . . treasured . . . corpses . . . chance . . . must attempt

. . .

[Klymene realizes that Merops is about to return with the choruses and attendants and celebrants for the wedding, and in her continued panic tries to delay the moment of truth by hiding Phaethon’s body in the palace treasury.]

Klymene [in a panic and weeping]

Some Fury is dancing, breathing fire over my child s dead body, and the smoke . . . O the smoke! Look! It s drifting up over the roof! I am lost! Quickly, before Merops . . .

[Music is heard in the distance.]

He s coming! He ll see it! My husband, he s here, shouting, singing the wedding songs, leading the chorus, bringing them, the bridesmaids. You must hurry! Bring his body into the house, before . . . Wipe up any blood that s dripping, any that may have spilled on the ground!

[Klymene begins running about in a frenzy of panic.]

Girls, hurry! We must hide him somewhere . . . I know! The stone storeroom, where my husband keeps his gold.

[Klymene’s attendants carry the body into the palace.]

Hurry! Only I can seal the doors!

[Klymene starts to run into the house; then stops for a moment as though praying.]

Sparkling Helios, among those mortals who know the secret names of gods, you deserve the name Apollo, the Destroyer: my destroyer, and my son’s.

THIRD STASIMON

[Klymene rushes into the palace behind her attendants as Merops enters singing along with a second Chorus of Bridesmaids, professional singers hired for the wedding celebration.]

Chorus of bridesmaids (_parthenoi)_

Hymen! Hymen!

Lady of desires, Aphrodite, celestial daughter of Zeus, we sing your praises, who lead the young to their marriage beds.

Lady, I honor first your marriage, Kypris, loveliest of gods, then the child of that marriage, the newly wed colt you hide away in heaven.

Aphrodite, I celebrate the union of this man, ruler of our city, well loved in the starry halls of the Golden Lord,

A king joyous as the gods, the only mortal of all the limitless earth wedded to immortals, bridegroom to a goddess.

FOURTH EPEISODION

Merops [to the Bridesmaids and male attendant slaves]

Now go inside, assemble the women, tell my wife to go about to all the gods in the palace, and begin the dances! Circle them, sing the holy wedding songs!

[The Bridesmaids and a few of the attendants go into the palace.]

And the shrine of Hestia, the goddess wise men call on first in their prayers – ….. We will go from our house to the Goddess’s.

[Smoke is still seen rising above the palace. An attendant slave runs right back out of the house.]

Attendant slave

My Lord! I had to rush back out of the house. You must look to the royal treasury _ there is a cloud of black smoke billowing out through the doors. I saw no sign of fire, but the smoke is blackening the whole house.

You should hurry inside, my lord, before fire breaks out, and Hephaistos spreads destruction to the rest of the royal compound.

You would not want such a disaster to cloud your son Phaethon s wedding day.

[Merops is annoyed, and doesn t believe the report of fire.]

Merops

What are you talking about? The smoke you saw must be drifting back into the house from the sacrifices burning on the altars.

Attendant

No, I checked – the smoke is not from the altars.

[This worries Merops.]

Merops

Has my wife been given the alarm?

Attendant

She is too busy with her own sacrifices.

Merops

I’ll take care of it. Taking these things too lightly can only lead to disaster.

[Merops prays to the gods of fire for protection.]

Daughter of Demeter, Mistress of fire, to you I pray, and Hephaistos: look kindly on this house, and spare it from your might.

FIFTH STASIMON

[Merops and his attendants hurry into the palace, leaving the terrified Chorus of Slavewomen alone. They urge the absent Klymene to resort to flight, to beg her father Ocean for protection from Merops’ inevitable rage.]

Chorus of slavewomen

Horrors and horrors! Where can I escape them? In the air on winged feet, or in the hidden places beneath the earth? Io moi moi!

Evils present themselves: royal sufferings, a son hidden in his death, Otototoi!

Zeus thundering fiery strokes and the bed of Helios _ great sufferings, innumerable evils.

Daughter of Ocean! Go down on your knees before your father, entreat his protection from the pitiable butchery that threatens your neck . . .

[The chorus is interrupted by the sound of Merops moaning within the palace.]

Merops

Io moi moi!

Chorus Those groans – is that the king?

Merops

Io my son!

[The Chorus is confused by Merops’ cries of pain.]

Chorus

He calls his child! He knows nothing of these misfortunes, though all too apparent . . .

. . .

KOMMOS

[Merops enters from the palace, shouting in an agony of grief and rage. He has found his son’s body burning in the treasury, melting his fortune away into nothingness. This day, which was to be graced with wedding songs, must now be darkened by funeral music. He has lost his son.]

Merops

Aiai! Who . . . the marriage . . . melodius . . . as heaven . . . but you . . . tear . . . never . . . marriage . . . happy . . . moans . . . tears . . . the . . . the . . . my . . . beloved . . . whoever . . . you . . . and . . . ….. call . . . which my . . . and horrors . . .

[The Chorus tells Merops that Phaethon’s nurse is now approaching from the palace. Merops interrogates her as to the cause of Phaethon’s death, asking who is responsible, and in the course of the interrogation, learns the boys true parentage.]

Chorus of slavewomen

Here from the house . . . your son . . .

Merops So! The door . . . as in . . . body . . . but . . . of the goddess . . .

nurse

O moi! . . .

Merops

You may groan . . .

nurse

Aiai! . . .

Merops

Doubled . . .

nurse

But why . . .

Merops

Who my son . . .

nurse

Seeing . . .

Merops

So back- . . .

nurse

Small . . .

Merops

Too great . . .

nurse

who you . . .

. . .

EXODOS

[Merops learns how Phaethon died, and learns too of all the deceptions practiced upon him by Klymene. In his fury he orders her dragged away from her hiding place in the women’s quarters, ready to kill her. But a god appears above them, warning Merops that Klymene bears no blame for the boy’s death; and the god (or goddess) tells Merops and Klymene that their son, and Helios’ son, will be honored by the gods, and that the place of his burial will be a shrine forever. The god returns to Olympus, leaving behind a resigned couple discontented with the gods’ designs.]

deus ex machina

He will be cradled in the loving branches of cooling trees.

. . .

Merops

Such a crowd of well-wishers can be confusing . . .

. . .

[One additional fragment (Many are struck dead by lightning’s bloodless bolt), has occassionally been assigned to this play. If it is from the Phaethon, it is probably spoken by the Deus ex machina.]