Page:The collected works of Henrik Ibsen (Volume 5).djvu/412



SCENE FIRST.

''The eastern frontier of the empire. A wild mountain landscape. A deep valley separates the high foreground from the mountains behind.''

''The, in military dress, stands on the edge of a rocky promontory, and looks into the depths. A little way from him, to the left, stand, the Persian prince , , and several other generals. To the right, beside a roughly-built stone altar, crouch the soothsayer,, and two other Etruscan soothsayers, examining the entrails of the sacrifices for omens. Further forward sits on a stone, surrounded by, , and other philosophers. Small detachments of light-armed men now and then pass over the height from left to right.''

[Pointing downwards.] See, see—the legions wind like a scaly serpent through the ravine.

Those just below us, in sheepskin doublets, are the Scythians.

What piercing howls!