PERSONS REPRESENTED. CHORUS OF AGED PERSIANS. THE GHOST OF DARIUS. ARGUMENT. "I could wish to believe that Æschylus composed the Persians from mere complacency for Hiero king of Syracuse, who was desirous of having the great events of the Persian war brought under his review. Such is the substance of one tradition; but, according to another, the piece had been before exhibited in Athens. We have already alluded to this dramaa, which, both in point of selection of subject, and the manner of handling it, is undoubtedly the most imperfect of all the tragedies of the poet that we possess. Our expectation is hardly excited in the commencement by the vision of Atossa; the whole catastrophe immediately opens on us with the first message, and no farther progress can be even imagined. But although not a legitimate drama, we may still consider it as a proud triumphal song in honour of liberty, clothed in soft and unceasing lamentations for the fallen majesty of the vanquished. The poet with great judgment, both here and in the Seven before Thebes, describes the result of the battle, not as accidental, which is almost always the case in Homer, (for accident ought never to have a place in tragedy,) but as the result of arrogant and blind presumption on the one hand, and resolute moderation on the other." Vol. i. p. 111. a Page 93. THE PERSIANS'. d CHORUS. WE are the trusty council of the Persians who have wended to the land of Hellas, and guardians of these abodes that are opulent and abound in gold, whom our prince Xerxes himself, a monarch descended from Darius, selected, by reason of our dignity, to have the * This drama was brought forward B. C. 472. seven years after the battle of Mycale. b On this use of кaλeiraι see Monk's note on the Hippolytus, v. 2. For the use of the neuter gender compare Elmsley's note on the Medea, 887. with Matthiæ's Gr. Gr. §. 438. In the passage quoted by Dr. Blomfield, from the Anabasis, the common reading is very inferior, viz. rv Пεpowv. c Compare Prom. Vinct. 2. Ekúðŋv ¿ç olμov. Soph. (Ed. Tyr. 81. τύχη σωτῆρι That is, Susa, where the scene is laid, and which, subsequently to the conquests of Cyrus, increased in wealth and splendour. e "The titles, both Baoiλevs and avaş, were anciently given to any powerful men without accurate distinction. The former became afterwards strictly appropriated as our title king now is; but the latter continued long to be more loosely applied, as may be seen in the Edipus Tyrannus of Sophocles, v. 85. 304. 631. and 911. (ed. Brunck.) Isocrates uses ẞaoiλevç as exactly synonymous with king, and avač as exactly synonymous with prince; calling the king's sons avaкTec, and his daughters avaσoal. Evag. Encom. p. 318. t. 2. ed. Auger." Mitford, i. 126. (ed. 8vo.) By idpávov Schutz understands specifically the palace at Susa. I |