Page:The Theatre of the Greeks, a Treatise on the History and Exhibition of the Greek Drama, with Various Supplements.djvu/124

 106 ^SCHYLUS. (vv. 800 sq.). Now Potni^ was on the road from Thebes to Plat«a and the few fragments of the play called Glaucus Potrdeus certainly do not authorize us in denying that some of the many legends, of which Potnige was the traditionary home, might have been brought into connexion with the battle of Plataaa. The incident in the fate of Glaucus himself, namely, that he was torn to pieces by his own steeds, is undoubtedly referred to in one of the fragments^ ; and when we remember the dream of Atossa, and how Xerxes is overthrown by the visionary horses which he yokes to his chariot^ it is quite conceivable that some prophetical inferences may have been drawn from the downfal of Glaucus in the chariot-race at the funeral games of Pelias^. In any case, it is clear that the Per see with its contemporary references stood between two plays which derived their names and probably their action and circumstances from the mythical traditions of ancient Hellas. With regard to the Per see itself, it has been well remarked^ that " in this instance the scene is not properly Grecian ; it is referred by the mind to Susa, the capital of Persia, far eastward even of Babylon, and four months' march from Hellas. Remoteness of space in that case countervailed the proximity in point of time; though it may be doubted, whether, without the benefit of the supernatural, it would, even in that case, have satisfied the Grecian taste. And it certainly would not, had the reference of the whole piece not been so in- tensely Athenian." The next in point of date of the extant plays of ^schylus was the Seven against Thehes, which is stated to have been acted after the Persoe^, but must have appeared in the lifetime of Aris- teides, who died not later than B.C. 468. For the beautiful verses respecting Amphiaraus were considered at Athens to refer to that up- right statesman ^ This play, as Aristophanes makes its author call ^ Pausan. IX. 8; Strabo, p. 409. 2 e. g. Fragm. 30 ; see Hermann, de uEschyli Glaucis, Opusc. il. p. 63. » Pers. t8i. ^ Pausan, vi. 20, § 19. As rapd^nnros, Glaucus may have been serviceable accord- ing to Greek superstition in the defeat of the cavalry of Mardonius. ^ De Quincey, Leaders in literature and traditional errors affecting them, p. 66. ^ Aristophanes says {Ran. 1058): elra StSd^as Iiep<jas fiera tovto, speaking of the Seven against Thebes, but the Schol. informs us: rb de etra /cat to /xera tovto, ov d^Xovcriv aKoveiv irpos rds dibaaKaXias, dW if 'L(r(p r(p Kal tovto edida^a /cat to 'eTepov. And again {ad v. 1053): oi Hipaai irpoTepov dediday/xiuoL eiolv elTa oi eTrrd irrl Qrj^as. 7 Plut. Apophthegm. Reg. p. 186 B (739 Wyttenb.) : klcx^'Xov 7rotri<TavTOS els 'A/a- (pidpaov