EXCERPT 1

SCENE: Athens. A street. Enter GERIUS and MODUS.

         GERIUS
Modus! Your face wears a story.
         MODUS
You have seen the soldiers?
         GERIUS
I have seen them.
They have given over the city!
         MODUS
I have word from Paron, a page to the senate.
The senators agreed, in fear of him.
That is, except for the chief, Leoninus.
He, defying all the war-god’s thunder,
Now would build an army from the citizens,
To flash forth where our soldiery has failed.
It’s said he rose as if from death to counsel them.
         GERIUS
The peaceful, wise Leoninus?
         MODUS
Him.
         GERIUS
One would think his wisdom knew to bow,
Where all resistance fails. This Malvus rides
A chariot upon resisters’ bones,
         MODUS
Leoninus gives out we will not bend.
The words he plied the crowded senate with
Brought wrinkled tears and some young shouts of fierceness.
Yet they gave it over.
         GERIUS
There was no recourse.
They say the army’s massacred or captured.
         MODUS
Yet he has a point, which pierces also here.
One man now rules, as is the reddened past,
And all Leoninus conceived has died,
As lovely babe ripped fatally from the womb.
         GERIUS
Too late the hour: too late. What would he?
We’re overrun. To have denied them would mean death.
         MODUS
I think he wished for death as his preference,
If fighting them with our bare hands meant such fate.
         GERIUS
His wish may be granted, if he does not soften.
Is not the conqueror set up in a temple?
         MODUS
Yes. Short hours ago.
Not with clangor, but quietly like an octopus,
Intent on a secret spreading of its tentacles;
But after that, and now, I suppose, there will be
No quietness. His retinue has armored the market.
I have not seen the Theban. But this herald,
Loud of voice and high of manner, made appearance.
I do not desire to tell you of his words.
         GERIUS
They have banished the senate.
         MODUS
No, that much remains.
But you may know of what its duties consist:
They will be like children at play, pretending sense,
And aping significance without its power.
But the worst conveyed by that proud man is this:
His commander has a fondness for our reverence.
When through the streets or walking by in state,
Or seen at any time he shall be known,
His mark of rank consists of low-bowed heads
Like hard-blown fields around him. Failure calls
For death, and twice, for worse. But I may see
Why proud Leoninus has scored the bit.
         GERIUS
Athenians!
         MODUS
Athenians. You’ve found the dagger.

EXCERPT 2

SCENE: The house of Leoninus. [Vallus, Captain of a victorious invading army, has come to warn or arrest Leoninus for public resistance to the now-ruling dictator. His sight of Virgia, Leoninus’ beautiful daughter, alters his demeanor and plans. Virgia is equally affected.]

         VIRGIA (Off-stage, aside)
Why swims this dove white-clouding through my sky?
I think that little feet have tripped the mountains,
Leaving light from flash of skippid-up heels
To relume my brain. O young, young, young the sight!
(Steps out. To VALLUS)
What mission, Sir, has brought those arms to house?
Have they no wars outside, that you come clanking
Here?
         VALLUS
This sword’s a torch, to burn out traitors.
         VIRGIA
Then it lacks for fuel here. This house is setting
For the manliest jewel that ever a city wore.
         VALLUS
We have talked to him.
         VIRGIA
Why then you know already.
That quiet voice has wisdom’d twenty senates,
Or could, if life were long enough for the living.
         VALLUS
We doubt his wisdom not. Yet sometimes cities
Suffer from a superflux, and not a dearth
Of wisdom. Yet no doubt he’s wise, quite wise.
         VIRGIA
Your soldier’s looks make lies of those turned tones,
Do soldiers grace academies in your land?
         VALLUS
If so, the academies would do the gracing..
And if something in my tone belies my armor,
Ev’ry word’s ten lies, each syllable
A thousand. I have trained to serve, and service
Makes my scope, or shortens it with death.
         VIRGIA
Not service, but the master served, ennobles us,
Who trained so well those lips to serve an oath,
And left the eyes unclaimed? They speak of other
Matters, glance a gift from stranger sun.
         VALLUS
I know that dreams are dangerous to dreamers,
And fire in eyes will burn more than the seer’s.
I know, but knowing not always moves the knower.
         VIRGIA
And you make a pretty speech, and then absolve it.
Do you also kill, and then absolve the killing?
         VALLUS
I kill myself with dreams of dreams, and words,
Kill others with a sword of silence, and plans.
My death-stroke usually consists of patience.
         VIRGIA
I fear our city’s scholar’d, and unsoldiered you.
         VALLUS
No soldier’s but a scholar of action. Scholars
Build a world, that soldiers can rape it down,
And soldiers conquer worlds, for scholars to fill.
Out-scholar the soldier, and out-soldier the scholar,
And you’re safe from both, and less than either.
         VIRGIA
If you’re a matron, then, out-virgin the maid,
If virgin, out-strive the wife in darkest doing,
If just plain woman, out-act them both, you’re safe
From one who will and one who won’t.
         VALLUS
You turn my conversation. Soldier’s soldiers
Never turn, for maids or metal. Metal
Won’t turn their eyes, or maids their hearts,
Nor Aphrodite’s pleas their souls,
Nor saucy questionnaires their conversations.
         VIRGIA
Then pity woman, who can turn no use
Her way! Her eyes, her hearts, her swords are here
It’s strange then that women are put to death
For stealing hearts and eyes no cruel will give.
         VALLUS
Are put to death? A strange, but interesting custom.
         VIRGIA
Why, so. For stealing eyes they’re paid a soldier’s love,
Who ends himself in war, to unstring her heart,
And to steal a soldier’s heart, she’s paid with kiss,
That closes her eyes. A heart unstrung, eyes closed,
Is not a woman dead?
         VALLUS
A pleasant death.
I envy both the woman and the soldier.
Yet, since now I’ve forfeited the title
By turning to these words; where went the sword?
         VIRGIA
Ah, women never go unsworded. Swords
They steal at night by giving cloaked-up kiss,
And taking love home hilted to their hearts,
Or swords they take from soldiers’ colding sides
And ply themselves, to end their pleasing pain.
The temple virgins make their swords in candles,
And carry them, lighting up their way so barren,
And fulsome wives would make all swords bring forth,
That the world is filled with swords. We have our swords.
         VALLUS
Out-worded by a woman. May this point
But see its match so clear in tide of battle.

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