440 BC

AJAX
by Sophocles

translated by R. C. Trevelyan
CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY

ATHENA
ODYSSEUS

AJAX
CHORUS OF SALAMINIANS

TECMESSA, concubine of AJAX
MESSENGER

TEUCER, half-brother of AJAX
MENELAUS

AGAMEMNON
Mute Persons

EURYSACES, child of AJAX and TECMESSA
Attendants, Heralds, etc.

AJAX
AJAX

(SCENE:-Before the tent of AJAX in the Greek camp at Troy. It is
dawn. ODYSSEUS is discovered examining the ground before the tent.

ATHENA appears from above.)
ATHENA

SON of Laertes, ever do I behold thee
Scheming to snatch some vantage o'er thy foes.

And now among the tents that guard the ships
Of Ajax, camped at the army's outmost verge,

Long have I watched thee hunting in his trail,
And scanning his fresh prints, to learn if now

He be within or forth. Skilled in the chase
Thou seemest, as a keen-nosed Spartan hound.

For the man but now has passed within, his face
And slaughterous hands streaming with sweat and blood.

No further need for thee to peer about
Inside these doors. But say what eager quest

Is thine, that I who know may give thee light.
ODYSSEUS

Voice of Athena, dearest of Gods to me,
How clearly, though thou be invisible,

Do I hear thy call, and seize it with my soul,
As when a bronze-mouthed Tyrrhene trumpet sounds!

Rightly thou judgest that on a foe's trail,
Broad-shielded Ajax, I range to and fro.

Him, and no other, I have long been tracking.
This very night against us he has wrought

A deed incredible, if in truth 'tis he.
For we know nothing sure, but drift in doubt.

Gladly I assumed the burden of this task.
For not long since we found that our whole spoil

Had been destroyed, both herds and flocks, slaughtered
By some man's hand, their guardians dead beside them.

Now 'tis on him that all men lay this guilt:
And a scout who had seen him swiftly bounding

Across the plain alone with reeking sword,
Informed me and bore witness. I forthwith,

Darting in hot chase, now pick out his tracks,
But now, bewildered, know not whose they are.

Timely thou comest. As in past days, so
In days to come I am guided by thy hand.

ATHENA
I know it, Odysseus: so on the path betimes

A sentinel friendly to thy chase I came.
ODYSSEUS

Dear mistress, do I labour to good purpose?
ATHENA

Know 'twas by yonder man these deeds were wrought.
ODYSSEUS

And why did he so brandish a frenzied hand?
ATHENA

In grievous wrath for Achilles' panoply.
ODYSSEUS

Why then upon the flocks did he make this onslaught?
ATHENA

Your blood he deemed it was that stained his hand.
ODYSSEUS

Was this outrage designed against the Greeks?
ATHENA

He had achieved it too, but for my vigilance.
ODYSSEUS

What bold scheme could inspire such reckless daring?
ATHENA

By night he meant to steal on you alone.
ODYSSEUS

Did he come near us? Did he reach his goal?
ATHENA

He stood already at the two chiefs' doors.
ODYSSEUS

What then withheld his eager hand from bloodshed?
ATHENA

'Twas I restrained him, casting on his eyes
O'ermastering notions of that baneful ecstasy,

That turned his rage on flocks and mingled droves
Of booty yet unshared, guarded by herdsmen.

Then plunging amid the thronging horns he slew,
Smiting on all sides; and one while he fancied

The Atreidae were the captives he was slaughtering,
Now 'twas some other chief on whom he fell.

And I, while thus he raved in maniac throes,
Urged him on, drove him into the baleful toils.

Thereafter, when he had wearied of such labours,
He bound with thongs such oxen as yet lived,

With all the sheep, and drove them to his tents,
As though his spoil were men, not horned cattle.

Now lashed together in the hut he tortures them.
But to thee too will I expose this madness,

That seeing thou mayst proclaim it to all the Greeks.
Boldly await him here, nor apprehend

Mischance; for I will turn aside his eyes,
Foiling his vision lest he see thy face.

(She calls to AJAX within the tent.)
Hearken, thou who art pinioning with cords

The wrists of captives; hither, I bid thee, come.
Thou, Ajax, hear me: come to thy tent's door.

ODYSSEUS
What dost thou, Athena? Do not summon him forth.

ATHENA
Abide in silence. Earn not the name of coward.

ODYSSEUS
Nay, by the Gods, let him remain within.

ATHENA
What dost thou dread? Was he not once a man?

ODYSSEUS
Yes, and to me a foeman, and still is.

ATHENA
To mock foes, is not that the sweetest mockery?

ODYSSEUS
I am content he should remain indoors.

ATHENA
To look upon a madman art thou afeard?

ODYSSEUS
Had he been sane, no fear had made me shrink.

ATHENA
Even now he shall not see thee, near as thou art.

ODYSSEUS
How so, if still with the same eyes he sees?

ATHENA
His orbs will I make dark, though vision is theirs.

ODYSSEUS
Well, all is possible, when 'tis a god contrives.

ATHENA
Stand then silent, abiding as thou art.

ODYSSEUS
Stay I must; yet I fain would be far hence.

ATHENA
Ho, Ajax! Once again I summon thee.

So slight is thy regard for thine ally?
(AJAX appears in the tent door, with a

blood-stained scourge in his hand.)
AJAX

Oh hail, Athena! Hail thou Zeus-born maid!
Nobly hast thou stood by me. Now will I crown thee

With trophies all of gold for this rich conquest.
ATHENA

Thy words are welcome. But now tell me this:
Hast thou dyed well thy sword in the Argive host?

AJAX
Such vaunt is mine. I disclaim not that glory.

ATHENA
Against the Atreidae didst thou arm thy hand?

AJAX
So that Ajax nevermore shall they insult.

ATHENA
The men are dead, if rightly I take thy meaning.

AJAX
Yes, dead. Now let them rob me of my arms.

ATHENA
'Tis well. And what then of Laertes' son?

In what plight does he stand? Or has he escaped thee?
AJAX

Wouldst thou know where is that accursed fox?
ATHENA

Even so-Odysseus, thine old adversary.
AJAX

Goddess, a most dear captive in my tent
He sits. I do not mean him to die yet.

ATHENA
Till thou hast done what, gained what further vantage?

AJAX
Till bound fast to a pillar beneath my roof-

ATHENA
What evil wilt thou inflict on the poor wretch?

AJAX
His back the scourge must crimson ere he dies.

ATHENA
Nay, do not torture so the wretched man.

AJAX
Athena, in all else will I do thy will;

But his shall be no other doom than this.
ATHENA

Thou then, since thy delight is to act thus,
Smite, spare not, abate nought of thy intent.

AJAX
To my work I return: and thus I charge thee,

As now, so always fight thou upon my side.
(AJAX goes back into the tent.)

ATHENA
Seest thou, Odysseus, how great the strength of gods?

Whom couldst thou find more prudent than this man,
Or whom in act more valiant, when need called?

ODYSSEUS
I know none nobler; and I pity him

• snatch [snætʃ] v.&n.抢，夺取，抓住 (初中英语单词)
• swiftly [´swiftli] ad.迅速地，敏捷地 (初中英语单词)
• witness [´witnis] n.见证人 vt.目击 (初中英语单词)
• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)
• scheme [ski:m] n.计划；阴谋，诡计 (初中英语单词)
• inspire [in´spaiə] v.鼓舞；使感悟；吸入 (初中英语单词)
• expose [ik´spəuz] vt.揭露，暴露；陈列 (初中英语单词)
• proclaim [prə´kleim] vt.宣布；公布；声明 (初中英语单词)
• vision [´viʒən] n.视觉；想象力；幻影 (初中英语单词)
• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)
• welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)
• captive [´kæptiv] n.俘虏；捕获物 (初中英语单词)
• torture [´tɔ:tʃə] n.&vt.折磨；痛苦；拷问 (初中英语单词)
• wretched [´retʃid] a.可怜的；倒霉的 (初中英语单词)
• charge [tʃɑ:dʒ] v.收费；冲锋 n.费用 (初中英语单词)
• couldst [kudst] can的第二人称单数 (初中英语单词)
• skilled [skild] a.有技能的，熟练的 (高中英语单词)
• trumpet [´trʌmpit] n.喇叭；小号 (高中英语单词)
• incredible [in´kredəbəl] a.不能相信的；惊人的 (高中英语单词)
• sentinel [´sentinəl] n.哨兵；看守人 (高中英语单词)
• outrage [´aut,reidʒ] n.残暴 vt.虐待；伤害 (高中英语单词)
• reckless [´rekləs] a.不注意的；鲁莽的 (高中英语单词)
• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
• summon [´sʌmən] vt.召集；号召 (高中英语单词)
• scourge [skə:dʒ] v.&n.鞭(打)；严惩 (高中英语单词)
• plight [plait] n.境况；困境；苦境 (高中英语单词)
• pillar [´pilə] n.支柱 vt.用柱支持 (高中英语单词)
• inflict [in´flikt] vt.加以(打击等) (高中英语单词)
• crimson [´krimzən] a.&n.深(紫)红(的) (高中英语单词)
• prudent [´pru:dənt] a.谨慎的；精明的 (高中英语单词)
• grievous [´gri:vəs] a.痛苦的；严重的 (英语四级单词)
• rightly [´raitli] ad.正义地；正确地 (英语四级单词)
• accursed [ə´kə:sid] a.被诅咒的；可憎的 (英语四级单词)
• nought [nɔ:t] n.=naught (英语四级单词)
• valiant [´væliənt] a.勇敢的，英勇的 (英语四级单词)
• vantage [´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；好机会 (英语六级单词)
• hunting [´hʌntiŋ] n.打猎 (英语六级单词)
• brandish [´brændiʃ] vt.&n.挥舞(刀，剑等) (英语六级单词)
• withheld [wið´held] withhold过去式(分词) (英语六级单词)
• madman [´mædmən] n.疯子；狂人 (英语六级单词)