2
ΘΕΜΙΣΤΟΚΛΕΣ
THEMISTOCLES
and the
Persian War
A Fifth Grade Play
by
Eugene Schwartz
THEMISTOCLES
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Zeus, ruler of the heavens / Sybaritis, a Persian satrapHera, his consort / Aricles, courtier to Sybaritis
Hephæstus, god of the forge / Ericles, courtier to Sybaritis
Apollo, god of light and music / Iscicles, courtier to Sybaritis
Hermes, messenger of the gods
Ares, god of war / Acidophila, servant to Stesilaus
Aphrodite, goddess of beauty / Stesilaus, an Athenian noblewoman
Poseidon, ruler of the sea
Athene, goddess of wisdom / Xanthippus, leader of the Democrats
Aristides, leader of the Oligarchs
First Merchant / Kimon, a demagogue and general
Second Merchant / Hybrias, a demagogue and general
Third Merchant / First Assassin
Fourth Merchant / Second Assassin
Fifth Merchant / Third Assassin
Stavros, a gymnast
Niarkos, a gymnast / Thyria, wife to Xanthippus
Onassos, a gymnast / Pericles, their son
First Acrobat / Phosphaë, their first daughter
Second Acrobat / Zoë, their second daughter
Thermophilus,
steward to Themistocles
Athenian Officer
Themistocles,
an Athenian statesman / Melina, an Athenian woman
Merkuri, an Athenian woman
Cleonika, an Athenian woman
Scene 1
(Olympus. The action takes place on and off the stage, and finally in the Great Hall of the Olympian Gods. Hera appears, pursuing Zeus.)
Hera:
Zeus, I need to speak with you!
Zeus:
Hera, I have work to do!
Hera:
Always fleeing to your work!
Zeus:
Shall I all my duties shirk?
Hera:
You care so much for mortals' lives,
And for mortal maids you yearn,
Yet heedlessly you neglect your wife —
Oh Zeus, when will you learn?
Your exploits make you a laughingstock,
Men know not whether to worship or mock!
Zeus:
Now Hera, be still, and let me explain —
(Hephæstus rushes onto the stage and clutches Hera.)
Hephæstus:
Oh mother, Aphrodite's run off yet again!
She's left me, as so many times before,
To revel and riot with the God of War.
Oh, help me to find that false, faithless pair!
Zeus:
Now, now, Hephæstus, no need to despair,
They'll show up soon — any day — any year . . . .
Hera (sobbing):
Is that your answer? It is just as I feared,
So much like his father fair Ares appears —
Not far from the tree falls the fruit — how you leer!
Do you see, husband Zeus, what chaos you've created
By stretching the ties that bind?
No surprise that on earth we gods are berated,
And mortals think Love to be blind!
Zeus (embraces her):
Dear Hera, be calm now, you'll find some relief —
(Apollo rushes in, holding Hermes by the scruff of his neck.)
Apollo:
Look father, I've caught him — the scoundrel, the thief,
Stealing my cattle, scaring my sheep!
You smile at his mischief, but I'll make him weep!
Zeus:
Ah, boys will be boys, even when they're immortal!
Young Hermes has given me many a chortle,
He does some bad deeds, but his heart isn't bad —
(Ares and Aphrodite appear. Hephæstus tries to embrace Aphrodite, but Ares pushes him aside.)
Hephæstus:
Aphrodite — beloved! — Ares — you cad!
Ares:
Keep away! You reek of smoke and grime!
Since when is being in love a crime?
All the gods know as well as I do
Aphrodite was forced to marry you!
There are times when she needs
Some joy, and a change
From your forge and your noise
And your stifling flames!
Aphrodite:
Protect me, oh Zeus,
I'm helpless and weak!
Hera:
Listen to that hussy speak!
She loves nothing so much as her lovely self —
(Poseidon storms in, pulling Athene behind him.)
Poseidon:
Zeus, I call on you for help!
Athene draws to herself the men
Who used to worship me —
Athene (defiantly):
Those who once were Poseidon's thralls
I teach to be free!
I show them how to build safe docks
Fearing not Poseidon's storms,
How to hew ship's beams of olive stock
That Poseidon cannot harm;
But when mortals no longer fear him,
Poseidon cries out in alarm!
Poseidon:
How dare you show such insolence!
Athene:
I dare to show intelligence!
Poseidon:
Do you imply that somehow I
Am lacking in intellect?
Perhaps the guidance of my trident
Will inspire a little respect!
(Poseidon raises his trident and chases Athene.)
Athene:
Save me, father Zeus!
(In the melee, Hephæstus gets past Ares and pulls Aphrodite towards him. Apollo begins to thrash Hermes, while Hera takes Ares by the shoulders and angrily shakes him. All the gods cry out at once.)
Hera:
Give her back, Ares!
Ares:
Help me, oh Zeus!
Aphrodite:
Don't hurt me, Hephæstus!
Apollo:
Hermes, you thief!
Hermes:
Zeus, protect me!
Poseidon:
Come back here, Athene!
Athene:
Zeus, stop him!
(The stage darkens, with a dim light on Zeus alone. He raises his thunderbolt, and there is a flash of lightning and crash of thunder.)
Zeus:
I command that all quarrels cease!
Let there be silence! Let there be peace!
When the gods do nothing but rage and quarrel
The world becomes a vale of sorrow. . . .
So listen to my words!
Ten years ago, we helped Athens' men
Overcome their Persian lords;
Darius' Empire was invincible then,
But well-wielded were Grecian swords.
Then Darius died, and to the imperial throne
Xerxes, his son, next ascended;
He knows well the will with which the Greeks
Their homeland once defended.
And now he considers wreaking revenge
Upon his father's old foes . . . .
But whether he decides for war or peace,
Xerxes' choice the gods must not oppose!
(The gods gasp and look at one another incredulously.)
Zeus:
The time has passed when Olympians
Might meddle in affairs of men;
Mortals must now become self-reliant,
Independent, yes, even defiant,
And our rule must gradually end.
Poseidon:
This cannot be —
Apollo:
It's much too soon —
Hera:
No longer rule men? —
Ares:
What will we do with ourselves? —
Zeus:
It must be — and it shall be done!
Olympians, gather around my throne,
(The Olympians gather around Zeus with their backs to the audience.)
Zeus:
Raise your right hand and stand at attention,
While you take this vow of non-intervention.
(As the Olympians raise their right hands in obeisance, they place their left hands behind their backs and cross their fingers.)
Olympians:
We so pledge, O Father Zeus!
Zeus:
Now go!
Resolve your squabbles, gods, and leave mortals alone
To settle old scores and wage war on their own.
(The quarreling gods approach each other in a conciliatory way and leave the stage in pairs: Zeus and Hera, Apollo and Hermes, and Poseidon and Athene. Hephæstus pulls Aphrodite away from Ares. As Aphrodite is drawn off by Hephæstus, she looks longingly at Ares until he abruptly exits. Before they leave the stage, Aphrodite throws herself at Hephæstus' feet and weeps.)
Aphrodite:
Hephæstus, my husband, you're hurt to the core —
Yet you know you're the one I love and adore!
Hephæstus:
What of strong Ares? Don't you love him much more?
Aphrodite:
When compared to you, husband, Ares is callow,
He's arrogant, ignorant, somnolent, shallow;
He keeps me amused for a day (perhaps two),
But then I am longing to come back to you!
Hephæstus:
Aphrodite, you know that I feel that way, too!
Though I work in earth's depths,
When you're there I'm in heaven,
To please and delight you — by this I am driven;
You are the reason I'm working and living.
Ask what you want of me — it will be given!
Aphrodite (thinks for a moment):
Remember, Hephæstus, the proud city of Troy,
That the savage Greeks plundered, and burned, and destroyed?
And all because I had paired Paris with Helen —
The Greeks' barbarous cruelty can not be forgiven!
Now they will pay! I'll see Athens in flames
While her people pray to me, seeking mercy — but in vain!
Hephæstus, among gods you are unique,
For you teach mortals mastery of every technique;
Inspire the Persians! Help them forge arms
That can puncture and sever and do severe harm,
Hammer dark weapons and armor so bright
That all who encounter them die of sheer fright!
Hephæstus:
But Zeus said that none of us should interfere —
Aphrodite (grows affectionate):
Hephæstus, beloved, my darling, my dear,
Prove that you love me — do as I ask —
You, you alone, have the skill for this task!
Hephæstus (flattered):
I will teach the Persians arts of war
That will win them battles and fame —
How to fill a ditch with fiery pitch
And set their foes aflame,
How to forge hard swords of iron,
And adamantine shields,
Ships whose weight and speed and might
Will make opponents yield,
Athens will fall, desolated,
Succumbing to weapons like these,
Persia will rise up, elated,
And Aphrodite will smile on me, pleased!
When you're happy, Aphrodite, then life for me is bliss.
Come back to our forge, my darling,
And see how much you've been missed.
(Hephæstus pulls her towards him. Aphrodite gently pushes him away.)
Aphrodite:
Of course, my husband!
But from my weeping and my moaning
My looks are a disgrace!
Return to your forge — I'll be with you soon —
Once I've put on a pretty face!
(Hephæstus bids her a warm farewell and she blows him a kiss and coyly waves. A moment later, Ares steps out of the shadows. Aphrodite throws herself at Ares' feet and weeps.)
Aphrodite:
Ares, beloved, you're hurt to the core —
Yet you know you're the one I love and adore!
Ares (annoyed):
It looks like you love Hephæstus much more!
Aphrodite:
When compared to you, Ares, Hephæstus is vile,
He's hideous, devious, loathsome, defiled;
He compels me to stay for a day (perhaps two),
But by then I am longing to come back to you!
Ares:
Aphrodite, you know that I feel that way, too!
When you gaze in my eyes, my heart is set soaring,
I love you much more than I love all my warring;
Though I move among soldiers who brandish my name,
When you're there I don't care for triumph or fame.
Ask what you want of me, for you make me tame!
Aphrodite (thinks for a moment):
Remember, dear Ares, the apple of gold,
That led to the tale, a thousand times told,
Of the war against Troy, with its treasures untold,
And all for the sake of fair Helen, so cold?
Because I won that apple, Athene can't stand me
And Hera's ever ready to reprimand me,
They will both side with Athens out of sheer jealousy,
They will do what they can to exasperate me!
Ares, among Olympians you are the strongest,
Your courage is greatest, your vision is longest.
Strengthen the Persians! Make them want war,
So their Empire's glory may shine forth once more;
Have them overcome Greece in a feast of bloodlust —
Where Athens now stands . . . . let there be dust!
Ares:
But Zeus said that none of us should interfere —
Aphrodite (grows affectionate):
Ares, beloved, my darling, my dear,
Prove that you love me — do as I ask —
You, you alone, have the strength for this task!
Ares (flattered):
Well . . . .
I could raise an army
Of two million men,
I'd watch them march across the world
And then limp home again . . . .
I'd send Discord, Hate, and Anger
Down to Earth to rouse men's ire,
And to prove that nothing can resist
Fear, and Force, and Fire.
Never before will so many men
Have been sent to be wounded or die
Never before will so many wives
Have grieved, and groaned, and cried,
But the victor won't weep — nor will I!
Aphrodite:
Oh, Ares, your words bring such joy to my heart,
I hardly can wait for the battle to start!
I'll go and help Xerxes build empires in air,
While you bring the Greeks cruel defeat and despair!
(Aphrodite and Ares run off together. Athene and Hermes appear out of the shadows.)
Hermes:
Whoever added "Mighty"
To the name of Aphrodite
Was indeed a sagacious soul;
I've heard, "All's fair in love and war,"
But I say they play foul!
Their solemn vow to Zeus was so recently spoken
And already their oaths lie forgotten and broken!
Our father must learn of the goddess' schemes,
Of Hephæstus' dire plans and Ares' dark dreams.
(Hermes starts to run off, but Athene clasps his shoulder.)
Athene:
Stay!
If war must come, then let it be,
And make a virtue of necessity.
Let Athens be refined in the fire of battle,
Let the carnage and the pain test her true mettle!
It is time to prepare for the oncoming age,
When Athens will stand on the world's center stage;
As empires crumble and dictators fall,
Athens will then ascend, greatest of all,
Deposing despots democratically,
Defying the gods with her will to be free.
And there is one man who knows this:
Themistocles!
Hermes:
Themistocles? Who is Themistocles?
Athene:
Follow me to Athens, Hermes,
And you, too, will see . . . .
(They move offstage and the lights dim to darkness.)
Scene 2
(The marketplace near the Port of Piræus, the harbor of Athens, 482 B.C.
Merchants enter, quickly setting up booths to sell their wares. Athenians enter from all directions. Three Gymnasts — Stavros, Niarkos, and Onassos — and acrobats perform for the crowd. The Merchants compete for their customers' attention, calling out loudly and stepping in front of one another. All is in great commotion.
A figure enters, covered from head to toe in a long cloak. When she pulls the cloak away, we see that this is Athene. She looks at the audience and places her finger over her mouth, signifying that her presence is a secret. She covers herself with the cloak and blends in with the Crowd.)
First Merchant:
Pomegranates, pure and piquant! Pomegranates!
Second Merchant: