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Act 5 · Amphitryon; or, Jupiter in Disguise

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  At five of Amphithryan or Jupiter in Disguise by Titus Mirchus Platos, translated by
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  Henry Thomas Riley. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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  the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot
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  org. Act five, Scene one, enter Bromia from the house Amphithryan lying
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  on the ground, Bromia to herself. The hopes and resources of my life
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  lie buried in my breast. Nor is there any boldness in my heart?
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  But what I have lost? It so much to me? Do all things
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  seem to see the earth the heavens to be conspiring, that now I may
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  be crushed, that I may be destroyed. Oh wretched me, I know
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  not what to do. Prodigies so great have come to pass within the house.
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  Oh woe is me. I am sick at heart, somewhat I could
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  wish. I am overpowered, and I am utterly undone. My head is
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  aching, and I cannot hear, nor do I see well with my eyes.
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  No woman is there more wretched than myself, nor can one seem to
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  be more so. Thus has it this day befallen my mistress, for when
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  she invoked for herself the deities of Travail, What rumblings and grumblings, crashes
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  and flashes? Suddenly, how instantaneously did it thunder? And how woundy loud
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  on the spot where each one stood at the peal? He fell? Then
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  someone I know not who exclaimed in a mighty voice, Alcmena, succor is
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  at hand, fear not propitious both to thee and thine. The ruler of
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  the heavens comes arise, It said, yea, who have fallen down in
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  your terror through dread of me? As I lay I arose, I fancy
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  that the house was in flames. Then Elkmena called me, And then did
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  that circumstance strike me with horror? She is for my mistress took possession of
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  me. I ran to her to inquire what she wanted, And then I
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  beheld that she had given birth to two male children. Nor yet did any
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  one of us perceive when she was delivered, or indeed expected seize amphidryon.
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  But what's this? Who's this old man that's lying thus before our house?
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  Has Stupiter than smitten him with his thunders? Why, my truth, I
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  think so? For oh, Jupiter. He is in a lettergy just like
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  one dead. I'll approach that I may learn who it is. She advances,
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  surely this is my master. I'm Vitrion. Who I'm Vitrion? I'm
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  dead? A rise, I'm slaying outright. Give me your hand, takes
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  his hand, amphytryon recovering. Who is it that has hold of me?
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  Bromia, your maid servant, amphytryon rising. I tremble all over to such
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  a degree as Jove pealed against me, And no otherwise is it than if
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  I had come hither from Achiron. But why have you come out of the
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  house? The same alarm has scared ourselves affrighted with horror in the house where
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  you yourself dwell? Have I seen astounding prodigies? Ohe to me and Phytrion?
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  Even now do my senses fail me to such a degree? Come now,
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  tell me do you know me to be your master? And for tryon,
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  I do know it. Look once again I do know it. She
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  alone, of all my household has a sane mind. Nay, but really
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  they are all of them sane. But my wife causes me to be insane
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  by her own shameful practices. But I'll make you amphytrion to be holding other
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  language, that you may understand that your wife is dutiful and chaste. Upon
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  that subject, I will, in a few words discover some tokens and some
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  proofs. In the first place of all alkmena has given birth to two sons.
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  Two. Say you, two gods, preserve me. Allow me to
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  speak, that you may know that all the deities are propitious to yourself and
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  to your wife. Say on after that. This day your wife began to
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  be in labor. When the pangs of childbirth came on, as is the
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  custom with women in travail, she invoked the immortal gods to give her aid
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  with washed hands and with covered head. Then forthwith it thundered with most tremendous
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  crash. At first we thought that your house was falling. All your house
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  shone bright as though it had been made of gold. Prithee, leave me
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  quickly from this, since you have kept me long enough, and suspense what
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  happened. Then while these things were passing meanwhile, not one of us hurt
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  your wife, groaning or complaining, And thus, in fact, without pain
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  was she delivered. Then I do rejoice at this. Whatever she is merited
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  at my hands. Leave that alone and hear these things which I shall tell
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  you. After she was delivered, she bade us wash the babes. We
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  commenced to do so. But that child which I washed, how stout how
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  very powerful he is, and not a person was there able to wrap him
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  in the swaddling clothes. Most wondrous things you tell of. If these things
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  are true, I do not apprehend that the succor has been brought to my
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  wife from heaven. Now shall I make you own to things more wonders still,
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  After he was laid in the cradle, two immense crested serpents glided down
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  through the skylight. Instantly they both reared their heads. Ah Me be not
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  dismayed, But the serpents began to gaze upon all around. After they beheld
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  the children, quickly they made towards the cradle. I, fearing for the
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  children, alarmed to myself going backwards, began to draw and pull the cradle
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  to and fro, and so much the more fiercely did the serpents pursue.
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  After that, one of the children caught sight of the serpents. He quickly
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  leaped from the cradle straightway. He made an attack upon them, and suddenly
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  he grasped them, one in each hand. You tell of wondrous things a
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  very fearfle exploit. Do you relate fret your words? Horror steals upon the
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  limbs of wretched me. What happened? Then? Say on the child slew
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  both the serpents. While these things are passing in a loud voice, their
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  calls upon your wife. What Jupiter, the supreme ruler of gods and men?
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  He said that he had secretly enjoyed Alcemena in his embraces, and that
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  he was his own son who had overcome those serpents. The other he said,
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  what's your child? By my troth? I am not sorry if I
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  am allowed to take my half for blessing in partnership with Jupiter. Go home
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  and bid the sacred vessels to be at once prepared for me, that,
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  with many victims, I may seek my peace with Supreme Jove. I will
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  apply to Tyrasius the soothsayer, and consult with him what he considers ought to
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  be done. At the same time, I'll relate to him this matter just
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  as it has happened. It thunders, But what means this? How dreadfully
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  it thunders, Ye, Gods, your mercy, I do entreat scene too.
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  Jupiter appears in his own character above be of good cheer, and for
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  tryan I am come to thy aid. Thou hast nothing to fear. All
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  diviners and soothsayers. Let alone what is to be and what has past?
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  I will tell THEE and so much better than they can, inasmuch as I
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  am Jupiter. First of all, I have made loam of the person of
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  Alcmena, and have caused her to be pregnant with a son. Thou too
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  didst cause her to be pregnant. When thou didst set out upon the expedition
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  at one birth, has she brought forth the two together? One of these,
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  the one that is sprung from my parentage, shall bless THEE with deathless
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  glory by his deeds. Do thou return with Alcmenna to your former affection.
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  She merits not that thou shouldst impute it to her as her blame. By
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  my power has she been compelled thus to act. I now return to the
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  heavens he has sins. I'll do it. Thou dost command me, and
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  I entreat THEE to keep thy promises. I'll go indoors to my wife,
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  and dismiss the agent Hirasius from my thoughts. Spectators, now, for the
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  sake of Supreme Jove, give loud applause, and of Act five and of
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  amphibriyan or j be there in disguise. By Titus Marcus Platos, translated by
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  Henry Thomas Riley,