Edith Hamilton 1930:A.Ag 175-183
τὸν φρονεῖν βροτοὺς ὁδώ-
σαντα, τὸν <πάθει μάθος>
θέντα κυρίως ἔχειν.
στάζει δ' ἀνθ' ὕπνου πρὸ καρδίας
μνησιπήμων πόνος· καὶ παρ' ἄ-
κοντας ἦλθε σωφρονεῖν.
δαιμόνων δέ που χάρις βίαιος
σέλμα σεμνὸν ἡμένων.
“God, whose law it is that he who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despite, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.”
Edith Hamilton Three Greek Plays, 1937:
Hamilton 1937
Guide of mortal man to wisdom,
he who has ordained a law,
knowledge won through suffering.
Drop, drop—in our sleep, upon the heart
sorrow falls, memory’s pain,
and to us, though against our very will,
even in our own despite,
comes wisdom
by the awful grace of God.
Robert F. Kennedy in his announcement of MLK’s assassination :
“Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart, until in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom, through the awful grace of God.”
All of the above drags Aeschylus against his will into a monotheistic framework with expressions like the awful grace of God which was employed because it would resonate powerfully with RFK's audience. In RFK's speech the terms God and Grace serve as icons, symbols with strong[1] religious associations for many Americans in 1968.
[1] strong but vague associations, the content of the words God and Grace were less important than the feeling of community created by reference to the numinous. Marshall McLuhan certainly would have liked this quotation and how it was used. It isn't what is said that is important. It is the use of symbols rather then propositions that matters.