Alexander the Great in Acropolis of Athens
Libretto by Panayoti Karousos
ACT 1
Scene 1
The Athens Acropolis; in front of the Parthenon temple
The Athenians are meeting to discuss the future of their city-state after their defeat from the Macedonians in the battle of Chaeronea in 339 BCE. King Philip II of Macedon has created the strongest city-state of that time and one by one the rest of the city-states succumb to the Macedonian Dynasty’s superiority which expands throughout the Balkans to the Danube River. Behind his political ideas of expansion, King Philip II underlining plan calls for the unification of all Greek city-states against the Persians and ultimately the freeing of all Greek city-states and colonies in Asia Minor. The Athenians, who up to that point were dominating the Hellenistic world, are afraid that Philip II’s plan will lead to the loss of control of the colonies, their freedom and eventually the end of democracy of which they are so proud. Demosthenes, the orator, is futilely trying to instill an anti-Macedonian approach to the events, but he has to face a strong pro-Macedonian opposition.
Demosthenes: Oh! Men of Athens, we are in great danger from Philip II and the barbarians Macedonians who worst than the Centaurs and the Laestrygones are coming to demolish our democracy. And what are you doing for this? You are honoring them by sculpting busts! Death to the monarchs, death to the kings! Long live the democracy.
Isocrates: Oh! Men of Athens, the war against the barbarians and the Persian Empire will establish peace and unity within all the Greek city-states. I call for Philip II to imitate the Labors of Heracles and I assure you that he will be honored as a God.
Aeschines: Oh! Men of Athens, we need Philip II and the Macedonians to unite the Greeks against the Persians.
Demosthenes: Unity of the Greeks, yes, but under the Athenian and not the Macedonian terms.
Aeschines: Philip II is Greek and like another Pericles he is building in Pella.
Demosthenes: Philip will never be able to make ‘another’ Athens because we are the ideal city-state that Plato described.
Isocrates: Will we wait for the king’s messengers to arrive and ask for earth and water like when they were thrown off the cliff thus uniting Sparta and Athens? The most qualified man now is Philip and only with Philip the war against the Great King will look more like a triumph.
Demosthenes: If Philip will be the army’s general, only under the Athenian supremacy which hopes for a peaceful existence with the Persians. Let us stop this Ixion-like vertigo.
Aeschines: It is from that vertigo that Centaur was born.
Isocrates: How can the Greeks put up with the barbarians Persians pretending to be the guardians of peace in Greece and of the powerless Athens and Sparta while Greece can independently perform miracles the likes of which are the answers of prayers to Gods?
Demosthenes: Athenians, do not listen to what they say; they have been paid by Philip to say these things.
Aeschines: You are the one who received payment from the Persians and while a short time ago you cowardly bowed in front of Alexander in Chaeronea, now, Demosthenes you speak against Philip.
Isocrates: Alexander and the Macedonians are coming.
Demosthenes: The Margites[1].
Aeschines: Be careful not to kneel again in front of him as a slave and not as a free supporter of the Athenian Democracy.
Demosthenes: You are going to pay for this, Aeschines.
Isocrates: Let us all be quiet. Alexander has arrived.
Athenians: Alexander of Macedon! Like Themistocles, like Leonidas, now the Macedonians bring glory to the Greeks.
Alexander: Oh! Men of Athens, I bring you the ashes of the Athenians who fall in the battle of Chaeronea.
Demosthenes: Honor to the dead Athenian heroes.
Athenians: Honor to all Athenians.
Isocrates: Alexander, we thank you and your father Philip II for bringing the ashes of our citizens and also for respecting Athens.
Alexander: As long as I am alive, no mortal will come against Athens, the city of Plato and Socrates and of my dearest teacher Aristotle. I am Greek, too, and for the rights of Greeks I am fighting.
Athenians: Like Themistocles, like Leonidas, now the Macedonians bring glory to the Greeks.
Alexander: Demosthenes, when you left the battle, you forgot your shield behind.
Athenians: (they laugh)
Isocrates: All the Athenians next to the Macedonians they are.
Alexander: All the Greeks who come together and these, who stay apart, will be dedicated to Apollo.
Athenians: All the Greeks who come together and these, who stay apart, will be dedicated to the Delphi King; all these who are against the fight for freedom.
Alexander: Oh! Goddess Athena, may your temple’s columns strengthen us during our fight! Goddess Athena, help us.
Athenians: Like Themistocles, like Leonidas, now the Macedonians bring glory to the Greeks.
Translator’s note: Name of a person; here is used metaphorically to indicate a stupid person who does not know who his parents are.
Scene 1
The Athens Acropolis; in front of the Parthenon temple
The Athenians are meeting to discuss the future of their city-state after their defeat from the Macedonians in the battle of Chaeronea in 339 BCE. King Philip II of Macedon has created the strongest city-state of that time and one by one the rest of the city-states succumb to the Macedonian Dynasty’s superiority which expands throughout the Balkans to the Danube River. Behind his political ideas of expansion, King Philip II underlining plan calls for the unification of all Greek city-states against the Persians and ultimately the freeing of all Greek city-states and colonies in Asia Minor. The Athenians, who up to that point were dominating the Hellenistic world, are afraid that Philip II’s plan will lead to the loss of control of the colonies, their freedom and eventually the end of democracy of which they are so proud. Demosthenes, the orator, is futilely trying to instill an anti-Macedonian approach to the events, but he has to face a strong pro-Macedonian opposition.
Demosthenes: Oh! Men of Athens, we are in great danger from Philip II and the barbarians Macedonians who worst than the Centaurs and the Laestrygones are coming to demolish our democracy. And what are you doing for this? You are honoring them by sculpting busts! Death to the monarchs, death to the kings! Long live the democracy.
Isocrates: Oh! Men of Athens, the war against the barbarians and the Persian Empire will establish peace and unity within all the Greek city-states. I call for Philip II to imitate the Labors of Heracles and I assure you that he will be honored as a God.
Aeschines: Oh! Men of Athens, we need Philip II and the Macedonians to unite the Greeks against the Persians.
Demosthenes: Unity of the Greeks, yes, but under the Athenian and not the Macedonian terms.
Aeschines: Philip II is Greek and like another Pericles he is building in Pella.
Demosthenes: Philip will never be able to make ‘another’ Athens because we are the ideal city-state that Plato described.
Isocrates: Will we wait for the king’s messengers to arrive and ask for earth and water like when they were thrown off the cliff thus uniting Sparta and Athens? The most qualified man now is Philip and only with Philip the war against the Great King will look more like a triumph.
Demosthenes: If Philip will be the army’s general, only under the Athenian supremacy which hopes for a peaceful existence with the Persians. Let us stop this Ixion-like vertigo.
Aeschines: It is from that vertigo that Centaur was born.
Isocrates: How can the Greeks put up with the barbarians Persians pretending to be the guardians of peace in Greece and of the powerless Athens and Sparta while Greece can independently perform miracles the likes of which are the answers of prayers to Gods?
Demosthenes: Athenians, do not listen to what they say; they have been paid by Philip to say these things.
Aeschines: You are the one who received payment from the Persians and while a short time ago you cowardly bowed in front of Alexander in Chaeronea, now, Demosthenes you speak against Philip.
Isocrates: Alexander and the Macedonians are coming.
Demosthenes: The Margites[1].
Aeschines: Be careful not to kneel again in front of him as a slave and not as a free supporter of the Athenian Democracy.
Demosthenes: You are going to pay for this, Aeschines.
Isocrates: Let us all be quiet. Alexander has arrived.
Athenians: Alexander of Macedon! Like Themistocles, like Leonidas, now the Macedonians bring glory to the Greeks.
Alexander: Oh! Men of Athens, I bring you the ashes of the Athenians who fall in the battle of Chaeronea.
Demosthenes: Honor to the dead Athenian heroes.
Athenians: Honor to all Athenians.
Isocrates: Alexander, we thank you and your father Philip II for bringing the ashes of our citizens and also for respecting Athens.
Alexander: As long as I am alive, no mortal will come against Athens, the city of Plato and Socrates and of my dearest teacher Aristotle. I am Greek, too, and for the rights of Greeks I am fighting.
Athenians: Like Themistocles, like Leonidas, now the Macedonians bring glory to the Greeks.
Alexander: Demosthenes, when you left the battle, you forgot your shield behind.
Athenians: (they laugh)
Isocrates: All the Athenians next to the Macedonians they are.
Alexander: All the Greeks who come together and these, who stay apart, will be dedicated to Apollo.
Athenians: All the Greeks who come together and these, who stay apart, will be dedicated to the Delphi King; all these who are against the fight for freedom.
Alexander: Oh! Goddess Athena, may your temple’s columns strengthen us during our fight! Goddess Athena, help us.
Athenians: Like Themistocles, like Leonidas, now the Macedonians bring glory to the Greeks.
Translator’s note: Name of a person; here is used metaphorically to indicate a stupid person who does not know who his parents are.
Panayoti Karousos
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