MESSENGER:
That is the thing that seems so marvelous.
You know, for you were witnesses, how he
left this place with no friend leading him,
acting, himself, as guide for all of us. Well, when he came to the steep place in the road,
the embankment there, secured with steps of brass,
he stopped in one of the many branching paths.
This was not far from the stone bowl that marks
Theseus’ and Pirithous’ covenant.
Halfway between that place of stone
with its hollow pear tree, and the marble tomb,
he sat down and undid his filthy garments;
then he called his daughters and commanded
that they should bring him water from a fountain
for bathing and libation to the dead. From there they saw the hillcrest of Demeter,
freshener of all things: they ascended it
and soon came back with water for their father; t
hen helped him properly to bathe and dress.
When everything was finished to his pleasure
and no command of his remained undone,
then the earth groaned with thunder from the god below;
and as they heard the sound, the girls shuddered
and dropped to their father’s knees, and began wailing,
beating their breasts and weeping, as if heartbroken.
And hearing them cry out so bitterly he put his arms around them, and said to them:
“Children, this day your father is gone from you.
All that was mine is gone. You shall no longer
bear the burden of taking care of me— I know it was hard, my children.
And yet one word frees us of all the weight and pain of life.
that word is love. You never shall have more
from anyone than you have had from me.
And now you must spend the rest of life without me.”
That was the way of it. They clung together and wept, all three.
But when they finally stopped
and no more sobs were heard, then there was
silence . . .
SOPHOCLES:
OEDIPUS AT COLONUS