Aeschylus-The Persians overview

What did this play originally form a part of (hint: the other two plays have been lost)?

A trilogy

Which characters form the chorus of the play (who are introduced first in the parados)?

The Persian council (made up of old, elite Persian men)

In which Persian city in the play set?

Susa

When does the play take place?

A few months after Salamis (September 480BC)

When they are introduced on stage, what does the chorus say they have been left to do in Susa?

Guard Xerxes' palace in his absence

Where is Xerxes, at the start of the play?

Campaigning in Greece with the Persian army

How is Xerxes' army structured (i.e. what makes it up)?

Various contingents across the Persian empire

What great act of hubris committed by Xerxes does the chorus make special note of (which is also focused on heavily in Herodotus' works)?

Bridging the Hellespont

How does the Persian chorus describe the bridging of the Hellespont?

As "yoking the sea's neck in a bridge of boats"

Does the Persian council know what has happened to Xerxes?

No, they seek news of his status

Which character is introduced in speech by the chorus at the end of the parados?

Atossa, mother of Xerxes

Who is Atossa's husband (who died before the play began)?

Darius

What is Atossa riding when she is introduced on stage?

A chariot

What does the Persian council immediately do (and urge each other to do) upon catching sight of Atossa?

Prostrate themselves

Where did Atossa come from, in order to speak with the chorus?

Her "golden-furnished" chamber

What does Atossa seek from the Persian chorus?

Honest counsel

How does the Persian chorus react to Atossa's request for honest counsel?

They pledge their alliegance

Ever since Xerxes went on his campaign, what has "visited" Atossa every night?

Dreams

Which two figures did Atossa see quarrelling in her dream that she had experienced the previous night?

A Greek and an Asian woman

Who next appeared in Atossa's dream after she saw the two women arguing with each other?

Xerxes

What did Xerxes do with the two women in Atossa's dream?

Tied them up and yoked them to his chariot

How did each of the women react to being restrained by Xerxes?

One was "obedient to the rein", and the other escaped and "snapped the wooden yoke in two"

What happened to Xerxes after one of the women in Atossa's dream escaped her restraints?

He fell to the ground

Who was the final figure to appear in Atossa's dream, who stood over Xerxes when he was on the ground and pitied the king?

Darius

What was Xerxes reaction to Darius' presence, in Atossa's dream?

He "tore his robe"

What did Atossa do immediately after she awoke from her dream?

Got up, washed her hands and prayed at an altar

What did Atossa see fly towards Apollo's hearth for refuge, after she had awoken from the dream?

An eagle

What flew down and killed the eagle that flew to Apollo's hearth for refuge, as Atossa watched on in terror?

A falcon

How does Atossa interpret both the dream and the occurence at the altar?

As bad omens from the gods

What does the Persian council advise Atossa to do, after hearing her describe the omens she has witnessed?

Pray to the gods and pour libations

What is the name of the Greek polis which Atossa questions the Persian council about after they interpret her omens?

Athens

What is the first question that Atossa asks the council about Athens, and what is their answer?

Where is Athens; far westward

What is the second question that Atossa asks the council about Athens, and what is their answer?

Why Xerxes wants to capture Athens; to become the "master of all Hellas"

What is the third question that Atossa asks the council about Athens, and what is their answer?

If Athens has fighting men and riches; the answer is yes to both questions

What is the fourth question that Atossa asks the council about Athens, and what is their answer?

If the Athenians are skilled in archery; no

What is the fifth and final question that Atossa asks the council about Athens, and what is the answer (which shocks her)?

Who the master of Athens is, and if they resist subjugation; no-one, and no

Whose army does the Persian council say was destroyed by the Greeks, after he tried to enslave them?

Darius

Who arrives on stage immediately after Atossa finishes questioning the Persian chorus about Athens?

A Persian messenger

What message does the Persian courier deliver to Atossa and the Persian chorus once on-stage?

That Xerxes' fleet and army has been defeated

What is the immediate reaction of the Persian chorus to the news brought by the messenger of Xerxes' defeat?

Anguished tears and lamenting their own long lives

What two names does the messenger / the Persian council say will be a source of "anguish" in their memories?

Athens and Salamis

What is the name of the battle cited by the Persian council, when lamenting the deaths of the Persian army (hint: not Salamis)?

Marathon

Why does Atossa say she was at first silent after hearing the news brought by the messenger?

She was stunned by his news

What question does Atossa first ask of the messenger, after he delivers his news?

Who survived Salamis

What is the single name that the messenger gives in answer to Atossa's question (i.e. who survived Salamis)?

Xerxes

Name one of the many Persian generals whom the messenger lists as having died at Salamis.

Artembares; Tenagon; Lilaeis; Arsames; Argestes; Metallus; Magus; Tharybis; Syennesis

What is the name of the Persian commander whom the messenger lists as the bravest in the whole of the Persian army?

Syennesis

What is the second question that Atossa asks the messenger, after asking about the death tolls at Salamis?

How many ships were on each side

How many ships does the messenger say were fighting on the side of the Greeks?

Three hundred

How many ships does the messenger say were fighting on the side of the Persians?

A thousand

How many of the one thousand Persian ships were "special fast ships" (further emphasising the superior Persian numbers at Salamis)?

Two hundred and seven

What does the messenger blame as the main reason the Persians lost at Salamis, despite their superior numbers?

The gods were sided with the Greeks

What is particularly shocking to Atossa regarding the Greek victory at Salamis (hint: relating to Athens)?

Athens remained completely unscathed

What piece of false intel was Xerxes fed before the battle started, causing him to advance his ships towards the straits at Salamis?

The Greeks were starting to flee

What did the Persians notice once they advanced upon the Greeks at Salamis?

None of them were fleeing

What did Xerxes supposedly threaten to do to every single Persian commander in his fleet, should the Greeks have managed to flee Salamis?

Behead them

What happened at Salamis, once Xerxes and his fleet had advanced down the straits and observed that the Greeks were not fleeing?

The Greeks ambushed them

What does the messenger say he could hear the Greeks crying out, in order to encourage the fleet onward?

To fight for their freedom

What does the messenger say about the agony and the pain felt by the Persians at Salamis?

It is impossible to quantify it

What event does the messenger also include in his main account of Salamis, which he blames on the poor tactics of Xerxes?

The slaughter of the Persian elites nearby (on an island opposite Salamis)

What was Xerxes' immediate reaction to the slaughter of the Persian elites, and to the battle as a whole?

Crying and tearing his clothes

What final event of Salamis does the messenger describe (which, again, caused huge damage to the numbers of the Persian army)?

The journey back

What is the main reason as to why so many men died on the route back from Salamis?

A lack of food

What else happened en route from Salamis to Susa, again causing numerous deaths within the Persian army?

Ice melting as they went, causing many to drown

What does Atossa rebuke the Persian council for after the speech of the messenger (i.e. his retelling of Salamis) comes to an end?

Misinterpreting the omens of the gods

After the messenger's retelling of Salamis, which characters exit the stage?

Atossa (accompanied by attendants) and the messenger

Which god does the chorus blame for "sweep[ing]" away Persia's pride (after Salamis)?

Zeus

Which group within Susa does the chorus describe as most heavily grieving over the losses at Salamis?

The women

Whilst lamenting the losses at Salamis, who does the chorus insinuate carries the most blame?

Xerxes

In the final part of the first stasimon, what does the Persian chorus say is hidden within the "fields of Salamis"?

The "ruins of our Persian pride"

What is the name of the character who enters on stage, alone, after the first stasimon?

Atossa

What does Atossa say has caused her tremendous pain, in her speech after the first stasimon?

Grief over Salamis

What does Atossa claim to see "in every threat" after hearing the news of what happened at Salamis?

"Heaven's wrath"

To whom does Atossa say she intends to give various libations to, in her speech after the first stasimon?

Darius

What is the true purpose of Atossa's libations to Darius, as she herself confirms in the same speech?

To summon him from the dead

What does Atossa order the chorus to do whilst she pours libations to the gods (in an attempt to summon the ghost of Darius)?

Chant summons

Does the chorus agree to chant the summons so that Atossa may bring Darius back from the dead?

Yes

Which god does the Persian chorus beg to release Darius from his tomb?

Aidoneus (Hades)

What does the Persian chorus frequently liken Darius to, in their chant to bring him back from the dead?

A god

In what clothing does the Persian chorus beg Darius to appear before them in (further highlighting the decadence of Persian royalty)?

In "saffron shoe[s]" and a "royal diadem"

Does the ghost of Darius actually appear in front of Atossa and the chorus of Persians?

Yes

Why is Darius intent on hurrying Atossa and the chorus to deliver whatever message they have for him?

He "may not overstay his time"

Why do the chorus at first refuse to look at / speak to the ghost of Darius, even when he appears in front of them?

They say that "[his] reverence" forbids them

Upon realising that the chorus refuse to speak to him, which other character present does Darius turn to?

Atossa

What does Atossa tell Darius has happened to the Persian empire in his absence?

It "lays low in dust"

Where in Greece does Atossa tell Darius the Persian army faced its destruction?

Athens

Which of Darius' sons does Atossa blame for Persia's defeat near Athens?

Xerxes

After hearing about Xerxes' attempted invasion of Greece and his bridging of the Hellespont, what does Darius say he fears about his son?

That "some god has robbed him of his wits"

For what reason does Atossa say Xerxes is definitely alive and safe on Asian soil?

The "message vouches for his life"

What prophecy does Darius cite when talking to Atossa about Xerxes' defeat?

That Zeus would "strike" Darius' lineage within one generation

What does Darius say the main reason was as to why Xerxes' campaign in Greece failed?

Xerxes' hubris

According to Darius, who first ruled over Persia?

Medus

According to Darius, who was the second to rule over Persia?

Medus' son

According to Darius, who was the third to rule over Persia?

Cyrus

What three provinces does Darius list as those conquered by Cyrus during his reign?

Lydia, Phrygia and Ionia

According to Darius, who was the fourth to rule over Persia?

Cyrus' son

According to Darius, who was the fifth to rule over Persia?

Mardus

What was particularly notable about Mardus' reign as king of Persia, in comparison to his predecessors?

He "disgraced the realm"

What was the name of the Persian who assassinated Mardus with his friends, and thus succeeded the disgraced king to the throne as the sixth leader?

Artaphrenes

According to Darius, who was the seventh to rule over Persia?

Darius himself