The Children of Lucifer Third Act

Same setting as in the first act. The large square in Dionysia. On the left, the temple of Bacchus; on the right, the Christian basilica; in the background, the Prytaneum, which is now the proconsul's praetorium. Under the portico, a curule chair made of marble.

Scene 1

Kleonis, veiled in a gray cloak, soon followed by Thessalus. Young girls in mourning. Lykophron, some people, and the pontiff of Dto. nysies; a woman, a young man, and an old man.

KLEONIS [throwing back her veil]:
The heat here is eerie,
It is the pale reflection of a fate
That makes gods and men tremble;
You can see it on the houses
And on the foreheads of all men. —
Who can free themselves from such a burden?
[to Thessalus]
But where can I find Phosphoros?

THESSALUS:
He is in that dungeon over there.
He has surrendered himself to the judges.
One cannot understand such folly.

KLEONIS:
I know why he did it.
He wanted to challenge his fate.
He would rather endure shame and death
than shirk his calling.
When can we expect the verdict?

THESSALLIS:
I cannot tell you —
A funeral procession is approaching.
[Kleonis hides her face under her cap.]

[Six young girls in black veils carrying olive branches, accompanied by a group of people behind them, including Lycophron, approach the temple of Bacchus and sink to their knees before the altar]

THE CHORUS LEADER:
O Dionysus, protector of this city
We come in sorrow and distress!
Hear our pleas, our lamentations!
A noble son of the city
He shall fall prey to Caesar's wrath.
He is threatened with the horror of death.
Our souls tremble with fear,
Our bitter tears fall
At your feet! —
Your children beg you—help!

THE YOUNG GIRLS [in unison]:
Your children beg you—help!

THE PONTIFEX [stepping out of the temple]
Girls of our city,
I know your pain.
But you shall have comfort and hope.
I can proclaim to you the word of God:
He spoke to you through the mouth of a seer.

THE PEOPLE:
O! An oracle — listen!

THE PONTIFEX:
A wicked man has defiled the city,
Only a hero can free us.
Our God has promised
To send this hero to his children.
But we can only receive this grace
If a miracle occurs,
As bright as the sun,
And shining brighter than the stars.
[The woman, the young man, and the old man form a group.]

THE WOMAN:
Who is the wicked man?

THE OLD MAN:
None other than Phosphoros!

THE YOUNG MAN:
See the hero in Phosphoros!

THE ELDERLY MAN [shaking his head]
He will be judged.

THE YOUNG MAN [to Lycophron]:
And what do you have to say, seer?

LYCOPHRON:
The true hero is revealed
By a star on his forehead.
The blindfold falls from your eyes:
And the hero becomes visible!

THE CHORUS LEADER:
O God of eternal joy,
You, source of life for the soul,
Stimulator of all earthly urges,
From your tears humans sprout;
From your laughter gods arise!
So give us the savior —
So give us our hero, our god!
THE YOUNG GIRLS (in unison).
So give us our hero, our god!

THE PONTIFEX:
Girls, follow me into the temple.
At this hour, a man will be judged.
You should pray for him.

[The young girls, led by the choir leader, follow the pontiff into the temple.]

KLEONIS [standing apart]:
The difficult hour is approaching,
What shall I do?

THE YOUNG MAN:
Of which god does the oracle speak?

THE OLD MAN:
It speaks of Caesar!

THE WOMAN:
It speaks of Christ!

LYKOPHRON;
It heralds a new god!

THE OLD MAN;
What is his name?

LYKOPHRON:
The name will only be revealed
When the deed proves it. —
So strangely spoke the prophet's mouth,
Even stranger will it be
When what has been spoken comes to pass.

THE OLD MAN:
It will always be dark,
What this seer speaks.

THE WOMAN:
Let us ask the bishop;
He surely knows the truth.

THE OLD MAN:
Let us go to him.
Since we are Christians after all.

[The three, followed by some people, approach the basilica.]

Act 2

Kleonis, Thessalus, Lykophron, the old man, the woman, the young man, people.

THE OLD MAN;
You shepherd of your faithful flock,
In the name of Christ we call upon you
The city is in mourning, speak to us.
[Bell tolls inside the basilica]

THE PEOPLE:
In the name of Christ we call upon you!
[Second bell tolls]

THE BISHOP [stepping out of the gate]:
What do you ask?

THE ELDER:
Exalted Bishop, hear us!
Phosphoros must be judged.
He is accused of grave crimes;
He is seen as an enemy of Caesar.
The worst disgrace awaits him
But the voice of Dionysus
Proclaims a miracle and the hero
Who will lead us out of our misery.
You must know him, wise shepherd.
So tell us who it is!

THE BISHOP:
You speak of the lies of the pagan god
And want to be Christians!
Are you not ashamed to enter
That house of Satan?
As long as this den of vice stands,
Only fornication and devilry
Will reign among this people. —
You speak of a pagan: you,
Who is to bring you freedom?
True freedom is to be found
Through one alone, through Christ Jesus!
And you wait for a miracle?
There are no other miracles
Than those performed in Christ's name
By the Church and its servants.
In this city there is only one source of miracles,
It is with this shepherd's crook!
You come to me unclean,
Stained by the vices of the pagan gods.
I therefore forbid you to participate
In our sacraments! Go —

THE PEOPLE [dismayed]
He has pronounced a curse upon us!

THE BISHOP:
Only if you repent,
will I remit your punishment.

THE PEOPLE:
We will repent!

THE BISHOP:
Then listen! [He descends the steps of the basilica.]
...Come here!
But show no bold foreheads
[He raises his crozier threateningly.]
As sinners, bow down to the ground.

[Men and women form a circle around the bishop with bent backs and stretched necks. The bishop speaks into each person's ear in a muffled and hissing tone.]

Caesar's enemy is not only
Phosphoros; he is even
In league with the evil forces.
He has brazenly climbed the mountain of black magic
In Taurus;
He has conjured up Satan.
Only those who have become children of Lucifer
Can leave this place alive;
The others sink into the abyss. -So, full of sinful lusts,
He succeeded in abducting one of the virgins
From the desert sanctuary.
No one knows where she has gone.

[The people want to protest with gestures of astonishment and horror.]

That is how it is with your hero.
He shows himself to be a messenger of hell!
All his misdeeds
Will be proven before the judge.
He will be forced
To drag himself here in humility
To the cross of this church;
And here the miracle will happen —
Through my blessing
He will also be forgiven by Caesar.
But if Phosphoras
Should ever again show defiance to Caesar
And to the Church of our God,
Then you must cry out
“Death to the sinner! Death upon him!”]
Only such behavior will save you!

[The people recoil in horror. The bishop solemnly ascends the steps of the church and turns around in the doorway. With his crozier outstretched, he speaks in a solemn tone.]

Forgiveness of your sins
And my priestly blessing
I promise you, if you act thus,

[The distraught crowd slowly disperses with gestures of despair. The woman, the young man, and the old man leave last, turning back several times and pointing with signs of horror at the church gate.]

LYKOPHRON [aside]:
The sacraments serve
Only to enslave the soul,
When such people guard them.
[He exits.]

KLEONIS:
He has them all against him,
Caesar and the whole empire,
The bishop and the Christian crowd.
They will crush him,
Him, upon whose pain-filled forehead
The star shines brightly. —
The judge approaches, and behind him
An army of countless people.

[The soldiers arrive.]

And there is no one in this crowd
Who is not ready to thrust
The weapon into Theokles' chest.
Where is your fire, where is your lightning,
To sweep away all the Ilass?
What shall I do at this moment?
A god has risen from the grave,
Christ descended into hell,
To save the damned.
And I, risen in love,
Should I not have the strength
To free my beloved hero?
Heavenly powers, creators of souls,
Create free people now!
God of love, help me!
Harden my heart to diamond,
That I may endure all blows!
Let my arms become flames
That break all chains,
That redeem my Phosphorus! —
[She spreads her arms JUS as if in ecstasy.]

THESSALUS:
Here come the armour-bearers!
They may discover us here.
Let us hide
At your sister's house.
[He pulls her with him.]

Scene 3

Damis, Phrygius, and Androkles enter hurriedly and speak in hushed tones at a rapid pace.

ANDROKLES [to Damis]:
Have my orders been carried out?

DAMIS:
At each gate of the city,
twenty men are hiding in a house;
led by reliable men,
they await the signal
to attack the legionnaires' guard. And you too have prepared your part?
So that the attack on the Acropolis
can succeed in the best possible way?

ANDROKLES:
The phalanx is ready to attack.
It will ambush the guards
set up by the barbarians. —
If we succeed in the first strike,
everything else will fall into place.
Once the proconsul is eliminated,
The people will launch their attack.
The barbarians will be terrified,
And outrage will spread.

DAMIS:
When should the signal be given?

ANDROKLES:
It should follow immediately after the death sentence.

PHRYGIUS:
And there is no doubt
That Harpalus will be killed?
He is guarded with Argus eyes.
The people are waiting for a miracle
And if this miracle does not happen,
They will fail at the right moment.

ANDROKLES:
If we do the right thing,
Then the miracle will be done! Act 4

PHRYGIUS:
A hundred spears
Have struck our bodies,
Before we deliver the death blow.
And once we have been overcome,
Who will lead the uprising
And be the leader in the fight?

DAMIS:
So you want to disrupt the good cause?

ANDROKLES:
We must not waver now,
Lest the whole thing fail.

PHRYGIUS:
I am waiting for a sign,
Sent to us by the gods.
And I will not lift a finger
Until such a sign comes. [Fanfare in the Prytaneum]

ANDROKLES:
The proconsul is approaching. Silence!

The proconsul Harpalus- emerges from the Prytaneum, preceded by the lictors and the herald. He takes his seat on the curule chair above the steps. Behind him, in the portico at the back, the legionaries line up. The people stream in from all sides and fill the agora. The young man, the woman, and the old man form a special group. Alcetas arrives with the three hetaerae: Agiere, Cytheres, Mirna-Ione, dressed in Bacchante costumes. They settle down on the steps of the Bacchus temple on the left. The seer Lykophron, leaning on a gnarled staff, sits down at their feet. — On the right, under the gate of the basilica, Kleonis appears, his head hidden in the hood of his cloak. — The three conspirators, Damis, Androkles, and Phrygius, take center stage.

ALCETAS:
A sentence is being carried out.
There is something to see.
Let us enjoy the spectacle.

AGLAË [ironically]:
Although Dionysus' son
Has preserved his beauty
Until this very hour — ?

CYTHERIS [contemptuously]:
So pure...

MIMALONE [bitterly]
So strong!

AGLAE:
Whether, under the lash of the rod,
He remembers my cup?

CYTHERES:
And my roses, which he has spurned?

MINIALONE:
And my magic wand? —

[Three Liletorians lead Phosphorus in, bareheaded, with a sword at his side, and stand to the right of the proconsul]

DAMIS:
There he is... How pale he is!

ALCETAS:
He seems to be of no other mind!

PHRYGIUS:
He is crushed.

KLEONIS [leaning against a pillar]:
My senses are fading,

[A murmur of excitement ripples through the hall.]

THE HERALD:
All must be silent.
The proconsul speaks. —

HARPALUS [sitting on the praetor's chair]:
The children of this city
Saw one of their best
In you, Theokles, son of Agathon.
The highest gifts of spirit and fortune
Have been bestowed upon you in full measure.
You could truly have become
The foremost among the citizens of Dionysia.
Yes, even more, a great man in the empire itself,
If you had respected the emperor and the church,
The powers that rule on earth.
Your father was a high dignitary
And your mother a pious woman.
But it seems as if your soul
Had a wild demon for a father
And a Bacchante for a mother.
Arrogance lived since childhood
In your impetuous heart,
And humility was always foreign to you,
You could not feel it,
At the sight of the cross of Christ,
Nor before the emperor's portrait.
You kept away
From the festivities of the court and the empire,
You visited the pagan temples,
It was only to find there
For your spirit the weapons
That were to fight us.
Genuine respect and worship,
You lacked them toward every god.
In yourself alone you sought
The god and lord of the world.
Your travels were devoted to conspiracy,
You wandered through all countries
For seven years;
Your intention was mysterious.
You were in Egypt and Chaldea.
There you wanted to explore
The black arts of magic.
No good goals led you
To Alexandria and Athens.
And even Caesar's city, Rome,
You entered with hostile intent.
Wherever you directed your steps,
You nourished the spirit of doubt,
Of struggle and wild rebellion.
It was Caesar's eye, the all-seeing eye,
Directed at you, incessantly;
He looked upon you with kindness,
Until you returned to your homeland.
And what was your first act?
One could overhear you,
How in the dark of night
You wrote on Caesar's portrait
The sacrilegious words
With your own blood.
As the emperor's representative
And as your appointed judge
I find you guilty
Of insulting our emperor. —
How can you defend yourself?
You have nothing to hope for
But the emperor's mercy.
Your life is in my hands.
You stand surrounded by threatening spears
And by frightened compatriots,
Whose wrath your insolent arrogance
wanted to direct the wrath of the gods.
The church and the empire
accuse you of black deeds.
How do you defend yourself?

PHOSPHOROS: I do not want to defend myself.
It seems unworthy to me
To defend my life,
Which one of your words can end.
I have freely surrendered myself.
My last words are not for my judges.
They are for you, my Dionysia.
You were a free city until today,
since the days when your heroes lived.
You were an ally of the king's people,
but never a subject of Rome.
It was the free will of your sons
to fight for the great Alexander.
They resisted the Romans until today.
All emperors respected their freedom,
Until he came who calls himself a Christian.
He pretends to protect the church,
But he only wants to enslave the city.
He wants to rob us of our archons and phratries
And our proud phalanx.
We did not refuse
To hand over what belonged to the city
The city called its own,
As far as we surrendered to brute force.
But one thing remained with us despite everything
The place that was sacred to us,
Always adorned with flowers
And with the first fruits of youth,
Directs our minds to our spirit,
To the last-born of the tribe of gods.
When we stood before this god,
Our free hearts said to each other:
We can do without other treasures,
Without warrior glory and dominion;
For ours is hope.
But your Caesar wanted to rob us
The sanctuary of our souls,
The hope of rebirth.
He therefore had his own image
Placed at our place of sacrifice.
It would be unworthy of Dionysius' soul
To die without a cry of pain
When such sacrilege kills her.
It was I, the last of her sons,
Who let this cry escape my throat.
I wrote the words with blood,
Which Harmodius signed.
The other names mean nothing to me;
But with this one I would like to die. —

HARPALLTS:
It is enough, what I have heard patiently.
Nothing more of all this.
You still have to tell us
who your co-conspirators are.

PHOSPHOROS:
Oh, if only I had them!
Do you not recognize from this silent city,
From these fearful people
How alone I stand?
You may enjoy your victory;
For only one has defied you..

HARPALUS:
You have them!
I want to know them.
This is the verdict..

VOICES IN THE CROWD:
O mercy, mercy!
THE HERALD;
You must be silent. Hear the verdict!.

HARPALUS:
You deserve death a hundred times over
For your blasphemy against the great Caesar!
You shall die before his portrait.
But before you die,
You shall suffer the punishment of flogging
Before all your fellow citizens.
[Murmurs of indignation among the people]
But in one case, the emperor
wants your punishment to be mitigated—
The death penalty shall be waived
But in return, you shall be exiled for life
If you have a friend by your side
Who is willing to endure this punishment with you.
Let us see if a Pylades
Can be found for you, Orestes..

DAMIS [to Androcles and Phlygius]:
I will remain loyal to him!
If you do not murder Harpalus,
I will follow my friend..

PHRYGIUS:
You are running to your doom,
You must realize
That Harpalus wants to find the conspirators
Through such trickery!

ANDROKLES:
The moment has come
To deliver the death blow.

PHRYGIUS:
It is foolish not to see
How sharply the legionnaires
Are watching us,
And the people are filled with fear.
We can do nothing now..

THE HERALD:
Who will follow Theokles
Into exile?
Let him show himself!

[The three conspirators stand close together, as if to confer. Phrygius holds back Damis and Androkles, who, with their hands on their sword hilts, are ready to rush forward.]

HARPALUS:
Citizens of Dionysia,
I call upon you to bear witness:
No one has been found
Who is willing to follow as a friend
The enemy of Caesar, our lord. —
Harmodius, call upon
The spirit that can give you courage.
Lictors, bind him and whip him!

[The lictors bind Phosphoros' hands behind his back, force him to his knees, and raise their rods. A shudder runs through the crowd.]

KLEONIS [throws back his cap and cloak, rushes at the lictors, snatches the rods from them, and cries out]:
O strike, you wretches!
[She turns to the proconsul and the people.]
There is no friend at his side
The last free man
Born of Dionysia.
But I will suffer with him
Exile or death!
[She takes Phosphoros' head in both hands and kisses his forehead. With a dagger, she cuts through his bonds. Everyone is confused.]

PHOSPHOROS [straightens up and remains frozen in amazement for a moment]:
Kleonis, O Kleonis!
That was the baptism of fire
On my deathly cold forehead.
Only you could bring me back to life
From your lips,.

[Great commotion among the people and growing tumult].

THE WOMAN:
A miracle has happened, a miracle!

THE OLD MAN AND THE YOUNG MAN:
The hero who proclaims it to us!

A PART OF THE CROWD:
The virgin from the desert!

ANOTHER PART OF THE CROWD:
Phosphoras Kleonis!
Kleonis Phosphoros!

ALL:
It is a miracle!
Let us save her!

PHOSPHOROS [drawing his sword]:
I Iarmodius, he lives!
Follow me, brothers!

HARPALUS [standing up to the lictors and legionaries]:
Seize the blasphemers!

DAMIS, ANDROKLES, AND PHRYGIUS [lunge at Harpalus with drawn swords, a cry]:
Death to the proconsul! ...

[Harpalus, mortally wounded, sinks onto the curule chair.]

PHOSPHOROS [standing motionless before Harpalus, his sword pointed toward the sky]:
The soul of Dionysius takes its revenge!
Raise yours to the spirit
That rules over this city,

HARPALUS:
The last-born of the tribe of gods!
Phosphoros! — [He dies]

[The legionnaires have attempted to rush the conspirators. They are stopped by the masses, who disarm them and push them back. Harpalus' body is carried away. — Cleon throws himself into Phosphoros' arms. They stand embracing, atop the praetorium ... A loud cymbal strike sounds from behind the stage on the left. The lovers remain motionless, lost in each other's gaze.]

DAMIS [rushes to the front of the stage]:
The cymbals sound,
The gates of our city are free!

[Fanfare on the right]

ANDROKLES [likewise]:
The fanfare sounds,
It is the sign that the Acropolis
Is in our hands again!

PERYGIUS [likewise]:
The sounds ring out again in the distance!
Dyrapolis will be free tomorrow.
It will break the yoke of the Romans.
I dare to say this, I, the king's son. Act 6

PHOSPHORAS (breaking free from Kleonis' arms):
So you are free, O Dionysia.
The sounds of your joy,
The torches of your hope,
May they fly from city to city;
They shall proclaim to the world:
The old chains are broken;
There is a god in human hearts
And from the earth flows
Joy that is immortal.
[The people form a large circle around the agora.
The three conspirators stand in the middle.]

ALL:
Hail Kleonis and Phosphoros — Hail!
You are Archon of Dionysia!

PHOSPHOROS [descends from the front of the Priitorium, holding Kleonis by the hand]:
O my brothers of Dionysia,
It is not I, but this heroic maiden
Who deserves the thanks that lives in your souls.
She has brought you freedom.
Her arms were stronger
Than all the spears of the enemies.
The fire in her eyes outshone
The torches of your priests,
The strength in her breast was strong enough
To break my chains,
To draw your swords,
And from the soil of our city
To bring forth victory.
Kleonis, if you love me
How could I ask this,
When I feel the power of your love
flowing through my veins.
Since you liberatingly wrapped your arms
around me.
So you want to be my wife
and share my fate?

KLEONIS:
My hero and my husband.
My god and the dream of my life,
To share with you death and life,
Heaven and hell,
Eternity as well as nothingness:
No nobler fate could befall me.
Your essence once lived in my thoughts,
When you had not yet found yourself.
And now I want only to be in you,
For you are a hero and a victor. —

[They kiss each other several times enthusiastically and remain lost in mutual contemplation. — The three Bacchantes have descended from the steps of the temple of Bacchus, spellbound by the sight of the lovers, whom they regard with tense curiosity. Suddenly they stop.]

AGLAË:
What need have I of my cup
When her lips quench my thirst?
[She turns her eyes away and lowers her head.]

CYTHERES:
My flowers wither before her smile.
[She sinks down onto the steps of the temple as if fainting.]

MIMALONE:
So let this thyrsus break
Before this love! ...
[She breaks her thyrsus in two and throws herself on the steps, writhing in despair.]

ALCETAS [his eyes fixed on the couple]:
Their beauty has defeated me.

LYKÖPHRON:
Tremble, tyrants of the soul,
Eternal gods, look down.
Rejoice in the power of love,
Which lives in the hearts of such people.
Delight in the heroic couple,
Which works in the heart of such a city. —

The same, the bishop

THE BISHOP [emerging hastily from the basilica]:
Something unheard of has happened!
You murderer of your judge,
You who seduced the people
And became the robber of a virgin,
Who was consecrated to our God.
They want you as their leader, Those who are victims of your sin.
But I, the servant of our church,
Demand that you speak.
In whose name do you perform
The black arts of hell?
For once it becomes clear where
You obtained your magical powers,
Then the wrath of heaven will strike you.
By this crook, I command you,
Confess which god you serve,
As an enemy of Caesar and the church.
If you do not obey, I will curse you.

PHOSPHOROS: I have no fear of you,
Who call yourself a shepherd and a priest.
Your cursing shows that you are the one
Who worships evil powers.
The noble virgin follows me freely.
I will openly confess
The spirit that lives within me.
He may stand beside Christ. —
If this is one of the words
Through which God's power
Flows into human souls,
Then the second is that fiery being
That reveals itself through my heart!
O my brothers, my friends,
Recognize that a spark of God lives within you;
In every soul there is a piece of the fire,
Which that spirit of light gives it.
I will carry this fire into the world.
It shall free your spirits
From those dark earthly powers,
Which forge chains for free people,
And also free them from the priests,
Who educate souls for darkness.
The phalanx of Dionysus
Destroy Caesar's image!
From now on, the spirit of light
Shall shine from the altar
Of the last-born of the tribe of gods,
Long live Lucifer, the refuge of freedom!

THE PEOPLE [exit with shouts]:
Long live Lucifer, the refuge of freedom!

THE BISHOP [aside]
I will set hell upon him;
Kleonis must be separated from him,
She gives him power and strength.
[He enters the basilica violently.]

[The solemn sounds of wedding music, where mysterious cymbals mingle with the flute and lyre, resound inside the temple of Dionysus. The pontiff appears under the portico, preceded by young girls who have taken off their mourning clothes and are now dressed in festive garments. The choir leader wears the flammeum, a purple veil covered with stars, while the second holds the wedding wreath. They adorn Kleonis. The young girls line up on the left, the Dionysian phalanx on the right, forming a double row that leads to the Prytaneum. - Twilight.]

PHOSPHOROS [suddenly turns around and sees the torches being lit in the courtyard of the Prytaneum]:
The world seems transformed to me.
Am I still Phosphoros?
Is it still the virgin from the desert,
Whose eyes shine with fire,
And proudly reveal herself?
A wedding feast... Like a dream!
I dare not think...

KLEONIS [beaming]:
Why are you losing yourself, my proud hero?
I had to leave my Christ,
To follow the light of your spirit.
Do you know how great the courage
Must be to perform such a deed?
You have become my Messiah;
I do not tremble before my happiness,
I drink it in to the fullest.
These torches are too dim,
These scents are too light.
The fire of my heart is flowing;
My blood is turning into a stream of lava!
I thirst to die with you.

PHOSPHOROS [looking at her as if drunk]:
O what atonement shall we make
For this greatness of our happiness?

KLEONIS:
Let us not think so!
It seems to me that this wedding night
Is not inferior in value to eternity.
Heaven itself envies us, The whole ether sends us its light! ...
You do not know love at its height!
Where it lives in us, nothing means anything
Suffering and nothing joy ...
Before it, shame and glory disappear.
It overcomes everything, if faithful
Only able to be itself!
The soul that glows with love
Rules the realms of all worlds!
With proud joy, Kleonis
Will endure every suffering for you,
And if she had to fall at your side
Into the deepest depths. —

PHOSPHOROS:
A universe lives in your eyes.
O let us go.

[They climb the steps of the Prytaneum. Under the portico, they turn around. With a friendly gesture, Phosphoros greets the Dionysian phalanx, Kleonis the procession of young girls. At the same time, the transfigured Bacchantes approach the steps of the temple.]

AGLAË [pouring libations from her cup]
The longing of the soul
The drink from this cup.

CYTHERES [scattering flowers from her basket]:
The purity of the heart
The scent of flowers!

MIMALONE [raising two palm branches high in her hands]:
The power of love,
The symbol of victory.

DAMIS [steps forward as choir leader of the phalanx and recites the first verse of the bridal hymn]:
Hail to you, hail!
Blooming bride,
Under blazing torches
Awaiting, you behold;
Your morning dawns,
Your happiness is secure.
Victory shines upon the world,
And your hero is the victor!

ALL:
Evios! Evios!
Hyrneneios!

THE CHORUS LEADER OF THE YOUNG GIRLS:
In myrtle wreaths
The swords shine,
And the tyrant is dead!
Through swords and myrtle
Help was near,
A god is born,
The hero, he is here!

ALL:
Evios! Evios!
Hyrneneios!

[As the couple slowly disappears into the background of the Prytaneum, the young men and women cross their torches and swords and recite the epode in turn.]

DAMIs:
Let us marry today
Myrtle and swords
To the blazing lights.

THE CHORUS LEADER:
Preserve the dream
In the bridal home,
Guard the divine seed
Of love.

ALL:
Evios! Evios!
Hymeneios!

[Curtain]