Long while by various visions of the night Am I beset, since to Ionian lands With marshalled host my son went forth to war. Yet never saw I presage so distinct As in the night now passed.—Attend my tale!— A dream I had: two women nobly clad Came to my sight, one robed in Persian dress, The other vested in the Dorian garb, And both right stately and more tall by far Than women of to-day, and beautiful
In the Robert Potter (1777) translation the same quote emphasizes reason, order, and social etiquette a masculine virtues and in contrast emotion, intuition, and domesticity as women qualities in this version women were seen to not really have a sense of authority. In the Potter version Atossa is retelling her dream without commanding action, it was much gentler and passive. Whereas in the Morshead version (1908) she can be interpreted as much stronger saying “Attend my tale” not asking permission or being soft and quiet but demanding it from those around her. Even though her son doesn’t necessarily listen to her it’s interesting to see the difference time has made from 1777, to 1908.