[The Priestess gathers herself together and stands with great difficulty, holding onto the temple doors for support]
As I was entering the inner shrine?
the part covered up with wreaths?I saw him,
right on the central navel stone, a man
the gods despise, sitting there, in the seat
reserved for suppliants, hands dripping blood.
He'd drawn his sword, but held an olive branch.
It had a tuft of wool on top, a mark
of reverence?a large one, really white.
I saw all that distinctly. But then I saw
in front of him something astonishing,
on the benches groups of women sleeping?
well, they weren't exactly women,
I'd say more like Gorgons?then again,
not much like Gorgons either. Years ago
I once saw a picture of some monsters
snatching a feast away from Phineas.
But the ones inside here have no wings?
I checked. They're black and totally repulsive,
with loud rasping snorts that terrify me.
Disgusting pus comes oozing from their eyes.
As for their clothing?quite inappropriate
to wear before the statues of the gods,
or even in men's homes. I've never seen
a tribe which could produce this company,
a country which would admit with pride
that it had raised them without paying a price,
without regretting all the pain they cost.
Where does this end? That is Apollo's work.
Let that be his concern. His force is strong?
what he reveals has healing power.
He reads the omens and can purify
the home, his own and other men's.
[The scene changes to reveal the inside of the temple, with Orestes clutching the central stone (the navel stone) and the Furies asleep in front of him. Apollo enters from the back of the temple (the inner shrine). Apollo moves to stand near Orestes]