Lives, till the heart be dust; and then Beyond this realm of Where and When, Something of you shall linger yet, And something in me not forget, When all the suns of earth have set. [41] [41] TRANSLATIONS [43] [43] THE BATTLE OF SALAMIS From “The Persians” of Aeschylus [Except for inscriptions, this contemporary narrative of the Battle of Salamis is the earliest piece of written Greek history extant. The splendour and force of the original make it one of the greatest pieces of battle-narrative in the world, and defy adequate rendering. But it is noticeable that not only is the description ablaze with the passion of war, but the plan and tactics of the fight, which was probably even a more decisive event in world-history than that of Marathon, are given with a map-like precision and clearness. The narrative is placed in the mouth of a messenger sent by Xerxes to his mother, Atossa, to tell her of the catastrophe. I have followed the text of Paley.] Atossa And is Athena’s city yet unsacked? Messenger Men were her city-wall—unbroken yet.
Prev.
Back
Top