About Aeschylus (circa 525 BC - 456 BC): Aeschylus is the earliest Greek tragedy writer whose plays are not entirely lost. Aeschylus was considered to be a Pythagorean, and his plays all involve Greek religion in one way or another.
According to wikipedia, Aeschylus was born in Eteusis and worked in a vineyard.
Aeschylus fought against the Persians at Marathon and may have fought in some other ways as well. He entered his plays in the annual contest in tragedy at a festival in Dionysia. He won at least 12 times.
Of his more than 90 plays, only 7 survive. Moreover, some scholars doubt that Prometheus Unbound was written by him. It uses simpler language and is oddly hostile against Zeus. Some suggest that it was written by Aeschylus' son, Euphorion.
These plays all contain a "chorus", which is a group of people speaking at once. It isn't like the chorus in a song where the same words are repeated over again. The chorus says different things every time it speaks.
Previous Greek plays are supposed to have only included an actor and a chorus. According to Aristotle, Aeschylus is the one who first added additional actors.
These plays are synopsized from The Great Books of the Western World 1st Edition.
Chorus: The 50 suppliant maidens.
50 maidens, their slave girls, and Danaus arrive by sea. The maidens promptly begin whining to Zeus and every other god they can think of. Apparently, they fled their homeland because they were going to be forced to marry King Aegyptus' sons.
The 50 maidens are the daughters of Danaus, and he's the one whose idea it was to flee.
They pray to Zeus to make them welcome in the land they fled to and to sink the ship of King Aegyptus' sons so that they can't capture the maidens. They go on a tirade about how men should be able to marry women against their will.
The play also mentions that the maidens have sticks with white wool wrapped around the ends. Apparently, the sticks mark them as suppliant. It may have something to do with the prayer or may be similar to waving a white flag to signify that they come in peace.
Danaus tells them that best thing to do is to wait on the hill for the natives of the land they fled to find them. They will have to use their brains to convince the people of this land to accept them. He also warns that it is possible the natives may mean some harm to them. He also tells them not to seem to bold because they are asking for help. Arrogance might offend their potential allies.
The maidens start praying to more gods.
Pelasgus arrives and asks who they are and how they got there. The maidens reply by asking who he is and whether he's a commoner, a messenger, or a ruler. He tells them that he is Pelasgus, son of Palaechthon, and the lord of a people called the Pelasgians. He asks again who they are. The maidens tell them the story of their lineage.
| The Story of the Suppliant Maidens' Lineage |
|---|
A woman (possibly a nymph) named Io once kept the keys to Hera's house. Zeus saw her and decided to bang her like he does every other chick he sees. Hera was angry, so she turned Io into a cow. Zeus wasn't about to give up an easy lay, so he turned himself into a bull. Hera retaliated by placed the hundred-eyed Argus to guard the cow. She also convinced a gnat (or "gad-fly") to sting Io. Apparently, Zeus managed to get a son out of Io the cow. This son was named Epaphus. Epaphus had a daughter named Libya. Libya had a son named Bel. Bel had two sons named Danaus and Aegyptus. Danaus had 50 daughters (the maidens), and Aegyptus had 50 sons. |
Hence, the suppliant maidens were fleeing being forced to marry their cousins.
The maidens ask Pelasgus to protect them from King Aegyptus' sons and their soldiers. Pelasgus wants to, but he doesn't want to commit his country to a war it might lose. The maidens more or less threaten him with the wrath of Zeus (who happens to be the god of hospitality in addition to the all powerful god of lightning), but he still hesitates. Finally, they threaten to kill themselves, and he gives in.
Danaus goes to Pelasgia with one of Pelasgus' bodyguards to pray at the temples and make himself known to the people of Pelasgia so that they'll know who they're protecting.
Pelasgus leaves as well to rally his people and help Danaus make his case with them. The maidens don't want to be left alone when they're being hunted by their cousins, but they agree for some reason (probably to facilitate their chorus and give Pelasgus time to gather his people together).
While alone, the maidens pray to Zeus. Much of this prayer consists of telling Zeus about how their ancestor Io wandered around as a cow. They beseech Zeus to help them because they are his descendants.
Danaus returns after their prayer and tells them that the people of Pelasgia voted to help the maidens. This is the only indication that there was an actual vote.
The maidens reply by praying to various gods and asking them to help Pelasgia and not to smite it. In other words, they said "Thank you" to the Pelasgians, but through proxy by praying to the gods.
Danaus says he sees Aegyptus' ships approaching, so he leaves tell the Pelasgians to hurry to the fight. The maidens beg him not to leave them alone, but he doesn't listen. He says he'll be back with soldiers before Aegyptus' men anchor their ships and make their way to the maidens.
[Some may wonder why he didn't just bring the maidens with him. It seems to be just a plot device. Leaving the maidens there allows them to make another soliloquy and brings about the dramatic dragging of the maidens.]
The maidens stand there bemoaning their impending rape and enslavement. They're not actually praying so much as whining, but that's understandable given their situation.
At this point, Aegyptus' herald and advance scouts show up. They tell the maidens to come to the ships, but the maidens refuse. So the herald and his men start dragging them away. Fortunately, Pelasgus and his bodyguards show up and chase the herald away. The herald wants to know who Pelasgus is, but he refuses to answer.
Pelasgus tells the maidens to go to the city where they can choose any house they want for free. They agree but ask for Danaus to return to help them choose a house. Pelasgus leaves, and Danaus returns.
He warns them to guard their virtue in this new city, and they start praying. They thank the gods for rescuing them and ask the gods to protect them in the future.
The suppliant maidens and the Pelasgians could simply be used as background information. The player could travel to Pelasgia and meet these individuals or their descendants (as appropriate to the timeline).
The battle between Aegyptus' main body of troops and the full Pelasgian army has not yet occurred. The player could be a Pelasgian or could be hired as a mercenary. If the player were in the Aegyptian army, he would probably have to desert to do the ethical thing. Alternatively, the maidens could actually be criminals of some sort, but that doesn't fit with the story.
The primary adventure hook is to have a situation as described above. Presumably, the player would be Pelasgus or one of the Pelasgians. The only room for variance is to change when the player enters the situation. For instance, the player could arrive after the maidens have already gone to the town.
Chorus: The Persian elders.
The Persian elders stand before the tomb of Darius. They set the background by describing the soldiers in the Persian army. King Xerxes took the army to attack Hellas (Greece) and hasn't returned even though it's been a long time.
Queen Atossa, the mother of Xerxes, arrives. She asks the elders if they will assist her with some advice, and they agree. She tells them about her dream in which a Persian woman and a Dorian woman are quarreling. Her son, Xerxes, harnessed them to a chariot, and the Dorian woman broke the yoke, causing Xerxes to fall. When Xerxes fell, his father, Darius, stood beside him.
When she woke up, she saw a falcon attack an eagle. The eagle didn't retaliate, so she assumed that it was an omen. The elders advised her to pray and make offerings to the dead. Then she need only ask Darius what happened.
Atossa then asks various questions about the enemies Xerxes is fighting. The advisors tell her that Athens is the only significant foe. They also tell her that Athens has poor archers but good spear- and targe- wielders. They also tell her that Athens has no ruler. However, they can't tell her what the result of the invasion was.
Conveniently, a messenger arrives to bring news from the invasion. He tells them that Xerxes is alive but recites a whole list of Persian captains who died. Persia lost the battle against Athens' fleet even though Persia had far more ships. When the Persian fleet was lost, the Persian army lost as well.
[Keep in mind that this play was written by a Greek even though it's about the Persians. Hence, it would be no surprise if he made the Persian defeat sound significantly worse than it actually was.]
The means of the Persian defeat was relatively dramatic. A Hellene came from the Athenian host and told Xerxes that the Hellenes will retreat at night now that they had seen the Persian fleet. Hearing this, Xerxes told his fleet to wait until nightfall and then split up into groups to guard the exits of the narrow channels the Hellenes might escape through.
The Hellenes didn't flee during the night. Instead, they attacked at dawn. Their attack was somewhat of a surprise and was exceedingly effective. [Presumably, the Persians were still out of formation to try to prevent the Hellenes from escaping, but the play isn't clear on this point.] The Persian fleet was destroyed, though a few ships did escape.
Xerxes had dispatched some of his men to a small island opposite Salamis with the intention that they would slay Hellenes who abandoned ship and rescue their own allies from the sea. It would have worked nicely if they had won at sea, but they had not.
Once the Hellenes had overcome the Persian ships, they went to the island and attacked the Persians with rocks and arrows. Then they finished off the survivors with melee weapons. Xerxes saw this from a distant hill and started a retreat.
Essentially, once the sea battle was lost, the Persian land troops couldn't stand against both the Hellene land and sea troops. [Persia attacked by both land and sea though that may not be obvious to readers until later in the play. Since the people watching the play originally already knew about the war between Persia and Greece, they didn't need as much background information.]
At this point, Atossa asks about the ships that escaped. The ships had little difficulty, but the soldiers on land had many problems. Most of the survivors were killed by hunger and thirst. Still more were killed while trying to cross a frozen stream because the ice broke. The remainder eventually made it back to Persia.
That's the end of the messenger's story. The messenger leaves, and then Atossa leaves to pray to the gods. The elders bemoan the fate of Persia to Zeus.
When Atossa returns, she and the elders call forth the ghost of Darius. The elders are too much in awe to say anything to Darius, so Atossa summarizes briefly what happened. While speaking to Darius, Atossa reveals that Xerxes attacked Hellas by both land and sea. To make a land attack possible, Xerxes built a causeway to bypass hilly and mountainous terrain.
Darius says that Xerxes is a young man who made a foolish choice out of pride. Atossa blames Xerxes' advisors. Darius enumerates the previous rulers of Persia and some of their great deeds. Then he says that it's all lost because of Xerxes' failure to remember and follow Darius' precepts.
The elders ask what Persia should do, and Darius tells them not to wage any more wars with Hellas because armies that attack it will be unable to live off the land and will suffer from famine. [This didn't seem to affect the Persian-Hellene war mentioned in this play until the Persians had retreated, but that's still what Darius said.] He also tells Atossa to put on nicer clothes and comfort Xerxes when he returns.
Darius then rails about how pride is a "sin" that can cause failure. He says that one should not covet what others have but should instead be humble. Then he descends back into his tomb.
Atossa departs to put on nicer clothes, and the elders talk amongst themselves about how good a ruler Darius was and how bad a state Persia is in.
Xerxes returns and wants the elders to join him in wallowing in self-pity. The elders do so. They also start asking about individuals in his army, and he tells them they're all dead. Atossa doesn't return during the play. Until the end of the play, Xerxes and the elders stand around, saying things like wailing and lamenting Persia's loss (though Xerxes may also be concerned about the blow to his ego)
Arriving in Persia after the war could reveal a setting as described in this play. Since Persia's army is destroyed, they might be facing an invasion or a rebellion that the player could deal with.
The player could be involved on either side of the Persian-Hellene war.
The player could be part of Xerxes retreating army. The main goal would be to survive and to keep as much of the army alive as possible.
Chorus: Theban women
Eteocles, king of Thebes (and son of Oedipus), announces to the people of Cadmus town that a Seer has had a vision of an Achaean host preparing to attack the town. This speech includes references to the difficulty of being king, prayers to Zeus, and flattery for the men of fighting age. He then tells them to go their posts and guard the roadways.
A messenger returns to speak to Eteoclus. He says that there's seven captains each leading soldiers to attack Thebes. He uses some flowery language to indicate that the enemies are dangerous, battle-hardened warriors and are close to the city.
Eteocles prays to Zeus and the other Gods to spare the city. As is normal in these sorts of he things, he tries to bribe the Gods. In this case, he's vague about it, just saying that prosperous cities contain lots of good worshippers.
A chorus of Theban women shows up. They bewail their fate and pray to various gods as they describe the enemies approaching. (The enemies are within eyeshot now.)
Eteocles call the women hags and berates them for spreading panic to the men of the city. He goes so far as to decree that anyone who doesn't follow his orders shall be stoned to death, and the women try to avoid his wrath by saying that they were afraid.
Eteocles keeps tell them to stop talking loudly about how everyone is doomed while he's trying to set up the city's defense. They try to argue with them, and he eventually tells them to shut up. During this time, the enemy soldiers approach the gates.
The Theban women still won't shut up, so Eteocles tells them to sing triumphant songs and cheer on the troops. As part of his argument, he vows to the Gods that he will sacrifice bulls if Cadmus is saved.
Eteocles then posts six of his own champions (presumably with soldiers), one at each of the gates. He takes position at the seventh gate himself.
The Theban women say that they want to cheer on the troops but are too afraid. Instead, they continue bemoaning their impending doom. They ask the Gods for a few bad things to happen to the enemies, but they also start talking about doom and the city being sent to hell. They say that all the men are going to be killed and all the women raped.
It is far from encouraging.
In any case, Eteocles and the messenger return. The messenger tells Eteocles that someone named Tydeus is leading the enemies at the Proetid Gate. A seer won't allow Tydeus to pass Ismenus Ford because the omens aren't good. Hence, Tydeus is standing there yelling at the seer (who happens to be the son of Oecles). He describes Tydeus' boasting, the device on his shield, and the plume on his helmet. He asks Eteocles who shall guard Proetid Port (not Gate - probably to make the original Greek poem sound better).
Eteocles says he's not afraid of Tydeus or the plume on anyone's helmet. So he sends Astacus to fight Tydeus (which makes you wonder if Eteocles isn't just a little bit afraid after all - then again, leading an army from the rear is relatively common). The Theban women try to cheer him on, but then say that he's about to die. The messenger says "May the Gods grant your prayer", presumably asking the Gods to let Astacus win.
Then the messenger says that Electrae Portals is being attacked by Capaneus. He describes Capaneus blaspheming against Zeus, and Eteocles basically calls Capaneus a twit. Eteocles sends Polyphontes to fight Capaneus. Surprisingly, the Theban women say something that's marginally encouraging, as opposed to something depressing.
The messenger describes the third gate, for which Eteoclus drew the lot. The gate is called Neistae Portals, but the messenger doesn't provide the name of the enemy captain at that gate. Despite Eteoclus having drawn the lot, he sends Megareus to guard the gate. He boasts about how the enemies are boasters. The Theban women have gotten into the whole "cheering" thing now and provide actual encouragement.
The messenger says that the fourth gate is the one by Athena Onca. Hippomedon is the enemy captain, and he has an image of Typhon blazoned on his shield. Eteocles sends Hyperbius, son of Oenops to fight him. He praises Hyperbius, who has the image of Zeus blazoned on his shield. And since Zeus is more powerful than Typhon, he implies that Hyperbius will be more powerful than Hippomedon. The Theban women provide encouragement.
The fifth gate is the Gate of Boreas, next to Amphion's Tomb. A young braggart named Parthenopaeus is the enemy champion at that gate. Eteoclus sends a knight named Actor to guard this gate. Once again, the Theban women provide encouragement.
The sixth gate is the Homolean Gate. A prophet named Amphiaraus is the enemy this gate. He shouts insults about Eteoclus and his father and brother. He then spouts a tirade about wrecking Oedipus' kingdom and says about how great of a war this is. He also says some things that seem to indicate that he's prophesying his own death.
Eteoclus says (at great length) that he doesn't want to kill a "just" man, but he sends Lasthenes to fight him anyways. The Theban women pray to Zeus in an encouraging way.
The seventh gate is being attacked by Eteocles' own brother, Polyneices. Polyneices says that Justice, the daughter of Zeus, is on his side. Eteocles says that this is the end of Oedipus' race because he has to fight his brother. He says that Justice isn't on Polyneices' side and goes to fight his brother himself.
The Theban women tell Eteocles that he shouldn't fight his own brother because "brother-murder" is somehow worse than the rest of the killing. Eteocles is very gung ho about fighting his brother and says that it's because of his father's curse. The Theban women ask him not to fight Polyneices in the name of the Gods, but he says he doesn't care about the gods. They continue trying to convince him not to, but he goes to fight his brother at the seventh gate anyways.
The Theban women say that this is a curse Oedipus placed upon his children. They then summarize briefly the story of how Oedipus killed his father and married his mother. They make reference to the Erinys, the female personifications of vengeance. They also mention that Eteocles and Polyneices were twin brothers.
The messenger returns and tells them that Thebes is safe, but Eteocles and Polyneices killed eachother. The Theban women are happy that the city is saved but sad that their king is dead. They talk more about Oedipus' curse.
Antigone and Ismene, the daughters of Oedipus, arrive to mourn their brothers with help from the Theban women. A herald arrives and says that the Governers appointed by the people of Cadmus have declared that Eteocles be buried with honor and Polyneices thrown to the dogs. Antigone says that she will bury Polyneices regardless of what anyone says. She argues with the herald until he leaves.
The Theban women talk some more about how tragic the whole situation was. [There seem to be a few morals here: don't have sex with your mother, and don't kill your brother. The first would also be a moral of the story of Oedipus, which also has a moral of "don't kill your father". So this play is not only a sequel to the story of Oedipus, but also a repetition of its morals.] Finally, Antigone and half the women depart with the body of Polyneices, and Ismene and the other half of the women depart with the body of Eteocles.
Seven armies could be attacking a city that they player has to defend.
Since Oedipus married his own mother, Eteocles and his siblings were all inbred. There could be some adventure involving the descendants of Antigone and/or Ismene that focuses on inbreeding in some fashion.
The player could travel to Cadmus at some point after the battle.
Chorus: The Oceanides.
Kratos and Bia carry Prometheus into a deep gorge. Vulcan is with them.
Kratos tells Vulcan to chain Prometheus to a rock because Zeus ordered it as punishment for bringing fire to mankind. Vulcan delays, saying that it's wrong for one god to bind another to suffer alone for a very long time. Kratos keeps telling him to hurry because they don't want to risk Zeus' wrath. Before long, Vulcan has Prometheus chained securely to a rock.
After they leave, Prometheus bemoans his fate and expresses his anger. He says that he shall be trapped there 10,000 years and shall suffer the whole time. However, he does foresee "all that shall come to pass" and is determined to bear it as best he can because he must.
He hears someone coming, and the Oceanides arrive in a winged chariot. they tell him that they come in kindness, and he gripes about his situation.
They tell him that Zeus is making strange and thoughtless laws now that he doesn't have Prometheus' advice. Prometheus says that he wishes he were in Tartarus so the other gods couldn't enjoy the sight of his pain. The Oceanides tell him that Zeus is the only god who delights in Prometheus' pain.
Prometheus tells them that Zeus shall need him to reveal the conspiracy against him, but he won't talk unless he's released form his chains. The Oceanides tell him that he's too bold with his speech and won't be freed by prayer to Zeus. Prometheus tells them that he and Zeus will reach an agreement, and the Oceanides ask how.
Prometheus rails about how he helped Zeus gain his throne and that Zeus still doesn't trust them (due to Zeus' paranoia about keeping his power). Zeus wanted to wipe out mankind, and Prometheus saved them. So now Zeus has him chained to a rock.
The Oceanides ask what else he did to anger Zeus. He says that he gave men hope and fire, and Zeus torments him for it. Zeus will continue to torment him indefinitely until Zeus changes his mind. The Oceanides advise him to forget the past and seek some way to get free. Prometheus says he expected to be punished, but he didn't think the punishment would be so terrible.
Oceanus arrives riding on a monster. He says that he comes in friendship, and Prometheus rails against Zeus' lack of gratitude for Prometheus' previous assistance. Oceanus tells him to stop his angry speech because Zeus might hear him and make Prometheus' sufferings worse. Oceanus promises to convince Zeus to free Prometheus.
Prometheus tells him not to bother because it won't work. He mentions Atlas (whom Zeus forced to hold up the earth) and Typhon (whom Zeus killed). Oceanus asks if Prometheus' rage is therapeutic, and he says yes. They both talk a little bit more, and Oceanus leaves.
The Oceanides weep for the loss of all the ancient gods. Prometheus then tells them about mankind.
Mankind knew nothing and dug holes to live in. Prometheus taught them about numbers, writing, animal domestication, the wheel, boats, wagons, primitive medicine, divination, cooking, butchering, fire starting, and all manner of other arts.
The Oceanides say that he should worry less about mankind and more about himself. They also tell him that he shall be mightier than Zeus when he escapes his chains. (Presumably, this is intended to cheer him up rather than to flatter him, since he's chained to a rock.)
Prometheus says that he must be tormented because of the Fates and the Furies who "pilot Necessity". The Oceanides ask if the Fates are more powerful than Zeus, and Prometheus says that Zeus surely will accept his fate. The Oceanides ask what Zeus' fate is, and Prometheus won't tell them because that secret shall free him.
The Oceanides make a rambling speech about how he shouldn't have helped mankind against the will of Zeus. They also say something about how Prometheus married his own sister, Hesione.
Io, a woman turned into a cow is chased to Prometheus by a gadfly. She asks who Prometheus is and how he got here. She also asks for help (which is strange given that Prometheus is chained to a rock). Prometheus impresses her by telling her about herself and then introduces himself. She asks him how long she will be tormented, but he doesn't want to tell her. At the Oceanides' behest, she will tell the story of her woe, and then Prometheus will aid her.
Io tells her story.
| The Story of Io |
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Io had recurring dreams in which Zeus flattered and wooed her. She told her father, and he sent missioners repeatedly to Pytho and Dodona to find out what the gods wanted to be done. The responses were unclear until the oracle of Loxias told Inachus that he must force Io to leave her home or Zeus will destroy all of Io's race with a thunderbolt. Inauchus obeyed and threw Io out. After leaving, Io turned into a cow for no apparent reason. Additionally, a gadfly kept stinging her. She ran to escape the gadfly, but could not. A giant named Argus also pursued her, but he perished. Io continued on her way until she came to Prometheus. |
The Oceanides lament Io's fate.
Prometheus tells Io to head east to the country of the Scyths (who have long bows and live in wagons). He tells her to avoid them and the Chalybes (savage workers of iron) as well. Then she will come to the Hybristes river, which she must not cross. Instead, she must climb the Caucasus mountain and follow the road south through Amazonian land. Then she will arrive at Themiscyra (near Thermodon's stream), at which point she must follow the Salmadessian coast to the Cimmerian Isthmus and cross over the channel of Maeotis' Lake. (This strait shall be renamed to the Bosporus in memory of Io's crossing.) And then she shall have left Europe and arrived on Asia, but that's not the end of her journey.
At this point, Prometheus calls Zeus a tyrant and says that Io's torment is unfair. Io wants to kill herself to end her suffering, and Prometheus tells her that his suffering is much worse because he is immortal and can't die. He must suffer until Zeus falls.
Io asks when Zeus shall fall and by whom he shall be defeated. Prometheus says that Zeus will defeat himself by marrying someone who shall have a child more powerful than his father. He also tells her that Zeus won't be able to prevent this without the help of Prometheus, and Prometheus won't help unless he's freed.
To satisfy Io's curiosity, Prometheus tells her that he shall be freed by Io's descendant thirteen generations away. Io wants to know her own fate and who her descendant that will free Prometheus will be, but Prometheus tells her that he will only reveal one the other. The Oceanides prevail upon him to reveal both.
First, Prometheus continues Io's story. After entering Asia, Io must head east until she reaches the Gorgonean Plain, where the Phorcides (3 old swan-shaped maids who share one eye and one tooth) live. Prometheus warns her that the Phorcides' sisters, the Gorgons (who have snakes instead of hair and wings), live nearby. He also tells her to avoid the griffons and the horse-riding Arimaspians.
Then she shall come to a dark-skinned race that dwells next to the river Aethiops. She will follow the river to the land of the Nile, where her journey will be over.
As a reward for her patient listening, Prometheus tells Io some of what already happened to her. When she was at the Molossian plain atop Dodona (the location of an oracle and shrine of Zeus Thesprotian), the talking oaks hailed her as Zeus' destined spouse. Then she came to the gulf of Rhea, where she had to go back the way she came. (This inlet shall be called the Ionian Sea in memory of her passage.)
He then tells her more about things that are to come. She will come to a city called Yclept Canobus in the land of Nile, and there Zeus shall restore her. From being restored by Zeus, she shall conceive and bear Epaphus. The fifth generation after him (to be correct, it's the fifth generation after Io) shall return to Argos, fleeing from unlawful marriage. (These are the 50 maiden sisters from The Suppliant Maidens.) The 50 maidens are forced to marry Pelasgians. 49 of them kill their husbands, but the 50th doesn't. This 50th maiden is the mother of kings in Argos. One of her descendants sets Prometheus free.
Prometheus says that the oracle Thesmis (Prometheus' mother) revealed this to him. More information would take a long time to tell Io, and wouldn't help her.
Io starts raving about how the gadfly is stinging her again and runs away.
The Oceanides say that marriage should be between equals, not between rich and poor, noble and commoner, or mortal and god. They don't know how they could escape if Zeus decided to mate with them.
Prometheus says again that Zeus shall be overthrown by his own child, as dictated by the curse Zeus' own father made against Zeus when he overthrew him. Only Prometheus can prevent this.
The Oceanides think that Prometheus believes this to be true only because he wants it to be (people believe that which they want to be true and that which they fear might be). Prometheus says that's not the case.
The Oceanides tell him that he should make obeisance towards Zeus in order to avoid his further wrath. Prometheus scorns their advice and expresses his contempt for Zeus, who won't rule much longer.
Hermes shows up with a message from Zeus. He says that Prometheus must reveal the truth of Zeus' fate. Prometheus calls Hermes insolent and refuses to reveal by whom Zeus shall be overthrown. Hermes and Prometheus argue, and Hermes threatens that Zeus will cause an earthquake to sink Prometheus into Tartarus and then have an eagle eat his liver every day if Prometheus refuses to reveal the secret. Moreover, the Oceanides ask him to give in, but he still refuses.
The Oceanides choose to remain with Prometheus when he's sent to Tartarus. Hermes leaves, and Zeus causes the aforementioned earthquake, which sends Prometheus and the Oceanides to Tartarus.
Rescue Io from Argus, from Hera (who is actually the one persecuting her, not Zeus), or from the whole situation.
The player could be placed in some similar situation by Zeus and have to escape.
The player could be the one who's supposed to overthrow Zeus (note that in Greek mythology Prometheus advises Zeus to prevent this, but there's ANOTHER prophecy saying much the same thing about Metis, who Zeus has eaten).
The player could meet the Phorcides or the Gorgons.
The player could meet Prometheus either when he's chained to the rock or at some point afterwards.
There's alot of mention of other stories involving Io's descendants which could be used as adventure hooks.
Chorus: Argive Elders
A watchman stands watch at the Atreidae's Palace. He sees the signal fire at Mt. Arachne, which signals that the battle at Troy is over. He then runs to tell Agamemnon's wife, Clytaemnestra, that the beacon has been lit. Apparently, he gives this information to the Argive elders to pass on, and they speak of the 10 years that the siege of Troy lasted.
When they reach Clytaemnestra, they tell her that Troy has fallen. At first, she doubts it's true, but seems happy when she believes it's true. She does, however, mention that alot of people have died. The Argive elders mourn the dead.
A herald comes and says that Agamemnon (the king) is returning. Clytaemnestra tells him to tell Agamemnon to hurry back because his city needs him. She also says that she has been true to him while he was gone and then leaves. The herald observes that her speech was a little bit over the top.
The Argive elders ask the herald about Menelaus, and the herald says that he and many others are sailing home, but were separated. The herald doesn't know when (or if) the rest will return. The herald leaves, and the Argive elders talk about the gods and badmouth Paris. They also talk a bit about pride and such.
Agamemnon returns with Cassandra and his attendants in chariots. The Argive elders cheer. Agamemnon is happy to be back and tells them that everyone Odysseus was loath to sail away from Troy, and his whereabouts are unknown. Then he says he just wants to get inside his house.
Clytaemnestra comes out to meet him with carpets laid out for him. Agamemnon tells her that carpets are too extravagant for him and he won't walk on them. She finally convinces him he should do so, and he gets off of his chariot and goes inside with her. The Argive elders make a blustery speech that has nothing to do with anything that's going on.
Clytaemnestra comes back out to convince Cassandra to come in as well. At first, Cassandra doesn't say anything and the Argive elders encourage her to go in. Cassandra is a soothsayer and begins bewailing her impending doom. She starts screaming like a crazy woman, and the Argive elders call her crazy. She says that Apollo gave her the ability to see the future but that she's cursed to never have anyone believe her.
She predicts that she and Agamemnon will both die and finally goes inside because she doesn't believe there's any way to avoid it. At one point, she also said that they were going to cook Agamemnon's children and feed them to him.
Finally, she goes in, and the Argive elders hear Agamemnon shout that he is mortally wounded. The elders break down the door and get in. They find Agamemnon and Cassandra dead. Clytaemnestra says that she killed him, and mocks the Argive elders when they call her a monster. She boasts and talks about how guilty Agamemnon was. The elders mourn Agamemnon and argue with Clytaemnestra.
Aegisthus arrives with some guards. The Argive elders tell him that Clytaemnestra killed Agamemnon. Aegisthus tells them not to tell him what to do and that he conspired with Clytaemnestra to kill Agamemnon. The Argive elders want to kill them, but Clytaemnestra convinces them not to. THey say that Orestes (Agamemnon's son) will return and overthrow them, and then they leave.
In ancient times, it was common for men to attack a village, kill all the men, kill all the children, and enslave all the women. This is the apparent cause of the battle at Troy. Chimpanzees also participate in similar behavior.
The player could help Orestes overthrow Clytaemnestra and Aegisthus.
Chorus: Slave women
Note: This is a sequel to Agamemnon.
Orestes and his friend, Pylades, are at the tomb of Agamemnon. Orestes prays to Hermes to help him fight for his "cause". A group of slave women approach, as does another women, whom Orestes identifies as his sister, Electra. Orestes and Pylades conceal themselves.
The slave women bemoan Agamemnon's death and declare that they want vengeance against those who did it. They also qualify this by saying that they're only slaves, so they can do nothing.
Electra pours offerings upon her father's grave, while discussing the appropriate prayer to make with the slave women. Electra finds a lock of hair and some footprints, and says that she hopes that Orestes was there. And then Orestes reveals himself.
Electra doesn't recognize him and doubts that it's really Orestes. He convinces her without difficulty. They talk about how their father's dead, their mother's evil, and how Orestes has to extract vengeance for his father's death. They go on about this for some time.
The slave women tell Orestes that his mother had a dream that she nursed a snake, and Orestes says that he should kill her for it. Presumably, the snake represents her betrayal of Agamemnon (at least as Orestes is interpreting it - another interpretation would be that he is the snake).
Orestes comes up with a plan to kill Aegisthus, the murderer of Agamemnon. He will go to his home and clame to be a traveler. When they let him in, he will kill Aegisthus with his sword. He sends Electra to keep an eye on what's going on in the house, and he brings Pylades with him.
The slave women summarize what's going on and talk about justice.
Orestes and Pylades arrive at the palace with the slave women. Orestes knocks, and the doorkeeper asks why they're there. Orestes says that he has a message for the masters of the palace. Clytaemnestra shows up with Electra, and Orestes tells them that Orestes died in a foreign land. (Evidently, Clytaemnestra doesn't recognize her own son, Orestes.) Clytaemnestra expresses her grief, and then she tells Electra to take them to the men's guest-chambers. They all enter the palace.
Clytaemnestra indicates that she thinks the traveler (Orestes) is up to some kind of mischief. The woman who nursed Orestes is lurking around and is disturbed by the tale of Orestes' death, but thinks Clytaemnestra is faking grief. The nurse talks to the slave women.
Aegisthus comes out to see if the tales of Orestes' death are true. The slave women send him to talk to the traveler (Orestes), who kills him. Orestes and Pylades then talk to Clytaemnestra, who comes because of the Aegisthus' scream. She grieves for Aegisthus and begs Orestes not to kill her because she's his mother. Orestes and Pylades aren't moved by compassion. Orestes drags her away and kills her while the slave women shout about how happy they are that justice has been served.
Orestes makes a speech about how he was justified to kill them because of their treachery and because the prophet Loxias told him to. He also says that he feels bad about murdering his own mother, but it was something he had to do.
The player could help Orestes escape or take control of his kingdom.
Chorus: Furies
Note: This is the sequel to Choephoroe.
At the temple of Apollo in Delphi, a prophetess says that she saw a man with a bloody sword pursued by horrid Gorogon-like women. Apollo opens the temple doors, displaying the scene she described. It's Orestes with the sword, and the Gorgon-like women are the Furies.
Apollo says that he will protect Orestes, and he sends Orestes to Athens to pray to the statue of Athena so that he may be judged. Orestes leaves, and Apollo goes to his sanctuary.
The ghost of Clytaemnestra appears and stirs the Furies into an angry mob. They rave about how Orestes has murdered his mother and deserves to be killed. Apollo returns and chases them out. They argue over whether Orestes should be punished. Apollo says that he will protect Orestes, but the Furies chase him anyways.
A year or so later, Orestes arrives at the Shrine of Pallas and prays to Athena's statue. The Furies find him at this point. Orestes prays to Athena for help, and the Furies dance and sing to torment Orestes. Eventually, Athena arrives.
Athena makes a speech about how justice will be served regardless of oaths, and the Furies decide to allow Athena to decide what to do about Orestes. Orestes tells her about the situation, and Athena has a trial with witnesses and everything.
The Furies furiously bitch about how they should get to torment Orestes.
Athena starts the trial, and Apollo arrives. He is there both to testify that he purged Orestes' blood guild and because he is on trial as well.
The Furies question Orestes. Orestes admits that he killed Clytaemnestra, and said that Apollo told him to through his prophet. The Furies state that they were after Orestes and not Clytaemnestra because she killed someone she wasn't related to (unlike Orestes, who killed his own mother).
Apollo says that Zeus told him to tell Orestes to kill his mother, so this is all Zeus' fault. The Furies observe that Apollo is claiming that Zeus values the life of a father when Zeus killed his own. Apollo argues that it is the father that the child comes from, and the mother just gets pregnant, meaning she's less important. He uses Zeus giving birth to Athena as an example of someone having a father but not a mother.
Athena lets the men of Athens vote on the verdict as jurors. The Furies and Apollo try to sway Athena, and she says that she would side with Orestes if it were up to her. The vote is finished, and it is a tie. This lets Orestes go free.
Orestes thanks Athena and leaves. The Furies gripe about losing, and Athena tells them not to take so hard. After all, they're still gods. The Furies say that they should be able to do what they want because they're older and wiser, but Athena says in a roundabout way that she's even wiser.
The Furies tell the people of Athens not to kill their own relatives, and Athena says that they are wise.
The player could encounter Orestes either while he's fleeing from the Furies or after these events.
The player could fight off the Furies in some similar situation.
Copyright (C) 2006-2007 Steven Fletcher. All rights reserved.
