Historical Miniatures Part 15

"Did you expect anything else, Alcibiades?"

"No, not really! Can I not fly?"

"You cannot, but I can."

"I see smoke! Is the house on fire?"

"Yes, it is. And there are archers posted outside!"

"The comedy is over! We return to tragedy...."

"And the satyr-play begins."

"My feet are hot; generally cold is a precursor of death."

"Everything is born from its opposite, Alcibiades."

"Give me a kiss."

She kissed him, the handsomest man of Athens.

"Thank you!"

"Go to the window; there you will see!"

Alcibiades stepped to the window. "Now I see."

At that moment he was struck by an arrow. "But now I see nothing! It grows dark, and I thought it would grow light."

Timandra fled, as the corpse began to burn.

SOCRATES

Sparta had conquered Athens, and Athens lay in ruins. The government by the people was over, and the rule of the Thirty Tyrants had succeeded it. Socrates and Euripides walked with sad faces among the ruins on the Agora.

Socrates spoke: "We are on the ruins of Athens' walls! We have become Spartans. We would have no tyrants, and now thirty rule over us."

"I go to the North," said Euripides, "to Macedonia, whither I am invited."

"In that you are right, for the Tyrants have forbidden the acting of your tragedies."

"That is true."

"And they have forbidden me to teach."

"Have they forbidden Socrates to speak? No! Then he can teach, for he cannot speak without teaching. But they must have forbidden the oracles to speak, for they have ceased to prophesy. Everything has ceased!

h.e.l.las has ceased to be! And why?"

"You may well ask. Has Zeus begotten the son who is to overthrow him, as Aeschylus foretold?"

"Who knows? The people have introduced a new G.o.d called Adonai or Adonis. He is from the East, and his name signifies the Lord."

"Who is the new G.o.d?"

"He teaches readiness for death, and the resurrection. And they have also got a new G.o.ddess. Have you heard of Cybele, the mother of the G.o.ds, a virgin, who is wors.h.i.+pped in Rome like Vesta by vestal priests."

"There is so much that is new and obscure, like wine in fermentation.

There comes Aristophanes. Farewell, my friend, for the last time here in life."

"Wait! Aristophanes beckons! No, see! he weeps! Aristophanes weeps!"

Aristophanes approached. "Euripides," he said, "don't go till I have spoken to you."

"Can you speak?" answered Euripides.

"I weep."

"Do not quit your role. Shall that represent tears?"

"Sympathise with a companion in distress, Euripides; the Tyrants have closed my theatre."

"Socrates, shall I sympathise with my executioner?"

"I believe that the Temple of Nemesis has been opened again," answered Socrates. "Aristophanes has never been ingenuous. .h.i.therto; now he is so with a vengeance. Very well, Aristophanes, I sympathise with you that you can no more scoff at me. I pardon you, but I cannot help you to stage your comedies. That is asking too much. Now I follow Euripides home."

Socrates sat by Aspasia, who had grown elderly. "Euripides has gone to Macedonia," he said.

"From his wives."

"You have become bitter."

"I am tired of seeing ruins and all the rest. The Tyrants are murdering the citizens."

"That is the occupation of tyrants."

"Shall we soon have rest?"

"In the Ceramicus, in a cedar coffin."

"I will not die; I will live, but quietly."

"Life is not quiet."