This is the story of Damon and Pythias

By Fan Kissen

I am the Narrator, Phytias, Damon, Soldier, Mother of Phytias, The Three Voices, The Two
Robbers, and I’m the King

[Sound: Iron door opens and shuts. Key in lock.]

[Music: Up full and out.]

NARRATOR: Long, long ago / there lived in the island of Sicily / two young men named Damon
and Pythias. They were known far and wide for the strong friendship each had for the other. Their
names have come down to our times / to mean true friendship. You may hear it said of two persons:

FIRST VOICE: Those two? Why, they’re like Damon and Pythias!

NARRATOR: The king of that country was a cruel tyrant. He made cruel laws, and he showed no
mercy / toward anyone who broke his laws. Now, you might very well wonder:
(clipboard)
SECOND VOICE: Why didn’t the people rebel?

NARRATOR: Well, the people didn’t dare rebel / because they feared the king’s great and powerful
army. No one dared say a word against the king or his laws- / except Damon and Pythias speaking /
against a new law the king had proclaimed1.

SOLIDER: Ho, there! Who are you that dares to speak so about our king?

PYTHIAS: [Unafraid] I am called Pythias.

SOLIDER: Don’t you know it is a crime to speak against the king of his laws? You are under
arrest! Come and tell this opinion of yours to the king’s face!

*STOP* DRAW AN IMAGE

[Music: few short bars in and out.]

NARRATOR: When Pythias was brought before the king, he showed no fear. He stood straight and
quiet before the throne.

KING: [Hard, cruel} So, Pythias! They tell me you do not approve of the laws I make.

PYTHIAS: I am not alone, your Majesty, in thinking your laws are cruel. But you rule the people
with such an iron hand that they dare not complain.

KING: [Angry] But you have the daring to complain for them! Have they appointed you their
champion2?

PYTHIAS: No, your Majesty, I speak for myself alone. I have no wish to make trouble for
anyone. But I am not afraid to tell you that the people are suffering under your rule. They want
to have a voice in the making the laws for themselves. You do not allow them to speak up for
themselves.

1
Proclaim- Verb to declare publicly; announce
2
Champion- noun one who fights or speaks for another person; one who defends a cause; hero
KING: In other words, you are calling me a tyrant! Well, you shall learn for yourself how a tyrant
treats a rebel! Soldier! Throw this man into prison!

SOLIDER: At once, your Majesty! Don’t try to resist, Pythias!

PYTHIAS: I know better than to try to resist a soldier of the king! and for how long am I to
remain in prison, your Majesty, merely for speaking out for the people?

KING: [Cruel] Not for very long, Pythias. Two weeks from today at noon, you shall be put to death
in the public square / as an example to anyone else / who may dare to question my laws or acts. Off
to prison with him, soldier!

*STOP* DRAW AN IMAGE

(pointing Soldier and Pythias)

[Music: In briefly and out]

(Right Side) – Slowly Reading
NARRATOR: When Damon heard that his friend Pythias / had been thrown into prison, and about
the severe punishment that was to follow, he was heartbroken. He rushed to the prison / and
persuaded the guard to let him speak his friend.

DAMON: Oh, Pythias! How terrible to find you here! I wish I could do something to save you!

PYTHIAS: Nothing can save me, Damon, my dear friend. I am prepared to die. But there is one
thought that troubles me greatly.

DAMON: What is it? I will do anything to help you.

PYTHIAS: I am worried about what will happen to my mother and my sister when I’m gone.

DAMON: I’ll take care of them, Pythias, as if they were my own mother and sister.

PYTHIAS: Thank you, Damon. I have money to leave them. But there are other things I must
arrange. If only I could go see them before I die! But they live two days’ journey from here, you
know.

DAMON: I’ll go to the king and beg him to give you your freedom for a few days. You’ll give your
word to return at the end of that time. Everyone in Sicily knows you for a man who has never
broken his word.

PYTHIAS: Do you believe for one moment that the king would let me leave this prison, no matter
how good my word may have been all my life?

DAMON: I’ll tell him that I shall take your place in the prison cell. I’ll tell him that if you do not
return by the appointed day, he may kill me in your place!
(centerstage seated)
PYTHIAS: No, no, Damon! You must not do such a foolish thing! I cannot- I will not- let you do
this! Damon! Damon! Don’t go!

*STOP* DRAW AN IMAGE

[To himself] Damon, my friend! You may find yourself in a cell beside me!

[Music: In briefly and out]

DAMON: [Begging] Your majesty! I beg of you! Let Pythias go home for a few days to bid
farewell to his mother and sister. He gives his word that he will return at your appointed time.
Everyone knows that his word can be trusted.

KING: In ordinary business affairs- perhaps. But he is now a man under sentence of death. To free
him even for a few days / would strain his honesty- any man’s honesty- too far. Pythias would never
return here! I consider him a traitor3, but I’m certain he’s no fool.

DAMON: Your Majesty! I will take his place in the prison until he comes back. If he does not
return, then you may take my life in his place.

KING: [Astonished] What did you say, Damon?

*STOP* DRAW AN IMAGE

DAMON: I’m so certain of Pythias that I am offering to die in his place if he fails to return on
time.

KING: I can’t believe you mean it!

DAMON: I do mean it, your Majesty.

KING: You make me very curious. Damon, so curious that I’m willing to put you and Pythias to the
test. This exchange of prisoners will be made. But Pythias must be back two weeks from today, at
noon.

DAMON: Thank you, you Majesty!

KING: The order with my official seal / shall go by your own hand, Damon. But I warn you, if your
friend does not return on time, you shall surely die in his place! I shall show no mercy.

[Music: In briefly and out]

(right side stage)
NARRATOR: Pythias did not like the king’s bargain with Damon. He did not like to leave his friend
in prison / with the chance that he might lose his life / if something went wrong. But at last Damon
persuaded him to leave / and Pythias set out for his home. More than a week went by. The day set
for the death sentence drew near. Pythias did not return. Everyone in the city knew of the condition
/ on which the king has permitted Pythias to go home. Everywhere people met, the talk was sure to
turn to the two friends.

FIRST VOICE; Do you suppose Pythias will come back?

SECOND VOICE: Why should he stick his head under the king’s ax once he has escaped?

THIRD VOICE: Still would an honorable man like Pythias let such a good friend die for him?

FIRST VOICE: There’s no telling what a man will do when it’s a question of his own life against
another’s.

SECOND VOICE: But if Pythias doesn’t come back before the time is up, he will be killing his
friend.

THIRD VOICE: Well, there’s still a few days’ time. I, for one, am certain that Pythias will return
in time.

3
Traitor- noun one who betrays one’s country
SECOND VOICE: And I am just as certain that he will not. Friendship is friendship, but a
man’s own life is something stronger. I say!
(centerstage)
NARRATOR: Two days before the time was up, the king himself visited Damon in his prison cell.
[Sound: Iron door unlocked and opened]

*STOP* DRAW AN IMAGE

KING: So [Mocking] You see now, Damon, that you were a fool to make this bargain. Your friend
has tricked you! He will not come back here to be killed! He has deserted you.

DAMON: [Calm and firm] I have faith in my friend. I know he will return.

KING: [Mocking] We shall see!

[Sound: Iron door shut and locked]

(right side stage)
NARRATOR: Meanwhile, when Pythias reached the home of his family, he arranged his business
affairs / so that his mother and sister would be able to live comfortably / for the rest of their years.
Then he said a fast farewell to them / before starting back to the city.

MOTHER: [In tears] Pythias, it will take you two days to get back. Stay another day, I beg you!

PYTHIAS: I dare not stay longer, Mother. Remember, Damon is locked up in my prison cell
while I’m gone. Please don’t weep for me. My death may help bring better days for all our
people.

NARRATOR: So Pythias began his journey in plenty of time. But bad luck struck him on the very
first day. At twilight, as he walked along a lonely stretch of woodland, a rough voice called:

FIRST ROBBER: Not so fast there, young man! Stop!

PYTHIAS: [Startled] Oh! What is it? What do you want?

SECOND ROBBER: Your money bags.

PYTHIAS: My money bags? I have only this small bag of coins. I shall need them for some
favors, perhaps, before I die.

FIRST ROBBER: What do you mean, before you die? We don’t mean to kill you, only take your
money.

*STOP* DRAW AN IMAGE

PYTHIAS: I’ll give you my money, only don’t delay me any longer. I am to die by the king’s order
three days from now. If I don’t return on time, my friend must die in my place.

FIRST ROBBER: A likely story! What man would be fool enough to go back to prison to die.

SECOND ROBBER: And what man would be fool enough to die for you?

FIRST ROBBER: We’ll take your money, all right. And we’ll tie you up while we get away.

PYTHIAS: [Begging] No! No! I must get back to free my friend! [Fade] I must go back!
 (slowly reafing for the robbers)
NARRATOR: But the two robbers took Pythias’s money, tied him to a tree, and went off as fast as
they could. Pythias struggled to free himself. He cried out for a long time. But no one traveled
through that lonesome woodland after dark. The sun had been up for many hours / before he finally
managed to free himself / from the ropes that had tied him to the tree. He lay on the ground, hardly
able to breathe.
*STOP* DRAW AN IMAGE

[Music: In briefly and out]

NARRATOR: After a while Pythias got to his feet. Weak and dizzy from hunger and thirst / and his
struggle to free himself, he set off again. Day and night he traveled without stopping, desperately
trying to reach the city in time / to save Damon’s life.

*STOP* DRAW AN IMAGE

[Music: Up and out]

NARRATOR: On the last day, half an hour before noon, Damon’s hands were tied behind his back,
and he was taken into the public square. The people muttered angrily as Damon / was led in by the
jailer. (centersatge seating) Then the king entered / and seated himself on a high platform.

*STOP* DRAW AN IMAGE

[Sound: Crowd voices in and hold under single voices]

SOLIDER: [Loud] Long live the king!

FIRST VOICE: [Low] The longer he lives, the more miserable our lives will be!

KING: [Loud, mocking] Well, Damon, your lifetime is nearly up. Where is your good friend Pythias
now?

DAMON: [Firm] I have faith in my friend. If he has not returned, I’m certain it is through no
fault of his own.

KING: [Mocking] The sun is almost overhead. The shadow is at the noon mark. And still your
friend has not returned to give back your life!

DAMON: [Quiet] I am ready and happy to die in his place.

KING: [Harsh] And you shall, Damon! Jailer, lead the prisoner to the—

[Sound: Crowd voices up to a roar, then under]

FIRST VOICE: [Over noise] Look! It’s Pythias!

*STOP* DRAW AN IMAGE

SECOND VOICE: [Over noise] Pythias has come back!

PYTHIAS: [Breathless] Let me through! Damon!

DAMON: Pythias!

PYTHIAS: Thank the gods I’m not too late!

DAMON: [Quiet, sincere] I would have died for gladly, my friend.

*STOP* DRAW AN IMAGE

CROWD VOICES: [Loud, demanding] Set them free! Set them both free!

KING: [Loud] People of the city! [Crowd voices out] Never in all my life / have I seen such faith
and friendship, such loyalty between men. There are many among you / who call me harsh and
cruel. But I cannot kill any man / who proves such strong and true friendship for another. Damon
and Pythias, I set you both free. [Roar of approval from crowd] I am king. I command a great
army. I have stores of gold and precious jewels. But I would give all my money and power for one
friend / like Damon or Pythias.

[Sound: Roar of approval from crowd up briefly and out]

[Music: Up and out]