Bradshaw - The Ten Tragedies of Seneca - 1902

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CORNELL
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
STEPHEN E. WHICHER
MEMORIAL BOOK COLLECTION
Gift of
MRS. ELIZABETH T. WHICHER
THE TEN TRAGEDIES OF SENECA.
THE TEN TRAGEDIES
OF
SENECA
WITH NOTES
RENDERED INTO ENGLISH PROSE
AS EQUIVALENTLY AS THE IDIOMS OF BOTH
LANGUAGES PERMIT
BY
WATSON BRADSHAW, M.D., R.N.
Formerly Staff Surgeon i8^f
Xop'hx? xpsKsiv oJ'Ssv xoi'Sog
LONDON
SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & Co., Lim.
Paternoster Square
1902
^m
I^^J^
Printed hy the Motley Press^ Amsterdam.
r! -'/
DEDICATED
TO MY DAUGHTER FLORENCE.
ERRATA.
PREFACE.
L. AnNjEUs Seneca, the author of the following
Tragedies, was born 6 years A.C. and was a native of
Corduba in Spain. At an early age he was distinguished
by his extraordinary talents, according to Lempri^re, and
was taught eloquence by his father, and received lessons
in philosophy from the best and most celebrated Stoics
of the age. He was appointed by Agrippina, the fourth
wife of Claudius, as the tutor of her son Nero, who sentenced
him to destroy himself, and he is remarked
said to have
that such a mandate was quite in harmony with the
truculent character of the man, who murdered his own
mother (see Octavia). I pay no sort of heed to the various
aspersions that have been levelled at the character of Seneca,
as a renowned poet, for the best of men in all ages have
come in for their share of popular abuse and have
been made the targets for the poisoned arrows of their
calumniators; for further information concerning the life
of Seneca, I refer my readers to Lempri^re, from whose

pages the foregoing remarks have been quoted. The
function which I have assumed is to do the greatest justice
to his tragedies, asa Translator.
I have been so long favorably impressed with the force,
beauty and artistic skill as portrayed in the Tragedies of
Seneca, as to be convinced that a great loss has been
sustained at the hands of many who would have fully
appreciated the labors of that admirable poet, presumedly
because they have never been presented to the reading
world in a suitable English form.
They have been translated in various continental lang-
uages within the last century, but an English reader un-
acquainted with such tongues would be quite at sea in
X PREFACE.
comprehending them, or of availing himself in estimating

the striking beauties of that Poet. They were done in 1581
by several hands, but in very inadequate verse, as also
4 Tragedies, by Sir Edward Sherburne, in 1702, and a
perusal of the latter will be an ample justification of my
unmitigated objection to verse translations of any Latin
or Greek author, especially if he should belong to the
genus "Poet." I have done my utmost to transform these
Tragedies into impressive readable English, without detract-
ing from the original material, and as far as it is possible,
when translating one language into another, owing to
idiomatic difficulties. I am sanguine that they will be
universally admired for their intrinsic merits, and as they
have never been offered in an English form, the public,
the enlightened portion too, have been kept in absolute
ignorance of their dramatic pretensions. It has been a
work of considerable labor, but I shall consider myself
amply compensated for the same, if they are destined to
afford that satisfaction to the reader, which I have every
hope they will fully command at his hands, and that they
will, moreover, bear reading and re-reading.
Seneca, as before stated, was appointed tutor to Nero, by

Agrippina, fourth wife of Claudius Cassar ; but all the sound
precepts which he had inculcated upon the mind of his
pupil were entirely ignored as soon as that matricidal
tyrant gained power, and he was commanded to destroy
himself, on the discovery of Piso's conspiracy, and after
taking poison and opening his veins to no effect, he was
suffocated in a warm bath. He ranked very highly as a
Poet, Moralist and Philosopher, and has bequeathed to
posterity much admirable literature. His Latinity was
chaste and unaffected and a reflex of his own modest and
unassuming morale. Amongst the rest of his useful and
enlightening productions, he has handed down the un-
surpassable Tragedies, which form the subject of the
present volume.
CONTENTS.
Hercules Furens P^Se i
Thyestes 83
149
PnCENISSiE
187
HiPPOLYTUS
265
CEdipus
Troades
401
Medea
469
Agamemnon
53i
Hercules (Etûs "
647
OCTAVIA
707
Notes .
HERCULES
F U R E N S.
3
[Lines i
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
Juno. Amphitryon.
Hercules. Theseus.
Lycus. Chorus Thebanorum.
Megara.
ARGUMENTUM.
Lycus a Creonte, Herculis foceio, rege Thebano, propter fcelera
in exfilium miffus, abfente jam Hercule apud inferos, ut inde
Euryfthei juflu peteret Cerberura (ubi & Thereum in vinculis
detentum, qui cum Pirithoo defcenderat ad rapiendam Profer-
pioam, liberavit) occafionem oblatam an-ipit, &, per feditionem
Creonte cum duobus filiis ca;fo, regnum Thebanum occupat.
Megaram Herculis uxorem ad uuptias foUicitat, abnuenti vim
paiat. Opportune reverfus Hercules, Lycum ceterofque illius
fadtionis, interiicit. hasc tam feliciter gefta Juno non ferens
iramittit illi furorem, quo correptus uxorem fuam cum liberis
interficit. Quod ubi ad fe reverfus intellexit, doloris impatientia
vix Amphytrionis atque Thefei precibus detentus, ne fibi mortem
infen-et, cum Thefeo Athenas purgandus proficifcitur.
ACTUS PRIMUS.
JUNO fola.
Juno Jovis furta, pellices, nothos, Herculem autem maxime

ftomachatur. qui ab inferis reverfus objedla
infania uxorem & liberos occidit.
JoROR
> Touantis (hoc enim folum milii
Nomen femper alienum Jovem,
reli(51;um eft)
Ac templa fummi vidua deferui Eetheris;
Lines i 3]
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
Juno. Amphitryon.
Hercules. Theseus.
Lycus. Chorus of Thebans.
Megara.
ARGUMENT.
Lj^cus, being exiled for his crimes by Creon the father-
in-law of Hercules and king of Thebes, Hercules being
at that time away in the Infernal Regions, whither he
had gone to seek out Cerberus at the instigation of
Eurystheus: here he found Theseus, who had made a
descent into the regions of Pluto in cornpany of Piri-
thous with the intention of carrying off Proserpine,
bound in chains. Lycus seizes his opportunity, and
aided by conspirators, slays Creon together with his
two sons, and usurps the Kingdom of Thebes He then
solicits Megara, the wife of Hercules, to marry him and
prepares to resist any refusal on her part Hercules,
luckily returning, slays_ Lycus and those involved in the
conspiracy. Juno, not viewing these deeds with approval,
throws Hercules into a state of delirium, during a
paroxysm of which he slays his o^vn wife and children.
Subsequently when he becomes restored to his senses,
and owing to his intolerance of the anguish which he
suffered, he was prevailed on, though with difficulty, to
yield to the entreaties of Amphitryon and Theseus,
not to lay violent hands on himself, and accepted the
alternative of setting out for Athens in company with
Theseus, with the view of atoning for his mad acts.
ACT I.
JUNO {alone).
Julio waxes wrath at the furtive amours of Jupiter, his

concubines and bastard offspring, and is very angry
about the successes of Hercules, who on his return
from the Infernal Regions being thrown by Juno into
a state of frenzy, slays his wife and children.
Sister of Thundering Jove, for that distinction is

As the only one now remaining to me, but as widow
anon, I have quitted the palatial temples of lofty
Olympus, and the marriage couch of the ever faithless
Jupiter and thus banishing myself, I have rendered up
4 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 4-33
Locumque, coelo pulfa, pellicibus dedi.

Tellus colenda eft: pellices coelum tenent 5
Hinc, Ardlos alta parte glacialis poli
Sublime claffes fidus Argolicas agit;
Hinc, qua tepenti vera laxatur dies,
Tyriae per undas vector Europae nitet;
mine, timendum ratibus ac ponto gregem 10
Paffim vagantes exferunt Atlantides.
Ferro minaci hinc tenet Orion Deos:
Suafque Perfeus aureas ftellas habet.
Hinc, clara gemini figna Tyndaridae micant:
Quibufque natis mobilis tellus ftetit. 15
Nee ipfe tantum Bacchus, aut Bacchi parens,
Adiere fuperos: ne qua pars probro vacet,
Mundus puellse ferta Gnoffiarae gerit.
Sed Vetera querimur: una me dira ac fera
'
Thebana nuribus fparfa tellus impiis 20

Quoties novercam fecit? efcendat licet,
Meumque viftrix teneat Alcmene locum;
Pariterque natus aftra promiffa occupet;
In cujus ortus mundus impendit diem,
Tardufque Eoo Phoebus effulfit mari 25
Retinere merfum juffus Oceano jubar.
NoQ ficabibunt odia. vivaces aget
Violentus iras animus, & fsevus dolor
JEtems. bella pace fublata geret.
Quse bella? quidquid horridum tellus creat 30
Inimica; quidquid pontus aut aer tulit
Terribile, dirum, peftilens, atrox, ferum;
Fraftum atque domitum eft. fuperat, & crefcit malis;
my quondam throne to my husband's concubines! Hence-

forth, the Earth must be my place of habitation, whilst
those immoral tenants will possess Heaven, once my
lawful abode 1 From one
part of the sky (the Northern
Heavens) that lofty constellation Arctos is guiding the
Grecian fleets, as it shines in the elevated regions of the
ice-cold polar firmament; in another part (the Southern
Heavens) where- the duration of the day is lengthened
and the warming influence of the spring is experienced,
Taurus (the second sign of the Zodiac) the bearer of the
Tyrian captive, Europa, across the waves, is shining in
all his radiance At a greater distance off (the Eastern
Heavens) the Atlantides, wandering erratically, show them-
selves as a group of constellations universally to be dreaded
by the various crafts as they traverse the watery main,
fearing the threatening tempests ; Orion, yonder, too, scares
the Gods themselves with his angry and flaming sword,
and Perseus has in his retinue of golden stars (26) (com-
memorative of the shower in which Jupiter embraced his
Lines 4-33] HERCULES FURENS. 5
Mother Danae). In another part of the HeavenSj the

Twin Tyndaridse, Castor and Polkix, shine forth as brilliant
constellations (and Juno gazing earthwards, espies the
refuge land of Latona, when pursued by the Psrthon, which
became the birth-place of Apollo and Diana), for the
security of which children. Dews, hitherto a floating island
(tossed hither and thitier by me tempestuous waves
sometimes above the water's surface and at other times
submerged) became at last firmly fixed and acquired a
solid foundation (Neptime out of pity for the sufferings
of Latona having struck it with his trident). Not only
does Bacchus, but his mother even (Semele) consorts
with the Gods above, and lest anything should be wanting
to confirm all this opprobrium, the heavens ostentatiously
parade the coronet of that Gnossian wench Ariadne But I
I
complain, moreover, of still more chronic grievances-

one too cruel and dreadful to relate: that the Theban
land should so abound in infamous step-daughters, every
time it has been ordained that I should be made a step-
mother! It is permitted, too, that Alcmene, my triumphant
rival, should ascend and usurp my very throne, whilst no >
less her son should eventually take possession of the

promised constellation he, at whose birth the world lost
an entire day (one day short in the calendar of time),
and Phoebus, having been commanded to slacken the
progress of his chariot, illumined the sea with a day-star
and shed his diurnal rays into the ocean's bosom! (thus
there were three consecutive nights). After all this can
my anger be made to cease, and will not my insulted
nature give way to violent rage ? and my cruel grief urge
me on still more to wage perpetual warfare, all prospects
of a truce being entirely out of the question !But why
do I speak in that grandiose way of wars ? What can
possibly be brought about? For whatever horrible visit-
ations that a hostile earth could devise, whatever the sea

or air has ever brought into existence whatever has par-

taken of the terrible whatever dreadful calamities^what-
soever of a pestilential character and whatsoever has
savoured of the cruel and atrocious (Juno here alludes to
the Bull, the Scorpion, the Giants, the Crab, the Hydra
and the Stymphalides), every thing has been disabled or

subdued by Hercules he conquers every thing in his
path, and he increases in his capabilities as his obstacles
become more difficult! He derives only profit from my
anger, and whilst I might appear to be austere in my
commands, he is simply turning my hatred into his 'own
glorification; I have, however, fully settled the question
as to his paternal origin (Jupiter) and it is I who have
been throwing in his way, all this time, the opportunities
Iraque noftra fruitur: in laudes fuas

Mea vertit odia. dum nimis fxva impero, 35
Patrem probavi: glorise feci locum:
Qua Sol reducens, quaque deponens diem,
Binos propinqua tingit /Ethiopas face,
Indomita virtus colitur; & toto Deus
NaiTatur orbe. Monftra jam defunt mihi; 40
Minorque labor eft Herculi juffa exfequi,
Quam mihi jubere. laetus imperia excipit.
QuEe fera tyranni juffa violento queant
Nocere juveni? nempe pro telis gerit,
Quae timuit, & quse fudit: armatus venit 45
Leone & hydra Nee fatis terrse patent:
Effregit ecce limen infemi Jovis,
Et opima viifli regis ad fuperos refert.
Parum eft reverti: fcedus Umbrai-um perit.
Vidi ipfa, vidi nofle difcuffa iaferum, S
Et Dite domito, fpolia jaiflantem patri
Fraterna. cur non vi<5lum & oppreffum trahit
Ipfum catenis paria fortitum Jovi?
Ereboque capto potitur, & retegit Styga?
Patefacla ab imis Manibus retro via eft, 55
Et facra Aiits Mortis in aperto jacent.
At ille, rupto carcere Umbranim, ferox
De me triumphal, & fuperbifica manu
Atrum per urbes ducit Argolicas canem.
Vifo labantem Cerbero vidi diem, 60
Pavidumque folem: me quoque invafit tremor,
Et terna monftri colla devifli intuens,
Timui imperaffe. Levia fed nimium queror,
Ccelo timendum eft; regna ne fumma occupet.
Qui vicit ima. fceptra prieripiet patri. 65
Nee in aftra lenta veniet, ut Bacchus, via:
& vacuo volet
Iter ruina quasret,
Regnare mundo. Robore experto tumet,
for gaining his renown Wherever Phoebus rises, or

!
wherever he sets in those regions, where he deeply tans

the two Ethiopian races, with the nearness of his fierce
rays (see note at end), his indomitable valor is held up
as an object of veneration, indeed he is spoken of as a
God, all over the Earth! There are no monsters, no
difficulties now, for him to encounter, for it is less a labor
for Hercules to execute my commands, than it is for me

to issue them he undertakes his labor with an air of joy
and triumph! What truculent mandate of the tyrant
Euryjtheus can redound with injury to this violent youth
arising out of its execution? For he actually re-inforces
his strength with them as weapons, those very things which
at first, somewhat disconcerted him, but which neverthe-
!
less he finally subdued he sallies forth, forsooth, furnished

with mementoes of the Nemean Lion, and the formidable
Hydra. Nor is this earth considered by him, an arena suffi-
ciently ample for his daring exploits He breaks through the
!
territories of Jupiter Infernus (Pluto) and afterwards brings

that especial prerogative Pluto's emblem of Power-
Cerberus as a trophy from the conquered king, when he
rejoins the living beings on the earth above; but his
having returned from the regions of Pluto is only a
trifling matter to be alluded to, for he actually violates
the established agreement, as regards the exclusive domi-
nion over the Manes, enterecT into with his brothers
Jupiter and Neptune. I myself have seen him, positively
seen him with my own eyes, after he had dispersed the
darkness of the infernal regions, and after Pluto had been
brought into subjection, boastindy displaying to his father
the spoils which had been taken from that father's brother
Whyl I wonder why he did not drag Pluto along, as
well, conquered and beaten down and held in chains 1
the one too, who claims equal rights in his own Kingdom
to those possessed by his brother in his ! Holding Erebus
captive, he had the Stygian Kingdom entirely in his power,
and he lays bare all the mysteries thereof! And the path
from the abode of the Manes towards the earth has been
brought into view, and the solemn secrets of sad mortality
revealed But having burst open the prisons of the dead
!
he savagely triumphs over me, and drags with haughty

display the frightful Cerberus through the cities of Argos
I have actually seen the bright day grow dim at the
sight of Cerberus, and Phoebus himself tremble at his
aspect I A
tremor, indeed, comes across myself, in-as-
much as, casting my eyes in his direction, I have had
misgivings as to my prudence in having urged on my
commands respecting that three-headed monster. Yet
I am complaining, now, only of trifles ! But we mugt
now be apprehensive for the safety of Heaven itself, as
he who so easily subdued the Kingdom below will aspire
to occupy the regions above He will seize, in short, on
!
his own father's sceptre! Nor will his passage towards

heaven be effected so quietly as Bacchus made his.
Hercules will push his way by causing the utter downfall
of every obstacle that obstructs his path, and he will do
his best to find the heavens deserted by the Gods and
empty to his grasp! He swells out with puffed-up pride
now that he has discovered his own strength and capa-
bilities.And judging from what he has already achieved,
he fancies that he can subdue heaven by his own unaided
strength It is true that he has borne the heavens above
!
his head, nor has the difficulty of raising such an immense

a SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 69-105
Et poffe ccelum viribas vinci fuis

Didicit ferendo. fubdidit mundo caput, 7
Nee flexit humeros molis immenfe labor,
Mediufque coUo fedit Herculeo polus.
Immota cervix fidera & coelum tulit,
Et me prementem. Quserit ad fuperos viam.
Perge ira, perge, & magna meditaotem opprime. 75
Congredere; manibus ipfa dilacera tuis.
Quid tanta mandas odia? difcedant feras:
Ipfe imperando feffus Euryftheus vacet.
Titanas aufos rumpere imperium Jovis
Emitte: Siculi veriticis laxa specum. 80
Tellus gigante Doris excuffo tremens,
Suppofita monftri coUa terrifici levet.
Sublimis alias Luna concipiat feras.
Sed vicit ifta. Quasris Alcidse parem?
Nemo eft, nifi ipfe, bella jam fecum gerat. 85
Adfint ab imo Tartar! fundo excitse
Eumenides: ignem flammese fpaxgant comas:
Viperea faevae verbera incutiant manus.
I nunc, fuperbe, coelitum fades pete;
Humana temne. jam Styga & Manes, ferox, 90
Fugifle credis? heic tibi oftendam inferos.
Revocabo in alta conditam caligine
Ultra nocentum exfilia difcordem Deam,
Quam munlt ingens mentis oppofiti fpecus.
Educam, & imo Ditis e regno extraham 95
Quidquid relidlum eft. veniat invifum Scelus,
Suumque lambens fanguinem Impietas ferox,
Errorque, & in fe femper armatus Furor.
Hoc hoc miniftro nofter utatur dolor.
Incipite, famulae Ditis: ardeotem incitse 100
Concutite pinum: & agmen horrendum anguibus
Megaera ducat; atque lu<5tifica manu
Vaftam rogo flagrante conipiat trabem.
Hoc agite. poenas petite violatae Stygis:
Concutite peflus: acrior mentem excoquat 105
mass in the least impaired his powerful shoulders, and

the sky even has rested on the middle of his immense
neck; this neck, without yielding, has sustained the weight
of the stars and firmament containing them, and myself
pressing down as well with all my force, and yet, knowing
all this, I persevere in testing his capabilities further.
He is seeking the way, though, to Heaven, therefore let
me persevere with my wrathful work, I say let me still
persevere, and let me stop him, who contemplates such
extravagant designs let me dispute his progress Oh,
Juno! Juno! destroy him piecemeal rather with thine
own hands! Why dost thou indulge in these odious
mandates? Give up all idea about the wild Beasts and
!
Lines 69-.0S] HERCULES FURENS, 9
Monsters ! For Eurystheus, himself will soon be tired out

in enforcing other commands; let me rather send forth
the Titans, who once had the audacity themselves to
invade the realms of Jupiter ! Lay bare, if you like, the
cavernous interior of the Sicilian Vortex (^tna), and the
land of Doris, which already trembles with every move-
ment of the Giant, Enceladus, will then materially relieve
the pressure now exerted on the terrific monster, now
lying underneath it (by being opened up, it will relieve
die giant somewhat). Will lofty Phoebe think of some fresh
wild Beast or new Monster hitherto unknown on this
earth ? No she will say ; for he has overcome them all
!
such as I have to do with. (The Nemaean Lion, the

ancients thought, fell from the Moon.) Are you, she will
say, seeking for any one to come forward as the equal
ofÂlcides? Why! there can be no one his equal, out
himself, then let him in some manner or other make war
with himself! Let the Eumenides (Furies) be stirred to
action and appear on the scene, from the remotest depths
of Tartarus, their flaming locks will scatter broadcast
their hideous fires (torches) and their savage hands shall
strike their viperous blows! Go, if you like, oh! thou
puffed up man, and seek out the habitations of heavenly
tenants, and henceforth look disdain fully upon mere
human belongings, but do you really persuade yourself
that you have done with the Styx and the Manes after
all your ferocity !I will show you, here, on earth, things
yet more terrible than ever you beheld in the regions

below I will invoke the Goddess Discord, who hides
down deep in the lowest regions of darkness, beyond the
prisons where the wicked are banished, and whom a huge
cavern in a mountain opposite protects in solemn seclu-
sion, and I will rake up from the domains of Pluto and
-the remotest parts thereof everything that is left in it
of a hellish character to favor my ends! Odious crimes
shall enter on the scene and raging Impiety madly lapping
up its own blood (Parricidal and Fraticidal slaughter)^
mental wandering (hallucinations) and raving madness
(this is what Juno has had in store for Hercules) which
is always armed against the objects themselves that are
afflicted within (in reference to the way, in which madmen
are dangerous to themselves as well as to others). Oh ye I

Furies, ye servile throng of Pluto's, begin with this yes
let my angered mind turn to account this instrument of
my wrath, as the means of wreaking my vengeance hasten
then and brandish the burning torches (pine-stems) and
Megaera shall lead on the terror-striking troop with their
horrible serpents and I require that they will, with their
grief-spreading hands, seize the terror-producing torches
:
lo SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 106-133
Quam qui caminis ignis jEtnseis furit.

Ut animo captus Alcides agi,
poffit
Magno furore percitus, nobis prius
Infaniendum eft. Juno, cur nondum furis?
Me, me, forores mente dejetftam mea no
Verfate primam, facere fi quidquam apparo
Dignum noverca. jam odia muteotur mea.
Natos reversus videat incolumes, precor,
Manuque fortis redeat. inveni diem,
Invifa quo nos Herculis virtus juvet: .
"5
Me pariter & fe vincat; & cupiat mori
Ab inferis reversus. heic profit mihi,
Jove effe genitum. ftabo, & ut cerlo exeant
Emiffa nervo tela, librabo manum:
Regam furentis anna: pugnanti Herculi I2Q
Tandem favebo. fcelere perfedlo, licet,
Admittat genitor in coelum manus.
illas
Movenda jam funt bella; clarefcit dies,
Ortuque Titan lucidus croceo fubit.
CHORUS THEBANORUM.
Chonis e Thebanis a defcriptione ortus diei, magnatum curas

^
ftudiaque damnat, Herculem audacite in laboribus
fubeundis taxat, vitsfe denique humilis laudat
tranquillitatem optatque.
I AM rara micant fidera prono 125

^Languida mundo: nox vidla v.igos
Contrahit ignes: luce renata
Cogit nitidum Phofphoros agmen:
Signum celfi glaciale poli
Septem ftellis Arcades nrfae 13
Lucem verfo temone vocant
Jam CEeruleis evedlus equis
Titan fumma profpicit CEta:
from the burning pile Do all this in earnest, I say, seek

for adequate punishment, for the violation of the Stygian
Realms. Exhaust all to that end, and for my own part,
let a more ardent fire stir up my revengeful soul than
anything that ever yet raged or came forth from the
summits of ^tna and in order that Alcides, stirred up
Lines I06-I33] HERCULES FURENS. II
with intensest madness, shall be duly brought under my

influence, methinks I should first become maddened my-
self! Juno Juno ! Why art thou not already at rage s
!
height: Oh ye sisters (Furies), exercise your skill upbn

me, transform me, that I may be dispossessed of my
ordinary (healthy) mind if I am to prepare myself for
the execution of any scheme worthy of an angered step-

mother! Let my hatred even be diverted into a fresh

channel Let me then pray, that on his return Hercules
may see his sons in health and safety, and may he come
back to us strong in his mighty arm! I have really
arrived at that day on which the odius strength of Hercules
willbe of assistance to me
I can tolerate nis conquering
!
me, so long as he conquered himself as well (Juno

is
here alludes to the slaughter of his wife and sons during
his madness in prospectu), and may he wish when he returns
from the infernal regions, for death itself! Under these
circumstances, it will be a source of gain to me, that he
is really the veritable son of Jupiter I stipulate firmly,
!
however, that the arrows which are sent forth from his
bow shall be directed with a sure aim and steady nerve
I will poise his hand myself! I will preside over the
movements of the raging combatant I shall, literally,
at last, be espousing the very cause of Hercules in thus
inflaming his warlike spirit! And when the crime is
carried out to my satisfaction (slaughtering his wife and
two sons), let his father forthwith admit him into Olympus
with his hands stained and reeking with their guilty work.
Now then for war! Operations must begin! The light
of day is beginning to show itself and bright Titan enters
upon the scene, with all his nascent glory, in the saffron-
tinted Eastern Horizon.
CHORUS OF THEBANS.
The Chorus of Thebans beginning with a description of
the dawn of day alludes to the manners and customs
of the times, condemning the pursuits and under-
takings of the nobles They reprove Hercules for
his audacity in the attempting of his various labors,
and finally extol and sigh for that tranquillity, which
is only to be realized by leading a retired life.
Behold! The stars now scarcely perceptible are

shining feebly in the setting sky, and night
but
drawing in slowly calls together the scattered lumi-
naries (planets). Phosphorus, too, disbands her shining
retinue at the approach of the newly-born day The
12 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [L!n 134-177
Jam Caclmeis inclyta Bacchis

Afperfa die dumeta rubent: '35
Phoebique fugit reditura foror.
Labor exoritur durus, & omnes
Agitat curas, aperilque domos.
Paftor gelida cana pruina
Grege dimiffo pabula carpit. 14
Ludit prato liber aperto
Nondum rupta fronte juvencus.
Vacuae reparant ubera matres.
EiTat curfu levis incerto
Molli petulans hcedus in herba. I45
Pendet fummo ftridula ramo,
Pennafque novo tradere foli
Geftit quenilos inter nidos
Tliracia pellex; turbaque circa
Confufa fonat, murmure mixto 1 50
Teftata diem, carbafa ventis
Credit, dubius navita vitas,
Laxos aura complente finus.
Hie exefis pendens fcopulisj
Aut deceptos inftruit hamos; 155
Aut fufpenfus fpeflat preffa
Praemia dextra. fentit tremulum
Linea pifcem.
Hcec, innocuae quibus eft vitaa
Tranquilla quies, & teta fuo 160
Parvoque domus, fpes & in agris.
Turbine magno fpes follicitse
Urbibus errant, trepidique metus.
Ille fuperbos aditus regum,
Durafque fores, expers fomni, 165
Colit: hie nullo fine beatus
Componit opes, gazis inhians,
Et congefto pauper in auro eft.
Ilium populi favor attonitum,
Fludluque magis mobile vulgus 170
Aura tumidum toUit inani:
Hie clamofi rabiofa fori
Jurgia vendens improbus, iras
Et verba locat. Novit paucos
Secura quies, qui velocis 175
Memores sevi, tempora nunquam
Reditura tenent. Dum fata fmunt,
Arcadian Bears, with their seven stars, the Northern sign-

posts of the distant Pole, invoke the coming li,^ht as the
Chariot of Phoebus reverses its direction Behold Titan
! !
rises from the azure waters with his steeds refreshed

thereby as he brings into view the summits of CEta
now with welcome day The groves scattered everywhere

display their verdancy, whilst the scene is opened with

the Bacchic revels, and bright Phoebe, the sister of
Phoebus, steals away only ("to repeat the story of her
birth") to return to us again! Hard toil is now demanded
of man, and he busies himself with his manifold concerns,
and the light of day reveals the nakedness of many a
homestead r The shepherd, having driven away his herds,
gathers as a reserve the scanty produce, rendered cold
and crisp by the hoar frost The young bull, with its
rudimentary horns (the superjacent cuticle not yet broken
through) scampers with wild freedom over the open

mead The mothers deprived of their milk seek to reple-

nish their exhausted udders the lustful goat wanders
nimbly, with uncertain destination, over the velvety sod
The Thracian nightingale (Philomela) perched on a top-
most branch gives forth her plaintive notes, and longs
to test her wings in sight of rising Sol, and busies herself
with the affairs of her nest in gleefully ministering to
the wants of her clamorous progeny and the confusion
of the singing multitude around announces from a medley

of throats the coming of bright day The mariner, careless
of the dangers incidental to his calling, confidendy trusts
his canvas to the winds as the breeze expands his full-

set sails Then another man, a fisherman resting on the
wave-indented rock, is engaged either in baiting afresh his
unsuccessful hook, or, all anxiety, beholds in mental
prospect the reward of his patience already grasped in
his right hand, whilst he is really only made conscious
that a struggling fish is doing its best to sUp away from
his linel The following things are of value to a man; the
tranquil quiet of an innocent life and a home which is
satisfied with its modest belongings; the looking forward

with hope to the fruits of his lands anxious cares present
themselves in cities in a discomposing whirl, and amidst
trembling fears and he who seeks ambitiously to ap-
proach the dwellings of kings and to enter at doors difficult
of access, will assuredly bid goodbye to sleep as his

reward he who lays up, without bounds, riches as the
summum bonum of happiness, panting for further wealth,
is altogether a pauper, nevertheless, with all his coffers
containing their accumulated gold 1 Popularity bewilders
one man, and sets him entirely beside himself, and the
ignoble herd, more fickle than the passing waves, capti-
vate his elated imagination with their hollow applause!
and surely, that man is a knavish rascal, who amidst
the fierce strife of the noisy forum sells at a price, as he
would merchandize, his stinging denunciations or honeyed
eloquence (as the case might be) merely to gain verdicts
for his litigious clients! Uninterrupted serenity is a
14 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines .78-207
Vivite Iffiti. properat curfu
Vita citato, volucrique die

Rota prtecipitis vertitur anni. 180
Dui'ce peragunt penfa Sorores,
Nee fua retro fila revolvunt.
At gens hominum fertur rapidis
Obvia fatis, incerta fui?
Stygias ultro quEErimus undas. 185
Nimium, Alclde, pedlore fovti
Properas mceftos vifere Manes.
Certo veniunt ordine Parcee.
Nulli juffo ceffare licet,
Nulli fcriptum profeiTe diem. 190
Recipit populos urna citatos.
Alium multis gloria terris.
Tradat, & omueis fama per urbcs
Garrula laudet, coeloque parem
ToUat & aftris: alius curru 195
Sublimis eat. me mea tellus
Lara fecreto tutoque tegat
Venit ad pigros cana fenedlus:
Humilique loco, fed certa fedet
Sordida parvae fortuna domus: 200
Alte virtus animofa cadit.
Sed moefta venit crine foluto
Megara, parvum comitata gregem:
Tardufque fenio graditur Alcidse parens.
ACTUS SECUNDUS.
MEGARA, AMPHITRYON.
Megara abfentiam Herculis deflet enumeratis ipfms aarumuis.
I.yci vim & infolentiam conqueritur. Defpondentem
animum Megaram & defperantem confolatur
Amphitryon.
MEG. V^tandem
MAGNE Olympi redlor, & mundi arbiter, 205
Jam ftatue gravibus a:rumnis modum,
Finemque cladi. nulla lux unquam mihi
Stranger to few except those who, mindful of the fleeting-

ness of time, pass their lives profitably, as if they can
never expect them to return! Whilst the Fates permit,
lead your lives with a joyful heart Life hastens along
with a quickened stride, and the revolution of the year is
!
Lines .78-207] HERCULES FURENS. 15
only by each flying day. The obdurate

precipitated
Parcse perform their allotted tasks, nor do they ever
unwind the threads they have once woven; but the race
of mankind at large is borne forward to meet its rapid
destiny, uncertain of what that fatal urn may declare,
whilst we are only seeking carelessly, as it were, the
Stygian Streams! Oh! Alcides, do not with your stout
heart hasten too eagerly to visit the sadness-ridden Manes
The Parcae come on the appointed day with certain
precision; it is not allowed for them to cease from their
ordained task at any command, or to publish the prescribed

term of life at any bidding the fatal urn receives only
those whose lots are enrolled therein Glory attends one
man in many lands, and busy fame praises throughout
all the cities of the world, and raises him equally to
Heaven and the Stars 1 Another is borne aloft in chariot
triumphant. May our own land then protect us, surrounded
by our own Lares and Penates in security Grey old age !
quickly overtakes the weak, but moderate means in a

small habitation ensures safety, and puts one out of

harm's way whilst wealth unassured in this manner, is
always a doubtful possession. Sublime heroism tells
heavily, when once it begins to totter But Megara,
with a look of sadness, is now approaching, her locks
hanging down loosely, accompanied by her family of
little ones, and the father of Hercules, Amphitryon, follows
her, but with his gait rendered slow through the advances
of old age.
ACT II.
MEGARA-AMPHITRYON.
Megara bewails the absence of Hercules in enumerating
her troubles she complains of the violence and inso-
lence of Lycus. Amphitryon pities the despondent
state of Megara's mind, and tenders her consolation
in her despair.
MEGARA.
Monarch of mighty Olympus, and of arbiter the

Oh!world's bj time decree a remedy
destinies ; this for
my grievous sufifermgs, andvouchsafe an end to
these misfortunes, for never does there arrive a day, which
affords me the slightest security from one trouble or another,
:
i6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 208-^47
Secura fulfit. mali

finis alterius
Gradus eft futuri, protenus reduci novus
Paratur hoftis, antequam Isetam domum 210
Contingat, aliud juffus ad bellum meat.
Nee ulla requies, tempus aut uUum datur,
Nifi dum jubetur: fequitur a primo ftatim
Infefta Juno, numquid immunis fuit
Infantis setas.' monftra fuperavit prius, 215
Quam noffe poffet. gemina criftati caput
Angues ferebant ora, quos contra obvius
Reptavit infans; igneos ferpentium
Oculos remiffo lumine ac placido intuens,
Ardlos ferenis vultibus nodos tulit; 220
Et tumida tenera guttura elidens manu,
Prolusit hydrae: Maenali pernix fera,
Multo decorum pneferens auro caput,
Deprenfa curfii eft. maximus Nemeae timor
Gemuit lacertis preffus Herculeis leo. 225
Quid ftabula memorem dira Biftonii gregis,
Suifque regem pabulum armentis datum?
Solitumque denfis hifpidum Eiymanthi jugis
Arcadia quatere nemora Maenalium fuem?
Taurumque centum non levem populis metum? 23
Inter remotos gentis Hefperise greges
Paftor triformis litoris Tarteffii
Peremtus, adla eft prseda ab Occafu ultimo.
Notum Cithasron pavit Oceano pecus.
Penetrare juffus Solis aftivi plagas, 235
Et adufta medius regna quae torret dies.
Utrinque montes folvit abrupto objice,
Et jam ruenti fecit Oceano viam.
Poft base, adortus nemoris opulenti domos,
Aurifera vigilis fpolia ferpentis tulit. 240
Quid? fseva Lernas monftra, numerofum malum,
Non igne demum vicit, & docuit mori?
Rolitafque pennis condere obdudlis diem
Petiit ab ipfis nubibus Stymphalidas ?
Non vicit ilium caelibis femper tori 245
Regina gentis vidua Thermodontise
Nee ad omne clarum facinus audaces manus
and the end of one calamity is only the beginning of

another. From afar off, a fresh enemy prepares to enter
on the scene, and before he (Alcides) reaches his wel-
come home, he is forthwith commanded to enter upon
some fresh contest: nor is there any respite or any oppor-
tunity afforded for rest, but the brief interval oetween
one command and that which is to follow Implacable
I
Juno is always in foremost pursuit! Why, I ask, was the

the tender infant even allowed to be free from her resent-
Lines 208-247] HERCULES l'r.:(..:;.NS. 17
ment? The two crested snakes darted at the infant's

cradle, but that infant strangled them as they advanced;
he had actually conquered tnose monsters, before he had
arrived at the years of knowledge he regarded their
fiery eyes with a placid and careless gaze, bore their
encircling pressure with a serene countenance and, seizing
their swellmg poison-charged throats with his tender in-
fantile hands, he squeezed out their lives! Thus, as a
Erelude to his victory over the Hydra, he commenced
is conquering career with the serpents! The swift stag
of Maenalus, with his head rendered glaring with his large
golden horns, was arrested in his flight by Hercules.
That great terror of the forests, the Nemaean Lion, groaned
aloud when pressed by the brawny arms of Hercules 1
What shall I say of those terrible horses of the Thracian

King Diomedes or of that very king, who was delivered
over for destruction to the voracity of his own cattle?
Or the bristled Msenalian Boar, which ravaged the sum-
mits of Erymanthus, and was wont to cause the Arcadian
Groves to quake again with his presence? Or of the
Bull of Crete which was the great terror of a hundred
communities and was actually brought alive into Pelopon-
nesus ; how amongst the distant flocks of the Hesperian
confines, their shepherd, the three-bodied monster Geryon
was slain by Hercules, and his flocks seized as spoil from
the extreme West, where Cithasron subsequently fed those
well-known herds near the territories of Oceanus? Her-
cules was commanded to penetrate countries, visited

by the dreadful summer sun, the kingdoms, where every-
thing was absolutely burnt up, whilst the mid-day pre-
vailed. AH obstacles being broken down he actually
divided mountains on both sides, and opened up a broad
road for the in-rushing Ocean! After all these exploits,
he gained access to the territories of the gold-laden grove
(Garden of the Hesperides) and seized upon the golden
spoils (apples) guarded by a watchful serpent! (one that
never slept). What next? Did he not conquer by casting
it into the flames, the monstrous Hydra of Lerna, ijhat
remarkable object of dread, and demonstrated that it,
even, could be made to die! He then seeks out, from
the clouds themselves, those noisome Stymphalidse which
were wont with their expanded wings to darken the very
sky around I Nor was the Virgin Queen of the Thermo-
don race with her entire army of celibate women-soldiers
equal to him in the contest! Nor did he deem it all an
ignominious task, when, with his brave and able hands,
he cleansed the stables of Augeusl But what do all these
exploits now avail him? He is now with no city to
defend. And the lands which have acknowledged him
:
i8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 248-289
Stabuli fugavit turpis Augise labor.

Quid ifta profunt? orbe defenfo caret.
^5
Senfere terr pacis audlorem fus
Abeffe teiris. profperum ac felix fcelus,
Virtus vocatur. fontibus pareot boni.
Jus eft in armis, opprimit leges timor.
Ante ora vidi noftra, truculenta manu
Natos paterni cadere regnl vindices ^55
Ipfamque Cadmi nobilis ftirpem ultimam
Occidere. vidi regium capitis decus
Cum capite raptum. quis fatis Thebas fleat?
Ferax Deorum terra quem dominum tremis?
^
E cujus arvis, eque foecundo fmu
Stri(lojuventus orta cum ferro ftetit;
Cujufque muros natus Amphion Jove
Struxit, canoro faxa modulatu trahens;
In cujus urbem non femel Divlim parens
Coelo reli(lo venit; lisec quas coelites 265
Recepit, & quae fecit, & (fas fit loqui)
Fortaffe faciei, fordido premitur jugo.
Cadmea proles, civitafque Amphionis,
Quo decidiftis? tremitis ignavum exfulem,
Suis carentcm finibus, noftris gravem? 270
Qui fcelera terra, quique perfequitur mari,
Ac Iseva jufta fceptra confringit manu,
Nunc fervit abfens, fertque que ferri vetat:
Tenetque Thebas exful Herculeas Lycus.
Sed non tenebit. aderit, & poenas petet, 275
Subitufque ad aftra emerget: inveniat viam,
Aut Adfis fofpes & remees, precor:
faciei.
Tandemque venias vidlor ad viiflam domum.
Emerge, conjux, atque difpulfas manu
Abrumpe lenfebras : nulla fi retro via, 280
Iterque claufum eft, orbe diduiSo redi;
Et quidquid atra nocle pofleffum latel,
Emitte tecum, dirutis qualis jugis
PrEeceps citato flumini quserens iter,
Quondam ftetifti, fciffa cum vafto impetu 285
Patuere Tempe. pedlore impulfus tuo.
Hue mons & illuc cecidit, & rupto aggere
Nova cucun-it Theflalus torrens via.
Talis parentes, liberos, patriam petens,
as the author of their peaceful security, now find him away

from his tutelary cares Prosperous and successful crime
!
now receives the name of Valor The good are now made
1
to obey the bad! There is a recognized and lawful

right awarded to arms, and very fear puts the laws in
abeyance I Before my very own eyes I have seen sons
cut down by merciless hands, and whose only sin had
Lines .48-=89] HERCULES FURENS. 19
been in the avenging the loss of their father's kingdom.

I have witnessed the destruction of the last of the noble
line of the House of Cadmus and I have seen the very
1
crown seized roughly from the august head which was

wearing it, and die head itself removed with it at the
same time. Who, I ask, shall weep sufficiently for what
has befallen Thebes? On! Earth who so easily Greatest
1
Gods, of what men art thou afraid? And out of whose

lands, from an equally productive origin sprang youth,
who boldly stood forth with their weapons unsheathed
ready for war, and of whose city Amphion, the son of
Jove, laid the walls, which he easily called into his ser-

vice by the enchanting melodies of his lyre into whose
city the Parent of the Gods, having quitted his heavenly
abode, has come more than once; that city, which has
achieved this distinction and, may I be permitted to say
it, will do so again perhaps, is now oppressed with a
heavy yokel 01 Offspring of Cadmus I Oh! City of
Amphion To what hast thou fallen Dost thou tremble
1 !
at the sight of a base exile, with no country that he can

call his own, simply because he is a nuisance to us?
whilst he, who follows up and punishes crimes commit-
ted on land as well as on sea, and breaks down the harsh
rule of tyrannical kings with the strong arm of justice,
is now away from us and practically a slave himself (that
is, serving under Eurystheus), and is putting up at the
present moment with the very things he would not per-
mit others to suffer, if he were only present! That
wretched exile, Lycus, possesses Herculean Thebes now,
but he will not hold it long; Hercules will return and
gunish him condignly and will then make a sudden
ight to the Heavens to which he will soon find a way,
and if not, he will make one !I pray, spouse of mine,
come back as the deliverer! Be thou present! Come at
length as the salvator of a down-trodden home I Come out
of that infernal abyss, consort mine, and escape from
that darkness which thou hast so successfully dispelled

with thy mighty arm if there be no way easy for return
and the exit is closed up, come I say if the very orb
itself requires to be rent in twain to effect a passage!
And if anything under the dominion of sombre Nox
should lie concealed, bring it forth with thee, and as
thou once stood, when thou sought thy precipitous way
by swiftly flowing rivers, having first severed the very
mountains which obstructed thy path! when Tempe
lay open, cut through by thy tremendous force, a moun-

tain here forced against by thy chest a mountain there,
fell as thou proceeded, the opposing mass being all dis-
persed, the Thessalian streams followed in a newly
20 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines =90-3=0
Erumpe, rerum tenninos tecum efferens; 290

Et quidquid avida tot per annorum gradus
Abfcondit setas, redde; & oblitos fui,
Lucifque pavidos ante te populos age.
Indigna te fuut fpolia, fi tantum refers,
Quantum imperatum eft. fed nimium loquor,
Magna 295
Ignara noftrae fortis. Unde
ilium mihi,
Quo te tuamque dexteram ampleftar, diem,
Reditufque lentos nee mei memores querar?
Tibi, o Deorum dudtor, indomiti ferent
Centena tauri coUa: tibi, frugum potens, 3
Secreta reddam facra; tibi muta fide
Longas Eleufm tacita jaftabit faces.
Turn reftitutas fratribus rebor meis
Animas, & ipfum regna moderantem fua
Florere patrem. fi qua te major tenet 35
Claufum poteftas; fequimur. aut omnes tuos
Defende reditu fofpes; aut omnes trahe.
Trahes, nee uUus eriget fra<los Deus.
AMPH. O
focia noftri fanguinis, cafta fide
Servans torum natofque magnanimi Herculis, 3'
Meliora mente concipe, atque animum excita.
Aderit profeiSlo, qualis ex omni folet
Lahore, major. MEG. Quod nimis miferi volunt,
Hoc facile credunt. amph. Immo quod metuunt nimis,
Nunquam araoveri poITe, nee tolli putant. 315
Prona eft tiinori femper in pejus fides.
MEG. Demerfus, ac defoffus, & toto infuper
Oppreffus orbe, quam viam ad fuperos habet?
AMPH. Quam tunc habebat, cum per arentem plagam,
Et flu(fluantes more turbati maris 320
created channel Come forth such an one as thou art,

1
seeking parents, children, country thus bringing with

I
thee the termination of our troubles, and whatever

the rapacious destructiveness of time has moved away
through so many passing years restore Put out of theI
question (drive away) the Manes that have forgotten their

former condition on earth, and would fear the light of
day. Such spoils as those are quite unworthy of thy
prowess, do therefore only what thou art bidden, if thou
dost come backl But, perhaps, being ignorant of what
our own lot may turn out to be, I am speaking too
volubly upon matters of such grave importance! Alasl
When will the day arrive on which I shall embrace thee,
and shake thy right hand? nor shall I ever relent at thy
slow return or fancy thou hast forjgotten me Leader ! 1
of the Gods! May they present for thy honor, as a be-

fitting sacrifice, a hundred untamed bulls whose necks

have never borne the yoke O thou Goddess, who j)re-
1
sidest over our harvests, I will tender thee my devotion

in the sacred mysteries I will silently, with
1 dumb rever-
ence, lay at thy altar on Eleusis the grand and burning
torch! Then I will conjure up to my imagination the souls
returned to my brothers restored to me, .and the fact
that my parent still flourishes and rules his kingdom with
mildness. If any greater power still detains thee we will
be in thy wake; either as a deliverer defend us on thy
return, or take us as all things are, but thou, in particular,
take us under thy protection let not another God have
to extricate us from our forlorn condition!
AMPHITRYON.
O tender companion of my race, guarding with thy

chaste care the couch and the infantile offspring of
the mighty Hercules, think in your mind of better things,
check thy angry impulses ; Hercules will assuredly return
reinvigorated, as he always does after everyone of his
labors.
MEGARA.
Those that are miserable are apt to believe readily

thatwhich they are prone to fear the most.
AMPHITRYON.
But there is another view of the matter: some fear too

much, and suppose that the sources of their alarm can
neither be averted nor entirely removed. In a state of
fear, the mind is always inclined to believe the worst!
MEGARA.
Sunk down, buried away, and furthermore the entire

world pressing him down, by what road can he find his
way back amongst the Living?
22 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 3=1-348
Abiit arenas; bifque difcedens fretum,

Et bis recurrens: cumque deferta rate
Deprenfus h^fit Syrtium brevibus vadis,
Et puppe fixa maria fuperavit pedes.
MEG. Iniqua raro maximis virtutibus 3^5
Fortuna parcit: nemo fe tuto diu
Periculis offerre tam crebis poteft.
Quern fepe trtofit, cafus, aliquando invenit.
Sed ecce faevuSj ac minas vultu gerens,
Et qualis animo eft, talis inceiTu venit 330
Aliena dextra fceptra concutiens Lycus.
LYCUS, MEGARA, AMPHITRYON.
Lycus Thebis a, Creonte in exfilium miffus, Hercule ad inferos

profedloj caefo Creonte cum filiis, quo regnum occu-
patum fibi firmet, Megarae nuptias ambit,
abnuenti vim minatur.
LYC. V / RBIS regens opulenta Thebanse loca,

Et omne quidquid uberi cingit folo
Obliqua Phocis, quidquid Tfmenos rigat,
Quidquid Cithasron vertice excelfo videt, 335
Et bina findens Ifthmos exilis freta,
Non Vetera patriae jura poffideo domus
Ignavus hffires: nobiles non funt mihl
Avi, nee altis inclytum tilnlis genus;
Sed clara virtus, qui genus jaftat fuum 340
Aliena laudat. Rapta fed trepida manu
Sceptra Obtinentur omnis in ferro eft falus.
:
Quod civibus tenere te invitis fcias,

Striiflus tuetur enfis. alieno in loco
Plaud ftabile regnum eft. una fed noftras potest
345
Fundare vires, jun<5la regali face
Thalamifque Megara. ducet e genere inclyto
Novitas colorem noflra. non equidem reor
AMPHITRYON.
Just the same road as when he passed over the

burning plains, and sands shifting like a troubled sea,
that sea ebbing twice, and flowing twice, in turn's, and
Lines 3"-348] HERCULES FURENS. 23
when he was obliged to leave his vessel, it having

grounded on the low sandbanks of the Syrtes, and the
craft being stuck fast, he trampled down the sea, con-
tending successfully with his feet, and cleared a passage
for himself
MEGARA.
Unjust fate rarely shows mercy to the greatest merits,

and no one can expose himself for long to frequent dan-
gers, with impunity; an evil, which we can tide over very
frequently, will sometimes land us on a rock! But behold
that cruel wretch Lycus, carrying his menacing nature in
the very lineaments of his visage ; whatever is passing in
his mind, the same is indicated faithfully in his general
demeanour, and this even whilst he is dangling in his
hands (carelessly as it would seem) the very sceptre, which
rightfully belongs to 'another!
LYCUSMEGARAAMPHITRYON.
Lycus is exile, by Creon Her-
ordered from Thebes into
cules having set out for the infernal regions; and
Creon with his sons being slain, Lycus establishes
himself on the throne and governs the kingdom. He
then seeks to marry Megara, using every stratagem,
and determines to offer violence m
case of refusal.
LYCUS.
ruler of the opulent Theban territories and whatever

As borders upon the transversely^ situated Phocis with
its fertile soil, whatever irrigates the Ismenian
lands and whatever Cithseron looks down upon from its
lofty mountain-summit, I do not regard myself by any
rceans a contemptible inheritor of such a home with all
the ancient rights appertaining to such a country; it is
true, I cannot boast of noble ancestors, or of a race
celebrated for titles, but my own personal valor gives me

some claim to renown he who brags of his ancestry
simply praises others, not himself! But when sceptres are
taken from others, the only safety then, rests in the sword
of the possessor. A kingdom is not to be depended on
when you are ruling in another's place! But there is one
thing which can confirm my power, Megara must be
joined to me by the marriage tie, and conducted by the
Royal Nuptial Ceremony! And my new position will
gather some glory arising from my union with a noble
: .
24 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lin=s 349-385
Fore ut recufet, ac meos fpemat toros.

Quod impotenti pertinax animo abnuet,
fi 35
Stat tollere omnem penitus Herculeam domum.
Invidia fa(5lum ac fermo popularis premet?
Ars prima regri, poffe te invidiam pati.
Tentemus igitur: fors dedit nobis locum.
Namque ipfa trifti veftis obtentu caput 355
Velata, juxta prsefides adftat Deos,
Laterique adliaeret verus Alcidae fator.
MEG. Quidnam ifte, noftrl generis exitium ac lues,
Novi parat? quid tentat? LYC. O clarum trahens
A ftirpe nomen regia, facilis mea 360
Parumper aure verba patienti excipe.
Si asteroa femper odia mortales agant,
Nee coeptus unquam cedat ex animis furor,
Sed anna felix teneat, infelix paret;
Nihil relinquent bella: turn vaftis ager 365
Squallebit arvis. fubdita te<3:is face
Altus fepultas obruet gentes cinis.
Pacem reduci velle, viftori expedit;
Vidlo neceffe eft. particeps regno veni:
Sociemus animos. pignus hoc fidei cape: 370
Continge dextram. quid traci vultu files?
MEG. Egone ut parentis fanguine afperfam manum,
Fratrumque gemina csede contingam? prius
Exftinguet Ortus, referet Occafus diem:
Pax ante fida nivibus & ilammis erit: 37;
Et Scylla Siculum junget Aufonio latus:
Priufque multo vicibus alternis fugax
Euripus unda ftabit Euboica piger.
Patrem abftulifti, regna, germanos, larem,
Patriam: quid ultra eft? una res fupereft mihi, 383
Fratre ac parente carior, regno ac lare.
Odium tui: quod effe cum populo mihi
Commune doleo, pars quota ex ifto mea eft ?
Dominare tumidus, fpiritus altos gere
Sequitur fuperbps ultor a tergo Deus 385
race I do not imagine that such a difficulty could arise

1
as that she should refuse my offer or that her inclination

should lead her to spurn my couch But if she is persis- 1
tent with any of her impotent resistance, and denies me,

I am resolved to stamp out completely root and branch
all traces of th^ House of Hercules, although outside
indignation and popular clamor might be dead against
me! The first art in managing a kingdom is that you
should be to able to bear up against unpopularity. Let
me try therefore ; good fortune has thrown a kingdom in
rny way. And for the matter of that, although the father
of Alcides sticks close to her side as she stands before
Lines 349-38S] HERCULES FURENS. 25
her tutelary deities, with her mourning vestments hiding

up her head, what care I?
MEGARA.
What fresh devilry is Lycus devising? Is it how he

shall compass the destruction of our race? What is he
now attempting?
LYCUS.
01 thou, inheriting an illustrious name from thy royal

ancestors, listen to me for a little with a patient ear; if
mortals are always bent on cultivating eternal hatred, and
ifury, which, you must know, once encouraged never quits
the human heart, that man is fortunate who wields the
weapons necessary for his purpose; and that man so far
is unlucky who has to obey, since war leaves nothing to
the vanquished! Then it is that the land .will present
naught but untilled fields, and that bespread with the
burning torch, the accumulated ashes will overwhelm the
buried inhabitants The conquered, be sure of that, are
1
as willing for peace as it is in the interests of the con-

queror to be; but this is indispensably the case as
regards the vanquished Come then as the partner of
1
fnj kingdom, and let us be with our hearts united like-'

wise. Take therefore this pledge of my serious intentions,
shake this right hand of mine f Why
art thou thus silent
and with those cruel looks of thine, too ?
MEGARA.
Shall I, dost thou think, be induced to touch even the

hand of one stained with the blood of my parent and
that of my brothers likewise? A
double slaughter for-
sooth 1 First, let me see day utterly done away with, and
night to take up its place, let there be a cordial amal-
gamation of the cold snows with the scorching fiery
elements! And Scylla join the Sicilian lands to the
Ausonian main! Aid first too, let me behold the streams
of the Euripus, with its uncertain tides occurring so
frequently, stand suddenly still and render muddy the
Eubsean shores! Thou hast robbed me of my father,
my kinsmen, my kingdom, my Lares and my country!
What can go beyond this? One greater thing, however,
is left to me, dearer to me if possible, than parent, brothers
Thebaria novi regna. quid matres loquar

Paffas & aufas fcelera? quid geminum nefas,
Mixtumque nomen conjugis, nati, patris?
Quid bina fratnim caftra? quid totidem rogos?
Riget fuperba Tantalis ludlu parens, 39
Mceftufque Phrygio manat in Sipylo lapis.
Quia ipfe torvum fubrigens crifta caput
lllyrica Cadmus regna permenfus fuga,
Longas reliquit corporis tradli notas.
Hsec te manent exempla. dominare, ut lubet: 39S
Dum folita regni fata te noftri vocent.
LYC. Agedum, efferatas rabida voces amove:
Et difce regum imperia ah Alcide pati,
Ego, rapta-quamvis fceptra viftrici geram
Dextra, regamque cundla fine legum metu, 400
Quas anna vincunt, pauca pro caufa loquar
Noftra. Cruento cecidit in bello pater;
Cecidere fratres? arma non fervant modum;
Nee temperari facile, nee reprimi poteft
StriAi enfis ira. bella deleftat cruor. 405
Sed ille regno pro fuo: nos improba
Cupidine adli? quseritur belli exitus.
Non Sed nunc pereat omnis memoria.
caufa.
Cum viflor arma profuit, & vi<5lum decet
Deponere odia. non ut inflexo genu 410
Regnantem adores, petimus. hoc ipfum placet,
Animo ruina^ quod capis magno tuas.
Es rege conjux digna: fociemus toros.
MEG. Gelidus per artus vadit exfangues tremor.
Quod facinus aures pepulit? haud equidem horrui, 415
Cum pace rupta bellicus muros fragor
Circumfonaret. pertuli intrepide omnia.
Thalamos tremifco : capta nunc videor mihi.
Gravent catenae corpus, & longa fame
Lares and kingdom, my

hatred of thee What I do grieve
I
for, is that grief is participated in by my own people,

my
but nevertheless how large a share therem has fallen
to my lot! Go thou on, governing with thy puffed up
importance, keep up thy spirits to elevation pitch; a
revenging deity is following at thy heels! I know all
about the Theban kingdom, but how shall I describe the
sufferings of some mothers and the dreadful deeds of
which others have been guilty ? Shall I speak of the two-

fold crime patricide and incest, and the name of the wife,
son and father ? How shall I speak of two hostile camps
made up of brothers fighting against each other? What
of so many funeral piles, and the behaviour of the
flames ? The proud parent, daughter of Tantalus, is dried
up and cold with grief, and now, as a rock sheds her
Lm=s 386-.419] HERCULES FURENS. 27
tears on the Phrygian Sipylusl But Cadmus raising his

threatening crest has left many deep traces of his tortuous
flight, as he traversed the lUyrian plains; these records
will serve as a guide for thee! Rule as thou thinkest fit,
whilst the traditional destinies of our kingdom summon
thee to govern 1
LYCUS.
Come now, although mad with rage, put aside angry

words and learn to obey the commands of kings from
the example shown thee by thy own Alcides; although
I wear a sceptre in my hands, which I have assumed as
a conqueror, I will govern everything without any regard
for the lawSj over which arms always possess dominion!
Shall I now say a few words in my own behalf? Thy
father only fell in a bloody contest. Thy brothers did
so likewise. The law of arms admits of no stereotyped
fashions, and the human passions evoked by the unsheathed
sword cannot be modified to our own desires, or indeed
repressed in any way. Blood is the normal deUght of
warriors ; but thyfattier, thou wilt say, fought for his own
crown, and only fought for the wicked desire of gaining
I
it from him! The end of war seems to be the chief
object sought for and not the cause which gave rise to it.
But now all considerations are put aside, for, when the
conqueror lays down his arms, it is only right that the
vanquished should throw aside any useless hatred he
may feel towards the conqueror; nor do we require, either,
that you should worship the one holding the sceptre on
bended knees. But this fact does please me that thou
shouldst accept thy downfall as thou art doing, with
a haughtiness of demeanour, and thus, in a manner,
worthy of the consort of a king ; let us share, then, the
nuptial couch!
MEGARA.
A cold tremor creeps over my bloodless limbs! What

revolting utterances do now assail my ears! Indeed I
shuddered not, when on the approach of my departed
peace, the clang of warlike arms surrounded the city on
all sides
I bore it all with an intrepid spirit; but at the
thought of marriage with thee I tremble indeed! I now
seem to myself, verily, a slave! My very body feels
already to be growing weary with chains, and thus may
!
28 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 4=^0-435
Mors pi'otrahatur lenta, Don vincet fidem 420

Vis ulja noftram: moriar, Alcide, tua.
LYC. Animofne merfus inferis conjux facit?
MEG. Infema tetigit, poffet, ut fiipera affequi.
LYC. Telluris ilium pondus immenfe premit.
MEG. NuUo premetur onere, qui coalum lulit. 425
I.YC. CogSre. MEG. Cogi qui poteft, nefcit mori.
LYC. Effare, thalamis quod novis potius parem
Regale munus? meg. Aul tuam mortem, aut meam.
LYC. Moriere demens? meg. Conjugi occurram meo.
LYC. Sceptrone noftro potior eft famulus tibi? 430
MEG. Quot ifte famulus tradidit reges neci!
LYC. Cur ergo regi fervit, & patitur jugum?
MEG. Imperia dura toUe, quid virtus erit?
LYC. Objici feris raonftrifque, virtutem putas?
MEG. Virtutis eft domare, quae cun(fti pavent. 435
a slow death, protracted by chronic starvation, be my fate I

No force shall ever change my resolution! Oh Alcidesl
I will die thine only I
LYCUS.
Does thy husband's being hidden away in the infernal

regions inspire thee with this lofty tone?
MEGARA.
He has sought the infernal regions^ that he might sooner

seek the Gods above 1
LYCUS.
The Earth's immense weight is now pressing him down.
MEGARA.
He who bore the heavens on his shoulders, is not

pressed down by any present weight!
LYCUS.
You will be compelled by force
MEGARA.
He knows not how to die, who yields to force!

Lines 4=0-435] HERCULES FURENS. 29
LYCUS.
Speak, what can I prepare for you, as a regal present,

better than a fresh niarriage?
MEGARA.
Either thy death or mine.
LYCUS.
Thou wilt die mad, then?
MEGARA.
I shall go to meet my husband.
LYCUS.
Slavery, then, is preferable in thy sight than to share

my sceptre?
MEGARA.
How many kings has that slave, as thou termest him,

handed over to destruction?
LYCUS.
Why then does he serve a king, and bear his yoke?
MEGARA.
Remove tyrannical commands, and what room is there

left for the display of valor?
LYCUS.
Dost thou call it valor, to throw thyself in the way of

wild beasts and monsters?
MEGARA.
It is valor to subdue that of which every one goes in dread.

LYC. Tenebrse loquentem magna Tartare^ premunt.

MEG. Non eft ad aftra mollis e terris via.
LYC. Quo patre genitus coelitum fperat domos?
AMPH. Miferanda conjux Herculis magni filer
Partes meffi fuut, reddere Alcidae patrem, 44
Genufque verum. poft tot ingentis viri
Memoranda fadla, poftque pacatummanu
Quodcunque Titan ortus & labens videt,
Poft monftia tot perdomita, poft Phlegram impio
Sparfam craore, poftque defenfos Deos, 445
Nondum liquet de patre? mentimur Jovem?
Junonis odio crede. LYC. Quid violas Jovem?
Mortale ccelo non poteft jungi genus.
AMPH. Communis ifta pluribus caufa eft Deis.
LYC. Famuline fuerant ante quam fierent Dei? 450
AMPH. Paftor Pherseos Delius pavit greges.
LYC. Sed non per omnes exful erravit plagas.
AMPH. Quem profuga terra mater errante edidit.
LYC. Non monftra, faevas Phcebus aut timuit feras.
AMPH. Primus fagittas imbuit Phoebi draco. 455
LYCUS.
The shades of Tartarus prevent him from heralding

forth his great deeds.
MEGARA.
The way from Earth to Heaven is not a soft and easy path.
LYCUS.
From what father must a son be born, to aspire to a

heavenly home?
AMPHITRYON.
Be sUent, oh miserable spouse of Hercules, it is my

I
mission to give up to Alcides the name of his father and

his true pedigree, after so many memorable achievements
of that great man; as Titan rose in his majestic glory
and when he descended below the horizon Hercules saw
every thing that boded destruction and pacified every
thing around with his mighty arm! After the subjection

of so many monsters after the impious blood which
covered the land of Phlegra following his defence of the
Gods (the blood of the giants), does he not as yet, do
Lines 436-4SS] HERCULES FURENS. 31
you suppose, become solicitous himself respecting his

true paternity? Are we, do you suppose, inventing some
lie regarding Jupiter? Nol but thou canst believe without
any misgiving in the hatred of Juno I
LYCUS.
Why dost thou insult Jupiter thus? a race of mortals

cannot possibly be allied with the Gods.
AMPHITRYON.
But many of the Gods are traceable to mortal origin.
LYCUS.
But were they slaves, before they became Gods?
AMPHITRYON.
Uelius (surname of Apollo) as a shepherd fed the

Phersean herds.
LYCUS.
But he did not wander about, as an exile, through

every country that he traversed.
AMPHITRYON.
But it was he, whom his fugitive mother (Latona) left

on a floating island (Deles).
LYCUS.
Did Phcebus fear monsters or wild beasts?
AMPHITRYON.
Phoebus had his arrows dipped from the very first in

the blood of the Dragon.
LYC. Quam gravia parvus tulerit, ignoras, mala?

AMPH. E matris utero fulmine ejeiflus puer,
Mox fulminanti proximus patri ftetit.
Quid? qui gubernat aftra, qui nubes quatit,
Non latuit infans rupis Idsese fpecu? 46
Sollicita tanti pretia natales habentj
Semperque magno conftitit, nafci Deum.
LYC. Quemcunque miferum videris, hominem fcias.
AMPH. Quemcunque fortem videris, miferum neges,
LYC. Fortem vocemus, cujus ex humeris leo 46S
Donum puellas fa<5tus, & clava excidit,
Fulfitque piftum vefte Sidonia latus?
Fortem vocemus, cujus horrentes comse
Maduero nardo? laude qui notas manus
Ad non virilem tympanl movit fonum, 47
Mitra ferocem barbara frontem premens?
AMPH. Non erubefcit Bacchus effufos tenet
SpariiiTe crines, nee manu molli levem
Vibraffe thyrfum, cum parum forti gradu
Auro decorum fyrma barbarico Irahit. 475
Poft multa virtus opera laxari folet.
LYC. Teuthrantis hoc fatetur everfi domus,
Pecorumque ritu virginuni oppreffi greges.
Hoc nulla Juno, nuUus Euryftheus jubet:
Ipfms base funt opera. AMPH. Non nofti omnia. 480
Ipfms opus eft, cseftibus fra(5lus fuis
LYCUS.
Are you ignorant of the dangers undergone by Hercules,

when young?
AMPHITRYON.
Out of his mother's womb the lightning cast forth the

boj, and immediately that boy stood in nearest relation-
ship to the Thunderer What nextl He who rules the
I
firmament and shakes the heavens, till they'tremble again

did he not, as an infant, lie concealed in a cave on
the tide-worn Idsean rock? Such precious nativities as
that of Jupiter, always entail the most anxious consider-
ations, and it has always necessarily amounted to a matter
of great moment, to be born a God 1
LYCUS.
Whatever rnan you may have seen and detected as

capable of misery, put that man down as belonging to
the race of mortals.
AMPHITRYON.
You will not acknowledge then, that a man can be

miserable, when you have liad the amplest proof of his
being a hero!
LYCUS.
Shall we regard that man as a hero, who removes from

his shoulders the Nemaean Lion's skin and presents it to
a favorite wench who lays aside his club, and adorns
his side, set off with a Sidonian robe ? Shall we call that
man a hero whose frightful locks were made moist with
greasy perfumes and with his warlike hands keeps up a
gleeful tattoo, as he listens to the childish jinglings of a
tambourine, or who encircles his ferocious frontispiece
with the mitre of a barbarian ?
AMPHITRYON.
The effeminate Bacchus was not ashamed of allowing

his locks to hang down, and dangle carelessly, like some
dandy gently flourishing his graceful thyrsus, whilst, with
a by no means firm or mascuhne step, he strode along
with a woman's train at his heels, ornamented with bar-
barian gold trimmings (such as they wear in Phrygia
and Lydia)! After many conquests, you know, the most
valorous enjoy relaxation and amusement!
LYCUS.
The ruined House of Eurytus bears testimony to a

great deal and entire groups of virgins oppressed like so
many cattle Juno, thou knowest full well, was not at the
!
bottom of this -There was no Eurystheus concerned in

giving any command in all that business these were
entirely the acts of Alcides himself!
AMPHITRYON.
Thou art not acquainted with everything. It was cer-

tainly his work, when Eryx out of his rash challenge, to
34 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 48=^-515
Eryx, & Eryci jundlus Antaeus Libys.

, Et qui hofpitali csede manantes foci
Bibere juftum fanguinem Bufiridis.
Ipfnis opus eft, vulneri & ferro obvius, 48$
Mortem coa<!tus, integer Cygnus, pati:
Nee unus una Geryon viftus manu
Eris inter iftos; qui tamen nullo ftupro
Laefere thalamos. lyc. Quod Jovi, hoc regi licet:
Jovi dedifti conjugetn, regi dabis. 490
Et te magistro non novum lioc difcet nurus,
Etiam viro probante, meliorem fequi.
Sin copulari pertinax tsedis negat;
Vel ex coadla nobilem partum feram.
MEG. Umbrae Creontis, & penates Labdaci, 495
Et nuptiales impii CEdipodae faces,
Nunc folita noftro fata conjugio date.
Nunc, nunc cruentae regis iEgypti nurus,
Adefte, multo fanguine infe<5lse manus:
Deeft una numero Danais; explebo nefas. 500
LYC. Conjugia quoniam pervicax noftra abnuis,
Regemque terres; fceptra quid poffmt, fcies.
Compleftere aras, nullus eripiet Deus
Te mihi: nee, orbe fi remolito queat
Ad fupera viAor numina Aleides vehi. 505
Congerite filvas, templa fupplicibus fuis
Injecia fiagrent: conjugem & totum gregem
Confumat unus igne fubje(5lo rogus.
AMPH. Hoc munus a te genitor Alcidae peto,
Rogare quod me deceat, ut primus cadam. 510
LYC. Qui morte cunitos lucre fupplicium jubet,
Nefcit lyrannus efTe. diverfa irroga:
Miferum veta perire; felicem jube.
Ego, dum cremandis trabibus accrefcit rogus,
Sacro regentem maria votivo colam. 515
Hercules was worsted in the encounter with his own

favorite coestus, as also the Libyan Antoeus, who was
handed over to the same fate and whose destiny was
linked with that of Eryx And shall I speak of the altars
!
which dripped with the gore of bidden guests, and which

altars afterwards absorbed the justly-shed blood of Busiris!

This, too, was his work the invulnerable Cycnus, who
defied the sword and withstood the brunt of wounds, was
compelled to die by the hands of Hercules! Nor was
Geryon, the triple-bodied giant, the only one that has
fallen by his single unaided hand, but who, nevertheless,
could not plead guilty to having violated his couch with
their adulterous machinations, and you, Lycus, will be
amongst the rest!
Lines 48=-s.5] HERCULES FURENS. 35
LYCUS.
What is lawful for Jupiter is permissible in a king!
Thou surrendered Alcmena as a wife to Jupiter because
he was a god, and thou shalt give Megara to me as a
,
wife, because I am thy king! And she as a daughter-

in-law will discover this not to be entirely a novel pro-
ceeding, following thy example, the husband, too, finding
this arrangement ratified, has only to go in quest of one
more worthy, but if she persistently refuses to join my
couch, I will even guarantee under compulsion, that there
shall yet be a royal offspring by mel
MEGARA.
Oh I the manes of Creon
t Oh
the Penates of Lab-
I
dacus and the incestuous nuptials of the impious ^di-

pusl Come tell me of the invariable fatalities, which
awaited thy betrothals! Come oh! thou cruel bride of
Êgyptus the king, come show me thy hands stained with
the blood of thy husbands. One or the number of the
Danaides in the account (Hypemnestra) and I will be
the one to make up the complement of the wickedness
in my own person (meaning following the example that
she might kill Lyciis).
LYCUS.
Since thou obstinately refusest to accept my hand, thou
art simply trying to terrify thy king. Dost thou know
what the sceptre enables a king to do! To destroy thy
altars so that no God shall snatch thee from me, nor if
the orb itself were rent in twain, would Alcides the con-
queror be able to be carried to the Gods above with the
entire forests massed together, and the temples with their
worshippers thrown in, there shall form one grand con-
flagration and one huge pile set into a blaze shall turn
into cinders, parent and children!
AMPHITRYON.
Oh father of Alcides, I seek the privilege to demand
that which becomes me, that is, may I die first.
LYCUS.
He who orders every one to expiate his crimes with
death indiscriminately, scarcely understands what the
essence of power really is; ask therefore for something
different. To compel, for instance, the miserable to liVe
with the view of acquiring happiness I, whilst the burning
pile grows larger and larger, with the combustibles for
the destruction of the temples, will subscribe my worship
to the God of the seas, and observe the sacred vows
which I have registered.
36 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lin 516-55=
AMPH. Proh numinum vis fumma, proh cceleftium

Rector parenfque, cujus excuffis tremunt
Humana telis, impiam regis feri
Compefce dextram. Quid Deos fruftra precor?
Ubicunque es, audi, nate. Cur fubito labant 520
Agitata motu templa? cur mugit folum?
Infemus imo fonuit e fuado fragor.
Audimur: en, en fonitus Herculei gradus.
CHORUS THEBANORUM.
Adloris partes Chorus officiumque viriliter defendit, precibus
Amphitryonis afpirans Herculis reditum vovet,
idque arguit Orphei exemplo.
o
Quam non
FORTUNAviris invida fortibus,
sequa bonis prsemia dividis!
Euryftheus facili regnet in otio:
525
Alcmena genitus bella per omnia

Monftris exagitet cceliferam manum;
Serpentis refecet coUa feracia:
Deceptis referat mala fororibus, 530
Cum fomno dederit pervigiles genas
Pomis divitibus praspofitus draco.
Intravit Scythis multivagas domes,
Et gentes patriis fedibus hofpitas:
Calcavitque freti terga rigentia, 535
Et mutis tacitum lltoribus mare,
niic dura carent aequora fluiftibus;
Et, qua plena rates carbafa tenderant,
Intonfis teritur femita Sarmatis.
Stat pontus vicibus mobilis annuls, 540
Navem nunc facilis, nunc equitem pati.
Illicquse viduis gentibus imperat,
Aurato religans ilia balteo,
Detraxit fpolium nobile corpori,
Et peltam, & nivei vincula pe(ftoris, 545
Vidiorem pofito fufpiciens genu.
Qua fpe prsecipites a(5lus ad inferos,
Audax ire vias irremeabiles,
Vidifti Siculse regna Proferpinae?
niic nulla Noto, nulla Favonio 550
Confurgunt tumidis fluftibus asquora.
Non illic geminum Tyndaridse genus
AMPHITRYON.
Ohl Chief sovereign of the Gods! Oh, the Ruler and
Parent of Heaven's inhabitants, at whose missiles all
human things tremble, arrest the impious right arm of
this ferocious king! Why do I entreat the Gods in vain?
Lines S16-552] HERCULES FURENS. 37
And wherever thou art, Ohl Son 1Why do the temples

trembling with motion suddenly totter ? Why is the earth in
a state of tremulousness ? An infernal crash sounds too,
now as if coming from the lowermost depths We are 1
heard! it is it is certainly the sound of footsteps announc-

ing the arrival of Hercules 1
CHORUS OF THEBANS.
The chorus valiantly espouses the parts of the actors and
their performance, and joining in the solicitations of
Amphitryon, prays for the relief of Hercules and
evinces it in imitation of Orpheus.
jealous of the brave, what unequal
Oh!do Fortune
you award to the deserving? Eurystheus may
lots
continue his reign, in uninterrupted tranquillity.

The son of Alcmena in all his encounters will only exer-
cise his heaven-lifting hands upon horrible monsters, he
may cut off the heads of the Hydra as they continue to
reappear he may tell the story of the golden apples,
which he took from the disappointed Hesperides (sisters)
when the dragon, set to guard them, abandoned its watch-
ful eyes, to a heavy sleep 1 He penetrated amongst the
wandering tribes of Scythia, and races who appeared like
strangers even in their own lands, he has trampled on
the frozen surface of the seas, and the shores thereof
giving forth no sound. (The waters being frozen, no waves
could flow.) And where sailing crafts nad stretched out
full-set sails, the paths are now traversed by the chariots
of the hirsute Sarmatian (who lets his hair and beard
grow undisturbed as a symbol of Liberty.) The sea
mobile one portion of the year is frozen during the other.
(Following the seasons.) At one time affording scope for
the floating crafts, at another, doing duty for the mounted
traveller. There, she who commands the haughty Ama-
zons, engirdling her loins with her golden belt, detaches
this noble ornament from her person, and the shield
which she carries and the gorgeous chains which hang
down over her snow-white bosom, gazing veneratingly
at the conqueror on her bended knees. By what encour-
aging hopes was Hercules inspired, when he descended
to the bottomless steeps of the infernal regions, daring
to traverse, as he did, along the path, whence notoriously,
no return is ever looked fori Hast thou ever contem-
plated in thy mind's eye, the Kingdom of Sicilian Pro-
serpine. (Pluto carried her off from Sicily.) There, no
Southerly winds do blow, there the sea surges with no
swollen waves, at the advent of welcome Zephyrs. There
the guiding light of Twin Tyndaridse (Castor and Pollux)
Succurrunt timidis fidera navibus.

Stat nigro pelagus gurgite languidum; '
Et, cum Mors avidis pallida dentibus 555

Gentes innumeras Manibus intulit,
Uno tot populi remige tranfeunt.
Evincas utinam jura ferae Stygis,
Parcarumque coles non revocabiles!
Heic, qui rex populis pluribus imperat, $('
Bello cum peteres Neftoream Pylon,
Tecum conferuit peftiferas manus,
Telum tergeinina cufpide prseferens:
Effugit tenui vulnere faacius,
Et mortis dominus pertimuit mori. 5^5
Fatum rumpe manu: triftlbus inferis
Profpedtus pateat lucis, & invius
Limes det faciles ad fuperos vias.
Immites potuit fleiflere cantibus
Umbrarum dominos, & prece fupplici 570
Orpheus, Eurydicen dum repetit fuam.
Quse filvas, & aves faxaque traxerat
Ars, quse praebiierat fluminibus moras;
Ad cujus fonitum conftiterant ferae;
Mulcet non folitis vocibus inferos, 575
Et furdis refonat clarius in locis.
Deflent Eurydicen Threicise nurus,
Deflent & lacrimis difficiles Dei;
Et qui fronte nimis crimina tetrica
Quaerunt, ac veteres excutiunt reos, 5^
Flentes Eurydicen Juridici fedent.
Tandem mortis, ait, vincimur, arbiter:
Evade ad fuperos; lege tamen data:
Tu port terga tui perge viri comes;
Tu non ante tuam refpice coniugem, 5^5
Quam cum clara Deos obtulerit dies,
Spartanique aderit jaoua Taenari.
Odit varus amor, nee patitur, moras.
Munus, dum properat cernere, perdidit.
Quse vinci potuit regia cantibus, ^590
Haec vinci poterit regia viribus.
ACTUS TERTIUS.
HERCULES.
Solem ceterofque Deos precatur veniam Hercules, quod
juffus Cerberum fuperis invifum traxerit.
o LUCIS alme redlor, & cceli decus.

Qui alterna curru fpatia flammifero ambiens,
offersno aid to the timid mariner I The sea, there, stands

stagnant like some black gulf and when pale Mors with
Lin 553-593] HERCULES FURENS. 39
her devouring grasp, conducts her countless victims to join

the Manes, the numberless passengers pass over piloted
by a solitary steersman (Charon) 1I wish that you could
break down the unrelenting laws of cruel Styx, and that
the distaff of the Parcse might be deprived of its mission.
Here again, when you went to war against Nestofian
Pylos, the King Pluto who rules over the numberless
Manes, turned ms pestiferous hands against thee, carrying
in his advance, his three-pointed lance and when suffer-
ing only from a slight wound he fled, and the proud
president of Mors was afraid to die himself! Break
through the decrees of fate with thy strong arm, let the
prospect of approaching light show itself to those dark
abodes, and may those impassable ways oifer a ready
passage to places above Orpheus was wont to subdue
I
the implacable rulers of the Manes, with his melodious

incantations and humble prayers, when he sought for his
Eurydice ; he whose lyre enchanted the woods, the feathered
creation and the very rocks which hitherto had arrested

the flow of rivers at whose notes, the wild beasts stood
amazed 1He soothed the infernal inhabitants, with
sounds to which they were quite unaccustomed, where
indeed all was dread silence 1 for his lyre sounded even
with more mellifluous clearness where silence prevailed.
The daughters of Thrace bewailed the loss of Eurydice,
and the Gods who are not much addicted to tears wept
alsol At last! that arbiter of Death exclaims, "We are
conquered!" Go thou back to the regions above, but
with this understanding, that thou, Eurydice, accompanied
by thy husband, shall walk behind him, and thou, Orpheus,
shall not turn thy eyes to gaze behind thee, before the light
of day appears, which the Gods will have afforded and the
portals of^ Spartan Taenarus shall be opened! True love
hates and does not brook delay, and whilst Orpheus in his
eagerness to look back at his spouse, lets go his chance and
violates his vow, and Eurydice disappears. What a royal
mind could be constrained to do by the force of harmoni-
ous sounds, that same royal mind could be fully subdued
backed up by the strength of a Hero hke Hercules!
ACT III.
HERCULES.
Hercules asks for the pardon of Phoebus^ and the rest of
the Gods, that although having been commanded, he
had dragged the hateful Cerberus to the regions above.
OH ! beneficent Ruler of the Light and Ornament of

Heaven, who in describing thy circuit in thy flame-
bearing chariot showest thy illustrious countenance
40 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lii.cs 594-6^4
Uluftre lastis exferis terris caput,

Da, Phoebe, veniam, fi quid illicitum tui 595
Videre vultus. juffus in lucem extuli
Arcana mundi. tuque coeleftum arbiter
Parenfque, vifus fulmine oppofito tege;
Et tu fecuudo maria qui fceptro regis,
Imas pete undas. quifquis ex alto afpicit 6
Terrena, facie pollui metuens nova, _
Aciem refledlat, oraque in coelum erigat,

Portenta fugiens, hoc nefas cernant duo,
Qut advexit, & quae juffit. In pcenas meas,
Atque in labores non fatis terrae patent. 005
Junonis odio vidi .inaccefTa omnibus,
Ignota Phcebo; quseque deterior polus
'
Obfcura diro fpatia conceffit Jovi.

Et fi placerent tertise fords loca,
Regnare potui no(5lis setemae chaos,
:
610
Et no(5le quiddam gravius, & trifles Deos,
Et fata vici, morte contemta redii.
Quid reftat aliud.' vidi & oftendi inferos.
Da, fi quid ultra eft. tam diu pateris manus
Ceffare nostras, Juno? quid vinci jubes? 615
Sed templa quare miles infeftus tenet?
Limenque facrum terror armorum obfidet?
MEGARA, AMPHITRYON, HERCULES,

THESEUS.
Herculem reducem gratatur Amphitryon, illi quaerenti uarrat,
quo in loco res fmt. dum Hercules proficifcitur ad
occidendum Lycum, Thefeus rogatus ab
Amphitryone exponit, quae apud
inferos gefferit Hercules.
AMPH. V__/ TRUMNE vifus vota decipiunt meos ?

An ille domitor orbis, &. Grajum decus,
Trifti filentem nubilo liquit domum? 620
Eftne ille natus? membra Isetitia ftupent.
O nate! certa & fera Thebarum falus!
Teneone in auras editnm; an vana fruor
Deceptus umbra? tune es? agnofco toros.
to each hemisphere alternately and sheddest the splend-

our of thy rays upon the gladsome earth Oh Phoebus, 1 1
grant me thy pardon, if what has been revealed to the

eyes of mortals has been brought into thy sight - obeying
my orders, I have drawn forth the hidden secrets of the
regions below; and oh! thou arbiter and parent of celes-
tial subjects Qupiter), protect my mortal gaze, from the

lightning to which it is exposed; and thou, the Ruler of
the seas (Neptune), with thy sceptre^ which is the second
in rank, hie thee to the lowermost oceanic depths; who-
soever on high beholds the things on earth, and fears
being defiled by the visage of this newly imported
monster, let him cast aside his apprehensions ; by avert-
ing his gaze, and raising his face towards Heaven, avoid
all mental association with monsters I There are two,
however, who may indulge in viewing it, he who carried
it forth, and she, who gave the orders for it to be done.
And as if there were not sufficient on this earth, to be
turned towards my punishment and increase my labors,
I have seen, owing to Juno's persecuting hatred, things
unknown to Phcebus himself, and those obscure regions
in space, which the Antarctic pole gives up to the dommion
of that cruel Pluto (called also Jupiter Dirus) ; if it had
suited my fancy to have accepted the lot of a Triumvir
I could have taken Pluto's place and ruled myself in that
third kingdom ! I have overcome the chaos of Eternal
Night and something more terrible than night both the
cruel Gods and the Fates themselves 1 I return as the
very conqueror of Death itselfl What is there now for
me to do r I have seen and made known the secrets of
Hell; tell me, if there can be anything beyond all this?
How long, Juno, wilt thou permit my hands to cease from
such labors? What art thou now ordering to be con-
quered by me, Juno? Why does the temfying soldier
mount guard at the portals of thy temples? And why
does the clang of arms with the natural dread of military
weapons take possession of their sacred thresholds? (De-
terrmg the worshippers from entering them, out of fear.)
MEGARA-AMPHITRYONHERCULES-
THESEUS.
AMPHITRYON.
WHICH is it? Is it the realization of my fondest

desire, or merely some passing phantasy playing
tricks with my distorted vision? Is it the con-
queror of the world, and the proud ornament of the
Grecian race? Has \ie really quitted the dark abodes
of the Manes, where all is solemn silence? Whence has
he sprung? Is this my son? My very limbs and senses
are overpowered with joy I Oh my son, thou tardy but
not the less certain salvator of unhappy Thebes! Do I
merely seem to be holding on to thee in the air, or art
thou really Hercules in the flesh again? Or is it, that I
:
^
42 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 6,5-653
Humerofque, & alto nobilem trunco manuin._ . 625

HERC. TJnde ifte, genitor, fquallor, & lugubribus
Amidla conjux? unde tam foedo obfiti
Psedore nati? quae domum clades gravat?
AMPH. Socer eft peremtus: regna poffedit Lycus;
Natos, parentem, conjugem leto petit. 630
HERC. Ingrata tellus, nemo ad Herculese domus
Auxilia venit? vidit hoc tantum nefas
Defenfus orbis? cur diem queftu tero?
Madletur lioftis. THES. Hanc ferat virtus notam,
Fiatque fummus hoftis Alcidae Lycus.' 635
Ad hauriendum fanguinem inimicum feror.
HERC Thefeu, ne qua vis fubita ingruat,
refifte:
Me bella pofcunt. differ amplexus parens,
CoDJuxque differ: nuntiet Diti Lycus
Me jam rediiTe. thes. Flebilem ex oculis fuga 640
Regina vultum: tuque nato fofpite
Lacrimas cadentes reprime: ii novi Herculem,
Lycus Creonti debitas pcenas dabit:
Lentum eft, dabit; dat: hoc quoque eft lentum; dedit.
AMPH. Votum fecuodet, qui poteft, noftrum Deus, 645
Rebufque lapfis adfit. O niagni comes
Magnanime nati, pande virtutum ordinem
Quam longa mceftos ducat ad Manes via;
Ut vincla tulerit dura Tartareus canis.
THES. Memorare cogis adla, fecurse quoque 650
Horrenda menti: vix adhuc certa eft fides
Vitalis aurse: torpet acies luminum,
Hebetefque vifus vix diem infuetum ferunt
am under the influence of some spell or ridiculous Ghost?

Art thou Hercules? I recognize thy brawny muscles,
thy massive shoulders and those formidable arms, with
which thou albne couldst wield that enormous club thou
art now carrying!
HERCULES.
Oh my father, How have all these lugubrious surroundings

!
been brought about? And my wife, too, attired in mourn-

ing habiliments! How is that my children are covered
with dirt and clad in filthy rags ? What dreadful calamity
oppresses my home?
AMPHITRYON.
Thy father-in-law is slain Lycus

has possessed himself
of the Kingdom and he seeking to take the lives of
is
thy children, thy father and thy wife!
!
Lin 6,5-653! HERCULES FURENS. 43
HERCULES.
Ungrateful Earth! Has no one come to the aid of the
oppressed home of Hercules? And has that orb, which
I have defended, looked on at such atrocious crimes with
indifference? But why should I lose time in empty
complaints? The enemy must be sacrificed!
THESEUS.
Will thy acknowledged valor permit of such a report,
and that Lycus is to oe honored and magnified, and to
be held up as a most important enemy of Alcides ? No
I am the one destined to shed his hostile blood!
HERCULES.
Stop, Theseus! Let there be no sudden attack made
by theel Matters require me to do all the fighting part
of this business. Defer your embraces for the present
oh! my parent, and my wife defer them too, I pray!
Let Lycus himself make it known to Pluto, that I have
returned!
THESEUS.
Oh Queen! banish that doleful expression from thy
eyes, and do thou with thy son, here in safety, repress
those falling tears. If I know any thing of Hercules,
Lycus will suffer due punishment for the slaughter of
Creon; to say, he will be punished is a dull idea! he is
being punished that too is an inadequate conception, as
!
to his deserts! Death was too good for him!

AMPHITRYON.
Our propitious Deity, who is able to do it, will favor
our prayers, and will be present in this, our affliction!
oh! magnanimous comrade of my illustrious son, place
before me some description of his valorous deeds; tell
me by what tedious route he went, in order to reach
those sorrowful Manes in the regions below and how the1
dog of Tartarus was made to submit to that terrific force,

that must have been brought to bear in order to effect
his subjection!
THESEUS.
Thou art really forcing me to relate scenes, and acts,
which are heart-rending, even to a mind that is freed

from all apprehension of danger I have now scarcely
any confidence in myself, even whilst I am breathing the

invigorating air of mother earth, once more The keenness
of my vision is obscured, and my weakness of sight is
such, that I tolerate with difficulty the unaccustomed light
of day!
SENECA'S TRAGEDIES.
-
[Lines 534-688
44
AMPH. Pervince, Thefeu, quidquid alto in peftore

Remanet pavoris; neve te frudlu optimo 655
Frauda laborum. quss-fuit durum pati,
Meminiffe dulce eft. fare cafus horridos.
THES. Fas omne mundi, teque dominantem precor
Regno capaci; teque, quam tota irrita
Quffifivit Mtaa mater; ut jura abdita o6d
Et operta terris, liceat impune eloqui.
.Spartana tellus nobile attoUit jugum,
Denfis ubi sequor Taenarus filvis premit:
Heic ora folvit Ditis invifi domus,
Hiatque rupes alta, & immenfo fpecu 665
Ingens vorago faucibus vaftis patet,
Latumque pandit omnibus populis iter.
Non cffica tenebris incipit primo via:
Tenuis reliftae lucis a lergo nitor,
Fulgorque dubius folis affli<5ti cadit, 670
Et ludit aciem. nofte fie mixta folet
Praebere lumen primus aut ferus dies
Hinc ampla vacuis fpatia laxantur locis,
In quae omne merfum pereat humanum genus.
Nee ire labor eft, ipfa deducit via: 675
Ut faepe puppes ssftus invitas rapit;
Sic pronus aer urget alque avidum chaos:
Gradumque retro iledlere hand unquam fmunt
Umbras teoaces. intus immenfi finus
Placido quieta labitur Lethe vado, 680
Demitque curas: neve remeandi amplius
Pateat facultas, ftetibus multis gravem
Involvit amnem. qualis incerta vagus
Maeander unda ludit, & cedit fibi,
Inftatque; dubius, litus an fontem petat. 685
Palus inertis foeda Cocyti jacet;
Hie vultur, illic lu(5lifer bubo gemit,
Omenque trifte refonat infauftae ftrigis;
AMPHITRYON.
Stifle, Theseus, whatever fears may still be lurking in

the recesses of thy magnanimous soul and do not deny
thyself the fullest heart-felt joy, at the happy result
of thy labors. What has been hard to endure is
sometimes pleasing to remember even to speak of the !
most dreadful misfortunes!
THESEUS.
I entreat all the recognized deities

of the skies above,
and I pray thee, Pluto, who rulest paramount in thy
capacious Kingdom, and thee, Proserpine for whom thy
'
Lines 654-688] HERCULES' FURENS. 45
mother sought and how vainly in the territories of ^tna,

(Proserpine nad been carried off by Pluto, whilst collecting
flowers) that I may be permitted, without a vote of censure
for speaking of the powers hidden, and mysteries shut
up
in the lower regions of the earth The land of Sparta
boasts of a famous mountain, where Tsenarus overhangs
the sea, with its dense forests and casts a shade on the
waters beneath. Here the domains of relentless Pluto
point out a passage and the lofty jutting promontory
gapes with a wide aperture, and a huge gulf bearing
down to an immense cavern, opens, as it were, its vora-
cious, terrible throat and lays bare that broad way traversed
by the numerous peoples of this earth, on their road to
the regions below. At first, the pali only begins to
grow dull from the comparative darkness, a slight glimmer
of light only remaining behind, which is shed by the
more oblique solar rays, but these rays, at length, lose
all pretensions to brightness when puzzled Phcebus con-
tends in vain with the circumambient medium (a modified
twilight) and which deceives the vision as regards range
and accuracy, just as that light doeSj which is the resmt
of night intermingling with the light of early Dawn or

expiring Day! (The Poet here alludes to that short
interval, the very incipient stage, when Phcebus and Phoebe

are changing their chariots but identifies his twilight
as permanent with that which is only sadder and short-
lived !) Thus then with this admixture of night, the rising
and setting day, doles out its modicum of illumination.
Here, immense spaces are set free in various directions,
in which all the human race merging thereto are destined
to perish! Nor is it a difficult task to enter there, the
path itself conducts you, and as the fiirious tides divert
the unwilling steersman, as he struggles with his crafl, so
with an irresistible air and devouring gloom, they are
urged on in their downward course as the grasping shades

never permit a retrograde step to be taken Withm, silent
Lethe flows, with a placid stream, in an extensively
circuitous course, and removes all human cares, nor is
there my possibility left open for a return, for Lethe
diffuses herself, as a river with numberless windings, just
as the wandering Meander sports, with her precarious
streams she yields to her own uncertainty, knowing not
whether to approach the shore or return to the great,

great sea! Here are the foul marshy shores of the

sluggish Cocytus here the vulture there the common owl
gives forth its plaintive cry, and the air resounds with
the sad notes of that disaster-foreboding bird, the screech-
owl! The black leaves on the dusky branches hanging
from the yew trees round about, are horrible to behold.
46 SENiECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 689-7==!
Horrent opaca fronde nigrantes comae,

Taxo imminente; quam tenet fegnis Sopor, 690
Famefque moefta tabido ri<lu jacens;
Pudorque ferus confcios vultus tegit:
Metus, Pavorque, Funus, & frendens Dolor,
Aterque Le(5lus fequitur, & Morbus tremens,
Et cindla ferro Bella: in extremo abdlta 695
Iners Sene(5tus adjuvat baculo gradum.
AMPH. Eftne aliqua teUus Cereris aut Bacchi ferax?
THES. Non prata viridi Iseta facie germinant;
Nee adulta leni fluituat Zephyro feges;
Non uUa ramos filva pomiferos habet: 7
Sterilis profundi vaftilas fquallet foli,
Et fceda tellus torpet seterno fitu;
Rerumque mceftus finis & mundi ultima:
Immotus aer haeret; & pigro fedet
Nox atra mundo. cun(fla mcerore horrid a, 705
Ipfaque morte pejor eft Mortis locus.
AMPH. Quid, ille opaca qui regit fceptro loca,
Qua fede pofitus temperat populos leves?
THES, Eft in receffu Tartari obfcuro locus,
Quem gravibus umbris fpiffa caligo alligat. 710
A fonte difcors manat hinc uno latex:
Alter, quieto fimilis, (hunc jurant Dei)
Tacente facram devehens fluvio Styga:
At hie tumultu rapitur ingenti ferox,
Et faxa fludlu volvit Acheron invius 715
Renavigari. cingitur duplici vado
Adverfa Ditis regia, atque ingens domus
Umbrante luco tegitur: hie vafto fpecu
Pendent tyranni limina: hoc umbris iter;
Hasc porta regni, campus hanc circa jacet, 720
In quo fuperbo digerit vultu fedens
those trees which possess the power of inducing unhealthy

sluggish sleep there, sad hunger is portrayed with its
gapings jaws tardy remorse depicted on the guilty

visage fear misgiving death gnashing pain and dire
grief bringing up the train of Evils, trembling disease and
war, with the sword in hand; and amongst the last, hidden
away amongst the throng, feeble old age assisting itself
along, propped up with its helping staff!
AMPHITRYON.
Is any fruitful land to be seen, producing corn or wine ?

!
Lines 689-7=1] HERCULES FURENS. 47
THESEUS.
There are no rejoicing meads no semblance of germin-

ation nothing having any pretensions to verdure, nor does
the ripe corn float m the Zephyr's breeze no orchards
contammg trees with fruit-laden branches. The sterile
expansiveness of the earth below is hideous to behold,
and the foul soil is actually torpid from its never-changing
condition (stagnation). There, is experienced some idea
of the sorrowful end of things and the finale of all else
mundane! There, the air itself stands in a dead, dead
calm, and perpetual black night settles down in this
sorrowful region all things are rendered horrible in their
aspect of grief, and the abode of Mors is more appalling
than Death itself!
AMPHITRYON.
Tell me about him who governs those dark abodes

subject to his sceptre. On what of a throne does he
sort
ensconce himself, who rules over such helpless timid
subjects?
THESEUS.
There is a spot in the obscure recesses of Tartarus,

which thickest darkness confines within still more horrible
blackness! Here, from this one source is a double, but
yet one representing two different streams, one similar to
the quiet river to which it leads, directing with its silent
course, the sacred Styx; this is the river, by which the

Gods are wont to swear The other is the Acheron, but
this fierce river is hurried onwards with tremendous
roaring sounds and carries away huge rocks, with its
impetuosity, rendering itself impassable either to or fro
The Palace of Pluto opposite is surrounded by a double
ford, and the huge habitation is hedged in by a shady
CTovel Here, at the mouth of an immense cave, hang
down tremendous rocks, forming the roof of the threshold
of the Tyrant Pluto This, too, is the way to the Manes,
this is the gate of his Kingdom. Around this, lies a vast
plain in which, sitting with a proud visage, he receives
and arranges about the souls, as soon as they arrive.
!
48 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 7=^-751
Animas recentes. dira majeftas Deo,

Frons torva; fratrum quae tamen fpeciem gerat,
Gentifque tantse: vultus eft illi Jovis,
Sed fulminantis. magna pars regni trucis 725

Eft ipfe dominus; cujus afpeiflum timet,
Quidquid timetur. amph. Verane eft fama, inferis
Tam fera reddi jura, & oblitos fui

Sceleris nocentes debitas poenas dare?
Quis ifte veri reftor, atque sequi arbiter? 73
THES. Non tmus alta fede qusefitor fedens
Judicia trepidis fera fortitur reis.
Aditur illo Gnoffms Minos foro;
Rhadamantus illo; Thetidis hoc audit focer.
Quod quifque fecit, patitur: au(ftorem fcelus 735
Repetit, fuoque premitur exemplo nocens.
Vidi cruentos carcere includi duces,
Et impotentis terga plebeja manu
Scindi tyranni. Quisquis eft placide potens,
Dominufque vitae fervat innocuas manus, 74
Et incruentum mitis imperium regit,
Animseque parcit: longa permenfus diu
Felicis aevi fpatia, vel coelum petit,
Vel laeta felix nemoris Elyfii loca,
Judex futurus. Sanguine humano abftine. 745
Quicunque regnas. fcelera taxantur modo
Majore veftra, amph. Certus inclufos tenet
Locus nocentes? utque fert fama, impios
Supplicia vinclis fssva perpetuis domant?
THES. Rapitur volucri tortus Ixion rota. 750
Cervice faxum grande Sifyphia fedet.
There is a dreadful look of majesty in the God, a cruel

face, which, nevertheless, bears the resemblance of his
brothers, Jupiter and Neptune, and plainly suggestive of
his godly origin The countenance is that of Jupiter's, but
only that look which Jupiter puts on, when hurling his
lightnings! A great part of this relentless Kingdom is
the Ruler himself, whose very aspect terrifies whatsoever
is susceptible of fear
AMPHITRYON,
Is the report true that the laws are tardily and unjustly,
administered in the regions below, and that those crimi-
nals who have forgotten their crimes receive punishmept
Lines 7==-7s>] HERCULES FURENS. 49
nevertheless, which would have been justly owing to

them? Who is this Judge who seeks for the truth, and
who, the dispenser of Justice?
THESEUS.
Not one judge only sits on the lofty judgment seat, and
passes his sentences upon the trembling prisoners. In
that court sits the Gnossian Minos; in another Rhada-
manthus, the father-in-law of Thetis, hears cases too, and
each criminal suffers for the offences which he has com-
mitted. The crime is traced to the author and the guilty-

one is chastised according to his acts I have seen blood-
thirsty Kings shut up in dungeons, and the back of the
cowardly tyrant cut and slashed by one of the lowest
rabble ! Whoever rules with moderation and restrains his
hands from committing injustice, as the arbiter of the lives
and destinies of others, and reigns with mildness, avoiding
the unjust shedding of blood, and who. is sparing of the
lives of his subjects, having thus passed through an
extended period of a happy career, is either a candidate
for Heaven, or is happy m
the thought of enjoying some
gladdening refuge in the Groves of Elysium! Such a
man as that, for example, is reserved to act as the judge
of mankind; and whoever thou art, who reignest above
all, abstain from the shedding of human blood, for thy
crimes are only punished in a more severe manner, if
thou dost so 1
AMPHITRYON.
Does an appointed place hold the guilty, as prisoners ?

and as report goes, do they utterly crush out the spirits
of the offenders for their cruel sins, by loading them
with perpetual chains?
THESEUS.
There, that wretched Ixion the father of the Centaurs,

iscaught up, and spun round on a swiftly rotating wheel
which never stops in its whirling An enormous rock,
1
in another place, perpetually rests on the head of

Sisyphus One old man (Tantalus) eagerly chases the
1
water in mid-stream^ and it recedes from nim, just as he is

So SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines n^-^^^
In amne medio faucibus ficcis fenex

Seilatur undas; abluit mentum latex;
Fidemque cum jam faepe decepto dedit,
Perit unda in ore; poma deftituunt famem. 755
Praebet volucri Tityos aetemas dapes.
Urnafque fruftra Danaides plenas gerunt.
Errant furentes impise Cadmeides.
Terretque menfas avida Phineas avis.
AMPH. Nunc ede nati nobilem pugna mei. 7^0
Patrui volentis niunus, an fpolium refert?
THES. Ferale tardis imminet faxum vadis,
Stupent ubi undae, fegne torpefcit fretum:
Hunc fervat amnem cultu & afpeflu horridus,
Pavidofque Manes fquallidus geftat fenex; 765
Impexa pendet barba, deformem fmum
Nodus coercet, concavae lucent genae,
Regit ipfe conto portitor longo ratem:
Hie onere vacuam litori puppim applicans
Repetebat umbras; pofcit Alcides viam, 770
Cedente turba: dirus exclamat Charon,
Quo pergis audax? fifte properantem gradum.
Non palTus ullas natus Alcijieaa moras,
Ipfo coadlum navitam conto domat,
Scanditque puppem. cymba populorum capax 775
Succubuit uni. fedit, & gravior ratis
Utrinque Lethen latere titubanti bibit.
Tunc vidla trepidant monflra, Centauri truces,
Lapithseque multo in bella fuccenfi mero.
Stygiae paludis ultimos quaerens finus, 780
Foecunda mergit capita Lemaeus labos.
Poft haec avari Ditis apparet domus:
Hie fffivus umbras territat Stygius canis,
Qui trina vaflo capita concutiens fono
Regnum tuetur: fordidum tabo caput 785
Lambunt colubrae: viperis- horrent jubae;
Longufque torta fibilat cauda draco;
advancing towards it with his parched throat; the water

merely moistens his chinl and as often as he beUeves
he has secured it he is only baffled in his expectations,
and it escapes from his lips, just as the apples which he
is sighing to obtain, fail to reach his mouth and relieve
his gnawmg hunger I Tit5Tis, again, only supplies constant
food for a vulture, that is perpetually feasting its appetite
on his liver and intestines 1 The daughters of Danaus
labor in vain to fill the urns, and the cruel daughters of
Cadmus, Ino and Autonoe, are wandering to an fro, raving

mad and a voracious cruel Harpy perpetually disturbs
the repasts of Phineus 1
Lines 75^-787] HERCULES FURENS. 51
AMPHITRYON.
Now tell me all about this glorious struggle of my son

(with Cerberus) ; does he allude to it as a token of regard
from his Uncle (Pluto); or does he speak of it merely
as one of the spoils of war ?
THESEUS.
A dismal-looking rock overhangs the tardy stream; the

water on all sides in this part of the Styx is more or
less quiescent, but here the channel is slow and sluggish,
and here a dirty old man, horrid to behold as regards his
appearance and manner, takes charge of this portion of
the river, and pilots the trembling Manes from one part
of the stream to another his uncombed beard hangs
down, and a careless bandage keeps together around his
person his slovenly garments, his hollow cheeks are
flushed and he, as the sole ferryman, guides his craft
with a long pole Here, steering his craft on its back-
ward journey, without a passenger, he seeks the shore
again for a fresh cargo. Alcides demands a passage

across a crowd of terrified Manes make way for him;
the dreadful Charon shouts out: "Where art thou going,
bold man? Stay thy hurrying progress." Not brooking
any delay or interruption, the Son of Alcmena, with a
blow from his own pole quails the obstinate old waterman,
and jumps into the craft, but this said craft .unaccus-
tomed to accommodate so many passengers at a time,
sinks quite low with the weight of one that one Hercules
1 1
He sits down and the frail craft being so much more

loaded than with its ordinary freight, rolls from side to
side and ships the Stygian water, as it flows over the
gunwale! Then the vanquished monsters are all in a
tremble, the cruel Centaurs, and the dastardly Lapithse
who never ventured upon a batde, unless duly primed
with plenty of wine I And the Hydra of Lema itself
seeks some of the distant recesses of the Stygian Marsh,
and in a state of trepidation, submerges its repuUulating
headl After all this the habitation of the avaricious
Pluto comes in sight and here it is, that the cruel monster,

the Dog Cerberus, terrifies the- Manes excessively, and
it is this said monster, which with its three heads and a
bark like thunder itself, guards these Stygian realms of
Pluto snakes lick his head, foul with the rankest poison,
and the crests of those vipers are horrifying to behold,
and a long dragon with its tortuous tail hisses savagely,
its anger being on a par with its ugliness, as it suspected
52 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 788-8^9
Par ira formae. fenfit ut motus pedum,

AttolUt hirtas angue vibrato comas,
Miffumque captat aure fubrefta fonum, 790
Sentire & umbras folitus. ut proprior ftetit
Jove natus, antro fedit incertus cams,
Et uterque timuit. ecce, latratu gravi
Loca muta terret, fibilat totos minax
Serpens per armos vocis horrendae fragor
: 795
Per ora miffus terna felices quoque
Exterret umbras, folvit a Iseva feros
Tunc ipfe ridlus, ,& Cleonaeum caput
Opponit, ac fe tegmine ingenti clepit:
ViArice magnum dextera robur gerens, 800
Hue nunc & illuc verbere affiduo rotat,
Ingeminat iftus. domitus infregit minas,
Et cundla laJTus capita fubmifit canis,
Antroque toto ceffit. extimuit fedens
Uterque folio dominus, & duci jubet: 805
Me quoque petenti munus Alcidse dedit.
Tunc gravia monftri colla permulcens manu
Adamante texto vincit. oblitus fui
Cuftos opaci pervigil regni canis
Componit aures timidus; & patiens trahi, 810
Herumque faffus, ore fubmiflb obfequens
Utrumque Cauda pulfat anguifera latus
Poftquam eft ad oras Taenari ventum, & nitor
Percuffit oculos lucis ignotae, novos
Refumit animos vinftus, & vaftas furens 815
Quaffat catenas: pene vi<5lorem abftulit,
Pronumque retro vexit, & movit gradu.
Tunc & meas refpexit Alcides manus:
Geminis uterque viribus tradlum cacem
Ira furentem, & bella tentantem irrita, 820
Intulimus orbi. vidit ut clarum sethera,
Et pura nitidi fpatia confpexit poli,
Oborta nox eft, lumina in terram dedit,
Compreffit oculos, & diem invifum expulit,
Aciemque retro flexit, atque omni petiit 825
Cervice terram : turn fub Herculea caput
Abfcondit umbra. Denfa fed laeto venit
Clamore turba, frontibus laurum gerens,
Magnique meritas Herculls laudes canit.
the sound of approaching footsteps ; the dragon moving

in a vibratory manner, Cerberus bristles up his shaggy
locks and endeavours with subverted ear to catch the
sound so novel to him, being accustomed only to the
gentle timid tread of the Manes As the son of Jupiter
1
stood up, the Dog crouched in his den, with his confidence
somewhat shaken, and the pair of them seem scared at
!!
each other's presence When, behold he suddenly startles

1 1
the silent place; the dragon hissing menacingly^ whilst

Cerberus shakes his very sides with the prodigious efforts
he had made, and at last a horrible crashing sound sent
forth simultaneously from his three heads, frightens the
Manes also; then Hercules, removes the Nemean Lion's
skin from his shoulders, and winds it round the fierce
jaws of Cerberus, and with that huge covering serving as
a buckler, Hercules protects himself at the same time.
Hercules, then carrying in his conquering right hand his
formidable club, whirls it round right and left, dealing
blows incessantly. Cerberus groans again at the reception
of these blows, and being cowed abandons his menacing
attitude, and the Dog droops his three heads, in token
of submission and gives up the possession of his den I
The dual Potentates, Pluto and Proserpine, sitting on

their throne, were utterly scared, and ordered Cerberus,
to be led away, and myself to be delivered up to Alcides,
who demanded my release, as an offering of submission
Then, Hercules, stroking the hideous neck of the monster,
secured it with a chain of adamantine strength, and that
watch-dog, the guardian of the dark kingdom, drooped
his ears timidly and suffered himself to be led away,
and acknowledging his conquering master with a down-
trodden look, he submissively flaps his sides with his

dragon-mounted tail After this, we neared the entrance

I
of Tasnarus, and the glare of the approaching light,

altogether unknown to liim, troubled his eyesight, and
although bound as he was, he began to evince symptoms
of his old ferocity, and furious at his imprisonment rattled

his chains defiantly in fact, he nearly got the better of
the conqueror and succeeded in urging him backwards
in a headlong manner and began to accelerate his pace,
thinking that he had gained his liberty, and then Alcides
summoned my aid to the rescue, and each of us putting
out our united strength, and dragging on the monster in
a towering rage at naving made so futile an attempt to
cope with us for the mastery, we at length brought him
to Mother Earth 1 And as he beheld the clear atmosphere
around, and as he stared at the luminous portions of the
beautiful sky, for his night was over, and he now had
only the upper earth to look upon, he closed his eyes,
and avoided the painful sight of day, as he averted his
gazel He then bent his three heads towards the ground
and crouched himself behind Hercules, to shade himself
from its influence. Then came onward a dense throng,
with the loudest shouts of joy, wearing laurel wreaths
around their foreheads, and thereupon began to chant
forth, the gloriously earned deeds of the mighty Hercules
: :
CHORUS THEBANORUM.
Chorus Herculis vidloiiam ex inferis reportatam canit, &
cseteras illius laudes admifcet.
N, ATUS Eurystheus properante partu,

Juflerat
I
mundi penetrate fundum

830
Deerat hoc folum numero laborum,

TertisE regem fpoliare fortis.
Aufus eft C3SC0S aditus inire,
Ducit ad Manes via qua remotos 835
Triftis, & filva metuenda nigra,
Sed frequens magna comitante turba.
Quantus incedit populus per urbes
Ad novi ludos avidus theatri:
Quantus Eleum ruit ad Tonantem, 840
Quinta cnm facrum revocavit seftas:
Quanta^ cum longse redit hora nodlis
Crefcere & fomnos cupiens quietos
Libra, Phoebeos tenet aequa cuiTus:
Turba fecretam Cererem frequentat, 845
Et citi teftis properant reliftis
Attici no(5lem celebrare myftas
Tanta per campos agitur filentes
Turba: pars tarda gradiens fencdla,
Triftis, & longa fatiate vita:
850
Pars adhuc currit melioris asvi,
Virgines nondum thalamis jugatae,
Et comis nondum pofitis ephebi,
Matris & nomen modo doilus infans:
His datum folis, minus ut timerent,
855
Igne praelato relevare noftem.
Caeteri vadunt per opaca triftis:
Qualis eft nobis animus, remota
Luce, cum mceftus fibi quifque fentit
Obratum tola caput effe terra. 860
Stat chaos denfum, tenebrasque turpes,
Et color nodlis malus, ac filentis
Otium mundi, vacuasque nubes.
Sera nos illo referat fene(5lus.
CHORUS OF THEBANS.
The Chorus sings of the victory of Hercules gained in
the infernal regions, and includes the praises of
the hero.
EURYSTHEUS, who Owing to the jealousy of Juno, was

born two months before the natural period of utero-
gestation, ordered Hercules to penetrate into the
lower parts of the world, one of his labors, this was the
one wanting to deprive Pluto of his kingdom, his third
share of the universe. He did venture to enter that
sombre entrance, where the mournful paths lead to the
far-off Manes, and where there was a dark forest greatly
to be dreaded, but frequented by a large crowd, being
constantly recruited by fresh arrivals, as they are about to
descend mto those regions, just indeed, as large concourses
of people in the cities anxious to witness some new play
or other entertainment rush out together. Just as they
hurry impetuously, too, to the fStes of the Thunderer held
at Elis, when the fifth summer renews the Olympian
celebrations ; just as when the long hours of night return
and Libra, eager to increase the hours of quiet repose,
drives the chariot of Phoebus at an equal distance from
either hemisphere. (That is, makes the day and night each
of twelve hours' duration.) A large assemblage at such a
time attends the secret ceremonies of Ceres, and the Attic
Priests hasten with all speed from their deserted home-
steads to celebrate the night. So great then, and just on
such a scale, is the crowd that wends its way across the
silent plains towards the Infernal Regions, some hobbling
along bent down by sheer old age, mournful and tired

out of the length of life others, younger, run nimbly

enough to this rendezvous. virgins not yet yoked to the
marriage bed, and youthful stripHngs with their locks, as
yet, of no studied fashion, and not consecrated to any
deity! and the infant which has only just learned to say
"Mother"; but thus is conceded to them exclusively, and
in order that they should fear the darkness less, a torch
or light of some sort is carried in front of them, to dispel
the fear of such darkness 1 The rest pass on sadly enough
through the black night, and such is the state of mind
with all of us, when the light is taken away; it is then
that each one feels sad within himself, and is disposed to
think that he has the entire weight of the earth pressing
down on his head There is then presented to the mind,
1
an idea of Immovable Dense Chaos and profoundest

darkness and the hideous appearance of black night, added
to this, some idea of the absolute quiescence of the silent
world, where no speech is heard, and where rainless vapor,
mock resemblances only, serve to represent clouds May
1
old age be tardy in conducting us thither No one arrives

1
there too late, and when once he does arrive he can

never expect to return! What can please mankind 'to
hasten on to such an appalling fate? All this crowd
wandering from every land will pass on to join the Manes,
and serve as additional layers in the Stagnant Cocytus!
Oh Mors Everything is gathering itself up for thy final
! !
: :
S6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 865-897
Nemo ad id fero venit, unde nunquam, 865

Cum femel venit. potuit reverti.
Quid juvat durum properare fatura.'
Omnis hffic magnis vaga turba terris
Ibit ad Manes, facietque inerti
Vela Cocyto. tibi crefcit omne, 870
Et quod Occafus videt, & quod Ortus:
Parce Venturis; tibi, Mors, paramur:
Sis licet fegnis, properamus ipfi.
Prima quae vitam dedit hora, carpit.
Thebis Iseta dies adeft: 875
Aras tangite fupplices,
Pingues csedite vi(Simas:
Permixtse maribus nurus
Solemnes agitent choros:
Ceffent depofito jugo 880
Arvi fertilis incolse.
Pax eft Herculea manu
Auroram inter & Hefperum
Et qua fol medium tenens
Umbras corporibus negat, 885
Quodcunque alluitur folum
Longo Tethyos ambitu,
Alcidae domuit labor.
Tranfvedlus vada Tartari
Pacatis redit inferis. 890
Jam nullus fupereft timor
Nil ultra jacet inferos.
Stantes facrificus comas
Dilefta tege populo.
ACTUS QUARTUS.
HERCULES, THESEUS, AMPHITRYON,

MEGARA.
Hercules a csede Lyci reverfus advocatis Diis facra fatflurus in

furorem vertitur, & vtto fiuvtiSoQ vda-ov txq (ppsva^
SixiTTpx<peii; fuam uxorem cum liberis occidit,
deinde in fomnum labitur.
HERC. ^_/ LTRICE dextra fufus adverfo Lycus 895

Terram cecidit ore: turn quifquis comes
Fuerat tyranni, jacuit & pcenae comes.
!
Lines 86S-897] HERCULES FURENS. 57
grasp, what the rising of Phoebus brings into view, and

what his setting hides from the sight, be sparing to those
who rnust come to thee eventually Oh Mors! we are
1 I
preparing for thee, be slow in claiming us; we are fast

hastening to our doom! and the first hour that gave us
"life" was labeUed "Death"! The joyful Day of Thebes
has arrived, and as suppliants, all of you greet with your
wavering hands the sacred altars. Slay the fat victims;
and young women joining yourselves with the young men,
swell the solemn choir and join in the reverential song
and dance! (Dancing was practised as a religious cere-
mony in the temples, not like that of the roystering
bacchanalian reveller, but a solemn dance performed with
devout and graceful movements of the body.) Let the
husbandman till the fertile fields, and laying aside the
plough, cease from his toilsome labor! By the strong
arm of Hercules, Aurora and Hesperus have been made

tranquil those who sleep at night, and those who work
by day, -and where the sun at Mid-day refuses to poor
mortals a protecting shade from his scorching rays! The
labors of Hercules have subdued every obstacle in exis-
tence, wherever the soil is bathed by the sea (Tethys,
the wife of Oceanus) in its long circuitous course! The
infernal regions having been brought into subjection,
Hercules has been conveyed to us over the streams of
Tartarus.
No fear remams to us now there is now
nothing, beyond the regions below, to rob us of our
tranquillity! And thou. Priest of the Gods! crown thy
locks, erect with saintly fear, with the Poplar wreath, held
so dear to our immortal Hercules!
ACT IV.
HERCULES -THESEUSAMPHITRYON
MEGARA.
Hercules having returned after the slaughter of Lycus, as
he is about to offer sacrifices to the Gods whom he
has invoked, becomes mad and under the influence
of his madness, acute delirium supervenes, he kills
his wife and children, then he falls into a deep sleep
HERCULES.
LYCUS killed bymy avenging right hand falls with his

face to the earth, then every companion of the
tyrant, and everyone who was an accessory in his
guilt hes prostrate also. Now, as conqueror, I will offer
sacrifices to my Father, and the rest of the Gods, and I
Nunc facra patri viflor & fuperis feram,

Caefifque meritas vidlimis aras colam.
Te, te, laborum focia & adjutrix, precor, 9
Belligera Pallas, cujus in Iseva ciet
j^gis feroces ore faxifico minas
Adfit Lycurgi domitor & rubri marls,
Tecflam virenti cufpidem thyrfo gerens:
Geminumque numen, Phoebus & Phcebi foror, 905
Soror fagittis aptior, Phoebus lyrae;
Fraterque quifquis incolit coelum meus,
Non ex noverca frater; hue appellite
Greges opimos. quidquid Indorum feges,
Arabefque odoris quidquid arboribus legunt, 910
Conferti in aras; pinguis exundet vapor.
Populea noftras arbor exomet comas:
Te ramus oleas frondi gentili tegat,
Thefeu. Tonantem noftra adorabit manus:
Tu conditores urbis. &
filveftria 915
Trucis antra Zethi, nobilis Dircen aquae,
Laremque regis advense Tyrium coles.
Date tura fiammis. AMPH. Nate, manantes prius
Manus cruenta caede & hoftili expia.
HERC. Utinam cruorem capitis invifi Deis 920
Libare poffem, gratior nullus liquor
Tinxiffet aras vidlima haud. ulla amplior
:
Poteft, magifque opima maiflari Jovi,

Quam rex iniquus. AMPH. Finiat genitor tuos
Opta labores: detur aliquando otium, 925
Quiefque feffis. herc. Ipfe concipiam preces
Jove meque dignas. Ster fuo coelum loco,
Tellusque & aether: aftra inoffenfos agant
.Sterna curfus: alta pax gentes alat:
Fennim omne teneat nu-is innocui labor: 930
Enfefque lateant: nulla tempeftas fretum
Violenta turbet: nullus irato Jove
Exfiliat ignis: nullus hiberna nive
Nutritus agros amnis everfos tiahat:
Venena ceflent: nulla nocituro gravis 935
Succo tumefcat herba: non faevi ac truces
Regnent tyranni. Si quod etiamnum eft fcelus
will worship at the altars so well deserving of the victims

slain by me. I adjure thee, oh warlike Pallas who hast
! !
been my aid and abettor, who with ^gis in thy left hand
mounted with the head of the Gorgon, dartest forth its
ferocious menacing glances from its stone-converting

visage the Conqueror of Lycurgus and the Red sea and
the distant Indies, is present bearing his spear bound
round with the verdant ivy, the twin deity, Phoebus and
the sister of Phcebus (Phoebe), the sister renowned for her
skill with the bow, and Phoebus for proficiency on the
!
harp; whosoever of my brothers, who are denizens of the

celestial abodes, not brothers, indeed, as fi-om my step-
mother's side (Juno) bring hither the fattest cattle what-
ever fruitful produce from the far Indies and whatever
the wandering Arabs can cull from their fragrant shrubs,
heap them up liberally on the altar let redolent fumes
therefrom ascend towards heaven. I will adorn my own
locks with the poplar, and thou, Theseus, shalt wear on
thy head a branch of olive from the city of Minerva; my
especial privilege shall be to offer my homage to Jupiter
Tonans; thou shalt pay reverence to the founder of the
city, and the sylvan caves of the Truculent Zethus, the
celebrated fountain of Dirce, and the household gods
brought hither by Cadmus, the Tyrian king Throw plenty
of incense upon the joyous flames 1
AMPHITRYON.
Oh 1 my son first of all, atone for having steeped thy

!
hands in the blood of thy enemy (Lycus)!
HERCULES.
I would offer, as a libation to the Gods, the blood of

that wicked tyrant, for nothing that takes a fluid form
could have besprinkled the altar more satisfactorily; no
other victim could possibly have been more equal to the
occasion, and surely no more glorious an object could
be sacrificed to Jupiter, than an iniquitous kingl
AMPHITRYON.
Would that my son should now pray that his labors

might cease; at all events, let a little respite be afforded
to thee, and rest from thy fatigue!
HERCULES.
I myself devise entreaties worthy of Jupiter and

will
consistent with my own
dignity; for example, let the
heavens above, the earth beneath and the very atmosphere
around stand exactly as they are; let the constellations
pursue their eternal courses uninterrupted, let permanent
peace reign amongst the nations. Let iron be used only
in the operation of cultivating the soil, away with swords
Let them lie for ever hidden from sight! Let no violent
storms disturb the tranquil surface of the ocean! No
lightning dart forth from the hand of angry Jupiter Let !
no river swollen by the melting of the winter's snows,

: :
6o SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lin 938-973
Latura tellus, & fi quod parat

properet;
Monftrum, meum Sed quid hoc? medium diem
fit.
Cinxere tenebrss: Phoebus obfcuro meat 94

Sioe nube vultu, quis diem retro fugat,
Agitque in ortus? unde nox atrum caput
Ignota profert? unde tot ftellse polum
Impleut diurnae? primus en nofter labor
Cceli refulget parte non minima Leo, 945
Iraque totus fervet, & morfus parat;
Jam rapiet aliquod fidus: ingenti minax
Stat ore, & ignes, efflat, & rutila jubam
Cervice jadlat: quidquid autumnus gravis,
Hiemfque gelido frigida fpatio refert, 950
Uno impetu tranfiliet: & verni petet
Frangetque Tauri coUa. AMPH. Quod fubitum hoc malum efti'
Quo, Date, vultus hue & hue acres refers?

Acieque falfum turbida coelum vides?
HERC. Perdomita tellus, tumida cefferunt frela, 955
Inferna noftros regaa i^nfere impetus
Immune ccelum eft; dignus Alcidse labor.
Iq alta mundi fpatia fublimis ferar
Petatur aether, aftra promittit pater.
Quid fi negaret? non capit terra Herculem, 960
Tandemque fuperis reddit. en ultro vocat
Omnis Deorum coetus, & laxat fores,
Una vetante. recipis, & referas polum?
An contumacis januam mundi traho?
Dubitatur etiam ? vincla Saturno exuam, 965
Contraque patris impii regnum impotens
Avum refolvam. Bella Titanes parent
Me duce furentes: faxa cum filvis feram,
Rapiamque dextra plena Centauris juga.
Jam monte gemino limitem ad fuperos agam. 970
Videat fub Ofla Pelion Chiron fuum:
In coelum Olympus tertlo pofitus gradu
Perveniet, aut mittetur. amph. Infandos procul
swamp the lands or injure the harvests, as they pursue

their ordinary course Let plants, which yield their
1
poisonous juices dwindle into harmless weeds Let not 1
the luxuriant herbage be charged with injurious sap! Let

cruel and bloody tyrants cease to rule And if there be 1
any, even now, wickedness to be perpetrated upon the

Earth, or whatever monster else is in preparation, let mine
be the hand to deal with it, and let it come on without
delay! (The madness of Hercules is now beginning to
show itself) But what is this? darkness has appeared at
mid-day; Phoebus is gliding along with an obscured
countenance, although no cloud is apparent! Who is
driving the day back and sending it on again to the
Lines 938-973] HERCULES FURENS. 6i_
East? Why does the unaccountable night show its black

presence ? Why do so many stars make themselves seen
m the heavens? Behold the Lion, my first labor shines
forth and over no small space in the Heavenly tract, and
is growing quite excited, boiling over with anger and
prepares to open his jaws Now he will make an attack
!
upon some star or other! There he is menacing with

his enormous visage and he is breathing out flames and
brightens up again that mane of his, as he jerks it back
on his neck, and he will leap over in one bound the
stars in the middle of the Zodiac, which preside over the
destinies of fruitful autumn, and the cold winter in icy
spaces and will make for and break the neck of Taurus,
which brings back the spring I
AMPHITRYON.
AVhat is this Why, my son, dost thou

sudden calamity ?
cast such savage looks ? here, then there ? Dost thou
first
see any imaginary sky with thy disturbed visual organs?
HERCULES.
The__Earth has been conquered the seas have ceased

to rage, the infernal regions have felt my
power. Heaven
is safe that is a task worthy of Alcides; I shall be borne
through the elevated regions of space to the sublime

Heaven let me seek my
proper place in the sky, my
father promised to make me a constellation! But what
if he should refuse? the Earth- is, noLcapable of holding
,
me and shenmsXtiieig^reân_^jaeJâ.&e
rny'-piKaêr'pTaceTBwiola me entire community of the
I
Gods willingly invite me to join them, and receive me

with open doors and only one dissentient, Juno, put her
;
veto to the arrangement Receive me and. unlock the

portals of Olympus, Juno, or I shall have to force the
gates of the haughty Heavens Is that even a matter for
I
hesitation? Then I will let loose the chains that bind

down Saturn, and liberate the Grandfather, who waged a
futile war against my cruel father, and when the Titans
have prepared themselves for battle they will rejoice in
me as their leader; I will pile up huge rocks and forests
together, will root up with my powerful hands the Thes-
salian mountains thickly inhabited by the Centaurs, and
thus I shall be able with the double mountain assisting
my progress to carve my way to the Godsl Chiron will
then see his Pelion under Ossa Olympus on the top ot
all will serve as a third ladder, and I shall be able to
leap to Heaven, or I shall be high enough to spring up to it!
Averte fenfus: pefloris fani parum,

Magni tamen, compefce dementem impetum. 975
HERC. Quid hoc? gigantes arma peftiferi movent:
Profugit umbras Tityos, ac lacerum gerens
Et inane pe(5lus, quam prope a coelo ftetit?
Labat Cithaeron, alta Pallene tremit,
Macetumque Tempe. rapuit hie Pindi juga: 980
Hie rapuit CEten. faevit horrendum Mimas.
Flammifera Erinnys verbere excuffo fonat,
Rogifque aduftas propius ae propius fudes
In era tendit. faeva Tifiphone caput
Serpentibus vallata, poft raptum canem 985
Portam vacantem claufit oppofita face.
Sed ecce proles regis inimici latet,
Lyci nefandum femen. invifo patri
Hsee dextra jam vos reddet. excutiat leves
Nervus fagittas. tela fie mitti decet 990
Herculea. amph. Quo fe ccus impegit furor?
Vaftum coaftis flexit arcum cornibus,
Pharetramque folvit. ftridet emiffa impetu
Arundo. medio fpiculum collo fugit
Vulnere HERC. Ceteram prolem eruam,
relidto. 995
Omnefque quid moror? majus mihi
latebras.
Bellum Mycenis reftat: ut Cyclopea
Everfa manibus faxa noftris concidant,
Hue eat & illuc aula disjeiflo objice,
Rumpatque pofteis. coluraen impidfum labet. 1000
Perlucet omnis regia, hie video abditum
Natum fcelefti patris. amph. En, blandas manus
Ad genua tendeus, voce miferanda rogat
Scelus nefandum, trifte, & afpecftu horridum,
Dextra preeante rapuit, & circa furens 1005
Bis ter rotatum mifit: aft illi caput
Sonuit; cerebro tedla difperfo madent.
At mifera parvum protegens natum finu
Megara, furenti fimilis e latebris fugit.
AMPHITRYON.
Pray lay aside those impious thoughts, the outpourings
no doubt of a magnanimous soull There is, however,
, little sanity in such ravings! Check therefore this mad
impetuosity!
HERCtlLES.
What do see yonder ? Ah the destructive Giants are
I I
taking up arms against the Gods. Tityus has effected his

escape from the Manes, and carrying about with him an
inside mangled and gnawed away Ahl how nearly he once
1
reached Heaven The Bseotian Cithasron is tottering, lofty

!
Ballene trembles and Macetum, too, hitherto a "Tempe"

in its serenity, is convulsed with dread One of the Titans
I
has gained the summit of Pindus, and another has got

possession of CEtal That hideous Mimas is beside him-
self with rage Erinnys with her flaming torches smacks
1
her scourging whips with sonorous ferocity, and approaches

nearer and nearer to my face with her flammg fires,
whilst she feeds the burning pile with fuel, and savage
Tisiphone with her head wreathed with serpents, who,
after Cerberus had been captured, guarded the door
that was then left unprotected, and with her threatening
torch preventing any egress from the dark prison! But
j
see look there lies hidden the offspring of my enemy

1 1

the king the accursed seed of Lycus but this hand shall
forthwith send thee on to thy hateful father, my strong
arm shall shoot forth the nimble arrows! It is for just
such a desirable object as this, that the darts of a Hercules
should be employed! ^--~
AMPHITRYON.
Why does such blind rage take possession of Hercules ?
There! he has bent his strong bow with all his might
and sent the arrow on its fatal mission, the deadly reed
whizzes again from the force with which it was shot forth.
Ah the point has passed through the middle of the neck,
!
of one of his own children, and the arrow is still sticking

in the wound!
HERCULES.
I wiU destroy the rest of the offspring, and demolish
utterly their places of concealment; why should I delay?
A more important war awaits my presence at Mycenae,
that the walls raised by the Cyclopes shall fall overturned
by my hands. Here is a palace! and there a vain
obstacle. The bolts and bars being cast aside, the doors
shall be burst open, and the pillars supporting it shall
fall headlong. All die palace is visible Dy the Light of

Day I see nidden there the second son of that wicked
father!
AMPHITRYON ifo Tkeseus).
Behold! Theseus! the little child stretching forth its
hands and asking for mercy with a piteous cry! What
relentless crime, heart-rending and horrible to have to
witness! He seizes the right hand imploring for mercy,
and Hercules cruelly whirls his littie son round and round
twice or thrice, and dashes it to the ground the head of
the little son sounded on the stone floor, and the walls
were moistened with the scattered brains! But unhappy
Megara, who had been nursing the younger of the sons in
her bosom, fled at the same time from the place of con-^
cealment, Hercules supposing she was Juno.
6^ SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lm 1010-J043
loio
HERC. Licet Tonantis profuga condaris finu,
Petet undecunque temet hsec dextra, & feret.
petis?
AMPH. Quo mifera pergis? quam fugam, aut latebram
NuUus falutis Hercule infenfo eft locus:
Ampleflere ipfum potius, & blanda prece
1015
Lenire tenta. meg. Parce jam, conjux, precor,
Agnofce Megaram; natus hie vultus tuos,
Habitufque reddit: cernis, ut tendat manus.'
HERC. Teneo novercam: fequere, da poenas mihi,
Jugoque preiTum libera turpi Jovem.
1020
Sed ante matrem parvulum hoc monftrum occidat.
MEG. Quo tendis amens? fanguinem fundes tuum?
AMPH Pavefaftus infans igneo vultu patris
Perit ante vulnus: fpiritum eripuit timor.
In conjugem nunc clava libratur gravis,
Perfregit oiTa: corpori trurco caput 1025
Abeft, nee ufquam eft.cemere hoc audes nimis
Vivax fene<5lus? fi piget luflus, habes
Mortem paratam. pedius in tela indue;
Vel ftipitem iftum csede monftrorum illium
Converte. falfum ac nomini turpem tuo 1030
Remove parentem, ne tuae laudi obftrepat.
THES. Quo te ipfe, fenior, obvium morti ingeris?
Quo pergis amens? profuge, & obtecftus late,
Unumque manibus aufer Herculeis fcelus.
HERC. Bene habet: pudendi regis excifa eft domus. 1035
Tibi hunc dicatum, maximi conjux Jovis,
Gregem cecidi. vota perfolvi libens
Te digna: & Argos vidlimas alias dabit.
AMPH. Nondum litafti, nate: confumma facrum.
Stat, ecce, ad aras hoftia, exfpe(ftat manum 1040
Cervice prona. prasbeo, occurro, infequor:
Maiila. Quid hoc eft? errat acies luminum,
Vifufque moeror hebetat. An video Herculis
HERCtJLES.
supposing Megara to be Juno.) You may flee for
(Still
an asylum into the very arms of Jupiter, but this right
hand of mine shall search thee out and wrest thee even
from his very embrace!
AMPHITRYON.
Where art unfortunate Megara? what
thou going, oh I
place of exile, what hiding-place shalt thou seek? There

is absolutely no place of security, no means of escape
from outraged Hercules; embrace him rather and try to
soften his wrath with humble and winning entreaties!
V MEGARA.
Spare me, husband, I now implore thee, recognize thy
own dear Megara; the child possesses thy very counten-
!; .
ance over again thy very second self I See how the
child stretches forth its hands!
HERCULES.
No! I am holding my
step-mother (Juno); follow and
receive thy punishment at my hands, and liberate Jupiter
from such, a hateful yoke; but before I kill thee let me
put this little monster out of the way.
MEGARA.
What are thou doing, madman ? thou art sacrificing thy
own flesh and blood!
AMPHITRYON.
The
infant is already dead indeed was frightened to
death by the fiery looks of its father, long before it was
wounded by the arrow Fear snatched away its life His
! 1
heavy club is poised above his wife, and he breaks her

bones with his blow! Her head is detached from her
body and cannot be found in its entire state it has been
smashed to pieces! Ohl for my tenacious old age, thou
darest too much even to think of such a sight If my
grief bears me down, death is ready to thy hand, select
this breast of mine for thy arrows, or turn against me
that club of thine stained with the slaughter of the monsters
put away thy supposed father and rid thy name of one so
lowly, lest my doleful utterances should sully thy triumphs
THESEUS.
Why in thy old age, shouldst thou court death for thy-
self in this way? Where art thou going, imprudent man?
Flee, and hidden far away, deprive the nands of Hercules
of this one crime at all events!
HERCULES.
It is well the race of this shameless usurper is now

extinct To thee, oh spouse of glorious Jupiter, I have
dedicated the victims which I have sacrified to thee with
joy; thou art worthy of them! And Argos shall yet
afford others for thee!
AMPHITRYON.
Thou hast not yet sacrificed any. Oh son! finish thy

offerings Behold! a sacrifice now stands before the altar
and awaits thy hand with lowered head, it waits for a
mortal below. I am here, Amphitryon, I am approach-
ing thee, I persist in my âppeal: strike sacrifice mel
What do I see at this moment! the eyes of Hercules are
growing dim, and grief weakens his vision! Do I not
see the hand of Hercules trembling? A
lethargic sleep
5
Maous trementes? vultus in fomnum ca(1it,

'045
Et feffa cervix capita fubmisso labat;
Flexo genu jam totus ad terram ruit:
Ut caefa filvis ornus, aut portus mari
Datura moles, vivis? an leto dedit
Idem, tuos qui mifit ad mortem, furor?
105
Sopor eft, reciprocos fpiritus molus agit,
Detur quieti tempus, ut fomno gravi
Vis viiSa morbi peAus oppreffum levet.
Removete, famuli, tela, ne repetat furens.
CHORUS THEBANORUM.
Deos, fidera, & elementa, quae lymphatis, lunaticis, & mente
captis dominantur in luAum, commiferationem & auxi-
lium Herculis Chorus advocat; fomnum, qui furorem
fedare folet, precatur, ut gravi fopore preffum
Herculem menti reftituat, pueros denique
cEEfos deflet
L.jUGEAT
jEtheris alti,
ffither, magnufque parens
tellufque ferax 1055
Et vaga ponti mobilis unda.
Tuque ante omnes, qui per terras,
Tradlufque maris fundis radios,
No(51emque fugas ore decoro,
Fervide Titan, obitus pariter 1060
Tecum Alcides vidit & ortus,
Novitque tuas utrafque domos.
Solvite tantis animum monftris;
Solvite, fuperi: re<3;am in melius
rie<51ite mentem. tuque o domitor, 1065
Somne, malorum, requies animi,
Pars humanae melior vitae,
Volucer, matris genus Aftraeaa,
Prater durae languide Mortis,
Veris mifcens falfa, futuri 1070
Certus, & idem peffimus audlor:
Pater o rerum, portus vitas,
Lucis requies, noflifque comes,
Qui par regi famuloque venis,
Placidus feffum lenifque fovens: 1075
seizes his eyelids and his wearied head falls towards his
chest, and now, with his knees giving away, he falls bodily
upon the earth, thoroughly overcome by exhaustion in I
the same way as the asn, when it is felled in the forest,

or as a mass of stone is thrown into the water to serve
as a pier or a protection from the sea. (Amphitryon
!
approaches him.) Art thou ahve, son? or has the same rage
handed thee over to death, thou who hast sent so many,
so many of thy own flesh and blood to that bourne?
No! it is sleep! his respiration is being carried onthe
movements of his thorax show inspiration and expiration 1
Let him then be given up to rest, so that the severity of

his disease may be overcome by a heavy sleep, and
slumber calm down his agitated nerves! Here! Atten-
dants! remove all dangerous weapons, lest he may wake
j
furious again! /
CHORUS OF THEBANS.
The Chorus invokes the Deities, the Stars and the Elements,
which exercise influence over the lymphatic (victims of
severe fright), the lunatic (absolute madness), and those
otherwise of unsound mind, to join in the general grief
and implores commiseration and help for Hercules the :
Chorus prays for that slumber which is wont to

allay madness, and that by being thrown into a pro-

found sleep, he may be restored to reason it likewise
pours forth a lament for the death of his boys
MAY the firmament mourn, and the mighty Parent of

the lofty heavens, and the fruitful earth and thou
Deity of the wandering waves of the rolling sea
(Neptune) and thou (Phoebus) aoove all these, who sheddest
the rays over thy ocean tracts, and with thy glorious
presence drivest away dull night, for Alcides has been
with thee, accompanied thee in thy progress, both when thou
hast disappeared below the Horizon to illumine another

part of the world he is familiar with both thy retreats!
Oh release his disordered mind from so many monstrous
!
delusions. Oh! ye Gods above! liberate his imprisoned

mind train his mental impressions into a more healthy
channel, and thou, oh Somnus the dissipator of sensorial
! !
disturbance, the donor of tranquil thought and the better

portion of human life (namely sleep) Oh winged Somnus,
!
claiming Astrsea for his maternal descent, Oh thou gentle

!
brother of implacable Mors mingling the mental concep-

!

tions the possible with the impossible sometimes in the
form of enlightening impressions revealing the truth,
sometimes keeping back from our knowledge evils which
are impending Oh thou father of Nature, the refuge of
!
Hfe, the repose of day and the welcome companion of

night, who comest alike to visit the Monarch and the
slave, kind to the weary, cherishing and mild! Thou
inculcatest upon the human mind, naturally fearful of
dissolution some idea of that long sleep, which awaits us
: :
68 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1076-.121
Pavidum leti genus humanum

Cogis longam difcere mortem
Preme devi(5lum torpore gravi.
Sopor indomitos alliget artus;
Neetorva prius peftora linquat, 1080
Quam mens repetat priftina curfum.
En, fufus humi feva feroci
Corde volutat fomnia. nondum eft
Tanti peftis fuperata mali:
Clavaeque gravi laffum folitus 1085
Mandare caput, quasrit vacua
Pondera dextra, motu jacSlans
Brachia vano : nee adhuc omnes
Expulit aeftus. fed, ut ingenti
Vexata Note fervat longos 1090
Unda tumultus, & jam vento
Ceffante tumet. peUe infanos
Flu(lus animi. redeat pietas,
Virtufque viro: vel fit potius
Mens vefano concita motu; 1095
Error caecus, qua ccepit, eat
Solus te jam prseftare poteft
Furor infontem. Proxima puris
Sors eft manibus, nefcire nefas.
Nunc Herculeis percuffa fonent iioo
Peiflora palmis: mundum folitos
Ferre lacertos verbera pulfent
VitSrice manu: gemitus vaftos
Audiat asther, audiat atri
Regina poll, vaftifque ferox 1105
Qui colla gerit vin(fla catenis,
Imo latitans Cerberus anlro.
Refonet moefto clamore chaos,
Lateque patens unda profundi,
Et, qui melius tua tela tamen mo
Senferat, aer.
Pe<5tora tantis obfelTa malis
Non funt idlu ferienda levi
Uno plancftu tria regna fonent.
Et tu collo decus ac telum 1 1
15
Sufpenfa diu fortis arundo,
Pharetrseque graves, date faeva fero
Verbera tergo: caedant humeros
Robora fortes, ftipefque potens
Duris oneret peflora nodis: 1 120
Plangant tantos arma dolores.
all Death! Confine then Alcides with the chains of

lethargic sopor, let Somnus bind down his invincible
limbs, nor let his furious brain be deprived of the soporific
agent, till his mind regains its strength and acquires a
;'
healthy train of thought! Behold him now, stretched

upon the ground, he is tossing about disturbed by hideous
dreams, not as yet in any way is this frightful visitation
mitigated; accustomed to rest nis head on his ponderous
club, he tries to seize it in vain with his right hand,
swaying his arms to and fro with his fruitless endeavours
nor has he got rid of his anger entirely, for as the sea,
stirred up by the force of the tempestuous south wind,
retains for some time its disturbed condition, and even
when the wind ceases to blow, it retains an angry^
attitude ! Oh drive away the tumultuous waves from the
!
rnind of Alcides, let his former piety and submissive

virtue return to the miserable man! Or, would it not
be better, that he should retain his present disordered
intellect, stirred up with mad passions, and his blind
irresponsible delirium continue, as it commenced ? for this
madness alone can entitle him to be considered free,
from guilt The next virtue probably to that of possessing
hands that have not yet been polluted by crime of any|
sort, is to be in a happy state of ignorance that they have!
been so contaminated! Now this huge breast of Hercules
resounds with the blows with which he strikes it! How',
he belabors his arms, those arms which were wont to 1
sustain the weight of the heavens. How his sonorous 1
groans will reach to the sky, and the queen of the black
universe will likewise hear them, and the fierce Cerberus that
stills wears the huge chains on his conquered neck, barking
aloud from his low cave. How sombre Chaos will resound
with his lugubrious shouts! how the broad waters of the
vasty deep, and lasdy the air itself will feel the distur-
bance which had much better have been by his arrows
as of old! (alluding to the Stymphalides.) A breast
besieged by so many inward commotions, connected with
so much wickedness committed, must not be visited by
light blows! How the three Kingdoms (Heaven, Earth
and Hell) resound simultaneously with the piteous cries!
And thou, oh arrow so long triumphant and suspended
! !
from his neck as an ornament, as well as a vehicle of

force, and you, the heavily armed quivers, strike implac-
ably thy cruel master on his savage back! Let him
punish his own powerful shoulders with his own great
strength, and let his mighty club with its rough knots
punish his own body! Let his shoulders wince again
with the intensity of the pain inflicted on himself And
you, children, who never have been able to follow the
track of your noble parent, yet tyrant Kings will be
avenged by this cruel blow you, who had not yet acquired
grace in your bodily movements in the Grecian Palasstra

(wrestling-place) you that were not formidable opponents
70 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 11:^2-1155
Non vos patriae laudis comites,

Ulti fevo vulnere reges;
Non Argiva membra palaaftra
Fledere Ao&i, fortes cseftu, "25
Fortefque manu; jam tamen aufi
Telum Scythici leva coryti
Miffum carta librara mann,
Tutofque fuga figere carvos,
Nondumqua ferae terga jubat^; 113
Ite ad Stygios umbra portus,
Ite innocuas, quas in prime
Limine vitse fcelus oppreffit
Patriufque furor: ita infauftum
Genus, o pueri, noti per iter 'I35
Trifle laboris: ite, iratos
Vifite regas.
ACTUS QUINTUS.
HERCULES, AMPHITRYON, THESEUS.
Hercules experreftus & menti reflitutus, poftquam fuos a fe
interfedlos comperiffet, maous fibi inferra parat : patris
precibus vi<?tus fibi parcit, Athenafqu Thesei con-
filio purgandus proficifcitur.
\Jms hie locus? quae regio? quae mundi plaga?

Ubi fum? fub ortu folis, an fub cardine
Glacialis Urfae? numquid Hafperii maris 1 140
Extrama tellus hunc dat Oceano modum?
Quas trahimus auras? quod folum feiTo fubeft?
Carte redimus. unde proftrata dome
Video cruenta corpora? an nondum exuit
Simulacra mens infei'na? poft reditus quoque ^^45
Oberrat oculos turba feralis meos.
PUdet fateri. paveo: nafcio quod mihi,
Nefcio quod animus grande praefagit malum.
Ubi eft parens? ubi ilia natorum grege
Animofa conjux? cur latus lasvum vacat 1150
Spolio leonis? quonam abiit tegimen meum,
Idemque fomno mollis Herculeo torus?
Ubi tela? ubi arcus? anna quis vivo mihi
Datrahere potuit? fpolia quis tanta abftulit?
Ipfumque quis non Herculis fomnum horruit? I15S
with the coestus, but who ahready had attempted to hurl

forth will a firm hand the light arrow, the dart of the
Scythian, and to strike the stag which seeks its safety in
flight, but had not yet attempted the same on the back
Lines ii2.-,i5s] HERCULES FURENS. 71
of the Maned Lion! Go to the Stygian refuge, to the

shades below, go, innocent victims, whom the wickedness
and madness of a father have sacrificed at the very
threshold of life. Go, unlucky progeny Oh Boys go by ! !
the sad path, rnade known to us all by your father's

_
labor, go and join the indignant rulers (Pluto and Proser-

pine) of the sombre Empire I
ACT V.
HERCULES-AMPHITRYON-THESEUS.
Hercules wakes, with his mind restored, and learns that
he has killed his own children. He prepares to lay
hands on himself, but prevailed on, by the entreaties
of his father, he refrains from suicide, and at the
suggestion of Theseus, he starts for Athens, and
undergoes the ordeal of atonement.
HERCULES.
WHAT place is this? What country? What region

of the Globe ? Where am I ? Am
I at the extre-
mities of the East, where Phoebus starts on his
journey, or under the sky of the Icy Bear? Whether
that land which stretches out to the sea of Hesperia and
affords thereby a boundary of the Ocean? What air am
I breathing? What ground is supporting my weary body?
I surely have returned to Thebes
How is it that I
behold bloody carcasses lying about on the floors of the
Palace ? Or have I not yet got rid of the infernal spectres,
which have been haunting my imagination ?^S.incemyretarj}
from HU,the.jn0urnfi3_.Ghfi1aSu;e_.perRituaJIyrEeJ5re
my eyes! I am ashamed to confess it I know not what
baS "Come to me, I cannot guess, of what terrible calamity
my troubled mind is warning me! Where is my Parent?
Wliere is that wife of mine, so enraged about her young
children? Why is my
shoulder deprived of the
left
Nemasan lion's skin ? Where has
that defensive covering
disappeared and which has served me as a soft bed,
when in the arms of gentle sleep? Where are my arrows?
Where is my bow? Who could dare to take away my
arms, whilst any life remained in me? Who could have
carried off so heavy a trophy, as my club ? Who is there
that has not dreaded Hercules, even when he was asleep ?
It will please me to meet my proud conqueror yes!
indeed it will be a pleasure Arise, thou Conqueror, before
!
Libet meum videre viflorem, libet.

Exfurge, viftor, quein novum ccelo pater
Genuit relifto: cujus in foetu ftetit
Nox longior, quam noftra. quod cerno nefas?
Nati cruenta csede confedli jacent: 1 160
Perempta conjux. quis Lycus regnum obtinet?
Quis tanta Thebis fcelera moliri aufus eft,
Hercule reverfo? quifquis Ifmeni loca,
Atftaea quifquis arva, qui gemino mari
Pulfata Pelopis regna Dardanii colis, ii6S
Succurre, fsevas cladis auflorem indica.
Ruat ira in omnes., toftis eft, quifquis mihi
Non monftrat hoftem. vicftor Alcidse lates?
Precede: feu tu vindicas currus truces
Thracis cruenti, five Geryonae pecus, 1170
Libyseve dominos: nulla pugnaudi mora eft.
En nudus adfto, vel meis armis licet
Petas inermem. cur meos Thefeus fugit
Paterque vultus? era cur condunt fua?
Differte fletus. quis meos dederit neci 11 75
Omnes fimul, profare: quid, genitor, files?
At tu ede, Thefeu; fed tua, Thefeu, fide.
Uterque tacitus ora pudibunda obtegit;
Furtimque lacrimas fundit. in tantis malis
Quid eft pudendum? numquid Argivas impotens 11 80
Dominator urbis? numquid infeftum Lyci
Pereuntis agmen clade nos tanta obruit?
Per, te, meorum facinonim laudem precor,
Genitor, tuique nominis femper mihi
Nuraen fecundum; fare, quis fudit domum? 1185
Cui praeda jacui? AMPH. Tacita fie abeant mala.
HERC. Ut inultus ego fim? amph. Ssepe vindi<5la obfuit.
HERC. Quifquamne fegnis tanta toleravit mala?
AMPH. Majora quifquis timuit. HERC. His etiam, pater,
Quidquam timeri majus aut gravius poteft? 1 190
him whose father begat him quite unexpectedly, when

he quitted heaven on one of nis peregnnations, and at
whose nativity, the night was rendered more prolonged
than it is now-a-day Lo what signs of wickedness do
I !
I now behold? My sons are lying Qiere struck down by

some bloody slaughterer's handl My wife too slain] I
wonder what new Lycus now holds the reigns of govern-
ment! What man has dared to attempt such murderous
deeds, in this, my Thebes?
even, too, after I, Hercules,
have come back! Whoever dwellethin the plains of
Ismenus- Whosoever tilleth the fields of Attica Whoever
thou art, who dwellest in the Kingdom of Dardanian
Pelops, whose shores are washed by the waves of two
seas, help me disclose to me the author of this savage
!
Lines 1156-1190] HERCULES FURENS, 7^
slaughter Let my fullest measure of wrath fall on all

!
He IS my
enemy, who knows and does not point out to
me the greatest of my enemies Where hidest thou, thou
I
Conqueror of Alcides? Come forth whether thou art

avenging the bloody King of Thrace (Diomedes), who was
devoured by the very horses that dragged his chariot,
or to avenge Geryon, whose flocks, I took, from him, or
the two kings of Libya! There admits of no delay, in
my preparing for battle But here I am, unarmed or is
!
it that it is sought to come upon me in a defenceless

condition? Why do Theseus and my father avoid my
very gaze? Why do they bury their faces? Away with
useless weeping! Let me be informed; who has handed
over to cruel death my all my wife, my sons? Why,
my Father, art thou silent? But thou, Theseus, tell me
on thy sacred honor, in which I repose so much confi-
dence. Behold! they both hide their confused faces in
silence, and tears, difficult to restrain, are shed by each
of them; but why is there all this reserve, in the midst
of such a category of crimes? Whether, tell me, is it the
impotent ruler of the city of Argos, or is it the odious
race of Lycus, that has overwhelmed me with so much
slaughter? I beseech thee, my Father, for thy approval
of my actions of one possessing my name, and one which
has always ranked with me as second only Pray, speak,
who has ruined my home, to whose vengeance have I
fallen a prey?
AMPHITRYON. _
Let those deeds be remembered only in silence!
HERCULES.
That I may be unrevenged, dost thou mean?
AMPHITRYON.
Vengeance has often proved an obstacle to its cherisher!
HERCULES.
What man has ever tolerated such wickedness with
composure ?
AMPHITRYON.
The man, who has feared that greater misfortunes are
in store for him.
HERCULES.
Oh! my father, what greater or more dreadful calami-
ties could be devised than these, in order to inspire fear ?
4 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1191-12.5
AMPH. Cladis tuse pars ifta, quam nofti, quota eft?

HERC. Miferere, genitor: fupplices tendo manus.
Quid hoc? manus i-efugit. hie errat fcelus.
Unde hie cruor? quid ilia puerili madens
Arundo leto, tiiKfta! Lemaea nece ? "95
Jam tela video noftra, non quffiro manum.
Quis potuit arcum fledlere? aut quae dextera
Sinuare nervum vix reeedentem mihi?
Ad vos revertor: genitor, hoc noftrum eft fcelus?
Tacuere; noftrum eft. amph. LuAus eft iftic tuus; 1200
Crimen novercas. cafus hie culpa caret.
HERC. Nune parte ab omni, genitor, iratus tona,
Oblite noftri: vindica fera manu
Saltem nepotes: ftelliger mundus fonet,
Flammas & hie & ille jaeuletur polus: 1205
Rupes ligatum Cafpias corpus trahant,
Atque ales avida. cur Promethei vacant
Scopuli? paretur vertice immenfo feras
Voluerefque pafcens Caucafi abrumptum latus,
Nudumque filvis, quae pontum Seytten 1210
Symplegas arftat, hinc & hine vindlas manus
Diftendat alto cumque revocata vice
:
In fe coibunt faxa, quae in ccelum exprimunt

AAis utrinque rupibus medium mare,
Ego inquieta montium jaceam mora. 1215
Quin ftru(5lum aeervans nemore congefto aggerem,
Cruore corpus impio fparfum cremo?
Sic, fic agendum eft: inferis reddam Herculem.
AMPH. Nondum tumultu pe(5lus attonito caret.
Mutavit iras: quodque habet proprium furor, 1220
In fe ipfe faevit. HERC. Dira Furiarum loca
Et inferorum career, & fonti plaga
Decreta turbae, & fi quod exClium latet
Ulterius Erebo, Cerbero ignotum & mihi.
Hue me abde tellus: Tartari ad finem ullimum 1225
AMPHITRYON.
Those passages in thy own misfortunes which thou
hast actually experienced, do they not furnish but feeble
episodes in the chapter of disasters?
Y~~"'\^
HERCULES.
\ Pity me, father, I will extend my suppliant hands.
j
What do I see? He
actually refuses my
proffered palms,
for in these hands rests the wickedness of crime ; whence
comes all this blood ? How
comes it that the arrow,
stained with the blood of the slaughtered Lemaean Hydra -
j is still wet with the gore of the murdered children? I

I recognise at once, my own arrow, I do not require to
!
Lines ii9i-i==5] HERCULES FURENS. .75
search for the hand that shot it forth, for who is there,
that could bend my bow? Or what right hand could have
drawn the string, which I could only do with difficulty?
I appeal again to you. Oh Father Is this indeed my
!
crime? There is no answer! It is mine!

AMPHITRYON.
In this lamentable matter, the grieving part is thine,
the criminal portion, that of thy step-mother; this calam-
ity is not remotely traceable to thy culpability.
HERCULES.
Oh! irate father (Jupiter), send forth thy thunder in
every direction, think not of my
misfortunes, vindicate
the slaughter of thy grandsons, at least, although the visit-
ation may be slow m
its arrival! Let the starry firma-
ment resound with thy thunders, and the sky, here, there,
everywhere be filled with thy lightnings ; let my body be
chained to one of the rocks of Taurus, and the greedy
vulture feed on my carcass, why should the rock of Pro-
metheus be vacant now? Let there be appropriated for
my punishment, a spot on the abrupt mountain-side of
Caucasus, where no verdure prevails, and where the sum-
mer affords a place of refuge for wild beasts and birds
of prey. And the rugged Symplegades, which contract
the entrance of the Euxine Sea, shall widen the channel,
with a hand of mine bound to each of them from above,
and when those mobile rocks, approach each other (their
movements are alternate) and drive upwards towards the
sky the intervening waves, the rocks beating them on
either side, I shall act as an obstacle to their mutual
contact! Or shall I pile up and set fire to a huge mound
from the thick groves, and consume with the names my
body, besmeared with sinful blood! So well! let this be
done thus, and I will return as "Hercules Secundus" to
the shades below!
AMPHITRYON --^
The mind of Hercules is not freed from tumultuous
thoughts, but his anger has only assumed another phase.
HERCULES.
If there be any dreadful spot, amongst the imprisoned
lower regions and the abode of the Furies, or a place

set apart for the guiltiest of mortals and if there be
any more distant place of exile in Erebus, not known
to Cerberus and myself there let me hide myself away
from this Earth! I will go and abide in the extremest
boundaries of Tartarus Oh my too savage disposition
! !
! !
76 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 12^6-1260
Manfurus ibo. pedlus o nimium feram

Quis vos per omnem, liberi, fparfos domum
Deflere digne poterit? hie durus mails
I.acrimare vultus nefcit. Hue enfem date;
Date hue faglttas; ftipitem hue vaftum date. 1230
Tlbi tela frangam noftra; tibi noftros, puer,
Rumpemus areus, ae tuls ftipes gravis
Ardebit umbris: ipfa Lemîs frequens
Pharetra tells in tuos ibit rogos.
Dent arma poeuas: vos quoque infauftas mels 1235
Cremabo tells, o novereales manus.
THES. Quis nomen unquam fceleris errori addidit?
HERC. Sspe error ingens feeleris obtinuit locum.
THES. Nunc Hereule opus eft. perfer hane molem mali.
HERC. Non fie furore ceffit exftindlus pudor, 1240
Populos ut omnes Impio afpeclu fugem.
Anna, arma, Thefeu, flagito propere mihi
Subtraifia reddi. fana fi mens eft mihi,
Referte manibus tela: fi remanet furor.
Pater, recede, mortis inveniam viam. 1245
AMPH. Per fandla generis facra, per jus nominis
Utrumque noftri, five me altorem vocas,
Seu tu parentem; perque venerandos piis
Cauos, feneftae parce defertse, precor,
Annifque feffis: unicum lapfss domus 1250
Firmamen, unum lumen afflidto malls
Temet referva. nuUus ex te contigit
Frudlus laborum. femper aut dubium mare,
Aut monftra timui. quifquis in toto furit
Rex fffivus orbe, manibus, aut arisnocens, 1255
A me timetur. femper abientis pater
Fru(5lum tui, tadtumque &
afpedlum peto.
HERC. Cur animam in ifta luce detineam amplius,
Morerque, nihil eft: eundla jam amifi bona:
Mentem, arma, famam, conjugem, nates, manus; 1260
Who could bewail, oh! my children, sufficiently at the

sight of my dear ones scattered about on the floor of
the Palace. This harsh visage of mine, hardened by
misfortune, knows not how to familiarize itself with tears 1
Herel give me my sword! hand me hither my arrows,

bring along my redoubtable club. (Looking first at one
son and then at the other.) For thee, I will break my
arrows; for thee, my boys, I will snap my bow in two
and this formidable weapon (the club) shall burn for thy
infanticidal death, and the quiver filled with the Lernaean
arrows shall be handed over to the funeral pile! Let
my deadly weapons suffer their turn of destruction I !
will burn them also with the fatal arrows! But oh! ye
awful instruments of a step-mother's persecution
! !
Lines i=.6-i=6o] HERCULES FURENS. 77
THESEUS.
Whoever adds to an error, intentionally, invests such
error with the odium of a crime.
HERCULES.
An error of magnitude oftentimes acquires the stigma
of wickedness
THESEUS.
Now we stand in need of toleration on the part of
Hercules; bear patiently this load of misfortune!
y
HERCULES. /
My pride and dignity have not to such an extent been

stamped- out, by my delirious attack, that I should drive
everyone away from beholding my wicked presence!
Nay! Theseus My arms! I demand that my arms
1
which have been taken away, shall be given up fortiti-

with; if my mind be in a sound state, hand me my
arrows, if my delirium stiU continues. Oh Father, get out
of my path, I will find an easy way of seeking my death
AMPHITRYON
By the sacred mystery of thy descent, by that respect
which is due to me and my name Whether thou callest
!
me, parent, or simply look upoa me, as having merely

brought thee up, and by these hoary locks, always rever-
enced by good men, I pray thee spare my declining
years, and my old age, bereft of earthly consolation;
thou one prop of a fallen djmasty; afford me some ray
of compassion for my misfortunes which I share with
thee. None of the results of thy glorious deeds have been
transferred from thee to myself, for I have held the
treacherous sea in great dread, as well as monsters of
every sort, and even whatever cruel king, that rages in
any part of the world, that stains his hands with the
blood of others, or pollutes the sacred altars with human
sacrifices, is held by me in the greatest fear; but as thy
faflier, I have looked forward with joyful hope, to thy
successful exploits, and to hail thy presence and behold
thy visage!
HERCULES -^-^^^
Why should I wish to pass my life any longer in the

light of day? Why should I hesitate about it? There is
no reason for it. I have already lost my possessions,

my mind, my arms, my reputation, my wife, my
children. The glory of my exploits! Even my madness.
!
78 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1861-1=94
Etiam furorem. nemo poUuto queat

Animo mederi: morte fanandum eft fcelus.
AMPH. Perimes parentem? herc Facere ue poffim, occidam.
AMPH. Genitore coram? herc. Cernere hunc docui nefas.
AMPH. Memoranda potius omnibus faAa intuens, 1265
Unius a te criminis veniam pete.
HERC. Veniam dabit fibi ipfe, qui nulli dedit?
Laudanda feci juiTus, hoc unum meum eft.
Succurre, genilor, five te pietas movet,
Seu triftte fatum, five violatae decus 127
Virtutis: efFer arma; vincatur mea
Fortuna dextra. thes. Sunt quidem patriae preces
Satis efiicaces. fed tamen noftxo quoque
Movere fletu. furge, & adverfa impetu
Perfringe folito: nunc tuum nulli imparem 1275
Animum male refume. nunc magna tibi
Virtu te agendum eft: Herculem irafci veta.
HERC. Si vivo, feci fcelera: fi morior, tuli.
Purgare terras propero jamdudum mihi
:
Monftrum impium, fsevumque & immite, ac ferm 1280

Oberrat: agedum, dextra, conare aggredi
Ingens opus,' labore biffeno amplius.
Ignave, ceffas? fortis in pueros modo,
Pavidafque matres? arma nifi dantur mihi,
Aut omne Pindi Thracis exfcindam nemus, 1285
Bacchique lucos, & Cithseronis juga
Mecum cremabo : cum domibus fuis,
tota
Dominifque recfla,cum Deis templa omnibus
Thebana fupra corpus excilpiam meum,
Atque urbe verfa condar. &, fi fortibus 1290
Leve pondus humeris mcenia immiffa incident,
Septemque opertus non latis portis premar,
Onus omne, media parte quod mundi fedet,
Dirimitque fuperos, in meum vertam caput
during which interval I was at all events free from self-

reproach No one with his mind thus contaminated can
!
ever expect to be cured. No my crime must be healed!
by the one remedy Death

,
AMPHITRYON.
Dost thou wish to kill thy parent?
HERCULES.
Lest I might do so. I will kill myself.
AMPHITRYON.
What! before the very eyes of thy father?
HERCULES.
T have learned to know the extent of my crimes, with
my own eyes!
! ;!
AMPHITRYON.
Instead of taking heed of exploits, remembered by all
of us seek forgiveness, for the great crime done by thy
hands
HERCULES. .^
Shall I crave for pardon for myself, who have never

vouchsafed it to others? Under commands, I have done
things to be praised, but thiône deed is my own, very
own doing! Help me, Father,\whether thy affection leads
thee to do so, or my sad condition, or the honor of that
valor, which I have tarnished Bring me forth my arms
!
With my own right hand, shall my triumphant destiny

be determined by my own death!
THESEUS.
Thy father's entreaties indeed, are sufficiently touching,
but thou wilt surely be moved a little by my weeping
solicitations. Exert thyself, Hercules with thy accustom-
!

ed energy of character. Now pray resume the courage,
which thou hast always shown when confronted by every
danger now do let this great bravery, be shown by thee
;
now say to thyself: "Hercules, check thy angry feelings!"

HERCULES.
If I live^ I have committed crimes and am a criminaF^
if I put an end to my life, I shall certainly escape my

wretchedness I shall hasten to clear myself out from
this Earth
an impious monster, cruel, fierce, indomitable
monster wanders about perpetually in my person 1Come
to my aid, Oh! my right hand! endeavour that a great
work shall be accomplished, greater than any of my twelve
labors! Why, Hercules, dost thou hesitate mus cowardly?
Is thy valor only levelled against poor inoffensive chil-
dren and timid mothers ? Unless my arms be given up to
me, I will cut down to the ground every grove on the
Thracian Pindus, the groves of Bacchus, and every tree
which throws a shade on lofty Cithsron, and they shall
bum with myself, one grand conflagration! I will over-
throw the entire city of Thebes, every homestead with
its inmates, masters and families, and the Theban temples
with the Gods contained in them, and I will be buried
with the ruins pressing down on my body; and if the
city, falling on my shoulders, should prove too light a
weight, and if covered thus, I should not be sufficiently
crushed by the seven gates, I will turn down oh my head,
all the superincumbent weight which resides in that
space which sepiarates the Gods above from those in
the infernal regions!

8o SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1295-13^5
AMPH. Reddo anna. herc. Vox eft digna genitore Herculis. 1295
Hoc en peremptus fpiculo cecidit puer.
AMPH. Hoc, Juno, telum manibus emifit tuis.
HERC. Hoc nunc ego utar. AMPH. Ecce, quam miferum metu
Cor palpitat, corpufque foUicitum ferit.
HERC. Aptata arundo eft. AMPH. Ecce, jam facias (cilvLS 1300
Volens, fcienfque. pande, quid fieri jubes?
Nihil rogamus: noster in tuto eftt dolor.
Natum potes fervare tu folus mihi,
Eripere nee tu. maximum evafi metum.
Miferum hand potes me facere, felicem potes. 1305
Sic ftatue, quidquid ftatuis, ut caufam tuam
Famamque in arAo ftare & ancipiti fcias.
Aut vivis, aut occidis. banc animam levem,
Feflamque fenio, nee minus quaifam malis,
In ore primo teneo, tam tarda patri 1310
Vitam dat aliquis? non feram ulterius moram,
Letale ferro pe(5lus impreffo induam:
Hie, hie jacebit Herculis fani fcelus.
HERC. Jam parce, genitor, parce; jam revoca manum.
Succumbe, virtus, perfer imperium patris, 13 15
Eat ad labores hie quoque Herculeos labor;
Vivamus. artus alleva affliftos folo,
Thefeu, parentis: dextra contadlus pios
Scelerata refugit. AMPH. Hanc manum ampleflor libens:
Hac nixus ibo, paiftori hanc segro admovens 1320
Pellam dolores. herc. Quam locum profugus petam?
Ubi me recondam? quave tellura obruam:
Quis Tanais, aut quis Nilus, aut quis Perfica
Violentus unda Tigris, aut Rhenus ferox,
Tagufve Ibera turbidus gaza fluens, 1325
AMPHITRYON.
I surrender thee thy arms.
HERCULES.
Those words are worthy of the father of Hercules
Behold this is the one, whose deadly point killed my
1
child I
AMPHITRYON.
Nay! say rather, this was the one shot forth by thy
hands through Juno's jealous wrath.
HERCULES.
I will use, then, this very arrow!
AMPHITRYON.
Listen to me, my heart palpitates with fear and beats
tumultuously against the walls of my chest 1
!
Lines is9s-t325] HERCULES FURENS. &i
HERCULES.
The arrow is already armed and ready!
AMPHITRYON.
Listen again, I implore thee; how anxious thy face
appears to commit crime, and knowing it to be such,
tell me, why art thou so ready to do all this? I ask for
nothing My misery is past recall! Thou, alone, hast it
in thy power to preserve me, my son, therefore tear not

thyself away I have got over my worst fears, it is out of
thy power, to make me more miserable, but thou canst
give me some degree of happiness. Therefore determine
what thy intentions are, for thou must be convinced
that thy exploits and thy fame wiU rest on a slender and
equivocal foundation; thou either livest thyself or thou
slayest me! I merely hold my life, my breath within
my nostrils, this feeble vitality worn down by old age,
but not less irksome, through my misfortunes! Does a
son hesitate, whether his own father shall live or die?
I wiU bear delay no longer, and I will myself, thrust this
penetrating sword into my mortal bosom Here
1 (pointing
to his chest) shall this deed declare the crime of Hercules
restored to reason!
HERCULES.
Oh! spare me, father, spare me, withhold at once thy
threatenmg hand let me be the one to yield with all
my
valor let me bow to the will of a father! This
victory must indeed be ranked greater than any of my
former exploits! Let us all live! Theseus, raise my
father with his afflicted frame, from the ground, and the
contact of his affectionate embrace will banish all traces
of evil designs, when my right hand is joined with his!
AMPHITRYON.
I cheerfully lay hold of thy hand, I shall go forth
leaning on confidence^ and when I draw it towards my
oppressed heart, I shall be able to drive away my sorrows
HERCULES.
What place of exile shall I seek in my retreat? where
shall hide myself? or in what land shall I bury my
I
sorrows ? What Tanais, or what Nile, or what streams of
the Persian Tigris or rough Rhine, or muddy Tagus, which
flows along carrying in suspension its golden sands!
which one of those rivers can wash my hands of my
6
Abluere dextram poterit? Arftoum licet

Masotis in me gelida transfundat maxe,
Et tola Tethys per meas ciurat manns,
Hserebit allum faciuus. in quas impius
Terras recedes? Ortum, an Occafum petes? '33
Ubique notus perdidi exfilio locum.
Me refugit orbis." aftra tranfverfos agunt
Obliqua curfus: ipfe Titan Cerberum
Meliore vultu vidit. o fidum caput,
Thefeu, latebram qusere longinquam, abditam. 1335
Quoniamque femper fceleris alieni arbiter
Amas nocenteSj gratiam meritis refer
Vicemque noftris: redde me infernis, precor,
Umbris redudtum, meque fubjecftum tuis
Reftitue vinclis.ille me abfcondet locus. 1340
Sed & novit thes. Noftra te tellus manet.
ille
niic folutam caede Gradivus manum
Reftituet armis. ilia te, Alcida, vocat,
Facere iunocentes terra quse fuperos folet.
crime ? Will it be better that the cold Maeotis of Arctos,

1
should pour its waters over me, for if the entire sea
were passed over these hands, the deep disgrace would
still be there, therefore into what lands shall I, an impious
exile, vanish at last ? Shall I seek the East or the West ?
Known everywhere, I have no place left to me for my
exile. This orb avoids me. The stars themselves looking
at me, askance, and performing their circuits so as to
avoid me. Titan, himself, now regards Cerberus with a
more favorable eye! Oh my faithful confidant, Theseus,
suggest some lurking-place far, far away, for my conceal-
ment! And since, like a judge adjudicating upon the
crimes of others, thou dealest leniently towards the guilty,
(alluding to Theseus faithfully_ assisting Pirithous) award
me a good turn, which I think that I deserve at thy
hands! (alluding to his having liberated Theseus from
the rock to which he was chained.) I pray thee, conduct
me back to the Infernal Regions, and load me with
chains, with which thou wert once bound, that place
wiU serve to hide me But what am I saying now ? That
1
place already only knows me too well!
THESEUS.
My own
land remains to thee Mars shall yet restore
to thee military glory, when thou hast purged thyself of
this crime of slaughter The Earth, Alcides, invokes thee
to repair to that land (Athens) which expiates and renders
even the Gods themselves innocent! (This is said satiri-
cally about the Gods!)
THYESTES.
Lines i 17]
DRAMATIS PERSONiE.
Thyestes. Chorus Senum Mycenôrum.
Atreus. TantalusThyestisF.i Mutse
Tantalus, Alius Thyestis F. Ipersonse.
Meg^ra. Satelles, Nuntius.
P1.ISTHENES Thyestis F.
ARGUMENT UM.
Alternis annis regnandi vices padli Atreus & Thyeftes, Pelopis
ex Hippodamia filii, Argis imperabant. Thyeftes, adjuvante Aerope
fratris uxore, quam in adulterium pellexerat, aureum arietem, in
cujus poffeffione erat fatum regni, amovet, & male confcius in
exfilium abit. Atreus, evafiffe dolens, miffis fuis filiis velle fe in
gratiam redire fimulat, oblata regni parte reditum illi fuadet &
perfuadet. Tres Thyeftis liberos, quos obfides acceperat, ad aras
immolatos, partim alTos, partim elixos patri nefcienti epulandos
apponit, mixtumque vino cruorem illi praebet. fub finem nefandi
convivii (quod Sol, ne videret, refugit) capita illi & maous fili-
orum oftendit, quafque dapes abfumferit, narrat, infultans fratris
lu<tui, dolori, & imprecationibus.
ACTUS PRIMUS.
UMBRA TANTALI, MEG^RA.
Adducitur ab inferis Tantalus a Furia, cogiturque mifcere
nefaria odia ioter fuos ex Pelope nepotes
Alreum & Thyeftum.
9" 'uis me inferorum fede ab infaufta extrahit,

Avido fugaces ore captantem cibos?
Quis male Deorum Tantalo vivas domos
Oftendit iterum? pejus inventum eft fiti
Arente in undis aliquid, & pejus fame 5
Hiante femper? Sifyphi numquid lapis
Geftandus humeris lubricus noftris venit?
Aut membra celeri differens curfu rota?
Aut poena Tityi, qui fpecu vafto patens
Vifceribus atras pafcit effoffis aves; 10
Et nodle reparans, quidquid amiflt die,
Plenum recenti pabulum monftro jacet?
In quod malum tranfcribor? o quisquis nova
Supplicia fun(5lis durus umbrarum arbiter
Difponis, adde, fi quid ad pcenas potes, 15
Quod ipfe cuftos carceris diri horreat.
Quod moeftus Acheron paveat, ad cujus metum
[Lines i 17
( DRAMATIS PERSONS.
Thyestes. Chorus of Old Men of
Atreus. Mycen^.
Tantalus. Tantalus, and another
Meg^ra. Son of Thyestes, silent
Plisthenes, Son, or members.
Thyestes. Guard, Messenger.
ARGUMENT.
Atreus and Thyestes, the sons of Pelops by Hippodamia,
governed their kingdom, every other year, having
agreed to rule by turns. Thyestes, with the assist-
tance of his brother's wife, Aerope, whom he enticed
to commit adultery, makes away with the golden ram.
The fate of the Kingdom hanging on the possession
thereof, and conscious of his guilt, he goes away into
exile. Atreus, angry that he should have thus escaped
his vengeance, pretends that he will restore him to
favor, if he wiU send his sons as hostages ; he persuades
him to return and offers him his share of the kingdom
again, and he persists in this persuasion. He has the
three sons received as hostages sacrificed, and serves
them up as a feast, part of them roasted, and part
boiled, to the unsuspecting parents, and Atreus handsi
Thyestes wine mixed with their blood. Towards the
end of the feast (from which Phcebus has fled, lest he
should witness it) Atreus shows him the heads and
hands of his sons, and tells him that they were the
feast of which he had partaken, jeering at his brother's
disgust, grief and curses.
ACT I.
THE GHOSr OF TANTALUS -MEG.^RA.

Tantalus is brought from Hell by the Fury (Megasra), and
he is compelled to foster the wicked enmity between
his grandsons, Atreus and Thyestes, and the sons of
Pelops.
tantalus.
WHO has drawn me forth from

in Tartarus, where my
my
miserable abode
food was snatched away,
as it neared my
hungry mouth ? which of the Gods
has spitefully summoned Tantalus to see the abodes of
the living again? Has any new punishment been dis-
Nos quoque tremamus. quaere: jam noftra fubit I
E ftirpe turba, quae fuum vincat genus,

Ac me innocentem faciat, & inaufa audeat. 20
Regione quidquid impia ceffat loci,
Complebo. nunquam ftante Pelopeia domo
Minos vacabit. MEG. Perge, deteftabilis
Umbra, & penateis impios furiis age.
Certetur omni fcelere, & altema vice 25
Stringantur enfes. ne fit irarum modus,
Pudorve. mentes caecus inftiget furor.
Rabies parentum duret, & longum nefas
Eat in nepotes. nee vacet cuiquara vetus
Odiffe crimen, femper oriatur novum, 30
Nee unum in uno: dumque punitur scelus,
Crefcat. fuperbis fratribus regna excidant,
Repetantque profugos: dubia violentae domus
Fortuna reges inter incertos labet.
Mifer ex potente fiat, ex mifero potens; 35
Flu<5luque regnumcafus affiduo ferat.
Ob fcelera pulG, dum dabit patriam Deus,
In fcelera redeant; fmtque tam invifi omnibus,
Quam fibi. nihil fit, ira quod vetitum putet.
Fratrem expavefcat frater, & natum parens, 40
Natufque patrem: liberi pereant male;
Pejus tamen nafcantur: immineat viro
l^nfefta conjux. bella trans pontum vehant:
-Eflfufus omnes irriget terras cruor;
'Supraque magnos gentium exfultet duces 45
Libido viftrix. impia ftuprum in domo
Leviffimum fit. fratris & fas, & fides,
covered more horrible than dying with burning thirst?

and with water, too, around me, and within my reach, or
worse even than insatiable hunger with nothing to
appease its pangs. I wonder whether the slippery stone
of Sisyphus is intended to be worn on my shoulders, or
the wheel of Ixion to whirl my limbs round and round
with its rapid motion or does the punishment of Tityus
;
await me, whose lot it was, to provide food, a-s he lay

exf)osed m
a huge cave, for the horrible birds of prey,
which pecked away at_ his entrails, and only to make up
at night what he lost in the day, and he lies there, only
waiting to afford a full repast for some fresh arrival, some
bird of prey To what fresh torment am I to be handed
!
over? Ohl Whatever relentless judge thou art, who

dispensest the laws of the Manes why layest thou aside
;
the old punishments already undergone to impose fresh

ones? And if thou canst, add to my punishment what
Lines i8_47] THYESTES. 87
the guardian of the most cruel prison would quail to

think ofj at what tristful Acheron would even tremble, at
the fear of whom all we unfortunate Manes are wont to
wince again Seek for some thing
I 1Now, forsooth, there
starts up a tribe springing from my race, which makes
me to feel like an innocent individual in comparison,
and a race that has the audacity to do things that I
could never have conceived (in my most vivid imagina-
tion). Whatever place presents itself in the regions of the
condemned, I will fill up the vacancy. Minos, the judge of
Hell, will never be without employment so long as the
race of Pelops lasts.
MEG. Come on, thou despicable Ghost, and stir up this

criminal abode, with the yery rage of the Furies ; let them
engage in strife, with every venomous determination, and
let the sword be perpetually at work with one, or the
other ; let there be no bounds to their animosity, and the
blindest rage inflame their hearts. Let the mad wrath
of the parents continue and let it descend for ever to
their distant offspring, and lest ancient crimes should lose
their stinging remembrances, and become more endurable,
let a fresh one crop up, but not one only, but one
doubled in its severity 1And whilst their crimes are
being punished, let matters get worse, and let the king-
dom fall from the hands of the proud brothers, only to
be reclaimed by them, as exiles and rivals I The douDtfi4'
chances of a divided and belligerent dynasty will oscillate
between the bewildered kings, and thus a miserable man,
may become a man of power, and a man of power reduced
to misery, and he who holds the kingdom will be con-
stantly harassed by event following event, as it were in

a continuous flow driven away on account of their crimes,
let them return to a land, of crimes, so long as the Gods
vouchsafe to them a country to live in, and let them be,
if possible, as hateful to themselves as they are to others
let there be nothing which their rage may seek to
deem themselves forbidden to do. Let brother intimidate

brother parent, son and son, parent and let their chil-

dren perish a miserable death! Let children be born
under worse conditions, incestuous parentage! (Brothers-
in-law, sisters-in-law, mother and son, father and daughter!)
Let an enraged wife be a source of danger to a husband,
and that she may, through such a cause, lead on to wars
beyond the seas, (Agamemnon and Menelaus, sent to
recaptvu-e Helen,) and that blood shall be made to irrigate
every land! Let triumphant lust be made to triumph
over illustrious chiefs, (Chryseis and Cassandra,) who
yield to its power. Let adultery be but a very trivial
Jufqueomne pereat. non fit a veftris malis

Immune coelum. cum micant ftellas polo,
Flammseque fervant debitum mundo decus; S
Nox atra fiat, excidat ccelo dies.
Mifce penateis: odia, csedes, funeia
Arceffe, & imple Tantalo totam domum.
Ometur altum columen, &
lauro fores
Lsetas virefcant; dignus adventu tuo 55
Splendescat ignis. Thraciam fiat nefas
Majore numero. dextra cur patrui vacat?
Nondum Thyeftes liberos deflet fuos?
Ecquando toilet ignibus jam fubditis
Spumante aheno? membra per partes eant 60
Difcerpta: patrios poUuat fanguis focos:
Epulae inftruantur, non novi fceleris tibi
Conviva venies; liberum dedimus diem,
Tuamque ad iftas folvimus menfas famem.
Jejunia exple. mixtus in Bacchum cruor 65
Spectante te potetur. inveni dapes,
Quas ipfe fugeres. Sifte. quo prseceps ruis?
TANT. Ad ftagna, & amnes, & recedentes aquas,
Labrifque ab ipfis arboris plenas fugas,
Abire in atrum carceris liceat mei 70
Cubile: liceat, fi parum videor mifer,
Mutare ripas: alveo medius tuo
Phlegethon relinquar, igneo cindlus freto.
Quicunque pcenas lege fatorum datas
rati juberis: quifquis exefo jaces 75
iPavidus fub antro, jamque venturi times
Montis ruinam: quifquis avidorum feros
Ri(5lus leonum, & dira Furiarum agmina
Implicitus horres: quisquis immilTas faces.
Semiuftus abigis, Tantali vocem excipe 80
Properantis ad vos: credite experto mihi,
Amate poenas, quando continget mibi
Effiigere fuperos? MEG. Ante perturba domum.
consideration with them in their wicked palace Let the

I
binding confidence between brothers, every friendship,

every trust and all that is holy and sacred amongst

kindred be trampled on defied! And let heaven itself
claim no immunity from the effects of thy crimes Why
1
do the stars shine in the heavens? why does their light

continue its task of giving ornament to the world? As a
matter of right? Nol let night be rendered as black as
possible, let no dayhght emanate from the heavens Let !
us throw the household Gods into disorder; bring about

enmities, slaughters, deaths! Let the entire palace be
filled with and reveal the presence of Tantalus! Let
Lines 48-83] THYESTES. 89
lofty pillars be embellished, axid let the joyous portals be

laden and made verdant with the laurel. Let there be
a blaze of illuminations, worthy of celebrating the arrival I
Let the Thracian tragedy, one victim be acted over again

but on a larger scale! (Three victims.) Why should an
Uncle claim the privilege of withholding his co-operation?
Does not Thyestes bewail his sons yet? Why does he
hang back so long? The flames already beneath the
caldron, are fetching up the foam! Let the separated
limbs break up into pieces 1 Their blood shall defile the
paternal hearth 1 The feast will now be prepared, nor
wilt thou arrive to witness a scene of, crime, to which

thou canst be any stranger thou shalt have a day set
apart for thy special enjoyment, and thou shalt thoroughly
satisfy thy hungry cravings, with the viands prepared at
thy meals fill then thy empty interior, and blood mixed
with wine, shall be quaffed in thy very presence ; I have
arranged this feast, and pray, why dost thou refuse to
partake of it? Stop, please; whither art thou rushing so
hurriedly?
TANT. Back to the stagnant pools, tlie noisome rivers,

the ebbing streams, back to the trees laden with firuit which
recedes from iny lips, as soon as it is approached; it is
surely permissible for me to return to the sombre resting,
place of my quondam prison! Then, if I am only,
rendered a little less miserable thereby, let the river be'
transferred to other banks more trying! Oh Phlegethon!
let me be thrown into the middle of thy streams, flowing
with fiery waves! and thou, whatsoever thou art, who art
commanded by the inexorable decrees of Fate to undergo

punishment awarded whoever crouches panic-stricken
in a cave rotten with destroying time ; dost thou already
dread the fall of the mountain which threatens to come
down upon thee with a crash; whoever there is that
dreads the savage roarings of the lion, and, entangled,
shrinks before the scourging whips of the assemoled
Furies, whoever, half-bum^ flies from the vengeful torches,
as they are dealt forth in rapid succession: listen to the
words of Tantalus, who is fast hastening to join thee;
believe in me, an experienced sufferer, and learn to
appreciate thy punishments, with a thankful spirit. Ah!
I wonder when my luck will arrive to escape from these
regions above!
MEG. Before we discuss other matters, put the palace into

thorough confusion, and bring the heralds of coming war
with thee, and the disasters connected with the sword, in
'
90 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 84^1
Inferque tecum proslia, & ferri malum

Regibus amorem: concute iufano ferum 85
PeSus tumultu. TANT. Me pati poenas decet,
Nou efle poenam: mittor, ut dirus vapor
Tellure rupta, vel gravem populis luem
Sparfura peftis, ducam in horrendum nefas
Avus nepotes. Magna Divorum parens, 9
Nofterque, quamvis pudeat; ingenti licet
Taxata poena lingua crucietur loquax;
Nee hoc tacebo: moneo, ne facra manus
Violate csede, neve furiali malo
Afpergite aras. ftabo, & arcebo fcelus. 95
Quid ora terres verbere, & tortos ferox
Minaris angues? quid famem infixam intimis
Agitus medullis? flagrant incenfum fiti
Cor, & peruftis flamma vifceribus micat
Sequor. 100
MEG. Hunc, o, furorem divide in totam domum.
& fuum infenfi invicem
Sic, fic ferantur,
Sitiantcruorem: fenfit introitus tuos
Domus, & nefando tota contadtu horruit.
A(flum eft abunde. gradere ad infernos fpecus, 105
Amnemque notum: jam tuum mceftae pedem
Terrae gravantur. cernis, ut fontes liquor
Introrfus adlus linquat; ut ripse vacent;
Ventufque raras igneus nubes ferat?
Pallefcit omnis arbor, ac nudus ftetit no
Fugiente pomo ramus; & qui fludlibus
mine propinquis Ifthmos atque illinc fremit,
Vicina gracili dividens terra vada,
Longe remotos latus exaudit fonos.
Jam Lema retro ceffit, & Phoronides 115
Latuere venae: nee fuas profert facer
Alpheos undas, & Cithaeronis juga
Stant parte nulla cana depofita nive,
Timentque veterem nobiles Argi fitim.
En ipfe Titan dubitat, an jubeat fequi, 120
Cogatque habenis ire periturum diem.
which kings do so delight, and perplex their truculent

minds with the wildest and most tumultuous passions!
TANT. It is my especial province to suffer punishment,

and not promote myself to inflict it upon others. I am sum-
moned then, that a pestilential vapor should issue forth
for the opening of the earth, created by myexit, or as
a plague to diffuse its deadly contagion amongst mankind!
And that I, as a grandfather, shallTie the means of urging
my grandchildren to perpetrate the most horrible wickect
nessT Oh 1Great parent of the Gods although, 1 blush
I
;!
to declare my paternity, is it necessary that my tongue,

already visited with a great punishment for my past
loquacity be further doomed to silence? I shall not,
however, be silent over' this matter. I shall conjure my
grandsons not to violate the sacred altars, with their
ands reeking with slaughter, and not to besprinkle them
with the blood of their victims, under the evil instigation
of the wicked furies (addressing Megsera); I shall be in
attendance and will stop this sanguinary work why dost
thou attempt to frighten me with thy scourging whips and
savagely threaten me with thy wriggling serpents? Why
dost thou revive the hunger already searching out the
very marrow of my bones? Why
increase the thirst,
which now burns up my inside, and the flames that play
about my scorched entrails ? after all I suppose I shall
have to comply! I comply then!
MEG. The fury that now possesses thee, spread it over the
entire palace, for as thou thirstest for water so let others
be brought into a similar craving condition, and so raging
with thirst, that they shall crave for each other's blood,
out of very hatred The palace already has been aware
!
of thy approach, and completely shudders at thy wicked

proximity! Everything is abundantly provided for, go
now to thy infernal cave, and the river thou knowest so
well, already the sad Earth is oppressed with thy footsteps
Dost thou not see, how the very streams return to their
springs, so that the river-banks are forsaken? and now a
fiery wind bears onward the dried-up clouds, every tree
frows pale (loses its verdancy) and tnere stands with its
ranches denuded of the fruit, which falls off, and the
Isthmus (Corinth) which keeps up a constant roaring
here and there with the near waves of the two seas,
which it divides with its narrow strip of land, now only
listens to the far-off waves, from the waters, .that have
receded from its banks Now the sources of the Lerna
!
are dried upj and the streams of Inachus (Phoronides)

have quite disappeared. Nor does the sacred Alpheus
pour forth its waters any more And the summits of
Cithseron present no white anywhere, the snow having
disappeared, and the noble people of Argos fear a return
of the drought with which they were afflicted once before
and Titan himself is in doubt whether he shall command
the day to follow in due course, or whether he shall keep
back die horses of the sun, tightly reined, and not to
enter upon another day which he fancies, he will not be
able to carry through!
: :
92 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1.^-153
CHORUS.
Chorus ex fenibus Mycenaeis vel Argivis conftans (Argos enim
cum Mycenis confundunt poetae) Deos urbium in Peloponnefo
praafides, ut mala & fcelera in domo Pelopis concepta
& imminentia prohibeant avertantque, precatur. &
Tantali impium facinus ac pcenam canit.
/\e
LRGOS de Superis
fi quis .\chaicum,
Pifseifque domos
curribus inclitas:
Ifthmi fi quis amat regna Corinthii,
Et portus geminos, & mare diffidens: 125
Si quis Taygeti confpicuas nives,
Quas, cum Sarmaticus tempore frigido
In fummis Boreas compofuit jugis,
vEftas veliferis folvit Etefiis:
Quem tangit gelido flumine lucidus 130
Alpheos, ftadio notus Olympico
Advertat placidum numen, & arceat
Alternas fcelerum, ne redeant, vices;
Neu fuccedat avo deterior nepos;
Et major placeat culpa minoribus. 135
Tandem laffa feros exuat impetus
Ricci progenies impia Tantali.
Peccatum fatis eft. fas valuit nihil,
Aut commune nefas. proditus occidit
Deceptor domini Myrtilus,' & fide 140
Veftus, qua tulerat, nobile reddidit
Mutato pelagus nomine, notior
Nulla eft loniis fabula navibus.
Exceptus gladio parvulus impio
Dum currit patrium natus ad ofculum, 145
Immatura focis vidima
concidit:
Divifufque tua eft, Tantale, dextera,
Menfas ut ftrueres hofpitibus Deis
Hos aetema fames profequitur cibos,
Hos setemi fitis: nee dapibus feris 150
Decemi potuit poena decentior.
vacuo gutture Tantalus,
Stat lufus
Impendet capiti plurima noxio
CHORUS.
The Chorus, consisting of the old men of Mycens and
Argos, (tor the poets often confounded Argos with
Mycenae) invokes the presiding deities of the cities
in Peloponnesus, that they will prevent and avert
the wickedness and crimes, that are hatching in the
Palace of Pelops, and which are now imminent, and
chants of the impious crimes of Tantalus.
Lines I22-IS3J THYESTES. 93
any deity, amongst the gods above, who

tutelar
IFcherishes any affectionate regard for Achaean Argos,
or if the noble race of Pisa, who celebrate the Olympian
Games with their emulating chariots; if there be any,
who look with favor on the Corinthian Isthmus, with its
double harbours, and the two seas which it separates ; if
any admiring tutelar god, who sees from afar, the magni-
ficent snows mantling the summits of Taygetus, which the
Scythian Boreas has furnished during the winter season,
and which the ensuing summer's sun melts, and renders
the path easy for navigators with their sailing ships, as
the Etesian winds spring up. (These periodical north-east
winds were always continuous, like our trade winds.) Is
there a Deity whom the bright Alpheus with its cooUng
streams claims as a friendly protector, the place, too, so
noted for its race-course and Olympian Games! look
down, oh that kind deity, and interpose, lest such crimes,
!
as have already been committed aforetime, should be

repeated !

let not a grandson succeed to the throne poss-
ibly worse than his grandfather, nor that greater cnmes
may suit the incUnations of the younger successors! At
length, may the impious progeny of thirsting Tantalus,
wearied out, abandon their ferocious violence; enough
crime has already been committed the law, hitherto of
no avail, has been trampled on, and all the ordinary
offences of mankind have been wickedly surpassed 1 And
Myrtilus, the treacherous betrayer of his master, fell
betrayed like that master, and was carried off with the
same treacherous intentions, which he had manifested
towards GEnomaus, and being thrown into the sea by
Pelops, rendered that sea famous, its name being changed
from its former one. (Pelops having thrown him into the
sea, instead of. carrying out his promise, that he should
be a sharer in the favors of Hippodamia.) No legend is
better known to the Ionian mariners, than this. Thy
own litde offspring, Pelops, fell by thy impious sword,
oh! thou, Tantalus! just as he was merrily tripping along
to receive a father's caress, that tender victim died at the
altar, and was carved up by thy own hand, that thou
might (with his flesh) supply the feast, which thou servedst
up for the Gods, whom thou invitedst as thy guests (To 1
test the divinity of the Gods, but they all abstained,

except Ceres!) Eternal hunger awaited thee, after this
meal and eternal thirst, as the part price of this repast!
Nor could a more worthy punishment have been decreed
in token of such a diabolical feast! Tantalus continues
to be baffled in his vain efforts, to satisfy his empty
throat JVEany a tempting prize hangs over his sickly head,
!
more fugitive than the Phinasan vultures! Here and

Phiueis avibus praeda fugacior:

Hiuc illinc gravidis frondibus incubat '55
Et curvata fuis foetibus, ac tremens
AUudit patulis arbor hiatibus:
Haec, quamvis avidus, neq patiens morae,
Deceptus toties tangere negligit,
Obliquatque oculos, oraque comprimit, 160
Inclufifque famem dentibus alligat:
Sed tunc divitias omne nemus fuas
Demittit propius, pomaque defuper
Infultant foliis mitia languidis,
Acceuduntque famem, quae jubet in-itas 165
Exercere manus: has ubi protulit,
Et falli libuit, totus in arduum
Antumnus rapitur, filvaque mobilis.
Inftat deinde fitis non levior fame;
Qua cum percaluit fanguis, & igneis 170
Exarfit facibus, flat mifer obvios
Flu(tus ore vocans, quos profugus latex
Avertit, fterili deficiens vado,
Conantemque fequi, deferit. hie bibit
Altum de rapido gurgite pulverem. 175
ACTUS SECUNDUS.
ATREUS, SATELLES.
Atreus, ulcifcendi fratrem certus, de vindiftas ratione cum Satellite
deliberat, quem honefta confulentem non audit, impiam
tandem & infandam ultionis rationem excogitat.
ATR. Xgnave, iners, enervis, & (quod maximum

Probrum tyranno rebus in fummis reor)
Inulte, poft tot fcelera, poll fratris dolos
Fafque omne ruptum, queftibus vanis agis
Iratus Atreus? fremere jam totus tuis 180
Debebat annis orbis, & geminum mai-e
Utrinque claffes agere: jam flammis agros
Lucere & urbes decuit; ac ilridlum undique
Micare ferrum. tota fub noftro fonet
Argolica tellus equite: non filvae tegant 1 85
there a tree droops downwards, with its heavily laden

boughs, bending again with the weight of its fruit, and
swaying to and fro, plays' the part of tempter with its
patulous openings Although hungry and impatient of
delay, he fails to reach them, being disappointed as often
as he makes the attempt he averts his eyes, and closes
!
Lines 154-183} THYESTES. 95
his mouth, trying to stifle his hunger, by closing his teeth,

by shutting it in, as it were But then every grove lowers
!
its rich and luscious fruit (wealth)^ nearer and nearer,

and the ripe apples leap about friskily above his head
surrounded by the leaves languidly yielding to their
capers, and they excite his hunger more and more and
this urges him to make futile efforts to seize them with
his hands, that ,when he has held these forth in vain, he
seems reconciled to such frequent disappointments, and
the entire autumn during which this fruitless task is
exacted, passes away, and with it, disappears the grace-
fulness of the groves and now comes a tnirst, not hghter
:
to be borne than the hunger already endured, thirst which

when the blood grows hotter, burns him up, as it were
with an inward fire; he stands then miserably invoking
the streams to approach his parched up mouth, but which
the receding river diverts, leaving nouiing but its empty
bed, whenever he attempts to get near it, and he swallows
merely the sand, which lies at the bottom of the rapid
stream
ACT II.
ATREUS THE GUARD.

Atreus consults with his guard, having determined to
wreak his revenge on his brother, as to the best
mode of carrying out his vengeance, to whom,
however, he will not listen, as the guard advises him
only to do what is right, and at length he decides
on an impious and horrible plan of executing such
revenge.
ATREUS.
sluggish, aimless, pusillanimous soul of mine (and

OH,what I suppose to be most contemptible in a king,
the consummation of every other shortcoming),
unrevenged, after so much wickedness, after the treach-
ery of a brother, and every law hiiman and divine
trampled upon why dost thou, Atreus, exercise thy angry
1
spirit with vain and meaningless complaints? But me

whole of Argos ought at this moment to be resounding
with the din of thy arms, and every warship muster
and be afloat in the two seas; by this time, it might be
expected, too, that the fields and cities were blazing with
the conflagrations thou hast set up, and the drawn sword
flashing on all sides; all the Argolic ,land shpuld be
;
96 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 186-^9
Hoftem, nee altis montium ftruilse jugis

Arces. reliftis bellicum totus canat
Populis Mycenis. quifquis invifum caput
Tegit ac tuerur, clade funefta occidat.
Hasc ipfa pollens incliti Pelopis domus 19
Ruat vel in me, dummodo in fratrem mat.
Age, anime, fac, quod nulla pofteritas probet;
Sed nulla taceat. aliquod audendum eft nefas
Atrox, cruentum; tale, quod frater meus
Sunm effe mallet, fcelera non ulcifceris, 19S
Nili vincis. &
quid effe tam fasvum poteft,
Quod fuperet ilium? numquid abjeftus jacet?
Numquid fecundis patitur in rebus modum,
Feffis quietem? novi ego ingenium viri
Indocile: flefti non poteft, frangi poteft. 200
Proin antequam fe firmet, aut vires paret,
Petatur ultro; ne quiefcentem petat.
Ant perdet, aut peribit. in medio eft fcelus
Pofitum occupanti. sat. Fama te populi nihil
Adverfa terret? atr. Maximum hoc regni bonum eft, 205
Quod fafla domini cogitur populus fui
Tam ferre, quam laudare. sat. Quos cogit metus
Laudare, eofdem reddit inimicos metus.
At qui favoris gloriam veri petit,
Animo magis, quam voce, laudaii volet. 210
ATR. Laus vera & humili fsepe continglt viro:
Non nifi poteoti falfa. quod nolunt, velint.
SAT. Rex velit honefta; nemo non eadem volet.
ATR. Ubicunque tantum honefta dorainanti licent,
Precario regnatur. SAT. Ubi non est pudor, 215
Nee cura juris, fan(5litas, pietas, fides
Inftabile regnum eft. atr. .Sanclitas, pietas fides,
Privata bona funt: qua juvat, reges eant.
SAT. Nefas nocere vel malo fratri puta.
sounding arain with the stamping hoofs of thy cavalry.

Let not the forests afford a retreat for the enemy, or fortifi-
cations constructed on the lofty summits of mountains
leaving Mycenae behind, let all my subjects sound the
trumpet of war. Whosoever has protected or countenanced
this nateful brother of mine, the powerful following of
the illustrious dynasty of Pelops^ shall slay with merciful
slaughter Let every living man rush upon me, even
1
provided he serves my brother in a similar manner 1
Come, soul of mine Do what no posterity would hail

I
as proper but what in sooth, they may never forget-

1
Some atrocious bloody deed must be done, which my

brother would rather be done by himself against me, but
it is impossible thoroughly to revenge wickedness unless
thou surpassest it in degree but lo what savage deed, in
I 1

fact,can be done which could daunt that man's atrocity?

I wonder whether he is a man that will die away quietly,
whether he is the sort of man to bear prosperity in a
reasonable frame of mind, or whether he can show
calmness in adversity? I have always detected in him, a
certain indomitableness of character-, he is a man not
to be bent! he must be broken therefore, before he
I
has time to gather up his strength or prepare for oppo-

sition, he must be sought out at once, lest indeed he
should seek to find me in a state of unpreparedness
Either he will kill me or he will perish by my hand,
the crime is so finely balanced between us, that he will
win, who is the foremost in its perpetration!

GU. Surely no murmurings no false rumours amongst
thy subjects is disturbing thy peace of mind.
ATR. The chief charm of a kingdom amounts to this,

that the subjects of the master are compelled rather to
do the bidding of their ruler than to be called upon,
necessarily to applaud their deeds!
GU. The fear which compels others to praise thee only

makes such fear more hostile (in its character), but he
who seeks the glory arising out of genuine applause,
must be willing to be lauded in spirit, rather than in
vocal demonstrativeness.
ATR. Genuine praise often falls to the lot of a humble

man false flattery is a
; tribute paid only to the powerful.
The law with kings is, the people must be willing to do
what they do not regard with satisfaction.
GU. When a king wishes for nothing but what is just,

no one desires anything more.
ATR. Wherever honesty is the only thing looked for in

a king, such a king's sceptre is in a very precarious state.
GU. Where there is no moderation, no regard for the

laws' probity, no religion, and no confidence, such a king-
dom rests on a most unstable foundation.
ATR. Religion, probity, good faith are the attributes of

their private possessors kings say, do and command just
as they think proper.
GU. It is not right to injure anybody, nor right even

to dream of such a thing, where a brother is concerned.
98 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines ^=0-254
ATE. Fas est in illo, quidquid in fratre eft nefas. 220

Quid enim reliquit crimine intaftum? aut ubi
Sceleri pepercit? conjugem ftupro abftulit, ,
Regnumque furto: fpecimen antiquum imperii

Fraude eft adeptus; fraude turbavit domum.
Eft Pelopis altis nobile in ftabilus pecus, 225
Arcanus aries, ducSlor opulenti gregis;
Cujus per omne corpus efFufo coma
Dependet auro; cujus e tergo novi
Aurata reges fceptra Tantalici gerunt;
Poffeffor hujus regnat: hunc cunctse domus Z30
Fortuna fequitur. tuta fepofita facer
In pane carpit prata, quae claudit lapis,
Fatale faxeo pafcuum muro tegens;
Hunc, facinus ingens aufus, alTumta in fcelus
Conforte noftri perfidus thalami avehit: 235
Hinc omne cladis mutuae fluxit malum.
Per regna trepidus exful erravi mea:
Pars nulla generis tula ab infidiis vacat.
Corrupta conjux, imperii quafla eft fides,
Domus asgra, dubius fanguis: eft certi nihil, 240
Nifi frater hoftis. quid ftupes? tandem incipe,
Animoque fume Tantalum, & Pelopem afpice:
Ad hsec manus exempla pofcuntur meae.
Profare, dirum qua caput macflem via.
SAT. Ferro peremtus fpiritum iniraicum exfpuat. 245
ATR. De fine pcense loqueris, ego poenam volo.
Perimat tyrannus lenis. in regno meo
Mors impetratur. SAT. Nulla te pietas movet?
ATR. Excede, pietas; (fi modo noftra in domo
Unquam fuifti) dira Furiarum cohors, 250
Difcorfque Erinnys veniat, & geminas faces
Megsera quatiens, non fatis magno meum
Ardet furore pe<Sus: impleri juvat
Majore monftro. sat. Quid novi rabidus ftruis?
ATR. Whatsoever has been unlawful in my brother to-

wards me, is only justice on my part to recrimmate. What
has he left to be done, but what is already stamped with
the seal of crime ? or when has he spared crime ? He has
robbed me of my, wife by his adultery, and stolen my
kingdom (into the bargain). He has fraudulently possess-
ed nimself of the traditional emblem of oirr dynasty,
and he has brought about endless disaster upon our
royal house There is in the royal mews of Pelops, a
1
noble wool-bearing animal, a mysterious Ram, the bell-

wether of an illustrious flock, whose dense fleece hangs
down over its entire body, and profusely loaded wim
gold, and from whose back the wool is taken, which
adorns the golden sceptre, which every newly-appointed
:
Lines 220254] THYESTES. gg
king of the house of Tantalus dons, when he ascends

the throne. The possessor of this valuable heir-loom is
the man who rules the kingdom; the destinies of the
house, therefore, are indissolubly connected with it.
This sacred animal, therefore, in a spot set apart for that
object, is allowed to browse without molestation in a
soft meadow, which a stone wall shuts in, protecting with
its stony defence, the feeding ground of this golden
ram, which directs the fate of the kingdom. My brother
has been so daring, in his unparalleled wickedness, that
he has perfidiously carried it away, my wife being acces-
sory to this deed, as well as being a partner in ms guilt,
that of fouling my marriage bed Hence, every misfor-
!
tune which has befallen me has been intermingled with

the results of this terrible blow. Throughout my own
kingdom, I have tramped as a trembling outcast! Not
a smgle part of that kingdom, claims exemption from
the traces of her insidious treatment! With a dishonor-
ed wife, the strength of my authority crushed, my
lineage impaired, my very offspring of doubtful paternity
is there
can there be anything of which 1 can now be
certain, except that it is the hostility of Thyestes ? Why,
then, Atreus, why shouldst thou hesitate as to what thou
shouldst do ? Begin at once, inoculate thy mind with some
of the temper of Tantalus, and seek out Pelops as a
fitting model for thy operations, they are properly requi-
sitioned (in thy case). But say, Atreus, how wilt thou
immolate that dreadful monster?
GU. I suppose, thou meanest, that his death by the
sword will be the only means of effectually rooting out
finally and for ever his hostile spirit towards thyself
ATR. Thou
wishest to speak of the mode of his punish-
ment death. I wish to discuss the punishment itself,
which I shall carry out. It is only a meek sort of king,
who merely kills in njry kingdom, simple death is a luxury
sought after!
GU. Does no piety rule thy heart?
ATR. Get away with thee Religion indeed If thou
! !
hast never been in our house, thou shalt enter now The !
dreadful troop of Furies harsh Erinnys will be there,

and Megsera, shaking in her hand torches, doubled on my
account. My breast does not sufiSciently burn with the
great rage within me, it would please me to be filled
with greater monstrosities!
GU. What new idea does thy infuriated mind present
to thy thoughts?
loo SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines .ss-^85
ATR. Nil quod capiat affueti modum. _

^55
Nullum relinquam facinus; & nullum eft fatis.
SAT. Ferrum? atr. Parum eft. sat. Quid ignis? atr. Etiamnum
parum eft.
SAT. Quonam ergo telo tantus utetar dotor?
ATR. Ipfo Thyefte. sat. Majus hoc ira eft malum.
atr. Fateor. tumuUus peflora attonitus quatit, 260
Penitufque volvit: rapior, & quo nefcio;
Sed rapior. imo mugit e fundo folum;
Tcnat dies ferenus; ac totis domus
Ut fradla leftis crepuit; & moti lares
Vertere vultum: fiat hoc, fiat nefas, 265
Quod, Dii, timetis. sat. Facere quid tandem paras?
atr. Nefcio quid animus majus, & folito amplius,
Supraque fines moris humani tumet,
Inftatque pigris manibus: haud, quid fit, fcio:
Sed grande quiddam eft ita fit; hoc, anime, occupa. 170
Dignum eft Thyefte facinus, & dignum Atreo.
Uterque faciat. vidit infandas domus
Odryfia menfas. fateor; immane eft fcelus,
Sed occupatum: majus hoc aliquid dolor
Inveniet. animum Daulis infpira parens, 275
Sororque. caufa eft fimilis. affifte, & manum
Impelle noftram: liberos avidus pater
Gaudenfque laceret, & fuos artus edat.
Bene eft. abunde eft. hie placet poenae modus
Tantifper. ubinam eft? tam diu cur innocens 280
Verfatur Atreus? tota jam ante oculos meos
Imago csedis errat; ingefta orbitas
la ora patris. anime, quid rurfus times?
Et ante rem fubfidis? audendum eft, age:
Quod eft in ifto fcelere prascipuum nefas, 285
ATR. Nothing, which takes the shape of ordinary

hatred, I will leave no crime out of my calculations, and
not one appears sufficient for me.
GU. There's the sword, thou knowest, the fashionable

weapon 1
ATR. That is a miserable contrivance.
GU. What instrument of destruction, therefore, will thy

anger allow thee to employ?
ATR. Thyestes ! Himself!

GU. But that crime, would even be greater than any
mere outburst of fury.
ATR. I confess thus much but the most unaccountable

:
tumults convulse my soul, and reverse the very spirit

Lines =5S-=85l THYESTES. lOI
within me I am carried away, I know not whither, but

I am led on irresistibly The very earth seems to groan
I
from its lowest depths, and although the day is serene

enough, yet thunder is heard in the skies, and my very
abode cracks and creaks, as if its roof were broken down,
and about to tumble upon me, and my very household
gods in an excited state, turn away their looks from me;
but let my determination be carried out let it, if it be
a crime, be duly executed! What! Oh ye gods above 1
Are ye scared at my resolves?

Gu. What then art thou ready to do, after all?
ATR. I know not exactly, what impels my mind with

surging thoughts so much and so much more than ordinarily,
beyond the bounds of all human ideas, but here I am,
with my hands slow to movel I know not, how it will
succeed, but so far as I have dwelt upon it, it appears to
me a magnificent conception. Come, I shall think it over
studiously, the crime of Thyestes is really deserving of it,
and it does credit to the mind of Atreus. Thus each of
us will perform a part. The palace of the Thracian King
hpjs been the scene of serving up, aforetime, a most
repulsive repast1 I acknowledge frankly it is a most
rascally deed, but it has been done before by others!
liut, nevertheless, my resentment must discover something
yet more severe. Let me be inspired with resolution, as
.in emulous imitator of that Daulian prototype Progne
(of Tereus memory), and may that sister Philomela assist
me and encourage my project, as our cause is very
'
similar. (Atreus is seeking to imitate and to look up to

Daulis, as a child would to a parent, and personifies
"Daulis" as a parent!) A hungry father shall with a
smiling face cut up into dainty morsels, his own children,
and partake of them at his repast! This is well! This
is a brilliant conception For the present, then, this mode
!
of punishing Thyestes, suits me exactly! But where am

I? But why does Atreus hesitate in his mind without
promptly carrying out his designs? The entire picture
of this contemplated carnage already flits across my
vision! I can see in my mind's eye, the very children
of whom he has been deprived, being devoured by their
own father! O! for this resolution of mine. Why do I
shrink back again from my task, and actually hang fire
before the matter is taken in hand? Let me take courage
then, the thing must be set about! And Thyestes himself
will carry out, what will be the most abominable part of
this criminal drama (eating his own offspring). What a
parade of wholesale childlessness to exhibit before the
eyes of a bereaved parent!
:
102 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Unas ^.86-319
Hoc ipfe faciei. SAT. Sed quibus captus dolis,

Noftros dabit perductus in laqueos pedem?
Inimica credit cuniflia. atr. Non poterat capi,
Nifi capere vellet. regna nunc fperat mea:
Hac fpe minanti fulmen occurret Jovi 29
Hac fpe fubibit gurgitis tumidi minas;
Dubiumque Lybycas Syrtis intrabit fretum;
Hac fpe, quod effe maximum retur malum,
Fratrem videbit. SAT. Quis fidem pacis dabit?
Cui tanta credet? atr. Credula eft fpes improlia. 295
Natis tamen mandata, quae patruo ferant,
Dabimus: reliftis exful hospitiis vagus
Regno ut miferias mutet, atque Argos regat
Ex parte dominus, fi nimis durus preces
Spemet Thyeftes; liberos ejus rudes, 3
Malifque feifos gravibus, & faciles capi,
Prsecommovebunt. hinc vetus regni furor,
mine egeftas triftis, hinc dorus labor,
Quamvis rigentem tot malis fubigent virum.
sat. Jam tempus illi fecit serumnas leves. 3S
ATR. Erras: malorum fenfus accrefcit die.
Leve miferias ferre, perferre eft grave.
eft
SAT. Alios miniftros confilii triftis lege:
Pejora juvenes facile prsecepta audiunt:
In patre facient, quidquid in patruo doces. 3 -o
Saape in magiftrum fcelera redierunt fua.
ATR. Ut nemo doceat fraudis & fceleris vias,
Regnum docebit. ne mali finant, times ?
Nafcuntur iflud. quod vocas fasvum, afperum. ;
Agique dire credis, & nimium impie, 315

Fortaffe & iUic agitur. SAT. Hanc fraudem fcient
Nati parari? ATR. Tacita tam rudibus fides i
Noa eft in annis^ detegent forfan doles.

Tacere multis difcitur vitas malis.
GU. But by what devices is he to be entrapped?

How willhe be brought to wend his approach into our
toils? He will view everything with distrust!
ATR.'Tis true, he cannot be allured, unless he is willing
to be allured to serve his own purpose; but now, thou
knowest, he hopes to gain my kingdom from me, and
he is buoyed up with this desire. He would face the
threatening lightning of Jove himself, urged on by such
a hope, he would brave the perils of the Libyan Syrtes,
or still further, what he would regard otherwise as the
direst of all earthly misfortunes, he would actually face
me, his brother!
\ GU. Who will convey to him the flag of truce ? Whom
will he trust, who promises such unlikely things?
! !
Lines =,86-319] THYESTES. 103
ATR. Wicked hope is generally credulous however, we :
wiU send a message, by my sons, which they shall convey

to their uncle, to mquire whether he would not change his
present condition of an outcast, wandering from his own
kingdom, and from the miseries of his deserted home,
and reign as ruler in part over Argos. If Thyestes him-
self obdurately spurns their entreaties, these representa-
tions will encourage his clownish sons, worn out by their
grievous sufferings, and they will be more easy to be
cajoled Whereupon, his insane desire to rule again will
!
prevail over everything, for there must be, where he is,

sad privation and hence great distress, although these
latteralone would suffice to tame down an ordinary
mind unhardened by so much wickedness!
GU. Time surely has enabled him to bear his troubles

with some sort of resignation
ATR _
Thou_ art mistaken, he feels his sufferings increas-
ing daily; it is easy, I admit, to bear misery, but to have
to look forward to nothing. else, is much worse!
GU. Do select other instruments for this woeful project,
than thy own sons: young people give too ready an ear
to worse counsels probably: they may act as regards thee,
their father, just in the same way as thou art mstructing
them to act towards an uncle, so often is it that one's
evil deeds recoil upon the authors thereof!
ATR. When any one

is unable to understand the 'ins'
and 'outs'of frauds and crimes, he that rules can very
soon enlighten him. Dost thou feel alarmed lest men
should be made wicked ? Nonsense It is born in them I ! !

know what thou thinkest of me that I am cruel, harsh,
and desirous that everything should savor of severity,
and this dor 3, sometimes, with too little reverence for the
gods ; but th chances are that at this very moment Thyestes
;
IS getting r > some plot against me

GU. W' 1 not thy sons soon detect that thy plan is
nothing t Jt a fraud ; besides thou canst not expect, at their
tender age, that any secret will be undivulged; perhaps
they might pretend that they were not being deceived. 'To
learn the full value of silence is only learned, sometimes,
after fighting with evils and misfortunes arising out of the
too free use of the tongue and canst thou really suppose
!
that thou canst hoodwink those whom thou simply

employest to deceive others ? Whether they do not often
act quite opposite to thy views, as regards being wilful
accomplices m
thy crimes, and thy guilt!
SAT. Ipfofne, per quos fallere alium cogitas, 320

Falles, ut ipfi crimine &
culpa vacent?
ATR. Quid enim eft neceffe liberos fceleri meo
Inferere? per nos odia fe noftra explicent.
Male agis, recedis, anime: fi parcis tuis,
Farces & illi: confili Agamemnon mei 325
Sciens miuifter fiat, & patri fciens
Menelaus adfit. prolis incertse fides
Ex hoc petatur fcelere. bella abnuunt,
Et gerere nolunt odia; fi patnium vocant;
Pater eft. eatur. multa fed trepidus folet 330
Detegere vultus; magna nolentem quoque
Confilia produnt: nefciant, quantae rei
Fiant miniftri. noftra tu cospta occule.
SAT. Haud fum monendus. ifta noftro in peftore
Fides timorque, fed magis claudet fides. 335
CHORUS.
A diffidiis fratrum, qui ad tempus minas componunt, fumpta
bccafione, Chorus regum ambitionem taxat, quis vera
rex fit docet, vitam denique latentem collaudat.
TX ANDEM regia nobilis,

A
Antiqui genus. Inachi,
Fratrum compofuit minas.
Quis vos exagitat furor,
Alternis dare fanguiuem, 340
Et fceptrum fcelere aggi-edi?
Nefcitis cupidi arcium,
Regnum quo jaceat loco.
Regem non faciunt opes,
Non veftis Tyrse color, 345
Non frontis nota regis,
Non auro nitidse fores.
Rex eft, qui pofuit metus,
Et diri mala pedloris:
Quem non ambitio impotens, 350
Et nunquam ftabilis favor
Vulgi prsecipitis movet.
Non quidquid fodit Occidens;
Aut unda Tagus aurea
ATR. Why is it even necessary to mix up my children

with this wickedness? Cannot my hatred work out its ends
through my own agency? Thou art playing me false,
soul of mine, thou art flinching if thou sparest thy child-
ren, thou art sparing thyself! And Agamemnon shall
know of, and be an instrument in, my scheme, and Mene-
Lines 3^0-354] THYESTES. 105
laus too, shall be at his father's commands and be made

acquainted with my project Out of all this proposed
1
combination of wickedness too, any notion of mine re-

specting the uncertainty of their birth (as to legitimacy)
will be cleared up if they refuse to advocate war, and
:
are wiUing to endorse and carry out my hatred if they ;
speak of me as "Uncle"; then Thyestes is their father!

Let us go on, but a troubled countenance is apt to be-
tray the secrets of the mind, and will lay bare any un-
willingness, they may entertain to join in the execution
of projects of such importance Let them therefore be
!
in ignorance of the nature of the enterprise, in which they

will be co-operators, and let me conceal my real inten-
tions !
GU. This advice superfluous to me, as thou must be

is
aware. Thou knowest that thou possessest my fidelity
and my only apprehensions are entirely as regards thy
interests! But my fidehty, above all, will suffice to bury
thy secrets in my innermost bosom!
CHORUS.
An opportunity is taken advantage of, and is drawn from
t)iefeud, between the brothers, who keep down their
anger_ for a time; when the Chorus reproves the
arobition of rulers, and points out what a true king
should be, and lastly sings in praise of the amenities
of a retired life.
AT length the noble house of Inachus, that ancient

lineage, has seen the rancorous feud of the brothers
calmed down; what fury agitates thy breasts, that
thou shouldst have carried on such mutual carnage,
merely to gain a sceptre, wading to it in crime! Thou
art ignorant. Thou who art greedy of attaining power,
of what does a kingdom really consist? Riches do not con-
stitute a king, nor gaudy vestments dyed with Tyrian
hues, nor the blazing crown on a royal head, nor gor-
geous ceilings (of a palace) shining with their rich gilding.
That man, though, is a king, who assuages all those fears
(and suspicions) so common with rulers, and drives forth
from his mind all his own evil passions, whom weak
ambition faUs to inflate, and whom the unreliable applause
of the unthinking herd does not affect he who covets
not what is due out of the mines of the Hesperian West,
or what the golden waters of the Tagus yield from its
:
Claro devehit alveo: 355

Non quidquid Libycis terit
Fervens area meffibus.
Quem non concutiet cadens
Obliqui via fulminis:
Non Eui-us rapiens mare; 3
Aut fevo rabidus freto
Ventofi tumor Adrise:
Quem non lancea iliilitis,
Non ftri(5lus domuit chalybs
Qui tuto pofitus loco, 305
Infra fe videt omnia:
Occurritque fuo libens
Fato: nee queritar mori.
Reges conveniant licet,
Qui fparfos agilant Dahas; 37
Qui rubri vada litoris,
Et gemmis mare lucidum
Late fanguineum tenent:
Aut qui Cafpia fortibus
Recludunt juga Sarmatis. 375
Certet, Danubii vadum
Audet qui pedes ingredi;
At quocunque loco jacent
Seres vellere nobiles;
Mens regnum bona poffidet. 3^
Nil uUis opus' eft equis;
Nil armis, & inertibus
Tells, quae procul ingerit
Parthus, cum fimulat fugas:
Admotis nihil est opus 35
Urbes fternere machinis,
Longe faxa rotantibus.
Rex eft, qui metuit niliil.
Rex eft, qui cupiet nihil.
Hoc regnum fibi quifque dat. 39
Stet,quicunque volet, potens
Aulse culmine lubvico:
Me dulcis faturet quies.
Obfcuro pofitus loco,
Leni perfniar otio. 395
Nullis nota Quiritibus
^tas per tacitum fluat
Sic cum tranfierint mei
NuUo cum ftrepitu dies,
Plebeius moriar fenex. 400
niimors gravis incubat.
Qui netus nimis omnibus,
Ignotus moritur fibi.
!
auriferous sands, and who covets not all the abundarit

grain of the Libyan harvests, threshed out on the heated
floors (made warm by the continued trampling of the
oxen used for that purpose). That man, whom a passing
flash of lightning, seen at a distance, would not drive out
of his wits, nor the sea disturbed by easterly gales, nor
the swelling waves which suddenly break form in the
dangerous straits of the stormy Adriatic. Whom the
lance of the furious soldier, nor the drawn sword has
not held in pusillanimous subjection; who, placed on a
secure throne, watches everything beneath him with seren-
ity and willingly bows to his lot, nor needs not to desire
death (as a relief to his earthly troubles.) Let kings
1
join themselves in vain against such a man !Those who

lead the wandering Daci, those who hold in subjection,

the borders of the Red Sea, and the sea in many places
looking red, as it were with bright gems ; nor those upon
the Caspian mountain ridges, at the approach of the
brave Sarmatians, and may they contend against him,
who with intrepid steps advance upon the glassy Danube
(frozen) and wherever the Seres are found, renowned for
their particular thread (silk) they bring from that far-off"
country Aking, with a proper mmd and disposition holds

his kingdom securely there is no need of armed horse-
menno need of the sword, and the darts, which the
Parthian shoots fortli at a distance, whilst he is pretend-
ing flight. No need! of battering rams to lay cities in
rums, nor for machines being employed in rolling on-
wards enormous rocks He is a king, who fears nothing
1
he is a king who desires nothing unjustly; and this is

the sort of royalty, which he bestows upon himself! Any
man, who likes, can reign, powerful often, with a totter-
ing roof to his palace 1 May sweet tranquillity satisfy us,
and pitched in some obscure nook let us enjoy thoroughly
our luxurious ease! Let our lives glide along silently,
our very existence not known to the Quirites (Citizens),
so that when our days have passed away, undisturbed by
the cairking cares of life, we shall die, like any other old
individuals, ignored and uncared for ! Death lies heavily
on the man, who dies unknown by himself, but too much
known by the rest of mankind
io8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 404-433
ACTUS TERTIUS.
THYESTES, PLISTHENES,
J^?T"E\"l?ir^MM-perW.
Thyefti fratre Atreo per filios Atrei revocato, redeuntique in
patriam, non fine diffidentia ac mente malum prsefa-
gientej revertendi fiduciam addunt filii fui.
THY. V^ptaTa patriae te(51;a, & Argolicas opes,

Miferifque fummum ac maximum exfulibus bonum, 405
Tadtum & patrios Deos
foli natalis,
(Si funt tamen Dii) cemo; Cyclopum facras
TurreSj labore majus humano decus,
Celebrata juveni ftadia, per quae nobilis
Palmam paterno non femel curru tuli 410
Occurret Argos, populus occurret frequens;
Sed nempe & Atreus. repete filveftres fugas,
Saltufque denfos potius, & mixtam feris
Similemque vitam, clarus hie regoi nitor
Fulgore non eft quod oculos falfo auferat. 415
Cum quod datur fpedlabis, & dantem afpice.
Modo inter ilia, quae putant cunfti afpera.
Fortis fui, Isetufque: nunc contra in metus.
Revolver: anjmus haeret, ac retro cupit
Corpus referre: moveo nolentem gradum. ^20
PUST. Pigro (quid hoc eft.') genitor inceffu ftupet,
Vultumque verfat, feque in incerto tenet.
THY. Quid, anime, pendes? quidve confilium diu
Tam facile torques? rebus incertiffimis,
Fratri atque regno credis.' ac metuis mala 425
Jam jam manfueta? & asrumnas fugis
vidla,
Bene collocatas? effe jam miferum juvat.
Refle(le greiTum, dum licet, teque eripe.
PLIST. Quas caufa cogit, genitor, a patria gradum
Referre vifa.' cur bonis tantis finum 430
Subducis.' ira frater abjecfta redit;
Partemque regni reddit: & lacerte domus
Componit aitus, teque reftiluit tibi.
ACT III.
THYESTES-PLISTHENES.
TANTALUS, (the younger), and the I Mute
third brother. \ Personages.
Thyestes being recalled by his brother Atreus, through
his sons, returns to his country, not, however, with-
out distrust, and a mind foreshadowing disaster his
sons are tendered as hostages, that he will so return.
! !
Lines 404433] THYES'].'.:>l:i. I09
THYESTES.
OH ! welcome
wealthy Argos! at
my
native land, and oh
habitations of
you again, and what
last, I see
is the greatest and most deeply felt boon to a
miserable exile, I feel the contact of my natal soil, and
the Gods of my Fathers, (if any are gods at the present
time) the sacred towers of the Cyclopes glorious struc-
tures, which never could have been built by ordinary
human agency. The when I
race-course so celebrated
was young, on which I have more than once honorably
earned the palm of victory in the paternal cliariot All !
Argos will be out to meet me, and the crowding populace

will rush to see me, but Atreus will be with them! Ah!
let me seek the woods again, which serve at least as a
or the dense forests of the wild beasts! It is
retreat,
not splendour of a kingdom, that can entirely
this dazzling
blink my vision as to the falseness of its brightness,
when I look around, at what is given to me, and when
I behold the donor! I have usually had a courageous
heart, and I have felt joyful to a great degree, even when
mixed up with many things, that every one else would
regard as rough in the extreme. Now, quite the contrary,
my mind is m
a whirl of dread, and my very soul re-
coils, and I wish to take myself back again! I even
move along with an unwilling step!
PLis. What is this, father mine, thou art faltering with

thy gait feeble, withal! Thou shiftest thy face about
perplexedly, and seemest quite distrustful of thyself!
THY. Oh! My soul! Why am I wavering? Why should

I torture myself so long, about a matter which is simple?
But yet, can I place any confidence in matters teeming
with uncertainties,my brother and the kingdom? Do I
still which are already overcome, am I already
fear evils,
tamed down ? And shall I fly from troubles, which have
been removed. Does it not suit my inclination to be
miserable now? Let me turn back my steps, whilst I
can snatch myself away . !
What reason, father mine, compels thee to turn

PLIS.
back from thy country only just visited again? Why
dost thou withdraw thy heart aside? thou art returning
as a brother, and receiving a part of the kingdom and
to set in order the distracting elements of the djmasty.
and thy brother gives thee to thyself again, so to speak
:
no SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 434-47
THY. Caufam timoris, ipfe quam ignoro, exigis.

Nihil timendum video; fed timeo tamen. 435
Placet ire: pigris membra fed genubus labant,
Alioque, quam quo nitor, abducftus feror.
.Sic concitatam remige & velo ratem
ftus, refiftens remigi & velo, refert.
PLIST. Evince, quidquid obftat, & mentem impedit; 440
Reducemque quanta praemia exfpeftent, vide.
Pater, potes regnare. THY. Cum
poffim mori?
PLIST. Summa eft poteftas. thy. Nulla, fi cupias nihil.
PLIST. Natis relinques. THY. Non capit regnum duos.
PLIST. Mifer effe mavult, effe qui felix poteft? 445
THY. Mihi crede, falfis magna nominibus placent.
Fruftra timentur dura, dum excelfus fteti,
Nunquam pavere deftiti, atque ipfum mei
Ferrum timere lateris. o, quantum bonum eft,
Obftare nuUi! capere fecuras dapes 450
Humi jacentem! fcelera non intrant cafas,
Tutufque menfa capitur angufta cibus.
Venenum in auro bibitur. expertus loquov,
Malam bonse prseferre fortunam licet.
Non vertice alti montis impofitam domum, 455
Et eminentem civitas' humilis tremit;
Nee fulget altis fplendidum teftis ebur;
Somnofque non defendit excubitor meos:
Non claffibus pifcamer, & retro mare
Jafla fugamus mole; non ventrem improbum 460
Alimus tributo gentium; nuUus mihi
Ultra Getas metatur &Parthos ager
Non thure colimur; nee mese, exclufo love,
Omantur arse: nulla culminibus meis
Impofita nutat filva; nee fumant manu 465
Succenfa multa ftagna: nee fomno dies,
Bacchoque nox jungenda pervigili datur.
Sed non fimemur. tuta fine telo eft domus;
Rebufque parvis alta prseftatur quies.
Immane regnum eft, pofle fine regno pati. 470
THY. Thou askest me the cause of my dread, which I

myself cannot explain. I see nothing to fear, but yet I have
my apprehensions, at all events, I should like to go My
whole body seems to give way with my tottering knees,
and I am literally being dragged away, to another place,
from that, which I am striving to reach, just in fact, as the
adverse tide drives back the craft urged on by the rower
and the sails, and resists the combined efforts of both.
PUS. Overcome whatever troubles thy mind or hinders
thy resolution, thou readily seest, what ample reward will
crown thy expectations, now that thou hast come back.
Oh! Father! thou canst well afford to reign.
Lines 434-470] THYESTES. Ill
THY. Yesl When I am on the death-roll!
PLis. Thy power, as a king, will.be omnipotent.
THY. None at all to one, to whom it is a matter of in-

difference.
PLIS. Thou canst transmit it to thy sons.
THY. A throne only requires one occupant.
PLIS. He who thinks he cannot be happy, would prefer

to be wretched then, dost thou mean?
THY. Rely on me, grand things only tickle the imagination

under the assumed proportions of imposingness poverty,
after all, is not so distressing as it is represented ; when I

sat on the throne, I was in a perpetual state of dread, and
feared that a sword was continually about to enter side, my
Oh what a desirable thing it is, to be able to take things
!

as they come for a man to enjoy his food in security, even
when lying on the ground Great crimes do not usually
!
abound in the humble cot, and one's food is appreciated,

and although served on a small table, there is security with
it. Poison is drunk out of the golden goblet I speak from 1
experience, it is a more acceptable choice, to prefer an

indifferent lot before a favorable one uncertain in its
duration. The humble low-lying hamlet, exists in much
greater serenity than the denizens of a mansion, with all
Its majesty erected on the summit of some lofty mountain I
Neither does the chaste ivory shine on the lofty ceilings

for me, nor does a watchful sentry mount guard, to protect
me during my slumber! I do not use entire fleets, for
the purpose of catching fish, nor do I endeavour to keep
the sea back, by constructing piers, or driving enormous
piles. I do not fill my voracious stomach at the expense
of the people. No land is at my disposal beyond what
the Getae and Parthians make use of. I am not wor-
shipped with incense, nor are my altars adorned, and
Jupiter disregarded! No forest trees are planted on my
elevated terraces, waving to and fro; nor many dried
up lakes, set on fire with great labor by the hand of man 1
I do not give up my entire day to sleep, nor are my

nights spent in protracted Bacchanalian carousals! But
I am, nevertheless, free from inquietude, my house is
safe without defensive weapons, and quiet of the most
desirable kind extends to all the smaller details of my
life !To be able to bear life contentedly without a king-
dom, represents to my mind a kingdom vast indeed!
112 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lin 47^-495
PLIST.Nec abnuendum eft, fi dat imperium Deus.

THY. Nec appetendum. plist. Frater, ut regnes, rogat. .
THY. Rogat? timendum eft. errat hie aliquis dolus.

PLIST. Redire pietas, unde fubmota eft, folet:
Reparatque vires juftus amiffas amor 475
THY. Amat Thyeften frater? ffithereas prius
Perfundet Arcftos pontus; & Siculi rapax
Confiftet aeftus unda, & lonio feges
Matura pelago furget; & lucem dabit
Nox atra terris ante cum ftammis aquae,
: 480
Cum morte vita, cum mari ventus iidem
Fcedufque jungent. PLIST. Quam tamen fraudum times .^
THY. Omnem. timori quem meo ftatuam modum?

Tantum poteft, quantum odit. PLIST. In te quid poteft.'
THY. Pro me nihil jam metuo: vos facitis mihi 485
Atrea timendum. plist. Decipi captus times?
Serum eft cavendi tempus in mediis malis.
THY. Eatur: uaum genitor hoc teftor tamen,
Ego vos fequor, non duco. plist. Refpiciet Deus
Bene cogitata. perge non dubio gradu. 490
ATREUS, THYESTES,
TANTALUS F. & , ,,,
^"'^
,
P^':ion?e.
TERTIUS frater }
Tacite fibi applaudit Atreus irretitum fiati-em, cui obviam procedit,

& fimulata in gratiam reditione eum circumvenit.
P
ATR. jL lagis tenetur clufa difpofitis fera.
Et ipfum, & una generis invifi indolem
Junftam parent! cerno. jam tuto in loco
Verfantur odia: venit in noftras manus
Tandem Thyeftes; venit, & totus quidem.
495
PLis. But we should not decline to accept it, if a deity

bestows it on us.
THY. Nor does it become us, to hanker after it.
PLIS. Thy brother invites thee to reign.
THY. But why does he so ask? that is the very reason

I fear, some snare is mixed up with this!
PLIS. Fraternal love often returns when it

has only
disappeared for a time, and an affection of this natural
character soon makes up for former defection.
!
Lin 471-495] THYESTES. 113
THY. Will Atreus ever love Thyestes again ? I think it

is more likely that the Polar stars will swoop down from
the heavens and hide themselves in the broad ocean-
depths, or that the impetuous waters of the Sicilian straits
should calm down suddenly, or the growing corn to ripen,
submerged in the Ionian seas. One would rather expect
to see sombre Nox, lighting up the Earth, instead of
Phoebus, or to see water mixing kindly with fire. Life
itself fraternizing, amicably, cheek by jowl, with bitter
Mors, or for the winds to enter into some anomalous
arrangement, and treaty of peace, with the ocean waves 1
PLis. What fraud, then, dost thou fear?
THY. Every fear, in fact; what bounds can I set on my

fear? As great as is his power, so is his hatred of me I
PLIS. What can he do to thee?
THY. For myself I entertain no fears; thou art the

object of my fears as regards Atreus
PUS. Dost thou fear being taken prisoner? It is some-

what slow work, to begin to fear mischief only when
danger is far advanced.
THY. Let things take their course, let us go! At least,

my son, pledge
I my confidence in this idea, by saying, I
follow thee, but I am not leading thee to this business!
PLIS. May the Gods bless thee for having decided so

considerately. Come on, father mine, and advance with
the step of confidence.
ATREUS THYESTES-PLISTHENES,
TANTALUS, SON,
and the } Mute personages.
THIRD BROTHER.
ATREUS.
LIKE some wild beast, Thyestes is at last in my power,

entangled by the toils that have been laid for his
capture; and as I behold him, side by side, with,
his hateful offspring, I detect the look of the parent clearly
reproduced in the physiognomies of the sons. Now my
revenge must be planned in a safe manner; at last,
Thyestes has fallen into my hands, and not only does he
8
Vix tempero animo, vix dolor frenos capit.

Sic, cum feras veftigat, & loDgo fagax
Loro tenetur Umber, ac preffo vias
Scrutator ore; dum procul lento fuem
Odore fentit, paret, & tacito locum 5
Roftro pererrat: praeda cum propior fuit,
Cervice tota pugnat, & gemitu vocat

Dominum morantem, feque retlnenti eripit.
Cum fanguinem, nefcit tegi.

fpirat ira
Tamen tegatur. afpice, ut multo gravis 55
Squallore vultus obruat mceftos coma:
Quam faeda jaceat barba. praeftatur fides.
Fratrem juvat videre: complexus mihi
Redde expetitos. quidquid iraram fuit,
Tranfierit. ex hoc fanguis ac pietas die 5^
Colantur: animis odia damnata excidant.
THY. Diluere poffem cuii<fta, nifi talis fores.
Sed fateor, Atreu, fateor, admifi omnia
Quae credidifti. peffimam caufam meam
Hodierna pielas fecit, eft prorfus nocens, 515
Quicunque vifus tam bono fratri eft nocens.
Lacrimis agendum eft: fupplicem primus vides.
Hae te precantur pedibus intadlae manus.
Ponatur omnis ira, & ex animo tumor
Erafus abeat: obfides fidei accipe 5^
Hos innocentes. atr. Frater, a genubus manus
Aufer, meofque potius amplexus pete.
Vos quoque, fenum praefidia, tot juvenes, meo
Pendete collo, fquallidam veftem exue,
Oculifque noilris parce, & omatus cape 5^5
Pares meis; laetufque fratemi imperii
Capeffe partem, major haec laus eft mea,
Fratri patemum reddere iacolumi decus.
Habere regnum, cafus eft: virtus, dare.
THY. Dii paria, frater, pretia pro tantis tibi 53
Meritis rependant. regiam capitis notam
appear, but his sons too, a regular family party I can 1
scarcely preserve my equanimity, and it is with great

difl&culty, that I can keep my anger in subjugation Tiist I
as when the blood-hoimd is on the track, and is then

being held in by a leather strap, at the same time that
he is following up that track, with his nose pressing the
ground, and is obedient, whilst he is detecting the boar's
whereabout with a feeble scent at a distance only, and
wanders here, wanders there silently; but when his quarry
draws nearer, he strains away at the collar, and sets up
a loud bark, as if he would remind his master of his
being kept back, and forthwith breaks away from the
hand that held himl So when an angry man has made
! ;
Lines 496-531] THYESTES. IlS
up his mind
to spill the blood of an enemy, he knows
not how
to dissemble his intentions, but, however, in my
particular case, they must be efTectually concealed 1
(Aside.) Behold Thyestesl how his locks covered with

dirt, hide up that woeful countenance of his how hideous
too, his beard appears! (Approaching.) Let our mutual
oaths, Thyestes, be respected. It delights me to see thee,
brother mine. Come, give me the long desired embrace
whatsoever ill-feeling has existed between us, henceforth
let bye-ônes be bye-gones From this day forth, let the
1
love of kindred and bonds of fraternal friendship be for

ever cultivated by both of us. Let any lingering ill-will
be dismissed from our minds, as too odious to be coun-
tenanced.
THY. I could explain away ever5rthing satisfactorily, even

ifthou didst not meet me in the kind spirit thou art now
showing. But I do confess, Atreus, I must confess the
truth of everything thou hast given me credit for. This
day's noble conduct on thy part, has only aggravated my

offences in my own eyes That man would be hopelessly
bad, who could feel anything but amicably, towards a
brother who has evinced towards me so much consider-
ation-I really cannot refrain from shedding tears First 1
thou must regard me as thy suppliant, and with these

hands I now embrace thee on bended knees, knees that
have never genuflexed to mortal man before Let all

traces of animosity be rooted out let all uprisings of
anger be kindled for ever; here, Atreus, receive these
sons of mine as hostages of my good faith and sincerity!
ATR. Brother mine, remove thy hands from my knees,

seek rather the brotherly embrace; and you, so many
youths (addressing the sons) as the natural guardians of
our advancing years, hang down with your arms round my
neck! Remove thy squalid apparel, Thyestes, and spare
me the pain of beholding them' any more, and put on
these, they are identical with those I am wearing myself,
and take likewise as a joyful pleasure to me, half of the
kingdom with them! The preponderance of glory in this
matter is certainly in my favorj the honor, indeed, of
restoring a kingdom to a brother who has returned to
me in safety, from cruel exile. To hold a kingdom is a
matter of chance, but to give one, an act of virtue
THY. Oh may the Gods reward thee with similar bene-

fits, my brother to those which thou art now so lavishly
oh ! !
showering down upon me, but do let my present squalor

decline to exchange itself for that diadem, with which
ii6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [i.ines 53^-561
Squallpr recufat nofter, & fceptrum manus

Infaufta refugit, liceat in media mihi
Latere turba. atr. Recipit hoc regnum duos.
THY. Meum effe credo, quidquid eft, frater, tuum. 535
ATR. Quis influentis dona fortunae abnuit?
THY. Expertus eft quicunque, quam facile effluant.
ANR. Fratrem potiri gloria ingenti vetas?
THY. Tua jam perafta gloria eft, reftat mea.
Refpuere certum eft regna confilium mihi. 540
ATR. Meam relinquam, nifi tuam partem accipis.
THY. Accipio. regni nomen impofiti feram:
Sed jura & arma fervient mecum tibi.
ATR. Impofita capiti vincla venerando gere.
Ego deftinatas viiflimas Superis dabo. 545
CHORUS.
Inferviens acftui prascedenti Chorus Atrei collaudat pietatem,
quae fimultates & diflidia fratrum compofuit, non
fecus ac ferenitas tempeftatem fecuta.
c. ^REDAT hoc quifquam? ferus ille &

Nee potens mentis, tniculentus Atreus,
acer.
Fratris afpedlu ftupefailus hsefit.

Nulla vis major pietate vera eft.
Jurgia extemis inimica durant, 550
Quos amor verus tenuit, tenebit,
Ira cum magnis agitata caufis
Gratiam rupit, cecinitque bellum;
Cum leves frenis fonuere turmas,
Fulfit hinc illinc agitatus enfis;
555
Quem movet crebro furibundus i(5lu
Sanguinem Mavors cupiens recentemj
Opprimit ferrum, manibufque juncftis
Ducit ad pacem pietas negantes.
Otium tanto fubitum e tumultu 560
Quis Deus fecit? modo per Mycenas
thou art now proposing to dignify my head, and permit

these unlucky hands of mine to be excused the task of
carrying the sceptre! Let me rather go and hide myself
away, amongst the busy crowd of mankind 1
ATR. The kingdom is large enough for two.
THY. What brother! am I to be made to believe that

to be mine which I know so well to be thine?
ATR. Why dost thou refuse the gifts of Fortune as

they come to thee?
Lines s3=-5i] THYESTES. 117
THY. Whoever has had any experiences in such matters,

must know how easily they may be lost to one!
ATR. Dost thou stand in my way then, brother mine,

of gaining for myself great glory ?
THY. Thy glory has already been acquired, it is mine

that is waiting to be arrived at; but my own resolution
is made up namely, to refuse the crown!
ATR. I will give mine up altogether, unless thou wilt
accept a share.
THY. I agree, I will bear the title of king, which thou

hast granted me, but thou shalt have authority over my
subjects, my armies and myself
ATR. Place on thy venerable head the diadem which

awaits to be placed there I will offer to the Gods the
victims, which I have promised them!
CHORUS.
The Chorus is entering into the spirit of the preceding
act, praises the fraternal affection of Atreus, which
has put aside the hatred and differences between the
brothers, in much such a way as the calm which
follows the storm, serves to illustrate.
WHO credit it? Here is Atreus, that fierce,

would
relentless man, actually loses his presence
cruel,
of mind, and appears perfectly dazed at the sight
of his brother! Nothing, after all, is stronger than the
affection arising out of blood-relationship whilst feuds
carried on by those who are aliens in blood, only grow
more inveterate by time ! When anger brought about by
grievous events, caused the rupture between these brothers,
the cry of war was heard When the skirmishing light
!
horsemen were on the move, amidst much champing of

bits ; here, there, everywhere, the naked sword flashed as
it was flourished about, by ardent warriors, whom fierce
Mars urges on, as with repeated onslaught, the rival com-
batants seek out for fresh slaughter. At length fraternal
aflfection puts aside the sword of revenge, and draws
them together with their hands clasped in friendship, once
hostile! Now reconciled! What propitious Deity has
brought about such tranquillity out of so much disquiet?
Only quite lately the sound of arms was rife through-
out Mycenae, in the beat of civil war Pale, distracted
: ;
ii8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 562-608
Arma civilis crepuere belli.

Pallidse natos tenuere matres;
Uxor annate timuit marito,
Cum manum invitus fequeretur enfis, 565
Sordibus pacis vitio quietae.
Hie labentes renovare muros;
Hie fitu quaflas ftabilire turres;
FeiTeis portas cohibere clauftris
Hie certabat; pavidufque pinnis 570
Anxise noftis vigil incubabat.
Pejor eft bello tlmor ipfe belli.
Jam mins faevi cecidere ferri;
Jam filet mm-mur grave clafficorum;
Jam tacet ftridor litui ftrepentis; 575
Alta pax urbi recovata Isetas eft.
Sic ubi ex alto tumuere flucflus,
Brutium Coro feriente pontum,
Scylla pulfatis reibnat cavemis,
Ac mare in portu timuere nautae, 580
Quod rapax hauftum revomit Chary bdis;
Et ferus Cyclops metuit parentem
Rupe ferventis refidens in ^tuse,
Ne fuperfufis violetur undis
Ignis aetemis refonans caminis; 585
Et putat mergi fua poiTe pauper
Regne Laertes, Ithaca tremente.
Si fuae ventis cecidere vires,
Mitius ftagno pelagus recumbit;
Alta quae navis timuit fecare 550
Hinc & hinc fufis fpatiofa velis,
Strata ludenti patuere cymb*
Et vacat merfos numerare pifces;
Hie ubi ingenti modo fub proeella
Cyelades pontum timuere motas. 595
Nulla fors longa eft: dolor ae voluptas
Invicem cedunt. brevior voluptas.
Ima permiitat levis hora fummis.
Hie, qui donat diadema fronti,
Quem genu nixse treihuere gentes, 600
Cujus ad nutum pofuere bella
Medus, & Phoebi propioris Indus,
Et Dase Parthis equilem minati
Anxius fceptrum tenet, & moventes
Cunfta divinat metuitque cafus 605
Mobiles rerum, dubiumque tempus.
Vos, quibus re(51:or maris atque terrae
Jus dedit magnum neeis atque vitae,
mothers pressed their babes to their bosoms wives went

in fear for the fate of their husbands, armed for the fray,
whilst the sword was held by a regretful hand, (and
!
which before being taken up) had become rusty from

long disuse in the preceding times of peace Now, the
1
whilom warrior, on one side, seeks to repair the ruined

city; now the warrior of the opposite faction is busy in
rehabilitating the shattered towers, and who quite lately,
endeavoured to fortify his portals with iron bars, and
in a state of trepidation, behind the niched battlements,
as the sentinel watched during the anxious hours of night
Thus the fear of war is sometimes more terrifying 3ian
the actual battle. Now the terrors of the sword have passed
away, and the sound of the shrill war trumpet is silenced,
and profound peace is restored to the rejoicing city of
Mycenas ! So where the North- West wind blows violently
over the sea of Apulia, the waves swell up from the
lowest depths, and Scylla emits a roaring response, as
they beat in upon the caverns, and the seafarers dread
the seas in their very ports, which the angry Charybdis

receives and ejects again with terrible force and the
fierce Cyclops who inhabits the mountains of ^tna,
dreads his parent's approach (Neptune) lest his forges,
the fire with its noisy wrath, in those everlasting flames
should be extinguished by the seas pouring down upon
them; and Laertes, of mean resources, every moment
thinks that his little kingdom, will be swallowed by the
watery element; whilst Itfiaca trembles, too, lest the vio-
lence of the sea should overcome its powers of resistance,
whilst the waters surrounding it rest as quiet as a mill-
pond at ordinary times; in the main seas, whose waves
the vessel fears to cut through, with its sails set, the
smaller boats sail about playfully, when the sea has
calmed down, and it is possible to count the very fish
swimming about here, where not long ago, the Cyclades
tremblingly feared the sea, when a terrific storm, a storm
of unusual violence, raged around them! No condition
of matter rests long in the same state; even pain and
pleasure visit us by turns, inconstant. Fortune changes
the venue from the most lofty situation and substitutes
one very much lower. He that graces his head with the
diadem, and before whom, the peoples tremble on bended
knees, at whose nod the Mede lays down his arms, and
the Indian, a nearer neighbour of Phoebus, (more easterly)
and the Daci terrified at the Parthian horsemen, with
anxious fear that the king holds the sceptre, and he fore-
shadows all things, and learns to dread the shifting and
capricious tides of precarious Fortune and the uncertainty
with which they arrive. Thou, therefore, to whom the
ruler of the sea and earth has given the power of decid-
ing life or death, hide away thy proud and inflated air;
whatever an inferior fears at thy hands, thy superior,
I20 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 609-637
Ponite inRatos tumidofque vultus:

Quidquid a vobis minor extimefcit. 610
Major hoc vobis dotoinus minatur. .
Omne fub regno graviore regnum eft.

Quem dies vidit veniens fuperbum,
Hunc dies vidit fugiens jacentem.
Nemo confidat nimium fecundis; 615
Nemo defperet meliora lapfis.
Mifcet hsec illis, prohibetque Clotho
Stare fortunam. rotat omne fatuii.
Nemo tamen Divos babuit faventeis,
Craftinum ut poffit fibi polliceri. 620
Res Deus noftras celeri citatas
Turbine verfat.
ACTUS QUARTUS.
NUNTIUS, CHORUS.
Crudele Atrei facinus & epulas nefandas, in quibus apponebantur
Thyeftae fui liberi, digna, quae ex oculis fpedlatorum fublata
intus gererentur, narrat nuntii facundia prsefens.
,
NUNT. Q.
V^/uis me per auras turbo prsecipitem vehet,
Ati-aque nube involvet, ut tantum nefas
Eripiat oculis? o domus, Pelopi quoque 625
Et Tantalo pudenda: chor. Quid portas novi?
NUNT. Quasnam ifta regio eft, Argos & Sparte pios
Sortita fratres? & maris getnini premens
Fauces Corinthos? an feris Ifter fugam
Prasbens Alanis? an ftib seterna nive 630
Hyrcana tellus? an vagi paffim Scytbss?
Quis hie nefandi eft confcius mooftri locus?
CHOR. Effare: & iftud pande, quodcunque eft malum.
NUNT, Si fteterit animus, fi metu corpus rigens
Remittet artus. hasret in vultu trucis ; 635
Imago fa<5li. ferte me infanas procul
Illo procellie; ferte, quo fertur dies
acting as thy master, threatens thee. Every kingdom must

yield to one of greater power, and the man thou seest
Eroud and tyrannical at the early part of the day, may
e seen at night subdued and laid low. Let no man
crow too much in his prosperity, let no one give way too
much in his adversity, let him. take things as they occur,
!
thankfully. Clotho forbids by virtue of her calling,

anything to stand still ; she is constantly rotating the fate
of every mortal. No one has ever yet found the Gods
so propitious that he can with certainty promise himself
anything as for to-morrow. The God that rules all things,
from his rapidly rotating wheel, rolls forth our destinies
exactly as they are pre-orderedl
ACT IV.
MESSENGER-CHORUS.
A Messenger who was present, reports the cruel deed
of Atreus, and how his own children were served
up to Thyestes at the wicked feast, and eloquently
describes those matters, which were very properly
concealed from the eyes of spectators within the house.
MESSENGER.
WHAT whirlwind will transport me headlong into

and envelop me in some sombre cloud,
the air
that my vision may be spared to witness such
revolting crimes ? Oh The Dynasty at which Pelops
1 1
and Tantalus even would be abashed!
CHOR. What news dost thou bring?
In what region of the Earth am I? Is it Argos, or

iStESS.
is it Sparta, the country of these two affectionate brothers ?
_0r is It Corinth, whose straits are between two seas ? Or
is it on the borders of the Danube, which favors the
savage Alani ? Or the land of Hyrcania, with its eternal
snows? Or am I amongst the wandering Scythians? Or
what place can it be, that is the scene of wickedness too
horrible to be mentioned?
CHOR. Speak out, man, and tell us what the wickedness

is, whatever it may be.
I will, when I can collect my mental faculties,

MESS. my
mind in a sort of standstill, and when
is my
stiffened limbs
congealed with horror, begin to thaw The sight of the
!
dreadful deed is still before my eyes! Oh! Wild hurri-

canes transport me far, far from such a scene of horror
Let me be conveyed somewhere, unvisited by the light
of day!
Hinc raptus. CHOR. Animos gravius incertos tenes.

Quid fit, quod horres, ede, & audlorem indica.
Non qaasro, quis fit, fed uter. efTare ocius. 640
NUNT. In arce fumma Pelopese pars eft domus
Converfa ad Auftros; cujus extremum latus
jEquale monti crefi:it, atque urbem premit,
Et contumacem regibus populum fuis
Habet fub icflu: fulget hie turbas capax 645
Immane teftrnn, cujus auratas trabes
Var.iiscolumnae nobiles maculis ferunt.
Port ifta vulgo nota, quse populi colunt,
In multa dives fpatia difi:edit domus.
Arcana in imo regio feceflfu patet, 650
Alta vetuftum valle compefcens nemus,
Penetrale regui. nulla qua laetos folet
Praebere ramos arbor, aut ferro coli:
Sed taxus, & cupreiTus, & nigra ilice
Obfcura nutat filva; quam fupra eminens 655
Defpedtat alte quercus, & viocit nemus.
Hinc aufpicari regna Tantalidae folent,
Hinc petere lapfis rebus & dubiis opem,
Affixa inhserent dona, vocales tubse,
Fraflique currus, fpolia Myrtoi maris, 660
Vidtseque falfis axibus pendent rotse,
Et omne gentis facinus: hoc Phrygius loco
Fixus tiaras Pelopis; hie prasda hoftium,
Et de triumpho pidla barbarico chlamys.
Fons flat fub umbra triftis, & nigra piger 665
. Hseret palude. talis eft dirse Stygis
Deformis unda, quffi facit coelo fidem.
Hie nodle caeca gemere ferales Deos,
Fama eft: catenis lucus excuffis fonat,
Ululantque Manes. Quidquid audire eft metus, ^70
lUic videtur. errat antiquis vetus
Emiifa buftis turba, & infultant loco
Majora notis monftra. Quin tota folet
Micare flamma filva, & e.xcelfse trabes
Ardent fine igne. fsepe latratu nemus 675
Trino remugit: fsepe fimulacris domus
Attonita magnis. nee dies fedat metum.
Nox propria luco eft, & fuperftitio inferum
In luce media regnat. Hinc orantibus
Refponfa dantur certa, cum ingenti fono 680
CHOR. Thou art keeping our minds, in considerable

uncertainty which is very trying. What can it be ? at what
art thou in such a state of frignt? Speak out, and tell us

the cause tell us the author of the crime do not ! We
ask thee simply, who did it, biit which of the two brothers
was it. Speak, man, speak quickly 1
MESS. There is on the highest fortress of the palace of

Pelops a frontage, having a southern aspect, whose extreme
side rises to a mountainous height, almost, and overlooks
the city, and from its menacing appearance, not only holds
the recalcitrant rabble in awe of their kings, but enables
them also to deal more effectual blows upon revolters
below 1 In this palace is a huge saloon capable of
holding large crowds of people (who flock thither for
various purposes), where noble porph5Ty columns support
the gilded roof; behind these, and quite open to the
public who may assemble there, the sumptuous palace is
divided off into numerous departments, but there is
another hall, the Sanctuary of the Palace which is visible
only at the farthest end, a mysterious retreat, a time-
honored grove in a deep valley, concealing it from the
vulgar gaze, this is the royal sanctum, where no trees
afford their cheerful umbrage, and where the pruning-
knife finds no employment t but the yew, the cypress,
and the obscure foliage, rendered more so by the sombre
ilex, wave listlessly at the undulations of the circumam-
bient air, upon all of which a lofty oak looks down from
on high, and rules the grove with its majestic imposing-
ness. Here the descendants of Tantalus repair to consult

about their respective destinies here to invoke aid, when
their affairs are in doubt or danger Numerous spoils
hang about, sonorous trumpets, broken chariots, spoils
and amongst them (an especial curio) the relics of that
one fished out from the sea of Myrtilus, and the disabled
wheels are suspended from their treacherous axles in
fact, traces of every phase of human wickedness. In one
place, is seen the Phrygian Tiara of Pelops himself; in
another, the accumulated rapine taken from sundry

conquered enemies an embroidered cloak represented
some triumph or other over some barbarian foel A
lugubrious fountain is observed under the shadow of this
wood, and the water remains steeped in a black marsh,
just such a marsh in appearance, as the terror-striking
Stjrx, which renders inviolable the oaths sworn to by the
Gods. It is reported here, that the funereal deities set
up their groans in the dead of the obscure night, and
the entire grove becomes convulsed with the clanking
of chains, and when the Manes commence their howlings 1
Whatever it is it is terrifying to hear, but when it is

brought into actual view, a crowd of aged spectres
emerging from their ancient tombs begin to wander
about, and monsters of greater magnitude than any
conception could picture, leap about with mocking laugh-
ter! But suddenly, the entire wood seems to burst into
flames, and the lofty trees look as if ignited, but none
Laxantur adyto fata, & immugit fpecus

Vocem Deo folvente. Quo poftquam furens
Intravit Atreus, liberos fratris trahens,
Omantur arese. qui queat digne eloqui?
Poft terga juvenum nobiles revocat manus, 685
Et mssfta vitta capita purpurea ligat:
Non thura defunt, non facer Bacclii liquor.
Tangenfve falfa victimam culter mola.
Servatur omnis ordo, ne tantum nefas
Non rite fiat. CHOR. Quis manum ferro admovet? 6go
NDNT. Ipfe eft facerdos. ipfe funefta prece
Letale carmen ore violento canit.
Stat ipfe ad aras. ipfe devotos neci
Contrftat, & componit, & ferro admovet.
Attendit ipfe, nulla pars facri perit. 695
Lucus tremifcit. tota fuccuffo folo
Nutavit aula, dubia, quo pondus daret,
Ac flucftuanti fimilis. e Isevo aethere
Atrum cucurrit limitem fidus trahens.
Libata in ignes vina rautato fluunt 700
Cruenta Baccho. regium capiti decus
Bis terque lapfum eft, flevit in templis ebur.
Movere cunflos monftra: fed folus fibi
Immotus Atreus conftat, atque ultro Deos
Terret minantes. jamque dimiffa mora 705
Affiluit aris, torvum & obliquum intuens.
jejuna filvis qualis in Gangeticis
Inter juvencos tigris erravit duos,
Utriufque praedae cupida, quo primos ferat
Incerta morfus, fledlit hue ri(5lus fuos, 710
lUo refle(5lit, &'famem dubiam tenet;
Sic dints Atreus capita devota impise
Speculatur iros. quem prius maftet fibi,
Dubitat; fecunda deinde quem caede immolet.
Nee intereft: fed dubitat. & faevum fcelus 715
of the consuming results of positive ignition following

that
phenomenon Oftentimes, the grove resounds with
loud barking, as if coming from three throats simultane-
ously (Cerberus-like), and very often the palace is haunted
with enormous and terrifying ghosts! Nor does the
light of day, when it arrives, allay one's fright for night
is the peculiar feature of this grove, and superstitious
alarms take a firm hold of the imagination, even in broad
daylight Here responses are given to earnest supplicants
!
upon which they can depend, for from a wide entrance,

with a loud sound the decrees are pronounced, and the
cavern groans again, whilst the judicial Deity is delivering
his sentence! Into this place we see furious Atreus
enter, dragging with him the children of Thyestes, and

Lines 681-71S] THYESTES. 125
the altar is duly spread out with the sacrificial parapher-

nalia. Oh how
! can what I saw be adequately described ?
He then proceeds to bind the noble hands of the young
princes behind their backs, and he winds round their
unfortunate heads a purple bandage (blindfolding them).
And frankincense is not wanting, nor the sacred liquor
of Bacchus (wine). Nor is the sacrificial meal forgotten,

as the knife is applied to the victims every formality is
rigidly observed, lest the enormity of the crime should
be robbed of any of its ceremonial importance.
CHOR. Who applied the fatal sword, what hand?
MESS. The presiding priest, Atreus himself was there ; he

chants forth some funereal hymn from his horrible larynx,
at the same time that he accompanies it with impious
prayers. He himself stands in front of the altar, he alone
manipulates upon those that are doomed for sacrifice,
arranges their position and applies the sword IHe is in
full presence and no minutiae of the wicked ceremony
are omitted; the grove trembles, the palace totters with
the shock that disturbs the earth, and appears as if it
were uncertain where it should deposit itself, if condemned
to fall. On the left side of the heavens, a star is seen
shooting forth, tracing its passage with a black streak
and the wine which is used so freely in the sacrifice,
mixes with the blood of the victims and thus Bacchus
!
is made to assume a new character! Tne regal bauble

on the head of Atreus (the diadem) fell off two or three
times, the very ivory in the temples shed tears. This
monstrous deed moved the entire world convulsively, but
Atreus, collected in his mind, is alone true to himself,
and what is more, actually terrifies the angry gods (with his
audacity) and then, without any delay, he leaps upon the
altar, looking savage, with his eyes rolling from side to
side, and as the famished tiger of the jungle on the
borders of the Ganges, hesitates upon which of the two
.
bulls he shall fasten, whilst he longs only to seize them

both at once, but pauses, as to which he shall insert his
deadly fangs, hither he bends his greedy jaws thither he
draws them back, and actually holds aloof his voracity
in this doubting mood! So dreadful Atreus, speculates
as to the victims which he has sacrificed to his impious

wrath He cannot make up his mind, within himself, as
to which he shall immolate the first, then he wonders,
whether he shall sacrifice the one intended for slaughter
" number one " and substitute in its place that which he

had marked as "number two" not that it was a matter
which concerned him much, but only that he had doubted,
126 SEKiiCA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 716-748
Juvat ordinare. CHOR. Quem tamen ferro occupat?

NUNT. Primus locus (ne deeffe pietatem putes)
Avo dicatur; Tantalus prima Boftia eft.
CHOR, Quo juvenis animo, quo tulit vultu necem?
NUNT. Stetit fui fecurus, & non eft preces 720
Perire fruftra paffus: aft illi ferus
In vulnere enfem abfcondit, & penitus premens
Jugulo manum commifit. edudlo ftetit
Ferro cadaver: cumque dubitaffet diu
Hac parte, an ilia caderet, in patruum cadit. 725
Tunc ille ad aras Plifthenem faevus trahit,
Adicitque fratri: coUa percuffa amputat.
Cervice csefa truncus in pronum ruit:
Querulum cucurrit raurmure incerto caput.
CHOR. Quid deinde gemina csede perfun(5lis facit? 730
Puerone parcit; an fcelus fceleri ingerit.'
NUNT. Silifa jubatus qualis Armenia leo
In caede multa vidlor armento incubat,
Cruore t'iAus madidus, & pulfa fame
Non ponit iras; hinc & hinc tauros premens 735
Vitulis minatur, dente jam laffo piger:
Non aliter Atreus faevit, atque ira rumet,
Ferrumque gemina csede perfufum tenens,
Oblitus in quem rueret^ infefta manu
Exegit ultra corpus, at pueri ftatim 740
Pedtore receptus enfis, in tergo exftitit.
Cadit ille, & aras fanguine extinguens fuo,
Per utrumque vulnus moritur. CHOR. O fsevum fcelus!
NUNT. Exhorruiftis haftenus fiftat nefas,
.*
Pius eft. CHOR. An ultra majus aut atrocius 745

Natura recipit? nunt. Sceleris liunc finem putas?
Gradus eft. CHOR. Quid ullra potuit? abjecit feris
Lanianda forfan corpora, atque igne arcuit.
and he felt a sort of pleasure in doing such an alarming

deed with some regard to arrangement!
CHOR. Which of the sons found occupation for the
sword first?
MESS. The first place was dedicated to the Grandfather,

Tantalus. (Thou dost not suppose that he was entirely
wanting in family reverence.) Tantalus was his first victim
(because his name was Tantalus).
CHOR. What was the demeanour of the youth ? with
what courage did he meet his death?
MESS. He
stood with great firmness, and confidence in
himself, as ifhe were not willing that any entreaties he
might make should pass unheeded, but Atreus, remorseless
with pent-up rage, seized with his hand the neck of his
!
victim, and holding it tightly he stabbed him with the sword,

which he thrust into me wound as far as the hilt, and
when the weapon was withdrawn, the body stood upright
for several seconds, as it were, doubting for a long time,
whether should fall here or there ; it then fell upon the
it
Uncle. Then with unabated wrath he drags Plisthenes
towards the altar and places him by the side of his
brother, he severs his head from his body with a well-
directed blow his headless trunk falls to the earth, and
the head gives forth something like a mumbling, undefin-
able whispering!
CHOR. What did he do after he had finished with this

double slaughter ? did he not spare one of the boys ? Oh
What crime upon crime, he has heaped up!
MESS. As the maned Hon of the Armenian forest con-
templates with satisfaction his triumphs over the herds and
flocks, after much slaughter, his jaws still dripping with
their blood, although his hunger is fully appeased, does not
lay aside his savage nature From all sides he terrifies the
!
bulls, whilst he is chasing the calves, although his teeth

are tired out, with their recent dental labors Not unlike 1
this, Atreus maintains his rage at its maximum, and fairly

swells with his wrath, and still holding his sword, sprinkled
with the blood of his nephews, not knowing whither he
was rushing He evidently was thirsting with his cruel
hand, for another victim, and darting upon the third son,
he forthwith stabbed him in the chest, and the sword,
passing through his body, emerged at the back He falls,
and his blood extinguished the fire at the altar he thus
dies from his double wound! (wound at point of entry
and that made by its exit.)
CHOR. Oh! What horrible wickedness!
MESS. Why art thou so horrified ? if the crime rested

at this point, the piety of Atreus would have been an
established fact?
CHOR. Can human nature, dost thou tell us, devise

anything more cruel or more atrocious (than what thou
hast told us)?
MESS. Now, dost thou suppose, that what I have related

is the finale of my story? it is only a link in the chain.
CHOR. What more could he do, we ask, perhaps it is, that

he has handed over the bodies to be devoured by the wild
beasts, and has deprived them of the ceremonial flames
of the funeral pile (that is dishonoring their remains).
NUNT. Utinam arcuiffet, ne tegat fundlos humus,

Ne folvat ignis! avibus epulandos licet 75
Ferifque trifle pabulum fsevus trahat;
Votum eft fub hoc, quod effe fupplicium folet.
Pater infepultos fpe(5tet. o nullo fcelus
Credibile in aevo, quodque pofteritas neget!
Erepta vivis exta pedloribus tremunt, 755
Spirantque vejise, corque adhuc pavidum falit.
At ille fibras tra(ftat. ac fata infpicit;
Et adhuc calentes vifcerum venas notat.
Poftquam hoftiss placuere, fecurus vacat
Jam fratris epulis, ipfe divifum fecat 760
In membra corpus; amputat trunco tenus
Humeros pateutes, & lacertorum moras;
Denudat artus dims, atque offa amputat:
Tantum ora fervat, & datas fidei manus.
Hasc verubus hasrent vifcera, & lentis data 765
Stillant caminis: ilia flammatus latex,
Querente aheno, jaiSlat: impofitas dapes
Tranfiluit ignis, inque trepidantes focos
Bis ter regeftus, &pati juffus moram,
Invitus ardet. ftridet in verubus jecur. 770
Nee facile dicam, corpora an flamma: magis
Gemuere. piceus ignis in fumos abit:
Et ipfe fumus triftis, ac nebula gravis,
Non redlus exit, feque in excelfum levans,
Ipfos penates. nube deformi obfidet. 775
O Phoebe patiens, fugeris retro licet,
Medioque ruptum merferis ccelo diem,
Sero occidifti. lancinat natos pater,
Artufque mandit ore funefto fuos.
MESS. Oh I wish that he had thus interposed his veto

!
and had ordered that the earth should cover their remains
and that fire should not destroy theml then it would
have been possible that they would have been feasted on
by the birds of prey, or have attracted the wild animals
to the tristful repast But the point desired to be arrived
1
what was always considered a great

at in all this, was that
punishment, should now be allowed to transpire! (What
pleasure to Atreus) that the father should gaze on the
unburied remains of his sons! Oh! Atrocity not yet
accredited, of any time, past or present, so bad indeed,
that posterity will never believe it to have been done!
The entrails quiver, they are torn out of the bodies, only
just dead, and the muscular coat of the veins (arteries)
still acts (with the blood oozing) and the hearts as yet
only having been quivering (as the result of the first
impression of fear) now give a gudden leap But Atreus !
carefully turns the entrails about, and seeking to invoke

!!
Lines 749779] THYESTJES. 129
the Fates, he examines critically for some clue, as to what

fieir divmation might reveal; he observes, that those
viscera are still retaining some amount of animal heat,
and soon after, he satisfies his judgment, that the sacrifices
offered up were pleasing to the Deities, and persuaded
himself, that the augury boded success, and that the
brother's feast was now only anxiously, waiting for the
human remains to perform their part of the business!
He then cut up the body into pieces, amputated the
prominent parts from the shoulder, and the fleshy portions
from the arms, from the ligamentous attachments, which
connected them with the body, with unshaken nerves!
He strips off the flesh from the various limbs, and chops

up the different bones, he keeps back the heads, however,
and those very hands, which had once signalized their
confidence in him (the hand-shake)! The viscera with
some other portions hang on the spit, and what escapes
during the roasting drips slowly down from the stove
the remainder, received into the hissing caldron, (which
seemed to utter tones of remonstrance at the monstrosity
of the deed) is soon tossed about by the impetuosity of

the boiling water the fire, in jerking flames leaped in
disgust about the terrible feast, which was placed above
it, and threw itself two or three times upon the trembling
altars (but was kept down, by the weight of the caldron)

and being thus constrained temporarily by some inscrutable
impulse, to submit to such an interruption, begins to
bum again, but in a very surly mood! (The Poet here
personifies the Element "Fire" [Prosopopoeia] and suggests
Its unwillingness, as an universal purifier, to lend its
assistance, to such an overt act of contamination.) The liver,
however, of the victims transfixed on the spit, crackled
with a sound ominous and weirdish! and to speak the
real truth, I cannot tell thee, the sound which groaned
the more, the bodies or the flames! The fire, becoming
as black as pitch, passes off in dense fiimes, and the
mournful smoke, as a heavy cloud, does not ascend, but
hovers around the altar, and oppresses the Penates them-
selves, with its abnormal blackness and density, O
patient Phoebus, it would have been merciful, if thou hadst
expunged this day out of the calendar of time, and
immured it, unseen in the middle of the Heavens Thou !
hast disappeared below the Horizon, only too late! The

father, Thyestes, carves up his o^Yn sons, served up on
the platter and chews with a relish, in his unfortunate
mouth, his own offspring. His appearance is smart, with
his locks extravagantly anointed with perfumed grease,
but he feels rather oppressed (qualmish) with the wine,
with which he has washed down his own flesh and blood
I30 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 780-815
Nitet fluente madidus unguento comam, 780

Gravifque vino: faepe praeclufae cibum ^
,
Tenuere fauces, in malis unum hoc tuis

Bonum eft, Thyefta, quod mala ignoras tua.
Sed & hoc peribit, verterit curras licet,
Sibi ipfe Titan obvinm ducens iter; 7^5
Teoebrifque facinus obruat tetrum novis
Nox miffa ab ortu tempore alieno gravis;
Tamen videndum eft. tota patefient mala.
CHORUS.
Videns Chorus folem retrocedere obftupefcit, veritus, ne diiToluta
mundi machina omnia in antiquum chaos recidant.
V_ûo terrarum fuperftmque parens,
Cujus adortus nodlis opacse 790

Decus omne fugit, quo vertis iter,
_Medioque diem perdis Olympo?
Cur, Phcebe, tuos rapis afpedlus?
Nondum ferae nuntius horse
Nodluma vocat lumina vefper: 795
Nondum Hefperiaa ilexura rotse
Jubet emeritps folvere currus:
Nondum in noftem vergente die
Tertia mifit buccina fignnm:
Stupet ad fubitse tempora coenae 800
Nondum feffis bubus arator:
Quid te Eetherio pepulit curfu?
Quae caufa tuos limite certo
Dejecit equos? numquid aperto
Carcere Ditis vi(5li tentant 805
Bella gigantes? numquid Tityos
Pedlore feffo renovat veteres
Saucius irasf num reje<5lo
Latus explicuit monte Typhoeus?
Numquid ftruitur via Phlegraeos Sio
Alta per hoftes? & TheiTalicum
Threfla premitur pelion Offa?
Solitse mundi periere vices:
Nihil Occafus, nihil Ortus erit.
Stupet, Eoos affueta Deo 815
Frequently during the meal, his throat seems to rebel

and refuse a passage to the wicked viands, but there was
one redeeming feature, one favorable point, connected
with all this wickedness, oh Thyestes and it was this,
! !
thy ignorance of what was being done! But even this'

remaining consolation will soon disappear. It was possible,

that Phoebus himself could have reversed his chariot, and
changed his course to an opposite direction, and thus have
buried this cruel crime in darkness, such has never been
known, before the darkness of a night, issuing from the
Palace of the glorious Orient, at an opposite hour, would
be awful: however, we shall all see, all these crimes will
one day be known to thee.
CHORUS.
The Chorus observing the going down of the Sun, become
alarmed, fearing lest the whole fabric of the universe,
dissolved into fragments, should lapse into eternal
chaos.
oh thou parent of the Earth and chief of

OH,thewhere,
Gods above, whose
at the luminous
rising, all
accessories of opaque night disappear, where dost
thou direct thy way. Why hidest thou a day in the
middle of Olympus? Why, oh Phoebus dost thou avert
1
thy face ? Not as yet does Vesperus, the herald of approach-

ing night summon the stars to thy dark celestial vaults 1
Not as yet surely does thy declining course on the Hes-

perian track (the far West) induce thee to unyoke the
steeds of thy chariot, which have finished their diurnal
duties efficiently! Not as yet has the third trumpet
sounded the signal of day verging onwards towards night
(third part of the day). The ploughman with his oxen
not yet tired out, is wonder-struck at his supper-time
arriving with such unlooked-for suddenness! What has
driven thee away, from thy ethereal path? What has
diverted the horses of Phoebus from then- regular rounds ?
We wonder whether the giants, their prisons m
the realms
of Pluto being burst open, are warring against the Gods
again? Or if Tityus with his inside worn out by the
rapacious vultures is impotently renewing any of bis
ancient animosities? Whether Typhoeus has released
himself from the mountain which has been pressing him
down? Or is there a road being built up high for Phle-
grffian Giants to renew their attempts on the Gods? Or
is it Thracian Ossa being pressed down on Thessalian
PeUon ? The harmonious system of the universe seems
upside down! There never will be again the|, regular
rising and setting of Phoebus. Aurora, the harbinger of
dewy mom, is at her wits' end with this disturbed system
of illumination of her kingdom, accustomed as she is to
hand over the horses of the Sun to Phoebus himself, for
Tradere frenos, genitrix primse

Rofcida lucis, perverfa fui
Lumina regni. nefcit feflbs
Tingere currus, nee fumantes
Sudore jubas mergere ponto 820
Ipfe infueto novus hofpitio
Sol auroram videt oceiduus,
Tenebrafque jubet furgere, nondum
Nodle parata. non fuceedunt
Aftra, nee ullo micat igne polus: 825
Nee Luna graves digerit umbras.
Sed quidquid id eft, utinam nox fit!
Trepidant, trepidant pedlora magno
PercuiTa metu, ne fatali
Cuncfta niina quaflata labent: 830
Iterumque Deos hominefque premat
Deforme chaos: iterum terras,
Et mare & ignes, & vaga pidti
Sidera mundi Natura tegat.
Non seternse facis exortu 835
Dux afti-orum fecula ducens
Dabit seftatis brumseque notas.
Non Phoebeis obvia ilammis
Demet No(Si Luoa timores,
Vincetque fui fratris habenas, 840
Curve brevius limite currens.
Ibit in unum congefta finum
Turba Deorum.
Hie, qui facris pervius aftris
Secat obliquo tramite zonas, 845
Fle<flens longos Signifer annos,
Lapfa videbit fidera labens.
Hie, qui nondum vere benigno
Reddit Zephyro vela tepenti,
Aries praeceps ibit in undas, 850
Per quas pavidam vexerat Hellen.
Hie, qui nitido Taurus comu
Prsefert Hyadas, fecum Geminos
Trahet, & curvi brachia Cancri.
Leo ftammiferis seftibus ardens 855
Iterum e cceIo cadet Herculeus.
Cadet Virgo reliftas;
in terras
Juftaeque cadent pondera Librae;
Secumque trahent Scorpion acrem.
Et, qui nervo tenet jEmonio 860
Pennata fenex fpicula Chiron,
Rupto perdet fpicula nervo.
Pigram referens hiemem gelidus
Cadet yEgoceros, fi-angetque tuam,
Quisquis es, Urnam. tecum excedent 865
Ultima coeli fidera Pifces.
Monftraque nunquam perfufa mari
!
Lines 816-867] THYESTES. , 133
she knows not how

to dip the already weary steeds^
nor how to immerge
their manes foaming with sweat, in
the refreshing sea. Sol himself about to set, unexpectedly
finds Aurora installed in an unaccustomed quarter (his)
and he commands the darkness to appear; Nox, not as
yet,prepared to obey, no stars show themselves, nor
does the sky afford a glimpse of anything approximating
light,nor does Phoebe dissipate any of this awful gloom
Whatever can all this mean? Would that real night
might show itself! They tremble, and their minds are
struck down with intense fear, lest every conceivable
thing should be involved, and lapse shattered in one fatal
ruin and that again, inexplicable chaos should overwhelm
both the Gods, and mankind, and again render undis-
tinguishable, the Earth, the Seas, and the fiery element,
and nature hide the wandering planets, and the stars of

the painted heavens. Nor wul the ruler of the stars,
Sol, when he rises, directing the seasons with his eternal
torches ever afford us again any clearly defined Summer
and Winter! Nor will Phoebe, who reflects the light of
Phoebus, ever remove the fears inspired by night (dark-
ness) and following a shorter course from her curved
tracks, will disregard the government of her brother, as
she is traversing the oblique paths of the Zodiac, (that
is, her revolution being shorter, she cannot keep a regular
pace with the Sun, and the accumulated crowds of Gods
[constellations] will merge into one gulf). This Zodiac,
formed of constellations, which courses amongst the sacred
stars divides the Zones jn its oblique transit, varying the
length of the years, detaching itself from the celestial
group will witness the fate of the rest of the fallen stars.
This Aries, who at the return of Spring, not as yet gives
navigators the blessings of the genial Zephyrs to employ
their sails will fall precipitately into the waters, that
ocean over which aforetime he transported the timid
Helle! This Taurus, who supports the Hyades on his
golden horns, will drag down with him the Gemini and
Cancer with his curved claws. The Nemaean -Leo, burnt
up with the flammigerous heat will fall again from his
celestial habitat. Virgo will fall upon the lands, she
formerly left behind, disgusted with the wickedness of
mankind and the Librs (the balance), those punctilious
arrangers of day and night, will drag down with them
the venomous Scorpion, and aged Chiron, who drives the
winged arrows from his Thessalian bow, shall see that
bow broken and his arrows dispersed. Cold Capricorn
(who frightened the very Giants with his ugliness) shall
tumble, bringing back his tedious winter, and whoever
thou art, Aquarius, Deucalion, Cecrops, Hylas or Ganymede,
134 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines ass-goo
Merget condens omnia Gurges.

Et qui medias dividit Urfas,
Fluminis inftar, lubricus Anguis: 870
Magnoque minor jundla Draconi
Frigida duro Cynofura gelu:
Cuftofque fui tardus plauftri
Jam non ftabilis met Ardlophylax.
Nos e tanto vifi populo 875
Digni, premeret quos everfo
Cai-dine mundus.
In nos astas ultima venit.
O nos dura forte creates,
Seu perdidimus folem miferi, 880
Sive expulimus! Abeant queftus.
"Difcede, timor. Vita eft avidus,
Quifquis non vultj mundo fecum
Pereunte, mori.
ACTUS QUINTUS.
ATREUS.
Exfultans impius Atreus nefariam de fratre vindictam fibi
gratulatur, dirifque appofitis dapibus de natorum
fanguine praebendo deliberat.
JE. ^QUALIS
Altum fuperbo
aibris gradior,
vertice attingens
& cundlos fuper
polum.
885
Nunc decora regni teneo, nunc folium potris.

Dimitto fuperos: fumma votorum attigi.
Bene eft; jam fat eft etiam mibi.
Sed cm: fatis fit? pergam, & implebo patrem 890
Funere fuorum: ne quod obftaret pudor,
Dies perge, dum coelum vacat.
receffit.
Utinam quidem tenere fugientes Deos
Poffem, & coaftos trahere, ut ultricem dapem
Omnes viderent! quod fat eft, videat pater 895
Etiam die nolente difcutiam tibi
Tenebras, miferiae fub quibus latitant tuss.
flimis diu conviva fecuro jacet
Hilarique vultu. jam fatis menfis datum eft,
Satifque Baccho. fobrio tanta ad mala 900
will break thy urn with thee, and the Pisces disappear,
the last constellation of the Zodiac and those monsters,
!
which have never been in contact with the sea, shall be

swallowed up by the Great Gulf, the sea which hides all
things, and the Serpent slippery and as large as a river.
which divides the two Bears, and the Cynosure, bitterly

cold with its severe frost, and small comparatively, is
joined with the great dragon, and Arctophylax (Bootes),
the slow driver of his waggon, already not very firm in
his position shall fall also from the heavens. And we,
miserable mortals out of all the numerous peoples of the
world, are thought to be deserving of such a fate, that

fate will overwhelm us all the very ninges of the universe
being broken (the seasons being scattered). We have
arrived at our last stage of time, oh, miserable! that we
should have ever been created for such a hard lot, whether
we have lost the Sun without our own faults, or whether
w6 have driven away that Sun by our own crimes!
But away with useless wailings, away with fruitless fears,
we are fond of life, but who would not wish to die,
if the world would only perish with him 1
ACT V.
ATREUS.
Wicked Atreus crowingly congratulates himself on his
cruel revenge towards his brother, and deUberates
on the dreadful feast, which had been prepared, and
the serving up of the blood of the sons of Thyestes.
WALK abroad now, on an equality withthe deified stars,

and am attaining with my proud head, the highest
I pinnacles, a place in the lofty heavens, as it were,
lookmg down upon all the mortal world below me at
my feet! I am in possession ot the regalia of power,
and the throne of my father I must now dismiss from
my mind the Gods above. I have reached the summit
of my desires, thus so far is good and appears even
ample, already it looks enough for me, but what shall I
say it will be later on? I shall persevere with myre-
-push on, I say, whilst the heavens are void of light!

I wish, indeed, that I could prevent the Gods from re-
tiring, and keep them, here, even against their wUl, that
they might all witness this revengeful entertainment!
What would be enough now, however, for the present,
is denied me. That I must see the father face to face,
even if day-light be denied me,, at all events, I will banish
the mental darkness from him and under which his
Opus eft Thyefte. turba famularis fores

Templi relaxa; fefta patefiat domus
Li bet videre, capita natorum intuens
Quos det colores, verba quae primus dolor
Effundat, aut ut fpiritu expulfo ftupens 905
Corpus rigefcat. fru(flus hie operis mei eft.
Miferum videro nolo, fed dum fit mifer.

Aperta multa te(5la coUucent face.
Refupinus ipfe purpura atque auro incubat,
Vino gravatum fulciens laeva caput. 9'
Eruflat. o me ccelitum excel fiffimum,
Regumque regem! vota tranfcendi mea.
Satur eft, capaci ducit argento merum.
Ne parce potu, reftat etiamnum cruor
Tot hoftiarum. veteris hunc Bacchi color 915
Abfcondet, hoc hsec menfa claudatur fcypho.
Mixtum fuorum fanguinem genitor bibat;
Meum bibiffet, ecce jam cantus ciet,
Feftafque voces, nee fatis menti imperat.
THYESTES.
Thyeftis epulantis cantus: quo invitat fe ad Isetitiam, quam
tamen mens ejus praefaga mali non admittit.
X ECTORAlongis hebetata malis, 920

Jam ponite curas.
follieitas
Fugiat mosror, fugiatque payor.
Fugiat trepidi comes exfilii
Triftis egeftas,rebufque gravis
Pudor affliftis. magis unde cadas, 925
Quam quo, refert. magnum, ex alto
Culmine lapfum, ftabilem in piano
Figere greilum: magnum, ingenti
Strage malorum preiTum, fradll
Pondera regni non inflexa 930
Cervice pati; nee degenerem
Vi(5lumque malis, refium impofitas
Ferre ruinas, fed jam fsevi
miseries are now concealed from himself. Thyestes, thou

art posing for much too long a time, as a guest with a
contented and merry countenance, thou hast taken by
this time enough of the solid viands and drunk quite
enough wine; it is necessary that Thyestes should be in
his sober senses to feel his misery properly! Come, all
ye servants, open every door of the palace, I wish the
place to put on a festive look, I wonder what sort of a
visage he will have, whether it will be pale or red with
surprise What words w"ill convey his first cries of grief.
!
Lines 901933] THYESTES. 137
or whether his breath will be taken away with astonish-

ment, or his body become rigid with the shock, when
he beholds the heads of his three sons! This is the
reward of my labor. I do not enjoy so much seeing him
miserable, but the pleasure to me is to watch him whilst
it is being brought about. The open porches are lighted
up with a profusion of lamps, and Thyestes lies down
effeminately on the purple couches ornamented with
gold, and supporting his head now growing heavy (with
the repast) with his left hand, and amidst frequent hic-
cuping and eructations, he exclaims " I think, on I think
! !
myself nobler than any of the folks in heaven, I feel a

very king of kings. I have transcended my wildest,
desires!" He has made a heavy repast, and he drinks
his wine out of a silver goblet! Don't be sparing with
the wine, as yet there remains plenty of the blood yielded
by the three victims, the color of the old wine will soon
disguise it. This repast will be suitably wound up with the
contents of this jug the father shall drink the blood of
his children mixed with it. He would have drunk mine
(with gusto). Listen, he is now indulging in little snatches
of songs, and utters merry remarks, nor does he seem
to me to have full command over his senses!
THYESTES.
The song of Thyestes at the feast, where he gives
himself up to merriment, although his inner mind
foresees some mischief looming in the future, which
is not quite in keeping with such jollity.
OH 1 soul of mine recently soured by chronic misfor-

1
tunes, now lay aside anxious care, let grief vanish,

and fear leave me for ever, let sad privation,
the twin sister of trembling exile, and disgrace heavy
with troubles forsake me; it concerns a man more
from what height he may fall, than the place he may
reach, as the result of such a fall, but it is a great
point when a man of importance falls from a lofty
eminence to be able at the very least, to place his feet
firmly on the ground; it is a great thing, too, for a man
to bear up with a head not bowed down, and the weight
and cares of a kingdom, broken up and divided and
himself overwhelmed with the direst disasters, quite as
much as it is, for a man faint-hearted and subdued by
misfortunes, to bear with some amount of equanimity,
the fresh reverses which have befallen him. But let me
banish the dark shadow of my fojrmer cruel fate, and
dismiss the memory of the miserable portion of my life,
and let a joyful countenance reflect itself on my present
138 SENECA'S TEAGEDIES. [Lines 934-97=
Nubila fati pelle, ac miferi

Temporis omnes dimitte notas: 935
Redeant vultus ad laeta boni.
Veterem ex animo mitte Thyeften.
Proprium hoc miferos fequitur vitium,
Nunquam rebus credere lastis.
Redeat Fortuna licet,

felix 94
Tamen gaudere piget
affliilos
Quid me revocas, feftumque vetas
Celebrate diem? quid flere jubes.
Nulla furgens dolor ex caufa?
Quis me prohibet flore recenti 945
Vincire comam? prohibet, prohibet.
Vernse capiti fluxere rofae;
Pingui madidus crinis amomo
Inter fubitos ftetit horrores;
Imber vultu nolente cadit. 95
Venit in medias voces gemitus;
Mceror lacrimas amat alTuetas.
flendi miferis dira cupido eft.
Libet infauftos mittere queftus.
Libet & Tyrio faturas oftro 955
Rumpere veftes. ululare libet.
Mittit lu<!ius figna futuri
Mens, ante fui prsefaga mali.
Inftat nautis fera tempeftas,
Cum vento tranquilla tument.
fine 9^.
Quos quofve tumultus
tibi luftus,
Fingis demens? credula praefta
Pedlora fratri. jam quidquid id eft,
Vel fine caufa, vel fero times.
Nolo infelix; fed vagus intra 965
Terror oberrat; fubitos fundunt
Oculi fletus, nee caufa fubeft.
Dolor, an metus eft? an habet lacrimas
Magna voluptas?
ATREUS, THYESTES.
Atreus, feftivitatem fimulans, fratremad poculum invitat. Cupienti
illi videre liberos; quo plenius gauderet, oftendit capita
& palmas, & quid adlum fit aperit; hinc dolor,
ira, convicia, exfecrationes ortse.
ATR. F
X ESTUM diem, germane, confenfu pari
Celebremus: hie eft, fceptra qui firmet mea,
970
Solidamque pacis alliget certae fidem.
lucky position. Let Thyestes, as he is now, cease to be

Thyestes of the pastl This peculiar fault always character-
izes the miserable, that they lose all faith in the possibilities
of prosperity, let fortune return to me whilst in a happy
Lines 934-97=] THYESTES. 139
mood, although it would me to ignore the suffer-

distress,
ings of the afflicted. Dame
Fortune, why dost thou
recall me, or why shouldst thou object to my celebrating
this auspicious day? Why, shouldst thou bid me to weep
when grief springs out of nothing within my knowledge?
What, should prevent me from encircling my locks with
flowers of recent date ? There is a reason why This much
1
is against it, the roses of spring once fell from my crown,

(alluding to his coronation roses). My hair, although
besmeared with perfumed grease (an unguent scented
with the amomum), is still prone to stand on end amidst
sudden terrors, and the tears trickle down my unwilling
face, (not willing to betray the weakness which gives rise
to them,) irrepressible sighs interrupt my utterance, grief
delights in tears to which it is no stranger (as a relief
to pent-up sorrow). Over the miserable the desire to
weep assunies an imperious sway surely, I am at liberty

to indulge in my tristful lamentations surely, again, I can
liberate myself from my present gorgeous apparel. Thrice
dyed with the Tyrian purple surely, if I think fit, I may
be allowed to fill the air with my groans My mind
I
inspires me with a warning of coming grief, foretelling

some calamity, some sad presentiment! A
violent storm
often overhangs the mariner, even whilst the deadest of
calms prevail over the surface of the ocean, with no
appearance of wind Ah but what grief am I insanely
1 1
picturing to my mind, or what racking thoughts are taking

possession of me ? Shall I let my trustful heart go forth to
my brother? But whatever is it? Either only the fabric of
my own imagination, or that it appears, late in the day, to
begin to cultivate fear I am, however, unwilling to make
!
myself miserable, but still, a vague alarm hovers within my

breast, my eyes pour forth tears on a sudden, nor does the
cause of such tears show itself in any definite form Is it !
then merely sorrow, or is it my fear? Which is it? But

is not excessive joy sometimes accompanied with tears?
ATREUS-THYESTES.
Atreus feigning hilarity, invites his brother to partake of
the wine, and in order that he might rejoice more
fully of seeing his children; on asking for them,
Atreus shows nim their heads and hands, and tells
him all that had been done, hence arises an outburst
of grief, anger, reproaches, and curses I
ATREUS.
OH my brother, let us with mutual cordiality, celebrate

this auspicious day! This is the day> that shall
strengthen the security of my sceptre, and estabUsh
a solid guarantee between us of inviolable peace 1
140 SENEGAS' TRAGEDIES. [Lines 973-1008
THY. Satis dapis me, nee minus Bacchi tenet.
Augere cumulus hie voluptatem peteft,

Si eum Meis gaudere felici datur. _
975
ATR. Heic effe natos crede in amplexu patris.
Heie funt, eruntque; nulla pars prolis tuae
Tibi fubftrahetur: ora, qua; exoptas, dabo,
Totumque turba jam fua implebo patrem.
Satiaberis, ne metue: nunc mixti meis, 9^
Jucundae menfse facra juvenilis eolunt.
Sed aecientur. pqculnm infufo eape
Gentile Baceho. THY. Capio fraterna dapis
Donum. paternis vina libentur Deis,
Tune hauriantur. Sed quid hoe? non vult manus 985
Parere: erefcit pondus, & dextram gravat.
Admotus ipfis Bacchus a labris fugit,
Circaque riflus ore deeepto effluit.
En, ipfa trepido menfa fubfiluit folo.
Vix lucet ignis, ipfe quin aether gravis 990
Inter diem nodlemque defertus ftupet.
Quid hoc? magis magifque concuffi labant
Convexa eceli: fpiffior denfis coit
Caligo tenebris, noxque fe in noflem abdidit.
Fugit omne fidus'. quidquid eft, fratri, preeor, 995
Natifque pareat; omnes in vile hoc caput
Abeat procella. redde jam natos mihi.
ATR. Reddam, & tibi illos nullus eripiet dies.
THY. Quis hie tumultus vifeera exagitat mea?
Quid tremuit intus? fentio impatiens onus, 1000
Meumque gemitu non meo pedlus gemit.
Adefte, nati, genitor infelix vocat:
Adefte; vifis fugiet hie vobis dolor.
Unde obloquuntur? ATR. Expedi amplexus, pater.
Venere. natos ecquid agnofcis tuos? 1005
THY. Agnofco fratrem. fuftines tantum nefas
non ad infernam Styga
Geftare, tellus?
Te nofque mergis? rupta & ingenti via
THY. Thou hast feasted me to satiety, nor hast thou

been niggardly with the wine. This overflowing hospitality
will afford me still greater pleasure, if it be permitted
me, already happy, to share that felicity with my children.
ATR. Hearken to me, believe me for a certainty that

thy sons are practically at this moment in the arms of

their father there they are and will remain No portion !
of thy offspring shall be withheld from thee I will duly !
present to thee the faces of thy children I shall fully

!
account for every one of them, to a father so solicitous

too, about his progeny! Thou shalt be satisfied, do not
fear: at this minute, in the presence of my own children,
!
they are contributing to the delightful ceremonies of the

juvenile feast! But they shall be sent for; in the mean
time, take up this goblet, the goblet of our ancestors!
dnnk copiously of the wine it contains
THY. I accept the bestowal of this fraternal feast, but let
the wine be first offered to our paternal gods, then I will
drink what is left (lifting it to his mouth). But what is
this? My
hand refuses to obey my will, the weight of
it seems to increase, and completely tires out my right
hand, and the wine strives to recede from my lips and
flows away from my disappointed mouth and disperses
itself around my jaws! Behold! the table too, is losing
its steadiness on the trembling floor! The lamps are
scarcely yielding any light! And more than that, the
oppressed sky itself is growing dazed, deserted as it is,
by the sun, moon and stars, during the interregnum
between day and nightBut what is this? The heavens
shaken more and more, appear to the darkness
totter,
unites with darkness still blacker, and the night hides
itself away in a night more intense in its blackness!
Every star has vanished! Whatever is it, I pray, spare
my brother and my children. O ye Gods! let the whole
brunt of the tempest fall upon my head only! Now,
Atreus, restore to me my sons!
ATR. I will restore them to thee, and no great length

of time shall elapse before I do so.
THY. What disturbance, which is agitating my

is this
inside ? How I do tremble
internally I feel a load, which
!

I cannot bear my chest is moaning, with a moaning that
surely cannot be my own. Come to me, my sons, thy

unhappy father calls thee Oh Come this uneasy feeling
! !
will vanish, when I behold thee! Whence come then-

voices ?
ATR Get ready to embrace them, (Here Atreus returns

and shows Thyestes the children's heads) father thou They !
have come, thou seest! Whether or not, dost thou not,

at this moment, recognize, that they are thy sons, whose
moaning thou art now hearing!
THY. I recognize thee my brother, as always impious

!
and cruel! Oh! Earth! how canst thou permit thyself to

bear such abominable wickedness? Why dost thou not
plunge thyself and us into the infernal Styx? Why! that-
great gulf being opened, dost thou not snatch away the
kingdom and the king along with it, and consign us to the
142 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lin jc.09-,044
Ad chaos inane regna cum rege abripis?

ab imo teAa convellens folo loio
Non tota
Vertis Mycenas? ftare circa Tantalum,
Avofque noftros, fi quis intra Tartara eft,
Uterque jam debuimus. bine compagibus
Et bine revulfis hue tuam immani finu
Demitte vallem, nofque defoffos tege II5
Acheronte toto: noxise fupra caput
Animae vagentur noftnim, & ardenti freto
Phlegethon arenas igneus tortas agens,
Exitia fupra noftra violentus fluat.
Immota pondus ignavum jaces?

tellus _
i20
Fugere Superi. atr. At accipe hos potius libens
Diu expetitos, nulla per fratrem eft mora,
Fruere: ofculare: divide amplexus tribus.
THY. Hoc fcedus? hac eft gratia? haec fratris fides?
Sic odia ponis? non peto, incolumes pater 1025
Natos ut habeam: fcelere quod falvo dari
Odioque poffit, frater hoc fratrem rogo,
Sepelire liceat. redde, quod cemas ftatim
Uri. nihil te genitor habiturus rogo,
Sed perditurus. ATR. Quidquid e natis tuis 1030
Supereft, habebis: quodque non fupereft, habes.
THY. Utrumne faevis pabulum alitibus jacent?
An belluis fervantur? an pafcunt feras?
ATR. Epulatus ipfe es impia natos dape.
THY. Hoc eft Deos quod puduit! hoc egit diem 1035
Adverfum in ortus! quas mifer voces dabo,
Queftufque quos ? quas verba fufficient mihi ?
Abfciffa cemo capita, & avalfas manus,
Et rupta fradlis cruribus veftigia.
Hoc eft, quod avidus capere non potuit pater. 1040
Volvuntm- intus vifcera, & claufum nefas
Sine exitu lu(5latur, & quaerit viam.
Da, frater, enfem, fanguinis multum mei
Habet ille. ferro liberis demus fugam.
gloom of empty Chaos? Why dost thou not turn the

entire city Mycensupside down, tearing up every living
abode, from its lowest foundations. We, die pair of us,
ought to be domiciled in the very presence of Tantalus
and our worthy grandsires, and if there be a place below
the domains of Tartarus (where our grandfather is in his
captivity), precipitate us hence into this valley of thine,
with its immense gulf, the very points of contact at every
Eart being rent asunder and in this place immure us,
idden away in the dungeons subjacent to the entire bed
of the Acheron. Let the guilty shades (Manes) wander over
our heads, and the fiery Phlegethon, driving the sands
about in every direction with its burning headlong streams,
!
Lines 1009 1044] THYESTES. 143
flow violently above us in this place of our eternal exile.

!
Oh! motionless Earth! Why dost thou rest as an idle

mass? After all this, the Gods even have fled! (Phoebus
Phoebe and the Stars.)
ATR. But it is better that thou shouldst accept, thank-

fully,thy long-desired sons; thou shalt have the full enjoy-
ment of them, no obstacle hes in thy way on the part of thy
brother, kiss them, divide thy caresses between the three
THY. Oh this horrible wickedness! Is this thy reconcili-

I
ation? Is this a brother's sincerity? Is this the way thou

markest thy hatred (revenge)? I do not ask, that as a
father, I should naturally expect to receive my children
safe and sound, or that it is now possible for them to be
given up to me, free from this complicated villainy (crime
and revenge), but as a brother, asking another brother,
that he may be permitted the privilege of burying his
own children, or what remains of them Give then the
1
remains to me, and thou shalt be an eye-witness that

they are burnt, and as their father I crave, thou perceivest,
not that I should have them to preserve, but, that I
should have them to destroy (burn).
ATR Whatsoever is left of thy children, thou shalt have,

but whatever does not remain, thou possessest already.
THY. Whether are they lying as food for the terrible

birds of prey ? Are they preserved for the benefit of the
fishes? Or to serve as a repast for the wild beasts?
ATR. Thou, thyself, hast feasted on them, at thy impious

banquet.
THY. Really! this must put the very Gods to the blush!
This is the crime then that has made the light remain
in the east and kept back the day! (Phoebus refused to
yoke his steeds.) Oh! what cries shall I vent in my misery?
What wailing shall I display? What words are sufiScient
to record my feelings? I perceive, now, that their heads
have been cut ofi", and their hands wrenched from then-
sockets, and the remains torn away firom their broken
legs. This is what a father, however hungry, could never

sacrifice to his voracity My very entrails are working
round and round within me, and without any means of
exit, my misery is struggling in my inside, and is seeking
some way out of its imprisonment !Give me thy sword,
brodier, it has plenty of my blood on it already. I shall
eSect a way out for my children! Shall the sword be
Negatur enfis? pedlora illifo fonent 1045

Contufa plan(3;u. fuftine, infelix, manum;
Parcamus umbris. tale quis vidit nefas?
Quis inhofpitalis Caucafi rupem afperam
Heniochus habitans? quifve Cecropiis metus
Terris Procruftes? genitor en natos premo, 1050
Premorque natis. fceleris eft aliquis modus?
ATR. Sceleri modus debetur, ubi facias fcelus,
Non ubi reponas. hoc quoque exignum eft mihi.
Et vulnere ipfo fanguinem calidum in tua
Diffundere era debui, ut viventium 1055
Biberes cruorem. verba funt iras data;
Dum propero, ferro vulnere impreffo dedi.
Cecidi ad aras, cade votiva focos
Placavi: & artus, corpore exanimo amputans,
In parva carpfi fnifta & hsec ferventibus
: 1060
Demerfi abenis. ilia lentis ignibus
Stillare juffi. membra, nervofque abfcidi
Viventibus: gracilique trajeiflas vera
Mugire fibras vidi, &
aggeffi manu
Mea ipfe flammas. omnia
hsec melius pater 1065
Feciffe potuit cecidit incaffum dolor.
Scidit ore natos impio, fed nefciens,
Sed nefcientes. thy. Clufa litoribus vagis
Audite maria. vos quoque audite hoc fcelus,
Quocunque, Dii, fugiftis, audite, Inferi 1070
Audite. Terras.- Noxque Tartarea gravis
Et atra nube, vocibus noftris vaca.
Tibi fum reli(5lus. fola tu mlferum vides,
Tu quoque fine aftris. vota non faciam improba,
Pro me nihil precabor. ecquid jam poteft 1075
Pro me eiTe? vobis vota profpicient mea.
Tu, fumme coeli redlor, aetherise potens
Dominatur aulse, nubibus totum horridis
Convelve mundum, bella ventorum undique
Committe; & omni parte violentum intona: 1080
Manuque, non qua te(la & immeritas domos
Telo petis minore, fed qua montiura
Tergemina moles cecidit, & qui montibus
Stabant pares gigantes, hxc anna expedi,
Ignesque torque, vindica amiffum diem. 1085
denied to me? My breast shall then resound, with self-

inflicted blows (In the midst of the blows) Oh miserable
! 1
man, that I am, stay my hand, let me spare the Manes

of my sons ! Whoever saw such abominable wickedness ?
What any of the Heniochi dwelling in the rough wilder-
ness of the inhospitable Caucasus ? What Procrustes, the
terror of that Cecropian country (Attica)? Here, I, a father,
am squeezing my own children in my interior! And
! !
Lines i04S-io8s] THYESTES. 14s
they are tearing away at my internal organs! Is there

no limit to human wickedness?
ATR. A limit is certainly due to crime, when thou art

merely committing crime as a crime, but not when thou art
associating that crime with vengeance and this vengeance
appears small to my mind. I ought to pour out from their
wounds before thy very eyes that thou mightest drink
their reeking blood, whilst life still remained within theml
I am simply trifling with my anger, whilst I hurry matters
on with idle wordsI
inflicted the wounds with the thrusts
of my swordI slew them before the altar I pacified
the Lares, with the slaughter, which I vowed, should be
offered, and cutting up the limbs of their dead bodies, I
divided them myself, into small portions^ and plunged
some of them into the hissing caldron, other portions I
decided should be roasted, the fluidities therefrom drip-
ping down before a slow fire I cut the limbs away from
:
the bodies, before Hfe was quite extinct; I watched the

entrails as they crackled, whilst transfixed on a delicate
spit (skewer), and I kept the fire up with my own hands,
their own father could not have managed the business
with greater culinary skill 1My anger, after all, fell short
of the mark, for in ignorance, the father munched his
sons' flesh in his impious mouth, but the pity is, that they
were incognizant of what that father was doing with them
THY. Hear, Oye seas, shut in by winding shores hear,

!
also, ye Gods, whithersoever ye have fled, of this dreadful

list of^ crimes listen, 1 ye regions below, listen, all cor-
ners of the earth! 01 thou night, oppressed with black
Tartarus-like clouds, give ear to myvoice ! Iam destined
for thee, thou longest to see me miserable, although thou
art not deprived of the stars I will not offer up any
unbecoming prayers for myself, nor in fact will I solicit
anything for myself, or ask whether anything is possible
to be done for me, let my prayers be regarded as for
thee !Oh thou ruler of lofty heaven, thou sovereign of
!
the ethereal palaces, surround the entire universe with

frightful tempests, on all sides let there be war amongst
the winds themselves and let the whole world in every
part, resound with thy terrific thunder, and with the force,
not such as thou selectest to destroy simple houses and
undeserving homesteads, the milder form of thy thunders,
but that sort, which broke up the threefold mass of
mountains, Pehon, Ossa, and Olympus, and dispersed the
giants which equalled those mountains in height! Hasten
with thy armaments! Let me behold the lightnings,
which thou canst hurl, and make up for the missing day
146 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines losa-mj
Jaculare flammas; lumen ereptum polo

Fulminibus exple. caufa, ne dubites diu,
Utriufque mala fit: fi minus, mala fit mea.
Me pete, trifulco flammeam telo facem
Per pectus hoc tranfmitte. fi nates pater 1090
Humare, & igni tradere extreme vole,
Ego fum cremandus. fi nihil fuperos movet,
Nullumque telis impies numen petit;
jEtema nox permaneat, & tenebris tegat
Immenfa longis fcelera. nil Titan querer, 1095
Si perfeveras. atr. Nunc meas laude manus,
Nunc parta vera eft palma. perdideram fcelus,
Nifi doleres. liberos nafci mihi
fic
Nunc credo, caftis nunc fidem reddi toris.
THY. Quid liberi meruere? atr. Quod fuerant tui. iioo
THY. Natos parenti? atr. Fateor, &, quod me juvat,
Certos. THY. Piorum prasfides teftor Deos.
ATR. Quid conjugales? thy. Scelere quis penfat fcelus?
ATR. Scio, quid queraris. fcelere prserepte deles:
Nee, quod nefandas hanferis, tangit, dapes: H05
Qued non pararis fuerat hie animus tibi
Inftruere fimiles infcie fratri cibes,
Et adjuvante liberos matre aggredi,
Similique leto ftemere. hoc unum ebftitit,
Tuos putafti. THY. Vindices aderunt Dei: 11 10
His puniendum veta te tradunt mea.
ATR. Te puniendum liberis ti'ado tuis.
Shoot forth thy flames, and superadd to thy lightnings,

all the light wmch can be drawn away from the heavens,
so as to intensify them The culpability of each of us
!
is great, do not hesitate for long, if tnere be any difference

in our guilt, let it be mine, which shall be adjudged the
treater Select me, send through my breast, the naming
1
res of thy three-forked lightmng if as a father I only

wish to bury my sons anof deliver them over to "fire"
at last? I myself must be burnt, if nothing moves the
Gods, and no deity is willing to search out the wicked
for punishment with his ligntnings, let eternal night
remain to us, and hide these tremendous crimes with its
prolonged darkness O Titan I shall complain of
! ! !
nothing then, if thou wilt only persevere in lying hidden

away.
ATR. Now myself upon my operations,
I congratulate
now a real victory is achieved.I should have been deprived
of the chief advantages of my crime, unless thou grievest as
thou hast been doing I believe, that those children were
destined to be bom for me (for my designs) and thus it
is, that I have dealt out justice to such chaste nuptials!
! !
THY. What had the children done, to have deserved

all this?
ATR. Simply that they were thine!
THY. That children should suffer, for their parent's

misdeeds ?
ATR. I acknowledge this, and what gives me equal

pleasure, the unmistakability of their origin
THY. I call to witness the Gods, who preside over the

innocent, the Conjugal Gods!
ATR. Dost thou mean H3rmenseus?
THY. What dost thou argue, that crime should be

punished by crime of greater intensity?
ATR. I know what thou wouldst have endeavoured to

carry out thou art regretting that thou wert forestalled in
thy wickedness. Nor does it so much affect thee, that
thou hast actually partaken of the feast, dreadful as it is
(confessedly), but that it was not thy hand that was con-

cerned in its preparation it was in thy mind to get up
a similar entertainment for thy unsuspecting brother!
and, aided by the mother, to have made an onslaught on
my children, and lay them low with a fate of like
character, but there was only one thing that deterred

thee Thou thoughtest, they might be thy own!
THY. Ah ! the revengeful gods will appear on the scene,

my desire is to deliver thee over to be punished by them 1
ATR. I consign thee to be punished, through the fate

of thy children
P H GE N I S S iE
QU^ VULGO
THEB AIS.
[Lines 1 33
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
CEdIPUS. I
JOCASTA.
Antigone. Polynices.
NuNTins. I
ARGUMENTUM.
CEdipus, fibi oculis, ubi fcelus fuum (de quo vide argumentum
CEdipi) agnoviffet, erutis, in exfilium fpontaneum profeilus, amo-
litur a fe filiam Antigonen. quae patri vitales auras pertsefo ducem
fe vise offert, utque mortis cupidinem deponat, multis precibus
orat, tandem exoiat. Cujus ioterea filios Eteoclem & Polynicem,
violato regnandi per vices foedere, impia moventes anna, incaf-
fum laborat mater Jocafta in gi-atiam reducere. Defunt mutilae
huic Tragcedias cetera.
ACTUS PRIMUS.
CEDIPUS, ANTIGONE.
CEdipum ab morte revocat, perfuadetque

inilituta filia
Antigone, dux patris cseci.
c
CEDIP. V_/^CI parentis regimen, ac feffi
Patris levamen, nata, quam tanti eft mihi
unicum
Genuiffe vel fic, defere infauftum patrem.

In redla quid defledlis errantem gradum?
Permitte labi. melius inveniam viam 5
Quam quasro folus, quae me ab hac vita extrahat,
Et hoc nefandi capitis afpeftu levet
Coelum atque terras, quantulum hac egi manu?
Non video noxae confcium noftrae diem:
Sed videor. hinc jam folve inhserentem manum, 10
Et patere caecum, qua volet, ferri pedem.
Ibo, ibo, qua prserupta protendit juga
Meus Cithjeron; qua peragrato celer
Per faxa monte jacuit Aftason, fuis
Nova praeda canibus; qua per obfcurum nemus, 15
Silvamque opacae vallis inftindlas Deo
Egit forores mater, & gaudens malo,
Vibrante fixum praetulit thyrfo caput;
Vel qua cucumt corpus invifum trahens
Zethi juvencus, qua per horrentes rubps 20
Tauri ferocis fanguis oftentat fugas;
Vel qua alta maria vertice immenfo premit
Inoa rapes, qua fcelus fugiens fuum,
Lines i 23]
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
CEdipus. TOCASTA.
Antigone. POLYNICES.
Messenger.
ARGUMENT.
When GEdipus had discovered his crime, he caused his
own eyes to be put out; concerning which see the
Argument to CEdipus: he separates himself from his
daughter Antigone, who offers herself as guide to her
father, who is tired of his life, and that he might more
readily abandon his desire for death, she begs of him
with_ strong entreaties, at last succeeding in her per-
suasions; in the meantime his sons Eteocles and
Polynices engage in impious strife, the treaty binding
them to reign alternately being violated. Jocasta, the
mother, labors in vain to bring about a reconciliation
between them. (The rest of this imperfect tragedy is
wanting.)
ACT I.
CEDIPUSANTIGONE.
Antigone, the daughter, becomes guide to her blind father,
and prevails on CEdipus to relinquish his determin-
ation to die.
CEDIPUS.
OH daughter, guide of thy blind parent, and the only

1
prop of a worn-out father, what great happiness is

there in the thought (the birth) of having brought thee
into the world, even under the sad circumstances in which
I am now placed (needing a guide) leave thy unlucky
parent! Let me wander at will, I shall better find the

way I am seeking, alone, that way which will remove
me from the world, and thus relieve both heaven and
earth of the unpleasantness of beholding my criminal face.
How little have I done with this hand of mine to remedy
iny condition! I cannot (being blind) though conscious
of my offence look on the day, but yet the day sees me;
152 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. \Un^^ =4-54
Novumque faciens, mater infiluit freto

Merfura natam, feque felices, quibus 25
Fortuna melior tam bonas matres dedit!
Eft alius iftis nofter in filvis locus,
Qui me hunc petam curfu incito:
repofcit;
Non hue omni duce
hsefitabit greffus,
Spoliatus ibo quid moror fedes meas? 3
Mortem, Cithseron, redde, & hofpitium mihi
Illud meum reftitue, ut exfpirem fenex,
Ubi debui infans recipe fupplicium vetus
Semper cruente, fffive, crudelis, ferox,
Cum occidis, & cum parcis. olim jam tuum 35
Eft hoc cadaver, perage mandatum patris,
Jam & matris. animus geftit antiqua exfequi
Supplicia. quid me, nata, peftifero tenes
Amore vinAum? quid tenes? genitor vocat.
Sequor, fequor. jam parce. fanguinem gerens 40
Infigne regni Laius rapti furit.
Et ecce inanes manibus infeftis petit
Foditque vultus. nata, genitorem vides?
Ego video, tandem "fpiritum inimicum exfpue,
Defertor animi, fortis in partem tui: 45
Omitte poeuas languidas longas morse,
Mortemque totam recipe, quid fegnis traho?
Quid vivo? nullum facere jam poffum fcelus.
Poffum mifer. prsedico, difcede a patre:
Difcede, virgo. timeo poft matrem omnia, 5
ANT. Vis nulla, genitor, a tuo noftram manum
Corpore refolvet. nemo me comitem tibi
Eripiet unqnam. Labdaci claram domum,
Opulenta ferro regna germani petant;
withdraw thy hand which thou art thus holding in mine,

and suffer my steps with their uncertain foot-hold to be
borne where they will! I must go I must go, for my
refuge, where Cithseron stretches out into the rugged

heights across those rocks, where fleet Actseon fell, after
being chased far and wide on this mountain, as an un-
expected prey to his own dogs! Or where the mother
(Agave) conducted her sisters, urged on by Bacchus, into
the obscure grove and the woods of the shaded valley,
and rejoicing at her ferocious crime carried the head of
her son Pentheus fixed to the point of her trembling
thyrsus Or where the ferocious bull of Zethus ran wild,
I
dragging at its tail the hateful body of Dirce, and where

her blood showed the track of the savage animal through
the terrible brambles. Or shall I go where the rock of
Ino looks down on the deep sea from its wide summit
(where she, flying from the crime of Athamas [who had
!
Lines 24-54] PHGENISS^. 1 53
slainone of his sons Learchus] and committing a fresh

one herself that mother who bent on drowning herself,
with her other son Melicerta, leaped into the sea.) Happy
are they for whom a more auspicious fortune provided
with such accommodating mothers 1 There is yet another
place in those woods, which would suit my case, and
which still has a right to claim me. I will seek it with
hurried steps, nor shall my pace be slackened; there I
will repair and cast aside all leadership: why should I
dally, thus, about a final resting-place ? Cithaeron, let me
select thy loftiest summit, and afford me that asylum
which belongs to me, that I may die as an old man,
where by "good rights" I ought to have died, during my
infancy ! Cithseron, resume thy time-honored punishment,
always savage, blood-thirsty, cruel, unmerciful, both when
thou sacrificest and when thou showest clemency! For-
merly, this carcass of mine was thine-ît is thine now~
cariy out the injunction of my father and mother, my
inclmation will now rejoice that I should receive the
punishment, as of old! Why, daughter, dost thou hold
me fast, with such objectionable care? Why dost thou
retain me thus? My father is calling me; I am coming,
I am coming, oh spare me and wearmg the blood-stained
1 !
symbol of royalty stolen from him by me see Laius he

I !
is raging with anger! he is seeking me and plunging his

cruel fingers into my orbits, and tries to tear out my eyes
Daughter! dost thou not see my father? I see him although
I am blind! Oh, my craven soul, let me rid myself of my
troublesome existence and not rest contented with being
courageous towards only a portion of my miserable self
(meanmg putting out his own eyes). Let me put an end
to the slow punishment of protracted delay, and die
thoroughly, at once! Why do I lingeringly drag on a
life like this? Why should I live? There are no more
crimes for me to commit! Ah! miserable! Yes there
are, I acknowledge! Depart from thy father. Oh my
daughter! depart whilst thou art still a virgin; after my
incestuous affair with thy mother, I fear everything and
distrust myself!
ANT. No power, father, shall ever detach my hand

from thy personal protection, no one shall ever snatch
me away from thee, me thy only companion My brothers
may contend with the sword for the opulent kingdom
and the brilliant palace of Labdacus, but the most im-
portant part out of the kingdom of my noble father (to
my eyes) is mine, the father himself. No brother shall
take thee from me, nor any one else, who wields the
Theban sceptre and leading the battalions of Argos; not
154 ,
SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 55-89
Pars' fumma magni patris e regno mea eft 55

Pater ipfe, non hunc auferet frater mihi,
Thebana rapto fceptra qui regno tenet;
Non hunc catervas alter Argolicas agens.
NoQ fi revulfo Juppiter mundo tonet,
Mediumque noftros fulmen in nexus cadat, 60
Manum banc remittam. probibeas, genitor licet;
Regam abnuentem, dirigam inviti gradum.
In plana tendis? vado. prserupta expetis?
Non obfto, fed praecedo. quo vis utere,
Duce me : duobus omnis eligitur via. 65
Perire fine me non potes; mecum potes.
Heic alta rupes arduo furgit jugo,
Spedlatque longe fpatia fubje(li maris.
Vis banc petamus? nudus heic pendet filex;
Heic fciffa tellus faucibus ruptis hiat. 7
Vis banc petamus? heic rapax torrens cadit,
Partefque lapfi montis exefas rotat.
In hunc ruamus. dum prior, quo vis, eo;
Non deprecor, non hortor. exftingui cupis,
Votumque, genitor,' maximum mors eft tibi? 75
Si moreris, antecedo: fi vivis, fequor.
Sed mentem; peftus antiquum advoca;
fledle
Vidlafque magno robore aerumnas doma.
Refifte, tantis in malis vinci mori eft.
CEDIP. Unde in nefanda fpecimen egregium domo? 80
Unde generi virgo diffimilis fuo?
ifta
Fortuna, credis? aliquis eft ex me pius?
Non effet unquam (fata bene novi mea)
Nifi ut noceret Ipfa fe in leges novas
Natura vertet; regeret in fontem citas 85
Revolutus undas amais; & nodlem afferet
Pboebea lampas; Hefperus faciei diem.
Ut ad miferias aliquid accedat meas;
Pii quoque erimus. unica CEdipodse eft falus,
if Jupiter himself should send forth his lightning till the

world was literally ploughed up for them, then his lightning
would have to pitch on the very part, where our hands
are joined Thou mayst try and hinder me, Faliier, but
I
I will never relax this hand of mine. I will guide thee

although, against thy will I will direct the steps of my
;
unwillmg father whether we approach the plain, or

I
whether thou climbest the rocks, I go with thee, I do not

prevent thee, I go in front of thee, whichever thou wishcst
to do with me as thy guide. Every way that is chosen
by thee, will be acceptable with me. Thou canst not
perish without me, thou canst with me Here is a lofty 1
rock, rising out of the ridge of a steep mountain, and

! !
Lines 5S-89] PHCENISS^. 15s
commands the view for a long distance of the sea at its

foot, hast thou a mind, that we should go thither? Here
a naked rock hangs down There, the Earth divided
I
by a rugged entrance gapes wide witii its gulf below!

Art thou desirous that we shall go there ? Here is a
rapid waterfall, which rolls in its path the disintegrated
masses of a mountain, which it undermines Shall we
I
throw ourselves into it? Whilst I go in front, we will

go, wherever thou wilt; Mindl I am not blaming thee,
I am not advising thee; Ohl Father is death thy chief
1
desire, is it the greatest consideration to thee ? If thou

art to die, I go Defore thee, if thou art to live I shall
live too! But, pray change the current of thy mind,
call up some of thy ancient courage, and subdue thy
troubled thoughts, which are to be brought under control
bjr great efforts. Act otherwise, for it is simply a worse
misfortune to die overcome by such misfortunes, however
great
CEDIP. How is it, that there springs such an admirable

example of human virtue from such a wicked stock?
How is it that this spotless virgin so belies the race of
CEdipus? Oh! The Fates! Can I beheve it? That any
thing good could emanate from me? That there should
exist any thing (and I have watched my own career,
closely) that was not calculated to operate against me
Nature surely, has changed her system and has invented
fresh laws for her own guidance The river rolling along
!
with its rapid streams, will recede into a simple fountain!

Phoebus with his fiery brightness will produce darkness
instead Hesperus will perform the duties of the Sun
!
That something, however, should tend by good rights to

augment my misery! For lo! we now observe Virtue in
our family! but the one redeeming consolation for
CEdipus is that he will not attain any benefit arising out
of it. Why do I, in this listless manner, refi-ain fi-om
exacting that punishment with my right hand, which I
deserve, is it not right, that I should revenge, my, as yet
unavenged Father? Whatever thou hast already done has
been to avenge the mother (Pulling out his eyes.) Let
1
go the hand of thy father, courageous virgin! thou art

only prolonging my death, and art conducting the funeral
rites of a living father! Prepare at last, to cover my
odious body with earth! Thou sinnest with an honest
intention. Thou callest it affection, to drag about an un-
buried parent, it amounts to the same thing, he who
compels an unwilUng man to die, and he that hinders
him from dying, when he is hastening to arrive at it! to
forbid a man to die, who wishes for death, is practically
Non effe falvum. liceat ulcifci patrem 90

Adhuc inultum. dextra quid ceffas iners
Exigere poenas? quidquid exatftum eft adhuc;
Matri dedifti. mitte genitoris manum,
Animofa virgo. funus exteudis meum,
Longafque vivi ducis exfequias patris. 95
Aliquando terra corpus invifom lege.
Peccas honefta mente. pietatem vocas,
Patrem infepultum trahere. qui cogit mori
Nolentem, in aequo eft, quique properantem impedit.
Occidere eft, vetare cupientem mori. 100
Nee tamen in sequo eft. alterum gravius reor,
Malo imperari, quam eripi mortem mihi.
Defifte cceptOj virgo. jus vitae ac necis
Mea; penes me eft. regna deferui libens,
Regnum mei retineo. fi fida as comes, 105
Enfem parent! trade; fed notum nece
Enfem patema. tradis? an nati tenent
Cum regno & ilium? faciet, ubicunque eft, opus,
Ibi fit. relinquo. natus hunc habeat meus,
Sed uterque. flammas potius & vaftum aggerem no
Compone. in altos ipfe me immittam rogos.
Ereflam ad ignes funebrem efcendam ftruem,
Pecflufque folvam durum, & in cineres dabo
Hoc quidquid in me vivit. ubi fasvum eft mare?
Due, ubi fit altis prorutum faxis jugum, 115
Ubi torta rapidus ducat Ifmenos vada:
Due, ubi ferae fmt, ubi fretum, ubi praeceps locus.
Si dux es. illuc ire morituro placet,
Ubi fedit alta rape femifero dolos
Sphinx ore neftens. dirige hue greifus pedum, 120
Heic fifte patrem. dira ne fedes vacet,
Monftrum repone majus. hoc faxum infidens
Obfcura noftrae verba fortunre loquar,
Quae nemo folvat. quifquis Aflyrio loca
Poffeffa regi fcindis, & Cadmi nemus 125
Serpente notum, facra quo Dirce latet,
Supplex adoras, quifquis Eurotam bibis,
Spartenque fratre nobilem gemino colis,
Quique Elin & Pamafon, & Boeotios
Colonus agros uberis tondes foli; 130
Adverte mentem: faeva Thebarum lues
killing him! Nor, however, is there quite an equality in

the two alternatives but I think that one cruelty is greater
than the other to forbid a man to die, who wishes for
death 1I would rather that a sentence of death should
be passed on me, than that I should receive a reprieve
(that death should be taken from me). Abandon then, thy
undertaking, daughter, the choice of life or death as regards
;
Lines 90-131] PHCENISS^. IS7
myself, is within my own discretion 1 I have, of my own

free will, left my kmgdom, but I still retain the kingdom
of my individual self, if thou art a faithful companion to
me, give thy parent a sword, but it must be the very sword,
that IS branded with a father's slaughter, wilt thou give it
to me ? Or have the sons taken possession of it, as well
as the kingdom ? But wherever it is, crime is its appointed
mission, let it remain where it is, as I abandon sole claim to
it, one son may have it, but both may use it (used be- I
tween them, against each other). Prepare rather a huge

pile, and apply the blazing torches, and I will cast myself
forthwith, into the burning mass (pile) or I will with intrepid
step ascend the funeral mound, till I reach the flames in
their full activity, and thus do away with my cheerless
thoughts, and hand over, whatever is living, and dwells
within, to be converted into ashes Where is the relent-
1
less ocean ? Conduct me where the mountain is broken

up into lofiy rocks. Where the swiftly flowing Ismenus
threads its course, in winding streams If thou art my
guide lead me, where wild beasts abound,, where the sea
IS treacherous where there are precipitous rocks ; to one
of such places, it pleases me to go and die! Or where
the Sphinx sits on an elevated rock (that insidious seat
of the enigmatical) and invents the deceitful enigmas,
which issue from its semiferous mouth (half human ; half
animal) hither direct the course of my steps; here stop
thy father, and let not that insidious seat be disengaged
(if it be) let me take up the post, and replace the vacancy
with a monster more horrible than the Sphinx! Where
Ij sitting on that stone, could recite in obscure conundrums
my own miserable career, which no one would ever be
able to interpret! Whoever thou art that ploughest the
lands of the Ass3Tian king, or whatever suppliant thou
art, that offerest up thy adorations at the grove rendered
famous by the serpent-of-Cadmus, by whose shade the
fountain, sacred to Dirce is hidden from the vulgar gaze
Whoever thou art, who imbibest the water of the Eurota,
or that who dwellest in Sparta rendered famous by the

twin brothers, (Castor and Pollux) Whoever thou art, who
livest in Elis or Parnassus
or thou inhabitant who reapest
thy harvests from the Boeotian fields, Thou denizen of a
fruitful soil, give me thy earnest attention: the savage
monster (Sphinx) of Thebes, in delivering his disaster
foreboding utterances in obscure language, what could he
have propounded like this, or what so incapable of being

unravelled The son-in-law of a grandfather, the rival
of his own father, the brother of his own children, and
the parent of his brothers, a grandmother, who brought
forth children to a man, arid grandchildren to him, at
158 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 13^-175
Ludlifica caecis verba committens modis.

Quid fimile pofuit? quid tam inextricabile ?
Avi gener, patrifque rivalis fui,
Frater fuorum liberftm, & fratrura parens; '35
Uno avia partu liberos peperit viro,
Ac fibi nepotes, monftia quis tanta explicet?
Ego ipfe, viftae fpolia qui Sphingis tuli,
Hasrebo, fati tardus interpres mei.
Quid perdis ultra verba? quid pedlus ferum J4
Mollire tentas precibusf hoc animo fedet,
"
Effundere banc cum morte ludlantem diu ,
Animam, & tenebras petere. nam fceleri haec meo

Parum alta nox eft. Tartaro condi juvat,
Et fi quid ultra Tartarum eft. tandem libet, 145
Quod olim oportet. morte prohiberi baud queo.
Ferrum negabis? noxias lapfo vias
eludes? & arftis coUa laqueis inferi
Prohibebis? herbas, quae ferunt letum, auferes?
Quid ifta tandem cura perficiet tua? 150
Ubique mors eft. optime hoc cavit Deus.
Eripere vitam nemo non homini poteft;
At nemo mortem: mille ad banc aditus patent.
Nil qusro. dextra nofter & nuda folet
Bene animus uti. dextra nunc toto impetu, 15S
Toto dolore, viribus totis veni.
Non deftino unum vulneri noftro locum.
Totus nocens fum. qua voles, mortem exige.
Efifringe corpus; corque tot fcelerum capax
Evelle; totos vifcerum nuda fmus. 160
Fradlum incitatis iAibus guttur fonet;
LacerseVe fixis unguibus venae fluant.
Aut dirige iras, quo foles. base vulnera
RefciiTa multo fanguine ac tabe irriga.
Hac extrahe animam, duram, inexpugnabilem. 165
Et tu, parens, ubicunque poenarum arbiter
Adftas mearum (non ego hoc tantum fcelus
Ulla expiari credidi posna fatis
Unquam, nee ista morte contentus fui,
Nee me redemi parte:membratim tibi 170
Volui perire)debitum tandem exige;
Nunc folvo poenas; tunc tibi inferias dedi:
Ades, atque inertem dexteram introrfus preme,
Magifque merge, timida tum parvo caput
Libavit hauftu, vixque cupientes fequi 175
one and the same parturition! Who could unravel such

monstrous facts ? Why I myself should pose as the one
who bore off the palm from the vanquished Sphinx! the
tardy interpreter of my own destiny! Why do I indulge
in empty words? Why do I endeavour to assuage my
troubled soul with vain prayers? A resolution takes pos-
Lines I3=-I7S] PHCENISS^. 159
session of my mind, to do away with that life,which has

been so long struggling with death, and to search for
eternal darkness (death) for this ordinary darkness of
night (his blindness) is as naught compared with my
wickedness It would please me to be hidden away in
Tartarus, and if there be any place beyond Tartarus, so
let that be my destination 1I am not willing to be prevented
from seeking death, the fate which was my due long ago 1
Thou persistest in denying me the sword Thou shuttest

!
out my path, from the dangerous precipices: into which

I might otherwise fall, thou preventest me from placing
round my neck the tightened cord (strangulation), Thou
placest out of my reach the poisonous herbs, which bring
about death so easily and with such certainty! What is
to be arrived at finally from all these precautions of
thine? (addressing Antigone). Death is everywhere! a
beneficent God has taken care of mortals thus far I'here!
is no one living that cannot rob thee of life, but no one

can rid thee of death 1 Athousand ways are at our dis-
posal. I do not ask for any special one: My own resolute
will, aforetime, enabled me with this right hand of mine,
and without the adventitious use of surrical or other
weapons to employ it to some purpose! (QEdipus means
putting out his eyes, which he did with his own fingers.)
Come now then, Oh! right hand of mine, with all thy
energy, all thy rage, and thy concentrated physical strength,
I do not select any particular spot for inflicting my wounds,
for every part, about me is equally deserving of them,
but let death be brought about, in any way thou mayst
choose. Break up my whole body, tear out my heart,
that has been capable of so many crimes, lay bare the
entire coverings of my entrails, let my bare chest resound
again, beaten, forcibly with a rapid succession of blows I
let my veins, torn by my nails dug into them, flow freely

with my blood! Or let me direct my anger, where I
showed it aforetime (the eyes) and inundate, the ancient
wounds being opened up, with the gushing blood and
corruption! And let me remove with it (What the
hand brings about) my own obdurate indomitable soul!
And thou, oh! Parent, wherever thou art, come forward
as the arbitrator of my punishment; I have always been
of opinion, that my crimes could never be sufficiently

expiated by any punishment! Neither have I been con-
tented with my present kind of death (Blindness) nor that
I should be redeemed by any part of me that was left
behind, I have desired to die, giving to thee (his father
Laius) every part of myself, piece by piece, pray demand
thy full rights at last
! I now wish to receive the extreme
punishment, and then I shall have given thee the sacri-
i6o SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 176-^213
Eduxit oculos. hseret etiam nunc mihi

lUe animus, haeret; cum recufantem manum
Preffere vultus. audies verum, OEdipe:
Minus eruiftl lumina auda(5ler tua,
Quam praeftitifti. nunc manum cerebro indue. loO
Hac mortem perage, quae ccepit mori.
parte
ANT. Pauca, o parens magnanime, miferandse precor
Ut verba mente placata audias.
natae
Non reducam veteris ad fpecimen domus,
te ut
Habitumque regui flore poUentem inclito, i5
Peto; aft ut iras, tempore aut ipfa mora
Fraftas, remiffo peftore ac placido feras.
Et hoc decebat roboris tanti virum,
Non efle fub dolore, nee vidlum malis
Dare terga. non eft, ut putas, virtus, pater, 190
Timere vitam, fed malis ingentibus
Obftare, nee le vertere, ac retro dare.
Qui fata proculcavit, ac vitae bona
Projecit, atque abfcidit, & cafus fuos
Oneravit ipfe, cui Deo nullo eft opus, I95
Quare ille mortem cupiat, aut quare petat?
Utrumque timidi eft. nemo contemCt mori.
Qui concupivit. cujus baud ultra mala
Exire poifunt, in loco tuto eft fitus.
Quis jam Deorum (velle fac) quidquam poteft 200
Malis tuis adjicere.' jam nee tii potes,
Nifi hoc, ut effe te putes dignum nece.
Non es; nee uUa pedlus hoc culpa attigit.
Et hoc magis te, genitor, infontem voca,
Quod innocens es, Diis quoque invitis. quid eft 205
Quod quod novos fuffixerit
te efferarit;
Stimulos dolori? quid te ad infemas agit
Sedes? quid ex his pellit? nt careas die?
Cares, ut altis nobilem muris domum,
Patriamque fugias? patria tibi vivo periit. 210
Natos fugis, matremque? ab afpeflu omnium
Fortuna te fubmovit: & quidquid poteft
Auferre cuiquam mors, tibi hoc vita abftulit.
Regni tumultus, lurba fortunae prior
Abfceffit a te juffa. quem, genitor, fugis? 215
fices due to the Infernal Deities (who preside over those

ceremonies amongst the Manes) Come, and force thy
hesitating right hand inwards, and bury it the more deeply,
the last time thou timidly sacrificedst the head, willi a
small wound, and with difficulty drewest forth thy eyes
which were only desiring to second thy efforts Even
1
now, thy courage hesitates, hesitates, even when thy face

presses down towards thy unwilling, vacillating hand!
Thou must hear the truth CEdipus, thou didst pull out
thy eyes with less courage, than thou didst find them
!!
Lines 176-215] PHCENISSiE. 161
display in being removed Now try thy hand upon thy

I
brain, thou canst easily bring about death to that part,

where death has already set in (a mind dead to everythmg).
1
ANT. Oh magnanimous
I Parent
I pray thee, that thou!
wilt listen, in a calm

a few words from thy
spirit, to
wretched daughter. I do not ask that I should bring
thee back, as a noble ornament of thy ancient dynasty
with all thy regal power, and clad in aU the pomp of
thy kingdom, amidst abundant floral displays! but that
thou shouldst bear up against thy angry passions, whilst
they are being toned down by time and resignation, and
that being so, with thy mind restored to a state of com-
posure and is it not becoming to a man of thy strong
;
natural powers, that he should not be under the tyranny

of grief, nor turn his back upon misfortunes and acknow-

ledge himself mastered It is not valor, father, as thou
imaginest, to hold life in contempt, but to oppose great
troubles with fortitude, and not avoid them by flying from
them or idly turning thy back on them. The man, who
treads under foot his destiny, and disregards and casts
aside the good things of this life, only makes his mis-
fortunes more difficult to bear that man requires no
useless assistance from the Gods! Why should any man
wish for death, or go in search of it? both of these things
are the sign of a dastardly spirit; no one has ever looked
upon death with contempt, who has longed for it That
man is placed in a safe position, whose misfortunes cannot
extend beyond that point, which they have already attain-
ed! Which one of the Gods, even if he wished it, could
add an3rthing to thy calamities? Now do not think of
an3rthing but this, thou shouldst be able to consider that
thyself IS undeserving of death! Thou art not deserving
of death. Nor has any crime ever entered thy heart,
and, father more than this, consider thyself innocent,
!
because thou art really innocent, in spitfe of the Gods

What is it that has affrighted thee, what has furnished fresh
stings to thy trouble? What leads thee on towards the
infernal abodes? What drives thee away from these earthly
ones ? That thou mayst escape the light of day Thou art !
not troubled with that difficulty now that thou mayst fly
from noble mansion, with lofty walls, and thy very country
a-
itself; thy
country has gone from thee, whilst thou livest
Dost thou fly from they sons or thy mother? Fortune has
removed thee from the sight of all of them, and whatever
death can take from any one, that life has taken away from
thee The troubles of a kingdom, and thy former subjects
!
in the times of thy prosperity has ceased to be ruled by

thee!- From whom, then, father, dost thou flee.
;
i62 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines =16-^56
CEDIP. fugio; fuglo confcium fcelerum omnium

Me
Pe(5lus, manumque hanc fugio, & hoc coelum, & Deos:
Et dira fugio fcelera, quae feci innocens.
Ego hoc folum, frugifera quo furgit Ceres,
Premo? has ego auras ore peftifero traho? 220
Ego laticis hauftu fatior? aut uUo fruor
Almse parentis munere? ego caftam manum
Nefandus, inceftificus, exfecrabilis
Attredlo? ego uUos aure concipio fonos,
Per quos parentis nomen, aut nati audiam? 225
Utinam quidem refcindere has quirem vias,
Manibufque ada6lis omne, qua voces meant,
Aditufque verbis tramite angufto patet,
Eruere poffem, nata: jam fenfum tui.
Quae pars meorum es criminum, infelix pater 230
Fugiffem. inhaeret ac recrudefcit uefas
Subinde; & aures ingerunt, quldquid mihi
Donaftis oculi. cur caput tenebris grave
Non mitto ad umbras Ditis aetemas? quid heic
Manes meos detineo? quid terram gravo? 235
Mixtufque fuperis erro? quid reftat mali?
Regnum, parentes, liberi, virtus quoque,
Et ingenii foUertis exipiium decus
Periere. cundVa fors mihi infefta abftulit.
Lacrimae fupererant. has quoque eripuit mihi. 240
Abfifte. nullas animus admittit preces,
Novamque pcenam fceleribus quaerit parem.
Et effe par quae poterit? infanti quoque
Decreta mors eft. fata quis tam triftia
Sortitus unquam? videram nondum diem, 245
Uterique nondum folveram clufi moras;
Et jam timebar. protinus quofdam editos
Nox occupavit, & novae luci abftulit.
Mors me anteceffit. aliquis intra vifcera
Matema letum praecoquis fati tullt: 250
Sed numquid & peccavit? abftrufum, abditum,
Dubiumque an eflem, fceleris infandi reum
Deus egit. illo tefte damnavit parens,
Calidoque teneros tranfuit ferro pedes,
Et in alta nemora pabulum mifit feris, 255
Avibufque faevis, quas Cithaeron roxius
CEDIP. I fly from myself- 1 fly from a mind conscious

of every crime. I fly from this parricidal hand, from this

sky around us, and the Gods and I fly, as a criminal
from the terrible wickedness which I have committed!
Why am I now treading this very ground, from which
Ceres causes the fruits of the earth to spring up? Why
do I exhale the very air I breathe, from my poisonous
mouth? I am cloyed with the very water which I imbibe
or why am I allowed to enjoy any benefit arising from
Lines Ji6_256] PHCENISS^. 163
Mother Earth? Why do I touch this pure hand of thine.

I that am
wicked, incestuous, accursed ? Why do I catch
any sounds with my ears, by which I should recognize
the name of Parent or Son? I wish that I was able to'
break down those passages to the ears, and those out of
which the voice issues, and my efforts brought to bear,
that I could pluck out everything, the very orifice for
the transmission of the words I am now uttering, and
which lies open with such a narrow approach! Oh! my
daughter! I, thy miserable father, would a long time
ago have avoided anything that reminded me of thee,
wTlo art a part of my crimes! (The incest with thy
mother) Every now and then, that crime hangs about me,
and seems to be re-enacted, and my ears appear to re-
hearse, whatever ye, oh! my eyes! have freed me from
realizing! Why do I not hand over this head of mine
already afHicted with darkness (loss of sight) to the eternal
shades of Pluto? Why am I still here? a Ghost of
Humanity! Why do I pester this Earth? Why do I
wander about with those above the earth (the living)
what other calamity awaits me ? My kingdom, my parents,
rny children, my virtue also, and the crowning distinction
of^ a clever intellect, as shown in solving the enigma of
the Sphinx, have all disappeared! My unhappy lot had
deprived me of everything, but my tears remained and
these have now been taken from me (with the loss of the
eyes, the lachrymal glands). Desist, daughter, my inclination
does not respond to thy entreaties it seeks some fresh,
but adequate punishment for my crimes, but where or
what is the penalty which shall be a condign one?
Death also was predestined for me, when an infant, what
man has ever been dealt with in this way by such a
cruel destiny? I had not as yet seen the light of day
nor concluded my retention in a mother's womb, (period
of gestation) and. before my entry into this world I be-
came an object of terror! Death often claims children
directly they are bom and robs them of their new form
of life Death preceded me Death has reached some by
! !
a premature fate, death in their mother's womb ! But is

there anything in that? Had they even sinned as yet?
The God Apollo condemned me, as one marked out
for some abominable crime, and whilst I held a difhcult
place for him, to determine such a matter, hidden away,
as I was, in my mother's womb, and whilst every doubt
existed (whether I should be born dead or alive, of what
sex I should be, or whether I should be turned out as
an unviable abortion (one that cannot live) or as a foetus
fully developed With such testimony as this, my parent
!
prejudged me ; he pierced my tender feet with red-hot

;
i64 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 237-296
Cniore faepe regio tindlas alit.

Sed quem Deus damnavit, abjecit pater,
Mors quoque refugit. praeftiti Delphis fidem.
Genitorem adortus impia ftravi nece. 200
Hoc alia pietas redimet. occidi patrem,
Sed matrem amavi. proloqui hymenaeum pudet,
Tasdafque nofti-as. has quoque invitum pati
To coge pcenas. faciuus ignotum, efferum,
Inufitatum effare, quod popuH horreant, 265
Quod effe fadlum nulla non aetas neget,
Quod patricidam pudeat. in patrios toros
Tuli paterno fanguine afperfas manus;
Scelerifque pretinm majus accepi fcelus
Leva eft paternum facinus. in thalamos meos 270
Deduifta mater, ne parum fcelerum foret,
Foecunda. nullum crimen hoc majus poteft
Natura ferre. li quod etiamnum eft tamen
Qui facere poffent, dedimus. abjeci necis
Pretium paternae fceptrum, & hoc iterum manus 275
Annavit optime regni mei
alias,
Fatum ipfe novi: nemo fme facro feret
lUud cruore. magna praefagit mala
Paternus animus. jaAa jam funt femina
Cladis futurae. fpernitur padli iides. 280
Hie occupato cedere imperio negat:
Jus ille, & i<fli foederis teftes DeSs
Invocat, & Argos exful atque urbes movet
Grajas in arma. non levis feffis venit
Ruina Thebis. tela, flammae, vulnera 285
Inftant, &. iftis quod eft majus malum;
fi
Ut effe genitos nemo non ex me fciat.

ANT. Si nulla, genitor, caufa vivendi tibi eft,
Haec una abunds eft, ut pater natos regas
Graviter fiurentes. tu impii belli minas 290
Avertere unus, tuque vecordes potes
Inhibere juvenes, civibus pacem dare,
Patriae quietem, foederi laefo fidem.
Vitam tibi ipfe fi negas, multis negas.
OEDIP. Illis parentis nllus aut sequi eft amor, 295
Avidis cruoris, imperii, armorum doli.
skewers, and sent me into the thick forest, as food for

the wild beasts, and the fierce birds of prey which des-
tructive Cithasron has often nourished when drenched
with the blood of Kings But the father cast off, whom
1
the God condemned and death has even turned its back
upon mel I have fulfilled the Delphian Oracle I have
risen against and laid low my father with a cruel death;
the deep reverence to the oracle may somewhat extenuate
the crime I slew the father, but I loved the mother!
I I
'
Lines 2S7-296] PHCENISS^. 165
am ashamed to talk of the marriage and the hymeneal

ceremonies. Let me insist, however unwilling, that I
shall undergo adequate punishment, for all this It covers
me with shame, to speak of such unusual, cruel, un-
precedented crimes, which make the people to shudder
at, and that a crime which no age would acknowledge
could be perpetrated, and one which would call for

universal execration the Stigma of Parricide I actually
!
installed myself in my own father's marriage bed, with

my hands imbued with a father's own blood ! And I
entered upon a second crime greater, as a set-off for the
first! The pregnant mother was decoyed into a marriage
with me, lest there should not have been the requisite
amount of crime Nature herself, could not tolerate an
1
offence of greater turpitude. If there is anything still,

however, to be done, those that can do it, I have provided
in the shape of sons! I have abdicated the throne, as
the price of parricide, and this, again has enabled others
to arm themselves for crime (The sons at war with each
other) 1 know very well the destiny of my kingdom No
one can hold that sceptre, without detestable slaughter,
my paternal mind predicts great calamities; already the
seeds of coming slaughter are sown broad-cast, the obser-

vance of all treaties is set at naught, one refuses allegiance
to him, who occupies the throne; the other quotes his
claim and invokes the Gods as witnesses to the broken
treaty, and being banished from power, stirs up Argos
and the Grecian cities to take up arms The ruin is not
a light one, which is now overtaking Thebes 1 The Sword,
Fire, and Slaughter are imminent, and if there is a greater
misfortune than all this, it is that nobody suspects that
they are my sons!
ANT. If no other reason for living is presented to thy

mind, father, this is over and above ample to prove it to
thee, that thou, as their parent shouldst bring these raging
sons into subjection; thou art the only one, to avert the
dangers arising out of this important strife, and thou canst
restrain these mad boys! give peace to the people, tran-
quillity to thy own country, and insist on the observance
of the violated treaty if thou art so persistent in denying
life to thyself, surely thou wilt be robbing many others if itI
CEDip. Is there any sense of justice or love for a parent,

in these sons, thirsting for blood, power, war, and treachery,
and as I can sum up briefly in a word, they must be cruel
and criminal to be worthy of such a father as myself I
They vie with each other for crimes of every sort, and
they take no thought, where their rage may drive them
i66 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines ^^j-i'^s
Dins, fceleftis; breviter ut dicam, meisf

Certant in omne facinus, & penfi nihil
Ducunt. ubi illos ira prsecipites agal:
Nefafque nullum, pet nefas nati putant. 3
Non patris illos tangit afflifti pudor,
Non patria. regno pedlus attonitum furit.
Scio, quo ferantur, quanta moliri parent:
Ideoque leti quaere maturi viam,
Morique propero, dum in domo nemo eft mea 305
Nocentior me. nata, quid genubus meis
Fles advoluta? quid prece indomitum domas?
Unum hoc habet fortuna, quo poffim capi,
Inviftus aliis. fola tu affeAus potes
Mollire duros, fola pietatem in domo 3''
Docere noftra. nil p-ave aut miferum eft mihi,
Quod te fciam voluiffe. tu tantum impera.
Hie CEdipus ^gaea tranabit freta,
Jubente te; flammafcûe, quas Siculo vomit
De monte tellus igneos volvens globos, 315
Excipiet ore, feque ferpenti offeret,
Quae faeva furto nemoris Herculeo furit;
Jubente te prabebit alitibus jecur;
Jubente te vel vivet. ....
ACTUS SECUNDUS.
NUNTIUS, CEDIPUS, ANTIGONE.
Nuntius, a Thebanis miffus, CEdipum obfecrat, ut rediens

componat filios. abnuit CEdipus, & in filvas fe
recipiens filiis diras imprecatur.
NONT. J /XEMPLUM in ingens regia ftirpe edite, 320

Thebae paventes arma fraterna invocant,
Rogantque teftis arceas patriis faces.
Non funt minae. jam propius acceffit malum.
Nam regna repetens frater, & pacftas vices,
In bella cunftos Graeciae populos agit; 325
precipitately,and being born in crime, they deem nothing

they can do, a crime at alll It is not any disgrace re-
flecting on their afflicted father, nor any love of their
country which affects those sons in the slightest degree
but their unaccountable minds that urge them on to anger
and thirst, simply for power. I know exactly, to what
their thoughts are leading them, and what they will dare
to accomplish with their desires, and thus it is, that I am
more eager to select the road for my own final destruc-
Lines =97-3=51 PHCENISS^. 167
tion, that I am
in such a hurry to die, so that I may do
so, whilst Ican regard no scion in the house of CEdipus,
more criminal than the head of it myself Oh Daugh-
I I
ter, why dost thou weep thus, winding thyself round my

knees? Why dost thou strive to subdue one that is in-
accessible to thy entreaties ? My condition still presents
all
one feature by whichI could be softened, although my
adamantine resolution, resists all others. Thou alone canst
calm down my afflicted soul. The only one in our wicked
house, who can boast of any virtue Nothing is dreadful
!
or insupportable to me now, whatever I may learn, that

thou wilt be willing for me to carry out Thou hast
I
but to command me ! First may CEdipus swim along the

waves of the Êgaean Sea, or at thy command, shall he
inhale the flames, which the Earth ejects from the Sicilian
Mount (^tna) and the balls of firej which are rolled forth
from it; or shall .(Edipus offer himself to that serpent,
which still in its anger rages at the theft of the golden
apples by Hercules? or will it please thee better, that Uke
Tityus I should hand over my liver and entrails to the
vultures ? Or wilt thou order me to do the most terrible
thing of all- that I should live! (And this would be the
greatest punishment of all.)
ACT II.
MESSENGER-CEDIPUSANTIGONE.
A messenger sent from Thebes, beseeches GEdipus that
he should return and reconcile his sons. (Edipus
refuses, and betaking himself to the dismal forests,
lavishes his execrations upon those sons.
MESSENGER.
thou descendant from a royal race, Thebes;

Oh!trembling with alarm war between the brothers,
at the
invokes thee as an admirable example of the changes
of Fortune, and implores thee, that thou wilt drive away
the flames of war which are threatening their native
homesteads, and these are not mere alarms ; already, the
dogs of war are loose, and at their very thresholds For
the brother, that is seeking to gain back the kingdom,
and to disturb the order of succession (reigning by turns)
has drawn the entire population of Greece into this war
seven military camps have pitched themselves around the
walls! Help usl Prevent alike war and crime!
!
i68 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 3^6-36:=
Septena muros caftra Thebanos premunt.

Succurre; prohibe pariter & bellum & nefas.
CEDIP. Ego ille fum, qui fcelera committi vetem,
Et abftinere fanguine a caro manus
Doceam? magifter juris & amoris pii 33
Ego fum? meorum facinorum exempla appetunt.
Me nunc fequunlur. laudo, & agnofco libens.
Exhortor, aliquid ut patre hoc dignum gerant.
Agite, o propago clara, generofam indolem
Probate fa(5lis; gloriam ac laudes meas 335
Superate; & aliquid facite, propter quod patrem
Adhuc jnvet vixiffe. facietis, fcio.
Sic eflis orti. fcelere defungi baud levi,
Haud ufitato, tanta nobilitas poteft.
Ferte arma, facibus petite penetrales Deos, 34
Frugemque ilamma nietite natalis foli.
Mifcete cunAa. rapite in exitium omnia.
Dejicite paffim moeniaj in planum date.
Templis Deos obruite, maculatos lares
Conflate, ab imo tota confidat domus. 345
Urbs concremetur. primus a thalamis meis
Incipiat ignis, ant. Mitte violentum impetum
Doloris, ac te publica exorent mala,
Auftorque placidse liberis pacis veni.
CEDIP. Vides modeftae deditum menti fenem? 35
Placidasque amantem pacis ad partes vocas?
Tumet animus ira, fervet immenfum dolor,
Majufque, quam quod cafus & juvenum furor
Conatur, aliquid cupio. non fatis eit adhuc
Civile bellum. frater in fratrem rnat. 355
Nee hoc fat eft. quod debet, ut fiat nefas
De more noftro, quod meos deceat toros;
Date arma patri. nemo me ex his eruat
Silvis: latebo rupis exefse cavo,
Aut fepe denfa corpus abftrufum tegam. "^
360
Hinc aucupabor verba rumoris vagi,
Et fasva fratrum bella, quod poffum, audiam.
CEDIP. Am
I to be the man, who can take upon him-
self to forbid crimes to be committed, and to advise
men to stay their weapons from the shedding of the
blood of others, however dearly it my be cherished? Am
I the administrator of Justice's laws and the champion of
legitimate love? Why! they are only too desirous of
taking me as an example for their guidance in the cause
of crime 1 Why they are only following in my footsteps
!
I commend them for it and I recognize their operations

most gladly, and I exhort them, moreover, that they should
acquit themselves, in a way worthy of such a sire " as
myself! Push on Oh my illustrious progeny, and estabUsh
! !
Lin 326-362] PHCENISS^. '
169
a claim to thy noble origin by thy deeds outstrip me in

my glorious exploits, and in my triumphs, and mind to
do something yet, on account of which it may give me
pleasure to find that I have lived to witness it: thou wilt
do this. I am persuaded, for thou wast born for it!
(Composed of the exact materials.) Such a nobility, as
thou possessest, can only faithfully perpetrate any cnmes,
any unheard-of wickedness (and thus support thy dignity).
Carry on thy wax, enter into the sanctums even of thy
paternal gods, with thy blazing torches, gather in the
harvests of thy natal soil with flames instead ot the
sickle (that is burn them down), throw everything into

confusion hand over everything to destruction destroy
the city walls everywhere, and level them all to the

ground bury the gods themselves in the ruins of their own
temples, pull down the defiled images of thy Lares let
the entire city of Thebes be burnt to the ground, and
let the conflagration be initiated by the destruction of
my marriage bed I
ANT.Dismiss these violent transports of rage, and let

the badtidings (misfortunes) which have been reported
to thee, have some weight with thee. Come, father, be thou
the means of establishing the blessings of peace between
thy sons.
cEDip. Dost thou regard me, as an old man, abandoned

to mental serenity and moderation, that thou shouldst
invite me, as one loving the blessings of peace (as thou
callest them) and desirous to encourage others to follow
out a similar course? Why! My
own very soul is

swelling out with wrath a deeply rooted hatred rages
within me, and much greater than any undertakings or
furious experiments; that the ardor of those boys could
bring about! I still crave for my "something," civil war
is not, as yet, enough for me let brothers fly at brothers'
throats, nor is that enough! What ought to be, is that
some crime should be done worthy of my own formula,
something that shall be consistent with that incestuous
bed of mine Supply thy father with defensive weapons,
!
and no one shall ever rescue me from these forests! I

would hide in the hollo'w of some excavated (eaten away)
rock or I would conceal my inexpressible body under the
dense thickets, and there I would listen with rapt enjoyment
to the words of flying rumors and should hear, with my
own ears, of the savage warfare of the brothers! What
could I do better?
170 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 363-4^
ACTUS TERTIUS.
JOCASTA, ANTIGONE, NUNTIUS.

Jocafta, audito'm procindlu ftave utramque aciem, propere
fertur, filios (fi fieri poffit) in gratiam reductura.
joc. X EUX Agave, facinus horrendum, manu

Qua fecerat, geftavit; & fpolium tulit
Cruenia nati Msenas in partes dati. 3^5
Fecit fcelus, fed mifera noa ultra fuum
Scelus hoc cucurrit. hoc leve eft, quod fum nocens;
Feci nocentes. hoc quoque etiamnum leve eft;
Peperi nocentes. deerat ssrumnis meis,
Ut & hoftem amarem. Eruma ter pofuit nives, 370
Et tertia jam falce decubuit Ceres,
Ut exful errat natus, & patria caret,
ProFugufque regum auxilia Grajorum rogat.
Gener eft Adrafti, cujus imperio mare,
Quod cingit Ifthmon, regitur. hie gentes fuas, 375
.Septemque fecum regna ad auxilium trahit
Generi. quid optem, quidve decernam, hand fcio.
Regnum repofcit. caufa repetentis bona eft;
Mala, fie petentis. vota quse faciam parens?
Utrumque natum video, nil poffum pie 380
Pietate falva facere. quodcunque alteri
Opfabo nato, fiet alterius malo.
Sed uti-umque qamvis diligam affecflu pari;
Quo caufa melior, forfque deterior trahit,
Inclinat animus, femper infirmo favens, 385
Miferos magis fortuna conciliat fuis.
NUNT. Regina, dum tu flebiles queftus cies,
Terifque tempus, tota nudatis ftetit
Acies in armis. asra jam bellum cient,
Aquilaque pugnam fignifer mota vocat. 390
Septena reges bella difpofiti parant.
Animo pari Cadmea progenies fubit.
Curfu citato miles hinc illinc ruit.
Vide, ut atra nubes pulvere abfcondat diem,
Fumoque fimiles campus in coelum erigat 395
Nebulas, equeftri fradta quas tellus pede
Submittit: &, fi vera metuentes vident,
lufefta fulgent figna: fubredlis adeft
Frons prima telis aurea clai-um nota
:
Nomen ducum vexilla piafcriptum ferunt. 400

I,redde amorem fratribus, pacem omnibus;
Et impia arma mater oppofita impedi.
Lines 363-4=] PHCENISS^. 171
ACT III.
Part of this tragedy is lost (the commencement).
JOCASTA-ANTIGONE-MESSENGER.
Jocasta from the report that the armies of the brothers
are drawn up against each other in battle array, is
summoned hastily, and if it were possible to be done,
tries her utmost to reconcile the brothers.
JOCASTA.
AGAVE, in a happy mood enough, carried her abomin-

able crime, in the hand that had committed it, and
she (a Msenad of Bacchus) the sanguinary mother,
held up as a trophy affixed to her Thyrsus the mangled
remains of her Son (Pentheus). (See First Act, line 16 at
sqq.) She committed a crime in the first instance, but
tms one crime of hers did not lead on to others this is
trivial compared with mine Because I am criminal my-
1
self, I make others criminal ; this likewise, so far is a light

offence, but I was the means of bringing forth criminals,
but this much was wanting in my budget of misery, that
I should even love my enemy (Polynices). Winter has
deposited her snows three times, and the third year's
harvest has been laid low, with the sickle, since my son
PoljTiices, wandered abroad as an exile and vanished
from his native soil, and now that same exile is enlist-
ing the Grecian kings, as auxiliaries. He
is a son-in-law of
Adrastus by whose sway the sea which girts the isthmus
of Corinth is governed this king is drawmg in an alliance
with his own subjects, those of seven other kingdoms, to
re-inforce the army of this son-in-law What I wish for
1
and what I shall determine to do, I know not. Polynices

seeks for the kingdom again, the reason for seeking for it
thus is excusable enough, but obviously, reprehensible as
to the in which he seeks to attain his object!
mode, How
can I,as a parent, wish either of them success, on each
side of me, I behold a son, I can do nothing conscien-
tiously, which could render justice to both, what I would
desire in favor of one son, would resolve itself as an
injury towards the other But although I love them both
1
with equal alfection, my heart, which always takes the

side of the weaker, inclines me towards the one whose
cause is just, at the same time that it attracts me to that
one whose lot is the harder Fortune induces us to sym-
!
pathize with the miserable, and all the more when asso-
ciated with the ties of kindred.
S
!
ANT. Perge, parens, &

concita celerem gradum;
Compefce ferrum excute.
tela, fratribus
Nudum inter enfes peftus infeftos tene. 40S
Aut folve beJlum, mater, aut prima excipe.
JOC. Ibo, ibo, & armis obvium opponam caput.
Stabo inter arma. petere qui fratrem volet,
Petat ante matrem. tela, qui fuerit pius,
Rogante ponat matre: qui nou eft pius, 41
Incipiat a me. fervidos juvenes anus
Tenebo nullum tefte me fiet nefas.
Aut fi aliquod & me tefte committi poteft,
Non fiet unum
ant. Signa coUatis micant
Vicina fignis: clamor hoftilis fremit: 41
Scelus in propinquo eft occupa, mater, preces.
;
Et ecce motos fletibus credas meis;

Sic agmen armis fegne compofitir venit.
'
Procedit acies tarda, fed properant duces.
JOC. Quis me procellae turbine infanse vehens 420
Volucer per auras ventus aetherias aget?
Quse Sphinx, vel atra nube fubtexens diem
Stymphalis, avidis prsepetem pennis feret?
Aut quse per altas sris rapiet vias
Harpy ia, fsevi regis ohfervans famem? 425
Et inter acies projiciet raptam duas?
NUNT. Vadit furenti firoilis, aut etiam furit;
MESS. Ohl Queen Why dost thou trouble thyself,

1
with these mournful reflections, and fritter_ away the time

The entire army is marching onwards with their glitter-
ing swords already the war-trumpet rouses them to action,
and the standard-bearers with the Eagles waving to and
fro in the air give notice of the impending battle. The
seven kings having so disposed their battalions, are getting
ready, as it were, for the seven-strong encounter the sons
of Cadmus have entered upon the campaign with equal
martial determination! Here, there, everywhere, the sol-
diers are rushing on precipitately with a rapid advance
Observe how the sky is becoming black with the whirl-
winds of dust and how the day-light is becoming obscured,
and the field of battle raises volumes of clouds like smoke,
towards the heavens, which, the ground being broken up,
by the hoofs of the cavalry, is made to send up, and if
those that are timid or flurried will only take the trouble
to observe attentively, they can behold the warlike banners
which are being proudly displayed The front rank is
advancing with their arrows half-raised, and the standards
bear the names of the generals, inscribed on them, accom-
panied with some sort of glaring device set forth in gold 1
Go thou and induce a feeling of fraternal love with the

! !
Lines 403-4=7] PHCENISS^. 173
belligerent brothers, and thus insure peace for all and as

a mother standing forth with unflinching courage between
thy sons, stay their impious strife!
ANT. Go, Oh! Parent; hurry onwards thy departure

and appease their angry strife, and putting aside their
weapons dash them from the hands of the brothers, and
present thy naked breast between their angry swords:
put thou an end to this war, or be thou a sacrifice ! first
joc.
I will go I will go and present my head, as
they deal their strokes and I will stand between their
hostile swords so that the one that Is seeking the brother
for a target, shall make a target of his own mother !The
one, who proves his affection will put aside his weapon
at his mother's earnest entreaties the one who proves
himself the reverse shall begin with me IAs an old
woman, I will hold back the raging boys, and no fratricidal
crime shall have me as an eye-witness ; or if any work
of slaughter is capable of being committed, with me for
an eye-witness, it shall not be limited to that solitary
deed, for I myself will perish too
ANT. The standards are now closing in! they are

joining batdet The warlike din of the hostile forces is
distinctly heard, as the opposing armies clash Crime is
!
not now far off mother, let them give ear to thy prayers,
and take my word for it, thou mayst rely on their being
wrought upon by thy tears! The army is tardy in its
advance, is now meeting with the opposing battalions
The battle is progressing slowly, but the generals seem
to be hurrying forward impetuously!
JOC. What wind wafting me in the whirlings of a violent

tempest, will hurry me quickly through the aerial regions ?
What Sphinx will be of some service to me ? Or, what,
representative from amongst the Stymphalidas, that darken
the day, as with a black cloud, will swiftly bear me hence
on its eager wings ? or which of the three Harpies, that
take such morbid delight at the craving hunger of the
cruel King, Phineus, will conduct me along the paths of
the lofty sky, and after seizing me up, will eventually
throw me forwards between the two armies?
MESS. She, Jocasta, is starting off like a mad woman,

or she is in reality mad, just as the swift arrow shot forth
by some Parthian marksman is urged on to its destination,
or as the ship is caught in a heavy squall, and is pressed
174 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 4^8-456
Sagitta qualis Parthica velox manu

Excuffa fertur; qualis infano ratis
Premente vento rapitur; aut qualis cadit 43
Delapfa coelo ftella, cum ftringens polum
Reftam citatis ignibus rumpit viam;
Attonita curfu fugit, & binas ftatim
Diduxit acies. vi<5ia materna prece
Hfere bella, jamque in altemam necem 435
mine & hinc mifcere cupientes manum,
Vibrata dextra tela fufpenfa tenent.
Paci favetur. omnium ferrum latet
Ceffatque tedium, vibrat in fratrum manu.
Laniata canas mater oftendit comas; 440
Rogat abnuentes: irrigat fletu genas.
Negare matri, qui din dubitat, poteft.
ACTUS QUARTUS.
JOCASTA, POLYNICES, ETEOCLES.
Jocafta utrumque filium ferio precatur, ut fimultate pofita
in gratiam & amorem redire velinL Polynices
impie refpondet.
joc.
T
JIn me arma & ignes vertite. in me omnis ruat
Unam juventus; quaeque ab Inacbio venit
Animofa muro; quseque Thebana ferox 445
Defcendit arce. civis atque hoftis fimul
Hunc petite ventrem, qui dedit fratres viro.
Haec membra paffim fpargite, ac divellite:
Ego utrumque peperi. p6nitis ferrum ocius?
An dice, & ex quo.'' dexteras matri date. 450
Date, dum pise funt. error invitos adhuc
Fecit nocentes. omne Fortunae fuit
Peccantis in nos crimen, hoc primum nefas
Inter fcientes geritur. in veftra manu eft,
Utrum velitis. fandla fi pietas placet, 455
Donate matrem pace, fi placuit fcelus,
onwards through the waves, or as a meteor, (falling star)

descending 'from the skies approaches the earth with
extreme velocity, and the igneous matter thrown off,
brushes the air, as it forces its progress, in any direction
it may take, so Jocasta quite beside herself flies along
wfll all speed and immediately places herself between
the two opposing armies; which being prevailed upon
by her maternal entreaties, the fighting ceases! just as
they were most bent on dealing their blows right and-
! I
Lines 4=8-456] PHCENISS^. 17s
left foreach other's destruction, and now they hold their

weapons aloof, balanced in their right hands All are in
favor of peace IEvery one else assumes a pacific attitude,
and sheathes his sword! but they are still flourished,
menacingly, in the hands of the brothers, and the mother
tearing down her hair, displays her hoary locks she
implores them, but they refuse to listen she bathes her
face with tears, to think that where hesitation once seemed
to prevail at first should at last end in a mother's being
denied any eificacy arising out of her entreaties
ACT IV.
JOCASTAPOLYNICESETEOCLES.
Jocasta entreats the brothers most suppliantly that they
should put away their mutual hatred, and return to
the paths of reconciliation and affection; Polynices
gives an unnatural reply.
JOCASTA.
TURN the and sword on me,

fire
young warriors make a rush
the brave
me alone and what-
at
let all
ever combatants have marched from the city of

Iijachus, or whosoever else, led on by their youthful
ferocity, have come down from the Theban citadel armed
citizens and soldiers, alike seek out my
body, the body,
that has borne such brothers to a husband, scatter and
tear asunder these limbs of mine in every direction
brought forth both of you, but shall I tell you by whom ?
therefore insert thy swords quickly 1
Give thy right hands
to thy mother, give them whilst they are yet unpolluted
by a brother's blood Blind ignorance hitherto has made
1
us (thy father and myself) the unconscious instruments

of crime, all the evils of an unjust lot have been visited
upon us this crime, however, is the first which thou wouldst
1
have committed with full consciousness of thy wrong acts.

The crime is at thy own option, commit it if thou wishest,
but if the sacredness of filial affection is felt by thee
both, make thy mother happy if not a greater crime is
ready at thy hand, thy mother interposes herself between
thee, either stop the war or kill me, who am now delaying
thy warlike domgs! To which son shall, I the anxious
mother, first address my alternate entreaties? Which of
you shall I, wretched as I am, embrace the first? I am
attracted towards both of you with equal love One of !
176 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lin 457-498
Majus paratum eft media fe opponit parens.

Proinde bellum toUite, aut belli morain.
SoUicita nunc cui mater altema prece
Verba admovebo? mifera quem ampledlar prius? 460
In utramque partem ducor affecflu pari.
Hie abfuit. fed pafta fi fratrum valent,
Nunc alter aberiL ergo jam nunquam duos,
Nifi videbo? junge complexus prior,
fic,
Qui tot labores totque perpeffus mala, 4^5

Longo parentem feffus exfilio vides.
Accede propius. elude vagina impium
Enfem; & trementem jamque cupientem excuti
Haftam folo defige. maternum tuo
Coire peiftus peftori clypeus vetat. 47
Hunc quoque repone. vinculo frontem exue,
Tegimenque capitis trifle belligeri leva,
Et ora matri redde. quo vultus refers,
Acieque pavida fratris obfervas manum?
Affufa totum corpus amplexu tegam. 475
Tuo cruori per meum fiet via.
Quid dubius haeres? an times matris fidem?
POL. Timeo: nihil jam jura naturae valent.
Poft ifla fratrum exempla, ne matri quidem
Fides habenda efl. joc. Redde jam capulo manum, 480
Adftringe galeam, lava fe clypeo ingerat;
Dum frater exarmatur, armatus mane.
Tu pone ferrum, caufa qui es ferri prior.
Si pacis odium efl, furere fi belle placet,
Inducias te mater exiguas rogat, 485
Ferat ut reverfo pofl fugam nato ofcula,
Vel prima, vel fuprema. dum pacem peto,
Audite inermes: ille te, tu ilium times;
Ego utrumque, fed pro utroque. quid ftridlum abnuis
Recondere enfem? qualibet gaude mora. 490
Id gerere bellum cupitis, in quo eft optimum
Vinci, vereris fratris infefti dolos?
Quoties neceffe eft fallere, aut falli a fuis,
Patiare potius ipfe, quam facias, fcelus.
Sed ne verere: mater infidias & hinc, 495
Et rurfus illinc abiget. exore, an patri
Invideo veftro? veni, ut arcerem nefas,
An ut viderem propius? hie ferrum abdidit
you has been absent (Polynices), if the treaty between

the brothers to hold good, the other will now go
is still
away; I wonder therefore, if I shall ever see you two
brothers otherwise than I see you now, in open warfare
with each other Let the one, therefore, who has under-
!
gone so many and misfortunes and who now

diflSculties
sees his mother, wearied out with his long exile! be the
Lines 457-498] PHCENISS^. 177
first to meet my embrace ; come nearer, return thy wicked

sword to its sheath and put aside that trembling spear
already eager, to be employed, and stick it into the ground;
thy shield, too, prevents my
maternal bosom from meeting
thme in affectionate conjunction, put that aside also.
Remove thy helmet, relieve thy warlike head of that
awful appendage, and turn thy unencumbered face to-
wards thy Mother! Why
dost thou direct thy glances,
and watch the hand of thy brother with such an anxious
lookl I will cover thy entire body with my close em-
brace, and the road to thy blood shall be that shall pass
through mine Why dost thou hesitate, as if thou doubt-
1
edst It? Or dost thou question a mother's sincerity?
POL. I do doubt ; the laws of Nature are now of no

avail after the example shown by two brothers, no trust
can be reposed even in a mother!
joc. Turn thy hand, now towards the hilt of thy sword,
fasten on thy warlike helmet, and arrange thy shield on
the left side, and remain accoutred, whilst thy brother
casts, aside his military appendages Thou, Eteocles, put
aside thy blade, for thou art the original cause of this
appeal to the sword, if thou entertamest such an un-
conquerable dislike for peace, and nothing pleases thee
but fighting, thy mother asks thee for a short truce and
that my son having returned from his mother's exile,
may receive a mother's kisses for the first or perhaps the
last time! Whilst I am seeking for a temporary peace,
listen to me both of you, unarmed! Eteocles, Polynices
fears thee, and thou fearest Polynices and I fear you both,
that is, I fear for you both! Why dost thou refuse to
restore that drawn sword to its scabbard! Glory in thy
reluctance, as much as thou likest, thou dost want it, I
see to continue the struggle, in which, in sooth, it will
redound to thy advantage to be overcome, rather than to
be victorious. Dost thou fear any treasonable designs on
the part of thy brotiber? As often as there must be a
necessity for perfidy, or to suffer from perfidy at the
hands of others, it is far better, to suffer from its effects,
than to commit another great crime in order to correct
if, but do not fear, thy mother will shield thee from
treachery. Thou on the one side and the brother as well
on the other; am I to obtain what I ask by these en-
treaties of mine? am I to envy the lot that has fallen to
thy father? I have come, that I may banish crime, and
not that I should see it drawing nigher to me! (To Po-
lynices) Eteocles has sheathed his sword and, leaning on
his spear, is merely idly watching the arms he has
Reclinis haftse, & anna defixa incubant.

Ad te preces nunc, nate, matemas feram, 500
Sed ante lacrimas. teneo longo tempore
Petita votis ora. te, profugum folo
Patrio, penates regis externi tegunt:
Te maria tot diverfa, tot cafus vagum
Egere: non te. duxit in thalamos parens 5S
Comitata primos, nee fua feftas manu
Omavit sedes, nee fua laetas faces
Vitta revinxlt. dona non auri & graves
Gazas focer, non arva, non urbes dedit.
Dotale bellum eft. hoftium es faftus gener, 510
Patria remotus, hofpes alieni laris,
Externa confecutus, expulfus tuis,
Sine crimine exful. ne quid e falis tibi
Deeffet patemis, hoc quoque ex illis babes,
Erraffe thalamis. nate, poft multos mihi 5 '5
Remiffe foils; nate, fufpenf metus
Et fpes parentis, cujus afpeftum Deos
Semper rogavi; cum tuus reditus mihi
Tantum effet erepturus adventu tuo.
Quantum daturus; quando pro te defmam, 5^
Dixi, timere.' dixit irridens Deus,
Ipfum timebis. nempe, nifi bellum foret.
Ego te carerem: nempe, fi tu non fores,
Bello carerem. confpecSus datur
trifle
Pretium tui, durumque: fed matri placet. 5^5
Hinc modo recedant arma, dum nullum nefas
Mars faevus audet. hoc quoque eft magnum nefas,
Tam prope fuiffe. ftupeo, &
exfanguis tremo,
Cum ftare fratres hinc & hinc video duos
Sceleris fub idlu. membra quaifantur metu. 53
Quam psene mater majus afpexi nefas,
Quam quod mifer videre non potuit paler!
Licet timore facinoris tanti vacem,
Videamque jam nil tale, fum infelix tamen,
Quod pgsne vidi. per decem menfium graves 535
Uteri labores, perque pietatem inclitaa
Precor fororis, & per irati fibi
Genas parentis; fcelere quas nuUo nocens.
laid is to thee now, Oh

aside It my
sonl that I tender
I
my entreaties as well as the tears I have shed before ; I

now behold the face, which for so long a time, has been
my eager wish to see thee, an exile from thy native
country, the household gods of a strange king have given
thee an asylum, thou hast passed thy time as a wanderer
over many seas and through many misfortunes. No
mother at thy side, regulated the preliminaries of thy
marriage No mother to conduct thee to the nuptial

chamber, no mother adorned thy dwelling with festive
decorations, no mother has affixed the sacred wreaths to
the nuptial torches which usually crown with joy the
marriage ceremony! Thy father-in-law has given thee no
presents of gold or other valuable treasures, no lands,
no city even as a dowry, but war, simply war has been
thy only marriage settlement, thou hast been made the
son-in-law of our enemy, transported from thy own country,
the guest of an alien household, and expelled from thy
own family, thou hast allied thyself with the fortunes of
strangers, an exile without any fault of thine own, and
lest anything should be spared thee, arising out of thy
paternal destiny, thou certainly canst lay claim to this
particular one, Thou hast made a great mistake in marriage 1
(like the marriage of herself with GEdipus.) Oh my son

I 1
returned to me after so long a time. Oh! my dear son,

the hope and anxious care of thy parent, for a sight
of whom I have often prayed to the Gods, when lo thy !
return to me is only to snatch thyself away, when thou didst

return When I asked, when I should cease to entertain
apprehensions regarding thee, the God in a jeering tone
only replied some day thou wilt have reason to fear on
his account! In effect, unless this war had arisen, I should
still have not seen thee, but as it has taken place, if thou
wert not here, I should not witness this war, a sad cruel price
is being paid for seeing thee, but cruel as is this awful
price, it pleases me, so long as I do see thee! Only let
arms be in abeyance, now, whilst cruel Mars dares to
incite no more crime! It is, however, a great crime in
itself, for things to have been so nearly approaching
crime even ! 1 am quite stupefied, and I tremble and
turn pale, when I see two brothers standing face to face
on the brink of crime, my limbs are paralyzed with
fear How nearly I as a mother have witnessed a crime,
more heinous even in my eyes, than that which their
miserable father could not tolerate to look upon! It is
only just, tiiat I should escape being an eye-witness, to
such abominable wickedness, and I should never have
beheld the like, I am miserable at the thought of how
nearly I did see it! Oh! Polynices! I conjure thee by
the ten months I carried thee with pain and suffering
in my womb (they reckoned utero-gestation at ten months
then, lunar reckoning). The spotless purity of thy sister
by the disabled eyes of thy father, which he, by his think-
ing himself criminal, but in reality being innocent, tore
out of their sockets, exacting them as a cruel penance
for an imaginary offence, avert these cruel flames from
thy native city, turn back the standards of thy bellicose
i8o SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 539-581
Erroris a fe dira fupplicia exigens,

Haufit; nefandas moenibus patriis faces 54
Averte; figna bellici retro agmiDis
Fle<5te. ut recedas, magna pars fceleris tamen
Veftri para(51:a eft. vidit hoftili grege
Campos repleri patria, fulgentes procul
Armis catervasi: vidit equitatu levi 545
Cadmea frangi prata, & excelfos rotis
Volitare proceres; igne flagrantes trabes
Fumare, cineri quae petunt noftras domos;
Fratrefque (facinus quod novum & Thebis fuit)
In fe ruentes. totus hoc exercitus, 550
Hoc utrinque populus omnis, hoc vidit foror,
Genitrixque vidit: nam pater debet fibi.
Quod ifta non fpeflavit. occurrat tibi
Nunc CEdipus: quo judice, erroris quoque
Poense petuntur. ne, precor, ferro erue 555
Patriam, ac penatesj neve, quas regere expetis,
Everte Thebas. quis tenet mentem furor?
Patriam petendo perdis. ut fiat tua.
Vis effe nuUam? quin tuae caufae nocet'
Ipfum hoc, quod armis uris infeftis folum, 560
Segetefque aduftas ftemis, & totos fugam
Edis per agros. nemo fie vaftat fua.
Quae corripi igne, quae meti gladio' jubes,
Aliena credis? rex fit e vobis uter,
Manente regno, quasrite. haec telis petes 565
Flammifque tecta? poteris has Amphionis
Quaifare moles? nulla quas ftruxit manus,
Stridente tardum machina ducens onus;
Sed convocarus vocis & citharae fono
Per fe ipfe turres venit in fummas lapis. 570
Haec faxa franges vidor? hinc fpolia auferes,
Vin6lofque duces patris aequales tui?
Matres ab ipfo conjugum raptas finu
Saavus catena miles impofita trahet?
Ut adulta virgo mixta captivo gregi 575
Thebaua nuribus munus Argolicis eat?
An & ipfa palmas vin(5la poft tergum datas
Mater triumphi praeda fratemi vehar?
Potefne cives laetus exitio datos
Videre paffim? mcenibus caris potes 580
Hoftem admovere? fanguine & ilamma potes
followers; but although thou recedest, a great portion of

the mischief has already been perpetrated thy country
beholds the fertile plains overrun by hostile bands, at a
distance, the troops proclaiming their presence with their
glittering arms, it beholds the Theban meads, broken up,
trodden down by the light horsemen, the Chiefs and
!
Nobles dashing along in their chariots, the houses smoking

from conflagrations already set in, and which threaten
to destroy the homesteads and reduce them to ashes 1
And the brothers rushing madly upon each other; but

alas! What crime can be a novelty to unhappy Thebes 1
The assembled forces have witnessed all this, and the

entire population and thy sister have seen it, and I
the miserable mother am included amongst the spec-
tators! For the father is indebted to himself (loss of his
sight) that he has not seen these things, and, CEdipus, it
will now occur to thy mind, by what dispensation, the
punishment of an error even is sometimes visited! Do
not I entreat thee, ruin thy country and thy household
gods, nor destroy that Thebes which thou art now
aspiring to govern! What madness possesses thy mind,
that in thy endeavours to gain a country, thou must
destroy it, in order that a country may be thine, dost
thou wish that it should not exist! But all this kind of
thing only injures thy own cause, in as much as thou
burnest up the soil, wherever thy destructive soldiery
go, thou throwest down the standing com, just as it is
getting ripe, and thou bringest about a universal flight
throughout the entire land, no sensible man devastates
his own property, or is it, that what thou believest belongs
to another, thou must order to be destroyed by fire, or
mown down by the sword! Seek to decide, which, of
the two, is to be the king, whilst there remains anything
at all in the shape of a kingdom ! Shalt thou search out
for the palaces with fire and sword ? Canst thou possibly
desire to demolish the walls raised by Amphion ? Which
no hand of man struggling with the burden, slowly moved
even by loud-sounding machinery, could ever have built up
But the stones themselves, wrought upon by the enchant-
ing influence of Amphion's voice, and the sweet melodies
from his lyre, of their own accord, mounted to the loftiest
towers Wilt thou as the conqueror, dare to destroy those
!
walls ? Dost thou propose to retire loaded with spoils,

and with chiefs as old as thy own father, manacled as
prisoners? Will the merciless trooper drag along, bound
in chains, mothers torn away from the arms of fneir hus-
bands? WUl the Theban Virgin of ripe age, mixing
indiscriminately with the rougher captives, go forth to be
presented to the matrons of Argos? Or shall I as a
mother, be carried off, bound with my hands behind my
back, together with the other booty resulting from a
brother's triumph? Is it possible that thou canst witness
with exultation, the carrying off, at every turn, of the
citizens into exile? Canst thou placidly allow the enemy
to encamp, within those sacred walls? Is it thy wish to
i82 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 582-6=6
Implere Thebas? tam ferum & durum geris

Sffivumque in iras peftus, & nondum imperas?
Quid fceptra facient? pone vefanos, precor,
Animi tumores, teque pietari refer. 585
POL. Ut profugus errem femper? ut patrla arcear,
Opemque gentis hofpes externae fequar?
Quid paterer aliud, fi fefelliffem fidem.
Si pejeraffem? fraudis alienae dabo
Poenas; at ille prsemium fcelerum feret? 590
Jubes abire. matris imperio obfequor.
Da, quo revertar. regia frater mea
Habitet fuperbus; parva me abfcondat cafa:
Hanc da repulfo. liceat exiguo lare
Penfare regnum. conjugi donum datus 595
Arbitria thalami dura felicis feram,
Humilifque focerum lixa dominantem fequar?
In fervitutem cadere de regno, grave eft.
joc. .Si regna quseris, nee poteft fceptro manus
Vacare fsevo; multa, quae poiTunt peti 600
In orbe toto, quselibet tellus dabit.
Hinc nota Baccho Tmolus attollit juga,
Qua lata terris fpatia frugiferls jacent.
Et qua trahens opulenta Paflolus vada
Inundat auro rura. uec laetis minus 605
Mseandros arvis fle<5lit errantes aquas,
Rapidufque campos fertiles Hebrus fecat.
Hinc grata Cereri Gargara, & dives folum
QuoH Xanthus ambit nivibus Idssis tumens:
Hinc, qua relinquit nomen lonii maris, 610
Fauces Abydi Seftos oppofitse premit:
Aut, qua latus j am propior Orienti dedit,
Tutamque crebris portubus Lyciam videt:
Hsec regna ferro quaere, in hos populos ferat
Socer arma fortis: has paret_ fceptro tuo 615
Tradatque gentes. hoc adhuc regnum puta
Tenere patrem. melius exfilium eft tibi,
Quam reditus ifte. crimine alieno exfulas,
Tuo redibis. melius iftis viribus
Nova regna nuUo fcelere maculata appetes. 620
Quin ipfe frater, arma comitatus tua,
Tibi militabit. vade, & id bellum gere.
In quo pater materque pugnanti tibi
Favere poffmt. regna cum fcelere, omnibus
.Sunt exfiliis graviora. nunc belli mala 625
Propone, dubias Martis incerti vices.
fill Thebes with slaughter and conflagrations? Dost thou

possess a heart so truculent and callous, so cruelly thirst-
ing for revenge, which as yet thou hast not tried to
subdue? Is all this, what sceptres can bring about?
Cast aside, I conjure thee, thy maddened swelling rage,

and betake thy heart to piety!
POL. Shall I always wander as an exile? shall I be

driven away from my native land, and as a stranger seek
the assistance of an alien country, what more could I
undergo, even if I had broken my faith, if I could have
perjured myself, as my brother, has done? Shall I be
punished for the fraud of another, whilst that other will
be reaping an absolute reward for his own wickedness 1
Thou commandest me to depart, I am ready to obey thy

mandate. Tell me to what place shall I return? Shall
my proud brother dwell in my palace, and I hide myself

away in some humble cottage arrange this for me, thus

driven away from my rights let me set up as an equivalent
for a kingdom, a small fire-side, and shall I have to bear
the odioust yranny of a well-to-do wife and be handed over
to a spouse, as a mere matrimonial appendage? and as
a humble scullion serve under a domineering father-in-
law? It is a sorry fate to fall from the height of a
kingdom iiito the depths of slavery 1
joc. If thou art in search of a kingdom, and it be

mpossible that thy hands can rest, unless they are holding

a sceptre stained with blood Any country will afford
thee many things to gratify thy ambition, and which can

be arrived at in every part of the globe not far from
here for instance. Tmolus raising its tempting summits

noted for its wine and saffron producing resources (dear
to Bacchus) where broad expanses of land are to be
seen in the most fertile districts; then again thou canst
turn to the rich plains, where the Pactolus, stretching
its opulent streams ennches the banks with its golden
sands! Nor does Nature direct the wandering course of
the Masander over less fruitful fields, nor does the rapidly
flowin|; Hebrus divide less fertile plains! Then again
there is the Gargara, famous for its corn (dear to Ceres)
and the rich land, which is watered by the winding
XanthuSj swollen with the melted snows of mount Ida I
or, thou mayst seek that part where the Ionian sea
changes its name to the Hellespont, where Sestos on the
European side opposite to Abydos on the Asiatic shore
encloses the straits! (Dardanelles) or to that part which
presents itself nearer to the East, and where Lycia is
seen to afford safe shelter to the navigators in its numerous

harbours seek out such kingdoms as these with thy sword,
thy brave father-in-law will hurl his battalions against
these people, Adrastus will prepare them for thy sceptre
and deliver such countries over to thy sovereignty, suppose
i84 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 6=7-833
Licet omne tecum Graeciae robur trahas;

Licet arma longe miles ac late explicet;
Fortuna belli femper ancipili in loco eft,
Quodcunque Mars decemit. exsequat duos, 630
Licet impares fint, gladius: & fpes & metus
Sors caeca verfat. praemium incertum petis,
Certum fcelus. Faviffe fac votis Deos
Omnes tuis: ceffere, & aveifi fugam
Petiere cives. clade funefta jaceot. 635
Obtexit agros miles. Exfultes licet,
Vidlorque fratris fpolia dejedli geras;
Frangenda palma eft. Quale tu id bellum putas.
In quo exfecraudum vi(5tor admittit nefas,
.Si gaudet? hunc, quem vincere infelix cupis, 640
Cum viceris, lugebis. infauftas, age,
Dimilte pugnas libera patriam metu,
Lu(l;u parentes. POL. Sceleris & fraudis fuas
Poeoas nefandus frater ut nuUas ferat?
JOCI Ne metue; poenas, & quidem folvet graves. 645
Regnabit. pol. Haacne eft poena? joc. Si dubitas, avo
Patrique crede. Cadmus hoc dicet tibi,
Cadmique proles, fceptra Thebarum fuit
Impune nulli gerere; nee quifquam fide
Rnpta tenebat ilia, jam numeres, licet, 650
Fratrem inter iftos. pol. Numero: & eft tanti mihi
Cum regibus jacere. joc. Te turbae exfulum
Adfcribo. regna, dummodo invifus tuis.
it is thy father, who still rules at Thebes (holds the

kingdom). Exile is better for thee, than such a return
from exile, as thou hast made' thine Exile thyself firom
I
the criminal usurpation of another. Thou wilt then be

retiu-ning, parading a crime, towards thyself, instead of
towards another It is better with such advantages in
1
thy favor that thou shouldst search out for a fresh kingdom
uncontaminated by indelible crime! But assuredly in
that case, thy brother would join himself to thy forces,
fight in thy interests Go thou, Polynices, and wage such
1
a war as that, thy father and mother could then aid

and abet thy warlike ambition. Kingdoms arrived at by
criminal means are far more onerous than the terrors of

exile Now on the other side, think to thyself, of the
evils connected with w^r, and the doubtful chances of
uncertain warfare: it might be that thou couldst manage
to attact to thy standards all the strength of Greece; it
might be, that thou wouldst, as a soldier, display thy
military tactics, far and wide, but the fortune of war is
always precarious and everything depends upon the
caprices of Mars! the sword may raise two combatants
!
Lines 627-65i] PHCENISS^. 185
to an equal footing, although one might be very much

inferior to the other and some unforeseen circumstance
might convert fear into hope and confidence into despair!
No ! In war, thou seekest an uncertain reward, but thou
attainest a certainty in the crime, which characterizes itl
Supposing that all the Gods had favored thy vows, that
the fellow-citizens having been forced to yield or having
been driven back, had sought refuge in flight; there they

are involved in a terrible ruin the soldier then hides
I
the ground from our sight, with his prostrate body

(massacred by the conqueror). Thou mightest exult if it
pleased thee, as a conqueror to take to thyself the spoils
seized from thy overthrown brother, but the victory would
be a sullied conquest In what light canst thou regard
1
a contest, in which the victor owns that it represents an

execrable crime, and then gloats over his triumph? When
thou hadst vanquished the brother, whom thou, in an
unhappy state of mind, wishest to do, thou wouldst be
sorry for it! Come, dismiss all this fighting, free thy
country from these intestine alarms and thy parents
from the sorrow caused thereby!
POL. Dost thou mean, that Eteocles should suffer no

chastisement for his wickedness and fraud?
joc. Don't thou be alarmed, he will suffer punishment,

heavy enough! He will reign!
POL. Is that then to be his only punishment?
JOC.If thou hast any misgivings on that score, per-

haps thou wilt be inclined to believe what thy grandfather
and thy own father would say about it. Cadmus would
inforrh thee, that the entire tribe of the house of Cadmus,
that the Theban sceptre has never been held by anyone
without his coming to grief Nor has anyone ever held
it without violating the compact (alternately reigning). How
is it given to you to enrol yourselves as rival brothers?
POL. I do reckon myself amongst that number, and it

is of great moment to me to rank as a king amongst
the others.
ET. I hand thee over to the rank and file of my exiled

subjects.
POL. Thou mayst reign, but it will be, with the hatred
of those, over whom thou dost reign
i86 SENECA'S TRAGP:DIES. [Lines 654-664
POL. Regnare non vult, effe qui invifus timet.

Simul ifta mundi conditor pofuit Deus, 655
Odium atque regnum. regis hoc magni reor,
Odia ifta premere. multa dominantem verat
Amor fuorum. plus in iratos licet.
Qui vult amari, languida regnet manu.
Invifa nunquam imperia retinentur diu. 660
joc. Praecepta melius imperii reges dabunt;
Exfilia tu difpone. pol. Pro regno velim
Patriam, penates, conjugem fiammis dare.
Imperia pretio quolibet, conftant bene.
Deeji, et magna pars hujui Tragceditz intercidit.
ET. To be one who dreads to reign, because he is

hated is certainly no particular inducement to sigh for
a throne, but the God, the creator of the universe, has
so arranged these matters, that hatred and power go hand
in hand ; I deem it the function of a powerful King, to
crush out every thing that opposes his will; The love of
his subjects forbids a King to rule as he ought, in many
respects, but their hatred gives him greater power to

act He who lays himself out to be loved, must rule
with a very forbearing hand!
POL. Detested rulers seldom retain their power long.
ET. Kings will, with greater success, lay down a code

to regulate their power. Thou, Polynices, canst take in
hand the management of exiles; to retain my kingdom, I
am willing to sacrifice my country, my household gods
and my wife with them to the flames a Kingdom is
worth buying, no matter what it costs!
(The rest of this Tragedy is wanting.)

HIPPOLYTUS,
6
[Lines i
DRAMATIS PERSON.?;;.
HiPPOLYTUS.
Lines 1-6] HYPPOLYTUS.
infernal regions, endeavours to overcome the chastity
of Hippolytus, who has devoted his hfe to celibacy and
selected the pursuits of a sportsman. Phaedra fails m her
attempts and when Theseus returned, the unchaste step-
niother pretends that Hippolytus her son-in-law had
violently attempted to force her to commit adultery.
Theseus, believing her story, invokes the God (Neptune)
to visit his absent son with death, for he had already
iled from his immoral home. Theseus trusts to the third
of his vows, into which he had entered, and Neptune
confirming that vow caused a sea Bull to show itself, on
the shore, as Hippolytus was passing this frightened
the horses of his chariot, and they rushed madly on,
and Hippolytus who is driving them is dragged over
rocks and briers precipitately and meets his death. But
when Phaedra was informed of" this, conscious of the
mischief she had brought upon him, she confessed to
Theseus her own guilt and the false charge she had
made, and then stabs herself with a sword. Theseus
bewailing the misfortunes of his son and despising
himself for the anger he had so unjustly shown, places
together the scattered fragments of Hippolj^tus collected
from every source (to give them becoming burial).
ACT I.
HIPPOLYTUS.
Hippolytus points out the various places eligible for the
sportsman, and instructs his attendants and fellow
lovers of the chase, in the various functions apper-
taining to hunting pursuits, and he invokes the kind
interest of the Goddess of Hunting (Diana).
out, my sporting companions surround the shady

SETwoods ;
with nets, snares and dogs with a keen scent,

and as thou wanderest forth, scour with eager strides
the lofty summits of the Cecropian mountain, and those
plains, which lie at the foot of rocky Pames, and where
the river running in a rapid stream beats upon the banks
of the Thriasian valley, climb the hills, which are always
white with the Riphaean snows; some go here, others go
there, wherever a grove is seen with its lofty alders
Wherevtn: smiling meadows are to be found Where the
gentle Z ;phyr with its dewy breath favors the growth of
the vernal grassWhere, too, the smooth Ilissus glides
;
Verberat unda; fcandite colles

Semper canos nive Riphsea.
Hac, hac alii, qua nemus alta
1
Texitur alno; qua prata jacent,
Quae rorifera mulcens aura
Zephyrus vernas evocat herbas:
Ubi per glacies lenis Hiffus,
Ubi Mseander fuper aequales
Labitur agros piger, & fteriles IS
Amne maligno radit arenas.
Vos, qua Marathon tramite Isevo
Saltus aperit; qua comitate
Gregibus parvis nodluma petunt
Pabula foetae. vos, qua tepidis 20
Subditus auftris, frigora mollit
Durus Acharuan. alius rupem
Dulcis Hymetti: parvas alius
Calcet Aphidnas. pars ilia diu
Vacat immunis, qua curvati 25
Litora ponti Sunion urgeL
Sj_!jijein_taiigitglormJilva2,
Vocat hunc PSlyeusTnic verfatur
Metus agricolis, vulnere multo
Jam notus aper. At vox laxas 3
Canibus tacitis mittite habenas:
Teneant acres lora Moloffos.
Et pugnaces tendant Creffgs
Forlia trito vincula coUo.
At Spartanos (genus eft audax 35
Avidumque ferae) nodo cautus
Propiore tempus,
liga. veniet
Cum cava faxa fonent:
latratu
Nunc demiffi nare fagaei
Captent auras, lufiraque preffo 4
Quasraut roftro dum lux dubia
: eft
Dum figna pedum rofcida tellus
Impreffa tenet; alius raras
Cervice gravi portare plagas,
Alius teretes properet laqueos. 45
Pi(5la rubenti linea penna
Vano cludat terrore feras.
'
Tibi libretur miffile telum.

Tu grave dextra laevaque fimul
Robur lato dirige ferro. 50
Tu praecipites clamore feras
Subfeffor ages: tu jam vicftor
Curvo folves vifcera cultro.
slowly along near the barren fields, or where the IVIasander,

in its tardy serpentine course, approaches places of similar
;
Lines 7-53] HIPPOLYTUS. 191
character and skims over the sterile sands 1 deposited by

that sluggish river (throwing up sand instead of mud)
Wend thy way to where the Marathon to the left of thee
opens out its forests; or in those spots where the wild
animals, having recendy brought forth, seek for their
nightly food, accompanied by their little flocks or turn
to that side where, subjected to the warm South West
wind, the hardy Acharnse is able to tone down the severity
of the cold (assisted by the rocky mountains near it)
Another detachment must explore the mountain heights
of sweet Hymettus (famous for its thyme and honey)
and another will take the small places about Aphidna;
but that part has for some time been exempt from our
sporting raids, where the promontory Sunion stretches
out its shores to the winding sea If any of you are
attracted by the exciteaient o f the chase then the woods
,
of Phlyeus will satisfytRee, here, the wild boar, so well

remembered by those who have been wounded by his
tusks, still incites the fears of the natives (husbandmen).
But some of you let loose dogs, which do their work
without alarming the game, with their barking or other
canine noises, but thou must hold in with stout thongs
the fierce Mastiff breed and the fiery Cretan hounds.
Blood-hounds will strain even strong chains, which hold
them in, and wear away the hair of their strong necks,
with their energy but when you are using the Spartan
hounds, they are courageous dogs, and very eager for

blood you must hold them in with a shortened cord
(give them less latitude) the time will soon be here, when
they will make the hollow rocks and caves resound again,
when they give tongue : after that, with their noses to the
ground, they will catch the scent, and with their heads
verily pressing the earth, they will search out every spot,
even whilst it is yet twilight, and whilst the dewy surface
still retains the imprint of the game, that have traversed
it, another portion of you will carry the larger nets, a
great load, though, for the shoulders! Another will get

ready with the finer sort of nets ; large feathers, painted
over with red marks, you will find, have a tendency to
shut in some of the wild animals, frightening them with
their novelty! then will be the time for you to discharge
your arrows you wiU at the same time have to aim your
blows vigorously with your broad sword, right and left!
Another division of you will hide in ambusn, and scare
the wild animals, in all directions with the human voice
(plentiful shouting). Then thou as a conqueror, wilt with
thy curved hunting-knife cut them open and remove the
viscera(the thorax and abdominal contents) behold!
Diana! courageous goddess, thou art always at hand for
Ades en comiti, Diva virago,

Cujus regno pars terrarum 55
Secreta vacat: cujus certis
Petitur telis fera, quae gelidum
Potat Araxen, & quse ftanti
Ludit in Iftro: tua Gaetulos
Dextra leones, tua Cretseas , 60
Sequitur cervas: nunc veloces
Figis damas leviore manu.
Tibi dant vaxise pecflora tigres,
Tibi villofi terga bifontes,
Latifque feri comibus uri. 65
Quidquid folis pafciturarvis,
Sive illud inops novit Garamas,
Sive illud Arabs divite filva,
Sive ferocis jiigo Pyrenes,
Sive Hyrbani celant faltus, 7
Vacuifque vagus Sarmata campisj
Arcus metuit, Diana, tuos.
Tua fi gratus numina cultor
Tulit in faltus; retia vindlas

Tenuere feras; nulli laqueum 75
Rupere pedes; fertur plluftro
Praeda gementi. turn roftra caues
Sanguine multo rubicunda gerunt;
Repetitque cafas ruftica longo
Turba triumpho. 80
En, Diva fignum arguti
favet.
Mifere canes, vocor in filvas,
Hac, hac pergam, qua via longum
Compenfat iter.
PH^DRA, NUTRIX.
Phaedra amore Hippolyti ardere fe fatetur apud nutricem
fruflra earn a tarn nefando amore dehortantem.
PH. V_./ MAGNA vafti Creta dominatrix freti, 85

Cujus per omne litus innumeras rates
Tenuere pontum, quidquid AiTyria tenus
a fellow-sportsman, thou whose assigned territories are in

sequestered and solitary places, by whose never-failing
arrows the wild beasts are sought out and brought to earth
wherever they may be found, whether it be those which
slacken their thirst in the cool Araxis, or those that frisk
about on the frozen Danube ; with thy certain right hand
(never failing) thou layest low the Libyan Lions, (Gaetulian)

thou, who overtakest the Cretoean Stag, wilt at one time
bring down with thy nimble hand the swift fallow deer-
then the striped tiger will offer its breast to thy weapon
as it advances to the attack the shaggy bisons will lend
their backs for thy certain aim, and the wild buffaloes
with their wide-spreading hornsl avail thyself also of
anything that is seeking its food in the deserted plains
^Whatever is noticeable in the country of the poor wander-
ing Garamantes, or anything which the Arab can offer in
his woods, abounding with spices, or on the summits of
the wild Pyrenees, or those regions which are obscured
by the Hyrcanian forests, and where the wandering
Scythian in his uncultivated plains fears thy quiver! Ohl
Mighty Diana! if any grateful hunter, who invokes thy
sda, and if thou art propitiously inclined, ventures into
the forest, the nets he prepares will hold the wild animals
securely confined, no struggling efforts with the feet will
break through the snares, and the spoil is safely borne

away on the creaking waggon then it is, that the dogs
have their noses freely tinged red with the blood of the
animals they had fastened upon with their teeth, and the
rustic party will return to their cottages with protracted

demonstrations of joy Behold! the Goddess is favorable
to the cause! Hark the knowing dogs are sending forth
a signal for us, they are barking ! We are invited to the
woods, this way! Companions, all this way! our journey
will be shortened by taking this route! (signifying the
direction they were to take).
PH^DRA-NURSE.

Phsedra confesses to her nurse that she is ardently in
love with Hippolytus, and the nurse exhorts her in
vain to desist from such a wicked amour.
Crete! thou important of a vast

ruler whose sea,
Oh!innumerable ships command the ocean, beating on
every shore, wherever Nereus carves a path for the
various tracks of the navigators as far as the Assyrian

shores Why dost thou compel me, handed over as a
.
species of hostage to repugnant household gods, married,

tied up, to an absolute enemy, and doomed to pass my
life in misery and tears! Behold! my exiled husband
remains away from me, and Theseus is still keeping faith
13
194 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lin ss-z.?
fecat;
Tellure Nereus pervium roftris
datam,
Cur me in penates obfidem iavifos y
Hoftique nuptam, degere statem in mails
Lacrimifque cogis? profugus en conjux
abeft,
Praftatque nupte, quam folet,

Thefeus fidem.
Fortis per altas invii retro
lacus
Vadit tenebras miles audacis proci;
Solio ut revulsam regis inferni
abftrahat, 95
Perijit furoris focius. baud
ilium timor,
Pudorque tennit. ftupra & illicitos toros
Acheronte in imo quserit Hippolyti pater.
Sed major alius incubat mceftse dolor.
Non me quies noilurna, non altus fopor loo
Solvere curis: alitur & crefcit malum,
Et ardet intus; qualis ^tnieo vapor
Exundat antro. Palladis telse vacant,
Et inter ipfas penfa labuntur manus.
Non colere donis templa votivis libet; 105
Non inter aras, Atthidum mixtam choris,
Ja(5lare tacitis confcias facris faces;
Nee adire caftis precibus aut ritu pio
Adjudicatse prsefidem terrse Deam.
Juvat excitatas confequi curfu feras, no
Et rigida moUi gaefa jaculari manu.
Quo tendis, anime? quid feens faltus amas?
Fatale miferae matris agnofco malum.
Peccare nofter novit in filvis amor. ,
Genitrix, tui me miferet: infando malo 115

Correpta, pecoris efiferi fsevum ducem
Audax amalli. torvus, impatiens jugi,
Adulter ille, duftor indomiti gregis.
Sed amabat aliquid. quis meas miferae Deus,
Aut quis juvare Daedalus flammas queat? 120
Non, fi ille remeet arte Mopfopia potens,
Qui noilra casca monftra concluCt domo,
Promittat uUam cafibus noftris opem.
Stirpem perofa Soils invifi Venus,
Per nos catenas vindicat Martis fui, 125
Suafque. probris omne Phcebeum genus
Onerat nefandis. nulla Minois levi
with his wife after the old fashion, promising to come

back As the valiant companion of a venturesome love-
!
making adulterer Pirithous, he starts off through the realms

of darkness to that relentless river, whence there is no
return (The Styx) in order that he may forcibly abduct
Proserpine from the throne of the King of Hell the con-
spirator in this mad scheme is persevering No fear pos-
sesses him no,seDse.gfsh3}g, and this father of Hippolytus

is on the look-out in the depths of Acheron, for an

opportunity to practise his lustful propensities and to
overcome the chastity of Proserpine But another distress
still greater sits on my troubled mind ; quiet repose

know me not no welcome sleep visits me to relieve my
oppressed mind, bowed down by my anxieties and the 1
mischief is being nursed and is waxing stronger, and I

am burning inwardly, much in the same way, that the
smoke of ^tna is nourished by the flaming caverns
below 1 The knitting and weaving work as taught by
Minerva is completely set aside, and the wools no sooner
than they are taken up, slip from my fingers It is not
allowed to me to propitiate the Goddess of Chastity in
her temples, and mixing in the company of the Attic
Matrons at the altars, to brandish my guilty torches
amidst the Eleusinian ceremonies, nor to approach with
chaste prayers, and pious observances, the Deity that
presides in the realms subject to her jurisdiction No it I
pleases me more to pursue the terrible wild animals, as

they take to flight; in the company of Hippolytus and to
hurl the weighty javelin from my gentle hand But why
rave I thus, Ohl my soul? Why do I hanker so madly
after the forests ? it calls to my mind the fatal misfortune
which befell my miserable mother; our criminal amours
were both conducted in these fatal woods 1 Ohl my
mother as thy daughter, have compassion on my crime
1 I
for thou, incited by some criminal passion, wert bold

enough to be enamoured with the fierce leader of the
herd (The Bull given to Minos by Neptune), but though
fierce and impatient of restraint, that practical adulterer,
although only the head of an indomitable flock, was sus-
ceptible of the influence of the fatal passion1 What deity
art thou, who comest to me in my misery? Or what
Daedalus will be able to assist me in restraining the
consequences of my ardent passion? Nol even if he
were to come to my aid, with all the contrivances and
labyrinths arising out of the Mopsopian skill (Daedalus
hailed from Attica, where Mopsopus was King), although
he did shut up far from mortal gaze the monster that
emanated from our racel Could even he, alas, promise
any alleviation tomy miseries? Could even, alas Venus,
I
assist us she who hates the entire progeny of Phoebus and

?
who is only too ready to avenge herself upon us ; as a

set-off, for her own amorous entanglements with Mars, she
saddles them with everything, that is infamous to the whole
race f if Phcebus (Phoebus detected Mars and Venus during
an amour) and gives out that no amour of a legitimate
charaf ter could be boasted of by any of us, but what was
alwayj aôciated with some indelible crime 1 I
;
ig6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 128-16^
Defundla amore eft. jungitur femper nefas.

NUTR. Thefea coniux, clara progeoies Jovis, _
'3-
Nefanda cafto pecftore exlurba ocius:
Exftingue flammas; neve te dirae fpei
Prabe obfequentem. Quifquis in pnmo obftitit
Pepulitque amorem, tutus ac viftor fuit.
Qui blandiendo dulce nutrivit malum,
Sero recufat ferre, quod fubiit, jugum.
135
Nee me fugit, quam durus, & veri infolens,
:Ad recfta fle<fli regius nolit tumor.
Quemcunque dederit exitum cafus, feram.
Fortem fenem.
facit vicina libertas
Obftare primum nee labi via:
eft velle,
140
Pudoi- eft fecundus, noffe peccandi modum.
Quo, mifera, pergis? quid domum infamem aggravas,
Superafque matrem? majus eft monftro nefas.
Nam monftra fate, moribus fcelera imputes.
Si, quod maritus fupera non cemit loca, 145
Tutum effe facinus credis, & vacuum metu;
Erras. teneri crede Lethaeo abditum
Thefea piofundo, & ferre perpetuam Styga.
Quid ille, lato maria qui regno premit,
Populifque reddit jura centenis pater, IS'
Latere tantum facinus occultum fmet?
Sagax parentum eft cura. credamus tamen
Aftu doloque tegere nos tantum nefas.
Quid ille rebus lumen infundens fuum
Matris parens? quid ille, qui miindum quatit, 155
Vibrans corufca fulmen ^tnffium manu,
Sator Deorum? credis hoc poffe effici,
iDter videntes omnia ut lateas avos?
Sed, ut fecundus numinum abfcondat favor
Coitus nefandos, utque contingat ftupro 160
Negata magnis iceleribus femper fides:
Quid poena pra;fens, confcias mentis pavor.
NUR. Oh wife of Theseus! illustrious progeny of Jupiter,

!
expel at once all criminal thoughts from thy chaste mind

conquer thy ardent passions, and do not give thyself up,
'
without a struggle, to these wicked desires
_
whoever
1
' resolutely' opposes illicit love, and checks it in the bud,

what a happily-secured conqueror that person is On the
1

contrary she who encourages a wicked passion, because
it is pleasant and does her best to deceive herself, and
whilst desirous to give up the task upon which she has
entered, sometimes finds that it is too late to be easily i
accomplished Nor does it escape my conviction, how

royal pride inaccessible to usual influences and unaccjtstom-
ed to hear the truth at all times, is anything but villing
to be turned into the right path, when once it had swerved

from it I Whatever ending this businessmay have, I am
willing to subscribe to it (endorse it). Thou seest, my time
is nearly up, my approaching enfranchisement (freedom)
is nigh, and this makes an old woman like myself speak
out 1 The first step for the honorable mind to encou!rage
is to be willing to remove an evil and do not let the
opportunity for so doing shp from thy grasp ; the second
stage of honor would necessarily be, to learn the fuU
extent of that evil! To what art thou tending in thy
miserable frame of thought? Why dost thou aggravate
the evil which still attaches to thy house (race)? or art
thou endeavouring to surpass thy mother in crime? thy
sin would be greater than even the "monster" crime!
For thou must put the "monster" crime' down to fatel
thy wickedness thou couldst trace to nothing but thy own
foul inclinations! If thy husband does not see what is
going on in the upper world (I^heseus is away in the
Infemal regions), dost thou believe that the crime could
be kept away from his knowledge with any degree of
certainty, and that, under any circumstances, that he would
not entertain grave apprehensions as to the true character
of the crime ? If thou supposest otherwise, thou art mis-
taken dost thou believe that Theseus will remain hidden
:
in the depths of Hell, and have to put up with his Stygian

prison for evermore ? And what will he say (Minos) who
rules the seas in that wide kingdom, that father who
administers the laws to hundreds of nations? Will he
permit a crime of such magnitude to remain undiscovered ?
The principal function of a parent is to exercise especial
vigilance and care as regards his offspring, and to take
care too, that he is not in any way the victim of decep-
tion But we may take it for granted that we shall never
1
be able to conceal so enormous a crime with any amount

of craft or artifices What will that maternal grandfather
!
of thine (Phoebus) think of this crime ? He that sheddeth

his penetrating rays upon the things of this world! What,
too, will thy fraternal grandfather (Jupiter) the ruler of
all the Gods, think? He that causes the very universe
to tremble, with the lightnings shot forth from the furnaces
of ^tna, and hurled with a hand too, of such dazzling
brightness? With such grandfathers as these seeing and
knowing all things as they do, dost thou suppose that this
matter can be so managed that thou shouldst remain
undiscovered? Dost thou think, on the contrary that a
favorable construction will be put upon such abominable
adultery, and the clemency which is always denied to all
other great crimes, should form any exception in the case
of thy adultery? What thy present suffering is, appears
igS SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lin=s i^63-=oi
Animufque culpa pleous, & femet timens?

Scelus aliqua tutum, nulla fecurum tuliL
Compefce amoris inipii flammas, precor, 165
Nefafque, quod non ulla tellus barbara
Commifit unquam, non vagus campis Geta,
Nee iahofpitalis Taurus, aut fparfus Scythes.
Expelle facinus mente caftifica horridum;
Memorque matris, metue concubitus novos. 170
Mifcere thalamos patris & nati apparas,
Uteroque prolem capere confufam Impio?
Perge, & nefandis verte naturam ignibus.
Cur monftra ceffant? aula cur fratris vacat?
Prodigia toties orbis infueta audiet, I75
Natura toties legibus cedet fuis,
Quoties amabit Creffa: ph. ,Quse memoras, fcio
Vera effe. nutrix: fed furor cogit fequi
Pejora. vadit animus in prasceps fciens,
Remeatque, fruftra fana confilia appetens. 180
Sic cum gravatam navita adverfa ratem
Propellit unda, cedit in vanum labor,
Et vi(5la prono puppis aufertur vado.
Quod ratio pofcit, vicit ac regnat furor,
Potenfque tota mente dominatur Deus. 185
Hie Volucer omni regnat in terra potens,
Ipfumque flammis torret indomitis Jovem.
Gradivus iftas belliger fenfit faces;
Opifex trifulci fulminis fenfit Deus;
Et, qui furentes femper y^tnseis jugis 190
Verfat caminos, igne tam parvo calet.
Ipfumque Phoebum, tela qui nervo regit,
Figit fagitta certior mifla Puer:
Volitatque ccelo pariter & terrae gravis,
NUTR. Deum effe Amorem, turpis & vitio favens 195
Finxit libido: quoque liberior foret,
Titulum furori numinis falfi addidit.
Natum per omnes fcilicet terras vagum
Erycina mittit. ille per ccelum volans
Proterva tenera tela molitur manu; -^ 2oqf^^^^
Regnumque tantum minimus e fuperis habet
to be the fe ar of agml tv conscie nrp nnfy, p heart steeped

in criminal desires"" aii3 dreading the stings of remorse I
Any woman may deem herself safe from punishment for
her adultery, but no woman can reckon on absolute security
against the chances of being found outl I entreat thee,
extinguish the flames of thy impious love a crime that
has never been known to be committed in lands the most

barbarous not by any of the Getse, who wander in the
plains Nor those in the wild steppes of the Taurus, or
by the wandering Scythians Drive this wicked design
I
! !
Lines 163-201] HIPPOLYTUS. igg
out of thy mind, preserve thy chastity, and think of thy

mother's fate, abhor fresh copulations and such onesl
Whyl thou art now meditating an unheard-of medley
sharing the nuptial couch with father and sonl indis-
criminately! ana about to risk an inexplicable impregna-
tion for thy adulterous womb! Go on! and invert the
very course of nature by thy criminal passion! Why
should monsters be done away with? Why should the
Jabjrrinth of thy natural brother go begging for a tenant?
As long as a Cretan woman, I suppose, desires to carry
on an amour, so long must the world be prepared to hear
of some monster's arrival, which it is unaccustomed to
behold, and so long must Nature herself act conformably
with her complications!
PH. What thou tellest me, Nurse, I know is quite true,

but my infatuation leads me to contemplate even the
worst things, my mind, although I am perfectly aware
of what I am doing, carries me away headlong and it
then, as it were, sways to and fro, seeking in vain to
follow more righteous counsels, as when the mariner is
urgine on his heavily-laden craft, against an adverse sea,
his labor is expended in vain, and his craft is driven
astern, in spite of every effort, by the obstinate tide!
What reason suggests, my infatuation overcomes, and I
continue to rage, and a very potent deity it is, I assure
thee, which exercises such perfect dominion over my mind
and its inclinations the deity I mean is that winged god,
that rules in every land, and sets the feelings of the great
Jupiter himself on fire, with his indomitable power an_d
the warlike Mars has also shown his susceptibility to the
tatal passion That God, Vulcan, the fabricator of the
!
three-forked lightning, and he, who is always keeping his

furnaces in working order on the summits of ^tna, has
himself glowed again, with the fires inspired by Cupid,
whilst Phoebus himself has been wounded by that Boy
(Cupid is always represented as a boy) who directs his
darts with greater precision than he who has succumbed
to darts more powerful than his own Jupiter). This litde
(
winged boy hovers about the bright heavens and this

dull globe of ours with equal pertinacity
NUR. It could only have been lust, which always basely

|
inclines to vicious courses, that originally transformed the I
amorous passion into a deity, and in order that therej
should be more latitude afforded to the votaries of Venus
Erycina (Venus) sends forth her prowhng little son, I
warrant thee, through every land, and has dignified him,
for the passion, which he inspires, by investing him with
Vana ifta demens animus adfcivit fibi,

Dei.
Venerifque numen finxit, atque arcus
Quifquis fecundis rebus exfultat nimis,
205
Fluitque luxe, femper infolita appetit.
Tunc ilia magnse dira fortunae comes
Subil libido: non placent fuetae dapes,
Non te(fla fani moris, aut vilis cibus.
Cur in penates rarius tenues fubit
210
Hffic delicatas eligens pedis domos?
Cur fanfta parvis habitat in teftis Venus,
Mediumque fanes vulgus affedus tenet,
Et fe coercent modica? contra divites,
Regnoque fulti, plura, quam fas eft, petunt?
Quod non peteil, vult poffe, qui nimium poteft. 215
Quid deceat alto prasdiiam folio, vides.
Metue, ac verere fceptra remeantis viri.
PH. Amoris in me maximum regnum fero,
Reditufque nuUos metuo. non unquam amplius
Convexa tetigit fupera, qui merfus femel 220
Adiit filentem no(5le perpetua domum.
NUTR. Ne crede Dili, cluferit regnum licet,
Canifque diras Stygius obfervet fores:
Solus negatas invenit Thefeus vias.
PH. Veniam ille amori forfitan noftro dabit. 225
NUTR. Immitis etiam conjugi caftae fuit.
Experta fsevam est barbai'a Antiope manum.
Sed poffe flefti conjugem iratum puta:
Quis hujus animum fleiftet intraftabilem ?
Exofus omae feminae nomen fugit; 230
Immitis annos caelibi vitae dicai;
Connubia vitat. genus Amazonium fcias.
PH. Hunc in nivofi collis haerentem jugis,
Et afpera agili faxa calcantem pede,
Sequi per alta nemora, per monies, placet. 235
the of a spurious Deity! This little son of Venus

title
flying through the heavens, dares to hurl his dangerous,
wanton and insolent darts at the Gods themselves^ with
his delicate littie hand! And this little fellow, although
he holds only a certain special powers amongst the gods,
the mad ambition of his mother has awarded him this
empty j-ank and made him her ancillary deity and armed
him with the bow of a god Whosoever exacts too much
1
in prosperity and is surrounded .with luxury is always

hankering after something fresh his lustful propensities,
those .awful companions of unlimited fortune, advance
upon him "pari passu." Ordinary food does not satisfjr
him he is not content with a residence of respectable
pretensions, and his viands are objectionable, if they do
!
I.ines 202-23S] HIPPOLYTUS. 201
not cost enough money! Why then does this pest, crimi-
nal love, select and fasten upon the homes of the opulent,
and enter so rarely the homesteads with impoverished
Penates ? Why does laudable love exist only amidst humble
roofs; the common herd of mankind hold their natural
affections in check, avoiding extremes, and the man with
modest means restrains his unbridled passions; on the
contrary, the wealthy, especially those who enjoy the ad-
ditional advantages appertaining to a kingdom, are always
sighing for more than is really right for them to have
What is not possible they wish to be so, so thou canst
understand, wno art desinng too much, what the obliga-
tions are, and what becomes one who is raised to that
royal pinnacle a throne. Go thou in fear, and dread the
husband who will return to his kingdom 1
PH. I reign in the kingdom of Love, which is at present

a sovereign power with me, and I do not fear any one's
return He who has been once submerged in that silent
abode of perpetual darkness, has gone whence he will
never more reach the regions above 1
NUR. not believe that Pluto may have been pleased

Do
to shut him
up, as a prisoner in his kingdom, and the
Stygian Dog (Cerberus) may be guarding the dreadful
portals. Has not Theseus unassisted, already found a
way "there" which is denied to all others?
PH. Perhaps he might forgive me for this love affair

of mine.
NUR. But was he not severe enough in his nature,

even towards a chaste wife? Did not the barbarian
Antiope experience his savage nature? but supposing it
possible, under ordinary circumstances, to pacify an angry
husband! Who could expect to subdue a disposition so
intractable as that of Hyppolytus? He avoids women,
and hates their very name ; he has dedicated his life, per-
haps cruelly towards himself, to perpetual celibacy; in a
word, he eschews marriage entirely: remember his Ama-
zonian origin 1
PH. It pleases me to follow his haunts, to find him

hanging about on the heights of snowy hills, and to see
him traniping along, over the rough rocks with nimble
strides, and to accompany him over the lofty forests and
the mountain sides.
202 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines =36-267
NUTR. Refiftet ille, feque mulcendum dabit,

Caftofqne ritus Venere non cafta exuet?
Tibi ponet odium, cujus odio forfitan
Perfeqaitur omnes? ph. Precibus haud vinci poteft?
NUTR. Ferus eft. PH. Amore didicimus vinci feros. 240
NUTR. Fugiet. PH. Per ipfa maria, ii fugiat, fequar.
NUTR. Patris memento, ph. Meminimus matris fimul.
NUTR. Genus omne profugit ph. Pellicis careo metu.
NUTR. Aderit maritus. PH. Nempe Pirithoi comes.
NUTR. Aderitque genitor. ph. Mitis Ariadnse pater. 245
NUTR. Per has fenecflae fplendidas fupplex comas,
Feffumque curis pe(5lus, & cara ubera,
Precor, furorem fifte, teque ipfam adjuva.
Pars fanitatis, velle fanari, fuit.
PH. Non omnis animo ceffit ingenuo pudor. 250
Paremus, altrix. qui regi non vult, amor
Vincatur. haud te, fama, maculari finam.
Haec fola ratio eft, unicum efTugium mali.
Virum fequamur. morte prffivertam nefas.
NUTR. Moderare, alumna, mentis eiTrenas impetus, 255
Animos coerce, dignam ob hoc vita reor,
Quod temet autumas dignam nece.
eiTe
PH. Decreta mors eft. quasritur fati genus.
Laqueone vitam fmiam, an ferro incubem?
An miffa prseceps" arce Palladia cadam i 260
Pro, caftitatis vindicem armemus inanum.
NUTR. Sic te feneflus noftra prsecipiti finat
Perire leto? fifte furibundum impetum.
[Haud facile quifquam ad vitam revocari poteft.]
PH. Prohibere ratio nulla periturum poteft,
265
Ubi qui mori conftituit, & debet mori.
NUTR. Solamen annis unicum feffis, hera,
NUR. Dost thou think that he will stop and abandon

himself kindly to thy adulterous embraces, and exchange
his chaste habits and ideas for those of
a highly immoral
love? He will put thee under the ban of his hatred,
the
same hatred, indeed, which he entertains towards
all
women.
PH. Could he not be overcome by my soft entreaties?
NUR. He is fierce and obdurate.
/"
ness L^^''^
learned the method of overcoming savage-
with love (meaning that she has managed
Theseus).
NUR. He will fly from thee,
^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^' ^ ^'" ^"^ ^'"'' ^^^'^ *^ ^^^^'

eveni
Lines 236-26?] HIPPOLYTUS. 203
NUR. Remember his father.
PH. Remember the mother as well.
NUR. He flies from our whole sex.
PH. I do not fear any meretricious rival.
NXJR. But thy husband may return.
PH. Yes, the confederate of Pirithous I
NUR. Thy father, also may come.
PH. Oh! the father of Ariadne, he was kind to her?
NUR. By these locks (placing her hands on them) now

frey with old age, as a suppliant I entreat thee by this
reast of mine enfeebled by anxieties, by the nipples at
which thou once didst fly with infantine eagerness stay
thy madness lend aid to thy own righteous cause; a
great step in the art of being cured, is to wish for a
remedy, and then submit to the "modus curandi" the
means of cure 1
PH. Every feeling of shame is not quite extinguished

from my natural disjjosition Let me prepare. Nurse, for
I
my task a love which cannot be kept under, must be

trodden down. I am not willing that my reputation
should be sullied this is the only way out of my difficulty,
the only means of escaping from my crime I must jom
my husband! I must anticipate crime by death!
NUR. Try and govern, my nurse child, the wild impulses
of thy heart, restrain unholy passions. I conclude from
thy remarks, that thou art more worthy to live, and for
this reason, that thou now considerest thyself more worthy
to die.
PH. I have determined to die. Nurse, but the kind of

death is the next question Shall I end my life with the
noose (strangulation) or fall upon the sword, or sallying
forth shall I throw myself headlong from the lofty citadel
of PaUas? Ah! happy thought! I will arm my hand as
the means of avenging my chastity.
NUR. Dost thou think that even my old age will ever
Si tam protervus incubat menti furor,

Contemne famam. fama vix vero favet,
Pejus merenti melior, & pejor bono. 270
Tentemus animum triftem & intraftabilem.
Meus ifte labor eft, aggredi juvenem ferum,
Meutemque fsevam fledlere immitis viri.
CHORUS.
Omnia amori cedere, homines omnis loci, astatis, conditionis,
ipfos Deos fuperos ac inferos, quin & bruta animalia
terreftria, aquatilia, aerea.
D.
Quam
'IVA, non miti generata ponto,
vbcat matrem geminus Cupido, 275
Impotens flammis fimul & fagittis,
"
Ifte lafcivus Puer ac renideas ,
Tela quam certo moderatur arcu! 1
Labitur tolas furor in medullas, !
Igne furtivo populante venas. 280

Non habet latam'data plaga frontemy
Sed vorat tedlas penitus medullas. i
^
Nulla pax ifti Puero. per orbem
Spargit eifufas agilis fagittas.
Quseque nafcentem videt era Solem, 285
<2u8eque ad Hefperias jacet ora metas.
Si qua ferventi fubjedta Cancro eft.
Si qua ParrhaCse glacialis Urf
Semper errantes patitur colonos,
Novit bos aeftus juvenum feroces 290
Confitat flammas: fenibufque feffis
Rurfus exftinftos revocat calores:
Virginum ignoto ferit igne peftus:
Et jubet coelo Superos reliilo
Vultibus falfis habitare terras.
295
Theflali Phoebus pecoris magjfter
Egit armentum, pofitoque pleflro
Imparl taurus calamo vocavit.
Induit formas quoties minores
permitthee to court an untimely death I pray thee stay1
these insane impulses; it is not an easy

thing for any
one to be brought to life again.
PH Then no law can hold good, which forbids

any
one to die, whenever he has determined to
die, and feels
that he ought to die
Lines =68-299] HIPPOLYTUS. 205
NUR.Oh my mistress the only solace to my wearied

1 1
life, a mad notion so persistently haunts thy mind I

if
say, hold reputation in contempt, we know that rumour
seldom inclines to the truth makes out a better, when one
deserves a worse character and a worse character when
one merits a more favorable one. Let me try what I can
do for thy sad unmanageable mind that shall then be
my undertaking to seek out the wild youth, and see
whether I can bend the inclinations of that savage young
man!
CHORUS.
The Chorus espouses the assumption, that all things should
yield to love, that mankind of every position, every
age, every condition, the Gods above, and the Gods
below, and even down to the dumb creation, all
animals whether terrestrial (brutes), aquatic (fishes), or
aerial (birds).
Goddess (Venus) sprung from the tempestuous

Oh!waves whom that double-functioned Cupid (Eros
and Anteros, the latter the divine love, the former

the grosser and sensual passions) calls mother never flag-
ging in his activity with the arrows, and reckless, as to the
love-inspiring passions, he brings about. Oh that lasci-
I
vious little boy (Eros) with his deceptive smiles, with what
sure effect does he operate with his ceaseless quiver 1
His inspiring power searches out the innermost marrow

of our very bones, drying up in its progress the coursing
veins with his furtive fires The wounds which he inflicSTl
!
however, present no very broad external surface! they

are deep wounds but the germ absorbed therefrom con-
!
sumes the marrow hidden away in the recesses of our

organism (figuratively neutralizing the power of resistan9e)__
there is no rest where that litde boy is concerned in his
nimble flight, he scatters, far and wide, in every clime,
in every nook, the arrows which he shoots forth from his
restless untiring quiver! Whatever land witnesseth the
rising of the sun, or whatever land lies where the chariot
of Phoebus stops at the end of his Hesperian journey
(the West, the late setting of the Sun), or whatever country-
is under the scorching tropic of Cancer, and if there be
any country beneath the frigid Ursa Major, which affords
a sheltering resting-place to the hordes of wandering tribes,
each one of these has experienced the effects of the
wounds of Cupid, which equally excite the fierce ardor
of impetuous youth, or coaxingly invite back the died-
;
2o6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 300-337
ducit? 3
Ipfe, qui coelum nebulafque
Candidas ales modo movit alas,
Dulcior vocem moriente cygno.
Fronte nunc torva petulans juvencus
Virginum ftravit fua terga ludo
3
Perque fratemos nova regna fluttus,
-i
Ungula leutos imitante remos,

Pefltore adverfo domuit profundum
Pro fua veftor timidus rapina.
Arfit obfcuri Dea clara mundi
3'
Node deferta, nitidofque fratri
Tradidit currus aliter regendos.
Hie noftumas agitare bigas
Difcit, & gyro breviore fleili.
Nee fuum tempus tenuere noftes,
Et dies tardo remeavit ortu, 3 5
Dum tremunt axes graviore curru.
Natus Alcmena pofuit pharetram,
Et minax vafti fpolium leonis;
Paffus aptari digiiis fmaragdos,
3^
Et dari legem rudibus capillis:
Crura diftinfto religavit auro,
Luteo plantas cohibente focoo:
Et manu, clavam modo qua gerebat,
rila deduxit properante fufo.
Vidit Perfis, ditifque ferax 3^5
Lydia regni, dejefta feri
Terga leonis, humerifque, quibus
Sederat alti regia coeli,
.Tenuem Tyrio ftamine pallam.

Sacer eft ignis, (credite Isfis) 33
Nimiumque potens.qua terra falo
Cingitur alto, quaque aetherio
Candida mundo fidera currant;
Hsec regna tenet Puer immitis:
Spicula cujus fentit in imis 33S
Caerulus undis grex Nereidum,
Elammamque nequit relevare mari.
out passions of the aged and decrepit! He strikes the

hearts of the tender virgins, and evokes a thrill a passion
which they had never felt before and he even forces
1
the Gods above, quitting their celestial homes to visit the

Earth below and assume all kinds of disguises for the
furtherance of their love-inspiring designs Phoebus,
1
originally the shepherd of the Thessalian flocks, drove the

herd, and having laid aside his lyre, called them together
with his pipe made up of variously sized reeds, and how
often has he assumed, as well, the forms of the lower
animals The great Jupiter, who rules the heavens and
I
Lines 300-337J HIPPOLYTUS. 207
the cloudy firmament, sometimes as a bird, has assumed

its wings and plumage of shining whiteness, and furthered
the deception with a voice sweeter than that of the dying
swan at another time, as a fierce bull, with a savage
visage, he gives up his back for the amusement of young
virgms, and then travels over a fresh kingdom, his brother
Neptune's aquatic empire (the sea), and overcomes the
suspicious element, with his powerful chest contending
agamst its obstinacy, and furthermore to quiet it (the sea
recognizes a new master) imitates the sounds produced
by rowers, through certain movements of his feet as he
timidly pursues ms way with his capture (Europa) lest
she should be submerged I The illustrious goddess of the
sky, when in darkness (night) forsakes her nocturnal post
and hands over to her brother her brilhant chariot to be
under his guidance after a different manner (hinting at
his mode of driving) he learns, however, to manage the
two-horsed nocturnal chariot of his sister, and to go by
a shorter circuit, but the night does, not preserve its

usual duration it is longer, and as a consequence the
day-light returns with a retarded arrival, whilst the axles
of the chariot seem to give way under their heavier
burden (Phoebus). That son of Alcmena (Hercules) laid
aside his quiver, and that terrifying trophy the skin of
the Nemsean Lion, and permitted his fingers to be'
bejewelled, with emerald rings, and to have his rough
locks perfumed and dressed, and to be carefully done up
according to the prevailing fashion, and with that huge
band, which hitherto had only wielded a ponderous club,
now and then drew out the threads, in a mincing, effemin-
ate manner, whilst working away right merrily with the
spindle I
He then fastens to nis legs with bands ornamented
with gold,_the yellow slippers "Socci" with which he had
inclosed his feet. Persia and Lydia, those fertile countries,
with their rich kingdom, have witnessed the fact of
Hercules throwing down in disgust the lion's skin from
"his shoulders on which had aforetime rested the very
heavens with their palaces ; and donning a cloak made
Tip of some flimsy Tyrian-purple fabric. And this is that
execrable fire of Love. Believe in those, that have suffered
from its too terrible eflfects Whatevei- land is surrounded
!
by the deep sea, whatever bright stars pursue their course

in the ethereal sky, this insolent pertinacious little boy
"holds such kingdoms in his sway Of whose thrusts the
blue water-nymphs, the offspring of Nereus and Doris,
are susceptible, in the retired waters even which they
inhabit; nor does he, it is perceived, exempt the sea from
bis visitations (passions) the wing-bearing portion of
mature, they feel his fires! and what terrific battles the
;
2o8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lmes 338-365
Ignes fentit genus aligerum.

Venere inftinai quam magna gerunt
34
Grege pro toto bella juvenci!
Si conjugio timuere fuo,
Pofcunt timidi prcelia cervi;
Et mugitu dant concept!
Signa furoris. tunc virgatas _
345-
India tigres decolor jnoiret.
Tunc vulnificos acuit denies

Aper, & toto eft fpumeus ore.
Poeni quatiunt colla leones,
Cum movit amor, turn filva gemit
Murmure fevo. _
^S
Amat infani bellua ponti

Lucseque boves. vindicat omnes
Nalura fibi. nihil immune eft.
Odiumque perit, cum juffit amor:
Veteres cedunt ignibus irse. 35S
Quid plura canam? vincit fsevas
Cura novercas.
ACTUS SECUNDUS.
CHORUS, NUtRIX, PH^DRA.
Amoris morbum, impatientiara & aeftum conqueritur nutrix.
mox ipfa prodil Phaedra mutatis veftibus in cincftum
Amazonis feu venatricis, ut Hippolyto placeat.
A
CHOR. XXLTRIX, profare, quid feras? quonam in loco eft
Regina? fevis ecquis eft flammis modus?
NUTR. Spes nulla, tantum poffe leniri malum 360-
Finifque flammis nullus infanis erit:
Torretur seftu tacito, & inclufus quoque,
Quamvis tegatur, proditur vultu furor.
Erumpit oculis ignis, & lapfae genae
Lucem recufant. nil idem dubise placet; 3^5-
bulls,urged on by the venereal oestrum, will wage for

supremacy amongst the rest of the herd-, and the timid-
stags will stand their ground, when their females are in
danger, and they evince with their, loud mewings the
symptoms of the anger which possesses them then the-
tawny Indian dreads the striped tigers more than ever,
and then the wild boar appears to have his teeth sharper-
than usual by the cruel wounds he causes, and his jaws-

i-ines 338-3SS] HIPPOLYTUS. 209
are covered with foam the Carthaginian lions shake their

;
taanes unusually when the amorous feelings possess them,

and then it is, that the forests resound with their savage

roaring even the huge brutes, denizens of the sea, (whale,
grampus etc.) learn to love, and then even the huge pachy-
derms (the Elephants) Nature claims all everything for
herself! Nothing is free I Hatred vanishes, when Jove
commands Old animosities yield to the sacred fire of
loyel_ What more shall we sing ? It is this I It overcomes
Tvith its persistency, even cruel step-mothers 1
ACT II.
CHORUS-NURSE PHJ^DRA.
The Nurse complains of love as a disease, as regards its
intolerance and the power it assumes; after which
Phaedra gives herself up to a thorough change of
raiments, and dons the garb of an Amazonian huntress,
that she may the more easily captivate Hippolytus.
CHORUS.
N URSE, teU us all thou knowest. In what state of mind

is the queen ? Is there any moderation evinced yet
in her wicked passions?
NUR. No hope so great an evil cannot be easily ot

I
rid ofl there will never be an end to her insane in-

fatuation; she is literally burnt up with the secret flames
that rage within her bosom, and her madness, though
kept within herself to some extent, shows itself in her
very looks and gestures, however else it might be hidden
this secret fire springs up into her eyes and her droop-

ing eyelids avoid the light nothing which might have
pleased her formerly, satisfies her capricious mind now
and her uncertain temper discovers itself in her very
bodily attitudes, in the arms which she throws about, as

the mood varies sometimes her legs give way, and she
falls down, like one about to die, and her head seems
with difficulty held up by her enfeebled neck; now, when
she retires to rest, she seems to have no disposition to
sleep, but passes the night in vain wailings she then
orders herself to be raised up in bed, and for her body
to be placed in some other position (to have her bed
^nd arrangements altered to give greater ease to her
14
210 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. fUnes 366-407
Artufque varie jaflat incertus dolor.

Nunc ut foluto labitur tnoriens gradu,
Et vix labante fuftiner coUo caput.
Nunc fe quieti reddit; & fomni immemor
Noflem querelis ducit; attoli jubet, 370
Iterumque poni corpus; & folvi comas;
Rurfufque fingi. femper impatiens fui
Mutatur habitus, nulla jam Cereris fubit
Cura, aut falutis. vadit incerto pede,
Jam viribus deteAa. non idem vigor, 375
Non ora tingens nitida purpureus rubor.
Populatur artus cura. jam greffus tremunt;
Tenerque nitidi corporis cecidit decor
Et, qui ferebant figna Phcebeae facis,
Oculi nihil gentile nee patrium micaot. 38a
Lacrimse cadunt per ora, & affiduo gense
Rore irrigantur: qualiter Tauri jugis
Tepido madefcunt infbre percuffae nives.
Sed, en, prtefcunt regise faftigia:
Reclinis ipfa fedis auratse toro, 385
Solitos amidlus mente non fana abnuit.
PH. Removete, famulae, purpura atque auro illitas
Veftes. procul fit muricis Tyrii inibor.
Quae fila ramis ultimi Seres legunt:

Brevis expedites zona conftringat finus. 390
Cervix monili vacua; nee niveus lapis
Deducat aures; Indici donum maris.
Odore crinis Iparfus Affyrio vacet:
Sic temere jaftae colla perfundant comae
Humerofque fummos; -curfibus motae citis 395
Ventos fequantur. laeva fe pharetrse dabit;
Haftile vibret dextra Theffalicum maiius.
Talis feveri mater Hippolyti fuit
Qualis, reli(flis frigidi ponti plagis,
Egit catervas, Atticum pulfans folum, 40a
Tanaitis, aut Masotis, & nodo comas
Coegit emifitque, lunata latus
Proteila pelta; talis in filvas ferar.
NUTR. Sepone queflus. non levat miferos dolor,
Agrefte placa virginis numen Deae" 405
Regina nemorum, fola quse montes colis,
Et una folis montibus coleris Dea,
body); then all at once she orders her hair to be let

down, and then to be dressed again immediately after
she is intolerant of her very self; her whole demeanour
has undergone a change, she is careless about her food,
aiid does not care whether she is ill or well she
walks
with a tottermg gait, in fact, she is thoroughly spent as
regards physical vigor. There is an absence of all her
!
quondam vivacity, nor does the rosy tinge show itself upon
her once delicate complexion, rivalling the driven snow

in its purity she is wearing out her, body with anxiety
already her steps tremble, and the delicate, graceful come-

liness of her figure has vanished and her orbs, which
bore the indication of her divine origin (Phoebus) now
"
shine in no way to remind thee of her nigh-bom descent,

or that of her fathers Her tears are continually trickling
down her face, and her cheeks are bathed with perpetual
moisture! just in the same mode as the drifting snow,
melted by the warm showers, moistens the surface earth
on the mountain ridges of Taurus But further, behold
when the palatial portals lie open to the visitor, there is
the queen on her throne lounging languidly on a gilded
couch, where she sits and discards all her usual attire and
accessories, in a most unaccountable frame of mind
PH. Take away, slaves, these garments dyed with pur-

ple and ornamented with gold; remove, I command, the
ravishing colors of the Tyrian dyes which adorn those
delicate fabrics, which the "Seres" in their far-oflf country,
gather from the branches of trees; let a short girdle
encircle my loose garments giving me free use of my
limbs, let my neck be relieved oithis necklace, and let
not the earrings with their snow-white precious stones,
dangle any longer from my ears the stones which trace
their origmal home to the far-off Indian Seas; let my
flowing locks be exempt from the Assyrian perfumes
let my hair carelessly fall down my neck and around
my shoulders let those dishevelled locks wave to and
fro, just as the wind, whatever humor it is in, pleases to
direct them. Give me the quiver which I shall carry in
my left, whilst my
right hand shall brandish the Thessa-
lian spear! As the mother of stern Hippolytus, used to
be, so I desire to be just as she was, when she led on
the savage Amazonian battalions recruited from the marshy
districts near the Tanais and Mseotis, and when she left
behind the countries bounded by the frigid Euxine! and
when she began to tread the Attic Soil she still continued
to gather up her hair in a knot and let it fall down on
her shoulders, with the shield shaped like a half-moon
protecting her side! In such a guise will I make my
appearance in the forests!
NUR. Dismiss thy grief, vain bewailings do not mitigate

sorrow; invoke the aid of Diana, the virgin Goddess,
who presides over what relates to the chase ^ the queen
of the forests, who alone inhabits the mountams, and the
only goddess thou canst worship in those deserted elevated
Converte trifles ominum in melius minas,

O magna filvas inter & lucos Dea,
fidus, & noftis decus,
41
Clarumque coeli
Cuius relucet mundus alterna face
Hecate triformis, en ades coeptis favens.
Animum rigentem triftis Hippolyti doma.
Amare difcat, mutuos ignes ferat.
415
Det facilis aures. mitiga pedlus ferutn.
Inneile mentem. torvus, averfus, ferox,
Iq jura Veneris redeat. hue vires tuas
lotende. fic te lucidi vultus ferant,
Et nube rupta cornibus puris eas.
4^
Sic te, regentem frena nodturni aetheris,
Detrahere Theffali cantus queantj
nunquam
NuUufque de te gloriam paftor ferat.
Ades invocata. jam faves votis, Dea.
Ipfum intuor folemne venerantem facrum,
Nullo latus comitante. quid dubitas? dedit 4^5
Tempus locumque cafus. utendum artibus.
Trepidamus? baud eft facile mandatum fcelus
Audere. venim jufta, qui reges timet,
Deponat; omne pellat ex animo decus.
Malus eft minifter regii imperii pudor 43
HIPPOLYTUS, NUTRIX.
Nutrix Hippolyti animum moUire, & ad nuptias & delicias urbana
fleftere callide tenta.t. Ille vitse cselibis & rusticos (quam urbanse
coUatam p'rasfert) inftitutum immotus tenet.
O
Q
fida nutrix,
UID hue feniles
Et mcefta vultus? fofpes

turbidam frontem gerens,
feifa moliris grudus,
eft certe parens,

Sofpefque Phasdra, ftrrpis & geminse jugum.
regions. Change thy sad apprehensionsof evilfor a more

favorable future Oh great goddess who presidest amongst
1 1
the forests and graves, the brilliant star of heavens and

the glory of night whose dominion is lighted up, in thy
alternate capacity with Phoebus! Oh thou three-formed
Hecate pray come to us, with any form thou mayst
I
choose to assume, and favor our enterprise! Break the

adamant heart of this wretched Hippolytus, let him learn
to love, let him reciprocate the passion that burns in the

bosom of another let him give ear patiently to our

entreaties soften his hard spirit ensnare his heart in the
meshes of Love, and let him, the savage, repulsive,
retiring Hippolytus turn back his nature, and be brought

into full allegiance to the canons of Venus! Oh UseI
thy utmost power to promote this end! And thus may

thy bright countenance shed its brilliant light upon the
earth, and mayst thou come forth, having dispelled the
obscuring clouds, which hide thy glory, with thy radiance
unimpaired (with thy " cornua " undimmed that is,) that thy
1

disc may be distinctly seen (the " horned" heifer was held
sacred to the Moon) and thus may no Thessalian incan-
tations be able to draw thee from thy undertaking as
thou, handling the reins, art ruling the operations of the
nocturnal sky, and may no future shepherd (Endymion)
glorify himself at having received favors from thee Come
1
lou as thou art invoked; Oh! goddess, be propitious to

my prayersI see Hippolytus he is about to offer his
1
accustomed sacrifices; no one is accompan5ring him, no

one at his side! Why do I hesitate? Time, place and
opportunity are at my disposal I must use some artifice,
!
but I dread the experiment! It is not always an easy

thing to dare to commit a crime, even when thou art
ordered to do it, but sometimes in the interests of those
we fear, of Kings, for example, and fearing as I do
Phaedra, one can afford to ignore the justice of the cause,
and to chase away every known sentiment of shame from
one's breast. But it is a very sorry sample of virtue,
nevertheless, which is the mere tool of regal power.
HIPPOLYTUS-NURSE.
The nurse the inflexibility of Hip-
tries artfully to soften
polytus, andturn his thoughts towards marriage,
to
and the enjoyments of a city life; unmoved by her
persuasions, he adheres to his resolution of passing
his existence in celibacy and devoting himself to rustic
pursuits, which he ranks as preferable to urban at-
tractions.
HIPPOLYTUS.
my why comest thou hither, thor-

faithful nurse,
Oh!oughly fagged out and advancing with the feeble
pace of an old woman, wearing, too, such a look
of sadness in thy face, and with such a woeful, troubled
look? Surely my father, Theseus, is quite safe, and
Phaedra, too, is not she quite well? For she, thou knowest,
is the connecting link of our race, between myself, I mean,
(Antiope, my mother) and my half-brothers (Demophoon
and Antigonus by Phaedra).
2t4 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 435-473
KUTR. Metus remitte. profpero regnum in ftatu eft, 435

Domosque florens forte felici viget.
Sed tu beatis mitior rebus veni:
Namque anxiam me cura follicitat tui,
Quod te ipfe posnis gravibus infeftus domas.
Quein fata cogunt, ille cum venia eft mifer. 44
At fi quis ultro fe malis offert volens,
Seque ipfe torquet, perdere eft dignus bona,
Queis nefcit uti. potius annorum memor
Mentetn relaxa. nocftibus feftis facem
AttoUe. curas Bacchus exoneret graves. 445
yEtate fruere, mobili curfu fugit.
Nunc facile peftus, grata nunc juveni Venus,
Exfultet animus, cur toro viduo jaces?
Triftem juventam folve. nunc luxus rape.
Effunde habenas. optimos vitae dies 45
Effluere prphibe. propria defcripfit Deus
Officia, & sevum per fuos ducit gradus.
Lsetitia juvenem, frons decet triftis fenem
Quid te coerces, & necas redlam indolem?
Sages ilia magnum fcenus agricolas dabit, 455
Qusecunque Isetis tenera luxuriat fatis:
Arborque celfo vertice evincet nemus,
Quam non maligna csedit aut refecat manus.
Ingenia melius refta fe in laudes ferunt,
Si nobilem animum vegeta Ifbertas alit. 460
Truculentus, & filvefter, & vitis infcius,
Triftem juventam Venere deferta colis.
Hoc effe munus credis indiiflum viris,
Ut dura tolerent? curfibus domitent equos,
Et faeva bella Marte fanguineo gerant? 465
Providit ille maximus mundi parens,
Cum tarn rapaces cerneret fati manus,
Ut damna femper fobole reparai-et nova.
Excedat, agedum, rebus Jiumanis Venus,
Quse fupplet ac reftituit exhauftum genus; 470
Orbis jacebit fquallido turpis fitu;
Vacuum fine uUis claffibus ftabit mare;
Alefque coelo deerit, & filvis fera;
NUR. Banish thy fears, the kingdom is in a prosperous

condition and thy illustrious family is in the full enjoy-
ment of its happy lot but come thou, I pray, in a mild
and happy mood amongst all our pleasant surroundings,
for my regard towards thyself, rouses within me certain
anxious thoughts, in that, to thy own injury, thou op-
pressest thyself with such heavy self-imposed restrictions
that man whom the fates hold in their power when
such a one is miserable, we reward with our sympathy!
but if any man only too readily gives himself up as a
a
Lines 435-473] HIPPOLYTUS. 2lS
voluntary recipient of misfortune and so far perverts his

natural tendencies, he richly deserves to be deprived of
the good things of this world, and which, if he had them,
he would be utterly unable to enjoy! But thou rather,
as thou shouldst, be mindful of thy vigorous youth, relax
the severity toward thyselfbrighten up, and pass thy
nights in exhilarating amusements, if necessary, let Bacchus
assist thy endeavours in shaking of dull care 1 Enjoy thy
life, thou art young time flies in its nimble course, now
is the time for an assailable mind, now is the time that
Venus should be a welcome goddess to amorous youth,
let thy heart leap at the very thought! Why shouldst thou
lie at nights, wili no desirable bed-fellow ? Throw aside
sadness from thy youthful nature, now fasten upon the
enjoyments of lite! Throw aside the reins, with which
thou hast restrained thyself, prevent the last days of thy
life from slipping away from thee a beneficent Deity
has very wisely prescribed the various duties of mankind,
and he has so planned his programme that hfe should
pass through well-defined stages! Joy becomes youth
thoughtful brow befits old aê; why shouldst thou curb
thy nature as thou dost, and blot out thy stage of youth,
the stage through which thou art now passing? The,
growing com will afford a plentiful return to the husban'3^
inan for his labor, and each tender shoot will increase
till it becomes a luxuriant blade, and contributes its indi-
vidual share towards producing an abundant harvest!
And the sapling will eventually look down upon the forest

with its lofty branches the tree, which no greedy hand
has attempted to fell, or rob of its umbrageous investiture

a man's mind when it is well regulated, is much more
calculated to lead on towards a glorious goal, if seasonable
liberty gives scope to generous impulses Savage and
ignorant of the pleasures of life, and of exclusively sylves-
trian ideas, thou art passing thv cheerless youth, foregoing
the pleasures of love IDost, thou think that this way of
passmg a life was ordained for man ? that he should simply
put up with every hardship and privation that he should
do nothing but break in horses for running races and to
wage cruel wars in honor of sanguinary Mars? No the
chief parent of the universe has provided against such a
contingency! When he said that the hand of Death was
so eager to take away what he had made, in order that
he might replace the losses by producing fresh offsprings,
"Come on," he said, " let love go forth amongst human
affairs, and play its part," and it is that (Love) which fills
up the vacancies, and replenishes the races, when they are
becoming exhausted The unattractive earth would remain
!

in an uncultivated condition the blue sea would rest
2i6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 474-507
Solis &
aer pervius ventis erit.
Quam varia leti genera mortalem trahunt _
475-
Carpuntque turbam; pontus, & ferrum, & doli!

Sed fata credas deeffe; fic atram Styga
Jam petimus coelibem vitam probet
ultro.
Sterilis juventus, hoc erit, quidquid vides,
4oO
Unius sevi turba, & in femet ruet.
Proinde vitas fequere naturam ducem:
Urbem frequenta, civium coetus cole.
HIPP. Non alia magis eft libera, & vitio carens,
Ritufque melius vita quae prifcos colat,
Quam quffi reli(3:is moenibus filvas amat. 45
Non ilium avarse mentis inflammat furor,
Qui fe dicavit montium infontem jugis:_
Non aura populi, & vulgus infidum bonis,
Non peftilens invidia, non fragilis favor.
Non regno fervit; aut regno imminens,
ille 49<*
Vanos honores fequitur, aut fluxas opes;
Spei metufque liber, hand ilium niger
Edaxque livor dente degeneri petit.
Nee fcelera populos Inter atque urbes fita
Novit; nee omnes confcius ftrepitus pavet. 495
Haud verba fingit. mille non quserit tegi
Dives columnis; nee trabes multo infolens
Suffigit auro. non cruor largus pias
Inundat aras; fruge nee fparfi facra
Centena nivei coUa fubmittunt boves: 5*"^
Sed rure vacuo potitur, & aperto sethere
Innocuus errat, callidas tantum feris
Struxiffe fraudes novit; & feffus gravi
Labore, niveo corpus Iliffo fovet.
Nunc ille ripam celeris Alphei legit: 505
Nunc nemoris alti denfa metatur loca,
Ubi Lema puro gelida pellucet vado;
unvisited by any noble fleets the winged aerial denizen

of the sky would no longer be seen, and the wild animal
would no more infest forests and the atmosphere would
be left only for the use of Phcebus and .Êolus What 1
different kinds of death take off and snap up the human

race! the sea -the sword the poisoned cup But can it 1
be believed that the hand of Destiny is wanting on all

this that we should seek willingly the dark realms of
Pluto that youth should choose a life of celibacy and

not propagate the species this would be the state of
matters. Wherever thou castest thy eyes, there would
only be one generation of every species of animality and
every thing would come to a standstill with their dis-
appearance from the scene Therefore, follow the dictates
1
Lines 474-507] HIPTOLYTUS. 217
of nature, the originator of life itself, frequent the cities,

and cultivate the society of the citizens I
HIPP. do not think there is any life which gives one

I
more or one more free from harmful influences,
liberty,
than that which inclines one to love the forests, the cities
being left out of one's calculation There, no madness of
a covetous nature assails a man who devotes himself,
interfering with no one, to the mountain fastnesses he is

not annoyed there with popular clamor No vulgar herd
to practise their treachery upon men of uprightness no

wretched envy no questionable kindness and what is
more, he is subject to no dominations but he that hangs
;
about a Kingdom, seeks only for empty honors, or the

amassing of riches the denizen of the forest is exempt
from alternating hopes and fears, nor do the loathsome
fangs of wicked and voracious envy inflict their wounds
upon him! Nor has he ever been brought in contact
with such people as he would find there, nor with the
villainy they practise, nor does a troubled conscience
cause him to fear every popular outbreak Nor has he
I
to invent excuses or to tell lies! like the rich man of

the cities he does not sigh for a palace supported by a
thousand columns, nor in his pride, does he adorn his
palatial ceilings with a profusion of golden display nor
do a hundred snow-white bulls submit their necks to
the sacrificial knife, and with the ceremonial meal thrown
over them, to be then served up as sacred offerings to
the Gods! But he enjoys the open plains, and wanders,

hurting no one a free man breathing the free air! His
only knowledge of deception is setting clever snares
for the wild beasts, anci when, wearied out with his
hunting exertions, he soothes his tired-out frame by
bathing in the silvery streams of the Ilissusl Sometimes,
he chooses the banks of the swiftly-flowing Alpheus ; at
other times, he pitches upon the densest spot in the lofty
forests for the purpose of laying his snares, and then he
will shift his scene of operations to where the cool Lerna
is transparent with its crystal streams ; here the noisy birds,

give forth their various notes here behold ancient beeches
with their branches trembling, whenever struck by the
slightest puff of wind; or sometimes it pleases him to
confine himself to the banks of some wandering river, or
to pass his time in gentle slumber, lying on the naked
sodl or sometimes a tremendous fountain will pour down
its rapid streams, or at other times, a swift murmur would
strike the ear, as the water ran in and out amongst the
fresh flowers which line the banks, and the fruit which
falls, blown down by the wind serves to satisfy his hunger
2i8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 5=8-549
Sedemque mutat. heic aves querulse fremunt,

Ramique ventis lene percuffi tremunt,
Veterefque fagi. juvit aut amnis vagi 510
Preffiffe ripas, csefpite aut nudo leves
Duxiffe fomnos, sive fons largus citas
Defundit undas; five per flores novos
Fugiente dulcis murmurat rivo fonus.
Excuffa filvis poma compefcunt famem: 515
Et fraga parvis vulfa dumetis, cibos
Faciles minilb'aDt. regios luxus procul
Eft impetus fugiiTe. foUicito bibant
Auro fuperbi. quam juvat nuda manu
CaptaiTe fontem! certior fomnus premit 520
Secura duro membra verfantem toro.
Nod in feceffu furta' & obfcuro improbus
Quserit cubili, feque multiplici timens
Domo recondit: asthera ac lucem petit,
Et tefte ccelo vivit. hoc equidem reor 525
VixiiTe ritu, prima quos mixtos Deis
Profudit Betas, nullus his auri fuit
Ckcus cupido. nullus in campo facer
Divifit agros arbiter populis lapis
Nondum fecabant credulffi pontum rates: 530
Sua quifque norat msria. non vafto aggere
Crebraque turre cinxerant urbes latus.
Non arma fseva miles aptabat manu;
Nee lorta clufas fregerat faxo gravi
Balifta portas; juffa nee dominum pati
535
JuniSo ferebat terra fervitium bove:
Sed arva per fe foeta pofcentes nihil
Pavere gentes. filva nativas opes,
Et opaca dederant antra nativas domes.
Rupere fosdus impius lucri furor, 540
Et ira praeceps: quaeque fuccenfas agit
Libido mentes. venit imperii fitis
Cruenta. faflus prfflda majori minor.
Pro jure vires elfe. turn primum manu
Bellare nuda: faxaque & ramos rudes
545
VertSre in arma. non erat gracili levis
Armata ferro cornus; aut longo latus
Mucrone cingens enfis; aut crifta procul
Galeae comantes. tela faciebat dolor.
and the wild strawberries plucked from amongst the

small thickets afford him a very ready means of appeasing
his appetitehe is possessed of an invincible desire
to
fly from royal luxuries. Kings are at liberty
to quaff their
wme from the golden goblet, amidst the uncertainties
which surround royalty, but it delights him to take his
draught from the nearest spring, the hollow of his hand
Lines 508-549] HIPPOLYTUS, 2 19
serving him as a drinking-cup Sleep steals upon the

weary with greater certainty, those that commit their limbs
in security, to a hard bed -The man of the forest does
not require, as a thief, to hide away his pilferings in some
sly_ comer, or obscure place of concealment, and who
being always in fear of detection, shifts his resting-place
(abode) from one locality to another! Nay! he seeks
only the air and light of heaven and lives openly, under
the canopy of the sky! Indeed, I suppose during the
earher ages, when men mixed up with the gods, they
lived pretty much in this kind of way. No one, amongst
such men as those, was led headlong by any desire to
amass heaps of gold. No stone, held sacred as the land-
mark of proprietorship, parcelled out the lands amongst
the people (at that time). Venturesome crafts had not at
such an epoch dared to risk the dangers of the ocean
Every one knew his own sea his own surroundings they
had not at that time encompassed their cities and depended
the approaches thereto with vast walls and numerous
towers no soldier sighed to handle the ferocious weapons
for slaughtering his fellow-man, nor did the battering-ram,
directed against closed portals, break them open with the
enormous stones which it hurled against them! Nor did
the earth demand the necessity for any ploughman to
guide the efforts of the yoked oxen! but the people
demanding nothing but what was necessary for their
existence, with no anxious care about agriculture, subsisted
on what the fields, fertile of their own accord, afforded
them. The forests 3rielded up their native resources, and
obscure grottoes supplied them with habitations; an im-
Eious desire to obtain power then induced them to
reak treaties, into which they had solemnly entered,
then heedless rage and the lawless desires which agitated
the maddened mind, then ensued the sanguinary thirst

for power the weaker man fell a prey to the stronger
one and instead of law, and justice, strength became
the prevailing arbiter! then, at first, they fought with the
naked fists, and when they began to be more civilized,
stones and rough cudgels (club-law) served them as weapons
with which to conduct their strife. At that time, there
was no cornel stem, armed with the slender spear, or
sword with its tapering point attached to the side, or
crested helmets with their plumes shaken by the agitating

breeze universal rivalry dictated these various instruments
of destruction. Then warlike Mars discovered fresh devices
and a thousand different forms of dealing out Death
hence, very soon, the blood that was shed stained every
land, and the sea was even reddened by it! Then crimes
having no "bounds, spread into every dwelling and no
220 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines jso-sss
Invenit artes bellicus Mavors novas, 55

Et mille formas mortis, hinc terras cruor
Infecit omnes fufus, & rubuit mare..
Turn fcelera, demto fine, per cundlas domes
lere. nullum caruit exemplo nefas.
A fratre frater, dextera nati parens 555
Cecidit, maritus conjugis ferro jacet, ,
Perimuntque foetus impiae matres fuos.

Taceo novercas. mitius nil eft feris.
Sed dux malorum femina. haec fcelerum artifex
Obfedit animos, cujus infeftse ftupris S^
Fumant tot urbes, bella tola gentes gerunt,
Et verfa ab imo regna tot populos premunL
Sileautur alia: fola conjux j^gsei,. -
Medea reddit feminas dirum genus.

NUTR. Cur omnium fit culpa paucarum fcelus? 565
HIPP. Deteftor omnes, horreo, fugio, exfecror.
Sit ratio, fit natura, iitdirus furor:
Odiffe placuit. ignibus junges aquas; ^_,-i
Et amica ratibus ante promittet vada

Incerta Syrtis; ante ab extreme fmu 570
Hefperia Tethys lucidum attollet diem;
Et era damis blanda prasbebunt lupi;
Quam vidlus animum feminae mitem geram.
NUTR. Ssepe obftinatis induit frenos amor,
Et odia mutat. regna materna afpice. 575
lUje feroces fentiunt Veneris jugum.
Teftaris iftud unicus gentis puer.
HIPP. Solamen unum matris amiffas fero,
OdiiTe quod jam feminas omnes licet
NUTR. Ut dura cautes undique intia<5labilis 580
Refiftit undis, & laceffentes aquas
Longe remittit, verba Cc fpernit mea.
Sed Phaedra praeceps graditur, impatiens moras.
Quo fe dabit forluna? quo verget furor?
Terrse repente corpus exanimum accidit, 5^5
Et era morti fimilis obduxit color.
AttoUe vultus, dimove vocis moras:
Tuus en, alumna, temet Hippolytus tenet.
crime was committed that had not a precedent Brother I
slew brother, and parent fell by the right hand of son,

husband lay prostrate by the sword of a wife, and impious
mothers destroyed their own offspring I will be silent
about stepmothers, nothing is less cruel even amongst the
wild beasts But a woman is the leader of all mischief
1
this architect of crimes besieges the minds of mankind

in consequence of whose adulteries, entire cities have
been noted incestuous and have been burnt to the ground.
Many nations wage war on this account, and kingdoms
Lines 550-S88] HIPPOLYTUS. 221
down from their lowest foundations have ruined

thus cast
so many peoples Let no mention be made of oth ers,
1
Medea to wit, the wife of ^geus, is sufficient to make,

through her acts, the whole race of womankind detestable 1
NUR. Why should the crimes of the few be construed

as the sins of the many.
HIPP. I detest them all, I dread them, I avoid them, I

curse their very existence Whatever the reason may oe,
1
whether it is my nature to do so, or whether it be some

inexplicable madness (on my part), it nevertheless pleases
me to hate them Thou mayst attempt to amalgamate fire
1
and water, or rather reckon upon a favorable voyage for

thy crafts over the treacherous sands of the Syrtes, or
rather that the Hesperian Tethys should expect the god
of light (Phoebus) to reverse his chariot, and cause the sun
to rise at the western extremity of his journey And the 1
rapacious wolf will learn to gaze with absolute affection

upon the timid deerwhen I am so for subdued as to
entertain a mild feeling towards womankind.
NUR. Love often breaks in obstinate rebellious hearts

and changes their hatred into the tender passion Think
of thy mother's kingdom, the ferocious Amazonian women
feel the force of love Thou (a boy) the only remaining
male descendant of that race art a living proof!
HIPP. This consolation,_ the only one I retain for my

having lostmy mother, is that I am now able to hate
all women!
NUR. As the rugged rock remains on all sides, obdurate
to the waves beatmg against it, and repels to a distance
the waters which become fairly weary of their task (making
no impression on the said rocks), so does Hippolytus turn
back (reject) my appeal, but Phaedra impatient of delay
abruptly advances (exclaiming). What chance will bring
Hippolytus here ? Where will her mad resolution lead herl
On a sudden she falls to the ground like a dead person,
and a death-like pallor comes over her face! Raise thy
eyes, look at me, speak quickly, behold! my nurse-child,
thy own Hippolytus 'Tis Hippolytus himself who holds
!
thee in his arms! (This is said to rouse Phaedra out of

her swoon.)
:
! SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 589-614
PH^DRA, HIPPOLYTUS, NUTRIX,

FAMULI.
Juvenis pudicitiam omni arte oppugnant, nee expugnant:
ad fraudem itaque confugiunt & calumnias.
.Q
Reponit animo?
uis me dolori reddit, atque seftus graves
quam bene excideram mihi? 59

Cur dulce munus reddita: lucis fugis?
Aude, anime. tenta. perage mandarum tuum.
Intrepida conftent verba, qui timide rogat.
Docet negare. magna pars fceleris mei
Olim peradla eft fenis eft nobis pud or 595
Amavimus nefanda. fi coepta exfequor,
Forfan jugali crimen abfcondam face.
Honefta quaedam fcelera fucceffus facit
En, incipe, anime. commodes paulum, precor,
Secretus aures. fi quis eft, abeat, comes. 600
HIPP. En, locus ab omni liber arbitrio vacat.
PH. .Sed ora coeptis tranfitum verbis negant.
Vis magna vocem emittit, at major tenet.
Vos teftor omnes, coelites, hoc, quod volo.
Me nolle. 605
HIPP. Animufne cupiens aliquid effari nequit?
PH. Cursa leves loquuntur. ingentes ftupent.
HIPP. Committe curas auribus, mater, meis.
PH. Matris fuperbum eft nomen, & nimium potens.
Noftros humilius nomen afFedlus decet. 610
Me vel fororem, Hippolyte, vel famulam voca:
Famulamque potius. omne fervitium feram.
Non me, per altas ire fi jubeas nives,
Pigeat gelatis ingredi Pindi jugis
PH^DRA HIPPOLYTUSNURSE- ATTENDANTS.

They all try to overcome the virtue of Hippolytus, but
without success; they have recourse to deceit and
calumny.
PH^DRA.
WHO is
(now that
it that
I
is restoring
am coming
and is bringing back
me
to)
to my old anguish
the dreadful tumultuosities which agitate my soul ?

How well it was, when my senses had left me (alluding
to the swoon and the mental respite it had afforded)
Take courage! ohl my soul; let me try my utmost I
'ATiy do I refuse the welcome arrival of light^ shining as

it were on a dark place (alluding to the arrival of Hip-
polytus who is standing by)? Let me carry out the task
already determined uponl (To the Nurse) Courageous
words will often succeed! Whilst they who timidly appeal,
only tacitly ask for a rude repulse! I am the chief per-
former in this drama of crime, and it has already been
half enacted, any reluctant feelings on my part are now
too late for me to be showing I have chosen to love
!
in a criminal manner, and if I persevere as I commenced,

perhaps! who knows? I shall be able to neutralize the
crime after all, with the kindly aid of the marriage knot
(that is if Theseus does not return, Hippolytus may be
induced to marry me). Success we all know some times
makes even certain ;downright crimes wear the appearance
of glorious deeds! Now let me begin. But oh! for the
courage to do sol Give me a hearing, Hippolytus, I

pray for a short time! but alone if there be any com-
panion or attendant near, let him go away!
HIPP. Look, here is a spot which is free from any

intrusive observation.
PH. But my
tongue forbids me to utter what I want
to as I am about to begin Great exertion
say, just
enables me to speak, but a stronger power chokes my

utterance I call all the heavenly gods to witness this;
do not thou be unwilling to grant me what I crave.
HIPP. Let not the heart desire anything which cannot

find language to express what is the thing that is sought for!
PH. Trivial matters are easily spoken of, but those of

overwhelming concern are difficult to approach!
HIPP. Trust thy cares to my ears, mother!
PH. That name of mother, Hippolytus, is no doubt a

proud one, but from thy lips it sounds too inapplicable
for me, a milder name would represent my love towards
thee, Hippoljrtus. Call me sister, Phsedra, or slave, any

name but mother I prefer the word slave as I will
render to thee all the duties of a slave; it would not
distress me, if thou shouldst command me to walk in the

deepest snows to climb the frozen mountain sides of
Pindus, nor if thou orderedst me to pass through the
raging fires and the hostile battalions in battle array,
would I hold back, from presenting, this breast of mine
io the pointed sword! Accept the throne which shall be
;
Non, fi per ignes ire & infefta agmina, 613

Cun(5ler paratis enfibus pedlus dare.
Maadata recipe fceptra; me famulam accipe.
Te imperia regere, me decet juffa exfequi.
Muliebre non eft regna tutari urbium.
Tu, qui juventae flore primsevo viges, 620
Gives paterno fortis imperio rege.
Sinu receptam, fupplicem, ac fervam lege.
Miferere viduae. hipp. Summus hoc omen Deus
Avertat. aderit fofpes aftutum parens
PH. Regni tenacis dominus, & tacitae Stygis, 625
Nullam ad fuperos viam.
reli(flos fecit
Thalami remittet ille raptorem fui?
Nifi forte amori placidus & Pluton fedet.
HIPP, nium quidem sequi ccelites reducem dabunt.
Sed, dum tenebit vota in incerto Deus, 630
rietate caros debita fratres colam,
Et te merebor; effe ne viduam putes:
-
Ac tibi parentis ipfe fupplebo locum
PH. O fpes amantum credula! o fallax amor!
Satifne dixit? precibus admotis agam. 635
Miferere. tacitas mentis exaudi preces.
Libet loqui, pigetque. HIPP. Quodnam iftud malum eft?
PH. Quod in novercam cadere vix credas malum.
HIPP. Ambigua voce verba perplexa jacis;
Effare aperte. ph. Pedlus infanum vapor 640
Amorque torret. intimas faevus vorat
Penitus medullas, atque per venas meat
Vifceribus ignis merfus & venis latens,
Ut agilis altas flamma percurrit trabes.
HIPP. Amore nempe Thefei cafto furis. 645
ph. Hippolyte, flc eft: Thefei vultus amo
lUos priores, quos tulit quondam puer;
handed over to thee, and accept me as a willing slave 1
It is only right that thou shouldst rule the kingdom, and

that I should obey thy commands it is not a woman's
duty to undertake the sovereign power over the cities.
Thou who art in the very prime of youthful manhood,
and vigor, and brave withal, do thyself govern the
citizens in thj father's Kingdom! Protect me as thy
humble suppliant servant, whom I pray thee, to receive
into thy bosom (the bosom of protection not of love),
pity me a widow!
HIPP. May the chief of the Gods avert such a predic-

tion from being verified (that Phasdra should be a widow)
my parent will soon return in safety.
PH. The monarch of that Kingdom, which keeps a
!
tenacious grasp on its subjects, and the ruler of the silent

Styx has not ordained for them a way back to the
earth above, when once they have quitted it, and it is
not hkely that he will release those who meditated the
capture of his spouse unless, indeed, Pluto is indulgent
and incUned to connive at the daring amour of the
ravisher
HIPP. The Gods of heaven, more favorable, however,

will allow him to return, but whilst they may be regarding
his wishes as uncertain^ I will take charge of my dear
brothers with that affection which I ought to show them,
and let my reward be, that thou wilt no longer consider
thyself a widow, as I will myself fill up the place of
their absent parent.
PH. Oh the clinging hope of credulous love

! Oh the 1 !
love that is playing with my affection 1- Have I not

declared myself sufficiently, I will approach thee once
more with my entreaties! Pity me, listen to the prayers
of a heart that dares not to speak out! I would speak
more plainly but I cannot! it grieves me to confess what
I feelf
HIPP. What is the evil which troubles thee in ''

this
manner ?
PH. An evil which thou wouldst scarcely believe could

befall any stepmother! love for her step-son!
HIPP. Thou throwest out puzzling expressions, in such

ambiguous language too, speak out openly.
PH. The fire of my passionate love is burning within

my maddened and with its cruel flames, it is
breast,
consuming the very marrow of my bones, and traverses
the innermost blood-vessels of my body, and that latent
fire descends to my very entrails and courses through the
deeply-seated veins, just as the active flames capriciously
ascend, till they reach the lofty ceilings!
HIPP. Thou art raving now, of course in consequence

of the chaste love thou nast for Theseus.
PH. The fact of the matter, Hippolytus is this (when I

gaze on thee) I look back with admiration on the face of
Theseus, which he had in days gone by, that face which
he had when a boy, when the incipient beard began to
show itself on his cheeks in th& freshness of his youth
2z6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 648-685
Cum prima puras barba fignaret genas,

Monftrique csscam Gnoffii vidit domum,
Et longa curva fila coUegit via. 650
Quis turn ille fulfil! prefferant vittse comam,
Et ora flavus tenera tingebat rubor.
Inerant lacertis mollibus fortes tori:
Tuaeve Phcebes vultus, aut Phcebi mei;
Tuufque potius: talis, en, talis fuit, 655
Cum placuit hofti. fic tulit celfum caput.
In te magis refulget incomtus decor,
Et genitor in te totus: & torvas tamen
Pars aliqua matris mifcet ex aequo decus.
In ore Grajo Scythicus' apparet rigor. 660
Si cum parente Creticum intrafles fretum,
Tibi fila potius noftra neviifet foror.
Te, te, foror, quacunque fiderei poll
In parte fulges, invoco ad caufam parem.
Domus forores una corripuit duas; 665
Te genitor, at me natus. en, fupplex jacet
AUapfa genubus regiae proles domus.
Refperfa labe nulla, & intaAa, innocens;
Tibi mutor uni. certa defcendi ad preces.
Finem hie dolorl faciet, aut vitae dies. 670
Miferere amantis. HIPP. Magne regnator Deum,
Tam lentus audis fcelera? tam lentus vides?
Ecquando faeva fulmen emittes manu,
Si nunc ferenum eft? omnis impulfus mat
.(Ether, & atris nubibus condat diem; 675
Ac verfa retro fidera obliquos agant
Retorta curfus. tuque fidereum caput
Radiate, tantumne nefas ftiipis tuae
Speculere? lucem merge^ & in tenebras fuge.
Cur dextra, Divdm re(5lor atque hominum, vocat 680
Tua, nee trifulca mundus ardefcit face?
In me tona. me fige. me velox cremet
Tranfadlus ignis, fum nocens. merui mori.
Placui novercae. dignus en ftupris ego
Scelereque tanto vifus? ego folus tibi 685
and innocence, when he first caught sight of the hidden

home of the Gnossian Monster (the Minotaur) and when
he gathered up the clue (the threads) which guided his
steps along the winding paths of the Labyrinth! How
radiant he looked at that time Delicate wreaths confined
!
his locks, and carnation hues pervaded his tender cheeks,

but powerful muscles lay beneath the soft skin of his
arms! Were his features (let me think) those of thy be-
loved Phoebe, or of my progenitor Phcebus, or rather
thy own, yesl just thy own, as they were, when he first
found favor with the daughter (Ariadne) of his enemy
Lines 648-685] HIPPOLYTUS. , 227
Minosjust like thee, he posed his lofty head, but there

IS a natural-born attractiveness in thee, which shows to
greater advantage (more than what art can supply), but
there is all the "father" nevertheless, about thee, yet
some portion of the striking dignity thou possessest is
obviously traceable, equally to thy savage Queen-Mother
Antiopethy countenance combines the stern physiognomy
of the Scythian with the delicate contour of the Greek 1
If thou hadst set out for the Cretan Sea, with thy parent,
my sister (Ariadne) could rather have spun those fatal
threads (the clue) for thee! Oh! thou sister of mine, in
whatever part of the starry heavens thou mayst be shining,
I invoke thee to aid my cause so similar to thine own!
One race has wrecked the happiness of two sisters, thou
lovest the father and I love the son! Behold! the off-
spring of a royal line of ancestors suppliantiy approaches
thee on her bended knees contammated by no crime,
my virtue still intact, spotless in purity! I am changed
from all regards thee alone
this, as Confident of my
I
success, I have humiliated myself by vain entreaties !

This day shall either release me of this consuming passion
or there shall be an end of my existence. Do pity the
loving woman at thy feet!
HIPP. Oh great ruler of the Gods, with what slowness

!
do crimes reach thy ears, with what tardiness dost thou

take cognizance of them Why wilt thou not send forth
!
thy lightnings with thy terrible hand, even if it be quite

serenely disposed at this present moment? Let the entire
sky fall with the shock of the power and shut out the
light with the blackest of clouds and let the stars, driven
back, perform their oblique functions in an opposite
direction! And thou (Phoebus) the head and chief of the

starry throng thou grand luminary wilt thou not take
notice of this terrible wickedness in one of thy race and
lest thou shouldst see it, drown the day itself and retire
into thy self-created darkness! Why, oh! thou ruler of
the Gods and men, is thy right hand withheld, and why
is not the world set on fire by thy three-forked light-
nings 1 Visit me with thy lightaings, let me be singled
out for thy violent shocks let thy swift fires pass through
and consume me forthwith! I am a guilty wretch and
deserve to die I have inspired my stepmother with
criminal desires! Behold! Shall I kve to be regarded
as an object for lustful passion and as one capable of
countenancing such horrible impiety? Oh! why was it
that I should have been selected as a ready target for thy
crime? Has my religious austerity, as regards women,
deserved all this? On, for that entire female portion of
228 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 686-72.
Materia facilis? hoc meus meruit rigor?

O fcelere vincens omne femineum genus!
O majua aufa mafre monftrifera malum,
Genitrice pejor! ilia fe tantum ftupro
Contaminavit, & tamen tacitum diu 690
Crimen biformi partus exhibuit nota,
Scelufque matris arguit vultu truci
Ambiguus infans. ille te venter tulit.
O ter quaterque profpero fate dati,
Quos haufit, & peremit, & leto dedit 695
Odium, dolufque genitor, invideo tibi.
I
Colchide noverca majus hoc, majus malum eft.

PH. Et ipfa noftrae fata cognofco domus:
Fugienda petimus. fed mei non fum potens.
Te vel per ignes, per mare infanum fequar, 700
Rupefque, & amnes, unda quos torrens rapit.
Quacunque greifus tuleris, hac amens agar.
Iterum, fuperbe, genubus advolvor tuis.
HIPP. Procul impudicos corpore a cafto amove
Ta<5lus. quid hoc eft.> etiam in amplexus ruiti' 7S
Stringatur enfis. merita fupplicia exigat.
En, impudicum crine contorto cuput
Laeva reflexi. juftior nunquam focis
Datus tuis eft fanguis, arcitenens Dea.
PH. Hippolyte, nunc me compotem voti facis. Jio
Sanas furentem. majus hoc voto meo eft,
Salvo ut pudore manibus immoriar tuis.
HIPP. Abfcede. vive. ne quid exores: & hie
Contadlus enfis deferat caftum latus.
Quis eluet me Tanais? aut quae barbaris 715
Maeotis undis Pontico incumbens mari?
Non ipfe toto magnus Oceano pater
Tantum expiarit fceleris. o filvsel o feraa!
NUTR. Deprenfa culpa eft. anime, quid fegnis ftupes?
Regeramus ipfi crimen, atque ultro impiam 720
Venerem arguamus. fcelere velandum eftt fcelus.
the universe that subdue mankind by their insidious

conquests Oh! Crime greater than that committed by
I
Pasiphae, that monster-bearing mother Worse art thou 1
than that mother She defiled herself with adultery only I

1
and however the crime was hidden for a long time, the
parturition proclaimed the shocking deed, in the two-formed
being which revealed her infamy! And an ambiguous
infant with, the horrible visage of a bull set the matter
at rest! She bore thee in the same womb! Oh! thrice
and four times blessed are those handed over to a more
fortunate fate, whom the hatred and treachery of step-
mothers have wounded, ruined, and finally put out of the
!
world Oh my father I envy thee even! This crime

1 I 1
is worse than was that of such stepmothers as the

Colchian Medea with the poisoned bowll It is a greater
calamity this one (for me) to be ensnared by the mys-
terious love of a stepmother 1
PH. And I myself am not unacquainted with the des-

tinies
of our race we always seek to gain what ought
to be avoided ; but although I am not powerful in myself,
yet I will follow thee through fire, across the tempes-
tuous sea. Over rocks and rivers, which are converted into
absolute torrents, with their impetuosity! Wherever thou
wendest thy way, I shall be madly led on (by my love
for thee) and be constantly at thy side Ohl proud man I
thou, for the second time I turn towards thee and cHng
myself around thy knees
HIPP. What is this ? (retreating a little) Remove the con-

tact of thy adulterous self from my chaste person Let
!
go! Why, she is actually embracing me! Let my sword

quit is scabbard, it must exact condign punishment!
(seizing Phaedra) Look, with these curled locks which
I am holding in my left hand, I have bent back thy
adulterous head (Phdra shows an up-turned face) and
never could blood have been offered at thy altars with
greater justification, oh quiver-bearing Diana
! ! (This was
also an epithet applied to ApoUo.)
PH. Hippolytus, thou art now making me a participa-

trix in thy desires, thou art curing me of my madness,
and thy act exceeds any previous wish of mine it is this, :
that I should die by thy hands, with my

chastity unsullied 1
HIPP. Go away, live, ask for nothing at my hands, and

this blade of mine after having been in contact merely
with thy adulterous body, shall never more hang from
my side, hitherto innocent of all inchastity What Tanais 1
(a river in Scythia) shall purge me of all this? or what

marshy Mseotis stretching with its sluggish waters into the
Euxine Sea? Nor even the great father himself of the
entire ocean world (Neptune) could cleanse me from this
foul contamination! Oh! for the forests then! Oh! for
the wild beasts to fall back upon (as a means of my
purification) 1
NUR. This criminal plot of ours is completely seen

through by Hippolytus! Why should I hesitate what to do ?
Oh happy thought of mine I must fasten the crime on
I !
Hippolytus and give out that he on his own accord, made

Tutiffimum eft inferre, cum timeas, gradum.

Aufae priores fimus, an paffse nefas,
Secreta cum fit culpa, quis teftis fciet?
Adefte, Athenas: fida famulorum manus, 7^5
Fer opem: nefandi raptor Hippolytus ftupri
Inftat, premitque. mortis intentat metum.
Ferro pudicam terret. en, praeceps abiit,
Enfemque trepida liqnit attonitus fuga.
Pignus tenemus fceleris. Hanc mceftam prius 730
Recreate, crinis traftus, & lacerae comas,
Ut remaneant, facinoris tanti notse.
funt,
Referte in urbem. Recipe jam fenfus, hera.
Quid te ipfa lacerans omnium afpeftum fugis?
Mens impudicam facere, non cafus, folet. 735
CHORUS.
Precatur Chorus, ut bene cedat Hippolyto forma, quae plerifque
fuit exitio. Thefei reditum profpicit.
R UGIT infanse fimilis procellas,

Ocior nubes glomerante Coro,
Ocior curfum rapiente flamma,
Stella cum ventis agitata longos
Porrigit ignes. 740
Conferat tecum decus omne prifcum
Fama, miratrix fenioris aevi:
Pulchrior tanto tua forma lucet,
Clarior quanto micat orbe pleno,
Cum fuos ignes coeunte comu 745
Junxit, & curru properante pernox
Exferit vultus rubicunda Phoebe;
Nee tenent ftellse faciem minores.
Qualis eft primas referens tenebras
Nuntius no(lis, modo lotus undis 75
Hefperus, pulfis iterum tenebris
Lucifer idem.
the lustful advances and importuned Phfedra with his

unlawful love, and our crime must be glossed over by

charging him with it it is the safest plan we can act
upon; whilst any apprehension has possession of us, we
must take the initiative or we may be the sufferers for
this crime ourselves When the crime is more shrouded
!
in secrecy who can possibly appear as a witness to what

he has never seen? (the Nurse then cries out) Athenians,
come hither, ye faithful band of servitors, help! help!
This ravisher, Hippolytus, is intent on committing a most
!
Lines 722-75=] HIPPOLYTUS. 23I
revolting act, of adultery on the Queenhe is urging his

cnminal suit, and actually threatens her with the fear of
death he is intimidating her to yield up her virtue, with
this wicked sword! Look there, he is running away pre-
cipitately, and being somewhat taken aback at the Queen's
determined resistance, has left his sword behind, in his
hurried escape We must preserve this sword as a memento
!
of the crime! But first of all let us soothe this sad

sufferer! (meaning Phaedra) (Then addressing the' Queen
she says) Let thy locks hang down in a state of disorder,
let them remain rumpled as they are, as positive indica-
tions of such a criminal outrage (on the part of the
ravisher) Go into the city, Mistress, and spread the report
far and wide, and then thou canst collect thy faculties
somewhat! Why shouldst thou be tearing away at thyself
and avoid the gaze of every one ? It is the consent to do
evil at constitutes a woman's criminality, but not the
mere accident of having been exposed to its danger!
CHORUS.
The Chorus prays that Beauty, which has been a source
of destruction to many, should turn out favorably as
regards Hippolytus. They look forward to the return
of Theseus
HIPPOLYTUS flies into the woods, with the velocity of

theangry tempest, more rapidly than any north-
west wmd gathering together the clouds it meets

with and driving them before it more quickly than the
flash pursuing its wayy when a star disturbed by the
storm, shoots forth its light along an extended tract!
Reputation, that ardent admirer of the great and heroic
who figuredin bygone times, will compare their an-
cient deeds
by the side of thine for example, thy face
will be lauded to the skies, as more beautiful than all
others, in the same proportion as the moon shines
more brightly in the plenitude of her brilliancy, than
the minor sources of light (the stars) when blushing
Phoebe approximates the two extremities of her luminous
disc (in other words, when her cornua meet and she
becomes the full moon) and when reclining in her hasten-
ing chariot she shows her bright visage the whole night
through! nor can the minor stars at that time maintain
their usual brilliance! Just like thy beauty, is the mes-
senger of night (Hesperus) which ushers in the approach-
ing period of darkness (night) quite lately refreshed by
its near contact with the sea! (The ancients thought
Et tu thyrfigera Liber ab India,

Intonfa juvenis perpetuum coma,
Tigres pampinea cufpide territans, 755
Ac mitra cohibens cornigerum caput,
Non virices rigidas Hippolyti comas.
Nee vultus nimium fufpicias tuos,
Omnes per populos.fabula diftulit,
Phaedrae quem Bromio praetulerit foror. 76
Anceps forma bonum mortalibus,
Exigui donum breve temporis,
Ut velox celeri pede laberis!
Non fie prata novo vere decentia
^ftatis calidse defpoliat vapor, 7^5
Sasvit folftitio cum medius dies,
Et noiSem brevibus prsecipitat rotis;
Languefcunt folio lilia pallido.
Et gratae capiti deficiunt rofae:
Ut fulgor, teneris qui radiat genis, 77
Momento rapitur! nullaque non dies
Formofi fpolium corporis abftulit.
Res eft forma fugax, quis fapiens bono
Confidat fragili? dum licet, utere.
Tempus te taciturn ûbruet, horaque 775
Semper prseterita deterior fubit.
Quid deferta petis? tutior aviis
Non eft forma locis. te nemore abdito,
Cum Titan medium conftituit diem,
Cinget turba licens, Naides improbae, 780
Formofos folitae claudere fontibus;
Et fomnis facient idfidias tuis
Lafcivse nemorum Deae,
Montivagique Panes.
Aut te fttellifero defpiciens polo 785
Sidus, port veteres Arcadas editum,
Currus non poterit fleftere candidos.
Et nuper rubuit; nilllaque lucidis
Nubes fordidior vultibus obftitit.
that the stars and heavenly bodies derived nourishment

from moistening influences) and by and bye, under the
name of Lucifer, announces the arrival of bright day (the
darkness being then driven away) and thou, Bacchus,
returned from thy Indian travels where thou taughtest
the people to carry the thyrsus like thyself, thou, the youth,
with his looks perpetually worn long, scaring the very
tigers with thy spear bound around with vine leaves, and
wearing a turban (the oriental headgear) on thy horn-
bearing head, thou wilt never surpass the severe locks
of Hippolytus, and for that reason, do not think too
admirmgly of thy own appearance The story has gone
1
forth, amongst all the pv'ôples, how the sister of Phaedra

took a fancy to Bacchus (Bromius was a surname of
Bacchus). Beauty after all is a very questionable gift from
the gods to us poor mortals, a gift which lasts only a
short time 1Oh Beauty, how quickly thou passest away
I 1
With what rapid steps! Less rapidly, indeed, does the

heats of a scorching summer burn up the meadows which

looked ah! so inviting at the coming of spring; not more
easily either when the middle of the day grows oppres-
sive with the sun right over our heads, and when night
is shortened by the changing of the chariots not more
easily do the liUes fade with their color-forsaken leaves,
nor are the scarce roses (wreaths) more welcome for the
adornation of the heads of the wearers! How! beauty
which brightens up and vivifies the tender cheek, is
snatched from its possessor in a second! And there is
not a single day of our lives, that does not filch away a
portion of our ephemeral comeliness, of which, too, the
body is so proud Beauty is a fleeting possession. What
!
wise man places any dependence on frail beauty only?

while it does last, however, use it as an advantageous
gift! The ravages of silent time will conquer thee, and
each hour that slips along is followed by another, which
perpetuates the process of decay! Why dost thou go
in (juest of deserted places? Beauty is not more secure
against attack, because the places are lonely and inac-
cessible ! If thou hidest thyself in a shady wood of the
densest grove, for a mid-day snooze, when the sun has
arrived at his Meridian (noon) some lascivious troop
will spy thee out and surround thee with their emulating
allurements the saucy Naiades, who are accustomed to
confine in their streams those who possess youth and
beauty, and the lustful goddesses of the grove (the Dryades)
will stealthily approach thee in thy slumbers and the
mountain-roaming Fauni {Panes, from the God Pan) or
some Luminary gazing at thee with admiration from
out of the starry heavens (Phoebe as she admired Endy-
mion) of newer origin than the ancient inhabitants of
Arcadia, will err in guiding as usual her silver chariot, and
then blush (in her modesty) at the cause of the inter-
ruption! For no dull cloud was it that interfered with
her bright visage! But we are concerned at the sight of
the dimmed luminary, and thinking that was to be traced
to the Thessalian incantations and that the magicians
had induced her to visit the Earth, we listened for the
tinklings (the sounds produced by their brass cymbals)
thou wast the object that attracted her, and the cause
of the chariot's delay. Whilst the goddess watches thee
at night she slackens her rapid pace! Let the searching
At nos foUiciti lumine turbido, 79

Tra(ftam Theffalicis carminibus rati,
Tinnitus dedimus. tu fueras labor,
Et tu caufa moree. te Dea noilium
Dum fpedlat, celeras fuftinuit vias.
Vexent hanc faciem frigora parcius, 795
Haec folem facies rarius appetat,
Lucebit Pario marmore clarius.
Quam grata eft facies torva viriliter,
Et pondus veteris trifte fupercilii!
Phosbo colla licet fplendida compares: 800
Ulum casfaries, nefcia colligi
Perfundens humeros, omat & integit:
Te frons hirta decet, te brevior coma
Nulla lege jacens. tu licet afperos
Pugnacefque Decs viribus arceas, 805
Er vafti fpatio vincere corporis,
^quas Herculeos jam juvenis toros,
Martis belligeri pedtore latior.
Si dorfo libeat comipedis vehi;
Frenis Caftorea mobilior manu 8io
Spartanum poteris fleftere Cyllaron.
Amentum digitis tende prioribus,
Et totis jaculum dirige viribus;
Tam longe, dociles ipicula figere,
Non mittent gracilem Cretes arundinem. 815
Aut fi tela modo fpargere Parthico
In ccelum placeat; nulla fine alite
Defcendent, tepido vifcere condita:
Praedam de mediis nubibus afferes.
Raris forma viris (fecula profpice; 820
Impunita fuit. te melior Deus
Tutum proetereat, formaque nobilis
Deformis fenii monftret imaginem.
Quid fmat inaufum feminae praeceps furor?
Nefanda juveni crimina infonti parat. 825
En fcelera, quasrit crine lacerate fidem.
Decus omne turbat capitis. hume(5lat genas.
Inftruitur omnis fraude feminea dolus.
Sed ifte quifnam eft, regium in vultu decus
Gerens, & alto vertice attollens caput? 830
Ut ora juveni paria Pirithoo gerit!
Ni languido candore pallerent gense,
Staretque redla fquallor incultus coma.
En, ipfe Thefeus redditus terris adeft.
cold be more merciful to such a face, let that face avoid

the sun's scorching rays as much as possible, and it
will shine fairer than the whitest Parian marble How
pleasant to behold is thy stern face, with thy manly
! !
Lines 790-S34] HIPPOLYTES. 23s
bearing, and gravity and majesty of thy noble brow we 1
can really compare thy magnificent and stately neck

with that of Apollo himself. Thy hair, which is never
gathered up, but droops down gracefully over thy
_
shoulders, which, whilst it adorns it, conceals in some

,
measure the hairy visage, becomes thee, and thy locks

shortened somewhat, hanging down carelessly and not in-
terfered with by the hands of Art it will be possible for
thee to put to rout troublesome and fightable demi-gods
with thy strength, and to overcome them with thy wonder-
ful expanse of body; although quite a youth, thou art a
match for a Hercules as regards muscles, and broader
than the fighting God Mars about the chest, and if it
Eleased thee to mount the courser thou wouldst bring the
partan Cyllarus (a horse given to Castor by Jupiter, and
which Neptune had given to Jupiter) into better subjection
and hold the bridle with a more masterful hand than
Castor himself Stretch the bow-string with thy strong
fingers, and shoot forth the dart with all thy might, and
the most skilful archers of Crete could not hurl the
slender arrow, or throw the javelin, as far as thoucouldst;
or if it pleased thee to aim at any object in the sky,
after the manner of the Parthians, thy arrow would
impinge its mark and would not descend to the Earth
minus the bird it had struck, the arrow indeed having
searched out its warm entrails! They will bring thee a
prize home some day from the midst of the clouds
beauty has been a harmless gift to very few men however,
;

we shall see later on may a propitious deity pass thee
over in that respect, and may thy noble appearance last
thee unimpaired up to the threshold of old age To what
1
(unattempted ever before) deed will not the headlong

passion of a frenzied woman lead her? Here a woman
devises an abominable crime should be committed by an

innocent youth oh what shocking wickedness she is I
raving now about his crime (as she calls it) and expects
to be believed with her hair all dishevelled ; she disturbs
the arrangement of every ornamental appendage about
her head and manages to deluge her false cheeks with
tears1 Every thing calculated to make good her story is
brought into requisition by this woman's cunning! But
hark! who is that coming with the look of unmistakable
majesty about him, and poising his head with a lofty
carriage! How much he bears the appearance of that
companion of his youth, Pirithoiis! But his cheeks are
pale with a sickly kind of whiteness (care-worn pallor),
and he stands forth with his bristly hair and his entire
person dirty and repulsive-looking from neglect Behold
!
Theseus himself is here, returned to the Earth at last

ACTUS TERTIUS.
THESEUS, NUTRIX.
Reverfus ab inferis Thefeus domeftici lucftus caufam -i nutrice
obvia fcifcitatar. ilia fe hoc tantum fcire refpondet,
Phsedram necis confdium iniiffe.
THES.
T
A. ANDEM profugi noftis aetemae plagam,
Vaftoque manes carcere umbrantem polutn.
'
835
Ut vix cupitum fufFeruDt oculi diem!

Jam quarta Eleufm dona Triptolemi fecat,
Paremque toties Libra compofuit diem;
Ambiguus ut me fortis ignotas labor 840
Detinuit inter morlis & vit mala.
Pars una vitK manfit exftindlo mihi
Senfus malorum. finis Alcides fuit.
Qui cum revulfum Tartaro extraheret canem,
Me quoque fupemas pariter ad fedes tulit. 845
Sed feffa virtus robore antique caret,
Trepidantque greffus. heu, labor quantus fuit
Phlegethonte ab imo petere longinquum asthera,
Pariterque mortem fugere, & Alcidem fequi!
Quis fremitus aures flebilis pepulit meas? 850
Expromat aliquis. lu<5lus, & lacrimae, & dolor,
In limine ipfo mcefta lamentatio,
Hofpitia digna prorfus inferno hofpite.
NUTR. Tenet obftinatum Phaedra confdium necis,
Fletufque noflros fpemit, ac morti imminet. 855
THES. Qua; caufa leti? reduce cur moritur viro?
NUTR. Haec ipfa letum caufa maturum attulit.
THES. Perplexa magnum verba nefcio quid tegunt.
Effare aperte, quis gravel mentem dolor.
ACT III.
THESEUS-NURSE.
Theseus having returned from the infernal regions, seeks
information of the nurse respecting the cause of all
this domestic grief: she replies it would be best that
he should be acquainted, with the fact that Phaedra
had been threatened with death by Hippolytus.
THESEUS.
HAVE escaped at last from the regions of eternal night,

and the sombre sky which enshrouds the Manes; with
I what difficulty my eyes tolerate the glare of that day-
light which I have so long been wishing to behold:
already Eleusis has yielded the four annual crops to
Triptolemus (under the auspices of Ceres) and Libra
the (Balance) has often made the day and night equal;
and the anxious misgivings about my own uncertain fate
have kept me speculating as to the alternate disadvantages
of Life or Death (that is, which under my circumstances
would have been the more acceptable). One part of my
vitality, otherwise practically dead, was spared to me
which was the suffering portion of that existence Alcides
!
became my deliverer from all these troubles, who when

he had forced the gates of Hell and dragged Cerberus
away from his post as tutelary genius, brought me with
him to these regions above, but my shattered strength
lacks its ancient vigor, and I tremble as I walk along.
Ah! how great was the exertion required to reach this
earthly sky, so far off as it is from the lowest depths of
PhlegethonI flying at one and the same time fi-om the
death which had threatened me, and to keep pace with
Hercules! (alluding to the length of ground covered by
the strides of that hero). What lugubrious groaning is it,
that assails my ears ? some one tell me quickly ; all this
!
bewailing, tears and grief what is it all about?Aweeping

entertainment at one's very door-steps (threshold) is not
altogether a welcome mode of reception to a guest only
just arrived fresh from the Infernal regions.
Nxm. Phffidra adheres to her determined notion about

dying, she spurns all my tearful apprehensions, and is
bent upon death.
THES. What reason is there for death? Why should

she be wishing to die, just as her husband has returned, too?
NUR. This cause for her seeking death, has made that
death ripe for being carried into effect.
THES. I do not know what important thing it is, thy

puzzling language conceals it from mycomprehension-
Speak out plainly! What great trouble oppresses the mind
of my wife ?
\
NDTR. Haud pandit uUi. moefta fecretum occulit, 860

Statuitque fecum ferre, quo moritur, malum.
Jam perge, qussfo, perge. properato eft opus.
THES. Referate clufos regii poftes laris.
THESEUS, PH^DRA, FAMULI.
Primum fimulat Phaedra mori fe malle, quam vim fibi illatam revelare
Thefeo: cui deinde nutrici cruciatum minitanti oftendit gladium,
quem Hippolytus abjedlum reliquiffet.
THES. V_-' SOCIA thalami, ficcine adventum viti,

Et expetiti conjugis vultum excipis? 865
Quin enfe viduas dexteram? atque animum mihi
Reftituis? & te quidquid e vita fugat
Expromis? PH. Eheu, per tui fceptrum imperii,
Magnanime Thefeu, perque natonim indolem,
Tuofque reditus, perque jam cineres meos, 870
Permitte mortem, thes. Caufa quae cogit mori ?
PH. Si caufa leti dicitur, fruftus perit.
THES. Nemo iftud alius, me quidem excepto, audiet.
PH. Aures pudica conjugis folas timet.
THES. EfFare fido pe(3;ore arcana occulam. 875
PH. Alium filere quod voles, primus file.
THES. Leti facultas nulla continget tibi.
PH. Mori volenti deeffe mors nunquam poteft.
THES. Quod fit luendum morte delidlum, indica.
NUR. She tells nobody sad enough she hides her

secret, and has resolved to keep up the grief, from which
she is dying already, in her own secret bosom Come
now at
once I pray thee come, there is need for hasty
action.
THES. Unlock the closed portals of the royal chamber.
THESEUS-PH^DRA- SERVANTS.
Phaedra first pretends that she would rather die than tell
Theseus what violence had been offered to her, to
whom, when he threatens to punish the nurse, she
shows the sword which Hippolytus had left behind
him when he fled.
Lines S60-879] HIPPOLYTUS. 239
THESEUS.
OH partner of
! my
nuptial couch, is this the way thou
greetest the arrival of thy husband? and is this the
countenance thou assumest on meeting that hus-
band, after having been so long waiting for nis return?
But first of all, rid thy right hand of that sword, and open
thy mind to me freely, and tell me, whatever it is, that
causes thee to wish to die.
PH. Oh! noble Theseus by the sceptre with

Alas!
which thou by thy natural love towards thy off-
rulest,
spring, the sons I have borne thee, and by my own body
consumed after death (ashes) and by thy own joyous
return, permit me to die!
THES. But what cause compels thee to die ?
PH. If the reason for my desiring death is divulged,

the advantage gained will be lost to me.
THES. No one else shall hear anything about it, except

of course myself.
PH. A modest wife hesitates to confide some things

even to the ears of a husband, although such husbands
should be the sole recipients of what she would have
to say.
THES. Speak; I wiU keep thy secret in my faithful

breast.
PH. That another should be silent about what one

does not wish to make known, the safe plan is to com-
mence with silence oneself!
THES. No opportunity shall be allowed thee for court-
ing death.
PH. Death can never be withheld from those desirous

of attaining it.
THES. Tell me what is the crime thou desirest to be

expiated by death?
PH. The crime is, that I should live!
THES. Will my tears not have any effect upon thee?

;
PH. Quodvivo. THES. Lacrimae nonne te noftrae movent? 880

PH. Mors optimaeft perire lacrimandum fuis.
THES. Silere pergiL verbere ac vinclis anus
Altrixque prodet, quidquid hsec fari abnuit.
Vincite ferro. verbenim vis extrahat
Secreta mentis, ph. Ipfa jam fabor, mane. 885
THES. Quidnam ora mcefta avertis, &. lacrimas genis
Subito coortas vefte praetenta obtegis?
PH. Te, te, creator coelitum, teftem invoco.
Et te corufcum lucis aetlieriae jubar.
Ex cujus ortu noftra dependet domus, 890
Tentata precibus reftiti. ferro ac minis
Non ceffit animus: vim tamen corpus tulit.
Labem banc pudoris eluet nofter cruor.
THES. Quis, ede, noftri decoris everfor fuit?
PH. Quem rere minime. THES. Quis fit, audire expeto. 895
PH. Hie dicet enfis, quem tumultu territus
Liquit ftuprator, civiura accurfum timens.
THES. Quod facinus, heu me, cerno? quod monftrum intuor?
Regale parvis afperum Cgnis ebur,
Capulo refulget gentis A&seae decus. 900
Sed ipfe quonam evafit? PH. Hi trepidum fuga
Videre famuli concitum celeri pede.
THESEUS.
Agnito enfe deceptus pater & iratus filio immerito exitium
imprecatur.
J. r6, fan(5la pietas! pro, gubemator poli,

Et qui fecundum ftuftibus regnum moves,
Unde ifta venit generis infandi lues? 905
Hiinc Graja tellus aluit, an Taurus Scythes,
. PH. The happiest kind of death is to die deservedly

lamented by one's own kith and kin.
THES. If thou persistest in giving me no reply, that old

woman and nurse of thine shall divulge what she knows
and refuses by the aid of stripes and chains
to disclose,
I will silence, if need be with the sword, but
conquer her
the force of stripes will surely draw forth the secrets
which she is keeping back in her own mind!
PH. I myself will speak : be thou a little patient.
THES. Why dost thou turn away thy doleful face, and
hide with thy veil the tears that suddenly rise from those
eyelids of thine.
PH. Oh thou creator of the immortal gods, I invoke

thee as a witness, and thee, thou bright luminary (Phcebus)
from whose extraction our race has sprung, I resisted the
urgent attempts of the seducer, and withstood his en-
treaties, and my will did not give way to his threats or his
sword, but iny body suffered from his violence, and my
blood alone can wash out that stain on my chastity.
THES. What? tell me quickly who was the outrager of

our honor?
PH. The one thou wouldst suppose to be the least

likely to have been so.
THES. Who may that be? I desire to hear forthwith.
PH. This sword will tell thee, which the would-be

adulterer left behind him, when he was alarmed by the
'
noise and feared the arrival of the crowd of neighbours.
THES. What wickedness! Alas! I now see it alll What

monstrous thing am I now beholding? (And looking at
the ivory handle, exclaims) This ivory indicates its royal
ownership; it is rough to the touch from the ancestral
devices carved on it, and the emblem (golden grass-
hopper) of the Royal House of Athens shines brightly on
the handle! But to what place has he escaped?
PH. These faithful servants saw him as he fled, scared,

running away at a rapid pace.
THESEUS.
When Theseus recognizes the sword, he sees that he has

been betrayed, and in his anger, prays for the de-
struction of his son.
for that venerated piety that inculcates the filial

Oh!duties of mankind! And Oh! the grand ruler of
Heaven (Jupiter) Oh!, thou governor of the watery
deep (Neptune) who rulest with thy waves the second
kingdom of the universe, from what region has that off-
shoot of a wicked race, that personification of moral
turpitude, sprung? Has the soil of Greece nourished his
16
Colchufve Phafis? redit ad auftores genus;

Stirpemque primam degener fanguis refert.
Eft prorfus ifte gentis anniferae fnror,
Odiffe Veneris foedeva, & caftum diu 910
Vulgare populis corpus, o tetrum genus,
NuUaque vi(5luni lege melioris foil!
Ferae quoque ipfse Veneris evitant nefas,
Generifque leges infcius fervat pudor.
Ubi vultus ille, & fi(fta majeftas viri, 91S
Atque habitus horrens, prifca & antiqua appetens,
Morumque fenium trifte, & afpeiflu grave?
O vita fallax! abditos fenfus geris,
Anlmifque pulchram turpibus faciem induis.
Pudor impudentem celat, audacem quies, 920
Pietas nefandum. vera fallaces probant,
Simulantque molles dura, filvarum incola
Hie efferatus, caftus, intaftus, rudis,
Mihi te refervas? a meo primum tore
Et fcelere tamo placuit ordiri virum.' 925
Jam jam fuperno numini grates ago,
Quod idta noftra cecidit Antiope manu:
Quod non ad antra Stygia defceodens tibi
Matrem reliqui. profugus ignotas procul
Percurre gentes. te licet terra ultimo 930
Summota mundo dirimat Oceani plagis,
Orbemque noftris pedibus obverfum colas;
Licet in receffu penitus extremo abditus
Horrifera celfi regna tranfieris poll;
Hiemefque fupra pofitus & canas nives, 935
Gelidi frementes liqueris Boreae minas
Port te furentes; fceleribus poenas dabis.
Profugtim per omnes pertinax latebras premam.
Longinqua, claufa, abftrafa, diverfa, iavia
Emetiemur. nuUus obftabit locus. 940
Scis, unde redeam. tela quo mitti baud queunt,
Hue vota mittam genitor aequoreus dedit,
Ut vota prono trina concipiam Deo,
Et invocata munus lioc fanxit Styge.
En, perage donum trifte, regnator freti. 945
Non cernat ultra lucidum Hippolytus diem,
Adeatque Manes juvenis iratos patri.
Fer abominandam nunc opem nato parens.
Nunquam fupremum numinis munus tui
growth, or the Scythian Taurus, or the Colchian Phasis?

He has fully confirmed his origin from his progenitrix
AntiopCj and his ignoble blood clearly throws back to his
mother's ancestral stock It quite amounts to a madness,
I
with that armed race (the Amazons), to hold in absolute

contempt any religious observance connected with Venus
Lines 907-945J HIPPOLYTUS. 243
(marriage), and after preserving their bodies chaste for a

long time, to prostitute themselves with their subjects in
the end? Oh savage race! ruled by no laws known to
civilized nations! Why! the wild animals avoid unnatural
amours (pair of according to their kind) and their sexual
instincts unconsciously conform with the recognized laws
appertaining to their species !Where is that man's hypo-
critical with his assumed gravity and repelling de-
face,
meanour, always hankering after what was old-fangled and
out of date, and with that austerity, forsooth, in his habits,
painful to contemplate? Oh! the double-banked deceptious-
ness of human nature (life), thou wearest all thy real
qualities under a mask, and with a handsome face thou
colorest over a debased disposition; assumed modesty
conceals bare-faced impudence, and with a quiet manner
thou essayest to do the most audacious things, downright
wickedness poses as devoted piety and so-called truths
prove themselves naught but the most blatant fallacies!
And a hard uncompromising nature assumes the disguise
of smirking amiability! And does that wild young man
of the woods, so chaste, so pure, so natural, keep back
his real nature only for the purpose of disgracing me, his
own father? Is this the way in which thou hast thought
proper to induct thyself as a sample of manhood, with so
great a crime, and commencing such practices, too, with
thy father's nuptial bed? Over and over again, I return
thanks to the deities above, that Antiope feU struck down
by my right hand, and that when I made my descent to
the river Styx, that I did not leave thy own mother near
thee, lest thou mightest have violated lier! As an exile
mayst thou wander amongst unknown people let some
land at the extreme ends of the world serve to remove
thee far away, to the countries bordering on the most
distant ocean, where thou wilt inhabit the earth directly
under our feet (the Antipodes); but although thou mayst
penetrate the dreadful regions of the lofty pole (Arctic)
and be hidden in the innermost and most secret part, in
some far-oif corner, and settled far above, where no
such winters as ours exist with their hoar-frosts, when thou
mayst have even left behind the howling storms of cold
Boreas raging at thy back, thou shalt receive punishment

for thy crime I will follow thee in thy flight, to what-
ever hiding-place thou mayst be traced ; with untiring
perseverance I will travel to places however far oif, places
shut out from the approach of man, unsuspected spots!
Every variety of place Inaccessible regions! No locality
1
shall stand in ray way ! Thou art aware from what regions
I have just returned, an abode where I was utterly unable
to launch my missiles (his vows) I will make use of them
I
Confumeremus, magna ni premerent mala. 950

Inter profunda Tartara, & Ditem horridum,
Et imminentes regis infemi minas,
Voto peperci. redde nunc paflam fidem,
Genitor. moraris? cur adhuc undse filent.'
.Nunc atra ventis nubila impellentibus 955
Subtexe nodlem; Cdera & coelum eripe.
Effunde pontum. vulgus asquoreuin cie,
Fluftufque ab ipfo tumidus Oceano voca.
CHORUS.
Queritur Chorus, cum coeli ceterarumque rerum curfus certo
regantur confilio, non tamen res humanas jufte ac
redle cedere, cum bonis male fit, malis bene.
o,MAGNA
Tuque igniferi
parens Nalura Deilm,
redtor Olympi, 960
Qui fparfa cite fidera mundo
Curfufque vagos rapis aftrorum,
Celerique polos cardine verfas.
Cur tibi tanta eft cura perennes
Agitare vias aetheris alti? 965
Ut nunc canae frigora brumse
Nudent filvas; nunc arbuflis
Redeant umbrae; nunc asftivi
CoUa Leonis Cererem magno
Fervore coquant; virefque fuas 970
Temperet annus.' fed cur idem,
Qui tanta regis, fub quo vafti
Pondera mundi librata fuos
Ducunt orbes, hominum nimium
Securus ahes; non foUicitus 975
Prodeffe bonis, nocuifle malis?
Res humanas ordine nullo
Fortuna regit, fpargitque manu
Munera CKca, pejora fovens.
Vincit fanftos dira libido. 980
Fraus fublimi regnat in aula.
Tradere turpi fafces populus
here: my Oceanic has furnished me to this effect,

sire
that it was to ask wishes to be granted me,
for three
from that obliging god, and he sanctified those promises
by calling the river Styx to witness! Behold Oh thou1
ruler of the sea, grant this favor, sad though it is That

!
Hippolytus shall not see the light of day from henceforth,

Lines 950-98=}
_ HIPPO LYTUS. 24s
and let the youth pass on to the shades below! however

angry they may be towards a father that decrees it As I
a parent, render at this juncture, as to a son, assistance

although it is a hateful thing to think of! I have not
exhausted the three wishes I should never have availed
1
myself of this remaining token of thy divine power, unless

the direst calamity had constrained me to do so When!
I was down in the depths of Tartarus and those dreadful

realms of Pluto, and with the threats of that infernal king
always hanging over me, I reserved this wish! Grant me
now the performance of thy promise. Oh! my father!
(Neptune, according to Plutarch, was the putative father
of Theseus.) Why should there be any delay ? Why
should the waves be any longer silent? Overwhelm the
night, from this moment, with hurricanes driving before
them the blackest clouds remove from all human sight
the stars and the firmament itself! Lash into foam the
terrible seas, call up the aquatic herd inhabiting those
seas (the terrible sea-monsters; and summon all the angriest
waves from out of the ocean itself!
CHORUS.
The Chorus complain,
. seeing that the revolutions of the
heavenly bodies and other matters in nature are
governed by certain fixed laws, that human affairs
do not conform likewise to justice and order why a
hard fate awaits a good man, and a smooth lot is
awarded to a bad one.
OhIthounature, thou powerful mother of the gods and

ruler of starry Olympus, who maintainest within
their appointed orbits the heavenly bodies scattered
around the quickly-moving firmament, and controllest
the erratic course of the stars, and who regulatest (with
mathematical certainty) the heavens in their rapid revolu-
tions! Why dost thou take such care that they shall
pursue their perennial paths, through the lofty sky with
such unvarying exactness? How is it that at one time
the nipping cold of the snowy winter denudes the forests
of their foliaceous beauty, at another time that the um-
brageous adornments should reappear on these (self-same)

,
trees at one time, that the heat of the summer (when

the sun is in Leo) should burn up the standing corn with
the excessive heat and that the ensuing autumn should
moderate the force of its destructive temperature? But
why is it that this same power which ordains the govern-
ment of so many things, under whose will the huge
Gaudet; eofdem colit, atque odit.

Ti'iftis virtusperverfa tulit
Prsemia re(5li. caftos fequitur 985
Mala paupertas: vitioque poteus
Regnat adulter.
O vane pudor, falfumque decus!
Sed quid citato nuntius portat gradu,
Rigatque mceftis lugubrem vultum genis? 990
ACTUS QUARTUS.
NUNTIUS, THESEUS.
Narrat Thefeo nuntius, ut perierit Hippolytus difcerptus ab
equis fuis, quos terruerat taurus naarinus a Neptuno
ex Thefei voto immiffus.
o,
NUNT. V^_y SORS acerba & dura famulatus gravis,
Cur me ad nefandos nuntium cafus vocas?
THES. Ne metue clades fortiter fari afperas;
Non imparatum pedlus ffiiumnis gero.
NUNT. Vocem.dolori lingua luftificam negat. 995
THES. Proloquerre, quae fors aggravet qualTam domum.
NUNT. Hippolytus (heu me) flebili leto occubat.
THES. Natum parens obiifTe jam pridem fcio.
Nunc raptor obiit. mortis effare ordinem.
NUNT. Ut profugus urbem liquit infefto gradu, 1000
Celerem paffibus curfura explicans,
citatis
Celfos fonipedes ocius fubigit jugo,
Et era frenis domita fub(lri(5lis ligat.
Tum multa fecum effatus, & patrium folum
masses of matter are poised around the vast world, f^nd

conduct their revolutions through space, shoiild be so
absent as regards the security afforded to mankind, and
allow them to regulate the movements of their orbits in
a very uncertain fashion ? Not anxious to favor the good
or punish the badl Fortune rules human affairs by no
defined system, and dispenses her blessings with blind
carelessness, and appears for the most part to lean towards
the wicked Cruel lust overcomes the virtuous, wicked-
!
ness reigns triumphant in the lofty palace! The rabble

delight in lavishing honors upon the unworthy they praise
and despise the same men at the same time, sorrowful
virtue receives only some inadequate reward as its
recompense, and wretched poverty falls to the lot of the
chaste and virtuous, but the adulterer reigns still powerful

with those very vices (which have placed him on his
throne)! Oh empty mock-modesty! Oh false virtue But ! 1
what is the news which the messenger is bringing, hastening

hither with such rapid steps, and he appears to be copi-
ously bedewing his lugubrious countenance too, from his
sorrowful eyes!
ACT IV.
MESSENGER-THESEUS.
The Messenger reports to Theseus that Hippolytus has
perished, having been torn to pieces, through his
own horses, which a Marine Monster sent forth by
Neptune in answer to the wish of Theseus, had
frightened I
MESSENGER.
H
o the bitter and ungenial lot of domestic servitude.
Why
!
shouldst thou select me as the messenger of

such a dreadful catastrophe?
THES. Do not hesitate, man, to speak of this dreadful

catastrophe; tell me all about it. I possess a heart not
unprepared, I assure thee, to listen now to any grievous tale.
MESS. My tongue restrains my speech, it is rendered

incapable through grief and the mournful news I bring.
THES. Speak; what dire disaster now invades our

troubled house?
MESS. Hippolytus, ah I me! has met with a horrible

death 1
THES. I the parent know already by thy manner, that

my son has met with some sort of death. Now the ravisher
has disappeared. Tell me, however, the way which m
that death was brought about.
MESS. Hippolytus as a fugitive with bewildered

When
strides was leaving the city, he urged on his already quick
retreat, at a hastened pace, but, mounting his chariot, he
easily kept in hand the noble horses attached to that chariot,
and with his tightened reins he held in check the trained
mouths of the horses! Then he talked to himself about
:
Abominatus, fepe genitorem ciet, 1005

Acerque habenis lora permiffis quatit:
Cum fubito vaftum tumuit ex alto mare,
Crevitque in aftra. nuUus infpirat falo
Ventus. quieti ntiUa pars coeli ftrepit,
Placidumque pelagus propria tempeftas agit. loio
Non tantus Aufter Sicula difturbat frela,
Nee tarn fureati pontus exfurgit friiu
Regnante Coro. faxa cum fluftu tremunt,
Et cana fummum fpuma Leucatem ferit.
Confiirgit ingens pontus in vaftum aggerem, 1015
Tumidumque monftro pelagus in terram ruit.
Nee ifta ratibus tanta conftru'tur lues
Terris minatur. fludlus baud curfu levi
Provolvitur. nefcio quid onerato fmu
Gravis unda portat. quK novum tellus caput 1020
Oftendit aftrisf Cyclas exoritur nova.
Latuere rupes, numen Epidaurii Dei,
Et fcelere petrjE r.obiles Scironides,
Et quffi duobus teira comprimitur fretis.
Hsec dum ftupentes querimur, en totum mare 1025
Immugit. omiies undique fcopuli adftrepunt.
Summum cacumen rorat expulfo fale.
Spumatj vomitque vicibus alternis aquas.
Qualis per alta vehitur Oceani freta
Flu(flus refundens ore phyfeter capax 1030
Jnhorruit concuffus undarum globus,
Solvitque fefe, & litori invexit malum
Majus timore pontus in terras ruit,
Suumque monftrum fequitur. os quaflat tremor.
THES. Quis habitus corporis vafti fuit? *
ille 1035
NUNT. Cferulea taurus colla fublimis gerens,
Erexit altam fronte viridanti jubam.
Stant hifpidtC aures, cornibus varius color:
Et quern feri dominator habuilfet gregis,
Et quern Tub undis natus. hinc flammam vomit; 1040
many things, and rather wildly, as I thought; he cursed

his natal soil I know and often spoke of his father in the
course of his ramblings; and eager to pursue his way, he
yields the lax reins to the horses (gives them their head)
so as not to restrain them, and gently smacks (shakes) his
whip, which no sooner done, than quite on a sudden,
a terrific wave, a perfect sea in itself, swells from the vast
ocean, and rises, as it were, to the very stars, not a breath
of wind though was there on the sea beyond, and not
any part of the calm sky gave forth the slightest semblance
of a sound! but the usual weather (serenity) prevailed,
ever the placid seal Never did a south wind, however
fierce, disturb the Sicilian straits like this, and never
Lm=s 10C5-1040] HIPPOLYTUS. 249
during the very height of a North- Western did the Ionian

sea surge so furiously as this then How the rocks, too,
1
did tremble, to be sure and the white foam, which rose,

1
struck the summit of Leucate, the Acarnanian promontory;

the huge sea then swelled itself to the size of an enormous
mountain, and the mass of water which seemed to be
puffed out with something or other mairvellous, came with
a grand rush upon the shore. Now, never was a visitation
so severe as this, launched upon the crafts even whilst on
the seal Nol this was evidently designed to terrify the
land only The waves rolled forwards then, one succeeding
1
another, though not with equal force. I did not know,

I could not guess, what the laboring water was bearing
in its loaded bosom or what new land was about to make
!
its appearance for the stars to look down upon! Surely,

I thought, some fresh Cyclas has arisen to swell the number
of the Cyclades all the rocks lay hidden from sight, the
temple of the deity of Epidaurus and sacred to .^sculapius,
and the noble rocks, the Scironides,' famous on account
of the crimes of Sciron, the celebrated thief of Attica, and
also the straits which are inclosed by the two seas, were
rendered invisible And whilst utterly stupefied, I became
1
alarmed at these phenomena, when behold the entire sea !
gave forth a roaring sound, all the rocks around made a

noise, the loftiest peak was moistened with the spray
expelled from the sea it foamed and vomited forth columns
;
of water, first one and then the other, just as the huge
whale is carried along the deep seas, pouring back the
waves from its mouth! At length, this immense mass of
water being shaken from within, breaks up, disperses
itself and casts upon the shore a monster greater than
any exaggerated fears of mine could form any conception
of: the sea then rushes upon the shore, and follows its
Monster, which it had just yielded up; the scare it gave
me made me tremble from head to foot!
THES. What was the general appearance of this enormous
body (monster) thou didst see?
MESS. Oh! it was like a tall bull, with a bluish neck,

and it raised its immense mane around its green-tinted
head, its shaggy ears stood out prominently, and the color
varied on the horns (a sort of mixture) one of which
reminded me of what the leader of the fierce herd has
on his (the land Bull), the other color that which we see
on the horns of the animal, a native of the sea, the sea-calf
or marine bull. It then began to vomit flames, and its
eyes shone like balls of fire, and its vast neck, remarkable
for a certain blue line on it, supported its ponderous
: :
2SO . SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 104 loso
Oculi hinc relucent. CEerula infignis nota

Opima cervix arcUios tollit toros:
Narefque hiulcis hauftibus patulEe fremunt.
Mufco tenaci pedtus ac palear viret.
Longum rubenti fpargitur fuco latus. I045
Turn pone tergus ultima in mouilrum cnit
Facies, &
iogens bellua immenfam frahit
Squammofa partem, talis extremo mari.
Piftrix citatas forbet aut reddit rates.
Tremuere terrae. fugit attonituni pecus 1050
Pallim per agros; nee fuos poftor fequi
Meminit juvencos. omnis e faltu fera
Diffugit: omnis frigido exfanguis metu
Venator horret. folus immunis metu
Hippolytus ardis continet frenis equos, 1055
Pavidofque notae vocis hortatu ciet.
Eft alta ad Argos collibus riiptis via,
Vicina fangens fpatia fuppofiti maris
Ileic fe ilia moles acuit, atque iras parat.
Ut cepit animos. feque praetentans fatis 1060
Proluflt irae, praepeti curfu evolat.
Summam citato vix gradu tangens humum;
Et torva currus ante trepidantes ftetit.
Contra feroci natus infurgeiis minax
Vultu, nee ora mutat, & magnum intonat 1065
Haud frangit animum vanus hie terror meum;
Nam mihi paternus vincere eft tauros labor.
Inobfequentes protinus frenis equi
Rapuere currum: jamque deerrantes via,
Quacunque pavidos rapidus evexit furor. 1070
Hac ire pergunt, feque per fcopulos agunt.
At ille, qualis turbido reflor mari
Ratem retentat, ne det obliquum latus,
Et arte fluiflus fallit; haud aliter citos
Currus gubernat ora nunc preffis trahit
:
1075
Conftridta frenis, terga nunc torlo frequens
Verbere coercet. fequi tur affiduus comes
Nunc sequa carpens fpatia, nunc conti\i obvius
Oberrat, omni parti terrorem raovens
NoQ licuit ultra fugere. nam torvo obvius 1080
frame, and its wide-spreading nostrils emitted a roaring

sound as it drew in and out its gaping breath; its chest
and dewlap were green with moss and other sea-weeds
clinging about them, and its side was spotted here and
there with reddish tints; then its lengthj form, posterior
to its back, terminated Hke some marine monster, fish-
like, and the huge scaly beast dragged along its immense
structure, just hke that enormous marine phenomenon,
the pistrix, met with in the far-off Indian seas, and which-
Lines .04:-io8o] HIPPOLYTUS. 25I
swallows up whole entire ships and vomits them up

again.
The earth trembled-the cattle, frightened, fled in all
directions across the fields, nor was there a shepherd
amongst them, who had the slightest thought of following
the scattered herds every wild animal started from the
thickets and groves, which bordered on the shore every
hunter grew pale and was paralyzed with fear was horror-
stricken! Hippolytus, the only one in fact, was in no sort
of fear, and he still kept firm control of the horses, with
the well-handled reins and encouraged the timid animals
with his well-known voice. There is a steep decUvity on
the road to Argos, amongst the broken hills, which leads
down to the various spots that are close to the sea which
lies at their feet, and here the monster seemed to be
evincing considerable activity and prepared itself, as it
were, to make up its angry mind. As if it had foreshadowed
its plans to its satisfaction, it set to work to exert its
rage, and it dashes forth at a rapid rate, scarcely touching
the highest ground in its hurried advance, and with a
savage glare, it stands before the trembling horses; on
the other hand, though Hippolytus, rising up in a threatening
attitude with a ferocious look, does not change his counte-
nance into any thing suggestive of timidity, and thundered
out in loud tones : This empty terror does not daunt my
courage, for is it not the task taught me by my father, that

of taming bulls ? " Whereupon the horses, disregarding the
reins showed symptoms of rebellion, taking entire charge
of the chariot, and then wandering madly onwards in
their precipitate course, wherever their terrified excitement
carried them, scared as they were They first go this way,
!
then that, till at length they begin to scamper wildly

amongst the rocks, but like the skilful pilot who keeps
his craft head to wind in a tempestuous sea, and avoids
steering it broadside on to the surging advances of that
sea, and thus with skilful seamanship bafiSes the force of
the waves, not otherwise does Hippolytus strive to guide
the flying horses; at one time he pulls at their mouths
with tightened reins, and at another time he turns the
whips towards their backs to accelerate their speed His
I
companion, the Monster, however, pertinaciously follows

him up, one time at an equal pace, side by side, at another
time it veers round and faces him in front, and striking
unspeakable terror from every direction. It does not
suit him (Hippolytus) to proceed too far ahead, for this
horrible horn-bearing monster of the sea comes on with
his savage aspect right in front of the horses !But at last
the endurance of the horses is completely broken down
through their fears; they then break through all control
252 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines loSi-mg
Incurrit orecomiger ponti horridus.

Turn vero pavida fonipedes mente exciti
Imperia folvunt, feque luftantur jugo
Eripere, redlique in pedes jacflant onus.
PrjEceps in ora fufus implicuit cadens ' 1085
Laqueo tenaci corpus : & quanto magis
Pugnat, fequaces hoc magis nodos ligat.
Senfere pecudes facinus, & curru levi,
Dominante nullo, qua timor juffit, ruunt.
Talis per auras non fuum agnofcens onus, 1090
Solique falfo creditum indiguans diem,
Phaethonta currus devio excuffit polo.
Late cruentat arva, & illifum caput
Scopulis refultat. auferunt dumi comas:
Et ora durus pulchra populatur lapis: 1095
Peritque multo vulnere iiifelix decor.
Moribunda celeres membra provolvunt rotae.
Tandemque raptuiii truncus ambufta fude
Medium per inguen ftipite ere(5lo tener;
Paulumque domino currus affixo ftetit. 1 100
Haeferi; bijuges vulnere, & pariter moram
Dominumque rumpunt. inde femianimem fecant
Virgulta. acutis afperi vepres rubis,
OmnifqUe truncus corporis partem tulit.
Errant per agros funebris, famuli, manus, 1105
Per ilia, qua diftraftus Hippolytus, loca
Longum cruenta tramitem fignat nota:
Moeftaeque domini membra veftigant canes.
Necdum dolentum fedulus potuit labor
Explere corpus, hoccine eft formae decus? mo
Qui modo paterni clarus imperii comes,
Et certus hieres, fiderum fulfit modo,
Paffim ad fupremos il!e colligitur rogos,
Et funeri confertur. THES. O, nimium potens,
Quanto parentes fanguinis viiiclo tenes 11 15
Natural quam te colimus inviti quoque!
Occidere volui noxium; amiflum fleo.
NUNT. Haud quifquam honefte flere, quod voluit, poteft.
THES. Equidem malorum maximum hunc cumulum reor.
whatever, and struggle to escape from their yoke, and

rearing themselves on their hind-legs, they jolt the chariot,
and Hippolytus falling upon his face, becomes entangled
by the reins, vvfhich, however, he still holds tenaciously,
and the more he fights to retain his hold, the more and
more does he tighten the reins about himself The poor
horses seem to have recognized the disaster, and with the
chariot lightened and no driver left to guide them, in the
same way that the horses of the sun, as they sped through
space, perceived that they had not their usual load Phosbus,
Lines 1081-1119] HIPPOLYTUS. 2S3
and angry that the day was given up to a substituted

Phcebus, dragged Phaethon through a devious track (Jupiter, 1
perceiving the danger, struck Phaethon with one of his

thunderbolts.) The blood of Hippolytus is scattered over
the fields far and wide, and his head bounds back as it
strikes on the rocks, and the shrubs through which he is
dragged catch up portions of his locks, and the cruel rocks
rend in pieces his once beautiful countenance, and that
beauty, wnich was his ruin, disappears with many wounds 1
Meanwhile, the rapidly revolving wheels roll onwards with

his lifeless limbs, but at length a stake rising from the trunk
of a blasted tree catches him in the middle and holds
back the body, the stake being upright and piercing him
in the groin; 'the horses stand for a second with the driver
thus impaled, and when they feel themselves kept back
on account of the wound that had transfixed Hippolj^tus,
they break through all further delay, and drag their driver
along, and the thickets subdivided his body as he is drawn
through them, the sharp briers, and the prickly brambles,
and every tree and trunk appropriating some portion of
his mangled remains Every one mourning his death
1
the servants and laborers scrutinize the tedious path along

the various spots where Hippolytus was torn to pieces,
indicated by the marks of his blood, and the sad dogs,
too, on the alert with their powers of scent, trace the remains
of their master, nor as yet does the pressing search of
the mourners, succeed in discovering the body. Is there
nothing remaining of the beauty that once was ? He who
till lately, was the bright sharer of his father's glory, and
the direct heir to the kingdom: quite recently he shone
with the refulgence of a star, but now, from all sides, he
is gathered up piece by piece for the funeral pile, and is
now only brought forward to receive the honors shown
to the dead!
THES. Oh I nature! the powerful instincts thou incul-

catest with what firm a hold thou causest a parent to
cherish the ties of blood Alas I how unwillingly we regard
I
thy decrees For example, I

I willed to kill Hippolytus,
because his life was hateful to me, and now I have lost
him I moan for the bereavement.
MESS. No man can consistently bewail what he has

himself desired to bring about.
THES. Indeed I cannot help thinking that this climax

now arrived at, is greater than all the evils which have
happened before although some accident does not bring
!
:
254 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines it.o-uss
Si abominanda cafus optata efficit. 1120

NUNT. Et fi odia fervas, cur madent fletu gense?
THES. Quod interemi, non quod amifi, fleo.
CHORUS.
Sublimis fortunae inftabllitatem & pericula, humilis fecuritatem
canit, Hippolyti mortem deflet.
V^/uANTi cafus humana rotaut!

Minor in parvis Fortima furit,
Leviufque ferit levLora Deus. 1 125
Servat placidos obfcura quies;
Praebetque fenes cafa fecuros.
Admota setheriis culmina fedibus
Euros excipiunt, excipiunt Notos,
Infatd Borese minas, 1 130
Imbrifei-umque Coram.
Humida vallis raros patitur
Fulminis idlus. tremuit lelo
Jovis altifoni Caucafus ingenSj
Phrygiumque nemus matris Cybeles. 1135
Metuens coelo Juppiter alto
Vicina petit, non caplt unquam
Magnos motus humilis te(5li
Plebeja domus.
Circa regna tonat. 1140
Volat ambiguis
Mobilis alis hora; nee ulli
Prffiftat velox Fortuoa fidem.
Qui clara videt fidera muudi,
Nitidumque diem nodle relidla, 1 145
Luget moeftos triftis reditus;
Ipfoque magis flebile Averno.
Sedis patriae videt liofpitium.
Pallas Aftsese veneranda genti,
Quod tnus ccelum fuperofque Thefeus 1150
Speiflat, & fugit Stygias paludes.
Carta nil debes patruo rapaci
Conftat inferno numerus tyranno.
Quae vox ab altis flebilis tedlis fonat?
Stri(5loque vecors Phjedra quid ferro parat? njj
about the detestable events one has previously been

wishing for. (If any accident should make one repent
one's sunply detestable wishes being fulfilled!)
MES.s. And if thou still nursest thy hatred, why do thy

eyelids moisten with thy weeping?
^
Lines 11=0-1,55] HIPPOLYTUS. 25s
THES. I weep for what I killed, not for what I have

got rid ofl
CHORUS.
fl Tow worthy of nature are the vicissitudes which)
^
J[~J_
and which fickle fortune rotates in/
befall humanity,
her capricious wheel,\how she relaxes the sternness
of her decrees towards her humbler recipients and how
a propitious Deity deals more lightly with those less
capable of putting up with her fickleness! An obscure
retreat suits the contented, and a humble cottage affords
old age ample protection. The sharp East wind makes
a target of the roofs of structures run up to aethereal
altitudes, the South Wind visits them with its full force,
and they are in addition, as fully exposed to the angry
storms of rude Boreas, and the rains likewise which the
North- West beats against them! The watered valley
suff'ers but little from the lightning flashes, with which it
is so rarely visited, whilst Caucasus trembles again with
the thunderbolts of Jupiter sounding from above, and the
Phrygian summits once the abode of the goddess Cybele
Jupiter is jealous of pretentious buildings mounting up
to the Fkies, and he singles them out for the maximum
of his severity, as they audaciously seek to approach his
own kingdom (The skies). The homestead of the humble
I
citizen, on the other hand, seldom finds his modest propor-

tions invaded by aerial disturbances No the real tangible
1 !
thunders hover over kingdoms and palaces The fleeting !
hour flies onwards with its uncertain wings, that is, we

are uncertain as to the direction those wings are taking,
nor does Fortune, as she is hurrying forwards, ensure
anyone especial protection! He, for example, Theseus,
when he first beheld the bright stars of the upper world,
and the smiling light of day, when he emerged from the
realms of darkness, in a croaking spirit, bewails his un-
lucky return, and the hospitable surroundings of his
paternal palace appear less inviting than the kmgdom of
Pluto itself! Oh thou chaste Minerva, tutelary goddess
I
of the Athenian race, when thy protdg^, Theseus, again

beheld the heavens, and the upper earth, from the places
which he had just quitted, and when he escaped from
the Stygian lakes, thou oh! goddess! owest nothing to
that greedy uncle now, for he has faithfully recruited his
ranks in the infernal regions! Hippolytus has Mne to
take the place of Theseus Hark What is that plaintive
! !
voice resounding from the depths of the Palace, and what

is Phasdra in her madness getting ready to do with that
drawn sword?
ACTUS QUINTUS.
THESEUS, PH^DRA.
Phffidra Hippolyti innocentiam, fuas calumnias revelat: ipfaque
fua fe maau occidit. pater non fine ludlu filio jufta
perfolvit, novercae negat.
THES.
Quid
Q.
V^ûis te dolore percitam inftigat furor?
quidve vociferatlo,
enfis ifte?
Plandlufque fupra corpus invifum volunt?
PH. Me, me, profundi faeve dominator freti,
Invade, & in me raonftra cserulei maris 1160
Emitte: quidquid intimo Tethys finu
Extrema geftat, quidquid Oceanus vagis
Complexus undis ultimo flu6lu tegit.
O dire Ttiefeu femper, o ounquam ad tuos
Tuto reverfe! natus & genitor nece 1165
Reditus tuos luere. pervertis domum,
Amore femper conjugum aut odio nocens.
Hippolyte, tales intuor vultus tuosi'
Talefque- fecii' membra quis fsevus Sinis,
Aut quis Procruftes fparfit? aut quis Creffius 1 1 70
Dffidalea vafto .clauftra mugitu replens,
Taurus biformis, ore conigero ferox,
Divulfit? heu me! quo tuus fugit decor,
Oculique, noftrum fidus? exanimis jaces?
Ade'! parumper, verbaque exaudi mea. 1175
Nil turpe loquimur. hac manu pcenas tibi
Solvam, & nefando pedlori ferrum inferam,
Animaque Phsedram pariter ac fcelere e.xuam;
Et te per undas, perque Tartareos lacus.
Per Styga, per amnes igneos amens fequar. 1180
Placemus umbras, capitis exiivias cape,
Laceraeque frontis accipe abfciffara comam.
Non licuit animos jungere. at certe licet
Junxiffe fata, morere, fi cafta es, viro;
Si incefta, amori. conjugis thalamos petam 1185
Tanto impiatos facinoref hoc deerat nefas,
Ut vindicate fanifto fruereris torof
ACT V.
THESEUS -PH^DRA.
Phaedra reveals the innocence of Hippol)rtus and retracts
her calumnious accusations she then dies by her
own hand. The father, Theseus, not without great grief,
performs the funeral obsequies for his son, out denies
them to the stepmother (Phsedra).
Lmes 1156-H87] HIPPOLYTUS. 257
THESEUS.
WHAT transport of wild passion excites thee now

already smitten as thou art with grief? What is
the meaning of that sword? Or what, this flow
of words ? what makes thee so desirous of wailing over a
body that was such an object of hatred to thee?
PH. Attack me, mel Oh! thou cruel ruler of the deep
Sea (Neptune), and cast up before me some monster out
of the blue ocean, or whatever the far extremities of
Tethys (the sea) conceals in its lowermost depths what
the Ocean contains in its wandering waters, and covers
with it distant waves! Oh! Theseus! always cruel! now
that thou hast safely returned, but not with safety to thy
own kindred, thou upsettest the tranquillity of Home!
Always criminal, whether thou art so from the love of thy
wives or thy hatred of them Thy son and a father f^geus)
1
have met with death at the price of thy return Oh Hip- !
polytus do I behold thy beautiful features brought to this

1
wretched pass? And I have made them what they are

now! What savage Sinis (a celebrated robber who used
to mangle his victims) or what Procrustes has scattered
thy body in this manner? or what Cretan bi-formed bull
filling with its loud roarings the Daedalean den (Labyrinth)
and fierce with its horn-bearing visage has torn thee thus ?
Ah me where has thy beauty gone, and those eyes once
! !
my stars? and there thou art, a miserable corpse! Oh!

may thy spirit come hither for a little while, and hearken
to what I have to say! I will speak of naught that will

be unworthy for thee to hear I will suffer the punish-
ment due to me, at my own hands! and with this sword
will I pierce my criminal breast, and 1 will do away with
Phaedra as she was, with her life as well as her offence!
And as a demented thee over every sea,
spirit will I follow
over the lakes of Tartarus, and over the fiery waves of
Phlegethon! I wish to appease thy Manes, let me remove
all vain adornments from my head, and let me have my
locks cut away from where they now are it was not our
lot to be joined in life, and surely, the fates will not in-
terdict our union (lying at one time) by death! Let me
die, if I am chaste, for a husband If I am unchaste
! 1
in satisfaction for my illicit amour! Shall I seek the

nuptial couch polluted with this enormous crime of mine ?
Thanks to the deity, this crime has not been arrived at!
Oh! but how as a virtuous wife should I have rejoiced to
rejoin that couch when I had only vindicated its honor?
Oh Death thou art the only sedative, for the consequences
! !
of this wicked passion! Oh! death, thou art the only

17
!
258 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. rL!-" 1188 1212
O mors amoris una fedamen mali,

O mors pudoris maximum Isefi decus,
Confugimus ad te: pande placates finus, 1 190
Audite, Athens: tuque funefta pater
Pejor noverca. falfa memoravi; & nefas,
Quod ipfa demens pe(flore infano haureram,
Mentita finxi. vana punifti paler;
Juvenifque caftus crimine inceftas jacet, 1 195
Pudicus, infons. recipe jam mores tuos;
Mucrone pecftus impium jufto patet,
Cruorque fandto folvit inferias viro.
Quid facere rapto debeas nato parens,
Difce ex noverca: condere Aclierontis plagis. 12QO
THESEUS, CHORUS.
THES.
P
X ALLIDI fauces Avemi, vofque Taenarei fpecus,
Unda miferis grata Letlies, vofque torpentes lacus,
Impium rapite, atque merfum premite perpetuis malis.
Nunc adefte fseva ponti mouftra, nunc vaftum mare,
Ultimo quodcunque Proteus sequorum abfcondit finu, 1205
Meque ovantem fcelere tanto rapite in altos gurgites.
Tuque femper, genitor, irae facilis affenfor mese,
Morte diguus baud fum, qui nova natum nece
facili
Segregem per agros: quique, dum falfum nefas
fparii
Exfequor vindex fevarus, incidi in verum fcelus 121Q
Sidera & manes, & undas fcelere complevi meo.
Amplius fors nulla reftat; regna me norunt tria.
chief tribute to atone for tainted chastity! Let me come

to thee, open thy calm bosom to receive mel Listen 1
oh! Athens! and thou also, the father who hast been
more to blame perhaps than the wicked stepmother (for
listening so crecfulously to a stepmother's charges), I haye
represented things falsely, and I nave painted in an untrue
light, the crime which, mad as I was, I have hidden in'
my own demented bosom Thou, the father, hast punished
1
Hippolytus for that with which I accused him falsely, and

the virtuous boy there under the charge of inchastityl
lies
an attempt of incest with myself! Oh pure guileless boy,
!
accept this just proclamation of thy innocence! and my

impious bosom will now malje ready to receive the sword
of justice, and my blood shall serve as a death-sacrifice
to the Infernal Gods! and thou, the father, learn from a
stepmother what thou art bound to do for the son that
has been snatched away, attend thou to the becoming
obsequies; and as for myself let me be hidden away in the
streams of Acheron
Lines II38-I2.2] HIPPOLYTUS. 2S9
THESEUS CHORUS.
THESEUS.
OH the pallor-evoking approaches of Avernus

1
the caves of Tsenarusl Oh! the oblivion-inducing

Oh
streams of Lethe, so soothing to the miserable. And,
1 I
oh ye stagnant lakes, snatch away an impious wretch

like myself, and retain me submerged for my ever-re-
curring crimes! Now come forth, thou savage monster
of the deep! Now approach me, thou vast overwhelming
seal Now may Proteus, who attends the sea-cows and
other terrible mhabitants of the ocean, come to my aid
with whatever is dreadful, and which thou concealest
down in the lowest recesses of the deep waters, and hurry
me off, just now only exulting over the great crime I had
committed, into the deepest ûlf, and thou, Oh! Father!
(Neptune) always the ready mstrument for carrying out
my angry desires. I am not deserving of an easy death
who have been the means of scattering my son in divided
portions ever the land, in fact, by quite a novel form of
death 1 And while I, as a cruel avenger, have been dealing
out punishment for a crime which has never been com-
mitted, I have fallen into the commission of a real crime
myself! 1 have now filled up with my criminal exploits,
the heavens, the infernal regions, and the seas Nothing
!
more is left for me the three kingdoms of the universe

!
have been visited with my iniquities! I now return to

this kingdom. And the way back to the sky has been
laid open to me, for as much as through my own agencies,
I should witness two deplorable deaths, and a double
funeral in consequence, and because as a bereaved, lonely
celibate, I should light with one torch the funeral pile!
and burn a wife and son at the same time Oh Alcides
! 1 I
who gave me back the light which was painful to behold,

restore me as a present to Pluto, restore to him the Manes
which thou rescuedst from his power; wicked as I am
I pray for that condition of death, which I left behind
when I quitted Avernus And having myself, as the cruel
!
contriver of death, invented unheard of, terrible modes

of destruction for others (meaning the death of Hippo-
lytus). For that reason let me inflict upon myself some
just punishment !

Let the apex of some pine forced down-
warcls towards the ground cleave me in twain, as the tree
bounds back with me to the skies in resuming its former
position! Or, shall I be hurled headlong over the Sciro-
nian rocks? I have seen terrible things in my
time, what
the cruel Phlegethon provides for those who are imprison-
ed therein, surrounding the criminal Manes with naming
! :
26o .
SENECA'S TRAGEDIES, [Lines 1213-1^57
In hoc redimus? pafuit ad coelum via,

Bina ut viderem funera, & geminam necem?
Ccelebs &orbus, funebres una face 1215
Ut concremarem prolis ac thalami rogos?
Donator atrse lucis, Alcide, tuum.
Dili remitte munus. ereptos mihi
Reftitue manes, impius fruftra invoco
Mortem reli(51am. crudus, & leti artifex, 1220
Exitia machinatus infolita, effera,
Nunc tibimet ipfe jufta fupplicia in-oga.
Pinus coa(So vertice attingens humum
Coelo remiffum findat in geminas trabes,
Mittarve prteceps faxa per Scironia. 1225
Graviora vidi, quae pati clufos jubet
Phlegethon, nocentcs igneo cingens vado.
Quce pcena maneat memet & fedes, fcio.
Umbrae nocentes cedite, & cervicibus
His, his repofitum degravet feffas manus 1230
Saxum, feni perennis ôlio labor.
Me ludat amnis ora vicina alluens.
Vultur reliflo tranfvolet Tityo ferus,
Meumque pcense femper accrefcat jecur.
Et tu mei requiefce Pirithoi pater. 1235
Hsec incitatis membra turbinibus ferat
Nufquam orbe revoluto rota.
refiftens
Dehifce, tellus; recipe me, dirum chaos,
Recipe: hsec ad umbras juftior nobis via eft.
Natum fequor, ne metue, qui manes regis; 1240
Cafti venimus, recipe me aeterna domo
Non exiturum. non movent Divos preces
At fi rogarem fceleraj quam proni forent!
CHOR. Thefeu, querelis tempus aetemum manet.
Nunc jufta nato folve, & abfconde ocius 1245
Difperfa foede membra laniatu effero
THES. Hue, hue reliquias vehite cari corporis,
Pondufque, & artus temere congeftos date.
Hippolytus hie eft? crimen agnofco meum.
Ego te peremi. neu nocens taDtum femel 1250
Solufve fierem, facinus aufurus parens,
Patrem advocavi. munere en pab'io fruor.
O trifte fraftis orbitas annis malum
Comple(fl;ere artus, quodque de nato eft fuper,
Miferande moefto pe(5lore incumbens fove. 1255
Disjedla genitor membra laceri corporis
In ordinem difpoue, & errantes loco.
Streams. I am perfectly aware what punishment awaits

me, and still more the punishment which I am, at the
present, undergoing Oh ye criminal Manes, act a friendly
! I
part towards me, let the endless labor now being performed
by that miserable old man the son of .(Eolus (Sisyphus)
!!
Lin=s I2r3-r,57] HIPPOLYTUS. 261
let the rock which presses so heavily upon his weary-

hands be placed on these shoulders of mine, or let the
nver Eridanus, bringing its streams close to my mouth,
disappomt me in my thirsting eagerness to partake of
them (as they are now doing with Tantalus) or let the
wild vulture, which only leaves Tityus alone, to fly
back again to him, and that my liver may be made
to grow, hke his, as a punishment, and to furnish a per-
petual repast to the birds of preyl Or, thou Ixion, the
father of my dear friend Pirithous, rest from thy labors
in my behalf, and let that wheel, which never ceases
from its eternal revolutions, receive these limbs of mine
to be whirled round by its rapid movements I Open,
Ohl Earth, receive me. Ohl terrible Chaos, receive me,
I pray, this is the only way to the shades, that can do any
sort of justice to a case like mine. I am following my
son, and be in no alarm, Oh! Pluto who governest the
1
infernal kingdom 1 I shall come, this time, in a chaster

frame of mind, and not as before, to carry off Proserpine,

accompanied by Pirithous, when I do come receive me
for ever in thy eternal home and never to come out
again! I find that prayers do not move the Gods! But
if I were to ask them to assist my criminal doings how
ready they are then!
CHOR. Oh! Theseus What an eternity of time is taken

!
up with thy own troubles Now is the time to do what

!
is right and just towards a son (a proper funeral) and to

hide away without delay the scattered remains which have
been so shamefully mangled!
THES. Here, attendants, convey me hither the remains

of the dear corpse Here (pointing to the disfigured trunk)
is a mass of bodily substance having no defined form;
-hand me the different portions, which are so carelessly
gathered together, (exclaiming) Here then is Hyppolytus
Oh! I acknowledge my odious crime I have killed thee,
my son, nor indeed am I the only criminal agent! It is
Neptune that dared to carry out this deed to its bitter
end I appealed to that father, I am now in the possession
!
of a father's gift! Oh! cruel fate. Oh! my sad childlessness,

thou snatchest away my son, when my life is already
borne down by age and troubles! Let me embrace, at
all events, the torn limbs, and whatever else there is left

of my son let me press it to my sad bosom and cherish it
Oh! unhappy father that I am! but as a father, let me
place in order (in a row) the torn particles of my son's
mangled body, and arrange the disjointed fragments
where they should go ! Ah Here this is the part for the
I 1
262 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1258-12S0
Reftitue partes, fortis heic dextras locus;

moderandis manus
He'.c lasva frenis docfta
Ponenda. agnofco notas.
Isevi lateris 126Q
Quam magna lacrimis pars adhuc noftris abeft?
Durate trepidse lugubri officio manus,
Fletufque largos fiftite arentes gense,
Dum membra nato genitor annumerat fuo,
Corpufque fingit. hoc quid eft forma carens, 1265
Et turpe multo vulnere abruptum undique?
Quae pars tui fit dubito, fed pars eft tui.
Heic, heic repone; non fuo, at vacuo loco.
Hsecne ilia facies igne fidereo nitens.
Inimica fleiftens lumina? hue cecidit decor? 1270
O dira fata! numinum o fasvus favor!
Sic ad parentem natus ex voto redit?
En hsec fuprema dona genitoris cape,
Ssepe efferendus. interim haec ignes ferant.
Patefacite acerba csede funeftam donum, 1275
Mopfopia Claris tota lamentis fonet.
Vos apparate regii flammam rogi:
At vos per agros corporis partes vagas.
Anquirite. iftam terra defoiTam premat,
Gravifque tellus impio capiti incubet. J 280
left hand to be put, that left hand so skilful in guiding

those fatal reins I know those marks on the left side;
I
but how great a part of his body, alas is as yet not forth-
!
coming to receive my condolence! Oh! my tremulous

hands, let me brace up my nerves to perform this tristful
duty. Let my eyelids restrain their tears, and control
my inordinate weeping. (Whilst Theseus is counting and
endeavouring to map out something in the shape of a

body he soliloquises) What is_ that which is wanted to
complete the formation, as it is mutilated in every part
and hideous to behold from the multitude of wounds,
(taking up a piece) I am in doubt, to what part this belongs,
but it is a part of thee I am surel Here! Here! let me
put it aside, not in its own place, perhaps, but to fill up
some vacancy Here, though, is that face of his, with an
!
aspect like a fiery star, his eyes reflecting an angry ex-

pression (towards the stepmother) thus thus has beauty
! !
fallen! Oh! cruel fate! Oh! maleficent favors from the

willing Neptune! And does he return thus, a son to
his father, as a satisfaction for the third vow! Oh! my
son! receive these last offices of a father (at least for all
we have discovered of thee), thou wilt have to receive
several obsequies yet! in the meantime, the flames (the
funeral pile) shall receive these! Let me now set open
the palace rendered so mournful through this frightful
Lines I258-IJ80] HIPPOLYTUS. ^_ 263
slaughter, and let all Athens resound with loud lamen-

tation 1 (Addressing the Servants) Prepare the fire for a
royal funeral pile! And look well, all of you, for any
stray remains round about the fields! (Pomting to the
body of Phaedra) Cover that body up in a hole dug in
the ground, and let the rank soil rest heavily upon her
impious head!
GE D I P U S.
[Lines
DRAMATIS PERSON.E.
ffiDIPUS. Manto.
JOCASTA. Senex.
Creon. Phorbas.
Chorus Thebanorum. NUNTIUS.
TiRESIAS.
ARGUMENTUM.
Grassante Thesis dira peftilitate mittitur Delphos Creon cod-
fultuvus ApoUinem. refert, expiandam Laji necem interfecaoris
exfilio. qui cum ignoraretur, Tirefias, fruftra extifpicia aggreffus,
per necromantiam Laji umbra evocata iDtelligit, ipfum effe regem
CEdipum. Negat primum ille, fed poftea difquirens invenit, fe
filium eife Laji, quem interfecerat, &
Jocaftas, quam uxorem
duxerat. Effofiis itaque prse pudore atque ira oculis in exfilium
abit. & Jocafta fe gladio confodit.
ACTUS PRIMUS.
CEDIPUS, JOCASTA.
CEdipus de peftilentise fsevitia conqueritur.
CED.
J AM
I nodle Titan dubius expulfa
'"^raoeftum fquallida exoritur jubar,
redit,
_-nque Hamma trifle ludlifica gerens

jfpiciet avida pcfte folatas domos,
Stragemque, quam nox fecit, oftendet dies. 5
Quifquamne regno gaudet? o fallax bonum,
Quantum malorum fronte quam blanda tegisj
Ut alta ventos femper excipiunt juga;
Rupemque faxis vaftadirimentem freta,
Quamvis quieti, verberant flu(5lus maris: lo
Impetia excelfa Fortunse objacent.
fix
Quam bene parentis fceptra Polybi fugeram,
Curls folutus, exful, intrepidus, vagans!
Caelum Deofque teftor, in regnum incidi.
Infanda timeo, ne mea genitor manu 15
Perimatur. hoc me Delphica laurus monent,
Aliudque nobis majus indicunt fcelus.
Eft majus aliquod patre ma<ftato nefas?
Pro, mifera pietas! eloqui fatum pudeL
Tlialamos parentis Phcebus & diros toros 20
Nato minatur, impia inceftos face.
Hie me paternis expulit regnis timor.
Non ego penates profugus exceffi meos.
Parum ipfe fidens mihimet in tuto tua,
Natura, pofui jura, cum magna horreas, 25
Lines i 25]
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
(Edipus. Manto.
JOCASTA. Old Man.
Creon. Phorbas.
Chorus of Thebans. Messenger.
TiRESIAS.
ARGUMENT.
A dreadful pestilence attacking Thebes, Creon is sent to
Delphi to consult Apollo, who tells him that the death
of Laius must be expiated by the exile of the mur- '
derer, who was not known at that time. Tiresias tried

the Soothsayers without success, but by the aid of
Necromancy, the Ghost of Laius being summoned,
he is informed that it was OEdipus who killed Laius.
CEdipus denies this at first, but making diligent inqui-
ries, subsequently, discovers that he was the son of
Laius whom he had slain, and that it was Jocasta
whom he had married. Thereupon, in very shame
and remorse, having put out his own eyes, he goes
away into exile, and Jocasta stabs herself with a sword.
ACT I.
CEkiipus complains of the cruelty of the Pestilence.
CEDIPUS-JOCASTA.
PHCEBUS, mood, is now returning again,
in a hesitating
the night having been banished, and his fretful beams
appear through the gloomy clouds, and shedding a
dull light from his mournful rays : he can now look down
on the homesteads rendered tenantless by this ravaging
pestilence, and his dull daylight, even, will suffice to
show the havoc, which the preceding night has brought
about, revealing the mortal remains of those who have
perished from the pestilence Let not any one rejoice
!
m the possession of a Kingdom Oh! uncertain enjoy-

1
ment! How many are the drawbacks which thou con-

cealestunder so plausible an exterior As the mountain- !
tops always receive the full force of the winds, and the
waves of the sea, although becalmed, still beat languidly
against the jutting headland with its low-lying rocks,
which merely serve to divert the vast sea, as it approaches
the shore! In like manner is exalted power exposed to
the shifting changes of Fortune How well for me was
I
it, when I had fled the kingdom of my Parent Polybus,

(for a time CEdipus regarded Poly bus as his father) re-

Quae poffe fieri non putes, metuas tamen,

Cuii(5la expavefco, meque non credo mihi.
Jamjam aliquid in nos fata moliri parant.
Nam quid rear, quod ifta Cadmese lues
Infefta genti, ftraga late edita 30
Mihi parcit uni? cui refervamur male?
Inter ruinas urbis, & femper novis
Deflenda lacrimia funera, ac populi ftruem,
Incolumis adfto. fcilicet Phoebi reus
Sperare poteras fceleribus tantis dari 35
Regnum falubre? fecimus ccelum nocens.
Non aura gelido lenis afflatu fovet
Anhela flammis corda: non Zephyri leves
Spirant; fed ignes auget Kftiferi Canis
Titan, Leonis terga Nemea;i premens. 4
Deferuit amnes humor, atque herbas color.
Aretque Dirce. tenuis Ifmenos iluit,
Et tingit inopi unda vix unda vada.
Obfcura ccelo labitur Phcebi foror;
Triftifque mundus nubilo pallet novo. 45
Nullum ferenis noftibus fidus micat:
Sed gravis & ater incubat terrls vapor.
Obtexit arces coelitum ac fummas domos
Infema facies. denegat fru(5lum Ceres
Adulta; & altis flava cum fpicis tremat, 50
Arente culmo flerilis emoritur feges.
Nee ulla pars immunis exitio vacat:
Sed omnis aetas pariter & fexus ruit,
Juvenefque fenibus jungit, & natis patres
Funefta pedis, una fax thalamos cremat: 55
lieved from anxieties, though an Exile, bold and inclined

to be a Wanderer I call Heaven and the Gods to wit-
1
ness, that I literally fell into this Kingdom! I did not

seek it! I have always been in fear of something awful
(the predictions of the Oracle) lest my father should be
killed by my hand (He did not want to kill Polybus)
1
The Delphian Laurels gave me an audible indication,

when 1 was warned of this by the oracle ; at that time,
too, it foretold that another greater crime was to be
committed by me (when the Laurels cracked when put
I
into the flames, the augury was favorable if they emitted

;
no sound, the prognostication was inauspicious). Can

there be, one would suppose not, a greater crime than
killing a Father? Oh what a miserable conception do
1
I entertain of what ought to be done! I was ashamed

ever to breathe a wora about my fate. Apollo predicts
a dishonored marriage-bed for the Parent, and a dread-
ful marriao;e for the Son some incestuous union veiled
by an impious ceremony This was the fear that drove
I
Lines =6-55] CEDIPUS. 269
me away from my father's kingdom (that of Polybus), but,

although an have never lost sight of or disre-
exile, I
garded my country's household gods; but, Oh Nature I
whilst never trusting to myself or considering myself in

safety, I have ever observed the laws, but when one is
horrified at what one would think impossible to come to
pass, one does go in some sort of dread, notwithstanding.
I fear every thing and I have no confidence in myself,
and the Fates are already preparing for something to
befall me For what can I suppose r That this dread-
1
ful pestilence, which has fallen upon the people of

Thebes, and spread far and wide with such destructive re-
sults, is to be sparing to me alone? For what terrible
calamity am I reserved ? Amongst the ruins of the city,
with deaths at every turn, and fresh causes for lamen-
tation perpetually recurring, and the wholesale destruction
of the people, I am still here! Safe! Spared! Surely, al-
though condemned by Apollo, and being told off for so
many crimes, one can at least reasonably Hope for a
healthy kingdom! (one free from pestilence). It is I,
surely, who nave made the country pestilential No soft !
breeze assuages with its refreshing breath the souls pant-

ing with the fires of inward fever! No one inhales the
balmy Zephyrs, but Phoebus, following close on the track
of Leo (pressing against the back of the Nemaean Lion)
adds considerably to the temperature induced by the
Dog-star, noted for its intense summer heat! (Tropic of
Cancer.) The river tracks are deserted by their usual

waters and the grass loses its color and the fountains

of Dirce are dried up the shallow Ismenus still struggles
on, but scarcely covers its bed with the water so scantily

flowing Phoebe, the sister of Phoebus pursues her path,
but only in the dullest of skies, and the sad firmament
is pale with clouds, such as have never been known

before not a single star is seen to shine, even on iie
serenest of nights, but an oppressive and sombre moisture
surrounds the entire earth, and a darkness akin to that
of the regions below overhangs the Empyrean heights,
and the most elevated palaces of the denizens of Olym-
pus 1 The corn arriveci at full growth is not allowed to
ripen and to be made use of, and the crops in their
first stage of ripening (yellowness) actually tremble with
the weight of the ears they bear on their slender stalks;
and then those stems are burnt up by the scorching sun
and the corn dies away and rots! Nor is any part or
place exempt from the destructiveness of this plague, but
every age every sex falls alike This dreadful pestilence
1
joins indiscriminately the young with the old, parents

with their children, and one common burial does both

rietnque acerbo funera & quefta carent.

Quin ipfa tanti pervicax clades mali
Siccavit oculos: quodque in extremis folet,
Periere lacrimse. portat hunc asger parens
Supremum ad ignem: mater hunc amens gerit; 60
Properatque, ut alium repetat in eundem rogum.
Quin luflu in ipfo luftus exoritur novus,
Suaeque circa funus exfequiae cadunt.
Turn propria flammis corpora alienis cremant.
Diripitur ignis. nuUus eft miferis pudor. 65
Non ofla tumuli fan(5ta difcreti tegunt.
Arfiffe fatis eft. pars quota in cineres abit?
Deeft terra tumulis. jam rogos filvie negant.
Non vota, non ars uUa correptos levant.
Cadunt medentes. morbus auxilium trahit. 70
AfFufus aris fupplices tendo manus,
Matura pofcens fata, praecurram ut prior
Patriam ruentem; neve port omnes cadam,
Fiamque regni funus extremum mei.
O faeva nimium numiua! o falum grave! 75
Negatur uni nempe in hoc populo mihi
Mors tam parata ? fpeme letali manu
Contadla regna. linque lacrimas, funeia,
Tabifica coeli vitia, quae tecum invehis
Infauftus hofpes: profuge jamduduni ocius 80
Vel ad parentes. JOC. Quid juvat, conjux, mala
Gravare queftu? regium hoc ipfum reor,
Adverfa capere; quoque fit dubius magis
Status, & cadentis imperii moles lab.,
Hoc ftare certo preffms fortem gradu. 85
Haud eft virile, terga Fortunse dare.
<ED. Abeft pavoris crimen ac probrum procul,
Virtufque noftra nefcit ignavos metus.
Si tela contra ftrifla, fi vis horrida
Mavortis in me rueret; adverfus feros 50
for husband and wife at the same time, and the bitter
meanings and wailings, usual on such occasions, are not
observed, for such wholesale destruction (so great an
array of misery ) has served to dry up the eyes them-
selves But all this is only what usually transpires, when
I
affairs are at their worst tears absolutely refuse to flow.

A feeble father carries one child to the funeral pile (its
final end)
a mother, mad with grief carries a second

one she then hastens back to fetch another to the same
pile, but a fresh source of grief arises in the midst of
their present trouble, and often those, who are engaged
in conducting the funeral ceremony of their children, are
called upon to die themselves, wnilst in the act of dis-
charging their sad duties Death upon Death
I 1Then
!
Lines 56-90] CEDIPUS. 271
they proceed to burn the bodies, which are consigiied

to certain piles, on the piles which were destined for
others! Then, there is a scramble as to what bodies
should be burnt here or burnt there there is no rever-

ential sentiment no respect for the dead amongst those
unhappy people; separate tombs cannot bury their re-
mains according to the sanctified custom it is necessary,
only, to have them consumed by fire! How large a
portion pass away in this guise of incineration 1 But
ground is wanting for the tombs; already the woods are
unable to supply burning materials (wood) for the piles!
No vows are of any avail then, and no skill can alleviate
those that are seized! The medicine-men die as well,
and the spreading disease drags away with itself the soli-
tary aid, which once strove to contend against it (the
healing art). Prostrating myself before the sacred altars,
I will stretch forth my supplicating hands and ask for
my fate to be at once decided, and that I may forestal
my ruined country by dying first! Or, shall I not be
allowed to fall, even after all the others have disappear-
ed, or shall I be made the last sacrifice of my Kingaom
Oh! ye too severe Sisters (the Fates). Ohl relentless
fate I suppose that death, which is so ready with its
I
work towards my subjects, is not denied to me alone!

Let me despise a kingdom, which has been in contact
with my lethal presence
let me escape from the lament-
!
ations, the funerals and the deadly poisons of the sky,

which I, an unfortunate guest have brought with me
let me fly away quickly, or let me even return to my
parents, Polybus and Merope! (He always thought they
were his parents.)
joc. Why dost thou take such pleasure, Ohl my hus-

band! in harassing thyself with such doleful complaints?
I am of opinion, that the first duty of royalty is to with-
stand adversity (by bearing up against it) and the more pre-
carious its condition is, and the more that the weight and
authority of waning power slips away, it is for the really
brave man in such a position as this, to stand his ground
with increased firmness! (Like the soldiers who deem it
dishonorable to cede the place they occupy during a
battle, to the enemy.) It is not courageous to turn thy
back upon Destiny!
CED. The charge of fear or shame, in case, is cer- my

tainly a stranger to me and my
courage ignores all idle
alarms. If any number of swords were unsheathed against
me and even if the tremendous fury of Mars himself were
to fall upon me, I should not quail, I would courageously

272 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines gi-nS
Audax gigantes obvias ferrem mantis.

Nee Sphinga csecis verba neflentem modis
Fugi. cruentos vatis infandae tuli
Riftus, & albens offibus fparfis folum.
Cumque e fuperna rupe, jam praedae imminens, 95
Aptaret alas verbere, & caudam movens,
Saevi leonis more, conciperet minas,
Carmen popofci. fonuit horrendum. infuper
Crepuere malae; faxaque impatiens morae
Revulfit unguis, vifcera exfpeflans mea. lOO
Nodofa fortis verba, & implexos dolos,
Ac trifle carmen alitis folvi ferae.
joc. Quid fera mortis vota nunc demens facisf
Licuit perire. laudis hoc pretium tibi
Sceplrum, & peremtae Sphingis haec merces datur. 105
CED. Ille ille dims callidi monftri cinis
In nos rebellat. ilia nunc Thebas lues
Peremta perdit una. jam fupereft falus,
Si quam falutis Phoebus oftendit viam.
CHORUS.
Luis gravitatem deplorat Chorus e Thebanis.
Oc 'CCIDIS
Urbe cum
Cadmi generofa
tota. viduas colonis
proles no
Refpicis terrasj miferanda Thebe.
Carpitur leto tuus ille, Bacche,
Miles, extremos comes ufque ad Indos,
Aufus Eois equitare campis, 115
Figere & mundo tua figna primo.
Cinnami filvis Arabes beatos
Vidit, & verfas equitis fagittas,
advance with these hands of mine, against the giants

themselves! Nor did I run away from the Sphinx who
dealt forth her oracular utterances in such obscure
enigmas! I bore, without flinching, the sanguinary grin-
nings of that wicked old prophetess, and regarded, with-
out dismay, the ground scattered about with the bleached
bones of those who had failed to solve her riddles And !
when from her proud rock, looking upon me, as her

certain prey, she flapped her wings, ready for a swoop,
and shaking her tail after the fashion of the savage lion
and, as she was meditating her threats, I coolly asked her

for her verses she sounded them forth with a horrible
voice and then her jaws (teeth) gnashed, and impatient
of any delay she tore away at the rock with her claws,
waiting for my entrails! In the meantime, I solved the
wretched verges of this wild, winged creature, the different
expressions in her oracle and with all its crafty entangle-

ments!
joc. Why dost thou in this demented way rake up, thus
late, thy desire for death? It was quite competent for
thee to have died long ago (instead of answering the
Sphinx correctly), but now the Kingdom is given to thee
for the honor thou deservest and as a reward for the
victory over the Sphinx, that has now perished!
CED. She, or rather the ashes of that cunning monster

may turn against us, and that plague, which has destroyed
Thebes, may destroy us only one hope of safety is left,
and that is if Apollo will point out to us any means of
arriving at such security!
CHORUS.
The Chorus of Thebans bewails the severity of the
plague.
Cadmus ye
Oh!preynobleto descendants of
the
are falling a
together with the entire
pestilence
City! Oh! miserable Thebes! Years now looking
down on a land despoiled of its inhabitants Oh Bac- ! !
chus !Those companions of thine are snatched away by

Death, who followed thee to the far-off Indies who
ventured to ride on the Eastern plains and to plant thy
standards in a world which was quite new to thee They !
have seen the Arabs happy and contented with their

forests of Cinnamon trees, and they have witnessed the
arrows of the cunning Parthian horsemen shot forth and
anxiously regarded those backs, which were always to be
dreaded. (The Parthians shot their arrows, whilst pre-
tending to be making a flying retreat.) They, it was, who
approached the shores of the Red Sea: there Phcebus
is early in his advent and visits the naked Indians with
indications of his closer proximity and calorific intensity

(making their skins black) we are burying the descen-

dants of an unconquered race we are disappearing, a
cruel destiny snatchmg us away! There is always some
fresh funeral pageant being conducted as a Tribute to
King Death ! A
long row of our sad people are hurried
off on their way to the shades below, and the mournful
train is interrupted in its progress, and although the Seven
Gates lie open (affording free room) there are not suffi-
cient tombs for those requiring sepulture! Far and wide
this human havoc prevails and one funeral after another
perpetually pressing its way on, and the place abounds
18
274 SENEGAS' TRAGE;j...:-ti. [Lines 119-170
Terga fallacis metuenda Parthi.

Litus intravit pelagi rubentis. 120
Promit hie ortus, aperitque lucem
Phoebus, & flamma propiore nudos
Inficit Indos.
Stirpis inviflae genus interimus.
Labimur fevo rapiente fato. 125
Ducitur Temper nova pompa Morti.
Longus ad manes properatur ordo
Agminis moefti, feriefque triftis
Haeret; & turbse tumulos petenti
Non fatis feptem patuere portae. 130
Stat gravis ftrages, premiuirque juncflo
Funere funus.
Prima vis tardas tetigit bidentes;
Laniger pingues male carpfit herbas.
CoUa tacturus fteterat facerdos; 135
Dum manus cerium parat alta vulnus,
Aureo taurus rutilante comu
Labitur fegnis. patuit fub idlu
Pondeiis vafti refoluta cervix;
Nee cruor ferrum maculavit, atra 140
Turpis e plaga fanies profufa eft.
Segnior curfu fonipes in ipfo
Concidit gyro, dominumque prono
Prodidit armo.
Incubant pratis pecudes relifta;. 145
Taurus armeuto pereunte marcet.
Deficit paftor grege diminuto,
Tabidos iuter moriens juvencos.
Ndn lupos cervi metuunt rapaces.
Ceilfat irati fremitus leonis. 150
Nulla villofis feritas in urfis.
Perdidit peftem latebrofa ferpens;
Aret, & ficco moritur veneno. "^
Non filva fua decorata coma

Fundit opacis montibus umbras. ire
Non rura virent ubere glebae.
Non plena fuo vitis laccho
Brachia curvat.
Omnia noftrum fenfere malum.
Rupere Erebi clauftra profundi 160
Turba fororum face Tartarea:
Phlegethonque fua molam ripa
Mifcuit undis Styga Sidoniis.
Mors alta avidos oris hiatus
Pandit,& omnes explicat alas. igc
Quique capaci turbida cymba
Flumina fervat durus fenio
Navita crudo, vix affiduo
Brachia conto laffata refert,
Feffus turbam veiflare novam. iq
!
Lines 119-170] (EDIPUS. 27s
with the carcasses, which are strewn about. The infec-

tion first attacking the slow-moving sheep: and the
wool-bearing flocks nibbled the rank grass, only to their
own destruction (Sheep move slowly whilst feeding and
1
thus inhaled more copiously, it was supposed on that

account, the poison rising from the Earth.) The Priest
has paused whilst about to apply his sacrificial knife to
the necks of the victims, and whilst his hand is poised
and he is making what he thinks is a successful aim, the
buU with its ruddy golden horns falls down helplessly and
its neck being only partially detached from its body by
the heavy blow of the hatchet, gapes open - but no blood
has stained the knife only a black gore and foul humor
issue from the gash (This indicates the poisoned con-
I
dition of the circulating fluids.) The horses, too, in the

middle of the race, lose their galloping powers, totter
and throw their jockeys headlong over their shoulders at
the same time that they fall themselves. The cattle that
are left lie hsdessly about the meadow and the Bull
pines away, as he sees the herd (especially the females)
dying at every turn The shepherd, then, is missed from
!
amongst the much reduced flocks, dying in the very

midst of the diseased plague-stricken cattle ! The stags
no longer go in dread of the rapacious wolves the roaring
of the savage lion is no longer heard no fierceness, now,
characterizes the shaggy bears, and the very serpent, which
remains hidden, has lost its poisonous powers it becomes
parched up and its virus becomes dry (does not flow),
it then dies The forest is. not decorated with its usual
!
foliage, and casts no shade over the dusky mountains

the country is no longer verdant with the exuberance of
its turf, nor does the vine curve downwards with it branch-
es loaded with grapes for its own dearly beloved Bacchus
All things have felt the effects of the terrible plague the
three sisters, Tisiphone, Alecto and Megsera, with their
infernal torches have burst forth from the entrances of
the depths of Erebus And the Phlegethon has mingled
1
the streams of the Styx, which it has driven from its

banks, with the waters of Thebes (Sidonian), and Mors,
freely unfolding its wings flies above our heads, and
shows us the partings of its rapacious mouth Oaws), and
that inflexible boatman (Charon) who guards the turbid
river (Styx) in that capacious craft of his, although vigorous
in his old age, with difficulty now, raises his weary arms
to ply his never-resting pole in urging onwards his barque,
and seems too tired-out to convey across his river any
fresh importations of departed humanity; there having
been such increased demands upon his exertions on
account of the plague, and, more than that, there is a
276 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines i7.-=os
Quin Tsenarei vincula feni

Rupiffe canem fama, & noftris
Erraffe locis: mugiffe folum:
Vaga per lucos fimulacra virfim
Majora viris: bis Cadmeum 175
Nive difcuffa tremuiffe nemus,
Bis turbatam fanguine Dircen:
No(5le filenti
Amphionios ulnlafle canes.
O dira novi facies leti, i8o
Gravior leto! piger igoavos
AUigat artus languor; & asgro
Rubor in vultu, maculaeque caput
Sparfere leves: turn vapor ipfam
Corporis arcem flammeus urit; 185
Multoque genas fanguine rendit.
Oculique rigent, & facer ignis
Pafcitur arlus. refonant aures,
Stillatque niger naris aduncse
Cruor, & venas rumpit hiantes, 190
Intima creber vifcera qualfat
Gemitus ftridens. tunc amplexu
Frigida preflb faxa fatigant:
Quos liberior domus elato
Cuftode finit, petitis fontes, 195
Aliturque fitis latice ingefto.
Proftrata jacet turba per aras,
Oratque mori. folum hoc faciles
Tribuere Dei. Delubra petunt,
Haud ut voto numina placent, 200
Sed juvat ipfos fatiare Deos.
Quifnam ille propero regiam greflu petit?
Adeftne clarus fanguine ac fadlis Creo.>
An asger animus falfa pro veris videt."
Adeft petitus omnibus votis Creo. 205
report that the dog which was fastened to Taenarus

(Cerberus) has broken away from his iron chains, and
is wandering at large over our country; also it is said,
that the Earth has oeen making a roaring noise (symp-
.
toms of the earthquake) and that Ghosts like men, but

much larger than ordinary human beings, have been seen
wandering about the graves and forests (this points to
the cerebral disturbance of those afflicted with the plague
hallucinations, the delirium resulting from a highly febrile
state), and that the groves of Cadmus have twice trembled
again from the effects of the sudden melting of the snow,
and that the fountains of Dirce have been rendered turbid
from the presence of blood in its streams, and that the
dogs of Thebes, Amphion-built Thebes have been known
Lines i7i-,2os] CEDIPUS. 277
to howl throughout the whole of the silent night I Oh I
cruel manifestations of a newly-invented kind of bodily

destruction, so much more appalling than ordinary Death!
Oppressive languor impedes the very motions of the
joints and a hectic flush settles on the sick man's down-
cast countenance 1 And small spots scattered here and
there appear about the upper parts (pustules, petechise
livid spots like flea-bites, indicative of the poisoned
condition of the blood); then the fiery heats (fever tem-
perature) burn up the crowning part of the body (the
head, the seat of the brain and mind, and the organs of
the senses), and then the heat (fever at its height) dis-
tends the eyes and eyelids with blood (suffusion) and the
eyes have a_ vacant stare, and are rolled with difficulty,
and then this heat, like some internal fire, seizes, as its
prey, on the limbs and joints; then ringing noises in the
ears come on, and a black sanious secretion flows from
the nostrils, put literally out of all shape from being so
swollen ; then it forces its way through the distended veins,
which, becoming ruptured, give way! (causing extravasa-
tion). The frequent and acute groaning endanger the
internal viscera (giving rise to hiccough, eructations and
violent fits of coughing) ; then the cold marble is deprived
of its refrigerating effects, from being so constantly made
use of, and instead of imparting an impression of cold, it
gives out only the warmth which it has acquired from
9ie perpetual bodily contact of the fevered mortals that
fly to it ; and when having no one to look after them the
sick are permitted more licence the master of the house

himself having been only recently buried they rush to
the fountains to allay their feverish thirst, and that thirst
is only aggravated by the water which they imbibe!
A large array of victims to this pestilence prostrate
themselves before the altars and pray for death! this is
a blessing which the kind Gods never refuse humanity!
but in this case, they betake themselves to the temples,
not that the Gods might vouchsafe to respond to their
prayers, but more as a feeling of satisfaction, that they
may tire out the Gods by letting them see the misfortunes
that have been permitted to befall mankind, continually
brought to their notice! But who is this who hastens
with such rapid steps towards the palace ? Is it not Creon
of noble race and the man chosen for a lucky destiny?
Or is one, in an enfeebled condition of mind and body,
merely mistaking the shadow for the substance (do we
see false or true) ? Yes it is Creon, the one we have been
!
impatiently waiting with one accord to see.

ACTUS SECUNDUS.
CEDIPUS, CREON.
Reverfus Delphis Creon nuntiat, jubere Deum, ut mors Laji expur-
getur, nee prius ceffaturani peftem, quam in exfllium mittatur
interfeflor ejus; de quo, quia non nominatur, ambigitur.
LJ
CED. X 1 ORRORE quatior, fata quo vergant timena,
Trepidumque gemino peflus eventu labat.
Ubi Iseta duris mixta in ambiguo jacent,
Incertus animus fcire cum cupiat, timet.
Germane noftrse conjugis, feffis opem 210
Si quam reportas, voce properata edoce.
CR. Refponfa dubia forte perplexa latent.
CED. Dubiam falutem qui dat affliflis, negat.
CR. Ambage nexa Delphico mos eft Deo
Arcana tegere. ced. Fare, fit dubium licet: 215
Amblgua foil nofcere CEdipodse datur.
CR. Casdem explarl regiam exfilio Deus,
Et interemtum Laium ulcifcl jubet.
Non ante ccelo lucidus curret dies,
Hauftufque tutos setheris purl dabit. 220
CED. Ecquls peremtor incliti regis fuit?
Quern memoret, ede, Phoebus; ut pcenas luat.
CR. Sit, precor, dutiffe tutum vlfu & auditu horrida.
Torpor Infedlt per artus, frigidus fanguis colt.
Ut facrata templa Phoebl fupplici Intravi pede, 225
Et pias, numen precatus, rite fummifi manus:
ACT II.
CEDIPUS-CREON.
Creon, having returned from Delphi, reports that the God
(Apollo) decreed that the death of Laius should be
expiated, and that the pestilence would not cease
till this was done
that his murderer should be sent
into exile; but it is doubted as to who it can be, as
he was not pointed out by name.
CEDIPUS.
AM shaking with dread, fearing what the Fates (this

response of Apollo) are preparing for me, and my
I misgiving mind is hesitating between the two results
(propitious and unpropitious). When good tidings, associated
Lines 206226] CEDIPUS. 279
with unfavorable news, are brought to our notice, they

present an ambiguous front, and the wavering mind
actually dreads to be enlightened about that at which it
IS most anxious to arrive! Oh Thou brother of my
!
wife, if thou hast brought any consoling relief to my

oppressed woro-out spirit, tell me out quickly!
CR. The obscure responses of Apollo, are hidden from

my comprehension in a puzzling fashion. (Probabilities
and possibilities.)
CED. Hewho proffers an uncertain protection to any-

one in trouble, practically refuses to offer any.
CR. It is the custom, you know, for the Delphian God

to mystify his utterances in a network of obscurities.
Speak, I am willing even that it should be doubtful;

CED.
it quite in keeping with CEdipus alone, to deal with
is
ambiguities, which, quite lately, I did myself with the
enigma of the Sphinx.
CR. The God orders that the murder of the king shall
be expiated by the exile of the perpetrator, and that the
murdered Lams shall be avenged, and not before that,
will bright Day afford us a serene sky, or give us the
-blessing of being able to inhale the pure air of Heaven!
CED. But who was the murderer of that illustrious King?

Tell me, whom did Apollo name as the culprit, in order
that he may suffer the punishment, that is mie to him ?
CR. So be it But I do hope that I shall preserve my

!
mental balance (contain myself) whilst I speak of things

to be seen or spoken of. A numbness passes over my
entire body, and my blood seems to curdle at the thought.
When I first entered the sacred portals of Apollo's temple
with ;a, suppliant step and, following the custom, raised my
hands in the attitude of prayer and straightway invoked
the God and in the same second of time, both the tops
of snow-clad Parnassus, Tithoreus and Hyampeus, gave
forth a diabolical sound and the sacred Laurels over-
hanging the entrance trembled again and shook the
temple itself; and on a sudden the water of the Castalian
fountain ceased to flow, and the Lethsean priestess, Pythia,
(because the responses were forgotten as soon as delivered)
began briskly to shake out her terrifying locks, and in a
state of excitement (usual on such occasions). When pre-
paring to receive the inspiration of the God, Apollo had
;
28o SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 2.7-^61
Gemina Parnaffi nivalis arx tmcem fonitum dedit;

Imminens Phoebea laurus tremuit & movit domum,
Ac repente fancta fontis lympha Caftalii (letit.
Incipit Lethaaa vates fpargere horrentes comas, . 23
Et pati commota Fhcebum. coiitigit nondura f| ecum, ^
Emicat vafto fragore major humane fonus:

"Mitia Cadmeis remeabunt fidera Thebis,
Si profugus Dircen Ifmenida liqueris hofpes,
Regis csede nocens, Phoebo jam notus & infans, 235
Nee tibi longa manent fceleratas gaudia c^dis.
Tecum bella geres; natis quoque bella relinquesj
Turpis matemos iterum levolutus in ortus."
CED. Quod facere monitu ccelitum juiTus parOj
Funili cineribus regis hoc decuit dari, 240
Ne fancta quifquam fceptra violaret dolo.
Regi tueoda maxime regum eft falus.
Queritur peremtum nemo, quera incolumem timet.
CR. Curam puremti major excuffit timor.
CED. Pium prohibuit ullus officium metus? 245
CR. Sphinx & nefandi carminis trifles minae.
CED. Nunc expietur numinum imperio fcelus.
Quifquis Deorum regna- placatus vides
Tu, tu, penes quem jura prsecipitis poll;
Tuque, o fereni maximum mundi decus, 250
Bis fena curfu figna qui vario regis,
Qui tarda celeri fecula evolvis iota;
Sororque fratri Temper occurrens tuo,

NoAivaga Phoebe; quique ventorum potens

./Equor per altum csrulos currus agis; 255
Et qui carentes luce difponis domes,
Adefte. cujus Laius dextra occidit,
Hunc non quieta tetâ, non fidi lares,
Non hofpitalis exfulem tellus ferat.
Thalamis pudendis deleat & prole impia. 260
Hie & parentem dextera perimat fua;
not as yet reached the inner part of the cave, when

presently, a sound issued forth louder than any human
voice, and with a sonorous preliminary crash, delivered
the Oracle: (The Oracles were always delivered in
Hexameters.) " A pure atmosphere (free from pestiferous
influences) will come again to Cadmean Thebes if the
stranger, now there, and the murderer of the King Laius
quits, as an exile, the places round about Dirce, whose
streams flow into the Ismenus: he is already known to
Apollo, and was known, when an infant; nor will there
be^ even, any lengthened enjoyment of life, or any benefit
arising out of that wicked murder! Thou, the murderer,
shalt he at war perpetually with thyself, and thou shalt
leave naught but internecine war for thy sons; that man
Lines 227-26.] (EDIPUS. '
281
is base, who
returns to his mother with incestuous intent I
approach sexually the very parts whence he

(literally, to
emerged, when coming into existence.
CED. I am
ready to do everything that I am com-
manded do by the Gods: it is only right that such a
to
tribute should be offered to the ashes of the defunct
king, but lest any one should try to violate the sanctity
of the sceptre by treachery, the best interests of kings are
best looked after by kings. No subject really laments the
loss of a king of whom he might have been in dread
whilst that king was in existence!
CR. A greater fear might usurp the place, which anxiety

about the dead might otherwise call forth.
CED. Has any fear ever prohibited the performance of

a religious duty?
CR. Yes The Sphinx and the ominous threats in those

1
horrible verses of hers (The Enigma).
CED. At the command of the Deities therefore, the

crime shall be expiated, Whosoever of the Gods is now
looking down with favor upon this kingdom; and thou!
Jupiter, oh! thou ruler of Olympus, by whose power the
swiftly-moving heavenly bodies pursue their course; and
thou, Oh! Phoebus, the chief ornament of thy own serene
kingdom, who directest the twelve signs of the Zodiac in
their various (respective) revolutions, who markest out
with thy rapid chariot the slowly-passing ages; and thou,
oh! Phcebe, who with thy chariot wanderest through-
out the night, thou sister who art always meeting thy
Brother! And oh! thou, Neptune, who art all-powerful
in thy dominions over the winds and drivest thy sea-blue
chariot over the vasty deep! (.ôlus is not included here
although God of the Winds) and thou Pluto who rulest
; ! !
over the dark abodes in the regions below! Come! Tell

mel by whose right hand did Laius fall? Whoever he
may be let him enjoy no untroubled homestead, let no
faithful household Gods show him any respect, and let no
country extend to him its hospitable shelter! Let him
suffer all the penalties arising out of an incestuous mar-
riage and a tainted offspring! And he that would kill a
parent with his own hand, and do. Well What could
. . . !
there be imagined worse? The very things that I have

avoided Parricide and Incest! let there be no hope of
pardon for such a man! I swear by my sceptre and by
the kingdom where I now am as stranger, and by that
282 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. Lines 26-=93

Faciatque (num quid gravius optari poteft?)
Quidquid ego fugi. noa erit venise locus.
Per regna juro, quseqne nunc hofpes gero,
Et quae reliqui; perque penetrales Deos: 265
Per te, pater Neptune, qui fluiVu brevi
Utrinque noftro geminus alludis folo.
Et ipfe noftris vocibus teftis veni
Eatidica vatis ora CiiTheae movens.
Ita moUe fenium ducat, & fummum diem 270
Secunis alto reddat in folio parens,
Solafque Merope noverit Polybi faces,
Ut nulla fontem gratia eripiet mihi.
Scd quo nefandum facinus admilfum loco eft,
Memorato. aperto Marte, an infldiis jacet? 275
CR. Frondifera fan(5tce nemora Caftalise petens,
Calcavit arftis obfitum dumis iter;
Trigemina qua fe fpargit in campos via.
Secat una gratum Phocidos Baccho folum,
Unde altus ima deferit, coelum petens, 28a
Clementer afto colle, Parnaflbs biceps.
At una bimares Sifyphi terras adit,
Olenia in arva. tertius trames cava
Convalle Terpens, tangit errantes aquas,
Gelidumque dirimit amnis Elei vadnm. 285
Hie pace fretum fubita prsedouum manus
AggreiTa ferro facinus occultum tulit.
In tempore ipfo, forte Pliaebea excitus,
Tirefia tremulo tardus accelerat genu,
Comefque Manto luce viduatum traliens. 290
CEDIPUS, TIRESIAS, MANTO.

Tirefias per harufpiciura eruere Laji interfeflorum tentat, fed re
propter triftia extifpicia infecfta ad necromantiam fe convertit.
OED. s
s_/ACRATE Divis, proximum Phcebo caput,
Refponfa folve; fare, quem pcenas petant.
TIR. Quod tarda fatu eft lingua, quod quserit moras,
which I have recently left, and by my household gods,

and by thee, Father Neptune, who vnth thy twofold
presence sportest with thy gentle waves upon my native
shores my native isthmus! and come Apollo thyself and
1
bear testimony to my words, who inspirest the prophetic

lips of the Cirrhean priestess, that my Parent, Polybus,
may pass his life to a tranquil old age, and grant him
security on his elevated throne, and may Merope never
know any other husband but Polybus listen whilst I
Lines 262293] (EDIPUS. 283
VOW, that mercy shall never be shown by me towards

the murderer of Laiusl But tell me how and in what cir-
cumstances was this horrible crime committed was it
the result of an open honorable combat, or was the
murderer (assassin-like) lying in wait for Laius, in order
to perpetrate this premeditated act of High Treason?
CR. Laius was wending his journey towards the shady

groves near the Castalian fountains (to consult the Oracle)
and traversed a road thickly interspersed with brambles;
and there is a spot which opens out in three directions,
leading towards the fields -one of these roads divides
off the country about Phocis, so dear to Bacchus,
whence as you pass the hill with an easy ascent, you
come to the two-topped Parnassus seeking, as it does, its
way to the clouds, and this Parnassus looks down on the
valleys below, but another road, the second, leads on to
Sisyphus; Olenus, the third road, which winds round a
hollow valley, comes quite close to the meandering streams
and divides off the cool waters of the Ilissus. Here,
Laius, quite relying upon being free from any sort of
danger, was attacked by a band of robbers, who took
his life, without any witnesses to prove the murder of
the king; (at this moment, having been instructed and
commanded by Apollo, Tiresias, slow with advancing
age, attempts to accelerate his pace with trembling knees,
and his daughter Manto leadmg the blind old man, as
his faithful guide).
CEDIPUS-TIRESIAS-MANTO.
Tiresias tries to discover the murderer of Laius through
the soothsayers, but the matter not being cleared up,
on account of the failure of the divinations by means
of the entrail inspections, now betakes himself to
necromancy.
CEDIPUS.
Tiresias! so reverenced by the Gods, and the

Oh!nearest friend of Phcebus, explain the responses of
the oracle! Speak! Who is the culprit deserving of
punishment?
TiR. It is scarcely reasonable, that thou shouldst be sur-

prised why my tongue is so slow to speak, or why it
requires time to enable me to do so ; thou must remember
that a great part of what might reveal the truth is hidden
284 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [i.ines 294-330
Haud te quidem, magnanime, mirari addecet.

Vifu carenti magna pars veri latet. 295
Sed quo vocat me patria, quo Phoebus, fequar.
Fata eruantur. fi foret viridis mihi
Calidufque fanguis, peflore exciperem Deum.
Appellite aris candidum tergo bovem,
Curvoque nunquam colla depreffum jugo. 300
Tu, lucis inopem, nata, geoitorem regens,
Manifefta facri figna falidici refer.
MAN. Opima fanflas viflima ante aras ftetit,
TIR. In vota fuperos vota folemni voca,
Arafque dono thuris Eoi exftrue. 305
MAN. Jam thura facris ccelitum ingeffi focis.
TIR. Quid flamma, largas jamne comprendit dapes?
MAN. Subito refulfit lumine, & fubito occidit.
TIR. Utrumne clarus ignis, & nitidus ftetit,
Reflufque purum verticem ccelo tulit, 310

Et fummam in auras fufus explicuit comam?
An latera circa ferpit incertus viae,
Et fluftuante turbidus fumo labat?
MAN. Non una facies mobilis flammse fuit:
Imbrifera qualis implicat varios fibi 315
Iris colores, parte quae magna poli
Curvata piclo nuntiat nimbos finu.
Quis defit illi, quifve fit, dubites, color.
Caerulea fulvis mixta oben-avit notis,
Sanguinea rurfus; ultima in tenebras abit. 320
Sed ecce pugnax ignis in partes duas
Difcedit, & fe fcindit unius facri
Difcors favilla. genitor, horrefco intuens,
Libata Bacchi dona pennutat cruor,
Ambitque denfus regium fumus caput. 325
Ipfofque circa fpiffior vultus fedet,
Et nube denfa fordidam lucem abdidit.
Quid fit, parens, effare. TIR. Quid fari queam
Inter tumultus mentis attonitae vagos?
Quidnam loquar? funt dira, fed in alto, mala 330
from me owing to my blindness. But when my country

demands my
presence, and where Apollo goes, I must
follow; the Fates at all events must be thoroughly threshed

out if my former hale youth were in my favor, and
my warm blood coursed through my veins as of yore,
Apollo would be within me in his entirety, pervading me,
through and through, with his inspiring power. Now bring
to the altars a perfectly white bull, one whose neck has
never been bowed down to the curved yoke Thou, my
daughter, guide of thy blind father, inform me as to the
various appearances, presenting themselves at this pro-
phetic sacrifice.
Lines =94-330] OEDIPUS. 285
MAN. A tractable victim is now standing in front of

the sacred altar.
TiR. Invoke the Gods with prayers in a solemn voice

and strew the altars well with offerings of Sabaean frank-
incense.
MAN. I have already supplied the frankincense for the

sacred altar of the- Gods.
TIR. What about the fire? Does it burn up yet any

considerable portion of the offering?
MAN. It varies : sometimes it brightens up quite suddenly,

and then again, it flags as suddenly.
TiR. Which of the two? Does the fire remain clear and
bright and go straight up into the sky, preserving that
clearness and brightness right away to the very top, and
distribute the brightest flames when they reach the air in
equal radiations? Or, uncertain in its direction does it
hover and spread round the sides of the altar, and becom-
ing turbid resolve itself into smoke travelling all sorts of
ways?
MAN. The ascent of the flames presents by no means

any uniformity, very much indeed, as the rainbow, the
herald of approachmg showers, clothes itself in varying
colors and over a large portion of the sky, announces to
us the threatening clouds in its painted arc One is con-
stantly in doubt, what color is wanting in one place, and
what is present in another (the colors present no succes-
sive order). The flames, at first blue, are now dotted
about with brownish patches, then again, these change
into blood-red, and finally, they pass off in a dark smoke
(without thoroughly consuming the carbonaceous matter).
What can all that be? Oh! my parent, tell me what
it portends!
TIR. How can I speak, when such a tumult of vague

surmises takes possession of my astounded mind? How
shall I speak ? Why they are indications of some dread-
!
ful crime or other, but they are hidden away so high,

you say, not to be easily discerned on account of tne
blackness of the smoke; the anger of the gods is gener-
ally indicated by signs such as these! What is this, they
wish to disclose one minute and the next decline to do
so. (The blackness following obscures that which has gone
before, and they thus partially conceal, the severe anger
Solet ira certis numinum oftendi notis.

Quid iftud eft, quod effe prolatum volunt,
Iterumque nolunt, & truces iras tegunt?
Pudet Deos nefcio quid, hue propere admove,
Et fparge falfa coUa taurorum mola. 335
Placidone vultu facra & admotas manus
Patiuntur? MAN. Ahumtaunts attollens caput,
Primes ad ortus pofitus, expavit diem,
Trepidufque vultum folis & radios fugit.
TIR. Unone terram vulnere affliili petunt? 340
MAN. Juvenca ferro femet impofito induit,
Et vulnere uno cecidit: at taurus, duos
Perpeffus i(ftus hue cS; hue dubius ruit,
Animamque feffus vix reluctantem exprimit.
TIR. Utrum citatus vulnere angufto micat, 345
An lentus altas irrigat plagas cruor.^
MAN. Hujus per ipfam, qua patet pedlus, viam
Effufus amnis hujus exiguo graves
;
Maculantur i(5lus imbre. fed verfus retro

Per ora multus fanguis atque oculos redit. 350
TIR. Infaufta magnos facra terrores cient.
Sed ede certas vifcerum nobis notas.
MAN. Genitor, quid hoc eft? non levi motu, ut foleat,
Agitata trepidant extaj fed totas manus
Quatiunt: novufque profilit venis cruor. 355
Cor marcet aegrum penitus, ac merfum latet;
Liventque veas&i magna pars fibris abeft;
Et felle nigro tabidum fpumat jecur.
Ac, femper omen unico imperio grave,
En capita paribus bina confurgunt toris; 360
Sed utrumque csefum tenuis abfcoudit caput
Membrana latebram rebus occultis negans.
Hoftile valido robore infurgit latus,
Septemque venas tendit. has omnes retro
Prohibens reverti limes obliquus fecat. 365
Mutatus ordo eft. Sede nil propria jacet;
Sed adla retro cun(3a. non anima; capax
which is being entertained.) The gods are disgusted at

something, but I know not what come, move hither quickly,
:
and besprinkle afresh the necks of the sacrifices (the

bulls) with salted meal Do the sacrifices bear the pres-
1
sure of the hand, when they are touched, with an un-

troubled look?
MAN. The Bull raises his head high, when he is placed

towards the East; he seems to avoid the light of day,
and tremblingly averts his gaze from the rays of the sun.
TIR. Did the sacrifices fall, after receiving the first blow ?
MAN. The Heifer seemed, were, to throw herself

as it
in the way, to meet the knife with which
it was threatened,
and fell after receiving the first blow; but the bull, after
receiving two blows, (GEdipus with the blows on his Eyes)
staggered here and staggered there, and although tired
out with his resistance, gave up his hfe very reluctantly.
TiR. Which of the two was the more lively, after the
smaller wound, or did the blood flow more freely after
the deeper gashes?
MAN. Aperfect river flowed from the opening where

the chest was laid bare the heavy blows only resulted in
a small escapement, but a great quantity of blood seemed
to make a retroflex course, and showed itself about the
eyes and mouth.
TIR. These inauspicious sacrifices inspire me with

frave apprehensions; but tell me what indications thou
idst notice as regards the entrails?
MAN. Oh 1 Father, what is this ? The entrails are trem-

bling in a very excited manner, and not to the small

extent, which is usual they actually shake my hands
when I touch. them and fresh blood leaps forth from the
veins; the heart is shrivelled up entirely and has sunk
down deep in the thorax, the veins are becoming livid
and a great portion of the intestines is missing, and the
shrunk liver foams out black bile (hatred of the brothers,
Polynices and Eteocles), and behold, this is always an
omen of special import (to monarchies), two heads rise
up of .equal size [the word "torus" alludes to the mus-
cular structure (ergo size)], but a delicate film conceals
both the heads, suggestive of a refusal, to offer any veil
to conceal certain secrets hereafter to be revealed! one
hostile side rises against the other, with great force and
presents seven veins (Polynices and his six generals), an
oblique line divides them and prevents them from re-
turning. No orân is in its proper anatomical situation
the whole order of nature is inverted the lungs are
not inflated with air and respiration is impeded, but they
are filled with blood (hepatization) and are all on the
right side (of the thorax), tne place where the heart should
be, on the left, is on the right side, and the omentum
does not furnish the viscera with that adipose protection
which surrounds them, as with a soft covering the ways
of nature are reversed; even the womb is not subject to
its former fixed laws! (alluding to the incestuous womb
of Jocasta) we must endeavour to find out how this
: :
In parte dextra pulmo fangaineus jacet.

Non laeva cordis regio. non moUi ambitu
Omenta pingues vifcerum obtendunt Gnus. 370
Natura verfa nulla lex utero manet,
eft.
Scrutemur, unde tantus hie extis rigor.
Quod hoc nefas? conceptus innuptae bovis,
Nee more folito pofitus, alieno in loco
Implet parentem. membra cum gemitu movet. 375
Tremulo rigore debiles artus micant.
Infecit atras lividus fibras cruor;
Tentantqne turpes mobilem trunci gradum
Et inane furgit corpus, ac facros petit
Cornu miniftros. vifcera eifugiiint manum. 380
Neque ipfa, quae te pepulit, armenti gravis"
Vox eft, nee ufquam territi refonant greges
Immugit aris ignis, & trepidant foci.
<ED. Quid ifta facri figoa terrifici ferant,
Exprome: voces aure non timida hauriam. 385
Solent fuprema facere fecuros mala.
TIR. His invidebis, quibus opem quaeris, malis,
CED. Memora, quod unum fcire coelicolas volunt,
Contaminarit rege quis caefo manus.
TIR. Nee alta cceli quae levi penna fecant, 390
Ncc fibra vivis rapta pedloribus poteft
Ciere nomen. alia tendanda eft via.
Ipfe evocandus nodlis aeternse plagis
Emiffus Erebo,ut caedis au(lorem indicet.
Referanda tellus. Diris implacabile 395
Numen precandum. populus infemae Stygis
Hue extrahendus. ede, cui mandes facrum.
Nam te, penes quem fumma regnorum eft, nefas
Invifere umbras, ced. Te, Creo, hie pofcit labor,
Ad quem fecundum regna refpiciunt mea. 400
TIR. Dum nos profundae clauilra laxamus Stygis,
Populare Bacchi laudibus carmen fonet.
CHORUS.
Canit Chorus dithyrambum, qui Bacchi gefta
& inventa continet.

J rfFFUSAM redimite comam nutante corymbo,
lûcidum cceli decus, hue ades votis,
remarkable rigidity of the intestines has been brought

about! Ah! what crime novi^? A heifer that has never
been mounted by the bull to be with calf! and the fcetus
IS not in its proper place, but occupies another spot in
Itsmother's inside it moves its limbs with a groan, and
they twitch convulsively, with tremblings and rigors, and
!
livid blood has stained the flesh black, and the miserable
half-dead victims try to rise and get away in vain, and
the body, with the entrails gone, seeks to make for those
who are conducting the sacrifices; the entrails seem to
avoid the touch, nor is the voice which it has given forth,
that of the gruff bull, nor like that of one of the terrified
flock. The flames, at the altars^ emit a lowing sound at
the same time that those altars are themselves trembling
at the phenomenon!
CED. Tell me again, how these indications in this terri-

fying sacrifice are produced. I will listen with an undaunted
ear to thy words. Great evils are apt to make one more
composed at times.
TiR. I am afraid thou wouldst regret to know them, the
ones, at least, thou requirest to aid thee in thy inquiries.
CED. Tell me what the Gods are willing for me to know I
Who polluted his hands with the murder of the King?
TIR. Not any feathered creature, that cuts its path

through the lofty regions of the sky, with its delicate
wings, nor the entrails taken from the living animal;
whilst retaining its vitality, can disclose the name of the

murderer another way must be tried! And some one
must be summoned from the regions of eternal night,
some emissary from Erebus itself, that he may point out
the perpetrator of the murder The earth must be opened
!
and the relentless Pluto must be appealed to the deni-

zens of the internal regions and Laius himself must be
dragged forth to give evidence: tell me, whom thou wilt
intrust with this solemn mission, for it will be contrary
to the law for thee with all the highest functions of a
kingdom in thy keeping, to visit the shades below.
CED. This task will devolve on Creon, whom my King-
dom regards as the second in power.
TIR. Whilst we are effecting an entrance at the gates
of the Stygian world below, let the air resound with
some melody which will find favor with the Theban sub-
jects, a song in praise of our God Bacchus
CHORUS.
The Chorus sings a dithyramb, which sets forth the exploits
and discoveries of Bacchus.
OH thou Deity crowned with the clusters of grapes,

!
waving to and fro, which surmount thy flowing

locks, and poising in thy gentle hands, rejoicing in
their perpetual juvenility, the Nissean Thyrsus (Nisaeus
19
MoUia Nyfeis armatse bracliia thyrfis, 405

Quae tibi nobiles Theba, Bacche, tuas
Palmis fupplicibus ferunt.
Hue adverte favens virgineum caput,
Vultu fidereo difcute nubila,
Et trifles Erebi minas, 41
Avidumque fatum,
Te decet vernis comam floribus cingi,
Te caput Tyria cohibere mitra;
Ederave moUem baccifera
'
Religare frontem. 415
Spargeie effufos fine lege crines,
Rurfus adducto revocare uodo.
Qualis iratam metuens novercam
Creveras falfos imitatus artus,
Criue flavenli fimulata virgo, 420
Luteam veftem retinente zona.
Inde tam moUes placuere cultus,
Et fmus laxi, fluidumque fyrma.
Vidit aurato refidere curru,
Vefte cum longa tegeres leones, 425
Omnis Eose plaga vafta terrs,
Qui bibit Gangem, niveumque quifquis
Fiangit Araxen.
Te fenior turpi fequitur Silenus afello,
Turgida pampineis redimitus tempera fertis. 430
Condita lafcivi deducunt orgia myftje.
Te Baffaridum comitata cohors,
Nunc Edoni pede pulfavit
Sola Pangsei; nunc Threicio ,
Vertice Pindi; nunc Cadmeas 435
Inter mati'es impia Maenas
Comes Ogygio venit laccho,
Nebride facra prsecinifla latus.
Tibi commotse pecftora mati-es
Fudere comam: thyrfumque levem 440
Vibrante manu, jam poft laceros
Pentheos artus Thyades oeftro
Membra remiffffi, velut ignotum
Videre nefas.
Ponti regna tenet nitidi matertera Bacclii, 445
Nereidumque choris Cadmeia cingitur luo.
Jus habet in flaftus magni puer advena ponti
Cognatus Bacchi, numen non vile, Palremon,
Te Tyrrhena, puer, rapuit, mauus,
Et umidum Nereus pofuit mare, 450
was a surname of Bacchus) thou bright ornament to the

;
celestial group, come, we pray, and hearken to the suppli-

cations which thy own Noble Thebes now offers up to
_
thee, with our hands showing tokens of reverence Turn

Lines 405-45=] CEDIPUS. 291
hither thy head, with its virgin-Hke aspect! dispel the

clouds which oppress us, with thy handsome presence
as well as the grievous menaces of Erebus avert thou
the depopulating Fates! It becomes thee to deck thy locks
with vernal flowers and wear on thy head the Tyrian
Mitre, and to bind the ivy-berries around thy fair coun-
tenance ! To scatter thy locks carelessly at one time, and
at another, to gather them up again with the accustomed
Icnot, and then thrown back. And just as thou wast, too,
when dreading the jealousy of thy step-mother (Juno) as
a pretended virgin with golden locks, thou disguisedst
thyself further still by imitating the carriage and figure
of a female, a girdle keeping together the yellow vest-
ments, till at last, an effeminate style of dress and manner,
loose body-dress and a flowing train have come to be.
thy especial delight! All that vast country in the Eastern
parts of the earth, owning thee as a conqueror, and those
people, who drink from the waters of the Ganges and
those who are required to break the ice of the frozen

Alaxis, before they can quench their thirst all these have
seen thee proudly reclinmg in thy gilded chariot, drawn
by Lions, and with that train of thine thrown over the
backs of such lions, whilst that old Satyr, Silenus (foster-
father of Bacchus), followed thee, mounted on the humble
ass, with his temples egregiously puffed out with garlands
of vine-leaves. The lascivious priests conduct their orgies
in secrecy a troop of the Bassarides, accompanying thee,
at one time, tread their measures on the soil of Pangasus,
after the style of the Edonic; at another time, on the

summit of Thracian Pindus whilst at still another, from
ainong the Theban Matrons, a cruel Maenad comes as a
companion to Ogygian (Theban) Bacchus, adorning her
sides with the sacred skin of a young kid (that is held
in sacred estimation), the matrons with their heaving
bosoms excited by their passions (inspiration) let down
their locks in honor of thee, and with their hands gently
flourishing the graceful thyrsus, the Thyades, (Thyas was
the chief priestess of Bacchus) after the limbs of Pentheus
had been torn to pieces, relaxed their hands when the
paroxysm of frenzy had worn itself out, and looked as
if they were entirely ignorant of what they had done!
The Aunt of Bacchus (Ino) holds sway over the glittering
sea, and Cadmeian Ino is surrounded by a oevy of

Nereids (sea-nymphs) The Boy, Palsemonj no inconsider-
able god, the latest accession to the marine deities, has
full command over the waves of the mighty sea, and
when the Pirates of Tyrrhenus took thee prisoner and
placed thee on board of their vessel, Neptune converted
the rough 'sea into a calm lake. The blue waters he
Caerula cum pratis mutat freta.

Hinc verno platanus folio viret,
Et Phcebo laurus carum netnusr
Garrula per ramos avis obftrepit.
Vivaces ederas ramus tenet. 455
Summa ligat vitis carchefia.
Idseus prora fremuit leo.
Tigris puppe fedet Gangetica.
Turn pirata freto pavidus natat:
Et nova demerfos facias habtt. 460
iBrachia prima cadunt praedonibus,
Illifumque utero peflus coit.
Paivula dependet lateri manus,
Et dorfo flu(5lum curvo fubit:
Lunata fcindit Cauda mare, 4^5
' Et fequitur curvus fugientia carbafa delphin.
Divite Paflolus vexit te Lydius unda,
Aurea torrenti deducens flumina ripa.
Laxavit vicflos arcus Geticafque fagittas
Ladlea Maflagetes qui pocula fanguiue mifcet. 470
Regna fecurigeri Bacchum fenfere Lycurgi.
Senfere terrae te Dacum feroces:
Et quos vicimus Boreas ferit
Arva mutantes: quafque Mseotis
Alluit geutes frigida fluilu: 475
Quafque defpeflat virtice fummo
Sidus Arcadium, geminumque plauftrum.
Ille difperfos domuit Gelonos:
Arma detraxit trucibus puellis:
Ore dejedlo petiere terram 480
Thermodontiacas graves catervse;
Pofitis tandem levibus fagiitis,
Msenades fat^se. facer & Cithferon
Sanguine inundavit,
Ophioniaque cseJe. 485
Prcetides filvas petiere: & Argos
Praefente Bacchum coluit noverca.
Naxos Mgeo redimita ponto
Tradidit thalamis virginem reliftam,
Meliore penfans damna marito. 490
Pumice ficco
Fluxit Nydlelius latex.
Gariuli gramen fecuere rivi,
Combibit dukes humus alta fuccos,
Niveique la(ftis Candida fontes 495
transformed into smiling meads, and from that time the

Elane tree grows green with the leaves of spring and the
.aurel grove is dear to Apollo, the noisy birds chattered
incessantly, perched amongst the branches, the oars
of the piratical sailors were entwined with the ever-

green and the vine curled itself around the tallest

ivy,
masts 1 A Lion roared at the prow, and an
fierce Idasan
Asiatic Tiger (from the Ganges) sits composedly at the
stern. Then the pirates, thoroughly scared, take to the
water, and when they are beginnmg to sink m
the watery
depths, they assume a new shape The robbers' forearms
disappear, and chests and abdomens are forced into each
other, becoming blended a small fin hangs from their
sides, and they thus enter into their marine home, and
with a curved body and with their moon-shaped tails,
they divide the waves, and the Dolphin, with its curved
form, from that time forth, follows the ships cleaving the
sea, under their scudding sails The Pactolus, a river of
1
Lydia, which conducts its golden streams towards the

torrid banks, has borne thee along over its rich waters
Bacchus has caused the conquered Getse to lay aside
their bows and arrows, and the Scythian Massagetes [who
mix the milk they consume with the blood of horses, and
the kingdom of the axe-wearing Lycurgus (armed with
the axe)] have felt the power of Bacchus, and the savage
lands of the Daci have likewise acknowledged his power,
and the wandering tribes who change their pastures and
who, so near to Clustering Boreas, are visited with his
severity, and the people of that region, which the cold
Mieotis washes with its waves, and those regions which lie
directly under the Arcadian constellation, (the Northern

Bear and the double chariot,) the two Aurigae he has
also subdued the scattered Geloni, who pamted their
bodies to make themselves more to be dreaded when

they went into battle he took ^way the arms from the
truculent Amazons, and the battalions of Thermodon cast
their eyes upon the ground with a crestfallen countenance,
and at lengtn, having laid aside their slender arrows, they
became Msenads, adopting the kid skin, the thyrsus and
the worship of Bacchus and the sacred Cithagron over-
flowed with blood and the slaughter of the Ophionian
(Theban) children (Ophion was one of the five remaining,
who sprang from the serpents' teeth sown by Cadmus,
and who, as soon as born fought and killed each other).
The daughters of Pretus fled to the woods, and all Argos
worshipped Bacchus even in the presence of the step-
mother. Naxos, surrounded by the .Êgean sea, has provided
thee with a candidate for thy marriage-bed, in the person
of a jilted virgin who compensated her loss by obtaining
a better husband, in Bacchus. (Ariadne deserted by
Theseus.) From the dry stony ground flowed the Nyc-
telian spring, (Wine) murmuring streams flowed over the
grass around, and the depths of the soil absorbed the
welcome moisture, and the earth rendered white, as it
294 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Un^s 496-5'9
Et mixta odoro Lesbia cum thymo.

Ducitur magno nova nupta coelo.
Solcmne Phoebus carmen
Edit infufis humero capillis.
Concutit tsedas gemiuus Cupido, ^
500
Telum depofuit Juppiter igneum,
Oditque Baccho veniente fulmen.
Lucida dum current annofi fidera mundi,
Oceanus claufum dum fluftibus ambiet orbem,
Lunaque dimiffos dum
plena recoUiget ignes, S^S
Dum matutinos prsedicet- Lucifer ortus,
Altaque cseruleum dum Nerea nefciet Ar(5los;
Candida formofi venerabimur ora Lyasi.
ACTUS TERTIUS.
CEDIPUS, CREON.
Indicat regi Creon ex necromantia, feu mavis fciomantia,
intellexiffe fe interfedlorem Laji CEdipum fuiffe, ille
fretus opinione fua de Polybo pah-e negat, &
poft jurgia Creontem in carcerem conjici jubet.-
TT/TSI
(ED. J ipfe vultus flebiles prsefert notas,
Expone, cujus capite placemus Deos. 510
CR. Fari jubes, tacere quae fuadet metus.
CED. Si te ruentes non fatis Thebse movent,
At fceptra moveant lapfa cognatse domus.
CR. Nefciffe cupies, noiTe quae nimium expetis.
CED. Iners malorum rtmedium ignorantia eft. 5^5
Itane & falutis publicse indicium obrues.'
CR. Ubi turpis eft medicina, fanari piget.
CED. Audita fare; vel male domitus gravi,
Quid arma poffmt regis irati, fcies.
were, gave forth fountains of snow-white milk, and the

Lesbian wine became fragrant with the sweet-smelHng
thyme A new bricie ascends to the loftiest heavens, and
I
Apollo, the deity with his locks flowing over his shoulders,
chants an epithalamium (marriage song), and Cupid, in
his twin capacity carries triumphantly the marriage torch-
Jupiter puts aside his thunderbolts, and actually for the
time regards his own lightning with horror, as Bacchus
approaches, (reminding nim of Semele, the mother of
Bacchus, whom he struck with lightning). Whilst the bright
stars of the universe shall run their courses, and whilst
the mighty Ocean continues to surround our orb, and
Lines 496 S19] CEDIPUS. . 295
the full moon shall collect together her stars temporarily

dismissed, and whilst proud Lucifer shall herald the
approach of morn, and whilst lofty Arctos (the Bear) shall
never be seen to dip beneath the blue sea (Nereus is
here taken for the sea) let the fair countenance of Lyseus,
(Bacchus) ever be held in veneration 1
ACT III.
CEDIPUS-CREON.
Creon points out to the king, that from necromancy or
rather sciomancy (calling up the Manes) he concludes
that CEdipus was the murderer of Laius: QSdipus
relying on his own conviction, that Polybus was his
father, repudiates the charge, and after much conten-
tion, he orders Creon to be cast into prison.
CEDIPUS.
ALTOGETHER your manner is suggestive of mournful

indications:tell me, by whose sacrifice, we shall
have to appease the Gods?
CR. You command me to tell what my fears incline

me to be silent about.
CED. If the ruin of Thebes were not sufficient reason

for you to do so, at least the sceptre of an allied dynasty
being endangered might induce you.
CR. You will wish that you had remained in ignorance

of what you are now striving to learn too much about.
CED. Ignorance is a very feeble remedy for evils, and
will you conceal a clue which might be the means of
unravelling a mystery, when such a thing is for the public
safety.
CR. When a remedy is disagreeable, one is loth to

apply it as a means of cure.
CED. Speak, I say, what you know, or you will very

soon find out, if you are visited with some severe punish-
ment, which the power of an outraged king can easily
bring about.
;
296 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines s^<=-55i
CR. Odere reges di(5la, quae dici jubent. 520

CED. Mitteris Erebo vile pro cunclis caput, '
Arcani facri voce ni retegis tua.

CR. Tacere liceat. nulla libertas minor.
A rege petitur. ced. Ssepe vel lingua magis
Regi atque regno muta libertas obeft. 525
CR. Ubi non licet tacere, quid cuiquam licet?
CED. Imperia folvit, qui facet, juffus loqui.
CR. Coadla verba placidus accipias, precor.
CED. Ulline poena vocis expreffse fuit?
CR. Eft procul ab urbe lucus ilicibus niger, 530
DircEea circa va'lis irriguse loca.
Cupreffus allis exferens fdvis caput
Virente femper alligat trunco nemus
Curvofque tendit quercus & putres fitu
Aniiofa ramos. hujus abrupit latus 535
Edax vetuftas: ilia jam fefla cadens
Radice, fulta pendet aliena tralê.
Amara baccas laurus; & tilice leves;
Et Paphia myrtus; & per immenfum mare
Motura rtmos alnus; & Phoebo obvia 540
Enode Zephyris piiius opponens latus.
Medio flat ingens arbor, atque umbra gravi
Silvas minores urget; & magnc^ ambitu
DifTufa ramos, una defendit nemus.
Triftis fub ilia lucis & Phoebi infcius
545
Reftagnat humor, frigore etc-nio rigens.
Limofa pigrum circuit fontem palus.
Hue ut facerdos intulit fenior gradum,
Haud eft moraius. prseftitit n0(Sem locus.
Tunc &
fuper rapti rogis
foffa tellus,
550
Jaciuntur ignes. ipfe funefto integit
CR._ Kings might sometimes dislike the truths, which

they insiston bemg told them.
CED. You shall be consigned to Erebus, as a sacrifice

to the Gods of
the Manes for the public benefit, unless
you unfold to me the secrets connected with the recent
sacred ceremonies, and with, too, your own very lips.
CR. One is privileged to be silent, no less concession

can be sought for at the hands of a king.
CED. The liberty

of silence is oftentimes more against
the king and the welfare of a kingdom,
interests of a
than the unrestricted use of the tongue.
CR. When one is denied the privilege of silence, what

privilege is there left for any one?
;
Lines 520-551J (EDIPUS. 297
_
CED. He that is commanded to speak, and will persist
in silence, sets the imperial authority at defiance.
CR. I pray you, hear with an unruffled temper, the

words which you are now dragging out of me.
CED. Has any one ever been punished for speaking,

when he has been compelled to do so?
CR. There
is at some distance from the city, an antique
grove, black with the abundance of its oak trees, round
about the localities, where the valley is irrigated by the
fountains of Dirce. There a cypress raises its towering
head above all the other lofty forest trees, and over-
shadows this grove at all times (being an ever-green)
with its flourishing trunk, and an aged oak stretches
forth its curved branches, decayed and covered with
moss the destructive hand of time (tempus edax rerum)
has disabled its trunk and it is already in a falling condi-
tion, its roots having given way (unable to keep it upright),
and hangs, as it were, supported by another tree close to
it there is the bitter laurel with its berries, and with it-^
(are seen) the slender teil trees and the Paphian myrtle
(sacred to Venus) and the alder, of which the oars are
made, which enable the mariner to work his way over
the immense sea, and the Pine, which grows straight
upwards, without any flexions or prominences (branches
thrown out), and which, with its spreading top affords
protection against the Zephyrs, and tends as well to keep
off" the solar heat A huge tree, giant of the forest,
,
(presumably an oak) stands in the midst and overawes

(in its majesty) all the smaller trees and sends out its
branches with an extended circuit, in fact, of itself it
seems to cover all the others. Beneath it, is a dismal
fountain in a stagnant state and entirely deprived both of
light and warmth, and it remains frozen from the constant

cold a muddy marsh surrounds this dried up fountain,
and aged Priest, (Tiresias) wends his steps
hither the
he isnever delayed from the performance of his duties
the place itself on account of its utter absence of light,
does all the duties of Night! Then the ground is dug
and torches are seized up, and placed upon a funeral
pile, in order to ignite it -the prophet (Tiresias) arrays
himself in sombrest attire and shakes his head ominously;
his dismal-looking cloak hangs down to his feet, and
the sad old man steps forward in his slovenly dress
Sheep, with black fleeces, and black bulls are being con-
ducted from the rear. (Black animals were always selected
for sacrifices to the infernal deities and white ones for
2g8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Unes ^s'-sg"
Vates amiflo corpus, & frontem quatit.

Lugubris imos palla perfundit pedes.
Squallente cultu moeftus ingreditur fenex.
Morlifera cauam taxus adftringit comam. 555
Nigro, bidentes vellere atque atrffi boves
Retro trahunler. flamma prasdatur dapes,
Vivumque trepidat igne ferali pecus.
Vocat inde Manes; teque, qui Manes regis,
Et obfidentem clauftra letalis lacus: 560
Carmenque magicum volvit, & rabido minax
Decanlat ore, quidquid aut placat leves
Aut cogit umbras, fanguinem libat focis,
Solidafque pecudes urit, & multo fpecum
Saturat cruore. libat & niveum infupet 5^5
La(5lisliquorem 5 fundit & Baccbum manu
Lseva, canitque nirfus, & terrain intueiis,
Graviore Manes voce & attonita ciet.
Latravit Hecates turba. ter va'les cavae
Sonuere mceftum. tola fuccuiTo folo 570
Pulfata tellus. audior, vates ait,
Rata verba fudi. rumpitur caecum Chaos,
Iterque populo Ditis ad fuperos datur.
Subfedit omnis filva, & erexit comara.
Duxere rimas robore; & totum nemus 575
Concuffit horror, terra fe retro dedit,
Gemuitque penitus. five tentari abditum
Acheron profundum mente non sequa tulit:
Sive ipfa tellus, ut daret fundlis viara,
Compage rupta fonuit: aut ira furens 5^
Triceps catenas Cerberus movit graves.
Subilo dehifcit terra, & immenfo finu
Laxata patuit ipfe (-allentes Dcos
Vidi inter umbras: ipfe lorpentes lacus
No(lemque veram. gelidus in ven's ftet't 5^5
Hasfitque fanguis. fieva profiluit cohors,
Et ftetit in armis omne vipereum genus
Fratrum, cateivpe dente Dircseo fatse,
Avidumque populi Peftis Ogygii malum.
Tum torva Erinnys fonuit, & csecus Furor, 590
HoiTorque, & una quidquid seternte creant
Celantque teaebrs: Lu<5lus evellens comam.
the gods above.) And the cattle, for the few seconds that
their lives lasted, trembled violently in the sacrificial fire,
but the victims were soon consumed by the fiery element
Then Tiresias invokes the Manes; he exclaims, Oh I
thou who rulest the Manes (Pluto), and thou, Cerberus,

the guardian of the portals of the Stygian lakes greeting:
!
he then murmurs out some sort of magic verses, and

with a fierce voice and angry look he proceeds to chant
!
whatever he thinks will appease or prevail over the

Manes -he then sacrifices blood upon the altar, and
burns cattle whole, and fairly saturated the cave with a
deluge of blood then, he offers, in Hbation, quantities of
milk of snowy whiteness, and afterwards, pours out wine
with his left hand and chants again, and looking down
upon the ground, he summons the Manes in a harsh and
astounding tone of voice. The troop of Hecate are the
first to be heard, howling savagely, and the hollow valleys
send forth the most dismal sound, three times in succes-
sion, and the entire earth is loosened (loses its solidity)
by the shocks and upheavals occurring subterraneously 1
I am heard at last! exclaims Tiresias; Ihave uttered with
success, what I thought would be to the purpose invis-
ible chaos is broken through and the right of way to the
regions ab9ve is afforded to the subjects of Pluto Every
I
tree sinks its -head downwards, and afterwards, the leaves

themselves stand out erect with very fright The sturdy
oaks are cleft in two and an overwhelming terror shakes
the forest, and the upper earth itself appears to be startled
and seems inclined to retreat from what is being threatened
around, and groans from out of its very lowest strata!
Whether all this was, that Acheron was entertaining a
feeling of resentment, that the kingdoms hidden, down in
the lowest depths, were being practised upon, or whether
Earth_ itself gave forth the sound with horror, that its
cohesive compactness had been disturbed in order to
afford a way for those intruders arriving from the regions
below, or was it that the three-headed Cerberus had
violently shaken his heavy chains! Suddenly, however,
the earth gapes open, and being thus exposed, displays
itself with its immense bosom laid bare I saw the Pallid
!
Deities, Pluto and Proserpine, amongst the other Manes

I saw the stagnant lakes and real absolute Night, (that
is, as it exists in the regions below) my blood curdled in
my veins, and my heart felt as if it would beat no more 1
And the savage Trio, the Furies, (Tisiphone, Alecto and

Megsera) leaped forth, and the entire race of brothers
descended from the Dragon, stood up armed! the troop
sprung from the Dircsean teeth, and all the victims of
the rapacious plague that had visited Thebes! Then,
the savage Erinnys sent forth the sounds from her whips
and blind Madness and pictured Horror, and altogether,

whatever eternal darkness is capable of producing Grief
tearing away at the hair. Disease holding up its weary
head with difficulty. Excessive Old Age, a burden to its
very self, and Fear, with its look of doubt and suspense
My senses left me, and Manto herself was stupefied and
struck aghast, and she too! who was no raw recruit in
300 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines sgs-Ss'
j^greque laflura fuftinens Morbus caput,

Sene(flus fibimet,
f'.ravis &
pendens Metus.
Nos liquit animus, ipfa, quse ritus fenis 595
Arlefque norat, flupuit. iutrepidus parens,
Audaxque damno, convocat IDitis feri
Exfangue vulgus: illico ut nebulas leves
Volitant, & auras libero coelo trahunt.
Non tot caducas educat frondes Eryx; 6oo
Nee vera flores medio creat,
Hybla tot
Cum examen denfum globo;
alto neflitur
Fludlufque non tot frangit Ionium mare;
Nee tanta gelidi Strymonis fugiens minas
Permutat hiemes ales, & coelum fecans 605
Tepente Nilo penfat Ar(toas nives:
Quot ille populos vatis eduxit fonus.
Pavidse latebras nemoris umbrofi petunt
Animas trementes. primus emergit folo
Dextra ferocem cornibus taurum premens 610
Zethus; manuque fuftinens laeva chelym.
Qui faxa dulci traxit, Amphion, fono.
Interque natos Tantalis tandem fuos
Tuto fuperba fert caput faftu gravi,
Et numerat umbras, pejor hac genitrix adeft 615
Furibunda Agave; tota quam fequitur manus
Partita regem. fequitur & Bacchas lacer
Pentheus, tenetque faevus etiam nunc minas.
Tandem, vocatUs faepe, pudibundum extulit
Caput, atque ab omni diffidet lurba procul, 620
Celatque femet. inftat & Stygias preces
Geminat facerdos, donee in apertum efferat
Vultus opertos Laius, fari horreo.
Stetitper artus fanguine effufo horridus,
Paedore fcedo fqualidam obtentus comam, 625
Et ore rabido fatur: O Cadmi effera,
Cruore femper Iseta cognato domus,
Vibrate thyrfos. enthea natos manu
Lacerate potius. maximum Thebis fcelus
Maternus amor eft. non ira Deflm
patria, 630
Sed fcelere raperis. non gravi flatu tibi
Lu(5lificus Aufter, nee parum pluvio aethere
the arts and mysteries of that old man, Tiresias and the 1
intrepid Parent bold on account of his loss (the loss of

his eyesight, but who would not have been so if he could
have seen what Manto saw, calls together those lifeless
subjects of the unrelenting Pluto. How the substanceless
shades did flit about! here and there! and appeared
pleased at being able to enjoy the air in the free sky of
the upper world! In point of number, not so many leaves
have ever fallen in the woods of Eryx Never did Hybla
!
grow so many flowers in the middle of spring, when the

dense hives gather round the trees, Uke grapes clustered
together, hanging down from the branches Not so many
!
waves has the Ionian sea ever broken against the shore!
Not so many birds (cranes and other migratory birds)
flying away from the frigid Strymon to escape the winter
and cutting their way through the air, exchange the Arctic
snows for the balmy sky of the mild Nile How greatI
must have been the sound, which dragged forth such

multitudes of the Manes The timid, trembling spirits
1
seek refuge in the nooks and corners of the sha(Jy grove.

Zethus, the first to emerge from the earth below, restraining
a ferocious bull with his right hand upon its horns, and
Amphion, who raised the stones whithersoever he willed,
by his melodious strains, appears holding his lute in his
left hand, and then one of the Tantalides (proud Niobe)
in perfect security! now! poises her head with intolerable
pride, and counts over the numerous Manes, represented
by her own family then, worse than Niobe, the frenzied
1
Agave is present, and the band which tore in pieces one

oi our kings, and Pentheus follows in her wake and even
now, looks austerely, as he is still retaining his anger.
if
At length having invoked several times, one of the Manes
raises his head, as if a feeling of shame and degradation
had come over him, and keeps, at a distance, from the
rest of the Manes, who are crowded together tries to
elude observation, but the priest is equal to the occasion,
and with redoubled energy addresses in prayer, the
Stygian Deities: until at last, Laius shows his hitherto
hidden face and brings it into full view I shake with
very alarm, when I am speaking of it even there, he
stood, frightful to be looked upon with the blood pouring
down his body, and his slovenly locks besmeared with
filth and nastiness, and at last he spoke in an angry

void Oh! cruel progeny of Cadmus, always happy in
shedding the blood of one sprung from your own dynasty,
flourish your Thyrsus, ye Bacchanals, and with your own
hands, inspired by the Bacchic fury, tear to pieces your
children; but I can tell you that the crime of Thebes is
this impious amour between a mother and son, and oh
my country, may you be relieved from the odium of this
crime, and not from the anger of the Gods only It is I
not the sad South Wind, (sad from its continuous heat)
which is blowing so oppressively upon you, nor is it,
through an atmosphere, which yields not a sufficiency of
rain, that the earth is saturated with the exhalations
arising from drought but a blood-thirsty King, who holds
!
his sceptre as the price of my cruel murder, and who is

now occupying the impious marriage-bed of his own
S.:;>.:.CAi:i .:LAG.:.- J.-.i^S. [Lines 633 669
302 ..
Satiata tellus halitu ficco nocet:

Sed rex cruentus, pietia qui fffivse necis
Sceptra, & nefaodos occupat tlialamos prtris, 6J5
Invifa proles, (fed tamen pejor parens.
Quam natiis ntero rnrfus iufaufto gravis,)
:
Egit qui iu ortus femet; & matri impios

Foetus reseffit; quique vix mos eft fejis,
Fratres fibi ipfe genuit; implicitum malum, 640
Magifque mouflrum Sphinge perplexum fua.
Te, te, cruenta fceptra qui dextra geris,
Te pater inultus urbe cum tota petam,
Et mecum Eriiioys pronubas thalami traham,
Traham fonantes verbera: inceftara domum 645
Vertam, & Penates impio Marte obteram-
Proinde pulfum finibus regem ocius
Agite exfulem. quodcunque funefto gradu
Solum relinquet, vere florifero virens
Reparabit herbas. fpiritus puros dabit 650
Vitalis aura, veuiet & fdvis decor.
Letum, Luefque, Mors, Labor, Tabes, Dolor,
Comitatus illo dignus, excedunt fimul.
Et ipfe rapidis greffibus fedes volet
Effugere noftras fed graves pedibus moras
:
-
655
Addam, & tenebo. repet incertus viae,
Baculo fenili trifte prEetentans iter.
auferam caelum pater.
Prasripite terras,
CED. Et offa & artus gelidus invafit tremor.
Quidquid timebam facere, feciffe arguor. 660
Tori juga'is abouit Merope nefas,
Sociata Polybo. fofpes abfolvit macus
Polybus meas. uterque defendit parens
Casdem, ftuprumque. quis locus culpse eft fuper?
Multo ante Thebse Laium amifTum gemunt, 665
Bceota greiTu quam meo tetigi loca.
Falfufne fenior, an Deus Thebis gravis?
Jam jam tenemus callidi focios doli.
Mentitur ifta prteferens fraudi Deos
father I Oh!
hateful offspring! but, however, the Parent
Jocasta a worse plight than the Son (CEdipus) again
is
to be doomed to the frightful results of an unlucky womb
(a gravid uterus), and to have a son, who approaches
sexually the very parts whence he dates his own Dirth, and
who has thrown back impious offspring out of his own
mother's womb! and this mode of procedure is scarcely the
one which prevails even amongst the wild beasts, a man
who begets children that are brothers to himself! Oh what a !

complication of calamities amorepuzzlingenigma than that
propounded by the Sphinx herself and which ne (CEdipus)
so successfully unravelled! Oh! thou, who boldest the
sceptre in thy blood-stained hand! As the unavenged

Father I will ever pursue thee, arid with the entire
Theban city at my
back, and Ohl ye Furies, (Erinnys)
I will engage you in my
cause, as the bridesmaids to his
marriage-bed I will enlist you to sound your dangerous
1
whips I will upset thy incestuous home and tire out thy
household gods, with the impious wars, I will bring about
(Eteocles and Polynices). Thenceforth drive away, oh ye !
Thebans, without delay, your King as an exile from your

soil! for whatever country he leaves behind, which has
been trodden by his impious feet, shall as soon as he
quits, become prosperous with the flower-producing spring,
and the grass will grow again in abundance the vivi-
fying sky shall give a pure atmosphere for you to breathe
and luxuriant foliage shall adorn the groves untimely
Death, Pestilence Premature Decay Lingering Disease-
galloping consumption inconsolable anguish and every
thing that is capable of being associated with them, shall
vanish at once f And he himself (CEdipus) will only be
too willing .to fly away with a hurried retreat from your
own dear Thebes But I will encumber his path with
1
great difficulties feeble old age, lassitude, blindness, and

:
the necessity for a daughter to lead him alon^, and one

who will not allow him to destroy himself, and I will keep

him in that condition He shall creep along not knowing
where he is going, he shall grope his unpleasant way
about, relying solely on that indispensable adj'unct to
feeble old age, the staff Oh ye Thebans, cast him forth
1 !
out of your country! I, his parent, will do my utmost to

keep him out of Heaven!
A cold shiver runs through my entire frame, down

CED.
to myvery bones here am I accused of the very crimes
;
which I have ever been in fear of committing !Merope,

who is married to Polybus, indignantly repudiates such
a crime as having been visited upon her marriage-bed,
arid Polybus feels secure on the point and absolves my
hand of any such guilt, both parents being alive sufficiently
ignores he charge of murder and incestuous marriage 1
Beyond that, what foundation is there for the charges

brought agamst me? They were mourning for the loss
of Laius for a long time before I ever trod upon the
Boeotian soil! Is that old Tiresias acting treacherously,
or is the God Apollo especially hard upon Thebes?
But now, I have it plain before my mind who the con-
federates in this scheme are, Creon and Tiresias! Tiresias
preferring a hne of deceit, is lying to the Gods about
this matter in order that my sceptre should fall into
your hands (addressed to Creon).
Vates, tibique fceptra defpondet mea. 670

CR. Egon' ut fororem regia expelll velim ?
Si me fides facrata cognati laris

Non contineret in meo certum flatu;
Tamen ipfa me Fortuna terreret, nimis
SoUicita femper. liceat hoc ruto tibi 675
Exuere pondus, ne recedentem opprimat.
Jam te minore tutior pones loco.
CED. Hortaris etiam, fponte deponam ut mea
Tam gravia regna? CR. Suadeam hoc illis ego,
In utrumque queis eft liber etiam nunc flatus. 680
Tibi jam necefle eft ferre fortunam tuam.
CED. Certiffima eft regnare cupienti via,
Laudare modica, & otium ac fomnum loqui.
Ab inquietQ fospe fimulatur quies.
CR. Parumne me tam longa defendit fides? 685
CED. Aditum nocendi perfido prasftat fides.
CR. Solutus onere regio, regni bonis
Fruor, domufque civium coetu viget;
Nee ulla vicibus furgit alternis dies,
Qua non propinqui munera ad noftros lares 690
Sceptri redundent; cultus, opulentse dapes,
Donata multis gratia noftra falus.
Quid tam beate deeffe fortunae rear?
CED. Quod deeft. fecunda non habent unquam modum.
CR. Incognita igitur ut nocens caufa cadam? 695
CED. Num ratio vobis reddita eft vitae meas?
Num audita caufa eft nostra Tirefiae? tamen
Sontes videmur. facitis exemplum? fequor.
CR. Quid fi innocens fum? ced. Dubia pro certis folent
Timere reges. CR. Qui pavet vanos metus, 700
Veros meretur. ced. Quifquis ia culpa fuit,
Dimiffus odit omne, quod dubium putat.
CR. Do you mean that I should be willing for my

sister to be expelled from her regal surroundings ? As if
that fidelity which is ever a sacred bond between those
of the same blood would not be a sufificient guarantee
that I might be depended on, to.be satisfied with, my
own station! However, the anxieties and vicissitudes of
Fortune which attend a kingdom, and which are often-
times too vexing, would effectually deter nie from that.
But it is quite possible for you if it pleases you, to throw
off such a burden with safety, lest it might prove harmful
to you, when you had receded from it. Now, you can
place yourself, in security, in a less aspiring position.
CED. Do you advise me then that I should shake off

the burdens of royalty, of my own free will?
CR. I give such advice to those with whom it is optional,

which of the two conditions should be decided upon It is
already a matter of necessity for you to bear what
Fortune has marked out for you.
CED. The most certain policy for any one desirous of

reigning is to laud to the skies, the blessings arising out
of mediocrity, and to dwell (in his mind) on the tranquil
ease and undisturbed repose enjoyed by those who are
unburdened with the cares of a kingdom assumed sincer-
ity is often used as a mask for considerable disquiet.
CR. And does my long and well-tested fidelity count

for so little, in rebutting such an accusation?
CED. Fidelity often affords the perfidious knave a more

easy way of making himself obnoxious.
CR. Here I, relieved from regal fardels, enjoy all the

advantages of royalty, and my house is honored as an
agreeable rendezvous for the citizens who flock thither;
nor does a day pass which differs from another no
alternation prevails gifts, presents as acknowledgments
of my nearness of rank as regards the sceptre, abound in

my household elegant furniture, sumptuous apparel and
a luxurious cuisine And my heartiest welcome is accorded
1
to many, with the fullest appreciations, too, on their parti

What can I imagine to be wanting to such a happy lot
(as that)?
CED. What is wanting? Why! prosperity never has

any bounds to the ambition which arises out of it.
CR. Shall I be condemned to fall as a criminal, for

some undiscovered crime?
CED. Have not the details of my career through life

already been made known to you? And has my cause
been examined into by Tiresias? Yet, I am con-
fully
clusively out to be a criminal; mind! you have
made
furnished me with an example in yourself, and I am
merely following your lead?
CR. But, if I am innocent!
CED. Kings are apt to fear that doubtful things contain

within them the elements of certainty.
3o6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 7=3-732
CR. Sic odia fiuot. tED. Odia qui nimium timet,

Regnare nefcit. regna cuftodit metus.
CR. Qui fceptra duro fevus imperio regit, 705
Timet timentes, metus in auctorem redit.
CED. Servate fontem faxeo inclufum fpecu';
Ipfe ad penates regies referam gradum.
CHORUS.
Excufat CEdipum Chorus, transferendo culpam in mala
Thebarum fata, quae ab ipfa inaufpicata bove
Thebanos ufque vexarint,
N.
Non
I ON tu tantis caufa peiiclis,
hasc Labdacidas premunt 710
Fata: fed veteres Deum
Irae fequuntur. Caftalium nemus
Umbram Sidonio prsebuit hofpiti,
Lavitque Dirce Tyrios colonos:
Ut primum magni natus Agenoris, 715
Peffus per orbem furta fequi Jovis,
Sub noflra pavidus conflitit arbore,
Prsedonem venerans fuum;
Monituque Phcebi, juffus erranti
Comes ire vaccse, quam non flexerat 720
Vomer, aut tardi juga curva plauflri,
Deferuit fugas, nomenque genti
Inaufpicata de bove tradidit *
Tempore ex illo nova monftra femper

Protulit tellus, aut anguis imis 725
Vallibus editus, annofa fupra
Robora fibilat, fupraque pinu,
Supra Chaonias celfior abores
Cffiruleum erexit caput.
Cum majore fui parte recumberet, 730
Aut foeta tellus impio partu
Effudit arma.
CR. He who is alarmed at empty fears, deserves to

suffer from real ones.
OED. _
Whatever man crime and obtains a
is guilty of a
recognition of innocence
suspects (hates) every thing,
because he thinks every thing doubtful that applies to
others in other words, judges every one by himself.
CR. And thus it is then, that doubts become so odious.

;
Lines 703 73s] CEDIPUS. 307
CED. He whofears the hatred of others, too sensitively,

knows not the true secret of governing Fear restricts
the operations of royalty.
CR. He who relentlessly wields the sceptre with a

harsh use of his power, has reason to fear those that
fear him fear recoils upon its author.
CED. Confine Creon a prisoner in a stone dungeon I I

will betake myself after this to my
regal abode.
CHORUS.
The Chorus findsexcuse for CEdipus, by laying the

blame on the of Thebes, which from the
evil destinies
time of that unlucky heifer Europa, up to the present
time, have harassed them.
]T is not thou, OEdipus, who art the cause of so many

calamities; these misfortunes are not singling out the
descendants of Labdacus only, but it is that everlasting
anger of the Gods, which is the evil genius that perse-
cutes usl The Castalian forest first afforded a shelter to
the Sidonian stranger, and the streams of Dirce watered
the soil for the Tyrian Colonists; so when first the son
(Cadmus) of the mighty Agenor, was utterly wearied of
wandering over the eardi in search of his sister Europa,
who had been seized and run off with by Jupiter, and
settled down under our hospitable roof-trees, broken in
courage, and ignorantly venerating the God that was the
abductor of his sister, and by the command of Apollo,
was ordered to become the attendant upon a wandering
heifer, which had never had her neck broken to the
plough or lashed to the curved yoke of the tardy-paced

waggon he then gave up his flying mission, and awarded
the country, the name_ of Basotia, arising out of the cir-
cumstance of this inauspicious heifer The oppressed land
I
has always been bringing forward fresh monsters ever

since that time, either m
the shape of a serpent appearing
in the low- valley, which sent forth its hissings even above
the aged oaks, and stretched out its blue-tinted head
over tne lofty pines and high above the Chaonian Oaks,
whilst a great portion of its body rested on the ground
or, the earth, pregnant with an impious foetus has brought
forth armed men, and the war-trumpet sounded forth
from its reflexed windings, and the clarion gave out its
;
Sonuit reflexo clafficum corau,

lituufque adunco ftridulos cantus
Klifit sere, ante non linguas 735
AgiUs & ora vocis ignotae
Clamore primum hoftico experti,
Agmina campos cognata teneat.
Dignaque jailo femine proles
Uuo setatem permenfa die. 74
Pod nata meatus,
Lucifei'i
Ante Hefperios occidit ortus.
Horret tantis advena monftris,
Populique timet bella recentis:
Donee cecidit fseva juventus 745
Genitrixque fuo reddi gremio
Modo produftos vidit alumnos.
Hac tranfierit civile nefas:
Ilia Herculere norint Thebffi
fratmm
Prcelia 75
Quid Cadmei fata nepotis,
Cum vlvacis cornua cervi
Frontem ramis texere novis,
Dominumque canes egere fuum?
Prasceps filvas montefque fugit 755
Citus A(5lseon, agilique magis |
Pede per faltus & faxa vagus
Metuit motas Zephyris plumas,
Et, quae pofuit, retia vitat:
Donee placfdi fontis in unda 7^
Cornua vidit vultufque feros,
,Ubi virgin eos foverat artus
Nimium fevi Diva pudoris.
ACTUS QUARTUS.
CEDIPUS, JOCASTA.
Sufpicari jam incipit CEdipus, ne ille forte, quem olira Delphos
petens occidiiTet, Lajus fuerit: quEerit itaque ab Jocafta de Laji
ffitate, necis tempore, & aliis circumftantiis.
CED.
r
V . URAS revolvit animus, & repetit metus.
Obiiffe noftre Laium fce!ere autumant 765
Superi inferique. fed animus contra innocens,
shrill blasts from out of its crooked brazen throat, and

before they had even used their unpractised tongues, or
exercised their lips with words, which were unknown
by them, they came forward at once, with a hostile war-
Lines 733-766J CEDIPUS. 309
cry, and the troops of men, born at the same moment

of time, take possession of the plains a progeny fully
worthy of the seed whence they sprang; (the serpent's
teeth) passing away their brief life time m
one day, born
at the coming of Lucifer, and disappearing on the advent
of Hesperus! The stranger, Cadmus, is norrified at so
many monsters, and is scared by the warfare conducted
by that newly-imported population! until the furious
young warriors fell, arising out of their internecine
slaughter, and that mother, the Earth, saw the nurslings
whifli she had only just brought forth, received agam
into her bosom! (Buried.) And oh that civil strife would
1
have ended here Thebes, the birth-place of Hercules

I
has witnessed the battles of the brothers, Eteocles and

Pol3micesl What shall we say of the grandson of Cadmus
(Actseon) when the horns of the swift stag surmounted his
head, and his own dogs hunted in pursuit after their own
master And the fleet Actseon flew headlong over woods
1
and mountains, and wandering with its agile strides

through forests and across rocks, went in dread of the
Surple feathers waving gently, as the Zephyrs dictated,
hese feathers were used as snares) and avoided the nets
of the hunters, which he had himself placed there ; and
at last, he beheld his horns and wild appearance reflected
by the waters of a placid fountain, where the Goddess
Diana, with too severe modesty (for being so revengeful
at being seen) had been bathing her Virgin Body!
ACT IV.
CEDIPUS-JOCASTA.
CEdipus, at length, begins to suspect, lest by chance, it
might have been Laius, whom he slew, as he was
going to Delphi on one occasion he inquires of
Jocasta, concerning the age of Laius, the date of his
death and other circumstances.
CEDIPUS.
MY mind
situation,
is revolving the responsibilities of my
now
I hark back to my old fears and
and
misgivings The Gods above and the Gods below
I
are fully satisfied that Laius met his death at my criminal

hands, but my mind, on the contrary, being innocent of
the charge, repudiates the accusation, and what is known
:
Sibique melius quam Deis notus, negat.

Redit memoria tenue per veftigium,
Cecidiffe noftri ftipitis pulfa obvium
Datumque Dili, cum prior juvenem fenex 77
Curru fuperbus Thebis procul,
pelleret,
Phocffia trifidas regio qua fcindit vias.
Unanima conjux, explica errorem, precor,
Quae fpatia morieus Laius vitse tulit.
Primone in sevo viridis, an frafto occidit? _ 775
joc. Inter fenem juveaemque; fed propior feni.
CED. Frequenfne turba regium cinxit latus?
JOC. Plures fefellit error ancipitis viae;
Paucos fidelis curribus junxit labor.
CED. Aliquifne cecidit regio fato comes? 7
JOC. Unum fides virtusque confortem addidit.
CED-. Teneo nocentem. convenit numerus, locus.
Sad tempus adde. joc. Decima jam metitur feges.
SENEX, CEDIPUS.
E fene a Merope & Coriathiis miflb, qui CEdtpum de- Polybi
feorte edoceat, regetque, ad gnbemacula regni fufclpienda
veniat, difcit CEdipus, fe non vera effe Polybi filium
uimia itaqiie curiofitate fua veros invenit parentes.
r
SEN. V /ORlNTHius te populis in regnum vocat
Patrium. quietem Polybus aetemam obtinet. 7^3
CED. Ut undique io me fseva Forluna irruit!
Ediffere agedum, quo cadat fato parens.
SEN. Animam fenilem mollis exfolvit fopor.
CED. Genitor fine uUa cseda defun(5lus jacet.
to myselfcertainly of more moment than what the

is
Gods seem disposed to imagine But niy recollection
!
returns to me, through some dim impression, that some

one who once opposed my
path, was felled to the earth
by a blow from my
club, and died (was handed over to
Pluto) from its effects, and this was when a proud old
man who was driving in his chariot in front of me, when
I was quite a young man, and it was he that blocked ray
way it was some distance from Thebes, just where the
Phocasan territory is divided off into three roads. Ohl
my loving wife, I entreat you, correct me if I am wrong 1
How old was Laius, when he suffered this death? Was

he a hale man, in the prime of life, and did he droop
at all, or appear to be broken down as to his bodily
vigor ?
joc. Somewhere between old age and youth, I should

say, but nearer old age than youth.
CED. Did a large retinue of attendants surround his

royal presence?
JOC. Noi the winding paths of the roads, so apt to

mislead, caused them to stray the careful, personal
attendance only required the few whose duties apper-
tained to the chariot's supervision!
CED. Did any of the attendants meet with the same

fate as the king?
JOC. Fidelity and affection were his only companions,

myself!
CED. I now know the culprit, the number of persons

seen by me and the locality indicated exactly tally!
But tell me how long ago this was?
JOC. About ten years ten harvests have since yielded

their annual crops.
OLD MAN CEDIPUS.

From an old man, who had been despatched by Merope
andr the Corinthians, who tells him of the death of
Polybus, and inquires of him whether he will come
and undertake the duties of the government CEdipus
learns that he is not the son of Polybus, at all; there-
fore, with his too eager curiosity, he finds out who
were his real parents.
OLD MAN.
THEkingdom
people of Corinth
Polybus has gone
invite you to your father's
to his eternal rest.
OED. How, on all sides, cruel fortune is rushingly fal-

ling upon me Come, tell me quickly, man, to what sort
I
of death did my parent succumb?
-
o. M. A placid sleep spirited away the old man's
existence.
312 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 79-8>4
Teftor, licet jam tollere ad coelum pie 79

Puras, nee ulla fcelera metuentes manus.
Sed pars mngis metuenda fatoium manet.
SEN. Omnem paterna regna difcutieut metum.
CED. Repetam paterua r gna, fed malrem horreo.
SEM. Metuis parentem, quae tuum reditum expetens 795
SoUicita pendet? ced. Ipfe me pietas fugat.
SEN. Viduam relinques? ced. Tangis, en, ipfos metus.
SEN. Affare, merfus quis premat meiitem timor.
Prseftare tacilam regibus foleo iidem.
CED. Connubia matris Delphico admonitu tiemo. 8oo
SEN. Timere vana define, & tui-pes metus
Depone. Merope vera non fuerat parens.
CED. Quod fubditivi praemium nati petiit.'
SEN. Regnum. fuperbam liberi adftringunt fidem.
CED. Secrtta thalami, fare, quo excipias modo. 805
SEN. Hse te parenti parvuUim tradunt manus.
CED. Tu me parenti tradis? at quis me tibi?
SEN. Pailor nivofo fub Cithseronis juô.
CED. In ilia temet nemora quis cafus tulit?
SEN. Hlo fequebar monte cornigeros greges. 810
CED. Nunc adice certas corporis noftri notas.
SEN. Forata ferro gefferas veftigia,
Tumore na(5lus nomen ac vitio pedum.
CED. Quis fuerit ille, qui meum done dedit
CED. My father, then, is lying dead, without any foul

murder, as the cause; now I possess evidence! I can
devoutly raise my unsullied hands (unsuspected) towards
Heaven and not go in fear of the imputation of crime
and its consequences but a portion of my destiny still
remains to me, as the source of alarm 1
o. M. Inheriting a father's kingdom will banish every

cause for fear.
CED. I would go to my father's kingdom, but I fear for

the mother (alluding to the remaining portion of the
destiny).
o. M. Do you fear a parent, who waiting in anxiety,

depends on your return.
CED. My great affection for her drives away the very
thought of returning.
o. M. Would you leave a widow in such an extremity

as this?
CED. Why, you are now trenching upon my excessive

susceptibilities (my one sore point).
a;
o. M. Explain, what is this fear sunk down in your

soul? I am accustomed to perform my duties with kings
with unalloyed confidence, no fear of betrayal on my parti
CED. By the decree of the Delphian Oracle, I tremble

at this prophesied marriage with a mother.
o. M. Cease to be alarmed at such silly notions, and

banish all such unworthy fears.
CED. What dignity can a supposed or adopted son

seek to arrive at?
. o. M. A kingdom. Children serve to ensure more

devoted loyalty from the subjects.
CED. Tell me the mysteries connected with the marriage

in what way, you rely upon my being merely an
adopted son.
o. M. These very hands of mine delivered you, as a

little fellow, to your supposed parents.
CED. You delivered me to my supposed parents! But

who delivered. me into your hands?
0. M. A shepherd on the snowy summits of Cithaeron.
CED. What accident led you into those forests, where

I was found?
o. M. I was the keeper of the horned flocks on that

mountain.
CED. Now, tell me of any certain marks that you

remember, on my body.
o. M. You wore the marks, where your feet had been

pierced, with an iron skewer; the very name you bear,
CEdipus, was given to you from the swelling and injury
done to your feet
CED. I require to know, who he was that subjected my

body to such treatment?
O. M. He fed the royal flocks, the chief herdsman

small number of shepherds served under him.
CED. Mention the names of them.

Corpus, requiro. sen. Regios pavit greges. 815

Minor fub illo turba paftorum fuit.
CED. Eloquere nomen. sen. Prima languefcit fenum
Memoria, longo laffa fublabens fitu.
OED. Potefne facie nofcere ac vultu virum^
SEN. Fortaffe nofcam. fepe jam fpatio obrutain 820
Levis exoletam memoriam revocat nota.
CED. Ad facra & aras omne compulfum pecus
Duces fequantur. ite propere, arceffite,
Famuli, penes quos fumma coufiftit gregum.
SEN. Sive ifta ratio, five fortuua occulit, 825
Latere femper patere, quod latuit diu.
Ssepe eruentis Veritas patuit malo.
CED. Malum timeri majus his aliquod potefl?
SEN. Magnum effe, magna mole quod petitur, fcias.
Concurrit illinc publica, hinc regis falus, 830
Utrinque paria, contine medias manus,
Ut nil lacelTas, ipfa fe fata explicant.
Nod expedit concutere felicem flatum.
CED. Tuto movetur, qu'dquid extreme in loco eft.
SEN. Nobilius aliquid genere regali appetis? 835
Ne te parentis pigeat inventi, vide.
CZD. Vel pcenitendi fanguinis quseram fidem,
Si Dofle libeat. ecce, grandaevus fenex,
Arbitria fub quo regii fueraiit gregis,
Phorbas. referfne no.nen aut vultum fenis? 840
Sen. Arridet auimo forma, nee notus faiis,
Nee rurfus ifte vultus ignotus milii.
Regnum obtioente Laio famulus greges
Agitafti opimos fub Cithasronis plaga?
PyORBAS, SENEX, CEDIPUS.
PHOR. 1 .^;etus Cithseron pabulo femper novo 845

.(Eftiva noftro prata fummittit gregi.
o. M. The memory belonnng to youth fails in old

age, as one becomes wearied in other respects, through
length of time.
CED. Do you think that you would know the man by

his face and general appearance?
o. M. Perhaps I should know him oftentimes some
trivial mark recalls one's dull memory to what one might
think would be effaced by the hand of time.
CED. Come, servants! go at once and seek out those

to whose charge the chief management of the flocks was
entrusted, and let the head shepherd conduct the whole

Lines 81S-846] CEDIPUS. 31S
of the herds driven together, to the altar, . under the

pretence of an intended sacrifice.
o. M. Let that remain hidden, which has been concealed

for so long a time, whether design or accident led to
such concealment; fory very" often, the truth has been
laid bare to the injury of those, who have brought that
truth to light.
CED, Cannot some greater calamity be feared, than

those you have been thinking about.
o. M. You must be aware that a thing is of great

moment which is only arrived at with considerable
difficulty. The welfare of the public interests here
the security of the throne there meet together as things
in common, in fact, identical! No! preserve thou the
middle course, let nothing harass you the Fates will
unweave soon enough what is to be at all events it is
not advisable to shake the stability of a fortunate position.
CED. When misfortunes are at their very worst some-

times, they are dealt with more safely; in other words,
I think my
position is most unfortunate, therefore I shall
endeavour to make it more certain.
o. M. Do you more elevated than a

desire anything
Royal descent ? Listen to me you are not about to worry,
because you have found a father!
CED. But I must and will find out the truth about my
miserable originLook behold that extremely old man
1
with whom the tending of the royal flocks once rested.

I wonder whether he is able to remember what he once
knew? It is this Phorbas standing before us Do you
remember the name and general appearance of this
old man?
o. M. His appearance recurs readily to my memory,
but he was never sufficiently known to me, to say more,
but his face now that I take another look, is not unknown
to me. (Addressing Phorbas) Were you not the shepherd
that drove the fat flocks on the plains of Cithseron,
when Laius held the kingdom?
PHORB AS-OLD MAN -CEDIPUS.

PHORBAS.
with its fresh herbage, a
CiTH^RON always exuberantsucceeding
series of crops supplies flocks from the
summer produce of its meadows.
SEN. Nofcifne memet? PHOR. Dubitat anceps memoria.

CED. Huic aliquis a te traditur quondam puer?
Effare. dubitas? cur genas mutat color?
Quid verba quseris? Veritas odit moras. 850
PHOR. Obdufta longo temponim tra6lu moves.
CED. Fatere, ne te cogat ad varum dolor.
PHOR. Inutile ifti munus infantem dedi.
Non potuit ille luce, non coelo frui.
SEN. Procul fit omen, vivit, & vivat precor. 855
CED. Silpereffe quare traditum infantem negas?
PHOR. Fcrrum per ambos tenue tranfadlum pedes
Ligabat artus vulneri innatus tumor
:
Puerile fceda corpus Urebat lue.

SEN. Quid quseris ultra? fata jam accedunt prope. 860
(ED. Quis fuerit infans, edoce. PHOR. Prohibet fides.
CED. Hue aliquis ignem. tlamma jam excutiet fidem.
Per tam crueutas vera quserenti vias
Ignofce, qusefo, fi ferus videor tibi,
Et impotens, parata vindicfla in manu eft. 865
Die vera, quifnam., quove generatus patre,
Qua matre genitus? PHOR. Conjuge eft genitus tua.
CED. Dehifce, tellus. tuque tenebrarum potens,
In Tartara ima, reftor umbrarum. rape
Retra reverfas generis ac ftirpis vices. 870
Congerlte, cives, faxa in.infandum caput.
Madlate telis. me petat ferro parens,
Me natus. in me conjuges arment manus,
Fratefque, & aeger populus ereptos rogis
Jaculetur ignes. feculi crimen vagor, 875
Odium Deorum, juris exitium facri;
Qua luce primum fpiritus haufi rudes,
o. M. Do you remember me, Phor-bas?
PH. My
treacherous memory keeps me in a state of
uncertainty.
CED. Was there not once a little boy handed over to

you by some person ? Speak, Sir Why do you hesitate ?
1
Why do your cheeks change color? (blush) Why do you

seem at such a loss for words? Truth, you know, shuns
such quibbling evasions.
PH. You are testing my memory, as to matters that

have been long hidden in the bosom of Time (a long
space of years).
CED. Tell me. Sir, less some punishment be employed

to force you to tell the truth.

f^\
rntant, that
\ did
j?o
save that
not seem
old man, the care of a feeble
likely to enjoy the air and light
ot heaven for any length of time (that is, half-dead).
o. M. Let that impression of yours pass for naught!

He does livel and will continue to live, I humble pray!
ffiD. Why did you imply that the infant, which you
had delivered up, had not survived?
,
?H. A
thin iron skewer transfixed both his feet, and
bound them together, and a swelling grew over the seat
of the wound and the little boy's body burned with fever
from the foul poison engendered by the wound [consti-
tutional disturbance arising from the wound itself (pain)
and the poisonous secretions arising from it].
o. M. What more do you require beyond this? (ad-

dressing CEdipus) we are very near the fatal news, now!
CED. Tell me, who was the infant?
PH. The pledge of secrecy forbids this.
OED. Bring hither (to attendants) some means of torture

in the shape of fire Now
I will shake all this nonsense
!
about pledges out of you by applying this fire (whatever

that was).
PH. Will the truth be sought for by means so cruel?

Be thou still in ignorance, I beseech thee!
CED. If I seem cruel and unreasonable with you, that

vengeance isin your own keeping (that is, it depends
on yourself answering my question). Tell the truth!
Who am I ? By what father was I begotten ? Of what
mother was I born?
PH. That son was born from your wife!
CED. Oh ! Earth, open wide, and thou, Pluto, the ruler

of tJie dark kingdom snatch me away to the depths of
Tartarus Oh Ruler of the Manes, me who have returned
! !
to the genitals of my own mother, against the very laws

of nature! Heap heavy stones upon my impious head!
Oh! ye citizens sacrifice me with your darts let every

parent every child seek me out with the drawn sword,
as the cause of this pestilence wives and brothers, direct
your armed hands against me and let the languishing
3i8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lmes 878-914
Jam morte dignus. redde nunc animos, parens.

Nunc aliquid aude fceleribus dignum tuis.
I,perge, propero regiam greffu pete. 880
Gratare matri liberis aucftam domum.'
CHORUS.
Varietati obnoxium arguit Chorus excelfum (latum, medium itaque
fortunam optat. cujus laudes canit, a fimilitudine navis
modico vento adla;, & exemplo Icari.
R ATA fi liceat mihi

Fingere arbitrio meo.
Temperem Zephyro levi
Vela, ne preffse gravi ggj
Spiritu antennae tremant.
Lenis & modice fluens
Aura, nee vergens latus,
Ducat intrepidam ratem.
Tula me media vehat gô
Vita decurrens via..
Cnoffium regem timens,
Aftra dum demens pelit,
Artibus fifus novis,
Certat & veras aves ggj
Vincere, ac falfis nimis
Imperat pennis puer,
Nomen eripuit frelo.
Callidus medium fcnex
Daedalus librans iter goo
Nube fub media ftetit,
Alitem exfpeiflans fuam:
Qualis accipitris minas
Fugit, & fparfos metu
Colligit foetus avis; 905
Donee in ponto manus
Movit implicitas puer,
Comes audacis viae.
Quidquid exceffit modum,
Pendet inftabili loco. 910
Sed quid hoc? poftes fonant.
Moeftus & famulus manu
Regius quaiTat caput.
Ede, quid portes novi.
people, suffering from the pestilence, hurl their blazing

torcnes upon my funeral pile Henceforth, I shall wander
!
abroad, as the criminal of the age, the odium of the

Lines 878-914] OEDIPUS. 319
Gods, and the violator of the sacred laws both of the

Gods and mankind I was worthy of Death only, from
1
the moment I first drew my unfortunate breath accord

me now, ohl my parent, thy fullest hatrednow let me
have the courage to do something which is owing for
tîs my crime! Let me go, let me persevere let me
seek out my palace with hurried steps, and congratulate
my parent upon the increase of a family, in the shape
of children begotten by me, out of her, my own mother!
CHORUS.
The Chorus finds fault with exalted greatness as exposed
to greater variations of fortune ; therefore it inculcates
the desire for a moderate position the praises of
which it chants from the comparison (set up) between
a ship wafted along by a moderate breeze, and the
example afforded by the fate of Icarus.
LETour it be our lot to

own judgment
shape our career according to
thatwe may trim our sails to
the gentle Zephyrs, lest the yards may carry away
under a too-stiff breeze ; let the wind, gentle and blowing
with moderation, speed onwards our craft, with no disasters
to be dreaded, and let not her broadside heel over to
leeward under the strong pressure of canvas! Let our
career in life lead us in the middle course! He, that
feared the anger of the Gnossian King (Minos) whilst
he madly sought his way to the stars, relying upon a
novel invention (wings), endeavouring to outdo the real
feathered fraternity, and the Boy Icarus relied too much
on his power of managing those pretended wings, and
gave his name to a sea in consequence (the Icarian Sea),
whilst the more skilful Diedalus belancing himself at a
moderate height, in the middle regions of the air, and
eagerly expected his brood (one bird only!) to seek his
protecting wing (Dsedalus feared that Icarus was in
danger and anxiously waited for him to descend just as
the mother bird fears the swOop of the hawk, and calls
together with fluttering wings her scattered brood! At
last Icarus, the companion of Dsedalus in this daring
aerial journey, duly exerts his entangled hands in the
sea! Whatever deviates from the path of moderation,
rests only on an insecure foundation
' IBut what is this ?
The portals are sounding! (are being opened) one of the
royal servants enters, shaking his head and looking as
if his task were a sad one 1 Tell us, what news have you
brought?
320 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 9-5-946
ACTUS QUINTUS.
NUNTI-US.
Nuntius CEdipi excsecationis confilium & modum narrat.
P.RjEDICTA poftquam fata, &

Deprendit, ac fe fcelere convicSum CEdipus
infandum genus 915
Damnavit ipfe; regiam infeftus petens

Invifa propero te(la penetravit gradu;
Qualis per arva Libycus iofanit leo,
Fulvam minaci fronte concutiens jubam: 920
"Vultus furore torvus, atque oculi truces,
Gemitus, & altum murmur, & gelidus fluit
Sudor per artus. fpumat, & volvit minas,
Ac merfus alte raagnus exundat dolor.
Secum ipfe fsevus grande nefcio quid parat, 925
Suifque fatis fimile. Quid poenas moror?
{Ait)hoc fceleftum pe<5lus aut ferro petat,
Aut fervido aliquis igne vel faxo domet
Quse tigris, aut quae fseva vifceribus meis
Incurret ales? ipfe tu fcelerum capax, 930
Sacer Cithseron, vel feras in me tuis
Emitte filvis, mitte vel rabidos canes.
Njinc redde Agaven. anime, quid mortem times?
Mors innoceotein fola fortunae eripit.
Hsec fatus, aptat impiam capulo manum, 935
Enfemque ducit. Itane tam magnis breves
Poenas fceleribus folvis? alque uno omnia
Penfabis iftu? moreris? hoc patri fat eft.
Quid deinde matri? quid male in lucem editis
Natis? quid ipfi, quae tuura magna luit 940
Scelus ruina, flebili patriae dabis?
Solvendo non es. Ula quae leges ratas
Natura in uno veriit CEdipoda, novos
Commenta partus, fuppliciis eadem meis
Novetur. iterum vivere, atque iterum mori 945
Liceal; renafci femper: ut toties nova
ACT V.
MESSENGER.
The Messenger relates the design of CEdipus and the
mode, in which he effected his bhndness.
1 "Dipus at last fully realises in his own mind, the

f
(r~* destiny, which had been predicted, and his own
terrible condition, and is sure that he is guilty of
the crime with which he had been charged, and tortured
1
Lines 9iS-94] CEDIPUS. 32
in his mind, he seeks the palace with hurried steps, and

enters that abode, which has become hateful to him. Just
as the Libyan Uon rages along the plains, shaking the
tawny mane which surrounds his menacing head so was

CEdipus his countenance fierce with pent-up rage his
eyes having a maUgnant glare he gives forth a desperate
groaning and makes loud noises, whilst the cold sweat
breaks out over his whole body he foams at the mouth
and indulges in a round of curses and grief sunk down
deep in his inner soul is overflowing to a degree,, and he
is then very savage, and is evidently concocting something
terrible within his own mind, but I know not what, but
about something on a par with his own terrible destinies 1
Why should I delay my punishment, he exclaimed let ;
me seek out this impious breast of mine with the sword

or may some one utterly crush me with fiercest fire, or
hurl me down on the dangerous rock! What tiger will
spring upon me, or what ravenous bird of prey will peck
away at my entrails? And thou, oh! accursed Cithaeron,
so capable of affording a place for crimes, (alluding to
the exploits of the Bacchanals) send forth your wild beasts
from your forests, or let loose upon me your rabid dogs
Oh! my soul Now let Agave appear, why should I
I
dread death? Death only relieves innocent men of their

misfortunes Having spoken these words towards himself,
1
the Messenger relates how he places his merciless hand

upon the hilt of his sword and draws it from its scabbard
Shall I atone, he says, my great crime by so short a
punishment (meaning that the mere killing himself out-
right, was not a sufficient penalty) and with one blow
render compensation for every thing? Shall I die thus?
Is this enough for the father? (his murder). But after-
that, what about the mother? What, about the sons born
to see the light of day, under such evil auspices ? (Incest).
What shall I award myself, for the weeping country,
which is suffering through my crimes, from overwhelming
ruin ? I alone, am not equal to the task of expiation.
That nature, which reverses her established laws, in the
person of an CEdipus only, she having permitted to be
brought about impious conceptions hitherto unknown,
that same nature must be visited by something novel as
regards its punishment! It is to be born again and to
die again, and to be born again and again, so that I
might suffer as often, so many fresh punishments let me
as a miserable wretch employ my ingenuity! (I did so
successfully with the Sphinx.) What cannot be effected
at separate times, must be done at once, completelyin
order to constitute a lasting infliction, a long protracted
form of chronic death must be chosen, one that will
!
Supplicia pendas. utere ingenio mifer.

Quod faepe fieri non poteft, fiat diu.
Mors eligatur longa, queeratur via,
Qua nee fepultis mixtus, & vivis tamen 95
Exemtus erres. morere, fed citra patrem.
Cunflaris, anime? fubitus en vultus gravat
Profufus imber, ac rigat fletu genas.
Et flere fatis eft? haftenus fundent levem
Oculi liquorem. fedibus pulfi fuis 955
Lacrimas fequantur. hi maritales ftatim
Fodiantur oculi. dixit, atque ira furit.
Ardent minaces igne truculento genae;
Oculique vix fe fedibus retinent fuis.
Violentus, audax vultus, iratus, ferox, 960
Tantum eruentis. Gemuit, & dirum fremeos
Manus in era torfit. at contra truces
Oculi fteterunt, & fuam intenti manum
Ultro infequuntur. vulneri occurrunt fuo.
Scrutatur avidus manibus uncis lumina. 965
Radice ab ima funditus vulfos Cmul
Evolvit orbes. hsret in vacuo manus;
Et fixa penitus unguibus lacerat cavos
Alte receffus luminum, & inanes finus;
Sasvitque fruftra, plufque, quam fat eft, furit; 970
Tantum eft periclum lucis. attollit caput,
Cavifque luftrans orbidus coeli plagas,
Noftem experitur. quidquid effoffis male
Dependet oculis, rumpit; & viiSlor Deos
CoDclamat omnes: Parcite, heu, patriae, precor: 975
Jam juiTa feci, debitas poenas tuli.
Inventa thalamis digna nox tandem meis.
Rigat ora foedus imber, & lacerum caput
Largum revulfis fanguinem venis vomit.
CHORUS.
Chorus ifte ex difciplina Stoicorum (qui omnia, immo
Deum ipfum fubjiciunt inevitabilibus fatisj
excufari CEdipum vult.
r.
Non
ATIS agimur. cedite
follicitas poffunt curae
fatis. 980
cause me to wander with those that are buried out of the .
world, as it were, at the same time one that will shut

me out from all the surroundings of the living But, oh I
my soull Why do I delay? Let me die! but not with

one blow, as my father, Laius, did! Behold then, his
countenance (continues the Messenger) grows suddenly
overcast, a deluge of tears ensues, and he bathes his
! -
cheek with his weeping! (He says) Is it sufficient for

me to weep merely ? Thus far, let these eyes pour forth
their watery tearslet them, torn from their resting-places
(sockets) follow the tears He then said, Let these eyes,
1
which have played their part in my

impious marriage, be
dug out forthwith! His threatening visage is burning
with savage wrath, and his eyes are nearly starting out of
his head he becomes violent his look is most deter-
mined. He is at the very height of pent-up rage, and
his ferocity is only on a par with some blood-thirsty
executioner! but one bent on plucking out his own eyes!
He groaned. Ah! and a dreadful groan it was! He
turned his hands towards his face, and his eyes, as your
gaze met them, were fixed and cruelty was marked upon
them and being stretched outwards a little, they easily
followed the hand, which he had introduced, and they
then appear, at the wound, which he had made in order
to get at them he, then, anxiously and critically explores
his eyes with bent fingers, and at the same moment,
almost, he rolls out the two eyes, thoroughly torn away
from their deepest attachments he then plants his fingers
in the hollow recesses before occupied by the eyes them-
selves, (the vacated orbits). He then rages in a most im-
potent manner, and shows more anger perhaps, than there
was any occasion for. So great is his fear of any thing
like light, that he then raises his head, and with his
hollow sockets, appeared as if he were gazing up into
the regions of the sky, to make sure that there was no
light remaining! He then tears away any loose mem-
brane or attachments hanging down from the parts whence
he had dug out the ey^s, and as a boastful conqueror,
he addresses all the Gods: Alas! my country, I pray, I
have now fulfilled the decrees I have undergone the
punishment which was my due Eternal night has at

_
length been arrived at Messenger says, a foul discharge

!
ran down over his face, and from his disfigured orbits
issued a copious flow- of blood, arising from the ruptured
veins
CHORUS.
The Chorus is rather inclined to be lenient with (Edipus,
but they argue according to the tenets of the Stoic
Philosophers, who subject every thing, even the Gods
themselves, to the overruling will of the inevitable Fates.
WE are ruled
part,
care
to
by the Fates: yield therefore in
your destinies not the most watchful
can disarrange the threads of the spindle,
good
when once the distaff is in play! Whatever our mortal

: :
324 SENECA'S TEAGEDIES. [Lines 982-1014
Mutare rati ftamina fufi.

Quidquid patimur mortale genus,
Quidquid facimus, venit ex alto
Servatque fu decreta colfls 985
Lachefis, dura revoluta manu.
Omnia certo tramite vadunt
Primusque dies dedit extremum.
NoQ ilia Deo vertiffe licet,
Quas nexa fuis currunt caufis. 990
It cuique ratus, prece non ulla
Mobilis, ordo multis ipfum
Metuiffe nocet multi ad fatum
Venere fuum, dum fata timent.
Sonuere fores, atque ipfe fuum, 995
Duce non uUo, molitur iter
Luminis orbus.
CEDIPUS, CHORUS, JOCASTA.
Jocafta fe interficit CEdipus excsecatus in exfilium abit.
CED. I I v.^v habet, peradlum eft. jufta perfolvi patri.

Juvant tenebrse. quis Deus tandem mihi
Placatus atra nube perfundit caput? 1000
Quis fcelera donat? confcium evaii diem.
Nil, parricida, dexteras debes tuse.
Lux te refugit. vultus CEdipodem hie decet.
CHOR. En, ecce, rapido fseva profiluit gradu
Jocafta vecors: qualis attonita & furens 1005
Cadmea mater abftulit nato caput,
Senfitve raptuin. Dubitat, affliiSum alloqui
Cupit, pavetque. jam mails ceffit pudor,
Et hasret ore primo vox. joc. Quid te vocem?
Natumne? dubitas? natus es. natum pudet. * lOio
Invite loquere nate, quo avertis caput,
Vacuofque vultus? ced. Quis frui & tenebris vetat?
Quis reddit oculos? matris, heu, matris fonus.
Perdidimus operam. congredi fas amplius

race goes through whatever we do or undertake to do,
comes as a decree from on high, and Lachesis, whose
department it is, rigidly upholds the decrees as revealed
by the distaff, wound by unrelenting fingers. All things
go on in a pre-ordained path, and the first day will guide
us, as to the last (the horoscope, the casting of nativities).
It is not in the power of Jupiter himself to reverse the
decrees, which, once wound round, run on uninterruptedly
to their appointed end, and this established course goes

on with every one, and is not to be set aside by prayers
of any sort with many too, it is not desirable that they
should fear too much, for some arrive at their destiny,
whilst they are still going in fear of their ultimate fate.
The doors are sounding (are opened) and CEdipus gropes
his way along, deprived of sightwithout any guide.
CEDIPUS CHORUS-JOCASTA.
JocASTA kills herself: (Edipus, made blind by his own
hands, goes away into exile.
CEDIPUS.
is been thoroughly done, I have

well! the thing has
ITrendered atonement as far as the father is con-
just
cerned. Darkness is now a source of consolation.
What God, at last, has been so beneficent as to obscure
my vision by shedding this impenetrable cloud around
my head? What God is it that rewards crime in this
manner? Here! I have been enabled to escape from
the noxious light of day, and I, a parricide, owe nothing
now to my right hand! light has fled from me for ever,
and methinks that this condition of the countenance is
just fit for an CEdipus!
CH. Look Look Jocasta, presenting a frightful visage, is

! !
bursting in at a rapid pace, quite demented, exactly like

the Cadmean mother, (Agave,) thunderstruck and raging,
when she had taken off the head of her son Pentheus (in the
midst of the revels) and with the same expression of
countenance too, which Agave presented, when she
recognized, what she had captured (out of the scramble
amongst the Bacchanals) so Jocasta is bewildered! She
wishes to say something to afflicted CEdipus She dares !
not! But at length her diffidence gives in, confronting

her misfortunes, and she tries to speak, but the words
cling to her mouth, as she makes a supreme effort.
joc. What Son? thou, thou hesitatest!

shall I call thee?
Thou artson although it may shock thee to be that
my
Son! Speak! Unwilling Son! Why dost thou avert thy
head and thy disfigured face?
CED. Who isnow forbidding me to enjoy my darkness?

Who, at this moment is (practically) restoring my sight?
(Mentally he means) Ah ! the sound of a mother's voice.
326 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 10,5-1050
Haud eft. nefandos dividat vaftum mare, 1015

Dirimatque tellus abdita: & quifquis fub hoc
Id alia verfus fidera, ac folem avium
Dependit orbis, alterum ex nobis ferat.
JOC. Fati ifta culpa eft. nemo fit fato nocens.
CED. Jam parce verbis, mater, & pai-ce auribus. lozo
Per has reliquias corpoiis trunci precor,
Per inaufpicatum fanguinis pignus mei,
Per omne noftri nominis fas & nefas.
JOC. Quid, anime, torpes? focia cur fcelerum dare
Poenas recufas? omne confufum peril, 1025
Incefta, per te juris humani decus.
Morere, ac nefaftum fpiritum ferro exige.
Non fi ipfe mundum concitans Divum fator
Corufca faeva tela jaculetur manu,
Unquam rependam fceleribus poenas pares 1030
Mater nefanda. mors placet, mortis via
Quseratur. agedum, commoda matri manum,
Si parricida es. reflat hoc operi ultimum.
Rapiatur. enfis. hoc jacet ferro mens
Conjux. quid ilium nomine haud vero vocas? 1035
Socer eft. utrumne pedlori iufigam meo
Telum? an patenti conditum jugulo imprimam?
Eligere nefcis vulnus. hunc, dextra, hunc pete
Uterum capacem, qui virum & natum tulit.
CHOM Jacet peremta. vulneri immoritur manus; 1040
Ferrumque fecum nimius ejecit cruor.
(ED. Fatidice te, te, .prasfidem veri Deum,
Compello. folum debui fatis patrem.
Bis parricida, plufque quam timui nocens.
Matrem peremi. fcelere confedla eft meo. I04S
O Phoebe mendax, fata fuperavi impia.
Pavitante greffu, fequere fallaces vias,
Sufpenfa plantis efferens veftigia.
Caecam tremente dextera nodlem rege.
I, gradere praeceps, lubricos ponens gradus. 1050
a mother's In hearing that voice, I have lost the benefit

I
arising out of my lost vision it is not in the nature of

things that our path should ever be again in the same
xiirection
let the vast ocean divide us, Both criminals as
we are! And let the hidden earth separate us (the other
hemisphere, which is hidden from us), and whatever that
orb is which hangs down beneath us, which turns itself
towards other stars, and possesses altogether another
sun inaccessible by us let such an orb receive one of
usl (The Ancients supposed that the other side of the
earth was furnished with a sun and stars of its own.)
JOC. Ours is the faultof destiny! No one is rightly

regarded criminal, who has been made so by destiny.
Lines 1015 1050] CEDIPUS. 327
_
GED. Now, mother, spare thy speech, and at the same
time have mercy on my earsl I implore thee by what
remains of my mutilated body by the inauspicious
evidence of my o*n blood (his own children by Jocasta)
by the every "right" and "wrong" of our names (con-
sanguineously and matrimonially) Mother and Son, or
Husband and Wife!
Ohl my soul! Why am I so obtuse? Why, as
joc.
thy companion in crime, do I deny myself condign
punishment? every economy of nature is subverted and
destroyed and the honor of all human laws has been
outraged by me an incest Let me die and take away
1
with the sword my own wicked hfe, or will not the father
of the Gods, who disturbs the heavens with his thunder-
bolts, hurl down upon me those glittering flashes, with
his avenging hand! Shall I, as an impious mother, ever
offer adequate atonement for my
crime- death pleases
my inclination and the mode of that death must be sought
for! Come, CEdipus, lend assistance to thy mother -if
thou art already a parricide let this last operation devolve
on me! Let a sword be brought! Why! my husband
died by thisvery sword.
CED. Why dost thou call him, though, by that wrong
name? Thou shouldst say "Father-in-law!"
JOC. Which shall I do? Insert the weapon into my

breast, or shall I press it down into my open throat?
CED. Thou knowest not, how to choose a spot ! Take

this sword and seek out with it thy capacious womb
which has given birth to such an offspring as Husband
and Son!
CH. She is lying, expiring from a wound inflicted
by her own hand, and the blood flowed so copiously,
that it forced the sword out with its violence.
CED. Oh! thou, who art the presiding deity over the
truthfulness of the Gods, I invoke thee I owed retribu-
tion to the Fates for a father I am twice a parricide I !
am a greater criminal than I feared 1 was, 1 have killed

a mother she is certainly killed through crimes! my
Oh! mendacious Apollo! I have exceeded thy cruel
decrees let me follow my treacherous, rough, precipitous
path, with steps full of apprehensions, pursuing with my
uncertain tread the doubtful tracks in my way! Let me
regulate my long dark night (blindness) with my trembling
right hand, leaning on a stick, the blind man's compa-
nion! Let me advance headlong, making slippery my
progress let me gofleeget away! Let me pause
328 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lin=s 1051-1061
I, profuge, vade. fifte, ne in matrem incidas.

Quicunque feffi corpore & morbo graves
Semianima trahitis pedlora, (en fugio, exeo)
Relevate coUa. mitior coeli flatus
Port terga fequitur. quifquis exilem jacens 1055
Animam retentat, vividos hauftus levis
CoDcipiat. ite, ferte depofitis opem.
Mortifera mecum vitia ten'arum extraho.
Violenta fata, & horridus morbi tremor,
Maciefque, S: atra pedis, & rabidus dolor 1060
Mecum ite, raecum. ducibus his uti libet.
though, lest I should fall upon my mother! (her dead

body). Whoever ye are, oh! ye plague-ridden Thebans,
weary in body or broken down by disease, drawing your
breath with difficulty (chest not fully expanded from sheer
debility and languid circulation), behold! I am going! I
am fleeing! Raise your drooping necks! a bettered state
of the atmosphere (pestilence-freed) will follow, when
my back is turned upon you and whoever is lying stricken
down and is only just holding on to life by a slender
thread will then inhale the pure air again and become
refreshed with a new lease of life (may have a prolonged
existence), and all of you, render assistance to any whose
cases are despaired of! I shall drag the death-producing
evils of this world about with me
violent strokes of fate
the_ dreadful, trembling weakness brought on by disease,
emaciation! And let for ever the cruel pestilence and
maddening grief go with me, and let it be my lot, having
them with me, to use them as my guides!
T R O A D E S.
[Lines i 14
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
Hecuea. Andromacha.
Chorus Troadum. Senex.
Talthybius. Ulysses,
Agamemnon. astyanax.
Calchas. NONTIUS.
Helena. PoLYXENA, muta perfona.
Pyrrhus.
ARGUMENTUM.
Graecij excifo jam Hio, reditum in patriam cogitantes contrario
vento detinebantur. Apparens noftu Achillis umbra folvere eos
poffe negat, nifi fibi debitis inferiis ma(lata Polyxena, cujus
nuptiarum prsetextu interfeflus eft. Non fert Agamemnon fibi
amatam Polyxenam ma(5lari. Qua de re orto cum Pyrrho jurgio,
intervenit confultus Calcbas, qui omnino immolandam pronuntiat,
unaque necandum Aftyanadta, quem a matre abfconditum abducit
Ulyffes, & de Scsea porta dejicit. Polyxenam ab Helena aufpice,
ritu cultuque fponfaa dedu(5tam ad patris tumulum, Pyrrhus maftat.
ACTUS PRIMUS.
HECUBA.
Luget Hecuba patriae, domus, fuam ipflus calamitatem.
V^/uicUNQUE regno fidit, & niagna potens

Dominaturaula, nee leves metuit Deos,
Animumque rebus credulum Isetis dedit,
Me videat, & te, Troja. non unquam tulit
Documenta Fors majora, quam fragili loco
Starent fuperbi. columen everfum occidit
Pollentis Afise, ccelitum egregius labor.
Ad cujus arma venit, & qui frigidum
Septena Tanain ora pandentem bibit;
Et qui renatum primus excipiens diem,
Tepidum rubenti Tigrin immifcet freto;
Et quje vagos vicina profpiciens Scythas
Ripam catervis Ponticam viduis ferit.
Excifa ferro eft Pergamum. incubuit fibi.
Lines i 14]
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
Hecuba. Andromache.
Chorus of Trojans. Old man.
Talthybius. Ulysses.
Agamemnon. Astyanax.
Calchas. Messenger.
Helena. Polyxena, mute personage.
Pyrrhus.
ARGUMENT.
The Greeks, Trojr having been destroyed, thinking of
returning to their native country, were detained by
adverse winds. The Shade of Achilles appearing in the
night, refuses to allow them to set sail, unless Polyxena,
is sacrificed to his Manes, having been slain und.er the
pretext of Nuptials being performed between him and
Polyxena ; Agamemnon who was in love with her himself
would not allow her to be sacrificed; whereupon a
quarrel took place between him and P)Trhus. Calchas,
who was consulted, became umpire, and he pronounced
in favor of her being sacrificed without reserve, and
that Astyanax should be killed at the same time, whom
Ulysses found hidden away by his mother, and who
taking possession of him, threw him from the Scsean
gate (one of the gates of Troy). Pyrrhus then sacrificed
Polyxena, who was conducted to the tomb of Achilles
his father; having had her escorted thither by Helena,
and dressed in bridal attire, and with all the rites and
ceremonies appertaining to marriage being duly
carried out.
ACT I.
HECUBA.
Whoever reposes
Kingdom, and
confidence in the security of his
rules all powerful in his magni-
ficent palace, and has never gone in dread of the
frivolous deities, but has given up his trusting mind
without reserve to the happy circumstances around him;
visible evidence is given, l et him l ook on thee and me .
Oh Troy! never has_ficUe_fortime rurnished so many

I
striking proofs as to the~SimiYfou ndation, on which the

high and mighty on this .earth do rest^the very prop,
torn"from its "basis, 'of mighty Asia has fallen, raised to
what it originally was by the assiduous labor of the gods
themselves. To whose aid. Rhesus, the king of Thracia,
came, and those who satisfy their drinking wants from
332 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines .s-50
En muri decora congefti jacent

alta *
15
regiam flammse ambiunt;
Te<5lis aduftis.
Omnifque late fumat Affaraci domus.
Non prohibet avidas flamma vi<!Voris mauus;
Diripitur ardens Troja. nee coslum patet
*
Undante fumo. nube ceu denfa obfitus, 20
Ater favilla fquallet Hiaca dies.
Stat avidus irse vi(5lor, & lentum Hium
Metitur oculis, ac decern tandem ferns
Ignofcit aonis horret affliftam quoque;
Vicflamque quamvis videat, hand credit fibi 25
PotuiiTe vinci. fpolia populator rapit
Dardania. prsedam mille non capiunt rates.
Teftor Deorum numen adverfum mihi,
Patriseque cineres, teque reAorem Phrygum,
Quem Troja to to conditum regno tegit, 30
Tuofque manes, quo ftetit ftante Hion,
Et vos meorum liberum magni greges,
Umbrae minores. quidquid adverfi accidit,
Quaecunqne Phoabas ore lymphato furens,
Credi Deo vetante, praedixit mala, 35
Prior Hecuba vidi gravida, nee tacui metus,
Et vana vates ante Caffandram fui.
Non cautus ignes Ithacus, aut Ithaci comes
No(lurnus in vos fpai-fit, aut fallax Sinon.
Meus ignis ifte eft. facibus ardetis meis. 40
Sed quid ruinas urbis everfae gemis
Vivax feoeftusf refpice infelix ad hos
Luilus recentes. Troja jam vetus eft malum.
Vidi exfecrandym regi casdis nefas,
Ipfafque ad ara!s majus adraiiTum fcelus 4.^
Ajacis armis: cum ferox faeva manu
Coma refle(lens regium torta caput,
Alto nefandum vulneri ferrum abdidit;
Quod penitus aftum cum recepiiTet libens,
Enfis fenili ficcus e jugulo rediit, 50
the frozen Tanais (The Don) which opens into the sea
with its seven mouths; and those who are the first to
enjoy the luminous arrival of coming day in the far
East (because Phoebus rises there) and where the warm
I
Tigris mixes with the red-tinted sea (on account of Aurora

or the rising sun casting a reddish hue), and Penthesilea,
queen of the Amazons, who in her character as neigh-
bour, looks down upon the wandering Scythians and
makes her power felt on the banks of^the Euxine with
her battahons of armed virgins. Pergamos has fallen by
the ruthless sword of the enemy it has tumbled to
pieces. Behold the lofty decorations of the palace,
1
walls he heaped together in a common ruin, with the

Linw is-50] TROADES. 333
buildings burnt, from basement to roof every house, far

and wide, in the city of Assaracus (Ilium) is sending up
clouds of smoke ; the flames, however, do not arrest the
pillaging hands of the conqueror; burning Troy, falls a
prey, also, to the looters, the serene sky is invisible from
the volumes of smoke, and the sombre daylight, beset, as
it were, with one dense cloud, grows murky with the
ashes of Troy. The conqueror, in his raging anger, stands
gazing, and scans with measuring eyes, lEum falling slowly
but siu-ely, and in his ignorant cruelty, forgets that this has
been going on for ten years; even he seems shocked at
what his anger has wrought upon afflicted Troy and
although he sees that it is conquered he can scarcely
think it possible to have been conquered ; the Dardanian
ravager seizes upon the spoils, and a thousand ships
do not suffice to contain them. I call to witness the
deity amongst the gods, that is my enemy, and ohl my
country's ashes 1 I call upon thee, the Phrygian ruler,
whom Troy covers up hidden from the entire kingdom,
and thy Manes, who when thou didst stand, Troy stood,
and ye, the numberless members of my family, and
ye the Manes of less degree. Whatever adversity has
befallen and whatever misfortunes Cassandra (Phcebas) in
her rage has predicted with her angry lips, the God
Apollo, meanwhile, having forbidden that she should
be believed in, I Hecuba, when I first became pregnant,
foresaw what was to come, nor have I at any time
pretended to conceal my fears, and thus, I was, the idle
foolish prophet, before Cassandra! No it is not the
I
cautious Ulysses, nor the nocturnal companion of Ulysses,

(Diomedes) who has scattered those flames broadcast
upon thee, nor the treacherous Sin on (the Greek who
introduced the wooden Horse). Nol this is my especial (
fire! "Jhou art burning nowjrom mx

torches, (When
Hecuba~waS~~passin'^ through" utero-gestation, she
dreamt she would bring forth a burning torch, so
she did, in the shape of Paris). But, thou, of old
age, why groanest thou over the ruins of tlie over-
thrown city r Ye that are sufferers, look upon all these
recent sources of lamentation ; JCxqc_is_j}Ow_an_aBCifint_
griejânce, a_thing_jifl_the~-past. I have witnessed that
execrable crime the slaughter of the king (Priam), and a
greater crime committed even than when Ajax approached
to the very altars armed as he was, and defiled Cassandra
in the temple, before the shrine of Minerva, and that
was when Pyrrhus savagely bent back the king's head,
with the old man's locks twisted up in his cruel hand, and
buried the sword deep down in the wound, which the
old man received without a murmur ; and when the savage
334 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines si-8
Placare quem non potuit a csede effera

Mortalis asvi cardinem extremum premens?
Superique teftes fceleris? & quondam facrum
Regni jacentisf Hie tot regum parens
Caret fepulcro Priamas, & flamma indiget 55
Ardente Troja. non tamen fuperis fat eft.
Dominum, ecce, Priami nuribus & natis legens
Sortitur urna. praeda quem vilis fequar?
Hie Hefloris conjugia defpondet fibi;
Hie optat Heleni conjugem; hie Antenoris; 5o
Neo deeft tuos, Caffandra, qui thalamos petat.
Mea fors timetur. fola fum Danais metus.
Lamenta ceflant? turba, captivae, mea,
Ferite palmis pecftora, & plandlus date,
Et jufta Trojae facite. jamdudum fonet 65
Fatalis Ida judicis diri domus.
CHORUS TROADUM, HECUBA.

Chorus Iliadum cum Hecuba excidium patriae, HedVoris & Priami
mortem lugentium.
CHOR. X ll ON rude vulgus, lacrimifque novum

Lugere jubes. hoc continuis
Egimus annis, ex quo tetigit
Phrygius Grajas hofpes Amyclas, 70
Secuitque fretum pinus matri
Sacra Cybells.
Decies nivibus canuit Ide,
Ide noftris nudata rogis;
Et Sigeis trepidus campis 75
Deeumas fecuit meffor ariftas;
Ut nulla dies mcerore caret,
Sed nova fletus caufa miniftrat.
Itoad planftus,
Miferamque leva, regina, manum. 80
Vulgus dominam vile fequemur.
Non indoeiles lugere fumus.
deed was completely effected, the sword returned from

the wound scarcely tinged with blood What savage is
I
there but Pyrrhus, who would not restrain himself, engaged

in such a cruel act .of slaughter, from pressing down his
sword as far as it would go into the body of a man of
extreme old age ? and yet the Gods above were witnesses
of that abominable wickedness Priam, himself the sire
1
of so many kings, is actually without a tomb, and whilst

Troy itself is burning at every turn, he is denied the
!
Lines 51-82] , TROADES. '

335
flames himself! (the funeral pile and sepulture). Not, how-

ever IS this enough for the revengeful godsl Behold
1
the tuture lord and master, whilst the urn is casting
the
lots, each man is selecting his prize from amongst the
(laughters of Priam, and the other women belonging to
&e royal family! Whose booty shall I be? a sorry one!
This 9ne promises himself the wife of Hector, that one
the wife of Helenus, the other one is to be Antenor's,
nor will there be long wanting, a wooer for thee! Cas-
sandra! for thy hand in marriage, my
destiny is held in
dread! I am only an object of fear with the Greeks! Will
lamentations ever cease? Oh my followers oh my captive
!
companions, beat thy breasts with thy palms, and give

wajr to thy bewailings, and at least do that last act of
justice to Troy, condolence! Let Ida, the home of that
cruel judge (Paris) and long ago an instrument in the
hands of Fate, now resound in response to thy cries!
CHORUS OF THE TROJANS-HECUBA.

The Chorus of Trojans bewail with Hecuba the destruc-
tion of their country and the death of Hector and
Priam.
CHORUS.
THOU
weeping,
invitest to tears
none to whom
no raw
recruits in the art of
a new sort of thing
that is
Why, we have been engaged in weeping during
many continuous years of misery, from the time, when
first the Phrygian stranger visited the Grecian Amyclae
and the craft built of the pine, cut fi-om Mount Ida.
sacred to Cybele, our Magna Mater cut its way through
the sea. Ida has been covered with its white mantle of
snow ten times, and the forests of Ida have been cut
down, till they are quite bare of trees, to supply fuel for
our funeral piles ; and the timid husbandman, fearing the
enemy might come down upon him whilst at work at
his harvest operations, has reaped his tenth year's corn
from the Sigaean plains! So that no time has ever been
free from our troubles, but a fresh cause now exists.
Give yourselves up to your wailings and raise. Oh!
Queen! thy miserable hand (after the fashion of the
Praeficae, who were hired to assist at the funerals of the
ancients, putting on a professional style of mourning, raising
the hand in a peculiar manner) and we, the wretched
herd of mourners will imitate thee, we are not altogether
dull students in the art of mourninig.
336 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines ^3-1^6
HEC. Fidae cafus noftri comites,

Solvite crinem. per coUa fluant
Mcesta capilli tepido Trojae 85
Pulvere turpes. paret exertos
Turba lacertos. vefte remiffa
Subftringe finus, uteroque tenus
Pateant artus. cui conjugio
Pecftora velas, captive pudor? 90
Cingat tunicas palla folutas.
Vacet ad crebri verbera planilus
Furibunda manus. placet hie habitus,
Placet, agnofco Troada turbam.
Iterum lu<ftus redeunt veteres. 95
Solitum flendi vincite morem.
Heilora flemus.
CHOR. Solvimus omnes
Lacerum multo funere crinem.
Coma demiffa eft libera nodo; 100
Sparfitque cinis fervidus ora.
HEC. Complete manus. hoc ex Troja
Sumpfiffe licet, cadat ex humeris
Veftis apertis: imumque tegat
Suffulta latus. jam nuda vocant I05
Pe(5lora dextras. nunc nunc vires
Exprome, dolor, tuas.
Rhoetea fonent litora planflu.
Habitanfque cavis montibus Echo
Non, ut folita eft, extrema brevis no
Verba remittat: totos reddat
Trojae gemitus. audiat omnis
Pontus, & ffither. fsevite, manus,
Pulfu vafto tundite pedlus.
Non fum folito contenta fono. 115
He(5lora flemus.
CHOR. Tibl noftra ferit dextra lacertos,
Humerofque ferit tibi fanguineos.
Tibi noftra caput dextera puKat.
Tibi maternis ubera palmis 120
Laniata jacent. fluit, & multo
Sanguine manat, quamcunque tuo
Funere feci, rupta cicatrix,
Columen patriae, mora fatorum,
Tu praefidium Phrygibus feffis, 125
Tu murus erasj humerifque tuis
HEC. Ohl faithful fellow-sufferers in our affliction, let

down your hair, let your locks fall upon your shoulders,
let them even be soiled with the dust of Troy 1Let the
throng of women appear with their arms bared (token
of tribulation); bind up thy dress, which is now hanging
down with a belt fastened to it. Let your lower limbs
Lines 83-126] TROADES. 337
be uncovered as far as the lower part of the abdomen

(the pubic region, in which the uterus lies). For what
husbands are ye now conceahng your bosoms! Ohl the
modesty of a captive even! Let the long robe encircle
your loose undergarments, your unrestrainable hands will
then be at liberty for the frequent manual indications
of your_ grief (beating the breasts and other movements).
Ahl this dress will do (seeing one of them carrying out
instructions),this pleases me exactly! I shall recognize
now the Trojan women (by these symbols of grief). Then
the old style of crying is renewed, put aside the accus-
tomed fashion of weepmg, we must adopt a fiesh kind of
lamentations. We
are now weeping for "Hector."
CHOR. We all down our

dishevelled locks, with so
let
much death around the hair
is now lowered, freed from
us
the knot which gathered it up before, and the ashes of
burning Troy, stiU hot, are even sprinkled over our
faces. (The hair, as they went along, filliping it up on
account of its length.)
HEC. Fill your hands with the ashes, for the conquerors
wUl think they have a right to take them even! Let thy
garments fall from thy bared shoulders and cover the
lower part of thy side, supported in their position by a
belt, and now the naked breasts invite visitations (beat-
ings) from thy right hands! Now! Now! let thy grief
manifest itself by exerting thy energies let the Rhoetean
shores resound with thy cries, not even does that nymph
Echo send back the voice as she used to do, they seem
to fall off short, with the last words, when the voice
drops! But she, nevertheless, will now send back (in
fiill power) the universal groanings of oppressed Troyl

Every sea every sky (country) will hear us. Impart
vigorous energy to thy hand and beat thy breasts with

firm blows I am not content with ordinary sounds, sound
more loudly! we are weeping for Hector!
CHOR. Our right hands are now beating our arms (the
open palm of each hand striking with some force the supi-
nator or external side of the fore arm opposite to it) ; we
are beating our shoulders till they bleed; our right hands
strike blows too on our heads and faces; our full breasts
are torn by the wounds inflicted by our maternal palms
(suckling mothers), they flow and run with much blood;
we have done everything out of condolence for thy
death old cicatrices have even been opened up and bleed
afi:esh! Ohl thou (quondam) prop of our country. Ohl
thou stronghold of the Phrygians wearied out with the
Stedit ilia decern fulta per annos:

Tecum cecidit fummufque dies
He(5loris idem patriaeque fuit.
HEC Vertite planflus. Priamo veftros 130
Fundite fletus. fatis Hecftor habet.
CHOR. Accipe, reftor Phrygiae, plan(5lus:
Accipe fletus, bis capte fenex.
Nil Troja femel te rege tulit.
Bis pulfata Dardana Grajo 135
Maeuia ferro ; bifque pharetras
PaiTa Herculeas. poft elatos
Hecubse partus, regumque gregem,
Poftrema pater funera cludis;
Magnoque Jovi vidlima caefus 140
Sigea premis litora truncus.
HEC. Alio lacrimas fleftite veftras.
Non eft Priami miferanda mei
Mors, niades. Felix Priamus,
Dicite cunftae. liber Manes I45
Vadit ad imos: nee feret unquam
Vifta Grajum cervice jugum.
Non ille duos vidit Atridas,
Nee fallacem cernit Ulyflem.
Non Argolici praeda triumphi, 150
Subje(la feret colla tropaeis.
Non affuetas ad fceptra manus
Poft terga dabitj currufque fequens
Agamemnonios, aurea dextra
Vincula geftans, laetis fiet 155
Pompa Mycenis. CHOR. Felix Priamus,
Dicimus omnes. Tecum excedens
Sua regna tulit nunc Elyfii
Nemoris tutis errat in umbris,
Interque pias felix aoimas >^ 160
He(5lora quteriL Felix Priamus!
Felix, quifquis bello moriens
Omnia fecum confumpta videt!
procrastinations of Fate thou wast our wall of defence,

and Troy has stood propped up by thy shoulders for ten
long years, and it has fallen with mee and thus the last
1
day of Hector was the sanie last day for his country I
HEC. Change thy form of bewailings Pour forth thy

tears for Priam Hector has received a sufficient share.
CHOR. Hear, oh quondam ruler of Phrygia, our cries,

I
receive our lamentations ; thou, old man, hast been a double

captive (from thy country's service, secondly by death).
Troy never suffered once, when thou wast king theI
!
Lines 1=7-163] TROADES. 339
Dardanian walls have twice been carried by the Grecian

sword twice have they had to sustain the brunt of the
Herculean arrows; and after the sons of the king and
the offspring of Hecuba had been carried out for sepul-
ture, thou, ohl father, closest in as the last of the royal
deaths, and as a sacrifice to Jupiter Herceus thou wast
_
killed in front of the altar; thy miserable body is now

only pressed down by the Sigean soil (Priam was simply
put uiider the ground) and not consumed by any fire
according to custom!
HEC. Now direct thy lamentations towards another

theme, it must not be now, oh Priam, we are miserable, on
account of thy loss thou must, all ye assembled Trojans,

now say Happy Priam he is now free and joins the
I
Manes {formerly a prisoner, now free) nor will Troy! now

see the Grecian Yoke, as the badge of subjugation, around
his conquered neckl He does not now behold the two
Atridse, nor does he see the treacherous Ulysses, nor will
he suffer the indignity of having his neck labelled as a/
trophy of victory and carried along with the other spoils |
to add to the Grecian triumph! and he will not have to/

put his hands behind him, in token of submission, those I
hands that have wielded the Trojan sceptre he will notj

have to follow the chariot of Agamemnon, wearing the)
golden manacles on his right hand, that he may be'
exhibited with all the elation of pompous display to gratify
the people of Mycenae (the city of Agamemnon) I
CHOR. Happy Priam let us all sing 1 He has left his

1
misfortunes behind and taken away his kingdom along with

him he is now wandering in safety amongst the Manes,
in the groves of Elysium! and happy, whilst he is seeking
for Hector amongst the pious spirits he finds there!
Happy Priam! ITappy is every warrior dying on the
battle-field, who sees everything around him carried away _
with himself (taking his kmgdom with him^
;
340 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines .64-190
ACTUS SECUNDUS.
TALTHYBIUS, CHORUS TROADUM.
Narrat Talthybius, apparuiffe Achillis umbram, exprobrataque Grsecis
ingratitudine, poftulaflej ut Polyxena, cujus nuptiarum prsetextu
ipfe interfeAus eft, ad tumulum fuum pro inferis madla-
retur, alias Graecos non habituros ventum ad reditum.
TAL. Q.
V^/UAM longa Danais Temper in portu mora,
Seu petere bellum, petere feu patriam volunt. 165
CHOR. Quae caufa ratibus faciat & Danais moram,
Effare; reduces quls Deus
cludat vias.
TAL Pavet animus, artus horridus quaffat tremor. ,
Majora veris monftra vix capiunt iidem.
Vidi ipfe, vidi. fumma jam
Titan juga 170
Stringebat: ortus vicerat no<5lem dies:
Cum fubito cseco terra mugitu fremens
Concuffa, totos traxit ex imo finus.
Movere filvas capita, & excelfum nemus
Fragore vafto tonuit, &
lucus facer. 175
Idsea ruptis faxa ceciderunt jugis.
Nee fola tellus tremuit; &
pontus fuum
Adeffe Achillen fenfit, ac ftravit vada.
Turn fciffa vallis aperit immenfos fpecus
Et hiatus Erebi pervium ad fuperos iter 180
Tellure fraita praebet, ac tumulum levat.
Emicuit ingens umbra Theffalici ducis,
Thre'icia qualis anna proludens tuis
Jam, Troja, fatis stravit: aut Neptunium
Cana nitentem perculit juvenem coma: 185
Aut cum inter acies Marte violento furens,
Corporibus amnes clufit; & quaerens iter
Tardus cruento Xanthus erravit vado:
Aut cum fuperbo vidlor in curru ftetit,
Egitque liabenas, Hecflorem & Trojam trahens; 190
ACT II.
TALTHYBrUS-CHORUS OF THE TROJANS.

Talthybius relates that the Ghost of Achilles has appeared,
and reproves the Greeks for theu* ingratitude, and
demanded that Pol3rxena, under the pretext of mar-
riage with whom, he was slain, should be sacrificed at
his tomb, as a propitiation to the infernal gods, other-
wise the Greeks would not have the wind rendered
favorable for their return.
TALTHYBIUS.
H ow
mam
do
long is this delay? does the Greek mean to re-
for ever in harbor? What does he want to
?to seek for another war, or return to his country ?
CHOR. What is the reason, which occasions this delay
in the departure of the ships and the detention of the
Greeks; tell us, what deity stops the way of their return?
TAL. My mind is growing fearful a dreadful trembling

seizes my frame^wonderful things, so much
entire
more wonderful than what are known to be true; the
sun was just showing himself above the mountain-tops,
and the dawn of day had chased away the night
when suddenly the earth was shaken by some internal
shock; rumblmg with obscure roaring sounds, which
evidently derived all their powers from beneath the

earth the forest trees shook their lofty branches, and
the stately woods thundered forth with a tremendous
crash, as well as did the grove sacred to Cybele the
rocks of Ida fell down from the mountain side, nor did
the earth alone tremble, but the sea perceived that its
own Achilles was approaching, and pacified its waves in
recognition. Then the valley rent in twain, opened out
to the view an immense cavern, and the earth's surface
being thus broken through, this opening out of Erebus
afforded an easy approach towards those living on the
earth above, and the stone, which covered over the re-
mains of Achilles became lifted up (the tomb). The
huge ghost of Achilles, the Thessalian general, then stood
forward, and as a prelude to the recital of his victories,
said how he had subdued the Threician auxiliaries, such
as thou art, Oh! TroVj handed over to thy destinies, or
he remarked how he had struck down the handsome son
of Neptune, Cycnus, with his white locks (afterwards
turned into a swan), or when raging amongst the hostile
battalions in violent combat, he actually choked up the
rivers with the bodies he had slain and the gently-ilowing
Xanthus seeking its level, wandered out of its usual chan-
nels, with its streams reddened with the blood of his
enemies, or when as a proud conqueror he stood up in
his war-chariot handling his proud reins and dragging in
his train Hector una with him Troy itself! Angry
sounds fill the shore at every turn. Go! go forth, he
says, desistfrom any further honors to my Manes that
are my due and get ready for starting over our country's
seas, weigh the anchors of thy ungrateful crafts Greece
shall not suffer from the anger of Achilles for a slight
342 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines i9i-2,.6
Implevit omne litus irati fonus:

Ite, ite inertes.debitos manibus meis
Auferte honores. folvite ingratas rates
Per noftra ituri maria. non parvo luit
Iras Achillis Grsecia. at magno luet. 19S
Defponfa noftris cineribus Polyxena
Pyrrhi manu maftetur, & 'tumulum riget.
Hsec fatus alta vocCj dimilit diem,
Repetenfque Ditem, merfus ingentem fpecum
Coeunte terra junxit. immoti jacent 200
Tranquilla pelagi. ventns abjecit minas,
Placidumque fla<!lu murmurat leni mare.
Tritonum ab alto cecinit hymenseum chorus.
PYRRHUS, AGAMEMNON, CALCHAS.

Agamemnonis cum Pyrrho jurgia fuper Polyxena compefcit Calchas.
PYRRH.
r
V 'UM lasta pelago vela reditunis dares,
Excidit Achilles: cujus unius manu 205
Impulfa Troja, [corruit tandem folo,
Brevi repenfans] quidquid adjecH moras
[Scyros, fretumque Lesbos ^gseum fecans]
lUo remote, dubia quo caderet, ftetit
Velis licet, quod petitur, ac properes dai-e; 210
Sero es daturus. jam fuum cundli duces
Tulere pretium. quae minor merces poteft
Tantae dari virtuti? an is meruit parum.
Qui, fugere bellum juffus, & longa fedens
^vum JTenetfla degere, ac Pylii fenis 215
Tranfcendere annos, exuens matris dolos,
Falfafque veftes, faffus eft armis virum?
Inhofpitali Telephus regno impotens
Dum Myfiae ferocis introitus negat,
Rudem cruore regio dextram imbuit, 220
Fortemque eandem feniit & mitem manum.
Cecidere Thebae. vidit Eetion capi
Sua regna vidlus. clade fubverfa eft pari
Impofita celfo parva Lyrneflbs jugo;
Captaque tellus nobilis Brifeide, 225
Et, caufa litis regibus, Chryfe jacet;
matter, but it shall suffer grievously for a grave onel

Let Polyxena be sacrificed to my asnes by Pyrrhus, and
let her lie rigid in the arms of death, at my tomb (cada-
veric rigidity). Having spoken thus in a thundering voice,
he left the light of day, down he entered the immense
cavern, and the earth closed up; and the untroubled sea
lay as in a perfect calm the winds left off their boister-
ous bowlings, and the placid ocean only whispered with

the gentlest of ripples and the chorus of Sea-Gods (Tri-
tons) sang from out of the depths of the blue, blue sea
a joyous marriage anthem {epithalamium),
PYRRHUSÂGAMEMNON-CALCHAS.
Calchas setdes the strife between Agamemnon and
Pyrrhus respecting Polyxena.
PYRRHUS.
WHILST just
rejoicing
about to return, thou art setting thy
sails, to ply the ocean waves Achilles
is no more; he by whose hand alone, Troy has
been overthrown. What adds to our delay? (at last, Troy
was beginning to crumble razed to the ground, but Achil-
les consoling himself for a short time, had tarried at
Scyros and Lesbos, which divides the ^gjean sea) he,
bemg at a distance, Troy remained doubtful when she
would ultimately fall. It is now in thy power, and hasten
to set sail, the thing which thou hast oeen seeking for.
It is quite right that thou shouldst wish and even hasten
to give, what is sought for, in honor of Achilles, but thou
art now too late to give any of the spoils, every general
amongst us has already borne away his prize^ indeed,
what less recognition could there be for such valor (as
ye have displayed). But alas does not Achilles deserve
1 1
a little, he, who was distinctly ordered to avoid war, and

by keeping quiet, was promised a life extending to extreme
old age, and even to exceed the length of years allotted
to the old King of Pylos (Nestor), but he threw aside his
mother's artful contrivances (woman's clothes) and false
attire, and did he not proclaim himself to be the man
for arms and warfare ? And when that insolent Telephus,
king of an inhospitable kingdom, denied him a passage,
through that wild country Mysia, Achilles imbued his
inexperienced hand with the blood of that royal obstacle
(at that time Achilles was a mere tyro in the art of war)
and that gave him an insight into the strength of his arm,
as well as the mildness and gentleness, with which he
could use it, when required of him! He showed his
mildness of heart afterwards, by curing the wound of
Telephus, (he "had learned medicine and surgery from
Chiron the Centaur). Thebes fell by his hands Eetion
(father of Andromache, having been vanquished saw that
his Kingdom had fallen from him the little city of
Lyrnessus met with a sinjilar overthrow and was subjected
344 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lm S27-260
Et nota fama Tenedos; & quae pafcno

Foecunda pingui Thracios nutrit greges, '
'
Syros, fretumque Lesbos jEgaeum fecans,

Et facra Phcebo Cilia, quid? quas alluit 230
Vemis Caycus gurgitem attolens aqnls?
Haac tanta dades gentium ac tantus payor,
Sparfss tot urbes, turbinis vafti modo,
Alterius effet gloria ac fummum decus:
Iter eft Acbillis. fie meus venit pater, 235
Et tanta geffit bella, dum bellum parat.
Ut alia fileam merita, non unus fatls
Heflor fuiffet? Hium vicit pater,
Vos diruiftis. inclitas laudes jnvat,
Et clara magni fafla genitoris fequi. 240
Jacuit peremptus Heftor ante oculos patris,
Patruique Memnon, cujus ob luflum parens
Pallente moeftum protulit vultu diemr,
Sujque vi(5lor opens exemplum horruit;
Didicitque Achilles, & Dea natos morl. 245
Turn fseva Amazon ultimus cecidit timor.
Debes Achilli, merita fi digne aeftimas,
Etfi Mycenis virginem atque Argis petat.
Dubitatur etiam? placita nunc fabito improbas?
Priamique natam Pelei nato ferum 250
Maflare credis? at tuam natam parens
Helense immolafti. folita jam & fa(5la expeto
AGAM. Juvenile vitium eft, regere non poffe impetum.
jEtatis alios fervor hie primae rapit,
Pyrrhum patemus. fpiritus quondam truces, 255
Minafque tumidi lentus Êacidae tuli.
Quo plura poffis, plura patienter feras.
Quid caede dira nobilem clari ducis
Afpergis umbram? nofcere hoc primum decet,
Quid facere viiftor debeat, vi<5lus pad. 260
to his exalted power, and that noble country with the

captured daughter of Brises, Briseis or Hippodamia, and
Chryse, daughter of Chryses, who was the cause of the
dispute between the Kings, Agamemnon and Achilles,
lay at his feetj and Tenedos of well-known reputation (it
was here the Greeks concealed themselves to induce the
Trojans to think they had departed before they had
finished the siege, and the fertile Syros, which fattened
the Thracian heras with its luxuriant pastures, and Les-
bos which divides the ^gean Sea (here Achilles fell in
love with Apriates, and this love-making episode retarded
his arrival at the seat of war
See Line "repensans.")
And Cilia (Troados) sacred to Apollo, and what shall I
add to these conquests. Oh the regions which the Caycus
(a river of Mysia with its rising waters) bathes with its
Lines 227260] TROADES. 34S
spring-tide streams Such wholesale slaughter of hostile

peoples and such terror, as they all felt So many cities
scattered, as it were, as if by means of some enormous
whirlwind Should all this glory and extraordinary renown
1
be placed to the credit of another? This then is the

Itinerary of Achilles, thus did my father come upon the
scene and wage so many small wars, whilst ne was
preparing for the great war, the War\ (Trojan) and if
I were inclined to be silent, as to his other claims, was
not the overthrow of Hector enough to confirm my
statements? My father conejuered Troy ye others have
broken it upit is gratifying to chant his glorious praises
and to blazon forth the illustrious deeds of so noble a
father Hector lay slain before the very eyes of his father
:
(Priam) as also did Memnon before his uncle's (Uncle

on the father's side) whose parent presented a pallid
-visage on account of his intense grief, for many a sorrowful
day, and the Conqueror himself was horrified at the
spectacle, which he had been the means of bringing
about, and Achilles learned then, that the sons of Go(
desses even could die 1(Memnon was the son of Aurora)
Then the savage Amazon Queen, Penthesilea, the last
object of danger, fell by the sword of Achilles Ye are
1
all indebted to Achilles, if ye take his deeds and services

at a proper valuation, although he did single out the
virgins at Mycenae and ArgosT Why then is there any
hesitation? Why do ye condemn, suddenly without think-
ing of the decrees which have gone forth? (The sacrifice
of^ PolyTcena.) Is it because ye think it so cruel to sa-
crifice a daughter of Priam for the sake of the son of
Peleus? but thou, as a parent hast sacrificed thy own
daughter for Helen's benefit, before! (that is, in order
to obtain favorable winds to rescue Helen; thou sacri-
ficedst Iphigenia; in order to obtain the same for the
Greeks I propose to sacrifice, Poljocenal (to the Manes
of Achilles!)
jUjÂL. I' is one of the great faults of youth, not to be

able to curb its impetuosity, but this hot-headedness of inci-
pient manhood has characterized others besides thyself
the old paternal spirit and fierce haughtiness seem revived
in thee, Pyrrhusl for !_ have quitesubnussivelyîut^^
with the javagethre ats of THem flatedl^chillesTthe âcidse,
'descended trom ^ÊacUsbf whom AcEHles was). The more
thou provest thyself capable of doing, the more thou wilt

be able to bear with patience Why dost thou desire to
tarnish the fair fame of so illustrious a general as Priam,
with the cruel slaughter of his daughter? JtJsjjghtJo
admit at once bow far a conqueror ought to go, and bow
I
Violenta nemo imperia continuit diu:

Moderata durant. quoque Fortuna altius
Evexit ac levavil humanas opes,
Hoc fe magis fupprimere felicem decet,
Variofque cafus tremere, metuentem Deos 265
Nimium faventes. magna momento obrui
Vincendo didici. Troja nos tumidos facit
Nimium ac feroces? ftamus hoc Danai loco,
Unde ilia cecidit. fateor, aliquando impotens
Regno ac fuperbus, altius memet tuli: 27
Sed fregit illos fpiritus hsc, quae dare
Potuiffet alii, caufa, Fortunse favor,
Tu me fuperbum, Priame, tu timidum facis.
Ego effe quidquam fceptra, nifi vano putem
Fulgore tedium nomen, & falfo comam 275
Vinclo decentem? cafus hsec rapiet brevis;
Nee mille forfan ratibus, aut annis decern.
Non omnibus Fortuna tarn lenta imminet.
Equidem fatebor (pace dixiffe hoc tua,
Argiva tellus, liceat) affligi Phrygas 280
Vincique volui. ruere, & sequari folo,
Etiam arcuiiTem. fed regi frenis nequit
Et ira & ardens hoftis, & vi(5loria
CommilTa nodli. quidquid indignum aut ferum
Cuiquam videri potuit, hoc fecit dolor, 285
Tenebraeque, per quas ipfe fe irritat furor,
Gladiufque felix, cujus infefti femel
Vecors libido eft. quidquid everfae poteft
Superelfe Trojse, maneat, exadlum fatis
Poenarum, & ultra eft. regia ut virgo occidat, 290
Tumuloque doDum detur, & cineres riget,
Et facinus atrox caedis ut thalamos vocem,
Non patiar. in me culpa cunflorum redit.
Qui non vetat peccare, cum poffit, jubet.
PYRRH. NuUumne Achillis praemium manes ferent? 295
AGAM. Ferent; & ilium laudibus cunili canent;
Magnumque terras nomen ignotse audient.
faj._-aLJ:he same
me, the co nquerad-party. oughLto-be
ti
TmSstfl-itifier. No one goes on for long with violent

measures, whilst the .moderate exercise of power lasts
sometimes, mere chance has called forth and magnified
human endeavours, far highêr than there was any right
to expect It is more_becoming in a successful man, to
1
impose some^testraJaTu pon himself, and to go in fear of

the fluctuations of fortune, raflier dreading the deities
than otherwise, when they might appear too kind!
have learned in my experience, as a conqueror, that great
events can be brought about most unexpectedly, a m
moment, in factl Does our Trojan success render ug
Lines 261-297], TROADES, 347
puffed up, and too severely inclined? As Greeks, we are

remaining in this place, where Troy has fallen. I confess
freely I am sometimes austere in my rule and inspired
with prcmdz-iJ:east"~BurtHe accidental circum stance of
power, the giftofJortuneTTtSjCMilied that sp ^TortKat
.
fortune mlfht-iiave given the same thingto another 1
Thou, oh Priam
I When I think of thy fate, it makes
1
me proud, one minute, and distrustful of what may happen

the next! Can I suppose any thing but that a sceptre
is only an empty name, a thing varnished over with
unmeaning splendor, and the setting off a head with a
retentions diadem (crown) which outside is all joy and
E
appiness, whilst it contains insidg, all the.elementSjof
Jbitterness and misery A
small acci3ent" will snatch it

away it "woiHd noT require, perhaps, a thousand war-
ships and a ten years' campaign to effect this, for Fortune
does not hover over the heads of mankind at all times,
at such a slow pace ; although I am bound to acknowledge,
I may be permitted to observe, ohl my Grecian father-
land, for thy peace of mind, it was I who wished that the
Phrygians should be conquered, utterly fall and be levelled
to the ground, and I ever contended against them most
determinedly, and QHfilSanger is unadllineL-to be under
quali fying r estraint, then there was the raging enemy to
recEonwIth, and" one culminating achievement was the
memorable night attack (the admission of the horse) and
whatever could by any process of reasoning be deemed
unworthy of our dignity or cruel as the invaders our
grievance (the abduction of Helen) ^cSunteJor_all^ jHTsT
and the darkness, which of itself, goads you on to still
further rage, and the victorious sword, which when it has
once been stained with blood acquires a mad thirst for,
more ; but whatever now remains of overthrown Troy, by
ail means let it so rema.in enough punishment! has been
!
exacted, and beyond "what Troy has already suffered,

why should a royal maiden fall a sacrifice and be served
up as a donation to a miserable tomb, to be made stiflf
in death to propitiate the Manes, and how can I construe
a bl ack crime of murd er, into a marriage ceremony? I
will"* not permit it, tHepsdy merited obloquy of every^
body would recoil upon me! _Bfe_Kha_dses_notJorbid
a .Qrime when he has it in his power to doso, practJcalTy
o nly orderTitTo^Tg'committg dt"^^ ^^ ^ 1^ sjjTTTi^pr' H
PYR. Dost thou mean to argue, that the Manes of ^''
Achilles are to receive no testimonial of any kind ?
AG. All men offer what they choose, and all men may
sing of him in songs of praise all the known regions of
.
Quod fi levatur fanguine infufo cinis,

Opima Phrygii coUa cffidantur gregis,
Fluatque nuUi flebilis matri cnior. 300
Quis ill;,? mos eft, quando in inferias homo eft
Impenfus hominif detrahe invidiam tuo
Odiumque patri, quern coli pcena jubes,
PYRRH. O tumide, rerum dum fecundanim flatus
Extollit animos; timide, cum iocrepuit metus: 305
Regum tyranne, jamne flammatum geris
Amore fubito peftus, ac Veneris novse?
Solusne totles fpolia de nobis feres?
Hac dextra Acliilli vi(5limam reddam fuam:
Quam fi negas retinefque, majorem dabo, 310
Dignamque, quam det Pyrrhus. & nimium diu
A csede noftra regia ceffat manus,
Paremque pofcit Priamus. AGAM. Haud equidem nego
Hoc effe Pyrrhi maximum in belle decus,
Ssevo peremptus enfe quod Priamus jacet, 315
Supplex paternus. PYRRH. Supplices noftii patris,
Hoftefque eofdem novimus. Priamus tamen
Praefens rogavit. tu gravi pavidus metu
Nee ad rogandum fortis,Ajaci preces
Ithacoque mandas, clufus, atque hoftem tremens. 320
AGAM. At non timebat tunc tuus, fateor, parens,
Interque caedes Graecise, atque uftas rates,
Segnis jacebat, belli & armorum immemor,
Levi canoram verberans pleiftro chelym.
PYRRH. Tunc magnus Heflor, arma contemnens tua, 325
Cantus Achillis timuit: & tanto in metu
Navalibus pax alta TheiTalicis fuit.
AGAM. Nempe iifdem in iftis TheiTalis navalibus
Pax alta rurfus Hefloris patri fuit.
PYRRH. Eft regis alti, fpiritum regi dare. 330
the earth will in process of time, hear of his great fame, but
if his Manes can be appeased in any way, by the simple
letting of blood, why, the primest of the Phrygian herds

can be slaughtered for the occasion but let no blood
be spilled to invoke the tears of a mourning mother!
Byjhe-bve, wh at new cus tom^ is this.whn_aJiyin!^ man
isto~be considered an~lndispensable_.s.agrifice to the
Manes 1 of a dead one ? dismiss therefore all thoughts
from thy mind", as to this invidious and repulsive sacrifice
to thy father, whom in fact thou art adjudging to be
appeased by the death of a royal Virgin!
PYR. Oh thou puffed up man, as long as thy surroundings

pander to thy proud spirit, but, ohl thou craven one,
when fear finds its way into thy heart (proud in pros-
perity, cast down in adversity). Ohl thou very tyrant
Lines =98-330] TROADES. ,
349
amongst Kings, art thou suddenly assuming a state of

mind fired by amorous longings and for some fresh
Venus, Polyxena, as thou formerly didst with Chryse and
Cassandra? Or dosf thou alone lay claim to the prizes
so many times taken from our family (Briseis), from a
father who was living, and denying Polyxena to the Manes
of my dead fatjier? With this right hand I will render
to Achilles the sacrifice which is his due, which if thou
refusest and keepest back, I will give him a greater one
(thyself) and one which Pyrrhus would give worthy of
the cause, and my hand has rested too long already from
the shedding of royal blood and Priam deserves a com-
panion (Priam's case requires the death of something as
a compani on to be slain by my hand). ___^
AG. Indeed I do not deny that the achievement of
Pyrrhus was the most glorious deed done during the
whole of the war, when Priam lay killed by thy cruel
sword, when he presented himself as a paternal suppliant
(said ironically).
PYR. We have known him in both capacities, as the sup-

pliant, of my father, and at the same time, the enemymy
iaiherspaxed the sup2liant_JLslew-,,the._esemy;__At all
evente~Prianr~aiways"naHthe coUrage to appear in person

as a suppliant thou, subdued by thy intense fear, and
not havmg the courage to ask for thyself, remained shut
up in thy tent and trembled as if thou wert afiraid to
face the enemy, and entrusted thy requests to Ulysses
and Ajax.
AG. I am
ready to acknowledge that tijyJa&er-wentin
nosort~oiLjfear,êven while slaughter was going on at
an alarming rate, amongst the Greeks, and theu- ships
were being Dumt wholesale He could afford to be quite
indifferent and quite oblivious of such things as war and
armaments, striking with th e dehcate plecbnim (quill or
bow) his h armonio us lute.
PYR. Then the mighty Hector, who looked upon thy
arms with contempt, was inspired w;ith fear, at the strains,
even of Achilles, and a peaceful feeling prevailed amongst
the Thessalian war-ships, owing to the great fear which
existed.
AG. Dost thou mean to imply that Hector's father was

again the cause of the profound peace amongst those
Thessalian war-ships?
PYR. It is the part of one exalted king, to spare another
king, as my father did Priam.
3S0 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [LIms 331-356
AGAM. Cur dextia regi fpirihim eripuit tua?

PYRRH. Mortem mifericors fsepe pro vita dabit.
AGAM. At nunc mifericors virgines bufto petis.
PYRRH. Jamne immolarl virgines credis fiefas?
AGAM. Prseferre patriam liberis regem decet. 335
PYRRH. Lex nulla capto parcit, aut poenam impedlt.
AGAM. Quod non vetat lex, hoc vetat fieri pudor.
PYRRH. Quodcunque libuit facere viflori, licet.'
AGAM. Minimum decet libera, cui multum licet.
PYRRH. His ifta jadlas, quos decem annorum gravi 340
Regno Pyrrhus exfolvit jugo?
fuba<los
AGAM. Hos Scyrus animos? pyrrh. Scelere quss fratrum caret.
AGAM. Inclufa fluftu. PYRRH. Nempe cognati maris.
Atrei & Thyeftae nobilem novi domum.
AGAM. Ex virginis concepte furtive ilupro, 345
Et ex Achille nate, fed nondum viro.
PYRRH. Illo ex Achille, genere qui mundum fuo
Sparfus per omnem coelitum regnum tenet,
TTietide aequor, umbras .lEaco, coelum Jove.
AGAM. Illo ex Achille, qui manu Paridis jacet. 350
PYRRH. Quem nee Deoram cominus quifquam petiit
AGAM. Compefcere equidem verba, & audacem malo
Poteram domare: fed meus caplis quoque .
Scit parcere enfis. potius interpres Deum
Calchas vocetur. fata fi pofcunt, dabo. 355
Tu, qui Pelafgae vincla folviftl rati,
AG. Why did it please thee then to take away the life
of that king with thy murderous right hand?
PYR. Often times a man is doing an act ofpiety, when

he grants a man death (in taking away his life).
AG. And now as a mercifiil man I suppose thou art on

the look out for virgins for sacrifices (said in bitterest
irony).
PYR. And hast thou come at last, to think it wicked

for virgins to be sacrificed?
AG. It becomes a king to think more of his country

than even his own sons and daughters.
PYR. No law spares a captive, or prevents the punish-

ment of one.
AG. What does-the_laje_jiojLiorbid,^shame sometimes

forbids to be done.
!
PYR. It is permissibl e that a conqueror should-do-what

it please s^him to do]
Ije
AG.
pleased
The man t.cuEhQm_great0êr_is
tq^ exercise it as, Jittle
accorded, should
as possible. ' -
PYR. Thou art throwing these remarks at those who
have put up with thy own rule for these ten years, and
I, Pyrrhus, amongst the number, have groaned under
thy yoke.
AG. Did that ignoble country Scyros inoculate thee

with this frame of mind ?
PYR. Yes, where the country was not tainted with the
crimes of the brothers, Atreus and Thyestes.
AG. Thou meanest, where thou wast shiit in by the

waves.
PYR. Yes that is true, as a blood relation of Thetis

I
(Thetis was the mother of my father), but I have learned,

nevertheless, all about the noble dynasty of Atreus and
Thyestes.
AG. And thyself conceived through the illicit violation

_
of a virgin's modesty, and a son of that Achilles who had

not as yet revealed his sex, as a man. (Deidamia, daughter
of Lycomedes, king ofScyrus, bore a son, Pjrrrhus, to
Achilles, who was disguised at her father's court in female
apparel and went by the name of Pyrrha.)
PYR. Yes, from that Achilles who, on account of his

consanguinity, is interspersed with the race of Gods who
rule every kingdom, in the world. Thetis who rules the
sea, âcus the infernal regions, and Jupiter, the heavens
AG. From the warlike Achilles who fell by the hand of

that effeminate Paris (said in contempt).
PYR. Whom
not one of the gods ever sought to en-
counter, face to face.
AG. I could certainly make thy language a little more

tolerable, and might visit thy audacity with punishment,
lyitmy^^TOrdjymgw^jJsoJiow tg_spare-ev-en-my prison
5rs7~T~would rather~Tfiat tHou, Calchas, who hast let
loose the chains, that have held back the Grecian fleets
and have put a stop to this protracted war, who revealest
the wonders of the neavens, with thy mystic arts, to whom
;
3Sz SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 357-3S4
Morafque bellis, arte qui referas polum,

Cui vifcerum fecreta, cui mundi fragor,
Et ftella longa femitam flamma trahens
Dant figna fati, cujus ingenti mihl 360
Mercede conftant ora, quid jubeat Deus
Effare, Calcha, nofque conClio rege.
CAL. Dant fata Danais, quo folent pretio, viam.
Ma(5landa virgo eft Theffali bufto ducis
Sed quo jugari Tbeffalse cultu folent, 365
Iomdefve, vel Mycensese nurus.
,jPyirlius parenti conjugem tradat fuo.
non tameo noftras tenet
,,Sic rite dabitur.
Haec una puppes caufa. nobilior tuo,
Polyxene, cruore debetur cruor, 370
Queiu fata quasrunt: lurre de lumma cadat
Priami nepos Hedloreus, & letum oppetat
Tum mille velis impleat daffis freta.
CHORUS TROADUM.
Chorus e mulieribns Trojanis, tam mente, quam corpore captis,
quo Achillis animam apparuiffe neget, ex Epicuri fententia,
quse nee Stoicorum multo fanior, ftulte & (ut
femel de toto Choro moneam) impie. ani-
mam cum corpore interire aiferit*
V. ERUM eft? an timidos fabula decipit,

Umbras corporibus vivere conditis? , 375
Cum conjux oculis impofuit manum,
Supremufque dies folibus obftitit,
Et triftis cineres uma coercuit;
Non prodeft animam tradere funeri,
Sed reftat miferis vivere longius? 380
An toti morimurf nullaque pars manet
Noftri; cum profiigo fpiritus halitu
Immixtus cebulis ceffit in aera,
Et nudum tetigit fubdita fax latus?
the secrets hidden in the entrails of animals when inspected

by thee, to whom the thunders of the sky serve as a
guide and "that elongated star" (comet) which drags its

path along with a long ilamin^ tail all those give thee a
sure interpretation of the will of the Fates and whose
utterances afford me valuable consolation. Oh Calchas 1 1
what does the deity comiriand thee to say? guide me with

thy counsel!
CAL. The Fates are affording a passage to the Greeks,

on the terms laiddown, as they are accustomed to do, and
Lm 357-384] TROADES. , 353
by which thou must abide. A virgin, Polyxena, must be

sacrificed af the tomb of the Thessalian general, Achilles,
but dressed in the same kind of marriage clothes as the
Thessalian women are in the habit of wearing at their
nuptials, with the women of Ionia, or the maidens of
Mycenas in attendance. Pyrrhus will hand over the bride
to his so that the ceremony may be conducted
fR.'Lher,
with the proper rites, not, however, is this the only
all
impediment which is detaining the ships blood more
noble than thine, Polyxena, is demanded also the male
offspring of Hector is the one whom the Fates recLuire
let the grandson of Priam (Hector's son), Astyanax, be let
to fall from the highest tower, and meet his death. Then
shall the fleet crowd the sea, with its thousand full-set sails!
CHORUS OF TROJANS.
<_
The Chorus of the Trojan women, who are captives
apparently, as much in the mind as they are the m
body, deny that Achilles appeared as a spirit, and
this they assume from the doctrine of Epicurus which
is_ not much sounder than that of the Stoics, who
frivolously and (as I at once pronounce is the gist of
the whole chorus) impiously assert that the soul dies
for ever with the body 1
sit true, or does a trumped up story mislead and

I
deceive the timid portion of mankind that the souls
of men_cintuHie_.to live after their bo'Sies have_been
dj^gsSi- of eitheiL^by3urial_oiLcrema&on, and wEen tEe
wifeperforms her last act towards her deceased spouse,
gentiy pressing his eyelids with her fingers (this was always
done amongst the ancients by the nearest relative) and
the last day of mortal existence has effectually shut out
life and light, and the tristful urn retains the ashes of
the dead IS it of no use to hand over the soul to the
funeral pile, but does it remain to the credit of its mise-
rable possessor, and maintain a protracted existence here
after? Or do we ,die,-body' and soul-entir-ely,_wha. we-
JeaiC-ilugiearrtiT And does no part of us remain ? When
life with its fleeting breath passes away, into the air, and
becomes mixed with the clouds whilst the torch placed
beneath, the naked carcass reaches its victim, and it is
consumed! Whatever the rising or the setting sun has
any cognizance of, or, whatever object the Ocean washes
with its blue waves at its recurring flowing or ebbing,
rapacious time seizes with the rapidity of Pegasus himself
(the winged horse sprung from the blood of Medusa) in
: 23
3S4 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 385-416
Quidquid Sol Oriens, quidquid & Occidens 385

Novit: cjeruleis Oceanus fretis
Quidquid vel veniens vel fugiens lavat,
^tas Pegafeo corripiet gradu.
Quo bis fena volant fidera turbine,
Quo curfu properat fecula volvere 390
Aftrorum dominus, quo properat modo
Obliquis Hecate currere flexibus;
Hoc omnes petimus fata: nee amplius,
Juratos Superis qui tetigit lacus,
Ufquam eft. ut calidis fumus ab ignibus, 39^
Vanefeit fpatium per breve fordidus;
Ut nubes gravidas, quas modo vidimus,
Ardloi Eoreae disjicit impetus;
Sic hie, quo regimur, fpiritus effluet.
Poft mortem nihil eft, ipfaque mors nihil, 400
Velocis fpatii meta noviffima.
Spem ponaut avidi; folliciti metum.
Quseris, quo jaceas poft obitum loco?
Quo non nata jacent
Tempus nos avidum devorat, & chaos. 405
Mors individua eft noxia corpori,
Nee parcens animse. Taenara, & afpero
Regnum fub domioo, limen & obfideos
Cuftos non facili Cerberus oftio,
Rumores vacui, verbaque inaiiia, 410
Et par follicitb fabula fomnio.
ACTUS TERTIUS.
ANDROMACHA, SENEX, ULYSSES.
Hefloris uxor vifo territa filium in tumulo paterno abfcoudit, quem
fagacitate fua UlyiTus latebris exutum ad mortem abducit.
ANDR. Vy/uiD moefta, PhrygiK, turba laceratis comas,
Miferumque tunfe peilus efTufo genas

Fletu rigatis? levia perpeflse fumus,
Si flenda patimur. Hium vobis modo, 415
Mihi cecidit olim, cum ferus cun-u incito
whatever revolution the signs of the Zodiac (twelve signs)

are moving in whatever direction, the Ruler of the entire
starry world (Phoebus) hurries on the course of time, and
in whatever way Hecate speeds her way with her oblique
windings, we are all following the Fates, in this, the same
wayl nor is there any thing more left of him, who reaches
.
'
Lines 385-4,6] i
TROADES. 355
these Stygian lakes, which claim oathful allegiance from

the Godsl When he quits the regions above, the living
world, it is ever the same as the dirty smoke from the
kindled fires ascends and vanishes after its very short
,
journey, and as the fury of Arctic Boreas drives before

it and dissipates the clouds heavily charged with rain,^
so the spirit, which animates our bodies and regulates
the term of existence, will pass away; .aftej df ath there_is,
_notlmig::r::dath_itaelf--is nothing,., piilv^ .the mogLjcficept
^nval or goaLxea ched, "m'"TR*ve!o3^"]^^ I Let
the avariciousones 3iscard fheir h^peslwEolvoiira' expect
happiness after death) and JfiLiheaBxiflua-flllfiS-set-asid^
Jheir fears (who would fear punishment after death). Dost
thou betray any curiosity to know where thou wouldst
rest after death? Where do those rest that have not
come into existence at all? Rapacious time swallows us j
up, and we merge into chaos! Death is the inseparable

bugbear of the body, nor' does it spare the soul any
more than it does diat body! The story of Tasnarus,
the descent to the infernal regions, and the kingdom
under that relentless ruler (Pluto), and about the dog
Cerberus which blocks the way and guards that not
very easy approach all this is nonsense! empty stories,
idle talk- and only on a par with the terrors revealed
during a frightful nightmare!
ACT III.
ANDROMACHE-OLD MAN-ULYSSES.
The wife of Hector having taken alarm at a vision in
her dream, hides away her son in his father's tomb.
Ulysses in his cleverness discovering where he was,
drags him forth to meet his death, as soon as he is
removed from his place of concealment.
ANDROMACHE.
WHY do Trojan women, my sorrowing sub-

ye, ohl
rend thy locks, and beating thy forlorn
jects,
bosoms, inundate thy cheeks with thy profuse
weeping. We have suffered only light troubles as yet, if we
can only restrain our grief from injuring ourselves through
its excess Up to the present time, Troy has only fallen
from thee, and c uite lately fell from me in a similar way,
when the fierce fconqueror, seized my Hector, his horses
being urged on to full speed, and the axle of the chariot
3S6 SENECA'S TRAGEEIES. [Lines 417-4S1
Mea membra raperet, & gravi gemeret fonoj

Peliacus axis pondere Heftoreo tremens.
Tunc obnita atque everfa, quodcunque accitjit,
Terpens malis rigenfque, fine fenfu fero. ''
420
Jam erepta Danais conjugem fequerer meum,
Nifi hie teneret hie meos animos domat, ^
Morique prohibet. cogit hie aliquid Deo3

Adhuc rogare. tempus serumnae addidit.
Hie mihi malorum maximum fruftum abftulii, 425
Nihil timere. profperis rebus locus
Ereptus omnis: dira, qua veniant, habent.
Miferrimem eft timere, cum fperes nihil.
SEN. Quis te repens commovit affliilam metus?
ANDR. Exoritur aliquod majus e magno malum. 430
Nondum mentis Hii fatum ftetit.
SEN. Et quas reperiet, ut velit, clades Deus?
ANDR. Stygis profundse clauftra, & obfcuri fpecus
Laxantur: &, ne defit everCs metus,
Hoftcs ab uno conditi Dite exeunt. 435
Solifne retro pervium eft Danais iter?
Carte sequa mors eft. turbat atque agitat Phrygas
Cominunis ifte torror. hie propria meum
Exterret animnm noftis horrendae fopor.
SEN. Quse vifa portent, eflfer in medium, metus. 440
ANDR. Partes fere nox alma tranfierat duas,
Clarumque feptem verterant ftellse jugum:
Ignota tandein venit affii(5lae quies,
Brevifque feffis fomnus obrepfit genis;
Si fomnus ille eft mentis attonitse ftupor; 445
Cum fubito noftros He(fl;or ante oculos ftelit:
Non qualis ultro bella in Argivos ferens,
Grajas petebat facibus Idaeis rates;
Nee casde multa qualis in Danaos furens
Vera ex Achille fpolia fimulato tulit. 450
Non ille vultus flammeum intendens jubar,
of Achilles creaking with a tremendous sound, as it

trembled with the weight of Hector, as he was being
dragged round the walls! Then down-trodden overcome
I bore whatever came next, with my senses completely
fone, benumbed and petrified by my calamities, and then
felt, as if I could have followed my Hector, as a volun-
tary captive to the Greeks, unless this little son had not
held me back bit was he who calm ed down my_demented
feelingand fo~rbade_me_-to_die,-aiMkujs he^wJiD-ôw
forcesIjLgirto asfe-êmething from the unwillin g-ffods.
time has added to my misery he it is, who hasrelieved
iaejofagreat portion of my misfortune 5- enabled me to
jear n^mngj although every thing around is void of an
auspicious outlook things are dreadful, from whatever
Lines 417-451] TROADES. 3S7
source they flow, but it is painfully wretched to have to

fearj when one is not able to hold out the encouragement
of any hope to oneself 1
o. M. What fear creeping upon thee, has moved thee

thuSj in thy affliction?
ANDR. Some greater calamity;_is_likelyiCL,aiisfi.ut_of_

_the_oii, wEtclns" alresdT^levous enough, not yet "has
The fate of Troy been done withl
o. M. And what deity, even ifhe wills to do so, wiU

find out what that calamity is to be?
ANDR. The entrances to the Stygian depths and the dark

caves of Pluto's kingdom are now open, and lest any fear
should not be felt by the conquered ones, as to their fate,
enemies hidden down in the lowest depths of Hell, make
their appearance, and walk the earth and is there no
retrogression left for any one, only for the Greeks. Jieatii_
(is certainly an established fact for all and ^nejjgxJKersaJ
JeiToEZinYaaS-_apjl..jtro^ every^^^TipjanZISSej- (the
appearance of Achilles) buTmy sieep'oriast night, horrible
to relate, frightens my mind in a peculiar way (her fright-
ful dream.)
o. M. What visions have inspired thee with such alarm,

put me in possession of their nature.
ANDR. The had just completed

night, that tender mother,
her second (The Greeks divided the nights into three
vigil 1
vigils the Romans into four and our nautical reckoning,

first, middle and morning watches, traces its origin to
the Greeks) and the seven constellations of Arctic Boreas
had not yet reversed the brilliant chariot (Callisto and
Areas), at last, sleep, which is such a stranger to the
wretched, supervened, and a short slumber visited my
we^ry eyelids; when! suddenly, Hector stood before my
eyes (in my sleep), not, however, as he was waging war
v/ith the Greeks with such determination, and went so
eagerly in search for the Grecian ships, with burning
torches from the forests of Ida, nor such as he was when
raging against the Greeks, he took veritable spoils [namely
his life, from the sham Achilles (Patroclus) accoutred with
the arms of Achilles, whom he tried to resemble^Hector
slew him], and not with that countenance which looked
like a flashing meteor, but a weary and cast-down ex-
pression and worn out with weeping, but still like my
own dear Hectorhis head though covered with slovenly
358' SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 4S=!-49=
Sed feffus ac dejedlus, & fletu gravis,

Similifque noftro, fquallida obtecftus coma.
Juvat tamen vidiffe. turn quaffans caput,
Difpelle fomnos, inquit, & natum eripe, 455
O fida conjux. lateat. hsec una eft falus.
Omitte fletus. Troja quod cecidit, gemis?
Utinam jaceret total feftina. amove
Quocunque noftrae parvulam ftirpem domus.
Mihi gelidus horror ac tremor fomnum excutit, 460
Oculofque nuac hue pavida, nunc illuc ferens,
Oblita nati, mifera quasfivi Hedlorem.
Fallax per ipfos umbra complexus abit
O nate, magni carta progenies patris,
Spes una Phrygibus; unica affliilae domus, 465
Veterifque foboles fanguinis nimium incliti,
Nimiumque patri fimilis: hos vultus mens
Habebat Heiftor. talis inceflu fuit,
Habituque talis, fic tulit fortes manus.
Sic celfus humeris, fronte fic torva minax, 470
Cervice fufam dimpans lata comam.
O nate, fero Phrygibus, at matri dto,
Eritne tempus illud, ac felix dies,
Quo Troici defenfor & vindex foli,
Recidiva ponas Pergama, & fparfos fuga 475
Gives reducas? nomen & patriae fuum,
Phrygibufque reddas? Sed mei fati memor,
Tam magna timeo vota. quod captis fat eft,
Vivamus. heu me, quis locus fidus meo
Erit timorif quave te fede occulam? 480
Arx ilia pollens opibus & muris Deflm,
Gentes per omnes clara, & invidise capax,
Nunc pulvis altus. ftrata funt flamma omnia, ^
Supereftque vafta ex urbe ne tantum quidem

Quo lateat infans. quern locum firaudi legam? 485
Eft tumulus ingens conjugis cari facer,
Verendus hofti mole quem immenfa parens
;
Opibufque magnis ftruxit, in lu(5lus fuos

Rex non avarus. optime credam patri.
Sudor per artus frigidus totos cadit. 490
Omen tremifco mifera feralis loci.
SEN. Hc caufa multos una ab interitu arcuit,
locks; oh! it did delight me, whatever his condition was,

to see him ; then nodding his head, he said Rouse thyself :
from thy sleepy mood, and without delay, seize upon our
son and put him in some place of concealment this is
our only safety Leave off thy weeping. Dost thou grieve
I
because Troy has fallen I wish that it had fallen through

and through. Hasten, remove the little representative of our
Liits 4Si'-49] TROADES. 359
dynasty, wherever he may be. A cold chill and shivering

shook me out of my sleep one minute, I cast my eyes
in one place, then shifted them to another; bewildered,
and forgetting all about my son, I in my misery, craved
for Hector again, and then the delusive apparition eluded
my embraces. Ohl my son, the veritable progeny of an
illustrious father the one hope is left to the Trojans, and
the solitary one of our afflicted Dynasty, the offspring of
an exceedmgly ancient race, and of a wonderfully strong
resemblance to his father My Hector possessed thy
features exactly thy walk is like his was, and the general
manner and style, the same as his and like thee, my
Hector had a powerful frame,, like thee a lofty carriage
and just the same commanding expression on his deter-
mined face, and like thee, wearing his hair gracefully hang-
ing down over his broad shoulders! Oh! my son! too late
to be an aid and defence to thy country; and too soon for
me, as thou art now the source of anxiety and solicitous
fears! Will ever that time arrive and that lucky day be
seen when as the avenger and defender of the Trojan
soil, when thou wilt raise up Pergamus again out of its
ruins and summon back its exiled subjects (wherever they
may be),, and restore to the Trojans their country and
all their ancient renown IBut, although thoroughly alive
as to what my. own fate will be ultimateljj, and alfliough
I dread to wish for too much, and what is thought quite
sufficient for captives to expect, I must say, let our lives
be spared to us ! Ah me what place is to be depended
! 1
upon, to conceal the object of my

anxiety (her son) ? in
what nook shall I hide my
son? that citadel^ once so
proud in its jnilitaryr^Qycsgg, and the fortifTcatiohsbtiilir
"Dy TKe~Goc[s (NeptuneaSd Ap3Io5; its renown acknow- -
ledged by every nation, and me envy of every country,

is now nothing but dust_an<iruins, and the ddbris is
"sSttereaâbSBt;" ffie~w'6f!c of the flames
! Does there not
remain indeed a single place in this vast city, which I
can single out to assist me in my scheme of conceal-
ment? Yes! There is a huge tomb, sacred to the memory
of our dear Hector, who struck very terror into his ene-
mies, which his father Priam, who was not a grasping
monarch, built with great pains, and at an enormous ex-
pensCj as a monument of his deep sorrow. A cold sweat
breaks out over my entire body, and in my misery I
shudder at the bad omen naturally suggested by .such a
mournful place!
o. M. When it has been given out that people have

perished, such a reason alone has rescued many from
the fate of a real burial.
Credi periiffe. ANDR. Vix fpei quidquam eft fuper.

Grave pondus ilium, magna nobilitas, premit.
SEN. Ne prodat aliquis, amove teftes doll. 495
ANDR. Si quseret hoiflis? SEN. Urbe in eyerfa periit.
ANDR. Quid proderit latuifle redituro in manus ?
SEN. ViJlor feroces impetus primes habet.
ANDR, Quid? quod latere fine metu magno nequit?
SEN. Mifer occupet praefidia, fecurus legat. S*-'^
ANDR. Quis te locus, quae regio fedudla, invia
Tuto reponet? quis feret trepidis opem?
Quis proteget? qui femper, etiam nunc tuos,
Heflor, tuere; conjugis furtum piae
Serva, & fideli cinere vi(flurum excipe. 5S
Succede tumulo, nate. quid retro fugisj
Turpefque latebras fpemis? agnofco iudolem.
Pudet timere. fpiritus magnos fuga,
Animofque veteres. fume q;uos cafus dedit.
En intuere, turba quae fimus fuper, 510
Tumulus, puer, captiva cedendum eft mails.
San<5tas parentis conditi fedes, age,
Aude fubire. fata fi miferos juvant,
Habes falutem. fata ii vitam negant,
Habes fepulcrum. SEN. Clauftra commiffum tegunt. 515
Quern ne tuus producat in medium timor,
Procul hinc recede, teque diverfam amove.
ANDR. Levi us folet timere, qui propius timet.
Sed, fi placet, referamus hinc alio pedem.
SEN. Cohibe parumper ora, queftufque opprime. 520
Greflus nefandos dux Cephallenum admovet.
ANDR. Dehifce tellus, tuque conjux ultimo
Specu revulfam fcinde tellurem, & Stygis
Sinu profundo conde depofitum meum,
Adeft Ulyffes; & quidem dubio gradu 525
Vultuque. ne6iit peftore aftus callidos.
ANBR. There appears to me scarcely any hope, except

this plan.
o. M. Lest any one should make the discovery, remove

all traces of the deception.
ANDR. If an enemy should search for my son.
o. M. Then say, he perished amidst the ruins of Troy.
ANDR. Of what use will it be to have him in concealment,

if he is only likely to fall into the hands of our enemies?
o. M. It is only in their first transports of anger, that

conquerors are cruel.
Lines 493-^26] TROADES. 361
ANDR. What was that thou didst say? that one could
remain hidden without great causes for alarm I
o. M. The wretched outcast, as a candidate for conceal-

ment, puts up with the best thing he can get; whilst he
who has any cause for fear of being discovered, can
select at will his own place.
ANDR. Oh what place of security will receive thee, my

1
son! What secluded inaccessible spot? Who will protect

us? Oh Hector, who always defended thy country now
I
take care of thy own son, take him into thy watchful keep-
ing, this secret of thy affectionate wife, and receive him
to make him safe by the side of thy remains Come, get
!
into the tomb, my son, why dost thou start back and
shun the odious darkness? I recognise thy noble strain.
J."!hau._art ashamed to show feaj,_jiut_banisk, th y pr oud
jpirit,..j,ndrTMnKTt5;;;mQSIjoFmy former lotTmit taEgJ"
what chaScFHaTgivenjis. Loo arouHHTê fKecompany
we coMSTii!eTuit aSove the tomb, the son, and the cap-
tive mother, we_must yield to_our misfortunes come, ;
have the courage TS^SStenKTs sanctifiiE3~"resting-place, if~^

the Fates are inclined to be merciful to the miserable we (-
shall be safe, if the Fates' deny thee thy life, here is a T
sepulchre ready for thee I
>-* - .j'^^^
..Ajt-a
o. M. interior of the tomb now hides what we

The
have committed to it, to the discovery of whom, no fears
of thine should contribute. Move from here to some
.
distance, get away in some sort of disguise 1
ANDR.One is apt to hav6 one's fears lessened, if one

is near at hand to the object of our anxiety, but if thou
thinkest it a more prudent plan I wiU betake myself to
some other locality.
O. M. Speak low for just a little time, and don't look as if

thou hadst been weeping; check thy moaning, the general
of the Cephallenes (the Cephallenes were a contingent
of the Grecian forces), Ulysses, is wending his dreaded
way towards us.
ANDR. Ohl Earth! gape open, and thou. Hector, my
husband, make thy exit, from the lowermost cave of hell,
and carve for thyself a road through the divided Earth
and hide in the deep bed of the Styx, what I have here
deposited for safety (our son). Ulysses is coming, and
indeed, judging by his walk and expression of face, he is
planning in his mind some cunning, crafty work.
:
DL. Dura minifter fortis, hoc primum peto,

Ut ore quamvis yerba dicantur meo,
Non effe credas noftra. Grajorum omnium
Procerumque vox eft, petere quos feras domos 530
He(5loi'ea foboles prohibet. banc fata expetunt,
Sollicita Danaos pads incerlse fides
Semper femper a tergo timor
tenebit,
Refpicere coget, arma nee poni finet,
Dum Phiygibus animos natus everfis dabit, 535
Andromacha. ANDR. Vefter augur hoc Calchas canit?
UL. Et fi taceret augur hsec Calchas, timeu
Dicebat Hedtor, cujus & ftirpem horreo.
Geuerofa in ortus femina exfurgunt fuos.
Sic ille magni parvus armenti comes, 54
Primifque nondum cornibus findeos cutem,
Cervice fubito celfus, & fronte arduus,
Gregem palernum ducit, ac pecori imperat,
Quae tenera csefo virga de trunco ftetit,
Par ipfa matri tempore exiguo fubit, 545
Umbrafque terris reddit, & coelo nemus.
Sic male relidlus igne de magno cinis
Vires refumit. eft quidem injuftus dolor
Rerum seftimator: fi tamen tecum exigas,
Veniam dabis, quod bella poft hiemes decern, 550
Totidemque meffes jam fenex miles timet,
Aliafi;[ue clades nirfus, ac nunquam bene
Trojam jacentem. magna res Danaos movet,
Futuras Hedlor. libera Grajos metu.
Haec una naves caufa deduflas tenet; 555
Heic claffis hasret. neve crudelem putes,
Quod forte jufTus Heifloris natum petam
Petiflem Oreftem. patere, quod vicSor lulit.
ANDR. Utinam quidem effes, nate, materna in manu,
Noflemque, quis te cafus ereptura mihi 560
UL. As the representative of a difficult task I ask before-

hand, that I may be distinctly understood, that although
what I say may be spoken by myself, personally I am
the representative voice of entire Greece, and those kings
and princes and those senior in military command. My
duty, then, is to look out for any of the children of Hec-
tor, which hinder them from returning to their homes
already left behind too long. This the Fates absolutely
demand, an anxious dread of doubtful peace will always
possess the minds of the Greeks, fear will always lead
them to entertain a retrospective doubt as to the dura-
bility of their successes. Therefore, Andromache, whilst a
son of the house of Priam lives, he will animate the
spirit of the Trojans, and thus would not permit of our
arms being laid aside!
Lines 57-56o] TROADES. ,
3^3
ANDR. Does thy oracle chant his notes in that key?
UL. And if Calchas, our oracle, could be perfectly silent

on these matters, the very existence of a Hector has spoken
sufficiently to the same effect (this speaking is figurative
only), whose race I dread even now, for his lofty traits of
character are bound to show themselves in his offspring,
just in the same way, that the stripling from out of the
mighty herd (the young bull-calf) the skin of whose fore-
head the rudimentary horns have not yet broken through,
but which stripling in a short time, shows himself
with stalwart shoulderSj and with his determined aspect
assumes the patriarchal protection of the herd and the
rest of the fiock dares not to say "Nay" (commands
the herd) in the same way, too, that the tender twig,
which was once a part of some felled tree, comes to
be the counterpart of its parent, in a short time, and
throws its extended shade on the earth around, and as a
proud representative of the forest seeks its way aspiringly
upwards towards the skies And thus it would be a
I
_
dangerous oudook, if a single cinder were left to

resume the power and kindle afresh the dimensions of
another conflagration Grief and fear are often times
1
the competent appraisers of real facts and possibilities!

but if our exigencies point to such a view of the case,
and if thou dost rightly consider all these things, thou
wilt pardon me, when I frankly tell thee as an old soldier,
I dread, after having gone through a military campaign,
during ten winters and ten summers, a renewal of hostilities,
a fi-esn accession of slaughter, and whilst for some time,
Troy has been lying restful and quiet, for some grand
event to startle the Greeks, and some future Hector to
appear on the scene No I say, rid the Greeks of such
1 I
an apprehension as this, and that is one of the reasons,

which is now hindering our ships from starting away,
and thus, forsooth, the fleet is kept lingering herel And
therefore thou must not deem me cruel, because, acting
according to my mission, I ask for this son of Hector's.
I sliaBl!jiêr^_siDiiIac_c3rcumsta^^ li'^.ve demanded^
'Jr^tesl2S3~ffom his_own fSEer~ffpSi^mnoH=êre'
forebear paBenEly~'whaf~The" cdhqiier5r"^Tras decreedT"
ANDROMACHE (trying to put Ulysses off the scenf).
I wish, indeed. Oh my
! son, I would thou wast still a nurs-
ling in thy mother's arms, and I could have been told what
calamitous fate would hold thee in captivity, when thou
wert taken from me, or to what region of the earth even;
and if my breast were pierced with all the combined
Teneret, aut quae regio. non hoftilibus

Confoffa telis peftus, aut vinclis manus
Secantibus praeftrifta, non acri latus
Utmmque flamma cincflaj maternam fidem.
Unquam exuiffem. nate, quis te nunc locus, 5^5
Fortuna quae poffedit? errore avio
Vagus arva luftras? vaftus an patriae vapor
Corripuit artus? fsEVus an vi(5tor tuo
Lufit cniore? numquid immanis ferae
Morfu peremptus pafcis Idaeas aves? 570
UL. Siraulata remove verba, non facile ell tibi
Decipere Ulyflem. vicimus matrum dolos,
Etiatn Dearum. caffa confilia amove.
Ubi natus eft? ANDR. Ubi Hedlor? ubi cundli Phryges?
Ubi Priamus? unum qnaeris. ego quaero omnia. 575
UL. Coacfia diceSj fponte quod fari abnuis.
ANDR. Tuta eft. perire quae poteft, debet, cupit.
UL. Magnifica verba mors prope admota excutit.
ANDR. Si vis, Ulyffe, cogere Andromacham metu,
Vitam minare. nam mori votum eft mihi. 580
UL. Verberibus, igni, morte, cruciatu, eloqui
Quodcunque celas, adiget invitam dolor,
Et peflore imo coudila arcana eruet.
Neceffitas plus poffe, quam pietas, folet.
ANDR. Propone ftammas, vulnera, & diras mail 585
Doloris artes, & famem, & faevam fitlm,
Variafque peftes undique, & ferrum inditum
Vifceribus uftis, carceris casci luem,
Et quidquid audet vidlor iratus, tumens:
Animofa nuUos mater admittit metus. 590
UL. .Stulta eft fides, celare quod prodas ftatim.
Hie quo nunc contumax perftas, amor,
ipfe,
Confulere parvis liberis Danaos monet.
Poft arma tam longinqua, poft aunos decern.
Minus timerem quos facit Calchas melus, 595
Si mihi timerem. bella Telemacho paras.
darts of the enemy, or if my hands were bound around

tight with the cutting chains (cutting on account of the
tightness), or if both my sides were surrounded by the
cruel flames, I should never have abandoned my maternal
love and watchfulness over thee IOhl my son, what
place is affording thee a shelter, what has designing
Fortune done with thee? Art thou a wanderer over the
pathless plains, not knowing what to do ? Or have the over-
whelming flames, which consumed thy country, included
thee? Or has some cruel conqueror been trifling with
thy precious blood? I wonder, too, whether killed by
the oite of some large wild beast, thy remains have
afforded a repast to the birds of prey on Mount Ida?
?;
Lines si-S9] TROADES. 3^5
UL. Away with such dissembling talk; it is not an easy

thing to deceive an Ulysses, for I have worsted many a
tricky matron, and for that matter, Goddesses even, that
have been bent on cajoling me, therefore be persuaded
by me, do abandon at once those futile attempts Where 1
is thy son
Astyanax?
ANDR. Thou mightest with equal reason, ask me. Where
is Hector? Where is Priam? Where are all the Trojans
Thou art simply asking about one out of that number
I am doing the same thing, as regards all of them.
UL. When the screw is applied thou wilt be compelled

to speak and disclose what thou art now refusing to do
voluntarily 1
ANDR. That woman, who can, who ough t and who wishM _
to^ die is quite safe (whatever thy^threats inay imply).
UL. When death comes quite close to thee, it will

shake to the winds all this grandiloquent verbiage 1
ANDR.If thou desirest, Ulysses, to coerce Andromache

with threats, and to threaten her Hfe, have I not said, it
is a wish of mine to die.
UL. The pain arising from stripes, the cautery, tortures,

and certain death to follow on, in case of refusal, will force
thee, however unwilling, to speak out, whatever thou art
wishing to keep back, and drag out from the very depths
of thy soul thy hidden secrets. Compulsion is apt to be
far more efficacious than any pious resolves!
ANDR. Threaten me with the -flames, wounds and all the

horrible inventions of diabolical cruelty ; starvation, unen-
durable thirst, every species of loathsome pestilence
surrounding me at all sides, and the red-hot swords
piercing my burning entrails, the deadly gloom of the
dark dungeon, and whatever else an angry conqueror,
swelling with rage, could inflict upon me,-âS;:aôurageous^
jngther, I do not recognize any fear!
Thy reticence is foolish, to keep back what thou so
UL.
soon wilt have to bring to light. This very strong affec-
tion of thine, in which thou art so persistent, and even
contumacious, urges the Greeks more and more, to attach
importance to the existence of those little children After
ten years of war, at such a distance from one's own
country, I should fear less the apprehensions which Calchas
has adduced, if I feared for myself only, but thou art
only paving the way for a continuation of the war, to be
carried on by my son Telemachus.
1
366 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 597-63^
ANDR. Invita Ulyffigaudium ac Danais dabo.

Dandum eft fatere,quos premis luftus, dolor.
Gaudete, Atridae; tuque Isetifica, ut foles, '
^
Refer Pelafgis. Hedloris proles obiit. 'a;.
600
UL. Et effe verum hoc qua probas Danais fide?
ANDR. Ita quod minari maximum vi(lor poteft,
CoDtirigat,\& me fata* maturo exitu
Facilique fblvant, ac meo condant folo,
Et patria tell us Hecftorem leviter premat; 605
Ut luce caret, ut inter exftinftos jacet,
Datufque tumulo debita exanimis tulit.
UL. Expleta fata ftirpe fublata Hecftoris,
Solidamque pacem laetus ad Danaos feram,
Quid agis, Ulyfle.' Danaidae credent tibi? 610
Tu cui? parenti fingit an quifquam hoc parens,
Nee abominandffi mortis aufpicium pavet?
Aufpicia metuunt, qui nihil majus timent.
Fidem alligavit jurejurando fuam.
Si pejerat, timere quid gravius potefl? 615
Nunc advoca aftus, anime; nunc fraudes, dolos,
Et totum Ulyffem. Veritas nunquam perit.
Scrutare matrem. moeret, illacrimat, gemit,
Et hue & illuc anxios greflus refert,
MiiTafque voces aure follicita excipit. 620
Magis hsec timet, quam moaret. ingenio eft opus.
Alios parentes alloqui in luftu decet:
Tibi gratulandum eft, mifera, quod nato cares,
Quem mors manebat fseva, preecipitem datum.
E turre, lapfis fola quae muris manet. 625
ANDR. Me liquit animus, membra quatiunlur, labant,
Torpetque vinftus frigido fanguis gelu.
UL En ti-emuit. hac, hac parte quaerenda eft mihi.
Matrem timer detexit, iterabo metum.
Ite, ite, celeres, fraude matema abditum 630
Hoftem Pelafgi nominis, p'eflem ultimam,
Ubicunque latitat, erutam in medium date.
ANDR. I will give news to Ulysses and the Greeks-

must make up my mind Confess, oh! my anguished soul,
what thy grief has kept back! Rejoice, oh! ye Greeks!
and thou, Ulysses, as thou art their customary mouth-
piece, tell it to the Pelasgi (the Greeks) the offspring of
Hector is dead!
UL. And by what token will the Greeks believe this

to be true?
ANDR. In this way, as great an evil as any conqueror

could possibly threaten may happen, and the Fates may
release me from off this mortal coil by an easy and speedy
death, and bury me in my own native soil, lest I should

be carried away as a captive, and my native earth will press
lightly or Hector, whilst my son is dead (deprived of
light) an lies amongst the abodes of the departed, and
who, be; g handed over to the tomb, has only offered
what was due from sad mortality I
UL. The Fates are now satisfied the race of Hector

;
being extinct: I shall only be too glad to hold out to die

Greeks, the prospects of a substantial peace (to himself).
What art thou now proposing, Ulysses ? Dost thou believe
the parent? But could any parent dissemble in this
manner? and does not she fear the presages of a death,

greatly to be dreaded ? People usually fear these presages
(omens) when they fear nothing else, and she has bound

herself by the sacred obligations of an oath If she is
perjuring herself, what more dreadful consecjuences could
a woman fear? Now let me, my good genius, so advise
me, use all my powers of stratagem! Now let me have
recourse to deception and trickery, to arrive at the truth,
for my own purpose, and let tflysses be the very con-

centration of Ulysses the truth never can be anything
but the truth 1Let me watch that mother closely She 1
grieves, she weeps she steps here, and she steps there,
m a very confused and anxious manner, and she pricks
up her ears as one is speaking, so as not to lose a single
word one utters, and my impression is, she is more under
the influence of fear than of griefthere is need therefore
for all my ingenuity; it will be desirable to pretend, and
to speak of other parents as it were, in a similar condition
of grief (Aloud) Well, oh miserable Andromache I think I
! ! !
must congratulate theel Why

dost thou seem to want
thy son so much, for whom such a cruel death was waiting,
as to be thrown headlong from a tower, the only tower
which is now left to the walls of Troyl
ANDR. My courage has forsaken me, my limbs shake with

dread, they sink from under me, and my circulation is
torpid with the inward cold which freezes up my blood.
UL. (Aside) Ah she is frightened I must persevere with

I 1
my plan, laying stress upon this this part of the enquiry

Fear has betrayed the mother, I have forced her hand.
I wiU try again working upon her fears. (Aloud) Gol
Gol Attendants hasten thy steps, hand me over, and
bring to view, when he has been ferreted out from where
he is being hidden, the enemy of the Grecian cause our
last trouble has been secreted by his mother's artifice!
Well done! Here he isj persevere, make haste bring
Bene eft. tenetur. perge, feftina, attrahe.

Quid refpicis, trepidafque! jam certe peril.
ANDR. Utinam timerem! folitus ex longo eft metus. 635
Dedifcit animus fero, quod didicit diu.
0L. Luftrale quoniam debitum muris puer
Sacrum anteceffit; nee poteft vatem fequl
Meliore fato raptus: hoc Calchas ait
Mode piari poffe redituras rates, 640
Si placet undas He<5loris fparfi cinis,
Ac tumulus imo totus sequetur folo.
Nunc ille quoniam debitam effugit necem,
Erit admovenda fedibus facris manus.
ANDR.. Quid agimus? animum diftrahit geminus timor: 645
Hinc natus, iUinc conjugis cari cinis.
Pars utra vincet? teftor immites Decs,
Deofque veros, conjugis manes mei,
Non aliud, Heftor, in meo nato milil
Placere, quam te. vivat, ut poffit tuos 650
Referre vultus. prorutus tumulo cinis
Mergetur.' offa flu6libus fpargi fmam
Disjedla vaftis? potius hie mortem oppetat.
Poteris nefandse deditum mater neci
Videre? poteris celfa per faftigia 655
Miffum rotari? potero. perpetiar. feram,
Dum non meus poft fata viiloris manu
Jadletur Heiflor. hid fuam peenam poteft
Sentire; at ilium fata jam in tuto locaut.
Quid flufluaris? ftatue, quem posnse extrahas. 660
lagrata, dubitas? He<5lor eft illic tuus.
EiTas. utrinque eft He(5lor. hie fenfus potens,
Forfan futurus ultor exftin<5li patris.
Utrique parci non poteft. quidnam facis?
Serva e duobus, anime, quem Danai timent. 665
UL. Refponfa peragam. funditus bufta eruam.
ANDR. Quse vendidiftis? UL. Pergam, & e fummo aggere
Traham fepulcra. ANDR. Ccelitum appello fidem,
Fidemque Achillis. Pyrrhe, genitoris tui
Munus tuere. UL. Tumulus hie campo ftatim 670
him here (Ulysses is saying_ all this, watching the face of

I
Andromache; then addressing her) Why dost thou look

behind thee? Why dost thou tremble so? surely, it is
true thy son has perished?
ANDR wish I could fear my ordinary reason for
I
fear is away, the mind dismisses from itself, in the
far
course of time, what may have possessed it even over
the longest period 1
UL. Since thy son has anticipated the expiatory sacrifice

due to the walls (the tower), nor can any one who has
been taken away by a better fate follow the decrees of
aI ,
LiDcs 633-670] TROADES. 369
any prophet; Calchas says, the ships will be allowed to

return, if expiation be afforded in the following manner:
if the ashes of Hector, that are scattered about, De thrown
into the sea, and the entire tomb levelled to the ground,
from the very depths of it, the Fates will then be ap-
peased. Now since thy son has eluded the kind of death
rnarked out for him, our operations shall forthwith be
directed to the demolition of the sacred tomb where
Hector rests I
ANDR. What shall I do? A two-fold fear distracts my

mind. Here is the son there are the ashes of my dear
Hector which alternative shall influence me the more ?
:
call to witness the cruel gods
the just gods and the Manes
of my husband There is nothing. Hector, in my son that
pleases me more than thyself, let him live that he may
reproduce thy looks; but what then, shall thy ashes be
removed from the tomb, and sunk amongst the waves?
Shall I let thy bones be cast into the vasty deep? No,
the son must undergo death, rather But can I, the
I
miserable mother see my son given up to such an impious

death as the one in store for him? Can I see him
whirled in the air and sent headlong from a lofty tower?

Yesl I can bear it I will bear it I will suffer for it
hereafter, so that my dear Hector after death be not
tossed about as a sport by the hands of a conqueror 1
This son may feel his punishment; Ohl ungrateful Andro-

mache that I ami Why do I hesitate thus? Whilst thy
Hector is where he isl I am only rambling now, whyl
a Hector is on each side of me The son is living
1
power and perhaps ma!y live to be the future avenger

1
of his dead father. I cannot be the means of sparmg

both, what then am I the more inclined to do? Let me
reserve that one^ 01 my soul, which the Greeks fear the
mostl
UL. Let us strictly follow out the oracular decree let

us thoroughly clear out the tomb I
ANDR. What! take possession of what thou hast soldi
UL. We
shall push on with our task, and drag forth
the contents of the sepulchre from its lowermost strata!
ANDR. Iappeal to the honor of the Gods and the

good faithof Achilles. Ohl Pyrrhus, throw protection
over the gifts of thy father.
UL. The tomb shall be immediately distributed over
the entire surface of the adjoining plain.
24
Toto jacebit. andr. Fuerat hoc prorfus nefas

Danais inaufum, templa violallis, Deos
Etiam faventes. bufta tranfierat furor.
Refillam. ioermes offeram armatis manus.
Dabit ira vires, qualis Argolicas ferox 675
Turmas Amazon ftravit; aut qualis Deo
Percuffa Maenas, entheo filvas gradu
Armata thyrfo terret, atque expers fui
Vulnus dedit, nee fenfit; in medios ruam,
Tumuloque ciaeris focia defeufo cadam. 680
UL. Ceffatis? & vos flebilis clamor movet,
Furorque calTus feminse? juffa ocius
Peragite. andr. Me, me ftemite heic ferro prius.
Repellor? lieu me! rumpe fatorum moras.
Molire terras. Hedlor, ut Ulyffem domes. 685
Vel umbra fatis eft. arma concuffit manu.
Jaculatur ignes. cernitis, Dauai, Heftorem?
An fola video? UL. Funditus cuadla erue.
ANDR. Quid aglsf ruina mater & natum & virum
Profternis una. forfitan Danaos prece 690
Placare poteris. conditum elidet ftatim
Immane bufti pondus. intereat mifer
Ubicunque potius, ne gater natum obruat,
Prematque patrem natiis. ad genua acciô
Supplex, Ulyffe, quamque nullius pedes 695
Novere dextram, pedibus admoveo tuis.
Miferere matris, & preces placidus pias
Patienfque recipe; quoque te celfum altius
Superi levarunt, mitius lapfos preme.
Mifero datur quodcunque, foi-tunae datur. 700
Sic te revifat conjugis fanAs torus,
Annofque, dum te recipit, extendat fuos
Laertal Co te juvenis excipiat tuus,
Et vota vincens veftra felici indole,
.tate avum tranfcendat, ingenio patrem! 705
ANDR. Hitherto, such an impious deed has never been

attempted bj the Greeks ; thou hast violated the sanctity of
the temple, msulting the gods vifho have ever been favorable
to thy cause, and thy madness has not even permitted
thee to respect the sacred tomb of the departed II will
resist thee I will oppose with all my weaponless strength
thy armed force my anger will afford me artificial power,
;
and in the same way that the ferocious Amazon, Pen-

thesilea, routed the Argolic battalions, or, in the same
manner, that the Maenad (Agave), urged on by the inspi-
rations of the God (Bacchus), terrified the entire forest,
as she madly rushed on, armed with her thyrsus, and not
being in her right mind at the time, inflicted wounds
right and left upon every one she encountered, and then
!
forgot all about what she had done, when the paroxysm
of her excitement was over I will rush into thy midst,
I
and as the tutelary companion of the venerated ashes

yonder, I will fall in the defence of that tomb 1
ULYSSES Cto those who have been told off to

destroy the tomb').
Now, then, why art thou thus delaying the operations?

and does a weeping noise like that, work upon thy sym-
pathies, and the foolish ravings of a woman affect thee?
Go on quickly with my orders.
ANDR. Stab me oh, stab me first with thy sword am I
I 1
really defeated? Ah mel Hector! set at naught and break

I
through this delay of the Fates Attempt a visit to this

I
earth, that thou mayst check this Ulysses,, thy Ghost will
be enough 1 Hearl Hector is now rattlmg his weapons
in his hands, and is scattering abroad his torches again
(seeking to fire the ships). Do
ye not see Hector, on ye
Greeks! am I the only one, who sees him? (This said
during an attack of hysterical delirium.)
ULYSSES (to attendants).
Bring forth every thing, from the lowest foundations.
ANDROMACHE (addressing herself).
What am I doing? I, a mother, scattering pell-mell, in

One common ruin a son and a husband! Perhaps I can
pacify the Greeks with entreaties the immense weight of;
that tomb will kiU that hidden treasure, my son be it

how it may, he will have to perish, but which shall I
rather choose? Shall the father be caused to crush the
son, or the son to fall upon the ashes of the father? I
approach thee, Ulysses, as a suppliant, at thy feet, I have
never ere this shown obeisance to mortal man. Ulysses 1
pity a mother! patiently and mercifully Hsten to her pious

supplications! Although as the Gods above have raised
thee still higher, already exalted (as thou wert) visit (on
that account) with greater kindness, those that are fallen
low! Whatsoever is granted to the miserable by thee, is
a score in thy favor as a claimant at the hands of fate
Thus when thou joyfully shalt revisit the couch of thy
pure and expectant wife Penelope, longing, for thy return,
may thy father Laertes, when he receives thee, feel that
years are being added to his life, and in like manner,
(touched by such prosperity) may thy son greet thee and
372 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines joe-j^x
Miferere matris. unicum affliflse mihi

Solamen hoc eft. UL. Exhibe natum, & roga.
ANDR. Hue e latebris procede tuis,
Flebile matris furtum miferae.
Hie puer, hie eft terror, Ulyffe, 710
Mille cannis. Submitte manus,
Dominique pedes fupplice dextra
Stratus adora: nee tmrpe puta,
Quidquid miferos Fortima jubet
Pone ex anlmo reges atavos, 715
Magnique fenis jura per omnes
Inclita terras, excidat Heflor.
Gere captivum; pofitoque genu,
Si tua nondum funera fentis,
Matris fletus imitare turn. 720
Vidit pueri regis lacrimas
Et Troja prior, parvufque minas
Trucis Alcidse Priamus.
flexit
lUe, ille ferox, cujus vaftis
Vinbus omnes ceffere ferae, 725
Qui perfradlo limine Ditis
Caecum retro patefecit iter,
Hoftis parvi viftus lacrimis,
Sufcipe, dixit, recftor, habenas,
Patrioque fede celfus folio, 730
Sed fceptra fide meliore tene.
Hoc fuit illo vidlore capi.
Difcite mites Herculis iras.
An fola placent Herculis arma?
Jacet ante pedes non minor illo 735
Supplice fupplex, vitamque petit.
Regnum Trojae, quocunque volet^
Fortuna ferat.
ULYSSES, ANDROMACHA, ASTYANAX.

Precibus minas & diras mifcet Andromache, Ulyffem orans nee
exorans.
in.. XVaatris quidem me moeror attonitse movet:

Magis Pelafgffi me tamen matres movent, 740
Quarum ifte magnos crefcit in luilus puer.
surpass thy most sanguine aspirations as to the well-

doing of thy oifspring (Telemachus), may he exceed his
grandsire in venerable age and equal his father in all
the noble qualities of heart and mindl
Lines 701S-74O TROADES. 373
UL. Bring out thy son, and then begin with thy en-
treaties.
ANDR. Come hither from thy hiding-place, ohl thou piti-

able stolen secret of a wretched mother! Here, Ulysses is 1
my son here is the way back for thy thousand ships Join
I
thy hands, Astyanax, and prostrated, look up obeisantly

to thy Master; Ho pot rggprH as igfnnrnjpii-iiis JwViaj; fhj^_
Fates havp orHaJTip^f forîg~mJfierji.b1p TYinrtqV|, Put away
from thy thoughts all reminiscences about grandsire kings,
and the glorious surroundings of thy illustrious grand-
father Priam, renowned throughout every land, and let
thy father Hector die out of thy recollection. Put on
the captive and with thy bended knee, and if not as yet
thou understandest what thy death is to be, imitate the
weeping of thy afflicted mother Troy of old, has witnessed
1
the tears of a boy king, and that littie boj, Priam it was,
calmed down the anger of the fierce Alcides (Hercules).
He! he, that formidable conqueror to whose strength
every wild beast every monster, every thing savage or
non-human yielded and forced his way into the dark realms
1
of Pluto and found his way back, being fairly melted by

the tears of his tiny enemy ; he exclaimed : Take up, my
little boy, as ruler, the reins of government, and sit exalted
on thy father's throne but wield the sceptre with stricter
1
fidelity and justice 1 And it was well for him, that he had
been the captive of so noble a conqueror! Profit then,
Ulysses, by this gentle specimen of anger, on the part of
a Hercules. Are the arms of a Hercules the only ones that
can afford to be lenient? Not a less humble suppliant
than the boy Priam, is the suppliant lying at thy feet, and
he is merely asking for his life! (Not to retain the
kingdom.) The Fates will hold in their hands the kingdom
of Troy, in any and every way, they may wish to ordain I
ULYSSES-ANDROMACHE-ASTYANAX.
Andromache mingles curses and threats with her suppli-
cations entreating Ulysses, but not prevailing upon him.
ULYSSES.
THEa anguish of a terrified mother does indeed exercised

certain eflfec* on me, but the Grecian mothers''
grief would tend far more in that direction for the
amount of sorrow that would accrue to them, if that boy
were allowed to grow up!
ANDR. An has ruinas urbis in cinerem datas

Hie excitabit? has manus Trojam erigent?
NuUas habet fpes Troja, fi tales habet.
Non Co jacemus TroEs, ut cuiquam metus 745
Poffimus effe. fpiritus genitor facit?
Sed nempe traAus. ipfe poft Trojam pater
Pofuiffet animos, magna quos frangunt mala.
Si poena petitur, quae peti gravior poteftf
Famulare coUo nohili fubeat jugum. 750
Servire liceat aliquis hoc regi negat?
UL. Non hoc Ulyffes, fed negat Calchas tibi.
ANDR. O machinator fraudis, o fcelerum artifex,
Virtute cujus bellica nemo occidit,
Dolis & aftu maleficae mentis jacent 755
Etiam Pclafgi; vatem &
infontes Deos
Prsetendisf hoc eft pectoris tui,
No<Surne miles, fortis in pueri necem.
Jam folus audes aliquid, & claro die.
UL. Virtus Ulyffis Danaldis nota eft fatis, 760
Nimifque Phrygibus. non vacat vanis diem
Conterere verbis, anchoras claffis legit.
ANDR. Brevem moram largire, dum officium parens
Nato fupremum reddo, & amplexu ultimo
Avidos dolores fatio. UL. Mifereri tui 765
Utinam liceret! quod tamen folum licet,
Tempus moramque dabimus. arbitrio tuo
Implere lacrimis. ftetus serumnas levat.
ANDR. O dulce pignus! o decus lapfss domus!
Summumque Trojas funus! o DanaQm timor! 770
Genitricis o fpes vana! cui demens ego
Laudes parentis bellicas, annos avi
Medios precabar: vota deftituit Deus.
nia'ca non tu fceptra regali potens
Geftabis aula; jura nee populis dabis, 775
ANDR. Would that boy raise again, as if by magic, the

ruins of a city which has already been converted into ashes ?
Would those little hands live to rebuild proud Troy ? Does
Troy hold out no prospects of peace to the Greeks if she
only possesses such an obstacle as this? We
Trojans, are
not so situated, alas! that we can possibly be an object
of fear or apprehension Does a father, as a matter of
1
course, transmit to his son, his own disposition and

martial qualities? But taking for granted about the drag-
ging of Hector round the walls of Troy, did that father,
after Troy's hopes were gone, show such a stubbornness
of disposition, which if he did, ^he great misfortunes
which befell him utterly stamped out. If any punishment
is demanded, surely none needs to be put in requisition.
Now let my son wear the slave's yoke round his noble
necklet him be condemned to life-long servitude! Could

any one deny this to the boy king?
UL Ulysses does not deny thee this, but Calchas does.
ANDR. Ohl thou artful concocter of deceit, oh thpu

fabricator of premeditated wickedness, by whose pretended
military prowess, no one yet was ever defeated, even the
Greeks are at the mercy of thy trickery and ths ninniny
born of thy ev ilge nins. and thPrrftimi prptPnHpgf amL].ay pc"t
aside PVPwttTivnTmiJ^the door of C alchas and the gods
who are quite innocent ot thy vile"machinations This is 1
nothing more than the wickedness arising out of thy own

wicked heart thou nocturnal soldier [This is said 1 the m
deepest contempt, alluding to the undigniiied vocation
of the night companion so-called, as compared with the
nobler one of the regular soldier (see line 38), the duties
of the former being to sneak about at night under the
guise of exploration, and stealing anything they could
find; for example, stealing the tents of Rhesus and Pal-
ladius.] Thou art brave enough as regards the slaughter
of my little boy, by this time thou art able to do any-
thing without a companion and in the broad of dayl
UL. The valor of Ulysses is already known to the Greeks

and too much so to the Trojans, to their costl Really
I cannot spend the day in bandying words, the fleet is
now ready to weigh anchor I
ANDR. Grant a little time, whilst I as a parent, acquit

myself of my final duties to a son, and reward my longmg
grief with a last affectionate embrace.
UL. I wish that I could pity thee I will, however, grant/

thee the time and delay for which thou askest, which/
is perhaps permissible under the circumstances, to ex-j
haust thyself with tears at thy discretion weeping, wel
all know, tpnHc
all V-nmiir tends to allpvlfltf* ffripf.
alleviate grief. I
ANDR. Oh my sweet reminder of former days, oh the

! I
representative glory of a fallen djmasty and the consum-1
ing death of noble Troyl Ohl thou cause of so much

alarm to the Greeks Oh! the frail aspirations of a
1
loving mother! for whose sake I have sighed in my

madness, for the warlike renown of thy father to be re-
newed in thee, and for the middle age of thy grandfather
that is, the prosperity, wealth and power in the Royal
Palaces of Troy thou wilt never administer laws to thy
people, mor wilt thou ever bend the conquered nations
376 SENEcVs TRAGEDIES. [Lines 776-81=
Vi(5lafque gentes fub tuum mittes jugum;

Non Graja caedes terga, non Pyrrhum trahes;
Non anna tenera parva tra<Slabis manu;
Sparfafque paffim faltibus latis feras
Audax fequeris; nee ftato luftri die 780
Solenne referens Troici lufus facrum,
Puer turmas ages:
citatas nobilis
Non inter aras mobili velox pede
Revbcante fiexo concitos comu modos,
Barbarica prifco templa faltatu coles. 785
O morte dira triftius leti genus!
Flebilius aliquid He<ftoris magni nece
Muri videbunt. UL. Rumpe jam fletus parens.
Magnus fibi ipfe non facit finem dolor.
ANDR. Lacrimis, Ulyffe, parva, quam petimus, mora eft. 790
Concede, parvos ut mea condam manu
Viventis oculos. occidis parvus quidem,
Sed jam timendus. Troja te exfpedlat tua.
I, vade liber, liberos Troas vide.
AST. Miferere, mater. ANDR. Quid meos ratines fmus, 795

Manufque matris? calTa prsefidia occupas.
Fremitu leonis qualis audito tener
Timidum juvencus applicat matri latus:
At ille faevus matre fummota leo,
Praedam minorem morfibus vaftis premens 800
Frangit, vehitque: talis e noftro finu
Te rapiet hoftis. ofcula, & fletus, puer,
Lacerofque crines excipe, & plenus mei
Occurre pauca matemse tamen
patri.
Perfer querelas verba: Si manes habent 805
Curas priores, nee perit flammis amor:
Servire Grajo pateris Andromachen jugo,
Crudelis He(5tor? lentus & fegnis jaces?
Rediit Achilles, fume nunc iterum comas,
Et fume lacrimas, quidquid e mifero viri 810
Funere reliflum eft fume, quas reddas tuo
Ofeula parenti. matris banc folatio
to thy yoke thou wilt neyer drag the slaughtered Greek

at the tail of thy war-chariot, thou wilt never avenge thy-
self upon a PjTThus, (for the slaughter of Priam) thou
wilt never wield with those tender hands of thine the arms
of a conqueror and thou wilt never fearlessly track out
I
to their lairs, the wild beasts scattered over the spacious

forests! nor wilt thou as a noble lad assume the chief-
tainship over the select concourse of youths, whilst cele-
brating the solemn ceremonies of the Trojan games (On I
set days, at the expiration of every lustrum, these games

were celebrated by the young Phrygian nobles, mounted
Lints 776-812] ,
TROADES. 377
and Nor wilt thou, before the altars, with nimble

armed.)_
steps, keeping quick time, with the enlivening strains
from the curved trumpet, assist at the worshipping in the
Phrygian temples and joining at the ancient Phrygian
dances (The dances in the temple of Cybele were more
1
exciting than the Doric, Ionic, or Lydian, and partook

more of the character of that of the Bacchanals exciting
the dancers to warfare and inspiring them with fury.)
Ohl this hideous form of annihilation more terrible than
the stings of ordinary death Will the walls of the great
1
Hector ever seek again anything more sorrowful than

this death of my boy?
UL. Now, thou parent, break off with thy weeping, that
great grief of thine betrays no symptoms of a cessation.
A^rDR. Oh I little more delay to relieve myself

Ulysses, a
by weeping, is all I
ask Concede me the privilege of closing
those little orbs with my own hands! (Exclaiming whilst j
she is doing so:) Indeed, thou art dying very young,
but. thou hast already made thy mark in intimidatmg tlie

Greeks thy Troy is waiting for thee (Those that have 1
been killed in battle.) Gol

as a free citizen
depart,
(without the stigma of servitude) go and join the Trojans
where they are free also, but in anbther world 1
AST. Pity me, dear mother.
ANDR. Why dost thou so retain hold of my dress,

Astyanax, and clasp thy mother's hands so tightly thou art
clinging to a very frail prop. In the same way, that the
tender nope of the flock (the young bull) draws his timid
side towards his mother, when he hears the roaring of the
lion, but as that lion, the mother being left alone, fright-
ened away, seizes upon the smaller prey, tears it with
his tremendous fangs and carries it off, so the cruel
enemy is snatching thee from my bosom; take to heart,
these kisses these tears and these rent and dishevelled
locks, and meet thy father with a memory full of thy
mother's love. However, convey a few words by way of
a maternal injunction, if the Ma,nes have not anything of
greater interest to them, and if affection has not been
utterly dissipated by the flames of the funeral pile, will
ever Hector be so cruel as to allow his Andromache to
be handed over as a slave under the Grecian yoke?
Why, Hector, dost thou rest so dull and unconcerned?
Achilles appeared, when he was summoned. Take again
these locks, these tears and whatever is left to me jfrom
the funeral remains of my poor Hector take these kisses.
Relinque veftem. tumulus hano retigit meus,

Manefque cari. quidquid heic cineris latet,
Scrutabor ore. UL. Nullus eft flendi modus. 815
Abripite propere claffis Argolicse moram.
CHORUS T.ROADUM.
Afportandse Troades in varia Grsecia; loca, prout forte Achivis
difpertitse contigerant, in quamcunque tamen Graecise partem
abduci prseoptant, quam in Spartam Mycenas, & Ithacam,
Helense, Agamemnonis, &
Ulyffis patriam.
\^^/vjE vocat fedes habitanda captasf
^
Theflali montes, &
opaca Tempe ?
An viros tellus dare militares

Aptior Phthief meliorque fostu 820
Fortis armenti lapidofa Trachin?
An maris vafti domitrix lolcos?
Urbibus centum fpatiofa Crete?
Parva Gortyne, fterilifque Triccef
An frequeos rufcis levibus Mothone, 825
Quae fub OEtseis latebrofa fdvis
Mifit infeftos Troiae minis
Non femel arcus?
Olenos teftis babitata raris?
Virglnis Pleurbn inimica Divae? 830
An maris lati flnuofa Troezenf
Pelion regnum Prothoi fuperbum,
Tertius coelo gradus? hie recumbens
Montis exefi fpatiofus antro
Jam trucis Chiron pueri magifter, 835
Tinnulas pledlro, feriente chordas,
Tunc quoque ingentes acuebat iras
Bella canendo.
An ferax varii lapidis Caryftos?
An premens litus maris inquieti 840
Semper Euripo properante Chalcis?
Quolibet vento faciles Calydnas?
Ac carens nunquam Gonoefla vento?
Quaeque formidat Borean Enifpef
which thou wilt give to thy parent the tomb and the
Manes of my dear one have been, in contact with it it
is a dear memento I shall salute every part of it with
I
my lips, whatever has been hidden under those ashes.
ULYSSES (io the attendants).

Is there to be no limit to all this weeping? Come quickly,
remove all cause of further delay to ê Argolic Fleet,
'
CHORUS OF TROJANS.
The Trojans are to be conveyed to various parts of
Greece, just as
tl-iey happen to the lot of the Greeks
amongst whom they are to be divided, but to what-
ever part of Greece the allotters wish them to be
taken some to Sparta, some to Mycense, some to
Ithaca, and the countiy of Helen, Agamemnon and
Ulysses.
WHAT
abode of
of place settlement is indicated as the future
the captives? the mountains of Thessaly
and the shady groves of Tempel Or will Phthie
the country of Achilles, and the myrmidons be more
appropriate for the fighting portion of them (liie soldiers
of Troy) or will the stony Trachine be preferred? cele-
brated for its breed of sturdy cattle or lolcos liie country
of Jason, which overlooks a vast expanse of sea, or
spacious Crete, with its hundred cities, or the insignificant
little Gortjrne, (a town of Crete) or Tricce a town of
Thessaly with its scanty herbage, or Mothone abounding
in the graceful holly oak or that city, hidden by the woods
of Oeta which have furnished the deadly bows more than
once for the destruction of Troy, or Olenos, a town of
Elis, boasting of a very limited supply of human habita-
tions or Pleuron, a city of ^tolia, so hateful to that chaste
virgin Diana or Troezene, the country of Theseus, present-
ing a winding coast to the wide sea-board or Pehon, the
proud kingdom of Prothous, the lowest of the three
mountains piled up by the Giants (Pelion, Ossa, Olympus)
here it was, that the huge centaur Chiron, the tutor of
that boy Achilles would lie down in a cave of the di-
lapidated mountain, (Disintegration) and whilst the plectrum
tenderly struck drew forth the tinkling harmonies, and it
was then, in chanting his war songs, as an accompaniment,
that Achilles first became inspired with his fierce warlike
proclivities, or Carystos, one of the Cyclades, noted for
Its variegated marbles, or Chalcis, a city of Eubcea, with
its rapid flowing Euripus, beating against the shores with
its boisterous waves, or the Calydnse, easily approached,
whichever way the wind blew or Gonoessa (in ^tholiae,)
where thou art never without the wind (land and sea
breezes) and Enispe where the blustering Boreas, is an
object of dread, or Peparethus which overlooks the coast
of Attica, or will some find consolation in Eleusis, with
its silent sacred rites ? whether some would prefer Salamis,
which is the true city of Ajax, or Calydon, a city of
^tolia, celebrated for the wild boar sent by Diana, or
whatever lands the Titaressos waters with its sluggish
Attica pendens Peparefhos oraf 845

An facris gaud ens tacitis' Eleufm ?
Numquid Ajacis Salamina veramf
Aut fera notam Calydona feva?
Quafque profundit fubiturus sequor
Segnibus terras Titareffos undis, 850
Beffan & Scarphen? Pylon an fenilem?
Pharin? an Pisam, Jovis & coronis
Elida claram?
Quolibet triftis miferas procella
Mittat, & donet cuicunque terrae: 855
Dum luem tantam Trois atque Achivis
Quse tulit, Spai-te procul abfit: abfit
Argos, & fsevi Pelopis Mycenae;
Neritos parva brevior Zacyntho,
Et nocens faxis Ithaca dolofis. 860
Quod manet fatum, dominusque quis te,
Aut quibns tenis, Hecube, videndam

Ducet? in cujus moriere regno?
ACTUS QUARTUS.
HELENA, ANDROMACHA, HECUBA,
POLYXENA, muta perfona.
Ut manibus Achillis rite peragantur, excogitata ratio eft,
inferlse
qua ut vefte, ita animo affedla maftetur Polyxena.
nuptiali
vid. fupra vers. 360. quae partes dantur Helenas, ut
Polyxenatn la<flet inani fpe nuptiarum cum Pyrrho.
quas ilia prime fimulat, mox Andromachas jurgio
excuffa dolos fatetur, & rem aperte fuadet.
HEL. VyuiCDNQUE hymen funeftus, illaetabilis,
Lamenta, caedes, fanguinem, gemitus habet, 865

Eft aufpice Helena dignus. everfis quoque
Nocere cogor Phrygibus. ego Pyrrhi toros
Narrare falfos jubeor; ego cultus dare,
Habitufque Grajos. arte capietnr mea,
Meaque fraude concidet Paridis foror. 870
Streams, as it is about to flow towards the sea; or Bessa

of Phocis or Scarpe in Eubcea or ancient Pylos, a town
of Messenia, or Pharis or Pisa, and Elis renowned for
the temple of Jupiter Olympus, and the wreaths awarded
as prizes to conquerors in the Olympian games wherever
the sad storms may land the miserable captives, and hand
them over to whatever country the Fates decree. Let
Sparta be left out of the reckoning, the cit^ of Helen

which has brought about so much grief, to Trojan and
Grecian alike Let Argos be left out and Mycenas the
1
country of that cruel old Pelops \ that small mountainous

region of Ithaca. Neritos which is smaller than Zacyn-
thus and Ithaca so dangerous owing to the sunken rocks
and varying depths of the water What fate now remains
worth mentionmg. We wonder, Hecuba, to what lord
and master thou wilt fall as a prize, or wnat country will
hold thee up, as "Hecuba to oe seen herel" and lastly
in what kingdom thou wilt breathe thy lastl
ACT IV.
HELEN-ANDROMACHE-HECUBA-
POLYXENA (a silent personage).
The plan is being discussed, how the sacrifices to the

infernal deities and the Manes of Achilles are to be
conducted, with the nuptial ceremonies prescribed;
and in what garments, Polyxena, who is to be sacrificed
under the impression 01 a real marriage, is to be
arrayed ; what part shall be played by Helen, in order
that she rnay cajole Polyxenaj with the vain hope of
marrying Pyrrhus, in sustainmg which part, she at
first, keeps up the pretence, but after a time dismisses
her intention of prolonging the deception, when
owing to some altercation with Andromache, she
confesses everything and openly recommends the
fulfilment of the scheme.
HELEN.
WHATEVER luckless, joylcss marriage contains the

germs of grief, deeds of slaughter reck-
fruitful
less shedding of blood, groaning and moaning
such a marriage, undoubtedly, is worthy of the support
and connivance of Helen, and in addition to which view
of the case, I am called upon to use rny damaging
exertions against the down-fallen Phrygian 1 am told off
to enter into the pros and cons of this sham marriage
of Pjrrrhus and I am selected to pose as dictatrix to the
bride elect, as to her dress and general get-up, but it
must be after the Grecian model! Polyxena is to be
cajoled by my artful contrivances, and this sister of Paris
is to face her destiuction aided by vile treachery! Well!
let her be deceived-Î suppose this will be the kindest
382 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 87t-9os
Fallatur. ipii leviushoc equidem reor.

Optanda mors eft, fine metu mortis mori.
Quid juffa ceiTas agere? ad auftores redit
Sceleris coatSi culpa. Dardanise domus
Generofa virgo, melior affliAos Deus ?75
Refpicere coepit; teque felicl parat
Dotare thalamo. tale conjugium tibi
Non ipfa fofpes Troja, non Priainus daret

Nam te Pelafgse maximum gentis decus
Ad fan(5la le(Si jura legjtimi petit, 880
Cui regna campi lata Theffalici patent.
Te magna Tethys, teque tot pelagi Des,
Placidumque numen aequoris tumidi Thetis
Suam vocabunt. te datam Pyrrho focer
Peleus nurum vocabit, & Nereus nurum. 885
Depone cultus fquallidos, feftos cape.
Dedifce captam. deprime horrentes comas,
Crinemque doifla patere distingui manu.
Hie forfitan te cafus excelfo magis
Solio reponet profuit multis capi. 8go
ANDR. Hoc deerat unum Pbrygibus everfis malum,
Qauderef flagrant ftrata pafCm Pergama.
conjugale tempus, an quifquam audeat
Negare? quifquam dubius ad thalamos eat,
Quos Helena fuadetf peftis, exitium, lues 895
Utriufque populi! cemis bos tumulos ducum?
Et nuda totis ofla quae paffim jacent
Inhumata campis? hsec hymen fparfit tuus.
Tibi Europae cruor;
fluxit Afise, fluxit
Cum dimicantes lenta profpiceres viros, 900
Incerta voti. perge, thalamos appara.
Tsedis quid opus eft? quidve folenni face?
Quid igne? thalamis Troja prselucet novis.
Celebrate Pyrrhi, Troades, connubia;
Celebrate digne. planflus & gemitus fonent. 905
thing I can do for her As death is the object to be

1
arrived at, then to die without any preliminary fear of

impending death must be best for fieri Gomel Why
am I seeming to dally about the task, which is set for me,
the blame 01 this compulsory wickedness on my part will
assuredly recoil upon its author! (Turning to rol)rxena.)
Here thou art, Polyxena, a noble virgin of pure Dardanian
descent (Trojan), one of the gods above has begun at last
to be in a clement mood, and is looking mercifully on
the afHicted Trojans, he is laying himself out to arrange
a fortunate marriage for thee not all Troy itself, in its
palmiest days, could have devised such a desirable be-
trothal noteven Priam himself could have done this for
theel For the bridegroom, Pyrrhus, the most illustrious
ornament of the Pelasgian nation, seeks thy hand in

marriage, according to the solemn institutions appertaining
to lawful wedlock he, who claims the extensive dominion
over the broad lands of Thessalia, in fact, only consider
his relations the mighty Tethys goddess of the sea, and
wife of Neptune, and all the rank and file of sea-god-
desses; and that amiable deity of the swollen oceanic
depths, Thetis, mother of Achilles and wife of Peleus,
will look upon thee as her own child Peleus although
the father of Achilles will be as a father-in-law to thee,
when thou art married to Pyrrhus, and will look upon thee
as an actual daughter-in-law 1 And Nereus will regard

thee in the same relationship Come, doff thy untidy
dress and don a gay befitting costume; forget that thou
art only a captive Princess, let thy untrimmed locks fall
down, and allow them to be made smart by some one
skilled in the art of female hair-dressing. Perhaps this
accident of Fortune may more than repay thee, in the
exalted throne which thou wilt share; thou seest, after
all, it is sometimes an advantageous thing to be a cap-
tive, evenl
ANDR. The one great misfortune which was wanting to

the down-fallen Trojans, was to try to experience joy Troy
1
appears strewn upon the ground on every side! Oh

for the time of marriages to come to us at last! And
could any one deny us that? any one hesitating about
such a trifling matter as marriage, has only to go to
Helen, and she will soon be persuaded into itl Oh! the
results of infectious diseases, pestilence; destructive agen-
cies of every sort, dealt out as a punishment alike to the
Greek and Trojan I Dost thou notice the tombs of the
various generals who have fallen, and the fieshless bones
which are to be seen in all the fields round about, every-
where unburied! Thy marriage brought about all these
scattered bones 1 (Addressing Helen.) The best blood of
Asia has flowed for thee, and the blood of Europe also 1
When thou canst calmly look upon the two men, Menelaus
and Paris, contending for the possession of thyself, thou
cannot be very certain as to which one thou wouldst
rather choose! But never mind, persevere anyhow!
prepare for this marriage of Pyrrhus! What necessity
IS there for torches at all. What need is there of the
nuptial torches? why have the fiery element imported
into the matter? The flames of burning Troy will give
their light to these novel nuptials. Celebrate the marriage
of Pyrrhus. Oh! ye Trojans! by all means celebrate it
becomingly! Let the waUing and mourning sound our
approval! (This is said in bitter sarcasm.)
HEL. Ratione quamvis careat, & fledli neget

Magnus dolor, fociofque noimunquam fui
Moeroris ipfos oderit, caufam tamen
Poffum tueri judice infefto meam,
Graviora pafla. luget Andromacha Hedlorem, 910
Et Hecuba Priamum: folus occulte Paris
Lugendus Helense eft. durum & invifum & grave eft,
Servitia ferre. patior hoc olim jugum
Annis decern captiva. proftratum Jlium eft,
Verfi penates. perdere eft patriam grave; 915
Gravius timere. vos levat tanti mali
Comitatus. in me viiflus & viilor furit.
Quam quifque famulam traheres, incerto diu
Cafu pependit: me meus traxit ftatim
Sine forte dominus. caufa bellorum fui, 920
Tantoeque Teucris cladis. lioc verum puta,
Spartana puppis veftra fi fecuit freta;
Sin rapta Phrygiis prseda remigibus fui,
Deditque donum judici vi<lrix Dea:
Iguofce Paridi. judicem iratum mea 925
Habitura caufa eft. ifta Menelaum manent
Arbitria. nunc hanc luiftibus paulum tuis,
Andromacha, onoiffis fleifle. vix lacrimas queo
Retinere. andr. Quantum eft, Helena quod lacrimal, malum!
Cur lacrimat autem? fare, quos Itbacus dolos, 930
Quae fcelera ne(5lat. utrum ab Idseis jugis
Jaflanda virgo eft? arcis an celfae edito
Mittenda faxof num per has vaftum in mare
Volvenda rupes, latere quas fciffo levat
Altum vadofos Sigeon fpe(flans fmus? 935
Die, fare, quidquid fubdolo vultu tegis.
Leviora mala funt cuntfla, quam Priami gener
Hecubseque Pyrrhus. fare, quam pcenam pares.
Exprome, & unum hoc deme noftris clacHbus,
Falli. paratas perpeti mortem vides. 940
HEL. Utinam juberet me quoque interpres Deum
HEL. Although great grief is sadly wanting in reason-

ableness and refuses to be diverted from its course, some-
times it may regard with hatred the very companions, it enlists
in its behalf although I have undergone greater troubles,
I can plead my own cause, even before an unrelenting
tribunal! Does not Andromache bewail her Hector,
openly and Hecuba her Priam ? Is Paris to be grieved
for, only stealthily, by Helen? It is a hard, hateml, and
terrible lot to put up with slavery I have suffered the
!
captive's yoke for ten years Troy has been laid low, the
household gods have been destroyed! Oh! it is a hard
case to have been thy country's ruin, but it is more
terrible still to have to fear it (flie revenge of a deserted
husband) having had so many companions in thy troubles,

has lightened the burden for thee, where as with myself
the conqueror, and the conquered are both leagued in
their wrath against mel It has long been a matter of
uncertainty amongst you all, what fair maiden each man
would select, but my future lord and master (Menelaus)
fastened on me without the formula of a lot drawing I I
have thus been made the cause of war, and of such

great slaughter to the Trojans ; but put the matter in a
truthful light, was it not because thy Trojan vessels sailed
into the Spartan waters and I was but the spoil kidnap-
ped by the Phrygian boatmen 1Put Paris out of the
question 1 Did not the victorious goddess (Venus) present
me as a gift to that judge who awarded her the palm
of beauty ? My cause is yet to be tried before an angry
tribunal, and the judgment remains within the discretion
of the judge Menelaus! Now, Andromache, shake off
those tears of thine for a time, and prevail upon Polyxena,
and reconcile her to this marriage ; I can only witli
considerable difficulty refrain from tears myselfl What
great misfortune can it be, for which Helen can shed a
tear (said sarcastically).
ANDR. But what can she have to cry about? Tell me

rather what treachery what wickedness Ulysses is hatch-
ing? Whether the virgin Poljfxena is to be thrown headlong
from Ida's mountain top, or whether she is to be hurled
from the lofty walls of a once proud citadel, or whether
she is to be thrown into the vast sea, over those rugged
rocks which Sigeon, as it overlooks the waters beneath
with its fordable bays, throws up from its disintegrated
sides, the result of gradual separation from the parent

promontory (the sea being on each side of this cape,
has formed these rocks, by perpetually beating on them
and at length separating them, as described by the Poet).
This was the place, too, where so many battles were
fought between the Greeks and Trojans Tell me Speak
!
out whatever thou art hiding away in that deceitful face

of thine all the misfortunes hitherto are of a light
character, compared with this son-in-law business on the
part of Pyrrhus towards Priam and Hecuba Tell me
I

what punishment art thou planning tell me point blank,
and remove this one piece of cruelty from the rest of our
misfortunes, namely the being deceived Qann nt-th niL.
unrlprgtgrnrl '-thatthose wTjo are prepared for de ath are
the best able__'
HEL. I wish that Calchas, the interpreter of the Gods,

would order me to cut short the life that is cUnging to me,
25
Abrumpere enfe lucis invifae moras,

Vel AchilHs ante bulla, furibunda manu
Occidere Pyrrhi, fata comitantem tua,
Polyxene miferanda; quam tradi fibi, 945
Cineremque Achilles ante mailari fuum,
Campo maritus ut fit Elyfio, jubet.
ANDR. Vide, ut animus ingens Isetus audierit necem.
Cultus decoros regiae veftis petit,
Et admoveri crinibus patitur manum 950
Mortem putabat illud, hoc thalamos putat.
At mifera lu6lu mater audito ftupet.
Labefafta mens fuccubuit. affurge. alleva
Aaimum, & cadentem mifera firma fpiritum.
Quam tenuis anima vinculo pendet levil 955
Minimum eft, quod Hecubam facere felicem poteft.
Spirat. revixit. prima mors miferos fugit.
HEC, Adhuc Achilles vivat in prenas Phrygum?
Adhuc rebellat? o manum Paridis levem!
Cinis ipfe noftrum fanguinem ac tumulus fitit. 960
Modo turba felix latera cingebat mea.
Laffabar iu tot ofcula, in totum gi'egem
Dividere matrem. fola nunc hsec eft fuper,
Votum, comes, levamen, affli<5lae quies.
Haeo totus Hecubas foetus, hac fola vocor 965
Jam voce mater, dura & infelix, age,
Elabere anima. denique hoc unum mihi
Remitte funus. irrigat fletus genas,
Imberque viflo fubitus e vullu cadit.
Lastare, gaude, nata. quam vellet tuos 970
Caflandra thalamos, vellet Andromache tuos!
ANDR. Nos, Hecuba; nos, nos, Hecuba, lugendae fumus,
Quas mota claffis hue & hue fparfas feret.
Hanc cara tellus fedibus patriis teget.
HEL. Magis invidebis, fi tuam fortem fcias. 975
ANDR. An aliqua poense pars meae ignota eft mihi?
HEL. Verfata dominos urna captivis dedit.
with the aid of the sword, and that I, Oh Polyxena, so 1
much to be pitied could be a companion to thee, why

thou meetest thy fate, and fall too, by the furious hand
of Pyrrhus before the tomb of Achilles, in the same way,
that he orders thee to be handed over to be sacrificed to
his ashes, in order that he, Achilles, may be thy husband in
the Elysian Paradise (Campus, the resting-place and abode
1
of the happy spirits that have quitted the "corpus vile.")
ANDR. Notice, what an amount of fortitude and even

joy,Polyxena evinced, when she heard of her approa ching
death-fate She even seems anxious now about the
I
becoming style of her royal wedding equipment, and

Lines 94"-977] TROADES. 38?
patiently permit': the hand of the operator, whilst mani-

pulating her locks She thought that the marriage thou
1
didst mention meant death, she is now thinking that death

means marriage But the miserable mothe r is stupefied
with the tristml news she has heard, and with her mind
co mpletely crushed, has succumbed to th e, shock Come
_pffigq~~'thy<!Pll,
he_-ti.r-m
anrl raiap thy-.-drnriping spirits,
conmose--thy_iaiiuL_. On what a slender thread does our
Trail existence hang It is a thing of secondary moment,
1
that Hecuba' should be able to make herself contented

it is a great thing to say, that she breathes (lives) she
has revived Death, alas, is the first to desert the miser-
I
able! (Recovers from her swoon.)
HEC. Up to the present time, Achilles has only, whilst

he was alive, punished the Trojans, now (that he is dead)
he is beginning to show the warlike spirit again Oh!
the hand of Paris, who dealt that blow so lightly!!
His Manes and his tomb, forsooth, are thirsting for all
our race! It was only, as it were, quite lately, that a
merry group of my own children were assembled around
me, and that I was fairly wearied out with receiving the
kisses of so many, and of playing the loving mother,
with the entire family circle. Now there is only one left

besides myself-^-my every wish my companion my com-
forta real solace to me in my affliction this daughter
now represents the once large family of Hecuba, and I
am now only addressed as mother by this solitary child!
Be it so, slip thou away from me, Ohl my very life,
miserable and difficult to escape from! Grant that this
may be the last finishing stroke of death for me to suffer!.
Polyxena, tears are escaping from those eyeUds of thine,
and with a sudden rush, they fall on thy downcast face 1
Rejoice, rather, thy happiness, daughter mine, how

in
Cassandra would wish for such a marriage how Andro-
mache would welcome it! With what joy! __^
ANDR. We! Hecuba! We all of us, Hecuba, weep

sincerely for thee, whom
the fleet, when it sails hence,
will take here will take there!
HEL. Thou wouldst be inclined to be further displeased,

didst thou know the lot in store for thee.
ANDR. Well! Is there any portion of my punishment
with which I am not already acquainted?
HEL. The fatal urn has been brought into requisition,
and has parcelled out the captives in lots.

388 SENECA'S TRAGF.DIES. [Lines 978-1011
ANDR. Cui famula tradar, ede. quem dominuni-jvoco ?

HEL. Te forte prima Scyrius juvenis tulit.
ANDR. Caffandra felix! quam furor forte eximit, 980
Phcebufque. HEL. Regiam haac maximus redlor tenet.
HEC. Eftne aliquis, Hecubam qui fuam dici velit?
HEL. Ithaco obtigifti prasda nolenti brevis.
HEC. Quis tam impotens ac dirus, & iniquae fenis
Sorlitor urnae regibus reges dedit? 985
Quis tam finifter dividit captas Deus?
Quis arbiter crudelis, & miferis gravis,
Eligere dominos nefcit? & faeva manu
Dat iuiqua miferis fata? quis matrem Hedloris
Armis Achillis mifcet? ad Ulyflen vocor. 990
NuDc vi(5la, nunc captiva, nunc cuudlis milii
Obfeffa videor cladibus. domini pudet,
Non fervitutis. Hedloris fpolium feret,
Qui tulit Achillis? fterilis, & faevis fretis
Inclufa tellus non capit tumulos meos. . 995
Due, Due, Ulyffe. nil moror. dominum fequor.
Me mea fequentur fata, non pelago quies
Tranquilla veniet, fasviet ventis mare,
Et bella, & ignis, & mea, & Priami mala.
Dumque interim hoc pcense loco eft:
ifta veniunt, 1000
Sortem occupavi, prasmium eripui tibi.
Sed incitato Pyrrhus accurrit gradu,
Vultuque torvo. Pyrrhe, quid'ceifas? age,
Reclude ferro pedlus, & Achillis tui
'
Conjuuge foceros. perge, ma<3;ator fenum; 1005

Et hie decet te fanguis: abreptam trahe.
Maciilate fuperos cjede funefta Deos,
Maculate Manes, quid precer vobis? precor
His digna facris asquora. hoc claffi accidat,
Toti Pelafgse, ratibus hoc mille accidat, 1610
Meos precabor, cum vehar, quidquid rati.
ANDR. To whom am I to be handed over as a maid ?

Come tell me whom I am to call lord and master.
HEL. The Scyrian youth Pyrrhus has secured thee in
the first lot.
ANDR. Oh fortunate Cassandra, that she is exempt,

I
whom her reputation as a prophetess and her relations with

Phcebus, in that particular has made so.
HEL. The chief ruler of the kings, the King of kings,

I may say has possession of her already (without the I'ot-
drawmg).
HEC. Is this the somebody who wishes that Hecuba
should be called his very own? (said with satire).
HEL. Thou hast fallen to the lot of Ulysses, although

by no means anxious for a short time.
HEC. Who
is that cruel, unjust and unrelenting dis-
tributor of the lots from that iniquitous urn, who has given
one of royal rank to another of regal degree (King of km^s).
What vil deity has parcelled out the captives in this
manner? What cruel overbearing judge does not know
how to select lords and masters for the wretched captive
recipients with greater show of consistency, but deals out
unjust decrees with an unsparing hand? Who
could
have suggested the interminghng of the mother of Hector
with the arms of Achilles? and so I am called upon
for. Ulysses (deprecatingly). First as a conquered enemy,
1
then as a captive, at last I see myself hemmed in by every

spjecies of degradation. I am ashamed and disgusted
with my master, but not with the actual slavery He will 1
carry away the spoils of Hector as he has already dis-

posed of those of Achilles (Astyanax and Polyxena). A
sterile land shut in by the boisterous waves does not
meet my ideas of a burial-place. Lead on, lead on,
Ulysses, I wish for no delay ; may, however, my evil star
follow me, may anything but a tranquil calm hover over
the surface of the ocean, but rather let the sea rage with
the fury of the winds, and may wars and conflagrations,
my misfortunes and those of Priam follow on! Whilst
these calamities are progressing, this fate of mine has its

means of inflicting punishment thou hast been awarded
to accept me as my lot, but I have deprived thee of any
reward arising out of it (alluding to her want of youth,
and being of no use, saddled witn an old woman). But
Pyrrhus is now advancing with a hurried step, and savage
countenance Oh Pyrrhus, why hesitate? proceed and
1
unsheath thy sword for this breast of mine, and join

in thy murderous work the father-in-law and mother-in-
law of thy father Achilles. Go on, I say, thou old man's
assassin and this blood of mine, it would become thee
1
to take as well. There, drag away from me, the daugh-

ter thou art robbing me of Brand the gods above with
the odium of this wicked slaughter. Brand the Manes of
Achilles with the stigma as well What vengeance shall
1
I pray may befall thee for this deed I pray that the
I
seas may show themselves ready to render condign

punishment, (wishing them to encounter storms, ship-
wreck and all the dangers the sea can bring about).
May this my curse be visited upon the entire Grecian
Fleet those thousand ships! and may the same evils
befall the identical vessel in which I shall become a
passenger 1
CHORUS TROADUM.
Chorus occafione fumpta ab Helense difto fupra verf. 916. vos
levat tanti malt comitatus, folatur fe communi malo, quafi
Jolamen miferis focios haiuife doloris\ quod tamea
folatium ipCs fortito difjuniftis ablatum fore.
a 'uLCE mcerenti populus dolentum,

Dulce lamentis refonare gentea.
Lentius luftus lacrimseque mordent,
Tnrba quas fletu fimili frequentat. lO'S
Semper, ah, femper dolor eft malignus:
Gaudet in multos fua fata mitti,
Seque non folum placuiffe pcense.
Ferre, quam fcrtem patiuntur omnes,
Nemo recufat. '2
Nemo fe credet miferum, licet fit
Tolle felices. removeto multo

Divites auro: removeto centum
Rura qui fcindunt opulenta bubus;
Pauperi furgent animi jacentes. 1025
Eft mifer nemo, nifi comparatus.
Dulce in immenfis pofito ruinis
Neminem Ixtoi habuiife vultus.
lUe deplorat, queriturque fatum.
Qui fecans fludtum rate fingulari 1030
Nudus in portus cecidit petitos.
jEquior cafum tulit, & procellas,
Mille qui ponto pariter carinas
Obrui vidit, tabulaque litus
Naufraga fpargi, mare cum coa(5lis 1035
Fludlibus Corns prohibet reverti.
Queftus eft Hellen cecidiffe Phryxus,
Cum gregis duilor radiante villo,
Aureo fratrem fimul & fororem
Suftulit tergo, medioque jailum 1040
Fecit in ponto. tenuit querelas
Et vir, & Pyrrhe, mare cum viderent:
Et nihil prseter mare cum viderent,
CHORUS OF TROJANS.
The Chorus (the subject being taken from a remark by
Helen, verse gi6, having companions in our grief,
relieves us of so much of the evils arising out of it)
derives consolation from the misfortune being shared
by so many; "as if for the wretched to have com-
panions in sorrow were a solace," and then draws
attention to the fact that the solace in question will
lose its efficacy, as they will be separated by the
allotting that has been going on.
Lines >.o,2-i043] TROADES. 39I
;isa pleasant thing to an individual sorrower to find

IT a, whole concourse of mourners round about him, and
it iscertainly a great relief to our grieving hearts, that
an f^ntirenation should cause the very air to echo their
outb';ursts of lamentations Grief and tears are relieved
1
of much of their poignancy, when the masses are rehears-

ing ttie same kind of sorrow that thou art experiencing
thyself (see Lucretius, Lib. ii, line i). As a rule, yes,
::as a j'ule we may safely say that grief possesses this evil
characteristic, wishing that others should suffer like thy-
self, and this, not out of any malicious sentiment, but
the mere selfishness to enlist fellow-sufferers and (ergo)
real sjrniipathizers The great consummation which grief
1
brings aoout is in the desire it manifests in visiting so

many, and that it does not seem contented with the
punishment of some solitary object! Thus no one is
inclined for rebellion when he has to undergo the lot
which every OBS in common is suffering with himself
No one need regard himself wretched, if he will only
faEg~'S~T?Mg55TThtcar_VLew ot nis situatio n (literally, al-
tteiughr there may be some grounds tor I't, he will ignore
it), Of course, we must except those who are surrounded
with every thing that can' conduce to their contentment,
excepting, likewise, those that are blessed with abundance
of gold (money), also we must exclude from the category,
those who plough their opulent (fertile) lands, with their
hundreds of yoked oxen I It is thedaw.n.-.trQdden spirit
oLthepoor ma.n>_BJuch.JbuQys^ him up, and he rises to
Jhe0eeasion=:thu, no jnan js rea]Ty2rniserab'Ie,'X53~it Js
nnly ]py .r.nm.pajisrarLthat hp ran be cphsldered SO It
1
is gratifying to any man surrounded by overwhelming

disasters, to see everyone around him in sympathy, pull-
ing a long face (that no one shows a bright counten-
ance). The man who sails across the waves in his solitary
craft, is desirous of entering the port for which he is
steering, but his vessel founders, and he has to swim to-
wards the shore deprived of every thing he possesses;
this is the man that croaks and bewails his terrible fate.
But another man does not fear a similar disaster when
it is shared by others, and looks with comparative equa-
nimity upon the raging storms if he can see a thousand
ships struggling with the waves and becoming hopelessly
dismantled, and lining the shore with the proceeds of the
wrecks! And because they, are in a plight similar to his
own when the north-west wind is blowing great guns and
is lashing the sea into foam, preventing them from putting
to sea again provided others are similarly prevented!
(The Poet, to my mind, must use the "mare reverti" in
the sense I have put it; here they are beating against a
)
392 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines .044I-106S
UnicI terris homines reliifti. ;
Solvet hunc coetum lacrimafqne noftras ,^045

Sparget hue illuc agitata claffis, /
Et tuba juffi dare vela nautse,

Cum fimul ventis properante remo .'
Prenderint altum, fugietque litus.

Quis flatus mentis miferis, ubi omnls '
1050
TelTa decrefcet, pelagufque crefcet? /
Celfa cum longe latiiabit Ida? .'
Tnm puei- matri, genitrixque nato, C

Troja qua jaceat regione monftrans
Dicet, & longe digito notabit: j I055
'
Ilium eft illic, ubi fumus alte
Serpit in coelum, nebulseque turpes.
Trees hoc figno patriam videbunt. >
ACTUS QXJINTIJS'.
NUNTIUS, ANDROMACHX, HECUBA.
Nuntius matribus nan'at, ut e tuni prsecipitatus fuerit Aftyanax,
& Polyxena ad tumulnm Achillis csefa.
NuNT. V^DIRA fata, faeva, miferanda, horrida,

Quod tam ferum, tam trifle bis quinis fcelus 1060
Mars vidit annis? quid prius referens gemam?
Tuofne potius, an tuos hi<5tus, anus?
HEC. Quofcunque lu<5lus fleveris, flebis meos.
Sua quemque tantum, me omnium dades premit.
Mihi cun(5ta pereunt, quisquis efl, Hecubas eft, mifer. 1065
lee-shore, and being knocked to pieces against the rocks,

the sea is rolling in and is so dangerous that they cannot
take the sea if they would, the wind blowing dead against
them, thus they are literally between Scylla and Charybdis,)
Phryssus wailed when Helle was lost to him, when the
ram with the glittering fleece carried both brother and
sister on his golden back, but the latter becoming giddy,
a portion of his burden fell into the sea. (Helle gave the
name to the sea Hellespont.) But both Deucalion and
Pyrrha restrained their complaints when they looked at
the sea and could see nothing else but that sea and they
were the only beings left on the earth. The fleet driven
hither and thither will soon break up our large family of
captives, and scatter our tears in all directions (the Chorus :
here means, the harmonious sympathies of the many will

be split up into divided fragments, and lose the solace
imported by the numbers joming in their lamentations)
and the sailors by sound of trumpet, receive orders to
set their sails, arid at the same time, that they seize with
alacrity their oars to assist the breeze to carry them to
sea, and they will soon leave the shores behmd theml
But what will the state of mind be, on the part of us
poor captives When the land will grow smaller and
1
smaller, and there is nothing but the sea around us

(growing greater and greater). When even lofty Ida will
be hidden from our sight Then the little son will prattle
1
to the mother, and the mother will say to the son, as she
tries to explain as to the region in which Troy was
situated. There is Troy, she will say, as she points out
with her finger to a spot a long way off thou seest, my
child, .where the smoke is rising up to the sky, and those

murky clouds, and in some such way only will the rising
generations of Trojans be enabled to see their country
again I
ACT V.
MESSENGER-ANDROMACHE-HECUBA.
The Messenger informs the mothers, Hecuba and Andro-
mache, that Astyanax has been hurled from the tower
and Polyxena slain at the tomb of Achilles.
MESSENGER.
OhIwhich
the dreadful,
befall
cruel, lamentable, horrible Fates,
mankind Whenever has Mars witnessed
1
such cruel and disastrous wickedness, as he has seen

during this ten years' war? But why should I, the simple
reporter of what I have seen, be the first to bewail it
openly? Rather, I conceive it should devolve on thee
Andromache, this demonstration of grief, or thou Hecuba,
as the senior, mayst prefer to take the initiative in evincing
thy deep sorrow?
HEC. Whatever grief thou feelest or hast felt, is equal to

grieving for us; each one of us has her own grief it is
true, but the aggregate disasters of all press hard upon
me 'individually; all things, as far as I am concerned,
have ended for my misery, whoever else is miserable,
has Hecuba to share her troubles.
NUNT. Ma(5lata virgo eft. mifTus e muris puer.

Sed ulerque letum mente generofa tulit.
ANDR. Expone feriem caedis, & duplex nefas
Profequerc. gaudet magnus aetumnas dolor
Tradlare totas. ede, & enarra omnia. 1070
NUNT. Eft una magna turris e Troja fuper,
Affueta Priamo; cujus e faftigio
Summifque pinnis arbiter belli fedens
Regebat acies. turre in hac blando finu
Fovens nepotem, cum metu verfos gravi 1075
Danaos fugaret Heftor & ferro & face,
Paterna puero bella monftrabat fenex.
Hdec nota quondam turris, & muri decus,
Nunc feva cautes, undique affufa ducum
Plebifque turba cingitur. totum coit 1080
Ratibus relitflis vulgus. his collis procul
Aclem patenti liberam prsebet loco;.
His alta rupes, cujus e cacumine
Erefla fummos turba libravit pedes.
Hunc pinus, ilium laurus, hunc fagus gerit, 1085
Et tota populo filva fufpenfo tremit.
Extrema montis ille praerupti petit,
Semiufta at ille tecfta, vel faxum imminens
Muri cadentis atque aliquis (nefas!)
preffit.
Tumulo Heftoreo fedeL
ferus fpeftator 1090
Per fpatia late plena fublimi gradu
Incedit Ithacus, parvulum dextra trahens
Priami nepotem: nee gradu fegni puer
Ad alta pergit moenia. ut fumma ftetit
Pro turre, vultus hue & hue acres tulit; 1095
Intrepidus animo. qualis ingentis ferae
Parvus tenerque foetus, & nondum potens
Saevire dente, jam tamen toUit minas,
Morfufque inanes tentat, atque animis tumet:
Sic ille dextra prenfus hoftili puer iioo
Ferox, fuperne moverat vulgum ac duces.
MES. The Virgin Polyxena has been sacrificed. The

boy Astyanax has been hurled from the tower wall, but
both suffered their deaths with dignified courage.
ANDR. Explain to me the exact order in which these
deaths took place, give me all the particulars of this
two-fold wickedness, for my intense grief inclines me to
map out with accuracy, the whole of my miseries, as
they show themselves. Speak up and be explanatory even
to the minutest details about everything.
MES. There is one particular tower on the walls of

Troy (Sccea) which is the only one now standing, and the
one familiar to Priam, for it was here that, figuring at its
Lines io66_iioiJ TROADES. 395
highest point, and amongst the loftiest battlements, he

issued his military orders as the commander-in-chief,
during the war, with regard to the manoeuvring of the
armies. On that same tower he has been seen frequently
and oft, petting in his kind old arms (hugging him with
his affectionate embrace), his little grandson when he
would descant on the prowess of his son Hector, and the
way he had routed the enemy with fire and sword, and
how the enemy retreated in fear and confusion. The old
man would then call the attention of the little boy to his
country's wars. This once famous tower, and distinguish-
ing ornament to the walls of Troy, is now nothing but a
wild-looking rocky elevation, and on all sides is made the
lounging place of the common people, as well as numbers
of military captains ; and the entire crews of the various
ships, when on leave, flock thither, and to all of these-so
assembled the hill affords a very full prospect of places
and spots at a great distance, and to such as these, also,
the elevated rocky portions, from whose summits the
spectators standing on tip-toe, obtained still greater facul-
ties of observation. The lofty pine is climbed up by
some, another lot perch themselves on the top-most
branches of the tall laurel trees, whilst another detach-
ment make use of the stately beech, and in fact, the whole
collection of trees trembled again at the weight of those
suspended amongst those branching growths Some make
1
for the extreme end of the rugged mountain top, but it

offers them at best, only a dilapidated disused guard-
house, or they crowd on some overhanging rock of the
tumble-down wall all of them bent on seeing Astyanax
thrown from the tower, and there a somebody, shocking
to relate, sits like a cruel spectator on the very tomb of
Hector 1 Along a path full of sight-seers on all sides
marches Ulysses at a solemn pace, leading along the little
grandson of Priam with his right hand, but mark the boy
advances towards the lofty turret with by no means a
laggardly step, and as he stands in front of the elevated
tower, hither and thither he looks around with a severity
of countenance amply proclaiming his unflinchingness of
spirit, much the same as the young and tender cub of the
ferocious lion that is not yet able to act as it feels, and
assist its anger with the use of its fangs, yet, however, it
rouses itself into fierce attempts and makes vain attacks
with its dental weapons and is swelling up meanwhile
with its pent-up rage so the little boy Astyanax preserves
a dignified expression of anger, as he is being led forth
by the hand of his enemy, and evokes the sympathies of
the herd of spectators and captains who are looking on
eagerly from their various coigns of vantage (places of
Ipfumque Ulyffen. non flet e turba omnium,

Qui fletur: ac dum verba fatidici & preces
Concipit Ulyffes vatis, & fsevos ciet
Ad facra fuperos, fpoate defiluit fua 1 105
lu media Priami regna.
ANDR. Quis Colchus hoc, quis fedis incertae Scytlia
Commifit? aut quse Cafpium langens maie
Gens juris expers aufa? uon Bufiridis
Puerilis aras fanguis afperfit feri. II 10
Nee parva greîbus membra Diomedes fuis
Epulaiida pofuit. quis tuos artus teget,
Tumuloque tradet? NUNT. Quos enim praeceps locus
Reliquit artus? ofTa disjedla & gravi
Elifa cafu, figna clari corporis, 1 1
15
Et ora, & illas nobiles patris notas
Confudit imam pondus ad teiTam datum.
Soluta cervix, filicis impulfu caput
Ruptum, cerebro penitus expreffo. jacet
Deforme corpus, andr. Sic quoque eft fimilis patri. 11 20
NUNT. Prjeceps ut altis cecidit e muris puer,
Flevitque Achivum turba, quod fecit, nefas;
Idem ille populus aliud ad facinus redit,
Tumulumque Achillis. hujus extremum latus
Rhoetea leni verberant fludtu vada. 1 125
Averfa cingit campus, & clivo levi
Erefla medium vallis includens locum
Crefcit theatri' more, concurfus frequens
Implevitomne litus. hi claffis moras
Hac morte folvi rentur. hi ftirpem hoftium 1130
Gaudent recidi. magna pars vulgi levis
Odit fceluSj fpetflatque: nee Troes minus
Suum & pavidi metu
frequentant funus,
Partem rueutis ultimam Trojce videut.
observation), and even Ulysses himself seems moved, but

he is the only one out of that assembled throng who give
themselves up to tears, who shows no signs of actual
weeping, and whilst Ulysses is putting together some sort
of speech out of the words supplied by Calchas for the
occasion, and a few miserable prayers, invoking the cruel
gods above, to accept the sacrifice, Astyanax, of his own
accord, leaped down from the tower towards the earth
below, that earth once a constituent atom of the king-
dom of Priam!
ANDR. What Colchian (an inhabitant of Colchis, enderred

famous for the cruelties of Medea) What wild Scythian
with no fixed country (thus supposed lawless) would have
perpetrated such atrocity? Or what country on the
Lines 1.02-1134] TROADES. 397
borders of the Caspian sea, bereaved of all human laws,

would have dared to do such a deed? Whyl Not even
the cruel Busiris ever went so far as to shed the blood
of youths at his impious altars Nor did even Diomedes
1
himself serve up little tender children for his horses to

be feasted uponl Ohl my Astyanaxl who will inter thy
remains, and deliver thee over to the tomb?
MES. What thou meanest, alas is-what the fall from th'is
1
lofly tower has left of his remains His bones are dislo-
!
cated and crushed by the heavy fall, but there are still
some indications of his noble person, but the weight
of the body coming down with such force to the ground
has made any identification difficult, as to his face and
those other noble points, in which he so resembled his
father; his neck is broken and his skull is fractured by
the force with which he came in contact with the siliceous
rocks (flints) the brains have nearly all escaped from the
cranial cavity, and Astyanax is lying a shapeless mass 1
ANDR. And in this respect, at all events, he may be

compared with his father.
MES. When the boy fell headlong from the tower, a

portion of the Grecian crowd was moved to tears, at the
crime of which Ulysses was the instrument ; then the same
crowd, which had been weeping, as I have described,
push on eagerly to witness another abominable execution
and they reach the tomb of Achilles the streams around
the promontory of Rhoeteum, to play upon the extreme
left of this cape, with their gentle wavelets, and the open
plain is in front of the opposite side whilst the valley
occupying the intermediate space becomes rising ground,
increasing the ascent, by a very slight and gradual slope
till it ultimately acquires the appearance of an amphi-

theatre a constant crowd of idlers and loafers are loitering
about every part of the shore some of them are of
opinion that the delay of the fleet must be settled now I
others are chuckUng over the fact that the last scion of
the royal enemy, has been disposed of, and a great
portion of the indiscriminate spectators look on, although
at the same time, they disapprove of the performance
of these atrocities! Nor are the Trojans backward in
their desire to witness the deaths of the victims, but
gaze with fear and trembling upon the last link of the
royal dynasty (Polyxena) when presently those connected
with the nuptial ceremony advance in front. There goes
the bridesmaid Helen, hanging down her head in sadness,
anar"the Trojans inwardly pray that Hermione (daughter
398 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1.3575
Cum fubilo thalami more prEecedunt faces. 1

135
It pi-onuba illic Tyndaris, mceftum caput
Demifla. tali nubat Hermione modo,
Phryges precantur. fie viro turpis fuo
Reddatur Helens. teiTor attonitos tenet
Utrofque populos. ipfa dejeflos gerit "4
Vultus pudore; fed tamen fulgejit gense,
Magifque folito fplendet extremus decor.
Ut effe Phoebi dulcius lumen folet
Jam jam cadentis, aftra cum repetunt vices,
Premiturque dubius nocfte vicina dies. 114S
Slupet omne vulgus; & fere cundli magis
Peritura laudant. lios movet formae decus,
Hos mollis setas, hos vagse rerum vices.
Movet animus omnes forlis, & leto obvius.
Pyrrhum antecedit. omnium mentes tremunl: 1150
Mirantur, ac miferantur. ut primum ardui
Sublime mentis tetigit, atque alte edito
Juvenis patemi vertice in bufti ftetit,
Audax virago non tulit retro gradum;
Converfa ad iiftum flat truci vultu ferox. 1
1 55
Tarn animus omnium mentes ferit.
fortis
Novumque monftrum eft, Pyrrhus ad csedem piger.
Ut dextra ferrum penitus exaila abdidit,
Subitus recepta morte prorupit cruor
Per vulnus ingens, nee tamen moriens adhuc 1160
Deponit animos, cecidit, ut Achilli gravem
Faftura terram, prona, & irato impetu.
Uterque flevit coetus. at Jimidum Phryges
Mifere gemitum. clarius vidlor gemit.
Hie oido facri. non ftetit fufus cruor, 1 165
Humove fnmma fluxit. obduxit ftatim,
Sffivufque totum fanguinem tumulus bibit.
HEC. Ite, ite, Danai; petite jam tuti domos,
Optata velis maria diffufis fecet
Secura claffis. concidit virgo, ac puer. 1 170
Bellum peraflum eft. quo meas lacrimas feram?
Ubi hanc anilis exfpuam leti moram?
Natam, an nepotem; conjugem, an pati-iam fleam?
An omnia? an me? fola mors votum meum.
Infantibus violenta, virginibus venis, 11 75
of Helen and Menelaus) should go through a similar

marriage, and in like manner, that adulterous Helen
should be delivered over to her own husband An I
inward dread possesses the astounded Grecian and Trojan

crowds Pol)rxena, herself, evinces a countenance of
I
maidenly modesty, but her cheeks, however, show a slight

blush, and her excessive beauty shines forth greater than
ever Even as the light of Phoebus seems more agreeable
I
!
to behold, when he is beginning to setj and when the

stars are commencing to repeat their course, and the
uncertain daylight is at length by the
overpowered
advancing night '"All the
I common
people, are stupefied,
and nearly all are inclined to praise the being that is
about to be sacrificed the beauty of her face wins the
favor of some, her tender age works upon the feeling of
others, and the changeable character of all things sublu-
nary operates on the sympathies of others, vîlst the
courageous spirit and the way she meets death enlist the .
sympathies of all She walks in front of Pyrrhus the

nerves of all are in a quiver, the spectators admire as
well as pity! In the meantime, Pyrrhus reaches the
summit of the mountain, so difficult of ascent, and the
young man stood on the top of his father's tomb, as high
as he could, but the courageous girl, with masculine spirit,
did not start back or flinch one step, and as Pyrrhus
stands up, with a ferocious expression, Polyxena leans
forward to receive her death-blow. Then the intrepid
courage of Polyxena impresses the minds of all, and
now a novel spectacle presents itselfl The courage of
Pyrrhus seems to flag, as he faces his work of slaughter,
but at last, he buries his sword deep down with his right
hand with a successful thrust, and a sudden rush of
blood flowed from the enormous wound, which caused
her death, nor even as she is dying do her spirits desert
her, she fell as if about to make the ground press down
heavily on the ashes of Achilles! as with an angered
look she dropped with her face downwards! Both
the Grecian and Trojan crowd of spectators wept, but
the Phrygians gave forth a stifled groan, while the con-
queror groaned with satisfaction. This is the way the
sacrifice took place, and the blood did not rest as in a
pool, but it soaked deep in the ground, and it was covered
m a moment, and thus the unrelenting tomb drank in
tiie entire blood of its victim
HEC. Go! Depart ye Greeks! now seek thy various

native homesteads, in security, and the fleet with its wide-
spread sails will plough the wished-for seas Now the
Virgin has gone as well as the boy The war is now
thoroughly over, but how shall I bear my own grief?
When an old woman do
as I reject with mdignation
any delay in the death which I desire for myself, shall I
live to mourn a daughter, a grandson, a husband or my
country? Or all combined? No my only wish is for
1
death alone! OhlUnieeliiig-Efiadv-thou-jdsilesLjidth

violence thou ~co nTestwith r eadiness- t o Virgin s-Jike
PoTyxeha; everywhere thou_ seemest active__enQugh-W4.th_
400 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Un=s 76-1182
Ubicunque properas, fasva: me folam times,

Vitafque. gladios inter ac tela & faces
Qusefita tota no(le, cupientem fugis.
Non hoftis, aut ruina, non ignis meos
Abfumfit artus: quam prope a Priamo fteti? II 80
NUNT. Repctite celeri maria, captivae, gradu.
Jam vela puppis laxat, & claffis movet.
thy work Butthou seemest reluctant to approach me!

thou seekest out throughout the lonp; dreary night for

stray lives Where.- swordSr-daFts--ancLccmflagTations are
_doing their work for thee,, butthou~.avoidestriaewh0
"iisiMElEîaippToach r"Tvro enemy, no ruins, no conflagra-
tions have kindly snatched away my body! and how
near I stood to the altar, where Priam fell, yet no
kindly hand slew me!
MES. Now, captives, look out to embark on the briny
deep with quickened steps ; the vessels are now loosening
sails and the foremost ships of the fleet are already
under way!
MEDEA.
26
[Ijines I lo
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
Medea. NUTRIX.
Jason. Chorus Corinthiorum.
Creon. NUNTIUS.
ARGUMENTUM.
jAfoN cum uxore & liberis poft interfeilum Peliam Corinthi exfu-
labat. Ubi cum Creon rex ilium generum legiffet, Medea res
fuas fibi habere a marito, ab rege aliud exfilium quserere jubetur.
Ula uaius diei impetrata mora, Creufae fponfse, pallam & monile
maglcis infefta venenis mittit: quibus indutis ignem corripuit
palla, mifereque nova uupta, una cum patre in natse auxilium
accurrente, combufta eft, Medea denique filiis, quos Jafoni pepe-
rerat, in patris confpeiflu trucidatis, per sra aufugit.
ACTUS PRIMUS.
MEDEA.
Medea deferta fuperos inferofque Jafonis ultores invocat.
D. 'li
Lucina
conjugales tuque genialis
cuftos, quaeque domitorem
tori
fieti
Tiphyn novam frenare docuifti ratem,
Et tu profundi fasve dominator maris,
Clarumque Titan dividens orbi dierr,
Tacilifque prEebens confcium facris jubar,
Hecate triformis, quofque juravit mihi
Decs Jafon, quofque Medese magis
Fas eft precari, noftis jeteinffi chaos
Averfa Superis regna, Manefque impios,
;
Lines i lo]
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
Medea. Nurse.
Jason. Chorus of Corinthians.
Creon. Messenger.
ARGUMENT.
After the slaughter of Pelias, Jason lived as an exile at
Corinth with his wife and children. But when Creon,
the king, chose him for a son-in-law, Medea is required
to be divorced from her husband, and ordered by the
kmg to seek another place of exile. Medea, a delay of
one day having been obtained, sends to Creusa a cloak
and neckerchief, charged with some magic-produced
material, which things having been put on by Creusa,
the cloak instantly takes fire, and the new bride is
cruelly destroyed by the flames; and the father, who
ran to the assistance of his daughter, shares the same
fate.--Then Medea, (the children she had by Jason
being killed in the presence of their father) flies away
through the air.
ACT I.
MEDEA.
Medea, when she finds herself deserted invokes the Gods
above and the Gods below to visit their vengeance
on Jason.
ye Gods, who preside over things conjugal, and

Oh!thou, Lucina, the special guardian of the hymeneal
bed; and thou, Minerva, who taughtest Tiphys, the
how to steer his vessel and combat the
successful pilot,
waves, and manage aright that novel Argonautic craft;
and thou, Neptune, the stern ruler of the vasty deep;
and thou, Phoebus, who dividest thy bright day between
the two sides of our orb; and thou, the three-formed
Hecate, (Hecate, Diana, Pnoebe,) who givest forth thy
nocturnal rays in full cognizance of what transpires at
the secret mystic ceremonies things done secretly by
night (and the deeds of the necromancer): and ohl
ye Gods, before whom Jason swore his fidelity to me,
and ye others, for whose aid it is the more decided
right of Medea to ask (those who had been initiated by
her in magical secrets, and the mystic infernal ceremonies)
Dominumque regni triftis, & dominam fide

IMeliore raptam, voce non faufl;a precor:
JAdefte, adefte fceleris ultrices Dese,
[CriDem folutis fquallidse ferpentibus,
lAtram cruentis manibus amplexffi facem, 15
k^defte: thalamis horridse quondam meis
Rjuales ftetiftis, conjugi letum novae,
Letumque focero & regise ftirpi date.
Mihi pejus aliquid, quod precer fponfo malum:
Vivat, per urbes erret ignotas egens, 20
Exful, pavens, invifus, incerti laris:
Me conjugem optet; limen alienum expetat,
Jam notus hofpes: quoque non aliud queam
Pejus precari, liberos fimilis patri,
Similefque matri. parta jam, parta ult io eft. 25
Peperi. querelas, verbaque incaSTum fgro.
Non ibo in hoflies? manibus excutiam faces,
Cosloque lucem? fpedlat hoc noftri fator
Sol generis! & fpeflatur, & curni infidens
Per folita puri fpatia decurrit poll? 30
Non redit in ortus, & remetitur diem?
Da, da per auras curribus patriis vehi.
Committe habenas, genitor, & flagrantibus
Ignifera loris tribue moderari juga.
Gemino Corinthos litori opponens moras, 35
Cremata flammis maria committet duo.
Hoc reftat unum: pronubam thalamo feram
Ut ipfa pinum poftque facrificas preces
;
Caedam dicatis vicflimas altaribus. ^

Per vifcera ipfa qussre fupplicio viam, 40
Si vivis, anime: fi quid antiqui tibi
Remanet vigoris, pelle femineos metus,
Et inhofpitalem Caucafum mente indue.
Quodcunque vidit Phafis aut Pontus nefas,
Videbit Ifthmos effera, ignota, horrida, 45
Tremenda coelo pariter ac terris mala,
Mens intus agitat; vulnera, & csedem, & vagum
and thou, the Chaos of Eternal Night, ye, the kingdoms

that are below those which are immediately above the
Earth,and the impious progeny of the Manes, and the
kmgdom, (Pluto,) and thou, Proserpine,
ruler of that sad
who wast carried away by Pluto, but with the faithful
observance of his conjugal vows, (which has not fallen to
my lot,) I pray thee, though with a modified degree of
confidence, be present. Ohl ye Eumenides, the aveng-
ing goddesses of crimes, with your repulsive locks hanging
down with the dangling serpents, be present, holding
the dreaded torch in your blood-thirsty hands stand ye
forth, as ye did at my marriage ceremony, terrible to
behold, causing death to reach this newly imported spouse 1
Lines ii 47] MKDEA, ^ '
^ ^Qe
Deal out destruction to the father-in-law, and tlie entire

Corinthian royal race And grant to me that the calaiivi-_
1
_
ties shall be worse, which I may invoke to befall my hus-

band! Let him live, let him wander amongst unknown
and hostile countries, as a suspected vagrant, as an exile,
always in dread of some terrible disaster, hated by every-
body, with no fixed home of his own, deserted by his

Lares let him sigh in vain to have me back again Let I
him have to seek the threshold of a stranger he is already

a marked man, too well known as a guest In addition I
to which, I cannot wish for anything worse for him, than

that his children, even born of me, should grow up
counterparts of himself in perfidy and like their mother
1
in their propensities to poison and to perpetrate the most

monstrous acts of cruelty Having borne children, therein
1
lies my' revenge

I have now been talking of com- my
plaints, but my
mere words of remonstrance are late in
the day, and of not much avail, but I have borne the
children Shall I not go into the enemy's camp? Shall
I
I put out the marriage torches with my own hands and

leave them all in darkness? Does Phoebus, the progeni-
tor of my race, see all this? And, as he beholds it, will
he still pursue his way, seated on his flaming chariot, by
the same undeviating track along the spotless skies, regard-
less of my misery. Why does ne not look horrified and
hide his face? Why does he uct r^-^tum to his starting-
place, the gorgeous east, and let the day be commenced
over again (that is, put back the day, as he had done
before, when Hercules was bom). Grant me this allow
me to be conveyed in the paternal chariot throughout
the skies. Oh! my father, hand thou the scorching reins
to me, and let me guide the fiery horses of the sun, and
Corinth, which is the opposing barrier between the two
seas (Ionian and ^gean) being burnt up by the flames,
of which I shall have the full command, the two seas will
be joined as the result (Corinth being thoroughly destroy-
ed, the two seas would be united). But there is still one
thing left for me to carry out, that I myself shall put in
an appearance at the marriage with my own hymeneal
pine torch and, after the preliminary prayers, can myself
slay the sacrificial victims before the sacred altars!
Ohl
my inward soul! if thou livest, that is if thou art alive
to thy sought-for revenge, seek the road to such
revenge,
by way of their entrails, and if there is any of ancient my
self left within me, let me cast aside all
womanish fears,
and assume the disposition of a fierce and cruel Cauca-
or Pontus
sian- and whatever crimes either the Phasis
(Euxine) has witnessed, let Corinth see, very earnest,m
cruel unheard of, terrible visitations, to be
trembled
the
406 SLxV,-CA'S tragedies. [Lines 48-77
Funus per' artus, levia memoravi nimis.

Hr^'- virgo feci, gravior exfurgat dolor.
ivlajora jam me
fcelera poft partus decent. 50
Accingere ira, teque in exitium pava
Furore toto: paria narrentur tua
Repudia thalamis, quo virum linquis modof
Hoc, quo fecuta es, rumpe jam fegnes moras:
Quae fcelere parta eft, fcelere linquenda eft domus. 55
CHORUS.
Chorus e mulieribus Corinthiis Jafonis & Creufas nuptiis
epithalamium praecinit.
A. lD regum thalamos numine profpero,

Qui caelum fuperi, quique regunt fretum,
'
Adfint, cum populis rite faventibus.

Primus fceptiferis coUa Tonantibus
Taurus celfa ferat tergore candido. Co
Lucinam nivei femina coi-poris
Intentata jugo placet. &, afperi
Martis fanguineas quae cohibet manus,
Quae dat belligeris foedera genlibus,
Et comu retinet divite copiam, 65
JJon'^tur tenera mitior hoftia.
Et tu, qui facibus legitimis adep.
Nodlem difcut:'"': aufpii;C' uextera,
Hue incede gradu marcidus ebrio,
Preecingens rofeo tempora vinculo. 70
Et tu, quae gemini prsevia temporis
Tarde ftella redis femper amantilius:
Te matres avidje, te cupiunt nurus,
Quamprimum radios fpaigere lucidos.
Vincit virgineus decor 75
Longe Cecropias nurus:
Et quas Taygeti jugis
at both by the Heavens and the Earth (Gods and Men;

have been duly and thoroughly thought over in my mind,
as well as the wounds and slauo;hter, and the scattered
funeral in waiting for them. (Alluding to the death of
Absyrtus, whose body, scattered far ancl wide, had to be
gathered up for the funeral pile.) I remember, however,

these trifles, perhaps too vividly all these things I did
when I was a virgm; my
present anger rises to a much
higher pitch Now, as a wife and mother, greater crimes
1
suit my condition
better lay myself out with all my _
pent-up rage for something worthy of it, in the way of

destruction! Let my divorce be talked about, as much
fis ever this marriage will be (as regards th? qrime
I
Lines 48-77] MEDEA. 407
connected therewith). But in what way do I propose to

leave my husband? In the same way as that in which I
followed him as a criminal Now let me put an end
1
to impotent, sluggish delay the palace which was obtained

through the instrumentality of crime must be vacated
with crime I
CHORUS.
The Chorus of the Corinthian women chant forth a
marriage song in praise of the nuptials between
Jason and Creusa.
ye Gods above; thou, Jupiter, who rulest the

Oh!heavens, and thou, Neptune, who rulest over the
vast ocean be all of you with your encour-
present
aging felicitations, marriage of the royal person-
at the
ages, Jason and Creusa, with the populace seconding your
favourable acknowledgment, with becoming ceremonial
.
rejoicing and kind words. Let a prime bull amongst the
iirst, with a snow-white hide, raising proudly its lofty head,
be sacrificed at the altars of the deities, Jupiter and Juno,
who wield the sceptre in the kingdom, whence the light-
nings are sent forth, and let a white heifer whose neck
has never been bent to the yoke, be offered to gratify
the eyes of Lucina and thou, Concordia, the goddess of
;
peace, who restrainest the sanminary weapons of Mars,

and who, instead, bestowest the blessings of amicable
treaties upon warlike peoples, and who art recognized
by husbanding in thy horn of plenty the plentiful fruits
of the earth, for thee, let a fittmg emblem in the shape
of a sheep, be awarded. (This was sacrificed in an especial
manner, without blood sprinkled on the altars, as opposed
to the free shedding of blood, which characterizes the
operations of war.) And thou, Hymenaeus, who comest
with thy torches suggestive of thy legitimate functions,
who drivest away the darkness of night with the torches
in thy right hand come hither, oh thou debauched-
I
looking Cod, with thy drunken rollicking gait, wearing

on thy head the customary chaplet of roses, and thou
Venus, the constellation, the forerunner of day and night
(coming at two times), and always returning late for those
engaged in their love affairs. (That is, the time always
appearing long, which is looked forward to by ardent
lovers on the matrimonial list.) The anxious matrons want
thee, the brides want thee the moment thou sheddest
forth those rays of thine. But really, the beauty of our
Virgin Creusa surpasses by far that of all the other brides,
as well as those whom that city, without the protection
4o8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 78-xis
Exercet juvenum modo,

Muris quod caret, oppidum:
0
Et quas Aonius latex,
Alpheofque facer lavat.
Si forma velit afpici,
Cedent jEfonio duci.
Proles fulminis improbi,
Aptat qui jaga tigribus 8$
Nee non qui tripodas movet,
Frater virginis afperae.
Cedet caftore cum fuo
Pollux casstibus aptior.
Sic, fic, Ccelicolffi, precor, 90
Vincat femina conjuges,
Vir longe' fuperet vires.
Hsec cum femineo conftitit in choro,
Unius facies preenitet omnibus.
Sic cum fole perit fidereus decor, 95
Et denfi latitant Plefadum greges.
Cum Phoebe folidum lumine non fuo
Orbem circuitus cornibus alligat.
Oftro fic niveus puniceo color
Perfufus rubuit: fic nitidum jubar ico
Paftor luce nova rofcidus afpicit.
Ereptus thalamis Phafidos hoiTidis,
Effrenss folitus pecftora conjugis
Invita trepidus prendere dextera,
Felix ôliam corripe virginem 105
Nunc primum foceris, fponfe, volentibus.
Conceffo, juvenes, ludite jurgio.
Hinc illinc, juvenes, mittite carmina.
Rara eft in dominos jufta licentia.
Candida thyrfigeri proles generofa Lyxi, 1 10
Multifidam jam tempus erat fuccendere pinum.
Excute folemnem digitus marcentibus ignem,
Fefta dicax fundat convicia Fefcenninus.
Solvat turba jocos. Tacitis eat ilia tenebris,
Si qua peregrino nubit fugitiva marito. 115
of walls on the summit of Taygetum, constantly sees en-

gaged in manly exercises, and those who lave their per-
sons in the Aonian streams, and the sacred Alpheus; but
if it is desirable to gauge the standard of excellence by the
pretensions of beauty, decidedly the descendant of Ason,
Jason, will carry off the palm as the successful compe-
titor, outstripping that offspring of the harsh Thunderer,
Bacchus, who yokes the tigers to his chariots, and Apollo
even, who, mounted on his tripod, deals forth his oracles,
and the brother of that rough-and-ready Virgin Diana
(this refers to her as a huntress only), and Pollux too,
who seeins more at home with his Coestus, must bate all
Lines 78-iiS] MEDEA. 409
pretentions (as a rival) as well as his brother Castor 1

Thus,thus, oh ye Gods above, I vow and maintain,
I
that Creusa carries off the prize amongst the maids, and
Jason, by a long way, outshines all the men. When she
stands up with the women of this chorus, the face of that
one, Creusa, surpasses all the others in beauty As when
1
the starry splendors fade away into nothingness when

bright Phcebus shows his effulgent face, and as with the
thick cluster of the Pleiades when bright Phoebe has
approximated her circuitous horns (full moon) and shows
herself as a solid orb, although the light is not her own 1
Thus it iswith Creusa, when her snow-white face becomes

tinged with the exquisite pink, diffusing itself; and in
like manner, as the morning shepherd, wet himself with
the dews of night, beholds the bright face of Aurora
with a renovated light, as she is feci by the same dews.
(The ancients imagmed that the Stellar bodies were
nourished with moisture, hence the idea increased bril-
liancy.) Thou, Jason, having been snatched away (releas-
ed) from the horrible marriage bed of Phasian memory,
accustomed as thou wert to the temper and caprices of
a fierce wife, and who trembledst even as thou didst caress
her with thy unwilling right hand, take to thyself with
rapture the .<Eolian Virgin, and thou, oh thou Bridegroom,
for the first time in thy life rejoice in having a father-
in-law ready to receive thee with open arms and ohl
ye young men, give yourselves up to jollity, the privilege
of running down your masters oeing now accorded to
you, and oh ye, the young of both sexes, chant forth
1
your tuneful lays, the men at one time, the women at

another. (This singing separately was adopted that the
female voices should not be drowned by those of the
males.) The rare liberty is now accorded to you, and
acknowledged as your right, to rail against your masters.
(This is the custom at the Saturnalia, when masters and
slaves change places, and say what they like.)
And ohl ye fortunate noble progeny of the Thyrsus-
bearing Lyseus (Bacchus), now is the time to set fire to
marriage
the split pines, and to brandish the solemn
torches with your fingers, till they are thoroughly
fagged
'
out (the pines, being slit up with the grain

of the wood,
burn freely when wafted to and fro briskly),
and the
reciters of the bantering Fescennine
Verses may freely
induce intheir licentious jocularities on this festive
occaston, and the assembled throng are at liberty to
let Medea ->
crack their jokes as much as they likel But
pass away into silent obscurity, she who
beca,me a fugitive
aifid exile, and married a
husband travelling about m
J
foreign lands 11
4IO SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1x6-148
ACTUS SECUNDUS.
MEDEA, NUTRIX.
Audito Hymenseo furit Medea, quam fedare nutrix laborat,
fed fruftra.
MED. V^^cciDiMDS.âui-es pepulit Hymenseus meas.

Vix ipfa tantum, vix adhuc, credo malum.
Hasc facere Jafon potuit? erepto patre,
Patria atque regno, fedibus folam exteris
Defererer duras merita contemfit mea, 120
Qui fcelere flammas viderat vinci, & mare?
Adeone credit omne confumtum nefas.'
Incerta, vecors, mente vefana feror.
Partes in omnes, unde me ulcifci queam?
Utinam effet illi frater! eft conjux. in banc 125
Ferrum exigatur. hoc meis fatis eft malis?
Si quod Pelafgse, fi quod urbes. barbarse
Novere facinus, quod tuas ignorant manus;
Nunc eft parandnm. fcelera te hortentur tua;
Et cun<5la redeant. inclitum regni decus 130
Raptum; & nefandse virginis parvus comes
Divifus enfe, funus ingeftum patri;
Sparfumque ponto corpus; & Peliae fenis
Deco(5la aheno membra, funeftum impie
Quam fsepe fudi fauguinem! at nullum fcelus 135
Irata feci, fjevit infelix amor.
Quid tamen Jafon potuit, alieni arbitrii
Jurifque fa(5lus? debuit ferro obvium /
OffeiTe pedlus, melius, ah melius, dolor

Furiofe, loquere. fi poteft, vivat meus, 140
L't fuit, Jafon; fin minus, vivat tamen,
Memorque noftri muneri parcat meo.
Culpa eft Creontis tota, qui fceptro impotens
Conjugia folvit; quique genitricem abftrahit
Natis, & ar(5lo pignore adftridlam fidem 145
Dirimit. petatur folus hie; poenas luat,
Quas debet, alto cinere cumulabo domum.
Videbit atrum vorticem flammis agi
ACT II.
MEDEA-NURSE.
Medea is in a furious rage when she hears of the mar-
riage: the nurse tries her best to pacify her, but in
vain, '
MEDEA.
AM at my wits' end, these marriage chants are still
I ringmg m my ears. I can scarcely accredit so gross

a piece of villamy hardly, as yet, at all events! Is
Jason capable of domg such things ? Snatched away from
my father, my native country, my kingdom, and thus
to be alone forsaken, in a foreign landl Has that
left
ungrateful man learned to despise my meritorious ser-
vices? I, who, by my crimes, witnessed his triumph over
the flames and the sea (by her sorceries over the flames,
the brazen-footed, fire-vomiting bulls, and over the sea
by throwing into it the body of her brother Absyrtus)
but he is so credulous as to suppose that I have ex-
hausted my category of the evil arts which I can yet
bring to my aid? In. my wavering state of Tnm(L=i
niaddene d ^ga;tfon, I am goadedj3n,jL.e^
/
oi_jiivent!OJL "'^^^^5I3'2S^J&-^Pffl^^S-2^G5JySi-5~l9-
ihejm2d_jaJ;HE2S:JLiJ2MZbe "best able to executg,. ray-
revenge I wish Jason had a"'5rofKer, never 'mmd,-^he
.
has a wife, and upon her the sword shall be visited;

but is this enough to satisfy my wrongs? If the Pelas-
gians, or even any Barbarian cities, have oecome acquaint-
ed with any specimen of crime not known already to
these practised hands of mine, now is the time to make
it known to me let your crimes induce you to offer
some sort of guidance, and let all my own deeds return
to my memory that glorious distinguishing ornament
of a proud kingdom, the golden fleece (stolen by Jason,
aided by my sorceries), and the young companion of a
cruel virgin, cut up with the edge of the sword, and his
remains thrust upon the notice of the father (to retard
pursuit) and his body thrown into the sea, piece by piece
(to appease Neptune). And the body of the aged Pelias

boiled in a caldron how impiously forsooth! And how
often have I been reckless in the shedding of blood?
But none of these things, mark, have I done when anger
was urging me on Now, my unsuccessful spurned affec-
!
tion will add fury to my operations! But what could

Jason do? He has had the sanction and authority of
another to aid and abet him in doing what he has done.
But ought he not rather to have presented his breast to
the sword's point, than to have deserted me? But let
me speak more to the purpose, ah, with more modera-
tion. Oh! this angered soul of mine! If it be possi-
ble, let Jason remain mine, as he once was if not let ;
him still live, and be mindful of my past services, and

my now sparing him. (My vengeance is to let him live to
know that he Qwes hi ve^ existence to my forbearance.)
Malea, longas navibus fleftens moras.

NUTR. Sile, obfecro, queftufque fecreto abditos 150
Manda dolori. gravia quifquis vulnera
Patiente & aequo mutus animo pertulit,
Referre potuit. ira, quae tegitur, nocet.
Profeffa perdunt odia vindiflse locum
MED. Levis eft dolor, qui capere confilium poteft, 155
Kt clepere fefe. magna non mala.
latitant
Libet ire contra, nutr. Sifte furialem impetum,
Alumna, vix te tacita defendit quies
MED. Fortuna fortes metuit, ignavos premit.
NUTR. Tunc eft probanda, fi locum virtus habet. 160
MED. Nunquam poteft non effe virtuti locus.
NUTR. Spes nulla monftrat rebus affli(5lis viam.
MED. Qui nil poteft fperare, defperet nihil.
NUTR. Abiere Colchi. conjugis nulla eft fides,
Nihilque fupereft opibus e tantis tibi. 165
MED. Medea fupereft. heic mare & terras vides,
Ferrumque, & ignes, & Deos, & fulmina.
NUTR. Rex eft timendus. med. Rex meus fuerat pater.
The_entire blaniejs withJCre^, who, in his irrestrain-

abfe poWeiY-haT dissoTveST'my marrige with Jason, and it
is he, who has separated a mother from her children,
and ruthlessly disturbed that conjugal fidelity, by which
we were both bound by the strictest pledges No^ he I
alone. _shall be sought. ouLfpx~this^he~shall_sufier---that

punishment "whichr he. so j:ichly_d.eserxes I will reduce
his palace to a heap of cinders, and the promontory of
Malea, which causes from its numerous bends so much
obstruction and delay to navigators, shall witness a black
whirlwind of smoke rise out of the flames. (Malea, which
extended five miles into the sea, became proverbial for
its danger.)
Be silent, I beseech thee, consign thy wrongs to the

secret recesses of thy own angry bosom ; whoever bears
in silence, and with a patient unruffled spirit, the grievous
stings of fate, can always place them to belter 'account
(to give like for like in revenge) ; anger which is pent-up,
and not shown to the world, is always more effective,
when brought into play but grievances which are openly
paraded lose many an opportunity for revenge (e. g. appriz-
!
ing others of your intentions).
MEDEA.
That grievance is light indeed which can tolerate any
advice from others, and hide itself away, as it were;
grievances of any magnitude will not be stifled in such

a manner No, it is better to face one's difficulties openly!
NtmSE.
Do restrain thy furious impulses, ohl my nursling 1
or thy reposeful silence, even, will not be a sufficient

safeguard!
MEDEA.
I ^Fortune favours the bold, but she tramples on they

/coward. r^*'^~~-~~-------v^._.__,_^,^_^,.^,,,,^.,^ /
NURSE. ""
Then it remains to be proved whether determination

and boldness have the requisite materials to work with.
MEDEA.
There never can be any place assigned to determina-

tion: it is the result which decides the matter.
NURSE.
Does no hope hold out any prospect to those in afflic-

tion?
MEDEA.
He who cannot hope for anything cannot reasonably

despair of anything.
'"
- - -
.^_--"- "
NURSE.
The Colchians are out of the question now; there is
no fidelity tobe expected from thy husband, and nothing
now
remains to thee, even out of thy ample resources.
MEDEA. ^S
kT Yes, in(ie'e3rp!3jedea_xeD3a,in^! And thou canst see
-
^fiff^ffhyself the earth and the sea then come the sword,
the flames, the revengeful deities and Jupiter's lightnings 1
NURSE.
But the king, surely, is to be feared?
MEDEA.
My father was a king, and I didn't fear him (but
opposed him for Jason's sake).
:
NUTR. Non metuis arma? MED. Sint licet terra edita,

NUTR. Moriere. med. Cupio. nutr. Profuge. med. Poenituit fugse.
Medea fugiam? nutr. Mater es. med. Cui fim, vides.
NUTR. Profugere dubitas? MED. Fugiam: at ulcifcar prius.
NUTR. Vindex fequetur. med. Forfan inveniam moras.
NUTR. Compefce verba; parce jam demens minis,
Animofque minue. tempori aptari decet, 175
MED. Fortuna opes aufen'e. non animum poteft,
Sad cujus i(Su regius cardo ftrepit?
Ipfe eft Pelafgo turaidus imperio Creon.
CREON, MEDEA.
Creon Medeam in exfilium propere abire imperio urget
ilia diei unius moram vix impetiat.
NURSE.
Dost thou not fear the blood-thirsty weapons of the

warrior?
MEDEA.
No, not if they sprang forthwith from the earth! (allud-

ing to the giants sprung from the serpent's teeth when
thrown into the earth).
NURSE.
Thou mightst die!
MEDEA.
This is what I desire most.
NURSE.
Flee!
MEDEA.
I have had a little experience in ileeing, which I have

had reason to repent. Shall I, a Medea, attempt flight
again, that have boldly faced every danger?
Lines 169-.78] MEDEA. 4ig
NURSE.
Thou art a mother, thou hast children.
MEDEA.
Think rather of Jason, by whom I have been made

that mother.
NURSE.
Why dost thou hesitate to flee?
MEDEA.
I may flee, but I will have my revenge first
NURSE.
Vengeance will follow thee up, assuredly!
MEDEA.
may discover some opportunity for delay,

Perhaps I
as did when my father pursued me. (Slaying Absyrtus
I
funus ingestum patri, line 132.)
NURSE.
Spare thy menacing words, who art already enraged

enough; spare further threats. Tone down thy anger,
it is best to adapt thyself to time and opportunity,
MEDEA.
Fortune can rob us of our riches, but not of our_,'

"^
O^ntal attributes,' But, harkl Who is knocking? The
hinges~Tf- the' palace-door are creaking, Here is Creon
himself, puffed up with all his pompous pride and power!
CREON-MEDEA.
Creon urges Medea to depart from his Kingdom into
exile with all haste: she, with difficulty, obtains the
delay of one day.

4i6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines lyg-^ôo
CR.XVJ.EDEA, Colchi noxium Metis genus,

Nondum meis exportat e regnis pedem? l8o
Molitur aliquid. nota fraus, nota eft manus.
Cui parcit ilia? quemve fecurum finit?
Abolere prepare peffimam ferro luem
Equidem parabam; precibus evicit gener.
Conceffa vita eft. liberet fines metu; 185
Abeatque tuta, fert gradum contra ferox,
Minaxque noftros propius affatus petit.
Arcete, famuli, taau & acceiTu procul.
Jubete, Cleat, regium imperium pati
Aliquando difcat. vade veloci via, 190
Monftrumque fevum, horribile, jamdudum avehe.
MED. Quod crimen, aut quae culpa mul(5latur fuga?
CR. Quae caufa pellat, innocens mulier rogat.
MED. Si judicas, cognofce: fi regnas, jube.
CR. .lEquum arque iniquum regis imperium feras. 195
MED. Iniqua nunquam regna perpetuo manent
OR. I, querere Colchis. MED. Redeo. qui advexit, ferat
CR. Vox conftituto fera decreto venit.
MED. Qui ftatuit aliquid parte inaudita altera,
.lEquum licet ftatuerit, baud êquus fuit. 200
CREON.
OhI Medea, the noxious progeny of the Colchian

.êtas, hast thou not taken thyself off from out of
my dominions? Thou art hatching something, some
wicked crime has entered thy head, thy hands have
again been employed upon some mischief Whom or what 1
does that woman spare? Whom will she ever allow to

remain in security ? Indeed, I have been making up my
mind to destroy her forthwith, and to condemn her to
suffer the worst punishment to which I could sentence
her, the sword But my son-in-law, Jason, has won me
1
over by his entreaties not to do so, and thus her life has
been spared to her, but she must be caused to free my
kingdom of any further fears (arising out of her evil
machinations). Let her depart in safety, and let her fero-
cious nature guide her steps elsewhere She employs I
her threatening language, boldly seeks me out and dares

to address me personally! Drive her away, attendants,
put her as far from me as possible, from all contact or
any means of getting near me. Carry out these orders,

and make her keep silence she must, at last, be made
to yield to my regal authority! Go thy way with all
possible speed; let me it is time remove hence this
cruel, horrible monster!
Lines 179-200] MEDEA. '
417
MEDEA.
For what crime, for what fault, may I ask, am I to

be punished with exile?
CREON.
What reason is there why I should drive thee away?

An innocent woman could only ask me such a question
as that!
MEDEA.
If thou art officiating as a judge, let me know; if thou

art commanding because thou reignest, on the strength
of that power I must obey thee.
CREON.
Thou wilt have to obey the authority of the king, no

matter whether thou considerest the command just or
unjust 1
MEDEA.
True I But the unjust exercise of power does not rest

for ever with the dispenser thereof.
CREON.
Go away! Let Colchis be thy destination.
MEDEA.
I will return willingly, but let Jason escort me thither,

he who introduced me here.
CREON.
Thy remark comes too late under any circumstances:

my irrevocable decree has gone forth.
MEDEA.
The man, or judge, who issues his decrees so freely "^^

without hearing the other side of the question, although ;
,'
he may by chance ordain what is right, is not acting
justly. .,-....--
-'-' -
---^~-...- ^-'
2^
4t8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines ^01-233
CR. Auditus a te Pelia fupplicium tulit.

Sed fare, caufae detur egregise locus.
MED. Difficile quam fit animum ab ira fle(5lere
Jam concitatum; quamque regale lioc putet,
Sceptris fuperbas quifquis admovit manus, 205
Qua coepit, ire; regia didici mea.
Quamvis enim Cm clade miferanda obruta,
Expulfa, fupplex, fola, deferta, undique
quondam nobili fulfi patre,
Afflifta;
Avoque clarum Sole deduxi genus. 210
Quodcunque placidis flexibus Phafis rigat;
Pontufque quidquid Scythicus a tergo videt;
Paluftribus qua maria dulcefcunt aquis;
Armata peltis quidquid exercet cohors
Inclufa ripis vidua Thermodontiis: 215
Hoc omne nofter genitor imperio regit.
Generofa, felix, decore regali potens
Fulfi. petebant tunc meos thalamos proci,
Qui nunc petuntur. rapida Fortuna ac levis,
Prsecepfque regno eripuit, exfifib dedit, 220
Confide regnis, cum levis magnas opes
Hue ferat & iUuc cafus. hoc reges habent
Magnificum & ingens, nulla quod rapiat dies,
ProdelTe miferis, fupplices fido lare
Protegere. folum hoc Colchico regno extuli; 225
Decus illud ingens, Grseciae florem inclitum,
Prasfidia Achivas gentis, & prolem Deum
Servaffe memet. munus eft Orpheus meum,
Qui faxa cantu mulcet, & filvas trahit,
Geminumque munus Caftor & Pollux meum eft; 230
Satique Borea; quique trans Pontum quoque
Summota Lynceus lumine immiflTo videt;
Omnefque Minyae. nam ducum taceo ducem;
CREON.
Was the punishment of Pelias awarded after a fair

hearing of both sides? But tell me, at once, an oppor-
unity is now given thee of pleading to that very egregious
crime!
MEDEA
What a difficult thing it is to divert the mind from
anger,when once it is fully roused; the man who has

Lines 201 233] MEDEA.

grasped the sceptre with his proud hands thinks that
every thing he does is screened by his royal prerogative,
and is inclined to persevere in the course which he has
set himself to follow. (Medea here wishes to suggest that
the now hearkening to the entreaties of a suppliant is a
part of Creon's plan.) I gleaned the knowledge of this
fact from my observations in my own father's royal palace.
Although I may be here at thy feet, ruined, utterly miser-,
able, through my downfall ; driven away as a suppliant,

a deserted wife and a fair target at every turn for any
kind of affliction I once shone forth myself as a cynosure
in my noble father's palace, and I claim my illustrious
descent from Phoebus himself, who is my grandfather!
Whatsoever lands the Phasis washes with its winding
placid streams, of whatever countries the Scythian sea
commands the view along its shores, wherever the bitter
salt sea is tempered by the numberless marshy streams
flowing into it as tributaries, and those plains, where the
armed battalions of virgins, with their moon-shape shields,
strike terror, whilst they throng the banks of the Ther-
modon over all those vast stracts, does my father rule!
I, of noble descent, with prospects of the brightest, shone
forth, exercising considerable influence with my royal
splendor, and then it was that suitors sought my hand
in marriage (Jason) who in turn are now oeing sought
for by otoers as sons-in-law (Creon). But fortune, ever >
fleeting and capricious, in a precipitate moment snatched

me from my kingdom, and handed me over to exile 1
Put what trust thou likest in kingdoms, when thou ought

to know how the most trifling mcident may carry here

remove yonder at any moment those great advantages
which kings enjoy But there is one great and glorious
1
privilege, which kings at all times possess, and which,

as long as they are kings, no day can deprive them
of, and that is to do good to the wretched and fallen,
and to provide safe surroundings (reliable I>ares) for a
suppliant. Think of the one treasure I brought from the
kingdom of Colchis; my chief title to glory is to have
brought safely with me that distinguished ornament,
the noble flower of Greece, the very safeguard of the
Grecian nation, and the offspring of the Gods (the
Argonaut Heroes.) Orpheus, who charms the very rocks
and captivates the forest trees, is my gift, and the double
present of Castor and Pollux emanated from my exertions,
and the Sons of Boreas, and Lynceus, who, when he
directs his keen eyes, sees things although they are at
the bottom of the sea; and all those ThessaUan Minyae
(companions of Jason in the Argonautic expedition) for
I am silent about the chief of all these leaders (Jason),
1;
SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines ^si-^'Sg
jiToquo nihil debetur, hunc nulli iraputo.

Vobis revexi ceteros, unum mihi. 235
Inceffe nunc, &cunfla flagitia ingere;
Fatebor. obici crimen hoc folum poteft,
Argo reverfa, virgini placeat pudor.
Paterque placeat; tota cum ducibus ruet
Pelafga tellus. hie tuus primum gener 240
Tauri ferocis ore flammanti occidet.
Fortuna' caufam, qua volet, noftram premat
Non pcenitet fervaffe tot regum decus.
Quodcunque culpa prsemium ex omni tuli.
Hoc eft penes te, fi placet, damna ream: 245
Sed redde crimen, fum nocens, fateor, Creo.
Talem fciebas esse, cum genua altigi,
Fidemque fupplex pnefidis dextra: petii.
Terra hac miferiis angulum & fedem rogo, '
Latebrafque viles. urbe fi pelli placet, 250

Detur remotus aliquis in regnis locus.
CR. Non effe me, qui fceptra violenter geram,
Nee qui fuperbo miferias calcem pede,
Teftatus equidem videor baud clare parum,
Generum exfulem legendo, & affliiflum, & gravi 255
Terrore pavidum. quippe te poense expelit
Letoque Acaftus, regna Thelfalica obtinens.
Senio trementem debili atque sevo gravem
Patrem peremtum queritur, & csefi fenis
Difciffa membra; cum dolo captas tuo 260
PiK forores impium auderent nefas.
Poteft Jafon, fi tuam caufam amoves,
Suam tueri: nullus innocuum cruor
Contaminavit. abfuit feiTO manus,
Proculque veftro purus a ccetu ftetit. 265
Tu tu malorum machinati'ix facinorum,
Cui femioea nequitia, ad audeudum omnia
Virile robur, nulla famse memoria eft,
Egred^re, purga regna; letales fimul
for bringing whom nothing is owing to me I charge I
no one but myself for that act! I brought the others

back in safety for thee him (Jason) to please myself 1
Now set upon me, and heap up all things upon my

shoulders, as crimes: I will confess to what is true, but
can this solitary thing be thrown up in my teeth as a
crime? Suppose the Argonauts had met with a reverse
and it had suited me better, to have upheld the character
of a virgin, and my wish had been -to please my father
all the Pelasgian land would have come to ruin, with
;
Lines 234269] MEDEA. 421

\
its noble leaders ; first and foremost, thy intended son-in-

law would have fallen a prey to the vomited flames of
the ferocious bulll Fortune may deal even harshly with
my case, if she likes, but I do not myself repent of
having been the means of preserving the lives, the honor. '
the glory of so many noble heroes, the sons of kings! -
Whatever price I shall have to pay as the reward for all

my crimes, this is a matter entirely in thy hands: there-
fore, condemn me as a criminal, but
if it pleases thee,
give me back my
crime in full (Jason). I plead guilty,
Creon, I confess; thou knewest what I was when I
genuflexed to thee and craved as a suppUant for that
justice which is only expected in the fulfilment of a
solemn pledge, and I now ask, in my hour of tribula-
tion, only for a small corner and resting-place in this

country, any low hovel or hiding-place, but if it pleases
thee only to expel me from the city, pray let some
remote spot be accorded me, so long as it is in thy
kingdom f
CREON.
I am far from being the man who wishes to wield his

power with violent measures, nor am I one that can tread
with a disdainful foot upon the misfortunes of any one
indeed, I have that reputation, not wanting either in being
borne out by one very clear proof, which is not making
my son-in-law an exile, afilicted as he is, and always in
dread of some grave disaster ; for Acastus is on the look
out for thee to oe punished for the murder of his father
Pelias, trembling and feeble from advancing years and
borne down by old age, and then at the body of the
murdered old man bemg cut up in such a truculent
manner, when the affectionate sisters, deceived by thy
malignant arts, ventured to proceed with their impious
taskl (The daughters cut their father to pieces, having
drawn oflf all the blood from the veins, on the assurance
that Medea would replenish them by her incantations.)
Could Jason defend his cause if thou art left out of the
question? he has never yet contaminated his hands with
innocent blood, his hand, has never used the sword in
this way, for whilst all this was being done, he has always
stood aloof and at a distance from thy companionship ,
(from the midst of thy personal achievements) No ; thou

! I
thou art the sole machinatrix of all these terrible crimes,

thou whose wickedness as a woman is supplemented with
that masculine strength which has endowed thee with the
audacity to perpetrate such deeds in fact, thou dost not
seem to have any consciousness of thy infamy Go forth
1 1
"
Tecum aufer herbas. libera cives metu. 270

Alia fedens tellure foUicita Deos.
MED. Profugere cogis? redde fugienti ratem,
Vel redde comitem. fagere cur folatu jubes?
Non fola veni. ijella fi metuis pati,
Utrumque regno pelle. cur fontes duos 275
Diftinguisf illi Pelia, non nobis jacet
Fugam, rapinafque adice; defertum patrem,
Lacerumque fratem. quidquid etiamnum novas
Docet maritus conjuges, non eft meum.
Toties nocens fum fa<5la, fed nunquam mihi 280
GR. Jam exiffe decuit. quid feris fando moras?
MED. Supplex recedens illud extremum precor,
Ne culpa natos matris infontes trahat.
CR. Vade, hos patemo, ut genitor, excipiam fmu.
MED. Per ego aufpicatos regii thaJami toros, 285
Per fpes futuras, perque regnorum ftatus,
Fortuna varia dubia quos agitat vice,
Precor, brevem largire fugienti moram,
Dum extrema natis mater infigo ofcula,
Fortaffe moriens. CR. Fraudibus tempus petis. 290
MED. Quas fraus timeri tempore exiguo poteft?
CR. Nullum ad nocendum tempus anguftum eft malis.
MF.D. Parumne miferse temporis lacrimis negas?
CR. Etc repugnat precibus infixus timer.
Clear thyself from out of my kingdom, and take with

thee all thy poisoned herbs Free my subjects from any
further alarms, and in some other country settle down,
and tire out the Gods with thy enchantments, thy im-

precations, thy sorceries, if thou art anxious to do sol
Thou orderest me to flee restore my Argonautic craft,

:
or give me up my partner (Jaspn). Why dost thou order

me to go away alone ? If thou fearest to suffer from all
the calamities of war, send us both out of the kingdom!
Why dost thou make this unfair distinction between two
criminals? Pelias was not killed for Jason only, but for
both of us conjointly! Don't forget the flight, and add
to that the robbery of the fleece! The desertion of a
father and the dismemberment of a brother, and whatever
a husband instructs his newly-married wife to do, is not
certainly her affair only! I have often and often been
made to be a criminal, but never for myself alone 1
Lines 270-294]. MEDEA. 423
CREON.
Now it is right thou shouldst go: why sow delays by

further talk?
MEDEA.
One last thing as a suppliant I crave, before I go do not

:
let the crimes of a moUier be visited upon her innocent

children 1
CREON.
Gol I will cherish them, even -as a father, in my own

paternal bosom.
MEDEA.
I entreat thee by the auspicious marriage-bed involved

in this royal marriage, by all the future hopes in which
thou mayst indulge, arising therefrom by the stability of
thy throne which uncertain fortune often invades with
her varying capricious "ups" and "downs", give me a
short time to delay my departure while I as a mother
may imprint my last kisses upon my children's cheeks,
before I go, perhaps to die!
CREON.
Thou art seeking to gain time, for some wicked purpose I
MEDEA.
What mischief can be feared from me, in so short a

time?
CREON.
No time is too short to work out mischief for those

that are evilly disposed.
MEDEA.
Thoii wilt not, sturdy, deny a miserable creature some

time for mourning her lotl
little
CREON.
Although my mind had been made up thoroughly to

resistthy entreaties, one entire day shall be spared to
thee to prepare for thy departure.
Unus parando dabitur exfilio dies. 29S

MED. Nimis eft; recidas aliquid ex ifto licet.
Et ipfa propero. CR. Capite fupplicum lues,
Clarus priufquam Phoebus attollat diem,
Nifi cedis Ifthmo. facra me thalami vocant,
Vocat precari feftus Hymenaeo dies. 300
CHORUS.
Chorus in audaciam navigantium inveilus primes nautas dignum
audacia fua retuliffe prsemium canit Scilicet Medeam.
A. LXTOAX nimium, qui freta primus

Rate tarn fragili perfida rupit;
Terrafque fuas poft terga videns,
Animam levibus credidit auris;
Dubioque fecans asquora curfu, 305
Potuit tenui fidere ligno,
luter vitas mortifque vias
Nimium gracili limite dudlo.
Nondum quifquam fidera norat;
Stellifque, quibus pingitur aether, 310
Non erat ufus nondum pluvias
:
Hyadas poterant vitare rates:

Non Olenise fidera capras:
Non quae fequitur fleAitque fenex
Ardlica tardus plauftra Bootes: 315
Nondum Boreas, nondum Zephyrus
Nomen habebant,
Aufus Tiphys pandere vafto
Carbafa ponto, legefque novas
Scribere ventis. nunc lina fmu 320
Tendere toto: nunc prolato
Pede tranfverfos captare Notos:
Nunc antennas medio tutas
Ponere malo: nunc in fummo
Religare loco, cum jam totos 325
Avidus nimium navita flatus
MEDEA.
That is really more than I require or expect; thou

mayst make it a shorter time if tnou likest, and I will
make all haste.
CREON.
Thou wilt be punished with death, unless thou quittest

Corinth before bright Phcebus shines forth to commence
Lines 29S-3=fi] MEDEA.' 425
another day. Come -I am in a hurnr, the marriage

I
ceremonies demand ray presence a joyful occasion, like

this, involves the suitable prayers, vows and sacrifices to
the God Hymenaeusl
CHORUS.
The Chorus inveighs against the boldness of navigators,
and sings to the effect that the principal navigators
(the Golden Fleece expedition) have reaped the reward
they so richly deserved for their daringness singling
:
out Medea.
OH thou too daring one, who first braved the dangers

I
of the treacherous waves, in a vessel so frail, and

whilst still retaining in sight the land thou hadst
left behind thee, and entrusted thy life even to light winds,
and ploughing the sea, steering a doubtful course how
could any man rely on a thin plank, with so insigniificant
a margin between the journeys of life and death Not1
as yet had any man learned anything about the stars,

he had never made any scientific use of the constellations
with which the firmament -is so thickly adorned, not as
yet had his vessels been able to escape the stormy Hyades,
(noted for the rains and tempests they give rise to at
their rising and setting), nor was that constellation, the
Olenian she-goat, understood (named from the town of
Olenum in Achaia, at which place Jupiter was fed on
goats' milk by Amalthea, who was subsequently made a
constellation, Capella), nor was that slow-paced old waggoner
Bootes known the constellation that follows and guides
the Arctic (Polar) Chariots not as yet was Boreas or
Zephyrus even known by any distinguishing name at last ;
Tiphys ventured to spread his sails over the vast ocean, and
to lay down laws, and to point out in what way the winds

would be available for the navigator at one time to know
when to put all his ropes on the stretch (hauled taut)
with the sails amply spread out (full sail), at another time
when to avail himself of the south wind, blowing athwart
ships, by drawing his wide-spread sail down to the lowest
point, where it is fastened to the ship's side (the lower
part stretched aft, so as to expose as much spread
of canvas as possible, to the wind, as it was blowing
amidships, but regulating all this with the rudder, hard to
port or starboard, as the case might be, that is whether
he was steering east or west), at another time, when to
haul down the yards half-mast (under snug canvas), then
again, running the yards up to the highest point, when
426 . SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 3=7-367
Optat, & alto rabicunda tremunt

Suppara velo.
Candida noftri fecula patres
Videre, procul fraude remota. 33
Sua quifque piger litora tangens,
Patrioque fenex fai5lus in arvo,
Parvo dives, nifi quas tulerat
Natale folam, non norat opes.
Bene diffepti foedera mundi 335
Traxit in unum TheiTala pinus,
JuIIitque pati verbera ponum;
Partemque metus fieri noftri
Mare fepofitum. dedit ilia graves
Improbo pcenas, per tam longos 34
Dufta timores: cum duo monies,
Clauftra profundi, hinc atque illino
Subito impulfu, velut setherio
Gemerent fonitu; fpargeret aftra,
Nubefque ipfas mare deprenfum. 345
Palluit audax Tiphys, et omnes
Labente manu milit habenas:
Orpheus tacuit torpente lyra;
Ipfaque vocem perdidit Argo.
Quid! cum Siculi virgo Pelori, 350
Rabidos utero fuccincta canes,
Omnes pariter folvit hiatus,
Quis non totos horruit artus,
Toties uno latrante malo?
Quid cum Aufonium diras peftos
I
355
Voce canora mare mulcerentj
Cum Pieria refonans cithara
Thracius Orpheus folitam cantu
Retinere rates pasne coegit
Sirena fequif quod fuit hujus 360
Pretium curfus? auxea pellis;
Majufque maxi Medea malum,
Merces prima digna carina
Nunc jam pontus, & omnes
ceffit
non Palladia
Patitur leges, 365
Compafla manu regum referens
Inclita remos quseritur Argo.
even then the too eager sailor wishes to avail himself, to

the utmost, of the wind, he would cause the red streamers
to quiver again, as they floated in the breeze, above the
lofty saUs (These streamers no doubt answered the pur-
1
pose of our topsails, or at least top-gallant sails, and were

not merely ornamental.) Our forefathers lived in more

unsophisticated times, avaricious fraud being the last thing

thought of. Every man, then, relying on ease and peace
(as his summum ionum) kept close to his own shores, and yj
did so, till he became old, confining himself to his fields
and plains, rich with the little he possessed he knew not,
:
therefore sighed not for, any more wealth than what his
o\Ya. native soil afforded him IThe Argonauts in the
Thessalian Pine (The Argo) attempted the task of uniting
what the far-seeingness of creation had wisely kept
apart, and orderea the oars to be plied with vigorous
strokes upon the surface of the ocean, and the sea was
then selected to be made the fruitful factor of dread and
forebodings, and the ship, Argo, brought upon us grievous
sufferings, already having conducted its voyage through

so many sources of alarm. When the two mountains,
one here, the other there, closing in the Euxine sea,
driven together by a sudden collision, sound like a clap
of thunder (from the sudden displacement of the air) and
scatter the sea, which is forced upwards, into very clouds,
towards the sides (by the same sudden displacement)
the bold Tiphys grew pale, and let go the helm from
his feeble hands Orpheus became silent and his lute
was dumb and Argo, herself lost her voice (from dread).
(The Argo was said to have been prophetic, communic-
ative and oracular, like the Dodonean Oak, in which
were two hen doves, which gave responses. Some of the
beams of the Argo were constructed of this oak, from
which wood was derived her oracular power of warning
those on board of her against approaching calamities!)
What is this? They are all wondering, when the virgin
of the Sicilian Pelorus presents herself 1(Scylla the
daughter of Phorcus,) surrounded by her girdle of rabid
dogs, and she causes them all to bark at one time Who 1
would not have trembled all over his body, at such a

phenomenon? What next to relate? When the dreadful
pests, the Sirens, were charming the Ausonian Sea with
their melodious strains, the Thracian Orpheus gave '^'
forth the sweet sounds from his Pierian Harp (given to

him by his mother Calliope), and he almost compelled
the bewitched Sirens to follow the Argo those very
Sirens who had always been accustomed to attract other
navigators with their music, and detain their ships And 1
what was to be the crowning reward of all this? the

golden fleece, and Medea, a greater calamity than the
sea itself, certainly a reward, worthy of the first ship that
had ever rashly put to seal Now the sea is brought
under control, and obeys all the recognized rules of
seamanship I No Ulustrious Argo bmlt by the hands of a
Minerva* is now required with kings to man (handle)
Quselibet altum cymba pererrat,

Terminus omnis motus, & urbes
Muros terra pofuere nova. 370
Nil, qua fuerat fede, reliquit
Pervius orbis.
Indus gelidum potat Araxem:
Albim Perfse Rhenumque bibunt.
Venient annis fecula feris, 375
Quibus Oceanus vincula rerum
Laxet, & ingens pateat tellus,
Tethyfque novos detegat orbes,
Nee fit tenis ultima Thule.
ACTUS TERTIUS.
NUTRIX, MEDEA,
In vindiftam prseceps fertur Medea, nutrice incaffum earn
dehortante.
NUTR. A LUMNA, celerem

Xi quo rapis teftis pedem f 380
Refifte, & iras comprime, ac retine impetum.
Incerta qualis entheos curfus tulit.
Cum jam recepto Mannas infanit Deo,
Pindi nivalis vertice, aut Nyfae jugis;
Talis recurfat hue & hue motu effero, 385
Furoris ore figna lymphati gerens.
Flammata facies fpiritum ex alto citat.
Proclamat: oculos uberi fletu rigat.
Renidet. omnis fpecimen affeftus capit;
Hseret, minatur, seftuat, queritur, gemit. 390
Quo pondus animi verget? ubl ponet minas?
Ubi fe ifte fludlus franget? exundat furor.
Non facile fecum verfat aut medium fcelus.
Se vincet: iras novimus veteres notas.
Magnum aliquid inftat, efferum, immane, impium. 395
Vultum furoris cerno. Dii fallant metum!
the oars Any vessel can now sail about on the seal
I
Old landmarks have disappeared, and cities inclose them-

selves with walls, upon iresh, newly-discovered lands!
The world, universally traversable, has left nothing
in that in which it was originally found
place, The 1
swarthy Indian sips the cooling streams 01 the Alaxis ; the

Persians quench their thirst with the waters of the Elbe
and Rhine The times will arrive later on, as the yea's
I
roll onwards, in which the ocean will remove the impedi-

ments which now retard human affairs, and a new earth
will be opened up to mankind, and the votaries of Tiphys
(followers of the sea) will discover fresh worlds, and the
present Thule (that island in the Northern Ocean) will
not be the Ultima Thule in future worlds!
ACT III.
NURSE-MEDEA.
Medea rushes headlong towards the execution of her
revenge, the nurse dissuading her from her projects,
but in vain.
NURSE.
Nurseling, why pacest thou about the house so

Oh!excitedly? Do not give way but control thy
thus,
passion and curb thy impetuousness As when the
I
Maenad (Bacchanal) becomes furious, from the influence she

receives from the God, on the summits of snowy Pindus,
or mountain-tops of Nysa, and just as she might have
followed up wildly her inspired movement, so hither and '
thither Medea runs to and fro in a similarly wild manner,

and revealing in her expression the look of maddened
fury; her flushed face shows that she is drawing her
breath hard, (from the lowest parts of her lungs) she
cries, and her eyes are overflowing with the tears arising
out of her temper! She then brightens up on a sudden

laughs in fact every passing mental mood takes its
turn, as it is uppermost, (at one time pleased with the
hope of carrying out her revenge, at another, anger at
her past thwarted aspirations). She seems, one minute
to hesitate as to what she should do, then she begins to
threaten, shaking her head, then storms furiously, wails
and groans! To what end will this weight of mental
pressure lead ? Upon whom will she wreak her threatening
anger? When will that tempestuous wave of passion
exhaust itself? Her anger is now at an overflowing height!
I am certain she is not meditating within her mind any
ordinary or moderate scheme of revenge She will surpass
!
herself! I am well acquainted with some of her past

and gone bursts of anger, but something, I am positive,
is now brewing that is dreadful, something on a large
scale something truly impious! I see fury marked on
her countenance! May the Gods above only undeceive
me as to my apprehensions, that is all!
430
SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. ^ [Lines 397-430
MED. Si quseris odio, mifera, quem Aatuas modum,

Imitaie amorem, regias egon' ut faces
Inulta patiar? fegnis hie ibit dies,
Tanto petitus ambitu, tanto datus? 4OO
Dum terra coelum media libratum feret,
Nitidufque certas mundus evolvet vices,
Numerufque arenis deerit, & folem dies,
No(lem fequentur aftra; dum ficcas polus
Verfabit Ar<5tosJ flumina in pontum cadent; 405
Nunquam meus ceffabit in poenas furor,
Crefcetque femper. quK ferarum immanitas.
Quae Scylla, quse Charybdis, Aufonium mare
Siculumque forbens, quseque anhelantem premens
Titana, tantis iStna fervefcit minis? 410
Non rapidus amnis, non procellofum mare,
Pontufque Coro faevus, aut vis ignium
Adjuta fiatu, poffit inhibere impetum
Irafque noftras, ftemam & evertam omnia.
Timuit Creontem, ac bella Tlieffalici ducis? 415
Amor timere neminem verus poteft.
Sed cefTerit coaflus, & dederit manus;
Adire certe, & conjugem extreme alloqui
Sermone potuit hoc quoque extimuit ferox.
:
Laxare certe tempus immitis fugse 420

Genero licebat. liberis unus dies
Datus duobus. non queror tempus breve:
Multum patebit. faciet, hie faciet dies.
Quod nuUus unquam taceat. invadam Deos,
Et eundla quatiam. NUTR. Recipe turbatum malis, 425
Hera, peflus. animum mitiga. MED. Sola eft quies,
Mecum ruina cunfla fi video obruta.
Mecum omnia abeant. trahere, eum pereas, libet.
NUTR. Quam multa fmt timenda, fi perftas, vide.
Nemo potentes aggredi tutus poteft. 430
MEDEA (io herself).
If thou wishest, oh my miserable self, to decide what

limits thou shouldst impose upon thy justly-evoked
hatred, take as a guide tihe inordinate amount of love
thou hast wasted, and follow that! Shall I for one
moment endure unrevenged the sight of this royal marriage
rivalling my own legitimate pretensions? Shall this
"one" day then be spent to an idle purpose ? sought
for with so much importunity, granted by Creon with
such great reluctance Whilst this earth of ours continues
I
to be poised in the heavens, and whilst the world of

shining constellations continues to show themselves at
certain recurring seasons, and as long as the sands

on the sea-shore continue as they are, numberless and
as long as the bright day appears as soon as Phoebus
peeps above the horizon, and as long as the stars continue
to show themselves with the advent of night, and so long

as the polar heavens regulate the movement of the Nor-
thern Bear, and preserve it, in its siccity (the Bears
are called "siccae", or dry, as they never set), and so
long as the tidal rivers find their way back to the sea,
never will my
thirsty rage cease to urge me
on to inflict
the punishment I am now contemplating, and, what is
more, it will only increase in its intensity! What savage

ferocity of the wild beasts, what Scylla what Charybdis,
swallowing in their irresistible gulfs the Ausonian and
Sicilian seas, what ^tna, which pressed down with its
weight the panting Titan (Enceladus), ever bums so '
vividly or so much as my flaming anger? Not the

rapidly flowing river not the tempestuous ocean, nor
the sea raging from the violence of the East wind, nor
the heat of the flames fanned into intensity by the wind
playing upon them, could possibly restrain the force of
my anger I will scatter and overthrow every thing in
I
my paml Am
I silly enough to believe that Jason goes
in any fear of Creon, or the threatened warlike invasion
of Acastus, the Thessalian King? No
True love can
I
never be made to fear any one But let us suppose that

1
he may have yielded under compulsion and surrendered

his authority in the matter, he might have come to nie, that
is certain, and spoken a few last parting words to his wife 1
But, does he, although fierce enough on other occasions,

fear to do even this r It was quite within the power of a
son-in-law to relax the cord and give me a litfle more time
for my flight One entire day is set apart to bid my child-
1
ren good-bye I do not complain of the shortness of the

1
time, but much lies before me, for my accompUshment

this day shall do it, and may it be done thoroughly!
Considering that no one can be depended on for silence,
I will appeal direct to the Gods, but I will put every thing
in motion, as low down as Acheron, if needs bel
NURSE.
Oh my mistress, rid thyself of a mind so disturbed
by evil passions, do calmn thy temper.
tei |^, ,
^;
MEDEAi,
/'T^herecah be only one rest for me, to see everything that is
/ opposed to me fall utterly in one common ruin,
together with
/ myself it is pleasing to know, when one perishes oneself,
V that one is dragging othe rs into destructibn at&esa me time.y
"'
'
~- - NURSE.
Consider how many contingencies are to be dreaded,
if thou wilt persist; no one can attack the will and power
of a. king with impunity.
JASON, MEDEA.
Jafonem, gravatim Medeam deferentem, feque excufantem, aggreditur
Medea opprobiis, precibus, fimulata conciliatioue.
JAS. V.^DURA fata femper, & fortem afperam,

Cum fasvit, & cum parcit, ex eequo malaml
Remedia toties invenit nobis Deus
Periculis pejora? fi vellem fidem
Prseftare meritis conjugis, leto fuit 435
Caput offerendum: fi mori nolim, fide
Mifera carendum eft. non timor vicit virura,
Sed trepida pietas. quippe fequeretur necem
Eroles parentum o fanila, fi coelum incolis,
Juftitia, numen invoco ac teftor tuum. 440
Nati pah-em vicere. quin ipfam quoque,
Etfi ferox eft corde, nee patiens jugi,
Confulere natis malle, quam thalamis, reor.
Conftituit animus precibus iratam aggredi.
Atque ecce, vifo memet, exCluit, furit. 445
Fert odia praa fe, totus in vultu eft dolor.
MED. Fugimus, Jafon, fugimus. hoc non eft novum,
Mulare fedes. caufa fugiendi nova eft.
Pro te folebam fugere. difcedo, exeo.
Penatibus profugere quam cogis tuis, 450
Ad quos remittis? Phafin & Colchos petam, ,
Patriumque regnum, quieque fratemus cruor
Perfudit arva? quas peti terras jubes?
Quae maria monftras? Pontici fauces freti?
Per quas revexi nobiles regum manus,
455
Adulterum fecuta per Symplegadas?
Parvamne lolcon, Theffala an Tempe petam?
Quafcunque aperui tibi vias, clufi mihi.
Quo me remittis? exfuli exfilium imperas.
Nee das. eatur. regius juffit gener. 460
JASON MEDEA.
Medea attacks Jason with violent reproaches for deserting
her and excusing himself, and then at his entreaties,
pretends to be concihated.
JASON.
OH I
of
ye Fates always severe, oh the
my own lot, equally so inwhether it
bitter condition
its results,
accorded as an angry visitation, or whether it is
is
intended to be an act of clemency! How often does
the Deity devise remedies for us, which are more disas-
trous in their effects than the evils they are intended to
Lines 431-460] MEDEA, 433
ameliorate! (For example.) If I wish to manifest my

fidelity towards the reasonable claims of a wife, my life
would be demanded as the sacrifice If I should not
1
feel disposed to die in this manner, I should be taunted

with not holding to my unfortunate vows (in another
quarter), and it would not be that this arose firom any
lack of manly spirit, but simply the anxious affectionate
love I entertain for my children ; for the offspring would
be sure to have to undergo the fate of th^ parent Oh 1
holy Astrseal (Goddess of Justice) if thou art still to be

found in the heavens, I invoke thee and call to my aid
thy divine assistance! The love for my children has
compelled me to elect to live, and I suppose that Medea
herself, although she is of a naturally ferocious disposi-
tion, would rather consult the interests and welfare of
her children, than trouble her head any more about this
marriage business! At all events, I have made up my
mind to approach her with my intercessions, however
angry I may find her!
(This as she is coming here.) Ah! Behold! Here
she comes, and directly she catches sight of me, she
jumps about, and becomes frantic She is really exceed-
I
ing herself in her hatred, and anger shows up in every

lineament of her visage!
MEDEA.

Jason, I arn sent into exile, I shall flee, such a thing
as changing ray habitat is no new thing to me, but the
reason for mjr doing so now is rather a novel one.
Formerly I exiled myself, for thy sake, and to avoid an
angry father, and again to get out of the way of Acas-
tus. I am leaving this country and I go as an exile:
how is it that thou compellest me to fly from thy tutelar
Penates? To whom art thou consigning
Shall I me?
have to seek Phasis or Colchis and
father's king- my
dom, and the country where my brother's blood was
spilled? What land dost thou command me to seek?
What seas canst thou point out? The straits of the
Euxine, through which I once conducted back, in safety,
the noble troop of kings (the Argonauts). I followed the
adulterous Jason across the Symplegadas, or shall it be
the unpretentious lolchus, or shall I seek out the Thessa-
lian Tempe ? Now all these places, which I have brought
to thy notice are closed to me (I have made my owu
I
country and Thessaly hostile to me) where dost thou

mean to send me ? Thou orderest me to be exiled, but
thou dost not provide me with a place of exile Let it !
be so then The Royal son-in-law has only to command,

!
28
Nihil rectifo. dira fupplicia ingere;

Merui. cruentis pellicem pcenis premat
Regalis ira, vinculis oneret manus,
Clufamque faxo nodlis aetemse obruat;
Minora meritis patiar. ingratum caput! 465
ReTolvat animus igneos tauri halitus,
Interque faevos gentis indomitae metus,
Annifero in arvo flammeum jEetse pecus,
Hoftifque fubiti tela: cum juffu meo
Terrigena miles mutua casde occidit. 470
Adice expetita fpolia Phrixei arietis,
Somnoque juiTum lumina ignoto dare
Infomne monftrum: traditum fratrem necij
Et fcelere in uno non femel faiflum fcelus;
Juflasque natas fraude deceptas mea, 475
Secare membra non revi(luri fenis.
Aliena quasrens regna, deferui mea.
Per fpes tuorum libenun, & certum larem,
Per vi(5la monftra, per manus, pro te quibus
Nunquam peperci, perque praeleritos metus, 480
Per coelum, & uudas, conjugii teftes mei,
Miferere: redde fupplici felix vicem.
Ex opibus illis, quas procul raptas Scythae
Usque a peruftis Indiae populis petunt,
Quas quia referta vix domus gazas capit, 4S5
Ornamus auro nemora, nil exful tuli,
Nifi fratris aitiis. hos quoque impend! tibi.
Tibi patria ceffit, tibl pater, firater, pudor.
Hac dote nupfi. redde fugient fua.
JAS.Perimere cum te vellet infeftus Creo, 490
Lacrimis meis eviflus, exfilium dedit.
UED. Foenam putabam; munus, ut video, eft fuga.
JAS. Dum licet abire, profuge, teque hinc eripe.
and it is I, who cannot refuse to obey heap on me the

most cruel punishments, if thou likest I deserve it all,
let Creon's royal anger, too, oppress me with the most
merciless penalties, just as if I were some common con-
cubinelet him load my hands with chains, and shut
me out from the world, hidden away in some Scythian
cave, surrounded by perpetual darkness I shall suifer
less than I deserve, thou mayst think, ohl thou ungrate-
fiil man (alluding to her acts towards her father, mother
and Pelias). Does thy memory take thee back, Jason, to

the flames, breathed forth by the Bull? and, when ex-
posed to the savage terrors of that indomitable race, the
ferocious troop, wiich sprang up already armed in the
plains of êta, and when the darts of that suddenly
arriving enemy were threatening thee, and how, at my
command, those earth-born soldiers fell one after the other,
fighting amongst themselves Add to this, that much

1
coveted prize, the Golden Fleece of the Phrixean rami

and how I caused, by my enchantment, that draconian
monster, which had never before known what sleep was,
to be brought under the influence of my Letheean sopori-
fic How, --too, my brother was handed over to death,
I
and each crime committed by me, but not simultaneously,

is now to be quoted as one crime, my crime And when
1
the daughters of Pelias, cajoled by my deceitful machin-

ations, were ordered to cut up the body of their ancient
father who was never to live again, as I had promised
he should all this was when I was seeking another king-
;
dom, (for thee) and deserting my ownl I conjure thee,

Jason, by the hopes thou majrst entertain regarding any

children bom to thee, by (Jreusa, by the security of

thy domestic surroundings, by the monster I have con-
quered for thy benefit, by these very hands of mine,
which have never spared themselves where thou wert
concerned, and by the past dangers from which I have

rescued thee, by the heavens above by the waters
below, the witnesses of my marriage, have some mercy
on me, and thou, in thy prosperity, do me, a suppliant,
a good turn in my adversity Out of all the wealth, which
1
the remote Scythians seek out for plunder, as far even

as the countries inhabited by the parched-up_ swarthy-
Indian, and which our palace, so overloaded/ is it, will
scarcely contain, that we positively ornamented our trees
with gold (the Golden Fleece used to hang fi:om the
branches of an oak) as an exile, I brought none of these
things, notiiing but the limbs of a murdered brother.
I lay these entirely to thy account My country was
given up for thee my father my brother my maidenly
shame I married thee having these as my dowry, re-
1
turn them to me, as I am about to enter upon my exile 1
JASON.
When Creon wished for thy death, prevailed on by my

tears, he conceded the alternative of exile.
MEDEA.
I thought exile was intended as a punishment, now I
am to regard it in the light of a valuable gift1
JASON.
Take my advice, whilst thou art able to get away, but
take flight, and get thyself hence The anger of kings is
always a difficult thing to deal with.
Gravis ira regum eft semper. MED. Hoc fuades. mihi,

Prseftas Creufae, pellicem invifam amoves. 495
JAS. Medea amores obicitf med. Et cjedem, & dolos.
JAS. Objicere crimen quod potes tandem mihi?
MED. Quodcunque feci. JAS. Reftat hoc unum infuper,
Tuis ut etiam fceleribus fiam nocens.
MED. Tua ilia, tua fimt Ula, cui prodeft fcelus, 500
Is fecit omnes conjiigem infamem arguantj
Solus tuere, folus infontem voca.
Tibi innocens fit, quifquis eft pro te nocens.
JAS. Ingrata vita eft, cujas acceptje pudet.
MED. Retinenda non eft, cujus acceptse pudet. 505
JAS. Quin potius ira concitum pe<ftus doma.
Flacare natis. MED. Abdico, ejuro, abnuo.
Meis Creufa liberis fratres dabit?
JAS. Regina natis exfulum, afflidlis potens.
MED. Non veniat unquam tarn malus miferis dies, 510
Qui prole foeda mifceat prolem inclitam;
Phoebi nepotes Sifyphi nepotibus.
JAS.Quid, mifera, meque teque in exitium trahis?
MEDEA.
Dost thou really persuade me to do this Thou preferest

thy beloved Creusa, and want to have me moved away
as an objectionable rival or some cast-oflf mistress 1
JASON.
Does Medea object so much then to my amours?
MEDEA.
YeSj and thy murders and deceitful perfidious deeds

as well!
JASON.
What is the crime, after all, with which thou wishest

to charge me?
MEDEA.
With whateveXfe^5!^J'J^^^^'Linduced to commit! \
JASON.
Furthermore, this one thing remains, in which thou

still persistest that I am to be viewed as a criminal, on
account of thy crimes 1
Lines 494-S13] MEDEA. 437
MEDEA.
They are thine

^they are all thine, certainly; he virtu-
ally commits a crime, who is an accessory before the
fact, and who gladly partakes of the proceeds of a crime 1
Suppose then, that every one points to thy wife and

brands her with infamy, thou art the only champion
who is bound to defend her, and the only one bound to
callher innocent Whoever is acting in thy interests, in
1
a criminal capacity, deserves, at least some claim for

innocence at thy hands 1
JASON.
Life is very distasteful, when one has cause to blush

for it
MEDEA.
Then life needs no longer to be retained, when the

blushing fit supervenes 1
JASON.
But, really, is it not rather desirable for thee to restrain

the anger raging in thy heart, and to quiet thyself for
the sake of the children?
MEDEA.
I renounce themI resign them, I utterly repudiate

theml Will not Creusa furnish brothers for my cMdren?
JASON.
A powerful queen will be the protectress of the children

of an exile.
MEDEA.
Never such a miserable day as that arrive for

shall
me, when my
illustrious progeny, the grandsons of a
Phoebus, shall be huddled together with the ignoble
descendants of a Sisyphus 1
JASON.
Why, miserable woman, dost thou wish to drag me into

exile with thyself? Go away, I beseech thee.
Abfcede, quaefo. MED. Supplicem audivit Creo.

JAS. Quid facere poffim, eloquere. med. Pro me? vel fcelus. 515
JAS. Hinc rex, & illinc. med. Eft & his major metus,
Medea, nos confligere certemus; fine,
Sit pretium Jafon. JAS. Cede defeffus malis,
Et ipfa cafus fsepe jam expertos time.
MED. Fortuna femper omnis intra me ftetit. 5 2
JAS. Acaftus inftat, propior eft hoftis Creo.
MED. Utrumque profuge. nolo ut in focerum manus
Armes; nee ut te cssde cognata inquines,
Medea cogit. innocens mecum fuge.
JAS. Et quis refiftet, gemina fi bella ingruant? 525
Creo atque Acaftus arma fi jungant fua?
MED. His adice Colchos, adjice Metea ducem,
Scytlias Pelafgis junge. demerfos dabo.
JAS. Alta extimefco fceptra. MED. Ne cupias, vide,
JAS. Sufpedla ne fint, longa colloquia amputa. 530
MED. Nunc fumme toto Juppiter ccelo tona,
Intende dextram. vindices flammas para,
Omnemque ruptls nubibus mundum quale:
Nee diligenti tela librentur manu.
Vel me, vel iftum: quifquis e nobis cadet, 535
Nocens peribit. non poteft in nos tuum
MEDEA.
Even Creon listened to me as a suppliant I
JASON.
What can I do? Explain thyself fully.
MEDEA.
Forme! Everything! Any crime even 1
JASON.
Two kings are against us Creon here and Acastus
yonder 1
MEDEA.
If the truth be known, Medeais a greater source of
dread to them, than they are to her! Let me enter the
lists, single-handed, for our joint benefit! I can fight,
let me do so,
and Jason shall be the reward of my
victory 1
JASON.
I acknowledge myself dead-beaten, with troubles,
thoroughly worn out, and thou, thyself, hadst better go
in dread of repeating some of thy old experiments
MEDEA.
Fortune, hitherto, has always been at my feet I
JASON.
Acastus is on the march, and the other enemy, Creon,
IS nearer!
MEDEA.
Let us fly together; I am unwilling to arm my hands
agamst any father-in-law, nor does Medea urge, by any
means, that Jason should soil his hands with the blood
of his kinsman. Fly then, with me, and thou wilt be
innocent of such deeds I
JASON.
And who
could resist such a force, if a double war be
entered upon, as it were, if Creon and Acastus were to
join their armies!
MEDEA.
Nowthink of the Colchian battalions now think of the
generalissimo of êta with his army, and then add to
them the Scythian and Grecian contingents, why, I
would drive the enemy into the sea with these.
JASON.
I really fear the terrible power appertaining to the sceptre!
MEDEA.
Rather consider whether it is thou art hankering after
it thyself!
JASON.
Lest we may excite suspicion by this long interview,
let me suggest that our conversation should come to a close.
MEDEA.
Now, oh mighty Jupiter, thunder forth throughout the
I
entire heavens Stretch forth thy right hand, prepare thy

avenging lightnings, and shake up the whole universe,
as they dispel the clouds with their violence, nor let thy
lightnings be delicately balanced for any defined aim!
It does not matter, let them strike either myself or Jason,
whichever of the two might happen to fall, a culprit will
be sure to perish therefrom, so that thy lightnings can make
no mistake, as to the one upon whom they should strike!
44 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lmes 537-566
Errare fulmen. JAS. Sana meditari incipe,

Et placida fare, fi quid ex foceri domo
Poteft fugam levare, folamen pete.
MED. CoEtemnere animus regias, ut fcis, opes 54
Poteft, foletque: liberos tantum fugae
Habere comites liceat, in quorum finu
Lacrimas profundam. te novi nati manent.
JAS. Parere precibus cupere me, fateor, tuis;
Pietas vetat. namque iftud ut poffim pati, 545
Non ipfe memet cogat & rex, & focer.
Hsec caufa vilse eft, hoc perufti pefloris
Curis !evamen. fpiritu citius queam
Carere, membris, luce, med. Sic natos amat?
Bene eft. tenetur. vulneri patuit locus. 55
Suprema certe liceat abeuntem loqui
Mandata. liceat ultimum amplexum dare.
Gratum eft & illud. Voce jam extrema peto,
Ne qua nofter dubius effudit dolor,
fi
Maneant in animo verba: melioris tibi 555

Memoria noftri fubeat. hsec ira data
Obliterentur. jAS. Omnia ex animo expuli.
Precorque, & ipfa fervidam ut mentem regas,
Placideque tracles. miferias lenit quies.
MED. Difceffit. itan' eft? vadis oblitus mei, 560
meorum facinorum? excidimus tibi?
Et tot
Nunquam excidemus. hoc age, omnes advoca
Vires & artes. ftru(5lus eft fcelerum tibi,
Nullum fcelus putare. vix fraudi eft locus.
Timemur, hac aggredere, qua nemo poteft 565
Quidquam timere. perge. nunc aude, incipe.
JASON.
Now do begin to meditate reasonable things, and speak

of more pleasant topicSj and, if anything can be done to
lighten the blow of havmg to quit the palace of the father-
in-law,
seek my aid.
MEDEA.
My disposition, as thou full well knowest, is accustomed,

and can afford, to despise royal assistance
only let
me have my
children as companions in my
exile, upon
whose bosoms I can occasionally shed my
maternal
tears. Fresh children will remain for thee, the gifts of
Creusal
JASON.
I freely confess, that I should be willing to comply

with thy wishes in that respect, but my own affection for
!
my children would forbid such a thing 1 And not even

a King or a father-in-law would compel me to do what
I could not under any circumstances permit myself to do 1
My children are now the chief object of my life, the only -
solace to a heart burnt up with carking care! I could

give up the very breath I draw with greater willingness
my own miserable body would rather deny itself the _
very light of heaven.
MEDEA.
So I He dearly loves his children I have him ^

seel I
there at events. I know, now, where to strike my

all
blow! (this said to herself). Surely, I might be allowed to _
say a few parting words to my children, before I go, and
be permitted to give them a last embrace, that mdeed
would be a great consolation, and I ask for that favor
most earnestly, and if any undue or unintentional anger
has been manifested on my part, let what I have said in
my excited state of mind be regarded as empty words,
in fact, unsaid, and let thy memory hark back to kinder
things, as regards myself, let what could be imputed to
anger be entirely forgotten.
JASON.
I have banished all these things from my mind, and I

entreat thee henceforward to control thy hasty temper,
and deal with things in a calm spirit Rest is a marvellous
sedative to the troubled mind.
MEDEA.
He has gone And is this the way he goes? Thou,

I
Jason, go away! And I am simply to pass out of thy

memory as well as the many dreadful deeds I have done
in thy behalf! I am forgotten by thee, eh! But I will
never be forgotten by thee, nevertheless! Now, set to
work, Medea; call to thy aid all thy resources, and magical
arts,- thus, this is the climax of all the crimes that I
have committed for thee, to have arrived at this conclusion,
that nothing I can do now can be viewed in the light
of a crime .
But there scarcely any opportunity now for any

is
of my experimental jugglery. I am suspected, I am
watched, let my plan of attack be devised such a m
mode that no one can possibly suspect anything. Let
442 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Linw 567-60=
Quidquid potes, Medea, quidquid non potes.

Tu, fida nutrix, focia mceroris mei,
Variique cafus, mifera confilia adjuva.
Eft palla nobis, munus astherisE domus, S70
Decufque regni, pignus êtse datum
A Sole generis, eft & auro textili
Monile fulgens; quodque gemmarum nitor
Diftinguit aurum, quo folent cingi comas.
'
Haec noftra nati dona nubenti ferant, 575
Sed ante diris illita ac tinfta artibus.
Vocetur Hecale. facra lu(lifica appara.
Statuantur aras, flamma jam tedlis fonet.
CHORUS.
Canit Chorus, Rejecta uxor! quot amore dolorts polluto^ notumque
furens quid femina posset, & cum caeteri Argonautae pcenas
dederint violati maris, Jafoni bene precatur.
N; ULLA vis flammae, tumidique venti

Tanta, nee teli metuenda torti: 580
Quanta, cum conjux viduata taedis
Ardet & odit.
Non ubi hibemos nebulofus imbres

Aufter advexit; properatque torrens
Ifter, & jun<Sos vetat effe pontes, 585
Ac vagus errat.
Non ubi impellit Rbodanus profundum;

Aut ubi in rivos nivibus folutis
Sole jam forti, medioque vera
Tabuit Ha;mus. 590
Caecus eft ignis ftimulatus ira,
Nee regi curat, patiturve frenos.
Haud timet mortem, cupit ire in ipfos
Obvius enfes.
Parcite, o Divi. veniam precamur. 595

Vivat ut tutus, mare qui fubegit
Sed furit vinci dominus profundi
Regna fecunda.
Aufus setemos agitare cumis

Immemor metas juvenis patem, 600
Quos polo fparfis, furiofus ignes
Ipfe recepit.
me proceed, at once, let me dare any deed, and let me

now begin 1
Thou, my faithful nurse, companion in my miseries,

and sharer in my various aspects of fortune, assist me

in carrying out my wretched projects 1 Thou knowest,
there is a cloak of mine, the gift to our celestial family,
and the proud heirloom of our dynasty, a token given to
êta by Phoebus, to commemorate his lofty descent;
there is a neck-ornament, interwoven with gold
also
embroidery, and another article, a chaplet which I used
towear round my head, and in which the brilliant gems
show off the gold to great advantage! The sons shall
bear these presents from me to the bride, as my especial
wedding gifts, but let these presents be dipped and
impregnated beforehand with my destructive preparations,
and got ready for their fatal purpose then Hecate must
:
^
be invoked Let me prepare the funeral sacrifices let

1
the altars be got ready, and may the palace resound with
the alacrity of the flames, as they play before the altar.
CHORUS.
The Chorus sings of the inordinate anger entertained
by a cast-on wife at her thwarted love, and what a
furious woman is capable of to make it felt, and
whilst the rest of the Argonauts have suffered punish-
ment for having infringed the sanctity of the sea,
Jason is fervently prayed for.
No violence of the angry flames, no tempestuous winds

no arrow that was ever shot from the bow are
to be dreaded so much as a wife bereaved of her
nuptial rights and who (at the same time) is obstinately
clinging to her love, and is nursing her pent-up wrath,
when it is unacknowledged. Not less, indeed, than when
the south wind, charged with its cumulous nebulosities,
bursts upon us with its winter rains, nor when the swollen
Danube rushes on in torrents, and breaks down the
bridges built across it, and overflows its very banks Nor
1
when the angry Rhone is forcing back the waves, nor

when Mount Hasmus denuded of its snowy mantie sends
down in torrents towards the rivers the snows which
have been melted by the fierce solar heat following that
of mid-spring. The blind unreasoning passion is excited /
more and more by the rage engendered through its being
liwarted, it does not care to be influenced by reason and
will suffer no restraint it does not even fear death, and
is willing to face the point of the sword itself Be merci-
1
ful, ohl ye gods, we implore your pardon, that Jason

who subdued the sea shall live in security, and although
the Deity of the Ocean depths (Neptune) is angry that
his, the second Kingdom, should have been triumphed
444 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 603-S45
Conftitit nulli via nota magno.

Vade, qua tutum populo priori:
Rumpe nee facro, violente, fan(5la 605
Foedera mundi.
Quifquis audacis tetigit carinas

Nobiles remos, nemorifque facri
Pelion denfa fpoliavit umbra:
Quifquis intravit fcopulos vagantes, 610
Et tot emenfus pelagi labores,
Barbara funem religavit ora,
Raptor externi rediturus auri;
Exitu diro temerata ponti
Jura piavit. 615
Exigit pcenas mare provocatum.

Tiphys in primis domitor profundi
Liquid indodlo regimen magiftro,
Litore extemo procul a paternis
Occidens regnis, tumuloque vili 620
Tedlus, ignotas jacet inter umbras.
Aulis amiffi memor inde regis
Portubus lentis retinet carinas
Stare querentes.
Ille vocali genitus Camcena, 625

Cujus ad chordas modulante ple<5tro
Reilitit torrens, filuere venti;
Cui fuo cantu volucris reliAo
Adfuit tola comitante filva,
Thracios fparfus jacuit per agros. 630
At caput trifti fluitavit Hebro.
Contigit notam Styga, Tartarumque,
Non rediturus.
Stravit Alcides Aquilone nates.

Patre 'Neptuno genitum necavit, 635
Sumere innumeras folitum figuras.
Ipfe poft terrze pelagique pacem,
PoJ feri Ditis patefafta regna,
Vivus ardenti recubans in CEta,
Prsebuit faevis fua membra Hammis, 640
Tabe confumtus gemini cruoris
Munere nuptae.
Stravit Ancseum violentus iilu

Setiger. fratres, Meleagi-e, matris
Impius madias; morerifque dextra 645
over, as it was, by the Argonauts, that youth Phaeton,
who did not pay attention to his father's track, dared to

Lines 603-64S] MEDEA. 445
drive the eternal chariots of the sun recklessly through

space, and he only met with a fiery endl (struck down
by Jupiter's lightnings.) The well-known beaten track is
attended with danger to no man: let us go then, where
people before us have trodden with safety, do not let us
attempt to break through the time-sanctified institutions
of the Universe by any violent measures of our own!''
Whoever handled the illustrious oars of that audacious
Argo, and actually despoiled for their construction the
sacred forests of Pelion of their luxuriant umbrageous adorn-
ments ; whoever dared to brave the dangerous rocks scattered
about the sea, which they might have encountered (to their
destruction) and having crossed such a sea after much
difficulty, at last, fastened their cable (let go their cable)
upon a barbarous coast, to return, as the captors of the
golden fleece, by a terrible end, they have all expiated
their rash invasion of the dignity of the ocean depths, '
for those ocean depths, when provoked, deal out their

penalties with severity1 Tiphys, among the first, that sub-
duer of the waves, left his code of navigating instructions
to inexperienced pilots, and dying far away from the
land of his fathers on a foreign shore was buried in some
mean grave, and is now smouldering in the dust, amongst
the remains of other ordinary but unknown mortals 1
Aulis, mindful of the missing King,_ retained the ships in

the harbours, with a dead calm, whilst the mariners com-
Elained loudly at their detention 1 Orpheus, who was
orn of the vocal muse Calliope, the sound of whose
lyre, struck by his music-evoking plectrum, actually
stayed the force of the very torrents, and silenced the
winds themselves, at whose harmonies the birds ceased
their canorous warblings, and the entire forest responded
in company with them to his bewitching melodies, Orpheus'
remains lie scattered over the Thracian plains, and his
head floated down the waters of the sorrowing Hebrus. ,
(Orpheus was torn to pieces by the Ciconian women.) He /

has reached his final home, the Styx, and the realms of
Tartarus, never more to return I Alcides slew the sons
of Boreas (Zetes and Calais) he also slew the grandson
of Neptune (Periclymenus) who was accustomed to assume
a variety of shapes, and after peace ensued between the
sea, and after the terrible Kingdom of Pluto had been
laid open to his view, Alcides himself, whilst still alive,
lay aciross the burning Oeta, and surrendered his body
to the cruel flames, having been previously exhausted by
the lethal effects of a double poison, the virus of the
serpent of Lerna, and the poisoned robe, prepared from
the hoof of the Centaur Nessus, and given as a present
to Alcides, by his wife, (to recover his waning affection)
Matris irate, meruere cuudli.

Morte quod crimen tener expiavit
Herculi magno puer irrepertus?
Raptus eft tutas puer inter undas.
Ite nunc fortes; perarate pontum 650
Fonte timendo.
Idmonem, quamvis bene fata noffet,

Condidit ferpens. Libycis arenis
Omnibus vcrax, fibi falfus uni
Concidit JVIopfus, caruitque Thebis. 655
Ille fi vere cecinit futura,
Exful errabit Tlietidis maritus.
Igne fallaci nociturus Argis
Nauplius prasceps cadet in profundura.
Patrioque pendet crimine pcenas 660
Fulmiue & ponto moriens Oileus.
Conjugis fatum redimens Pherasi
Uxor impendes animam marito.
Ipfe, qui prasdam fpoliumque juffit
Aureum prima revehi carina, 665
Uftus accenfo Pelias aheno
Arfit anguftas vagus inter undas.
Jam fatis, Divi, mare vindicaftis.
Parcite juifo.
ACTUS QUARTUS.
NUTRIX.
Quid agat Medea, quid paret, narrat Nuhrix.
X. AVET animus, horret; magna pemicies adeft. 670

Immane quantum augefcit, & femet dolor
Accendit ipfe, vimque pra:teritam integiat
Vidi furentem, faspe & aggrelTam Deos,
Coelum trahentem. majus his, majus parat
Medea monftrum. namque ut attonito gradu 675
Ancffius perished by the fangs of the ferocious wild

boar Oh Meleager, thou sacrificedst the brothers of thy
1
mother, and will die by the hands of that angry mother I
Thus they have all richly deserved their fate! But,

what, offence has that tender litde boy Hylas, who was
never found by the mighty Hercules, expiated by his
death? Alas! He was supposed to have been conveyed
over very tranquil waters! Depart on your hardy enter-

prises, oh ye mariners, and you, that could aforetime

dread a simple fountain, may now wander at will over
the seas. Idmon, although he arrogated to himself a
prescience of coming events, was buried away at last in
the throat of the serpent on the sands of Libya (and of
course met his end). Mopsus too, the infallible oracle
with everybody, played false to himself only at last,
and died far away from Thebes If Mopsus had only
I
predicted the future with accuracy, the husband of Thetis,

Peleus^ was to wander as an exile in foreign lands, and
Nauplms, who was bent upon injuring the Greeks by his
misleading iires, threw himself headlong into the sea.
Oileus (Ajax) will expiate the crimes of his father, and
will die Dy the lightnings of Jupiter and find a resting-
place in the seal Alcestis, the daughter of Pelias, to
avert the fate of her Pheraean husband (Admetus) will
give up as a compensation her own life to save his!
And Pelias himselfj who ordered the booty and stolen
fleece to be carried back in the first vessel returning to
Colchis, had his remains thoroughly consumed in the
heated caldron, his dismembered parts tossing about
angrily, as they were being boiled in a scanty supply of
water! Now, we have sung enough, ohl ye godsl You
have fully vindicated the honor of the God of the Sea
(Neptune), but please in mercy spare Jason, who, after
all, was a mere instrument in the hands of others He 1
only did as he was ordered.
ACT IV.
NURSE.
The Nurse reports what Medea is doing, and what she
is preparing to carry out.
some
MY is
mind grows alarmed,
imminent how
is terrified,
Medea's terrible anger is waxing
still greater, and she seems to be consuming herself
disaster
inwardly with its intensity; she appears to be resuming

all her ancient power over her magical accessories! I
have noticed her raging and often assuming a threatening
attitude, as she was addressing the gods, and invoking
with her incantations, the very heavens to assist her in
her operations (the Moon and the Stars). Medea is now
concocting something monstrous grander in its scope
than anyfliing she has ever done before, for she slips
away, and at a furious pace, and at length arrives at her
terror-striking secluded sanctum. She displays all her
448 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lm 676^713
Evafit, &
penetrale funeftum attigit;
Totas opeseffudit, & quidquid diu
Etiam ipfa timuit, promit; atque omnem explicat
Turbam malorum: arcana, fecreta, abdita.
Et trifle Iseva comprecans facrum manu, > 680
Peftes vocat, quafcunque ferventis creat
Arena Libyae, quafque perpetua nive
Taurus coercet frigore ArcSoo rigens;
Et omne monftrum. tra(fta'inagici9 cantibus
Squammifera latebris turba defertis adeft. 685
Heic fera Terpens corpus immenfum trahit,
Trifidamque linguam exfertat, & quasrcns quibus
Mortifera veniat carmine audito ftupet,
Tumidumque nodis corpus aggeftis plicat,
Cogitque in orbes. parva funt, inquit, mala, 6gO
Et vile telum eft, ima quod tellus creai:
Coelo petam venena. jam nunc tempus eft
Aliquid movere fraude vulgar! altius.
Hue ille vafti more torrentis jacens
Defcendat anguis, cujus immenfos duze, 695
Major minorque, fentiunt nodos ferae;
Major Pelafgis, apta Sidoniis minor.
Preffafque tandem folvat Ophiuchus manus,
Virufque fundat. adfit ad cantus meos
Laceffere aufus geraina Python numina. 700
Et hydra, & omnis redeat Herculea manu
Succifa fei"pens, casde fe reparans fua.
Tu quoque reliilis pervigil Colchis ades,
Sopite primum cantibus Terpens meis.
Poftquam evocavit omne ferpentum genus, 705
Qongerit in unum frugis infaufta: mala:
Quoecunque general invius faxis Etyx;
' Quas fert opertis hieme perpetua jugis
Sparfus cruore Caucafus Promethei;
Pharetraque pugnax Medus, aut Parthus levis; 710
Et queis fagittas divites Arabes linuut;
Aut quos fub axe frigido fuccos legunt
Lucis Suevi nobiles Hercyniis.
magical paraphernalia and is getting ready with something,

which for a long time she has not had the courage to
tackle; she then brings into view a whole host of instru-
ments of mischief, secret preparations, mysterious objects
and things utterly unknown to any one but herself, and
with her left hand raised (the left hand was always used
before the gods that dealt in the black art) she utters a
solemn, doleful prayer, and invokes all the pests and
plagues, the elements of death and destruction, to come
to her aid! Whatever are produced in the scorching

sands of Libya, or whatever glacial Taiurus, with its
arctic, rigorous cold, has kept back beneath its perpetual

snows, and every conceivable monster from both quarters,

thereupon a scaly multitude present themselves, drawn
from their hiding-places by her magical incantations In 1
one place a slowly-moving serpent drags its huge body

along, and protrudes its three-forked tongue, as if seeking
upon what it should dart forth its death-dealing stings
it seemed stupefied by the incantations it had just listened
to, and it folds its swollen body in a spiral fashion, its
knots presenting the appearance of a huge knob. And
she then turns her thoughts to this orb, and remarks tha
the mischief to be expected out of this does not amount
to much, and it is a sorry engine for my purpose, which
this lower earth can brmg forth at its best. No, no,
I must look to the heavens above for what I want, and
now it is full time to put into motion and to exert myself
for something more worthy of my skill than an ordinary,
everyday piece of wickedness! Let that serpent which
lies along the heavens, like some huge river, come down
hither at my bidding, of whose immense nodes (this
refers to an anatomical peculiarity of the serpent tribe)
the two Bears, the major and the minor, feel the influence,
the major serving the ends of the Grecian navigators,
and the minor being more favorable to the Tyrian mar-
iners: let this enormous serpent-containing constellation
Ophiucus release itself from any surroundings that are
its capabilities (literally, release its hamper-
restrictions to
ed hands) and let it pour forth a very volume of virus,
which I may be able to utilise {Medea here breathes
the suggestion that, being such an extensive group, they
might namper each other). Then let the Python that
once had tne audacity to attack the twins, Apollo and
Diana, answer to my incantations, and the Hydra, and
every part of that serpent, return, which was cut off by
the hands of Hercules, and which multiplied after each
part was destroyed, come to my aid, and oh, thou
dragon always on the watch, leaving Colchis behind, that
I first lulled to sleep for the first time in thy existence
by the potency of my incantation, also come to me I
After Medea had evoked every kind of serpent, she

collects together in one mass all the poisonous products

of the vegetable world whatever the inaccessible Eryx
generates in its disintegrated rocks whatever the Caucasus
sprinkled with the blood of Prometheus, can afford me
from beneath those summits covered with perpetual
snow, and whatever poisons the rich Arabs rub over the
points of their arrows, and the warlike Mede, with his
deadly quivers, or the swift Parthian horsemen, and
whatever poisonous juices the intrepid Suevi in their
frigid climate, can gather from the Hercynian forests,
29
4So SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 714-742
Quodcunque tellus Vere nidifico creat;

Aut rigida cum jam Bruma decuffit decus 715
Nemorum, & nivali cun<5la conftrinxit gelu;
Quodcunque gramen flore mortifero viret,
Dirufve tortis fuccus in radicibus
Caufas nocendi gignit, attredlat manu.
HEemonius illas contulit peftes Athos; 720
Has Pindus ingens, ilia Pangsei jugis
Teneram cruenta falce depofuit comamj
Has aluit altum gurgitem Tigris premens;
Danubius illas: has per arentes plagas
Tepidis Hydafpes gemmifer currens aquis, 725
Nomenque terris qui dedit Bastis fuis,
Hefperia pulfans maria languenti vado;
Hffic pafla ferrum eft, dum parat Phoebus diem;
niius alta nodle fuccisus frutex;
At hujus ungue fedla cantato feges 730
Mortifera carpit giamina, ac ferpentium
Saniem exprimit, mifcetque & obfcoenas aves,
Moestique cor bubonis, & raucae ftrigis
Exfefla vivse vifcera. hsc fcelerum artifex
Difcreta ponit. his rapax vis ignium, 735
His gelida pigri frigoris glacies ineft.
Addit venenis verba, non iftis minus
Metuenda. fonuit ecce vefano gradu,
Canitque. mundus vocibus primis tremit.
MEDEA.
Invocatis manibus, & rite conceptis incantationibus, Medea

veneficiis illitam pallam cum monili, aureoque crinali,
dono mittit ad Creufam per filios fuos.
c /OMPRECOR vulgus filentum, vofque ferales Deos,

Et Chaos Ceccum, atque opacam DItis umbrofi domum,
Tartari ripis ligatos fquallidie Mortis fpecus,
740
and whatever poison is produced during the-nest-building

spring, or when
the rigorous winter ruthlessly destroys
the beauty of the gladsome grove, and hardens every

thing with its nipping winter frosts, whatever grass that
grows, aspiring to produce, even one poisonous floret I
and whatever dangerous juices, giving rise to injurious

_
properties from their roots having been carefully mani-

Eulated Medea holds all these in her hands (Medea then 1
egins their enumeration.) Ahl Thessalian Athos has

Lin?? 714-74=] MEDEA. 4Si
contributed these poisonous specimens, lofty Pindus this 1
And this one is from the summits of Pangaeus, and I see

it has drooped its tender head, at the approach of the
blood-stained pruning-knife 1 Weill The banks of the
Tigris with its deep rapids, has reared this gem of a
poison! This one comes from the Danube this from
the banks of the gem-yielding Hydaspes, which, in its
course, waters with its tepid streams the arid plains
around, and the banks of the Bastis which gives its name
to the adjacent lands, and coursing onwards in languid
streams, throws itself into the Hesperian Sea This
specimen, (taking up another,) I see, has been cut with a
knife, before Phcebus entered upon his diurnal track
(before day-Hght), this shrub evidently was cut in the dead
hour of the night, but this one (handling it very care-
fully) is the golden harvest (rod-send) of the entire collec-
tion, for it has been nicked with the nail of some one
versed in magical incantations I She then gathers together
the poisonous grasses, and squeezes out all the virus from
the serpents Then she devotes some time to the poisons
1
yielded by the foul birds of prey, she selects the heart

of the mournful-voiced, common owl, and the entrails

cut out of the inside of the screech-owl whilst alive
these venomous articles of destruction this architect of
crimes, this scientific poisoner arranges in order! She
then adds to these the rapacious power of the most
active flames, as an important item, and whatever resides
in the icy frost arising from the most rigorous degree of
cold, she adds as another element. Having then examined
all the poisons, seriatim, she ejaculates some menacing,
mystic words, which, from their ttine, do not sound less
terrible than all the poisons put together1 Hark Here she
1
comes along at a maddened pace, sings forth some magic

strains, and as she is commencing ner solemn chants,
the very earth seems to tremble at ner first utterances.
MEDEA.
The Manes being invoked, and the incantations having
been duly carried out, Medea sends through her sons
to Creusa a cloak impregnated with a destructive
agent, together with a neck-band, and a golden head
ornament, as wedding presents.
CONJURE that silent multitude, -the Manes, and oh! ye

deities that preside over the affairs of those departed
I spirits, Pluto and Proserpine, and darkest chaos, and
the sombre palace of the God of the infernal regions,
and the dark caverns of loathsome Mors, hemmed in
452 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Linea 743-778
Suppliciis animae remiffis currite ad thalamos novos.

Rota refiftat membra torquens; tangat Ixion humum
Tantalus fecurus undas hautiat Pirenidas. 745
Gravior poena fedeat conjugis focero mei:
Lubricus per faxa retro Sifyphum volvat lapis.
Vos quoque, umis quas foratis irritus ludit labor,
Danaides, coite; veftras hie dies quserit manusIZi
Nunc meis vocata facris nodlium fidus veni, 750
Peffimos induta vultus, fronte non una minax.
Tibi more gentis vinculo folvens comam,
Secreta nudo nemora luftravi pede.
Et evocavi nubibus ficcis aquas;
Egique ad imum maria, & Oceanus graves 755
Interius undas a;ftibus vi<Sis dedit.
Pariterque mnndus lege confufa setberis
Et folem & aftra vidit; & vetitum mare
Tetigiftis Urfoe. temporum flexi vices.
^ftiva tellus floruit cantu meo, 760
Meflem coa<Sa hibernam Ceres.
vidit
Violenta Fhafls vertit in fontem vada;
Et Ifter, in tot ora divifus, truces
Compreffit undas, omnibus ripis piger.
.Sonuere fluiflus, tumuit infanum mare 765
Tacente vento. nemoris antiqui domus
Amifit umbram vocis imperio mese.
Die reliilo Phoebus in medio ftetit.
Hyadefque noftris cantibus motae labant.
Adefle facris tempus eft, Phoebe, tuis. 770
Tibi haec cruenta ferta texuntur manu,
Noveca qux Terpens ligat:
Tibi hoec, Typhceus membra quje difcors tulit,
Qui regna concuffit Jovis.
Vedioris iftic perfidi fanguis ineft, 775
Quem Keffus exfpirans dedit.
CEtEeus Ifto cinere defecit rogus.
Qui virus Herculeum bibit.
by the banks of the Tartarus, and let the guilty souls

released from their punishment, for the nonce, hasten
to the forthcoming novel marriage! (Medea calls it
novel, because she considers herself the wife.) Let the
wheel, which is turning round the body of Ixion, stop its
rotations, and suffer hun to reach the ground once morel
Let Tantalus, unbalked in his efforts, freely quench his
thirst in the waters of the Pirenean fountain. Let a much
heavier punishment than his fall to the lot of the father
in-law of^ my husband (Creon). Let the slippery rock cease
to roll back from the mountain upon Sisyphus!
Oh ye Danaides, assemble ye likewise, cease to expend
1
your vain labor of filling the perforated urn this is the

!
day which will require useful exertions at your hands

(acting up to thy previous example, of. slaying thy hus-
bands on the first night of thy marriage.) jAndnowl Oh I
thou Star of the Night (the Moon), invoked by my sacred

appeals, come forth, assume thy most angry looks, but be
thou not threatening in one of thy aspects only! but in
all three of them. (Diana, Hecate, Phoebe.) It is for thee,
releasing my tresses from their fastenings, after the fashion
of nocturnal magicians, that I have wandered through the
solitary groves with my naked feet, and have drawn
down, by my incantations, copious showers from a cloud-
less sky, and have caused the sea to sink down to its
lowest depths, whilst the ocean, with its impetuous tides
subdued by my powers, has retired with its ponderous
waters quite below its accustomed bed, and in like man-
ner the entire laws of the firmament have been contro-
verted and placed in abeyance, and the wonder-struck
world has been known to be gazing at the sun, and the
stars at one and the same moment of time, and the
Arctic Bears, which are expressly forbidden to fall below
the horizon, have been made by me to dip themselves
in the seal I have changed the very order of the seasons,
the Earth has flourished with all the golden tints of
summer, and Ceres has been coerced mto yielding a
plenteous harvest in the very depths of winter The
turbulent waves of the Phasis I have transformed into
whimpering streams And the Danube, which is divided
1
into so many estuaries, has been caused by me to draw

in its threatening waters, and has only modestly approach-
ed its various banks! The waves have sounded, one
moment, like thunder, and the sea has swelled with very
rage, when the winds were absolutely quiescent; at my
word of command the entire area of some ancient forest
has been suddenly denuded of its foliage Phoebus has
stopped at my bidding his fiery chariot in the middle of
the day, and the Hyades, moved by my incantations,
have absolutely trembled Oh Phoebe, come thou to the
!
sacrifice which I have prepared in honor of thee, this

chaplet intertwined with nine serpents thereon has been
woven for thee by my very own blood-stained hands,
which are herewith at thy disposal are the very portions
(the serpents) of the body although out of character once
possessed by the recalcitrant Typhceus, (some of the
giants had those appendages to their feet) when he shook
from its very foundations the mighty Kingdom of Jupiter
Here is some of the blood of that treacherous abductor,
Nessus, which he gave me himself, when he was dyin"!
These cinders are just imported from the funeral pile
at Oeta,which swallowed up the poison, that destroyed
;
Pte fororis, impise matris facem,

Ullricis Althese vides. 780
Reliquit invio plumas fpecu
iftas
Harpyia, dum Zeten fugit.
His adice pennas fauciae Stymphalidos,
Lemjea paffse fpiciila.
Sonuiftis 5/. tiipodas agnofco meos,
S/, 785
Favente commotos Dea.
Video TriviEe currus agiles,
Non quos pleno lucida vultu
Peraox agitat; fed quos facie
Lurida moefta, cum Theffalicis 790
Vexata minis, ccelum freno
Propiore legit fic face triftem
Pallida lucem funde per auras;
Horrore novo terre populos;
Inque auxilium, Di<5lynna, tuum 795
Pretiofa fonent cera Coi'inthi.
Tibi fanguineo csefpite facmm
Solemne damus. tibi de medio
Rapta fepulcro fax noflurnos
Suftulit ignes. tibi mota caput 800
Flexa voces cervice dedi.
Tibi funereo de more jacens
PafToscingit vitta capillos.
Tibi ja(5latur triftis Stygia
Ramus ab unda, tibi midato 805
Peftore Msenas facro feriam
Brachia cultro.
Manet nofter fanguis ad aras.
Affuefce, manus, flringere ferrum,
Carofque pati pofle cruores. 810
Sacrum laticem percufla dedi.
Quod fi nimium feepe vocari
Quereris, votis ignofce, precor.
Caufa vocandi, Perfei, tuos
Ssepius arcus, una atque eadem 815
Semper, lafon. tu nunc veftes
Tingue Creufae, quas cum primum
Sumferit, imas urat ferpens
Flamma medullas, ignis fulvo
Clufus in auro latet obfcurus 820
Quem mihi, cceli qui furta luit
Vifcere fceto, dedit, & docuit
Condere vires arte Prometheus.
Hercules! Here, you see the veritable torch of the

revengeful mother, the impious Althaea, but at the same

time affectionate sister (Althaea killed her own son,
because he slew her brothers').
Here are the identical feathers which the Harpy left
Lines 779-823] MEDEA. 4SS
behind it, in the cave so difficult of access, when it flew

away from Zetesl To these let me add the feathers of
one of the Stymphalides, which was wounded (brought
down) by an arrow charged with the poison of the Lernsean
Hydra IHarkl Hark The aUars are giving out a sound
I
of some sort, I fancy my tripod is in motion, the goddess

then is favorable I behold the graceful chariot of the
I
tri-une goddess (on account of her three capacities), and

not wearing that full serene face with which she usually
shines all the night through, but with that sad expression
on her pale countenance which she presented when,
harassed oy the threatening importunities of the Thessalian
magicians, when she drew rein as she described her
downward journey in quitting the skies And in like
I
manner let me dififuse through the air a doleful irradi-

ation, with my torch feebly burning, let me astonish the
people with this newly-devised scare of mine, and ohl
Dictynna (another name for Phcebe), the tinkling brazen
cymbals of Corinth, held in such high estimation, shall
come to thy aid! It is to thee I will offer up a solemn
sacrifice on the blood-strewn leafy grass for thee, that
the torch from the accommodating tomb has kept up
its nocturnal blaze it is for thee I was uttering my
supplications, when I turned round and moved my
head excitedly (corybantically), it was for thee that
that my head-dress surmounted my disordered locks, after
the fashion adopted at funerals It is for thee, that my
1
hand is waving this mournful branch, which was washed

up by the Stygian streams it is for thee that with my
breast laid bare as a Masnad, I will pierce my arms with
the sacred knife, that my own blood may flow at thy
altars! Let me accustom myself to the drawing of the
sword, and let me be able to spare the loss of blood,
which now is all the more precious to me. (She means
she will require all her physical vigor to carry out the
slaughter of her children.) I have wounded (struck) my-
self, and have supplied the sacrificial fluids. But, if thou
shouldst complain that I call upon thee too much, I en-
treat thee pardon my importunate demands! Oh! Perseis,
(another name for Hecate) they are always for one and
the same object, that I implore thy valuable assistance,
always, Jason! And now let me impregnate this cloak
for Creusa, which as soon as she puts it on, the creeping
flames will consume the body down to the innermost
marrow, and the very bones containing it!
The fiery element inclosed in this gold is in a latent
state at present, and therefore not detectable
this is what
Prometheus gave me himself, who paid the penalty for this
theft from heaven, with his re-producing entrails (a vulture
45<5 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 8=4-859
Dedit & tenui fulfure tedlos

Mulciber ignes. & vivacis 825
Fulgura flammse de cognato
Phaethonte tuli. habeo mediae
Dona Chimserse.
Habeo flammas ufto tauri
Gutture raptas; quas permixto 830
Felle Medufse, taciturn juffi
Servare malum.
Adde venenis ftimulosj Hecate,
Donifque meis femina flammse
Condila ferva. fallant vifuSj 835
Taiftufque ferant. meet in pedlus
Venafque calor. ftillent artus,
Offaque fument; vincatque fuas
Flagrante coma nova nupta faces.
Vota tenentur; ter lati'atus 840
Audax Hecate dedit, & facros
Edidit ignes face lu<5tifera.
Peradla vis eft omnis. hue natos voca,
Pretiofa per quos dona nubenti feras.
Ite, ite nati, matris infaufts genus, * 845
Placate vobis munere & multa prece
Dominam & novercam. vadite, & celeres domum
Referte greffus, ultimo amplexu ut fruar.
CHORUS.
Furorem Medeae Chorus timet, malitiam ejus exfecratus.
Q iiONAM craenta Mzenas

Prseceps amore faevo
Rapitur? quod impotent!
850
Facinus parat furore?

Vultus citatus ira
Riget, & caput feroci
Quatiens fuperba motu 855
Regi minatur ultro.
Quis credat exfulantem.'
Flagrant genEE rubentes.
Pallor fugat ruborem.
fed on them, each day, when they would re-appear) and

who, at the same time, told me tne best way of utilising
its potency
and Vulcan gave me some of his fire from
.iEtna, covered over with thin layers of sulphur, and I
Lines 824-859] MEDEA. 4S7
have also some of the identical lightning from the thun-

derbolt, with which Jupiter killed Phaethon, a kinsman
of my own I have likewise a contribution from that
I
monster, Chimaera, which will be useful; I have some of

the veritable flames, which were breathed from the fiery
mouth of the bull of Colchis, which I have taken care
to preserve, as an especial destructive agent, defying all
detection, inixing them with some of Medusa's gall Oh 1 I
Hecate! Give energy to my various poisons, preserve

under thy careful surveillance these quintessences with
my other offerings let them defy all detection by the
human eye, and let them bear handling, without suspi-

cion when brought into operation, let the intense heat,
given out, penetrate the chest, and run through every
veinl Let it traverse through every limb in the body,
and let the very bones send up their fumes (thoroughly-
carbonizing them). Let this new bride far outshine with ^
her own burning locks (effects of the flames), her nuptial

torch 1My vows are held in favor! Hecate, who has
dared all this for me, has just given me the watch-cry,
three significant shouts! And she has brought her own
sacred fire, in her luminous torch every power is now
brought to bear! Call the sons hither, nurse, to whom
thou must intrust these precious gifts for the bride-elect!
Now, go, oh my sons, offspring of an ill-starred repudi-
ated mother, commend yourselves to the favourable con-
sideration, in presenting these gifts with many benedic-
tions to your future mistress, and step-mother! Now go,
and hasten your return to the palace, that I may still have
time for a last embrace 1
CHORUS.
The Chorus dreads the fury of Medea, and execrates
her malicious deeds.
what cruel passion, is this blood-thirsty Masnad

being carried away headlong? What terrible crime
By jsMedea nowconcocting in her ungovernable mad-
jiessr^HCT'"couritenarice,'~itiflairied' withanger, has quite
~a jef.expression and the proud woman is shaking her
Heai_wildly, and judging from her gestures, she is
threatemiig'the King, with something quite beyond our
conception! Who would believe that Medea was a con-
demned exile? Her reddened cheeks are burning at one
moment, and the next, a deadly pallor takes the place of
that redness! She does not retain either color for any
4S8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIESr [Lines 860-884
Nullum vagante forma 860

Servat diu colorem.
Hue fert pedes & illuc,
Ut tigris orba natis,
Curfu furente luftrat
Gangeticum nemus: fio 865
Frenare nefcit iras
Medea, non amores.
Nunc ira amorque caufam
Junxere. quid fequetur?
Quando efferet Pelafgis 870
Nefanda Colchis arvis
Greffum, metuque folvet
Regnum, fimulque reges?
Nunc, Phoebe, mitte cuitus
Nullo morante loro. 875
Nox condat alma lucem.
Mergat diem timendum
Dux no{5lis Hefper\igo.
ACTUS QUINTUS.
NUNTIUS, CHORUS, NUTRIX, MEDEA, JASON.
Narrat nuntius, Creufam cum patre regiaque tota flagrafle pemi-
ciofo Medeffi munere. Medea filios fuos trucidat, & aufugit
NUNT. JL ERIERE cunfla. concidit regni flatus.

Nata atque genitor cinere permixto jacent. 880
CHOR. Qua fraude capti? nunt. Qua folent reges capi;
Denis. CHOR. In illis effe quis potuit dolus.'
NUNT. Et ipfe miror; vixque jam fa<5lo malo
PotuilTe fieri credo. CHOR. Quis cladis modus?
length of time on her changeable face! Hither and

thither she paces wildly, even as a tigress, robbed of her
cubs, searches with instinctive anxiety the forests of the
Ganges, raging furiously as it follows up the track, and
thus Medea is luiable to resist the force of her anger,
and the strength of her repudiated passion! when Now
anger and baulked love join in hostile array, what may not
the consequences be? When will this wicked woman
from Colchis take her departure from our Pelasgian
country? Or will she keep the kingdom, and at the same
time the kings themselves in a perpetual state of alarm?
Now, Phoebus, send on thy chariots quickly, let no .
tightening of the reins release the speed (this, in allusion

to the day granted to Medea) and let merciful darkness
obscure the light Let the herald of the coming night,
1
Hesperus, obliterate with its advent this fearful Day!
ACT V.
MESSENGER-CHORUSNURSE MEDEAJASON
The messenger reports that Creusa, her father and the
entire palace nave been consumed by the flames
arising from the present sent by Medea.
MESSENGER.
LL things have perishedThe stabihty of the Kingdom

A
death their ashes are intermingled
1
has collapsed, father and daughter are laid low in

1
CHORUS.
By what wicked treachery were they thus deprived

of hfe?
MESSENGER.
By gifts, as Kings usually are deluded! (In the same

manner, that accustomed to be taken in by the
fishes are
hook I)
CHORUS.
But what treachery can there be in their case?
MESSENGER.
And I wonder myself, what it can be, I can scarcely

believe, even now, that it occurred as the work of an
incendiary 1
CHORUS.
But how was this terrible destruction first brought about?

(Does there appear any limit to it?)
46 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lmes 885-917
NUNT. Avidus per omnem regise partem furit, 885

Ut juffus, ignis: jam domus tota occidit,
Urbi timetur. chor. Unda flammas opprimat
NUNT. Et hoc in ifta clade mirandum accidit,
Alit unda flammas, quoque prohibetur magis,
Magis ardet ignis: ipfa prsefidia occupat. 890
NUTR. Effer citatum fade Pelopeia gradum,
Medea, praeceps qua.s libet terras pete.
MED. Egon' ut recedam? fi profugiffem prius,
Ad hoc redirem. nuptias fpetflo novas.
Quid, anime, ceflas? fequere felicem impetum. 895
Pars ultionis ifta, qua gaudes, quota eft?
Amas adhuc, furiosa, fi fatis eft tibi
Caelebs Jafon. qurere psenarum genus
Haud ufitatum: jamque fic temet para.
Fas omne cedat. abeat expulfus pudor. 900
Vindidla levis eft, quam ferunt purae manus.
Incumbe in iras, teque languentem excita,
Penitusque veteres peflore ex imo impetus
Violentus hauri. quidquid admiffum eft adhuc,
Pietas vocetur. hoc age, & faxo, fciant, 905
Quam levia fuerint, quamque vulgaris notae,
Quae commodavi fcelera. prolucit dolor
Per ifta nofter. quid manus poterant rudes
Audere magnum? quid puellaris furor?
Medea nunc fum. crevit ingenium mails. 910
Juvat, juvat rapuiffe fratemum caput.
Aitus juvat fecuifle, & arcano patrem
Spoliaffe facro. juvat in exitium fenis
ArmaiTe natas. quaere materiam, dolor:
Ad omne facinus non rudem dextram afferes. 915
Quo te igitur, ira, mittis? aut quje perfido
Inteadis hofti tela? nefcio quid ferox
MESSENGER.
A most destructive fire is raging at this present moment

throughout every part of the palace ; it looks more now
as if It were the work of some incendiary, and now that
the whole palace has fallen a prey to the flames, serious
fears are entertained, lest it might spread all over the city I
CHORUS.
Does not the water keep down the flames?
MESSENGER.
No I The curious feature presenting itself in this cala-

mitous business is, that the water only seems to feed the
!
flames, instead of extinguishing them, and the greater

the efforts made to restrain them, the more fiercely the
fire rages, it seems only to strengthen itself by
what is
done to keep it down!
NURSE.
Oh! Medea, hasten thy steps from this land of Pelops,

seek out, whatever country thou likestl
MEDEA.
_
Why should I go away? If I had gone away some
time ago, I should return now (most certainly) for I take
a great interest in this novel marriage! Oh my soul,
why should I cease my task? Let me follow up this
happ^ turn of events; otherwise, to what does my part
in this act of revenge end, in which I have so much
reason to rejoice!
Oh Medea, in thy maddened condition, is it that thou
1
still lovest Jason? If thou considerest the present cala-

mities sufficient for that now celibate Jason!
No Let me seek for some uncommon kind of punish-
!
ment And such being the case, let me get myself ready
!
for any thing! Let every known law yield to my will,

and let all absurd tears, once shaken off, be for ever
absent from my mind ! That revenge is confessedly slow
work, in which hitherto unstained hands have been
engaged. (By this is meant a justification for the slaughter
ofCreonand Creusa, therefore //^r^ unstained, Creon being
an enemy, and Creusa an interloping mistress.) Let me
hark back to all my pristine wrath, and let me shake
myself out of any languorous yearnings, and let me draw
forth from the lowest recesses of my soul some of the
old forces, which are still within me! But let them, if
anything, be more violent than ever! So that what has
heretofore been accomplished by me, may appear in
the light of comparative innocence! Now let me set to
work, I would that they should be made fully to under-
stand how trivial, how commonplace, the crimes which
I have already perpetrated have really been! My anger
has merely been passing through its premonitory stages,
(a mere prologue to the tragedy). What raw novice
would dare to attempt anything on a really grand scale
What, for example, did my girlish anger (achievements)
amount to? Now I am Medea^ (jf ^pu_please) and my
^^^SlSsJ!^ZX&Jî9vcp^L^Sx:f;mg_j^Jan^^c^r ,6f crime L
Things gave _me satisfaction at the time. "I'was, pleased-
when 1 took away myJBrotli,er\s_Jife;JLwAS_pl.eaaect.also,
Decrevit animus intus, & nondum fibi

Autlet fateri. ftulta properavi nimis.
Ex pellice utinam liberos hoflis mens 920
Aliquos haberet! quidquid ex illo tuum eft,
Creufa peperit. placuit hoc poenae genus,
Meritoque placuit. ultimum agnofco fcelus.
Anime, parandum eft. liberi quondam mei,
Vos pro patemis fceleribus pcenas date. 925
Cor pepulit horror, membra torpefcunt gelu,
Peftufque tremuit. ira difceffit loco,
Materque tota conjuge expulfa redit.
Egon' ut meorum meae
liberiiin ac prolis
Fundam cruorem? melius, ah demens furor! 930
Incognitum iftud facinus, ac dirum nefas
A me quoque abfit. quod fcelus miferi luent?
Scelus eft Jafou genitor, & majus fcelus
Medea mater, occidant: non funt mei.
Pereant? mei funt. crimine & culpa carent. 935
Sunt innocentes. fateor: & frater fuit.
Quid, anime, titubas? ora quid lacrimee rigant?
Variamque nunc hue ira, nunc illuc amor
Diducit.' anceps aeftus incertam rapit.
Ut faeva rapidi bella cum venti genmt; 940
Utrinque flu(5lus maria difcordes agunt,
Dubiumque pelagus fervet: baud aliter meum
Cor flufiuatur. ira pietatem fugat,
Iramque pietas. cede pietati, dolor.
Hue cara proles, unicum afflidlae domus 945
Solamen, hue vos ferte, & infufos mihi
Conjungite artus. habeat incolumes pater
Dum & mater habeat. urget exfilium, ac fuga.
Jam jam meo rapientur avulfi e fmu,
Flentes, gementes. ofculis pereant patris; 950
Periere matris. rurfus increfcit dolor,
Et fervet odium, repetit iuvitam manum
Antiqua Erinnys. ira, qua ducis, fequor.
Utinam fuperbae turba Tantalidos meo
Exiflet utero, bifque feptenos parens 955
whenJLJiandedJh.e_weapans_of,desteJLctionjQ_th.e-daugh-
Krs qf_ Pelias, to.deal-the- fiiiishing_blow.Ja_.thatjgoor
oTdnSiairr Let my present anger, however, seeFout for
adequate materials upon which to finish my crowning
revenge I shall not, at all events, be employing hands
I
inexperienced in crime for any thing I may decide upon I
But where, into what channel, may I ask myself, am I

now steering?Or, again, what are the exact weapons
that I should
level against that perfidious enemy,
Jason ? I really do not know, at present, what my angry
mind has determined upon within itself! Probably I
have as yet been in rather too much foolish haste! But
Lines 918-955] MEDEA. ,,
^ , -J, i 463
Iwishutbisjnuch, that my enemy had had.sorae.chi]dren

by
that c oncubme_ Creusa whatever there -ar,. are .mine,
;
astar_asJason has" ma de them, so L

I must suppose that Creusa gave birth to them, tutor
my mind to that beliefl This kind of punishment has
pleased me, and deservedly pleased me, and I acknow-
ledge that it is a veritable consummation of my desires I
Oh my soul, let preparations be made Oh ye children,I 1
once suffer punishment for your father's wickedness A 1
feeling of horror vexes my soul, my limbs are stiffened

with the chill which comes over me, and my heart is in
a flutter! My anger has quitted its post and the "Mother"
only becomes the ascendant force, and prevails over the
other, the " repudiated wife " And can I really bring myself
!
to shed the blood of my children, my own very offspring 1
Better perhaps Alas

1 my mad rage, that ever such
I
a crime should have been thought of, and would that

such cruel wickedness had kept itself out of my mind I
What crime have those children committed, that they

should suffer punishment? Yesl Jason is the crime!
_
Jason is their father, and the greater crime is Medea

they must perish, if they are not mine! Let them be
sacrificed, if they are mme, they are free both of crime
and blame, I confess, and so was my brother! What!
Oh, my soul, art thou hesitating again ? Why do the
tears course down my cheeks? And why does my
anger lead me on vaciUatingly, hither one minute, and
love (repudiated love) draw me thither the next? A
wavering impetuous tide controls me, as when the tem-
pestuous winds proclaim a cruel war, and the contending
waves, swelling here, surging there, at every turn exert
their dominion over the sea, and the perplexed ocean,
as it were, boils up in anger! Alas! Ohl my anger,
let me now yield to affection Bring yourselves, hither,
ohl my darling offspring, the only consolation left
to me from my afflicted home, and embrace me with
your arms thrown around me! May your father afford
you his safe protection, and although your mother would
protect you in like manner, exile, flight, are driving
me from you And now they may soon be torn, weeping
1
and mourning, from my bosom! Let them be dead to

the kisses of a father if they are to be dead to those of
a inother! My anger is getting the upper hand again,
and my mind will still nurse its hatred! Erinnys, as of %/
old, urging me on to a fresh crime, repeats her odious

assistance! Oh! my anger! wherever thou leadest me,
I must follow!
I only wish then, that a whole army of proud Tantali-
des had emerged from my womb, and that I had been
464 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Li 956-991
Natos tuliflem! fterilis in pcenas fui.

Fratri patrique quod fat eft, peperi duos.
Quonam ifta tendit turba Furiarum impotens?
Quem quaerit? aut quo flammeos i(5lus parat?
Aut cui cruentas agmen infernum faces g6o
Intentat? ingens anguis excuffo fonat
Tortus flagello. quem trabe infefta petit
Megsera? cujus umbra difperfis venit
Incertamembris? frater eft. pcenas petit.
Dabimus. fed omnes fige luminibus faces: 965
Lania, penire. pedlus en furiis paret.
Difcedere a me, frater, ultrices Deas,
Manefque ad imos ire fecuras jube:
Mihi me relinque, & utere hac, frater, manu,
Quae ftrinxit enfem: vi<5lima manes tuos 970
Placemus ifta. Quid repens affert fonus?
Parantur arma, meque in exitium petunt.
Excelfa noftrse te<fta confcendam domus
Cxde inchoata. perge tu mecum comes.
Tuum quoque ipfa corpus liinc mecum aveham. 975
Nunc hoc age, anime. non in occulto tibi eft
Perdenda virtus, approba populo manum.
JAS. Quicunque regum cladibus fidus doles,
Concurre, ut ipfam fceleris au6lorem horridi
Capiamus. hue, hue, fortis armigeri cohors, 980
Conferte tela, vertite ex imo domum.
MED. Jam jam recepi fceptra, germanum, patrem;
Spoliumque Colchi pecudis auratse tenent.
Rediere regna. rapta virginitas rediit.
O placida tandem numina! o feftum diem! ggj
O nuptialem! vade. perfeflum eft fcelus;
Vindi(5la nondum. perage, dum faciunt manus.
Quid nunc moraris, anime? quid dubitas? potes.
Jam cecidit ira. poenitet. fafti pudet.
Quid, mifera, feci? mifera, pceniteat licet, 990
Feci, voluptas magna me invitam fubit;
th e pare nt of fourteeii__sons I I have been restricted in

fny pumsKmentsT (Medea- Avishea..fhr_ fourteen_clli]dren,
in order to punish Jason all the more arithmetically.) 1
have only brought forth two, which must be enough, one
for my slaughtered brother, and the other for the out-
raged father! I wonder, though, what that redoutable
group of Furies are bent upon ? Whom are they seeking ?
Or for whom are they preparing, with their burning
blows? Or whom, that the tribe from the infernal regi-
ons are threatening, with their cruel torches? There, a
huge serpent, curled up, is hissing as it shakes out its
whips! For whom is Megasra looking now, with that
horrible flaming beam of fire? (a huge torch.) Whose
.
shade is now approaching with its dis-

this, which is
membered body it not very clear to my mind?
is
Ah yes I see now, it is that of my brother, he is
1 1
seeking for some one's punishment. I will give it to him,

and therefore hurl all thy torches at my eyes, if thou
wilt, tear me in pieces,
consume me entirely with thy
fires 1 My breast is open to the Furies, for then:
Lookl
attack Oh my brother, let those representatives of the
1 I
avenging Goddesses depart from my sight, in security to

the Manes below Leave me to myself, oh, my brother,
1
and I, who unsheathed this sword, let it be employed

by the hand which now holds itl will appease the I
Manes, with this victim! (Here Medea strikes down the
first child.)
What sudden sound is that, which reaches
my ears?Â clanking of weapons indicates some slaugh-
tering preparations, and they are evidently seeking me
for destruction! My killing operations having already
commenced, I will mount up to the lofty chambers of
the palace, and come thou, nurseling, with me, as a com-
panion! I will carry thy body with me from this place.
(This said to the slaughtered child.)
(Medea carries the dead body of one son, and leads
the other by the hand to the rooms above.)
Now, oh my soul, once set to work, my presence of
mind must not, forsake me at this juncture, let me show
my power to these people the advanced guard.
JASON.
Now then, whatever faithful followers amongst you,

who grieve for the slaughter of your king, asseinble So !
that we may seize upon the real perpetratrix of all these

horrible crimes. Come hither hither advance, thou band
of brave warriors, get ready your weapons, and destroy
this house from its lowest foundations!
MEDEA.
Alreadv, Jason, already I have got possession of the

sceptre, my brother, my father, and they represent to
me the recovery of the treasure stolen from Colchis
the golden fleece. My-kingdom-has_verily returned to
-Hipand-my- virginity -of-whicE-thou, deprivedst-me,. appears
to be restored to mel- At last, I can exclaim. Oh! ye
tefiigHairTTeities 0hJths_joyfHL-jist-2ffiS.. M h^t
!
1
Oh what nuptial ddkMI Let me go, my crimes have

!
"been literally crowned not as yet, however, has my re-

veno-e been got rid of, let me exert myself, whilst my
hancls are in training, for the task before me. Why do
30

466 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 99.-1017
Et ecce crefcit. deerat hoc unum mihi,

Speflator ipfe. nil adhuc fadlum reor.
Quidquid fine ifto fecimus fceleris, periit
JAS. En ipfa teifti parte prsecipiti imminet. 995
Hue rapiat ignes aliquis, ut flammis cadat
Suis perufta. med. Congere extremum tuis
Natis, Jafon, funus, ac tumulum ftrue.
Conjux focerque jufta jam funflis habent
A me fepulti. natus hie fatum tulit. 1000
Hie te vidente dabitur exitio pari.
JAS. Per niimen omne, perque communes fugas,
Torofque, quos non noftra violavit fides,
Jam parce nato. fi quod eft crimen, meum eft:
Me dede morti; noxium madia caput. 1005
MED. Hae, qua recufas, qua doles, ferrum exigam.
I nunc, fuperbe, viiginum thalamos pete.
Relinque matres JAS. Unus eft poenae fatis.
MED. Si poffet una cosde fatiari manus,
NuUam petiffet.ut duos perimam tamen, loio
Nimium eft dolori numerus anguftus meo.
In matre fi quod pignus etiamnum latet,
Serutabor enfe vifcera, & ferro extraham.
JAS.Jam perage coeptum facinus, hand ultra precor;
Moramque faltem fuppliciis dona meis. ^
1015
MED. Perfruere lento fcelere; ne propera, dolor.
Meus dies eft: tempore accepto utimur.
I now slacken my
resolutions. Oh my soul, why hesitate
at all ? Thou
hast all the strength and power about

thee my anger sometimes subsides I repent, I repent
of the deed I have committed What have_I_dane5- oh,
miserable, it is allowable to be itLA-pemtent inood,-after
I haye_doce the deedjnevertheless, a. great inward satis-
faction takes~p6Ssessi"on oTme, in spite of my temporary
unwillingness, and, what is more, it increases with jne
,
only one thing was wanting to maK

thmgs perfect, and
that was Jason himself as an eye-witness! I am inclined
for that reason to think nothing of w;hat has been done,
whatever crime I have committed without him as a wit-
ness, seems to count for nothing 1
JASON (fo his soldiers).
Behold, there she is, leaning over a precipitous pro-

jection of the roof; let one of you bring some fire hither,
that she may fall a victim to the same flames she has
used against others.
MEDEA.
Jason, rather heap up the materials for a funeral pile
for thine own sons, and prepare a tomb for them. A
wife and father-in-law have had the justice done to them
which is due to the dead (the fire), they were duly buried
by me, (pointing to the first son killed) that son has met
his_iatealready, and this one, in thy very own sight,
shairreceive~a similai -endr^
JASON.
By
every known deity by the exile which we have ,
shared in common and by our marriage-bed, and of

which, I can truly say, I have never violated the nuptial

confidence, of niy own free will; do spare me one son
at all events! If there be any criminal it is I, myself
hand me over to death sacrifice my criminal life.
MEDEA.
sword where thou dost not wish it to be
I shall use the
visited, and which thou wilt most grieve for Go now!
Proud adulterer, seek for thy marriage-bed amongst the
virgins, and quit the presence of her, whom thou hast
made a mother!
JASON.
One child surely is enough punishment for thee to exact 1
MEDEA.
No! If I could possibly have been satisfied with one
slaughter, I should not have sought for any so that I
shall have to slay two, and a small number too, in pro-
portion to the extent of my
wrath; and what is more, if
there were the most latent germ of motherhood left within
my body, I would search out my womb with this sword
and extract it forthwith.
JASON.
Now completely the wickedness thou hast so
finish
successfully commenced with, and grant me as short a
time as possible before thou beginnest to visit me with
punishment 1
~~
__ ^JMEDEA. _,.,_ ......
I
No Enjoy at thy leisure the results of thy one
!
crime; do not be in any hurry ohl my angered spirit!

-|-this day is mine
let me use profitably the time agreed
Upon 1
-
468 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines lois-io^?
JAS. Infefta meniet perime. med. Mifereri jubes.

Bene paracSlum eft. plura non habui, dolor,
eft,
Qua lutnina hue tumida alleva,
tibi litarem. 1020
Ingrate Jafon, conjugem agnofcis tuam?
Sic fugere foleo. patuit in coelum via.
Squammofa gemini coUa ferpentes jugo
SummiHa prasbent. recipe jam natos parens.
^go inter auras aliti curm vehar. 1025
JAS. Per alta vade fpatia fublimi astherls:
Teftare nuUos effe, qua veheris, Deos.
JASON.
Oh I cruel woman, let me perish myself 1
MEDEA.
Thou askest me to pity thee! (Here she strikes down

the second son.) I am satisfied my
task is now fully
accompHshed I have nothing more, if I could, to sacri-
fice to I
my anger Ungrateful Jason i
Raise towards me thy swollen orbsl Dost thou now

acknowledge that thou hast a wife? This is my mode
of taking up my exile My usual style of flight! The
1
way to the heavens is open to me, two dragons (green

griffins) submit their scaly necks to the yoke of my
chariot, and Jason, thou parent, take great care of thy
sons, whilst I am borne along to the aerial regions in my
swift chariot!
JASON.
Through those lofty spaces of the sublime sky along

which thou mayst be conveyed, there surely must be no
gods, who will bear witness to thy flight with impunity!
AGAMEMNON.
[Lines :
DRAMATIS PERSON jE.

Thyestes. Agamemnon.
CLYT/EMNESTRA. Cassandra.
NUTRIX. Euryeates.
^GISTHUS. Electra.
Chorus Argivarum sive Strophtos.
Mycenârum. Chorus Iliadum.
Orestes, muta perfona. Pylades, muta persona.
ARGUMENTUM.
Thyestis umbra, ulcifcendi injuriarum (de quibus vide Thyeflis
argumentum) cupida, filium /Egifthum in caedem Agamemnonis
incitat. Hie itaque Agamemnonem vidlorem a Troja reducem
in convivio impervia irretitum vefte occidit, confilii casdifque
participe Clytcemneflra, quam abfente marito Agamemnone cor-
ruperat. CaiTandi-am deinde Agamemnoni amatam ab aris avulfam
occidit. Eledlram, quod fratrem Oxeftem amandarat, carceri
mancipari jubent
ACTUS PRIMUS.
THYESTIS UMBRA.
Thyeftis umbra ab inferis adveniens /Egifthum ad vindiflam

fibi ab oraculo promiffam invitat.
o. 'PACA linquens
Adfum profundo
Ditis inferni loca,
Tartari emilifus fpecu,
Incertus utras oderim fades magis.
Fugio Thyeftes inferos, fuperos fugo.
En horret animus, & pavor membra excutit:
Video patemos, immo fratemos lares.
Hoc vetuftum Pelopiae limen domus.
eft
Hinc aufpicari regium capiti decus
Mos eft Pelafgis, hoc cedent alti tore,
Quibus fujierba fceptra geftantur many). 10
Lines i lo]
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
Thyestes. Agamemnon.
Clyt^mnestra. Cassandra.
Nurse. eurybates.
^GISTHUS. Electra.
Chorus of Argos or Strophius.
Mycen^ women. Chorus of Trojans.
Orestes, mute personage. Pvlades, mute personage.
ARGUMENT.
The shade of Thyestes, anxious to avenge his injuries,
(for which see argument to Thyestes) urges on ^gisthus,
his son, to kill Agamemnon (who returns as a conqueror
from Troy), at a banquet, having enveloped him in a
cloak from which he could not extricate himself Cly-
tagmnestra, whom he had seduced when her husband
Agamemnon was absent, aiding and abetting him in the
murder, ^gisthus, after that, slays Cassandra, the captive
mistress of Agamemnon, dragging her away from the
altar. They, /Egisthus and Clytasmnestra, order Electra
to be thrown into prison, because she had sent away
Orestes, who- had been conveyed to a place of security.-
ACT I.
SHADE OF THYESTES.
The shade of Thyestes, arriving from the infernal regions,
callsupon ^gisthus to carry out the revenge, which
had been promised him by the oracle.
I am, having just quitted the dark abodes in

[ere
the infernal regions of Pluto, an emissary from the
H'
,
-* -*
J
profound caves of Tartarus, and I am quite un-

certain in my mind which habitations I prefer the more,
and I, Thyestes, whilst I am flying on this temporary
journey from Hell, absolutely feel a reluctance to face
these upper regions of the Earth. Oh! my mmd
is in a
horrible state, and fear shakes my very limbs. I see around

me my paternal Lares, yea, I see my brother s also! This
is the veritable threshold of the ancient
palace of Pelops
here, I recollect it was the custom amongst the Pelasgi,
472 SEÊCAS TRAGEDIES. [Lines .1-4=
Locus heic habendae curiae: heic epulis locus,

Libet reverti. nonne vel trifles lacus
Incolere fatius? nonne cuftodem Stygis
Tergemina nigris colla jaflantem jubis?
Ubi ille celeri coipus evlncflus rotae 15
In fe refertur; ubi per adverfum ii-ritus
Redeunte toties luditur faxo labor;
Ubi toadet ales avida fcecundum jecur;
Et inter undas fervida exuflus fiti
Aquas fugaces ore decepto appetit, 20^
Poenas daturus coelitum dapibus graves.
Sed ille noftrae pars quota efl culpse fenex?
Reputemus omnes, quos ob infanaas nianus
Qusefitor urna Cnoffms verfat reos:
Vincam Thyeftes fceleribus cundlos meis, 25
A fratre vincar liberis plenus tribus
In me fepultis, vifcera exedi mea.
Nee hadlenus fortuna maculavit patrem;
Sed majus aliud aufa commiflb fcelus,
Natse nefandos petere concubitus jubet. 30
Non pavidus haufi di<5ta, fed cepi nefas.
Ergo ut per omnes liljeros irem parens,
Coa(51a fatis nata fert uterum gravem,
Me patre dignum. verfa natura eft retro.
Avo parentem, (pro nefas!) patri virum, 35
Natis nepotes mifcui, nodli diem.
Sed fera tandem refpicit feffos malis
Poft fata demum fortis incertae fides.
Rex regum, dudlor Agamemnon ducum,
ille
Cujus fecutffi mille vexillum rales, 40
niaca velis maria texerunt fuis;
Poft decima Phcebi luftra devi<51o Ilio
for the crown to be placed upon the head of the Royal

wearer, as an auspicious event! there, I recollect they
used to sit on that very throne, by whose hands too, the
sceptre was carried with great pride and pomp here was
the place where they presided at the courts they used

to hold there is the banqueting hall I ask myself,
!
does it please me in any way this returning- expedi-

tion! Or, is it more consonant with my frame of mind,
still to inhabit the lugubrious lakes below, and is it more
pleasant to be where Cerberus, the custodian of the Stygian
realms, turns from side to side his three-headed neck, and
angrily shakes his black mane, and where he, Ixion, bound
to the swiftly-rotating wheel, is revolved continually (fol-
lowing himself and flying from himself perpetually) ; or,
where that vain exercise is being for ever played out by
Sisyphus, the stone returning backwards as many times
as it rolls onwards! Or, where that rapacious bird of
Lines 11-42J AGAMEMNON. 473
prey feeds perpetually upon the re-produced entrails of

Prometheus! Or, where Tantalus burning with his parch-
ing thirst, longingly beholds the streams around him, and
vainly seeks to quench that consuming thirst with the
waters, as they retreat from his disappointed lipsl This
is the way he was made to expiate his crime, the memor-
able feast he once offered to the gods! But how large
a proportion sof punishment is that old man undergoing
for the sins of our family We must reckon them all:
1
first, those criminals whom the Gnossian Magistrate, Minos,

condemned for their wicked acts to that eternal Urn. But
I, Thyestes, put all the others to the blush with my per-
formances (evil deeds), yet I think I must award the
palm, after all, to my brother Atreus, for through his
machinations_ my inside has been replenished with three
children, buried away in my interior. I have been made
to derive nourishment from my own entrails nor, up to
that time, had bad luck stigmatized me in my paternal
capacity (for he committed the crime of eating his own
offspring in utter ignorance). But another greater crime
than any which Fortune has dared to saddle me with;
I was destined by the Oracle, to seek for an impious
sexual connexion with my own daughter, and the worst
of it was I received the decree with no sort of abashed
alarm, but caught at the offence rather anxiously than
_
otherwise Therefore, in order that I might pose to the

I
world as a parent on a grand scale, it was ordained that

my_ propagating capabilities should be visited upon my
entire progeny (meaning his own children), and my own
daughter, in obedience to the on the
oracle, appears
scene, with an impregnated womb
worthy, I say, in every
way of such a father! The laws of nature have verily
been reversed! Oh! dreadful to think of: I have given
rise to a singular medley, parent and grand-parent, hus-
band and father son and grandson, a thorough case of
dark night and bright day, attempting to appear at one
and the same time! But, at length, the sincerity of that
uncertain oracle, though late in the day after the fate of
myself and brother had been disposed oflooks neverthe-
less with some favor upon those worn out with their
troubles. That King of Kings, Agamemnon, the acknow-
ledged head of the generals, whose thousand ships fol-
lowing his standards, have literally covered the Phrygian
seas with their flaunting sails, is now coming back from
vanquished Troy after an absence of ten years, during
which time Phcebus has been driving his incessant chariots
(annual courses) to give up his neck, forsooth to the
poignard of his own wife! And as before, so again the
palace will flow with the blood arising out of alternating
474 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 43-7'
Adeft, daturus coujugi jugulum fuse.

Jam jam natabit fanguine alterno domus.
Enfes, fecures, tela, divifum gravi 45
Iflu bipennis regium video caput.
Jam fcelera prope funt; jam dolus, cffides, cruor.
Parantur epulae, caufa natalis tui,
^giftbe, venit. quid pudor vultus gravat?
Quid dextra dubio trepida confilio labat? 5
Quid ipfe temet confulis, torques, rogas.
An deceat hoc te? refpice ad matrem; decet.
Sed cur repente noflis asftivse vices,
Hiberna longa fpatia producunt mora?
Aut quid cadentes detinet ftellas polo? 55
Phcebum moramur, redde jam mundo diem.
CHORUS ARGIVARUM.
Chorus e mulieribus Argivis feu Mycenasis (vid. argum. primi
chori Thyeftsei) excelfam fortunam queritur inilabilem, anxiam,
periculis obnoxiam; mediocrem itaque illi praefert.
o. REGNORUM magnis fallax

Fortuna bonis, in prsecipiti
Dubioque nimis excelfa locas.
Nunquam placidam fceptra quietem, 60
Certumve fui tenuere diem.
Alia ex alia cura fatigat,
Vexatque animos nova tempeftas.
Non fic Libycis Syrtibus sequor
Furit alternos volvere fluiflus; 65
Non Euxini turget ab imis
Commota vadis unda, nivali
Vicina polo;
Ubi casiiileis immunis aquis,
Lucida verfat plauftra Bootes. 70
Ut prsecipites regum cafus
slaughter the blood already shed (my children) and now

;
the blood of this son of Atreus I see already the swords

!
the battle-axes the javelins! I can see in my mind's

eye, the royal head of Agamemnon, being cut off by a
blow from a powerful woman, with her two-edged weapon.
(Clytjemnestra was a fine woman, and the strongest of the
Tyndarides.) Now the real business of murder is not far
off, and now for the snare (the cloak), the slaughter and
the blood The Banquet is ready (Thyestes is thinking
I
of his own memorable banquet), .^gisthus, the end and

!
Lines 43-7-] AGAMEMNON. 475
aim of thy having been bornis now within reach, awaiting

execution. Why,
pray, does mock shame cause thy coun-
tenance to assume such a grave look? Art thou being
ashamed at having defiled the wife of an Uncle? Why
does thy right hand appear to tremble hesitatingly, making
thee unequal to the task before you? Why dost thou
appear to be taking counsel with thyself? Why dost thou
shitt about and appear to be asking
thyself, what thou
shouldst do and how thou shouldst do what thou art to
do? Does all this sort of thing become thee? Come!
Come! think of what is due to thy mother (for complying
with the oracle, as regards her relations with her father),
it IS right I consider that thou shouldst
do so !But why
on a sudden, as it were, is it that the short nights of
summer should drag out their length with all the tardy
dreariness of a long winter's night? Why is it that the
stars are detained so long (visible) in the heavens before
they set? Ah! I see! I am the cause of this delay on the
part of Phoebus he does not hke to face me! Well! I
will go now and quit these upper regions, and thou, oh
Phoebus, restore bright day to the world 1
CHORUS OF THE WOMEN OF ARGOS.

The Chorus of the Women of Argos or Mycense, (see
the argument of the first chorus in Thyestes) com-
plains of exalted fortune, as unstable, full of anxieties
and cares, and exposed to vicissitudes, and therefore
gives the preference to mediocrity.
Fortune, the incidental lot of kingdoms, so

Oh!treacherous with the lavish gifts, it appears to be
bestowing! Thou simply placest those whom thou
raisest to a lofty height of an uncertain precipice IThe
proud sceptre never attains the enjoyment of placid re-
pose, and the wielder thereof never passes a day in a
state of certainty, as to his possible fateI One care tires
us out, as it follows another, and a fresh tempest of
troubles springs up to harass our souls, riot even is it
less irksome (to contend against in proportion) than
when the sea in the Libyan Syrtes is raging angrily, as
the waves are surging first one way and then the other;
nor when the sea so near the North Pole, excited into
wrath by the tempests becomes more swollen in anger,
when that sea is augmented by the low streams from the
Euxine where, holding aloof from the blue ocean, Bootes
!
regulates the course of his bright waggon! How fortune

does revolve in its capricious wheel, the hazardous affairs
:
476 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 7:^-107
Foituna rotat!
Metui cupiunt, metuique tiraent.
Non nox illis alma receffus
Prsebet tutos; non curarum 75
Somnus domitor peftora folvit.
Quas noQ arces fceliis alternum
Dedit in praeceps; impia quas non
Arma fatigant? jura, pudorque
Et conjugii facrata fides, 80
Fugiunt aulas: fequitur triftis
Sanguinolenta Bellona manu,
Quseque fu{)erbos urit Erinnys,
Nimias femper comitata domos:
Quas in planum qujelibet hora 85
Tulit ex alto, licet arma vacent,
Ceffentque doli,
Sidunt ipfo pondere magna,
Ceditque oneri Fortuna fuo.
Vela fecundis inflata Notis, go
Ventos nimium timuere fuos.
Nubibus ipfis inferta caput
Turris pluvio vapulat Auftro
Denfafque nemus fpargens umbras
Annofa videt robora frangi. 95
Feriunt celfos fulmina colles.
Corpora morbis majora patent.
Et cum in partus armenta vagos
Vilia currant, placet in vulnus
Maxima cervix. Quidquid in altum 100
Fortuna tulit, ruitura levat.
Modicis rebus longius sevum eft.
Felix, medise quifquis turbse
Sorte quietus,
Aura ftringit litora tuta; 105
Timidufque mari credere cymbam,
Remo terras propiore legit.
ACTUS SECUNDUS.
CLYT.ÊMNESTRA, NUTRIX.
Silji male confcia Clytsemneftm, atque adulterii poenas, redeimte
jam marito, verita, xdKa xxy.otc; Ixtr^xi ftaluit, meditatur
itaque Agamemnoni exilium: diffuadet nutrix.
of kings I They wish

to be feared, and they dread being
feared, and the quiet
stillness of night affords no safe
retirement for them
sleep, the great sedative of anxious
care does not lighten the heaviness of their over-burden-
ed souls I What lofty palace, at one time or another,
has not fallen arising out of recriminating revenge (that
is to say, one crime being avenged by another crime)?
.
Lines 72-I07] AGA.V Ji.VA 0.\ 477
what lofty palaces, again, are not harassed by impious

wars? Constituted laws, becoming self-government and
the sacred obligations of the marriage vow, seem to avoid,
ahogether, the palaces of the great Thus it is that
I
Bellona appears on the scene, followed in her train, by

her sanguinary bands 1 And cruel Erinnys, who is always
in waiting, at the households of overgrown ambition in-
flames, all the more, the minds of the proud and haughty,
whose lofty habitations any hour might suffice to level
to the ground; and although there might not be any
military display (absence of arms) and all kinds of treach-
ery might be in abeyance, yet great kingdoms sink under
their own weight, and like every condition of life must
yield_ to the burdens imposed upon it, so elevated Fortune,
by virtue of such elevation yields to its peculiar burdens 1
The very sails filled by a favorable soutii wind, are ever

distrustful of the force which enables them to propel
the ships along 1 A tower raising its lofty summit into
the very clouds groans again from the impetuosity of the
rainy south wind, and the proud forest, scattering far
and wide the densest of shades, sees its aged oaks broken
down by the storm! The lightnings smite the lofty hills I
great bodies are more exposed to the inroads of disease 1
(The poet here alludes to the size, but he is not correct

in a pathogenetic sense, for they only present a larger
surface.) And when the ordinary (indiscriminate) mem-
bers composing the herd, are allowed to roam at large
over the feeding grounds, those with the largest necks
(the bulls) are the ones which are selected for the sacri-
ficial knife! Whatever fortune has borne to a lofty emi-
nence, is raised, simply that it is doomed to fall (that
is from a greater height). Durability preserves its char-
acter, only when mediocrity is sought after Sensible is
I
that man who rests quietly in the midst of a tremend-

ous crowd, remaining like one who hugs the shore with
a safe breeze, and so is that man who plies his oars as
near the shore as he can, and who trusts with great
misgivings his pinnace to the smoothest of seas!
ACT 11.
CLYT^MNESTRA NURSE.
Clytaemnestra, conscious within herself of her wickedness,
and fearing the punishment she deserves for her
adulterous practices, now that her husband has just
returned, has set up the doctrine of crime being a
remedy, for her guidance, and therefore meditates
the destruction of Agamemnon, the Nurse, however,
dissuading her from adopting such a step.
:-..S.:,CA':-' ...>lA<^r.:^.J...:.i: [Lines 108140
470
.Q. fegnis anime, tuta confilia expetis?
jam melior via eft.

Quid flufluarls? clufa
Licuit pudicos conjugis quondam toros, IIO
Et fceptra carta vidua tutari fide.
Periere mores, jus, decus, pietas, fides,
Et qui redire, cum perit, nefcit pudor.
Da frena, & omnem prona nequitiam incita:
Per fcelera femper fceleribus tutum eft iter. 115
Tecum ipfa nunc evolve femineos doles,
Quod ulla conjux perfida, atque impos fui,
Amore casco; quod novercales manus
Aufas; quod ardens impia virgo face,
Phafiaca fugiens regna TheiTalica trabe: 120
Ferrum, venena. vel Mycenseas domos,
Conju(5la focio profuge furtiva rate.
Quid timida loqueris furta, & exfilium, & fugas?
Soror ifta fecit, te decet majus nefas.
NUTR. Regina Danaiim, & inclitum Ledas genus, 125
Quid quidve confilii impotens
tacita verfas?
Tumido feroces impetus animo geris.'
Licet ipfa fileas, totus in vultu eft dolor.
Proin quidquid da tempus ac fpatium tibi.
eft,
Quod ratio nequit, fsepe fanavit mora. 130
CLYT. Majora cruciant, quam ut moras pofiim pati.
Flammae medullas & cor exurunt meum.
Mixtus dolori fubdidit ftimulos timor.
Invidia palfat peflus, hinc animum jugo
Premit Cupido turpis, & vinci vetat, 135
Et inter iftas mentis obfeffae faces,
Feffus quidem, & dejeflus, & peffumdatus
Pudor rebellat. fluflibus variis agor:
Ut cum hinc profundum ventus, hinc aeftus rapit,
Incerta dubitat uuda, cui cedat malo. 140
CLYTVEMNESTRA.
Why dost thou seek to

OH 1 irresolute soul of mine !
carry out those designs only which are not fraught

with dangerous consequences? The path open to
thee, which is really the better one to take, is shut against
thee! At one period, it was fully in thy power to up-
hold the honor of thy husband's marriage couch and to
defend with thy chastest regard, the sceptre left for a
time in thy conjugal keeping! But,_ lol morals law-
respect for unsullied reputation conjugal affection and
fidehty to the marriage-bed, have long since ceased to
exist, and female modesty, when it has once been lost
!
Lines 108-140] AGAMEMNON. 479
sight of,IS a thing ignorant of the road back into the

patos of virtue 1 Let me, therefore, banish all restraint,
and let me, rather, in my downward course, encourage
every and any wickedness suitable to my ends The
I
only safe road along the paths of crime, is to be armed

with those forces which are antagonistic to the conse-
quences arising out of crime, therefore let me devise
out of my own fertile brain every feminine treachery!
That any other perfidious wife, forsooth, who had lost all
self-control, would do, urged on like myself by a blind
passion! What have not step-mothers, aforetime, dared
to carry into effect? What has not a Virgin, burning
with all the ardour of an impious passion done afore-
time, when quitting the Phasian kingdom in the Thessalian
Argo (the ship Argo)? Let me, then, have recourse
to the sword poison or let me fly with my companion
in crime, from my Mycenaean home, in some vessel in
search of plunder! But why should I speak in this
croaking fashion of plunders exiles flight ? One of my
sex (my own sister Helena amongst the number) has
certainly done all these things, but it will become me
to achieve some deed of greater wickedness
NUR. Oh! Queen of the Greeks! Oh thou illustrious

!
offspring of Leda, why dost thou silently brood over thy

designs? And why dost thou cherish such ferocious
passions within thy swollen breast? Although thou art
silent, thy anger fully proclaims itself in thy counten-

ance whatever thou intendest in the future, give thyself
time delay thy deliberations!
CLYT. Such great troubles are,now harassing my peace

of mind that I cannot possibly entertain any thoughts of

delay the flames of my passion are positively burning
up the very narrow of my bones, and my heart itself!
Another element becomes mixed up with my grievances,
furnishes additional stings to my harrowed mind, and
that is, jealousy! Jealousy invades my soul, and then a
hateful criminal passion binds down ray inclinations with
its irresistible yoke, and defies me to subject it to any
sort of control, and amongst these passions taking pos-
session of my mind, shame, wearied out at last, despond-
ent and finally overcome, openly rebels, and I am thus
tossed about by the capricious waves (of conscience) as
when the wind, at one time, seizes upon the mastery of
the sea, and then, the perpetual ebbings and flowings of
the impetuous tides, lead the opposition! The poor sea,
in a state of bewilderment, knows not what to do to
which calamity it should succumb! Henceforward, I
48o SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines ^^l-,6^
Proinde omifi regimen e manibus meis.

Quocunque me ira, quo dolor, quo fpes feret,
Hue irepergam. fluflibus dedimus ratem.
Ubi animas errat, optimum eft cafum fequi.
NUTR. Caeca eft temeritas, qu petit cafum ducem. 145
CLYT. Cui ultima eft fortuna, quid dubiam timet?
NUTR. Tuta eft, latetque culpa, fi pateris, tua.
CLYT. Perlucet omne regiss vitium domus.
NUTR. Piget prioris, & novum crimen ftruis?
CLYT. Res eft profedlo ftulta, nequitiie modus. 150
NUTR. Quod metuit, auget, qui fcelus fcelere obniit.
CLYT. Et ferrum & ignis faepe medicinse loco eft.
NUTR. Extrema primo nemo tentavit loco.
CLYT. Rapienda rebus in malis praeceps via eft.
NUTR. At te refleflat conjugii nomen facrum. 155
CLYT. Decem per annos vidua refpiciam virum?
NUTR. Meminiffe debes fobolis ex illo tuas.
CLVT. Equidem & jugales fili memini faces,
Et generum AchiUem. prseftitit matri fidem.
NUTR. Redemit ilia claffis immotse moras, 160
Et maria pigro fixa languore impulit.
CLYT. Pudet, pigetque! Tyndaris, coeli genus,
Luftrale claffi Doricae peperi caput,
Revolvit animus virginis thalamos me,
Quos ille dignos Pelopia fecit domo, 165
Cum ftetit ad aras ore facrifico pater,
Quam nuptiales? horruit Calchas fuse
of a rudder from the regulation

shall dismiss all thoughts
of my future plans, and I shall pursue that journey in

whatever way, my anger my disappointment or my
hopes point themselves out to me, as the best! When-
ever I think my mind is erring in its travels, I shall com-
mit my craft, although rudderless, to the mercy of the

waves I shall deem it best to follow chancel
NUR. That form of rashness is blind indeed, which
depends upon chance, as its only guide 1
CLYT. Why should any one be in a hesitating mood,

when bad luck has reached the length of its tether. (In an
extreme condition, when nothing could possibly be worse.)
NUR. Thy fault is safe and hidden, if thou wilt only
suffer it to remain so.
CLYT. Every crime, in a royal palace, is before every-

one's eyes, and in everybody's mouth.
NUR. But whilst thou art grieving about a former crime,
thou art devising a fresh one!
Lines I4i-i67] AGAMEMNON. 481
CLYT. Really, it would be a silly thing to prescribe any

limits to crime 1
NUR. That person only adds to the fear, she may

already entertain, who thinks she can stifle one crime
by committing another.
_
CLYT. Even the sword (the knife) and fire are some-
tanes used instead of medicine (By this is meant the use of
!
the actual cautery amputation of^ diseased and mortified

parts under certain conditions.)
NUR. But no one tries these extreme remedies, till they

utterly despair, as to milder or useless ones.
CLYT. In combating some evils, a bold determined

course of action must be adopted I (This points to the
heroic method and radical-cure cases, but not to political
or warUke affairs, and least of all to criminal ones.)
NUR. But the honored obligations of the marriage tie

stops thee from committing any deed indiscriminately.
CLYT. Can I look upon a man with affection, that has

left me for ten long years?
NUR. But it behoves thee, to remember the oflspring

thou hast had by him.
CLYT. Yes indeed and I remember the marriage of

I
my daughter, Iphigenia, and Achilles as well, who was

to have Deen my son-inlawl Did Agamemnon faithfully
fulfil the promises which he made to a mother?
NUR. That act removed the delay of the fleet, which could
not sail for the want of favourable winds, and forced the
sea to rouse itself from its languorous inactivity.
CLYT. It makes me ashamed, and it pains me likewise

to think, that I, the offspring of Tyndarus, and tracing my
ancestry as far back as to Jupiter himself, should have
given birth to any child, that was doomed to be sacri-
ficed for the purposes of the Grecian Fleet, and I oflien
turn over in my mind this marriage affair of my virgin
daughter, which "Agamemnon thought a befitting match
for a daughter of the House of Pelops, and when too,
that father stood up at the altar, with all the assiimed
air of a priest at his sacrifices 1 Ah me! What a marri-
age ceremony too! To be sure! Why
Calchas himself
31
:
482 SENECA'S TRAG.:..J...:.ii. [Lines' 168-202
Refponfa vocis, & recedentes focos.

O fcelera femper fceleribus vincens domus!
Cruore ventos emimus, bellum nece. 170
NUTR. Sed vela pariter mille fecerunt rates.
CLYT. Non eft foluta profpero claffis Deo
Ejecit Aulis impias portu rates.
Sic aufpicatus bello, non melius gerit.
Amore captse captus, immotus prece, 175
Sminthea tenuit fpolia Phoebei fenis,
Ardore facrse virginis jam turn furens.
Non ilium Achilles flexit indomitus minis j
Non ille folus fata qui mundi videt,
In nos fidelis augur, in captas levis; 180
Non populus seger, & relucentes rogi.
Inter mentis Grseciae ftragem ultimam
Sine hofte viflus marcet, ac Veneri vakat,
Reparatque amores! neve defertus foret
A pellice unquam barbara cselebs torus, 185
Ablatam Achilli diligit Lyrneflida:
Nee rapere puduit e fmu avulfam viri.
En Paridis hoftem! nunc novum vulnus gerens
Amore Phrygiae vatis incenfiis furit:
Et poft tropsea Troica, ac verfum Hium, 190
Captse maritus remeat, & Priami gener.
Accingere, anime; bella non levia apparas:
Scelus occupandum eft. pigra, quem exfpeflas diem?
Pelopia Phrygiae fceptra dum teneant nurusf
An te morantur virgines viduae domi; 195
Patrique Oreftes fimilis? horum te mala
Ventura moveant, turbo quels rerum imminet.
Quid mifera celTas? en adeft natis tuis
Furens noverca. per tuum, fi aliter nequit,
Latus exigatur enfis, & perimat duos. 200
Mifce cruorum, perde pereundo virum.
Mors mifera non eft. commori cnm quo velis.
shivered again at the responses of the oracle and as he

saw the very fires of the altar, started back in astonish-
ment Oh! this race of mine always endeavouring to
1
annul one crime, by the perpetration of another and

greater one! We
of our race, purchase the very winds
that blow at the expense of family blood, and we assist
in cruel wars with sacrifices!
NUR. But thou shouldst bear in mind, that a thousand

ships were enabled to set sail, through what was done.
CLYT. The fleet was not set free by a favorable god, but
by Diana Aulis was only too glad to get rid of the impious
ships out of its harbors thus begun, under such auspices,
as the slaughter of its commander he did not carry out
his plans any better, for being seized with a mad passion
!
for Astynome, a captive maiden, and being utterly inexor-

able towards the prayers and entreaties of her father
Chryses, and he retained, as he would any other warlike
spoil, this daughter of the aged Priest of Apollo Smin-
theus, at the very same time too, that he was raging
with ardent passion, for the prophesying virgin Cassandra
The indomitable Achilles, even, could not deter him
from purpose by any amount of threats, nor even
his
Calchas, that prophet who alone knows the destinies of
mankind, always to be relied on when we are interested,
although somewhat inconsiderate where captives are con-
cerned, not even towards a whole population stricken
down with the plague, and when funeral piles preparing
for the active names, are only waiting to be kindled, and
in short, nothing does deter Agamemnon!' And amidst
the extreme ravages befalUng languishing Greece (allud-
ing to the mortality from the plague) here is the man,
conquered without an enemy in ms front, intent upon
love-making and indulging in a series of amours, nor,
indeed, has his couch ever been free of some barbarian
concubine or another he fell in love with Briseis of
Lyrnessus, whom he took away from Achilles, nor did
he even hesitate to snatch a woman from the very arms
of a husband Behold! if thou pleasest this enemy of
1

Paris, now smarting from a fresh wound he is now
raging and burning with love for the Phrygian prophe-
tess, Cassandra, and after the division of the Trojan
spoils, accruing from down-trodden Troy he now poses,
as the husband of a captive, and becomes a son-m-law
of Priam Buckle to in eairnest, Oh! my soul, thou art
1
preparing, and not for the slightest of battles! The crime

must be entered upon! Ohl thou slow to act! Why
dost thou wait for a single day? While the rival Phry-
gian maids are holding the sceptre! (That is, iniluencmg
3ie holder of it, Agamemnon.) Why should unwedded
wenches, (said in great contempt) installed at the palace,
delay thee in any way? Or, Orestes, such a facsimile of
his Father? Will not the calamities which are to happen
to them and the whirlwind of direful events which are
threatening them, be the means of moving me to
prompt action? Why do I thus halt in my scheme, after
this wretched fashion? Let me only picture to my mind
a my son's future lot! No! if I
furious step-mother, for
am todo nothing more than that, let me apply the sword
to my side and let me kill the pair of us !Let me mix
our blood let me perish, if I only killed a husband at
the same time! Death, after all, is not such a miserable
arrangement^ as that so much depends upon the person
-with whom you might wish to die in company!
484 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 203-^3^
NUTR. Regina, frena temet, & fifte impetnm,

Et quanta tentes, cogita. vidlor venit
Afise ferocis, ultor Europas: trahit 205
Captiva Pergama, & diu viftos Phrygas.
Hunc fraude nunc conaris & furto aggredi?
Quem non Achilles enfe violavit fero,
Quamvis procacem torvus armaffet manum.
Non melior Ajax, morte decreta furens; 210
Non fola Danais Heftor & bello mora;
Non tela Paridis certa; non Memnon niger;
Non Xanthus armis corpora immixtis gerens,
Flu<Sufque Simois csede purpureos agensj
Non nivea proles Cycnus sequorei Dei; 215
Non bellicofo Threfla cum Rhefo phalanx;
Non pidla pharetras, & fecurigera manu
Peltata Amazon: hunc domi reducem paras
Madlare, & aras csede maculare impia?
Vidlrix inultum Grsecia hoc facinus feret? 220
Equos & arma, claffibufque horrens fretum
Propone, & alto fanguine exundans folum,
Et tota captase fata Dardaniae domus
Regefta Danais. comprime affedlus truces,
Mentemque tibimet ipfa pacifica tuam. 225
^GISTHUS, CLYT^MNESTRA, NUTRDC.

Clytsemneftram nutricis confiliis cedere paratam, jamque dubiam
fuperveniens i^gifthus avertit rurfus atque in ^rseceps trahit.
Q. UOD tempus animo femper

Adeft protedlo rebus extremum meis.
ac mente hon-ui,
Quid terga vertis, anime? quid primo impetu

Deponis arma? crede pemiciem tibi,
Et dira faevos fata moliri Deos. 230,
Oppone cundlis vile fuppliciis caput,
Ferrumque & ignes peclore adverfo excipe.
NTJR. Oh my Queen curb thyself and check thy impetu-

1 1
ous feelings, and do thou reflect on what great projects,

thou art about to embark behold think of the great
1
conqueror of proud Asia who is coming, that avenger of

Europe 1 He is bringing in his train all the Phrygian
captivesj and Phrygians, moreover, only conquered after
a campaign of ten years' duration And wilt thou venture
I
to attack him wim treachery and clandestine snares ^

Him upon whom^ not even Achilles ventured to use his
drawn sword (Mmerva advised him not to do so) although
1
Lines =03-232] AGAMEMNON. 485
in savage mood be had already armed himself with

that intention not even was Aiax a braver man, he who
raged when his death had been decided onl Nor
so,
Hector, who was the only real obstacle to the Greeks,
and the speedier termination of the war Nor the certain
I
arrows of Paris, nor the swarthy Memnon, who led the

Persian battalions to Troy, nor was the Xanthus a greater
source of horror, that river which received the bodies of
those who fell in battle with all their- arms and military

paraphernalia nor the Simois, which falls into it, but
sendmg on its waters red with the blood of the slain,
nor the white Cycnus, that offspring of the god of the
sea (Neptune), nor the Thracian battalions of PenthesUea
with her painted quivers and moon-shaped shield, and
with the batde-axe carried in her warlike handl And
yet thou art preparing to sacrifice such a man as that
when he returns to his palace, and to defile the altars
with impious slaughter Will victorious Greece suffer such
!
a crime to pass unrevenged? Only picture to thy imagi-

nation, the array of cavalry, the bristling arms of me
infantry, and the sea itself dismayed by the formidable
display of ships, as there would be to avenge such a
crime, and then think of the very soil beneath thee,
overflowing with brave and noble blood and thus the
calamities of captive Troy would be repeated in a Grecian
Palace! Restrain thou thy truculent spirit, and calm
down thy determinations, for by so doing, thou wilt be
serving thyselfl
^GISTHUS-CLYT^MNESTRA-NURSE.
^gisthus coming on the scene succeeds in diverting
Clytsemnestra from her new-bom resolution, and
leads her oil again towards her rash purpose, whilst
she is already m a hesitating mood and prepared to
yield to the wise counsels of the Nurse.
jEGISTHUS.
a time, have I been kept in a of dread

state
FORandwhat
uncertainty of mind! Surely the very extreme
of my human affairs is arrived at!
stage Oh!
My Why dost thou now turn thy back upon matters
soull
in hand? Why dost thou, at the first brush with the
enemy, down arms? Let me rather believe, that certain
destruction is awaiting me, and that the cruel gods a.re
preparing some punishment for me, and with a hostile
front, let me face the foe and the sword!
CLYT. ^gifthe, non eft poena fic nato mori.

jEGiSTH. Tu nos pericli focia, tu Leda fata
Comitare tantum: fanguinem reddet tibi 235
Ignavus ifte duflor, ac fortis pater.
Sed quid trementes circnit pallor genas,
Jacenfque vultus languido obtutu ftupet?
CLYT. Amor jugalis vincit, ac fle<5lit retro.
Referamur illuc, unde non decult prius 240
Abire: vel nunc cafta repetatur fides.
Nam fera nunquam e'ft ad bonos mores via.
Quem poenitet peccaffe, psene eft innocens.
.EGISTH. Quo raperis amens, credis aut fperas tibi
Agamemnonis fidele conjugium? ut nihil 245
Subeffet animo, quod graves
faceret metus;
Tamen fuperba &
impotens flatu nimis
Fortuna magno fpiritus tumidos daret.
Gravis ille fociis ftante adhuc Troja fuit.
Quid rere ad animum, fuapte natura trucem, 250
Trojam addidiffe? rex Mycenarum fuit.
Veniet tyrannus. profpera animos efferunt.
Eflfiifa circa pellicum quanto venit
Turba apparatu! fola fed turba eminet,
Tenetque regem famula veridici Dei. 255
Ferefne thalami vifla confortem tui?
At ilia nolet. ultimum eft nuptae malum,
Palam mariti poffidens pellex domum.
Nee regna focium ferre, nee tsedas fciunt.
CLYT. yEgifthe, quid me
rurfus in praeceps rapis, 260
Iramque Aammis jam refidenlem incitas?
Permifit aliquid viflor in captas fibi:
Nee conjugem hoc refpicere, nee dominam decet.
Lex alia folio eft, alia privato in toro.
Quid quod feveras ferre me leges viro 265
Non patitur animus, turpis admifll memor?
Det ille veniam facile, cui venia eft opus.
CLYT. ^gisthus, it would not be a gre^ punishment for

you, (I should think) as an incestuous son to be allowed
to die. (This is said in most contemptuous satire.)
JEG. Thou art the companion in any danger which might

befall us in common
On! thou offspring of Leda, I ask
thee only to be my
companion That cowardly king and
brave father, where his own children only are concerned,
will repay himself with thy blood, but why that ghostly
pallor around those restless eyes (of thine) and that heavy
countenance looking utterly vacant, with thy languid stare ?
CLYT. The fidelity due to conjugal love is exacting its
binding influence over me and makes me retreat from the
path I have been following let us both turn back to that
road, from which it was wrong ever to have swerved, at
all events let the chaste vows I once took, come into
operation again For the way back to correct morals is
1
never too late! She, who repents of a sin which she

may have committed, is almost on a footing with an
innocent person 1
^G. To what step wilt thou be led next, in thy madness ?

Dost thou believe, or canst thou hope to find in an
Agamemnon anything simulating fidelity in his matri-
monial capacity? In the first place, how can anything
be dismissed from thy mind, which cannot give rise to
the gravest fears? However, the brilliant successes achiev-
ed by Agamemnon, already intolerable from the puffed-
up pride, to which they have given rise, are bound to
develop a further degree of haughty insolence in his
bearing towards others And, I can tell thee this much,
he was ever severe and morose towards his comrades in
arms, even whilst Troy was standing! What canst thou
think of a disposition naturally savage, when thou comest
to tack on the pride of having conquered Troy? He
was the King of Mycenae; he will return as Tyrant,
invested with full authority over all and prosperity
invariably brings out a man's natural characteristics (shows
him in his true colors) And thenj with what unworthy
display his bevy of concubines will be scattered about
when he appears on the scene! But this group of
females will reign supreme Already, that maiden Cas-
1
sandra, the priestess of the God of Oracle, holds the

key of the King's affections! And wilt thou tamely put
up with only a miserable partnership in the marriage-bed?
But Cassandra, herself, would not consent to it, if thou
wouldst, and the last unkind cut of all, which can befall
any wife is when a concubine openly poses, as the
_
legitimate possessor of the wife's share of a palace!

Kings are not prone to share their regal authority with
another and Venus equally shuns the notion of copart-
nership, as regards the marriage-bed!
CLYT. Oh ^gisthus, why dost thou wish to urge me
!
headlong into crime, and excite afresh the passion, that was
just beginning to subside? A conqueror is allowed some
amount of latitude with his captives Nor, is it the right
!
thing to do, towards a husband, for a wife to inquire too

closely into such matters! There is one law' for the
occupant of a throne and another for those of less degree,
besides why should I, bearing in mind my own infamous
behaviour, be inclined to prescribe none but the strictest
code of morality as regards my husband? No! I say,
let that person ^rant pardon willingly, who stands so
much in need of it herself!
!
488 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. fUaes 268-299
^GISTH. Ita eft. pacifci mutuatn veniam licet.

Ignota tibi funt jura regnorum aut nova.
Nobis maligni judices, aequi fibi, 270
Id effe regni maximum pignus putant,
Si quidquid aliis non licet, folis liceL
CLYT. Ignovit Helenas, junfta Menelao redit,
Quse Europam & Afiam paribus afflixit mails.
AGISTH. Sed nulla Atridem Venere furtiva abftulit, 275
Nee cepit animum conjugi obftriiflum fuas.
Jam crimen ille quserit, & caufas parat.
Nil effe crede turpe commiiTum tibi.
Quid honefta prodeft vita, flagitio vacans,
Ubi dominus edit? fit nocens, non quaeritur. 280
Spartamne repetes fpreta, & Eurotan tuum,
Patriafque fedes profuga? non dant exitum
Repudia regum. fpe metum falfa levas.
CLYT. Delicla novit nemo, nisi fidus, mea.
^GISTH. Non intrat unquam regium limen fides 285
CLYT. Opibus merebor, ut fidem pretio obligem.
^GISTH. Pretio parata, vincitur pretio fides.
CLYT. Surgit refiduus priftinse mentis pudor.
Quid obftrepis? quid voce blandiloqua mala
Confilia diflas? fcilicet nubet tibi 290
Kegum reliilo rege, generofa exfuli?
^GISTH. Et cur Alrida videor inferior tibi,
Natus Thyeftse? CLYT. Si parum eft, adde & nepos.
.EGYSTH. Audlore Phcebo gignor. haud generis pudet.
CLYT. Phoebum nefandae ftirpis auflorem vocas, 295
Quem noi51e fubita frena revocautem fua
Ccelo expuliftis? quid Decs probro advocas?
Surripere doflus fraude geniales toros,
Quem Venere tantum fcimus illicita virum.
X.G. Let it be so Ye must ask each other's pardon then

!
But the code of laws set up by kings, must either not be

thoroughly understood by thee or fresh laws must have
come mto fashion quite recently! As judges thou must
understand kings are unmerciful towards others, but
lenient towards themselves; in fact, they regard it as the
especial prerogative of regal power that they will not
allow a thing to others to which they claim the sole
right, themselves I
CLYT. When Helen returned, who brought misfortunes

alike upon Europe and Asia, she came back as "the wife"
to Menelaus
Menelaus pardoned his Helen 1
^G. Yes that's true but in that case, no captive maid

1 !
had stolen away the affections of Menelaus, with her insidi-

ous pretences of love, nor did such a maid, trench upon the
conjugal fidelity which bound him to his wife so inviol-

ably! Already, Agamemnon is on the look-out for any
crime thou mayst have committed, and is now only
paving the way for a possible divorce! Believe thou
this, that there is no crime too infamous for that man to
commit! Of what avail is it, then, to try to lead an
honest life, and keep thyself aloof from wickedness?
When thou hast incurred the hatred of a husband, thou
art, at once, pronounced a criminal, without the formula
of any court of inquiry, and wilt thou, thus spumed,
seek Sparta again, thy beloved Eurota and thy ancestral
palaces, as an outcast?. Women divorced from kings do
not so easily escape their powerful grasp, and therefore
do not banish thy fears, with any such fallacious ideas!
CLYT. No one has known about my crime, but a trust-

worthy confidant.
MG. Confidence obtained by money, can easily be

bought back again with money.
CLYT. The shame, that is left in me from my former

chaste mind, is rising forcibly in my bosom, asserting
itself! Why dost thou interrupt me, when I am speaking:
(-lEgisthus does not relish this special pleading.) Why
dost thou presume, with thy honeyed words, to dictate
to me such wicked counsels? And, as a plain matter of
fact, could I, bom as I am, of a noble race, after I had
left the King of Kings, stoop to marry thee, an exile
thyself!
^G. And why, pray, am I to be considered thy inferior ?

I, a "son" of Thyestes!
CLYT. Certainly! and if that is not sufficient, we might

say "grandson," into the bargain!
^G. I was begotten, under the authority and patronage

of Phcebus, and I need not be ashamed of my birth, on
that very account!
CLYT. So thou citest Phoebus, as a patron of thy abomin-

able race, whom thy family drove from the Heavens, as
he drew in his reins suddenly in the night and stopped
his chariot! So that he should not witness the villainous
deeds of Atreus why dost thou, thus insinuatingly brand
the gods, as participators in such infamy? Thou who
art so skilful in surreptitiously obtaining possession of
the marriage-bed of another by 'thy devices ; thou whom

Faceffe- propere, ac dedecus clara: domus 300

Afporta ab oculis, hsc vacat regi ac viro.
JEGISTH. Exfilia mihi funt baud nova, affuevi malis.
Si tu imperas, regina, non tantum domo
Argifve cedo: nil moror juiTu tuo
Aperire ferro peflus asrumnis grave. 3S
CLYT. Siquidem hoc cruenta Tyndaris fieri finam?
Quae junfta peccat, debet & culpae fidem.
Secede mecum potius, ut rerum (latum
Cubium ac minacem junfla confilia explicent.
CHORUS ARGIVARUM.
Chorus e virginibus Mycenseis & Argivis canit ApolUnis Pasana ob
partam viifloriam, interferit autem Junoni, Minervae &
Jovi laudes fuas.
c 'ANITE, o pubes inclita, Phoebum.

Tibi fefta caput turba coronal:
Tibi virgineas laurum quatiens
3 10
De more comas innuba fundit

Inachia. tu quoque noftros,
.Stirps
Thebais hofpes, comitare choros, 315
Qua;que Erafmi gelidos fontes,
Quseque Eurotam, quseque virenti
Taciturn ripa bibis Ifmenon,
Quam fatorum praefcia Manto
Sata Tirefia Latonigenas 320
Monuit facris celebrare Deos,
Arcus viflor pace relata,
Phoebe, relaxa,
Humeroque graves levibus telis
Pone pharetras; refonetque manil 325
Pulsa citata vocale chelys.
Nil acre velim,
Magnumque modis intonet altis:
Bed quale foles leviore lyra
carmen fimplex; lufus
Fleiflere 330
Cum dofla tuos Mufa recenfet.
Licet & chorda graviore fones,
Quale canebas, cum Titanas
Fulmine vi(los videre Dei;
Vel cum monies montibus altis 335
every one recognizes as branded with an illicit amour

an adulterer! Get away quickly, and remove from my
vision the presence of such a dishonorable trespasser on
the precincts of a Noble Palace! The Palace, Sir, is
waiting for a King and a Husband I
!
Lines 300-335] AGAMEMNON, 491
JEG. Exile is no new thing to me I am accustomed to

the ups and downs' of life, if, Oh! Queen thou commandest
me. I not only shall depart from thy palace and from
Argos ; and at thy commands, I shall make no unnecessary
delay, mlaying bare with the sword this breast of mine,
which IS so heavily weighted with my troubles!
CLYT. If indeed, as a daughter of Tyndarus, I could
permit myself to be so cruel, as to allow thee to do that I
Nol she who sins as a confederate with another, owes a

debt of fidelity, even, to that accomplice in crime! Go
away with me rather and let our united counsels throw
some light upon the doubtful and threatening aspect of
our joint position
CHORUS OF THE WOMEN OF ARGOS.

The chorus of the women of Mycense and Argos sing a
triumphal hymn in honor of Apollo, on account of
the victory gained, but introduces laudatory addresses
likewise, to Juno, Minerva and Jupiter.
Oh!singthoujoyful assemblage of youthful virgins,

illustrious
hymn to Phoebus! Let the rejoicing
throng crown thy head. Oh! Apollo, thou! Let
the Inachian virgins after the time-honored custom, let
down their locks waving thy favorite laurels! and thou,
also, my Theban virgin, appearing as a guest amongst
us, join in our chorus! And whoever thou art, that
sippest from the cool springs of Erasinus whoever too
that drinkest from the streams of Eurota, and whoever
refreshest thyself from the slowly-flowing waters of the
Ismenus, and all ye votaries, whom Manto, the foreteller
of our destinies and daughter of Tiresias, invites to offer
up sacrifices to the Deities, sprung from Latona (Diana
and Apollo). Oh! Phoebus, thou conqueror, avenger of
the perfidious Laomedon, peace has visited us at last
unbend thy bow, and let thy quiver, so full of the arrows
of such swiftness of flight, rest on thy shoulders And let
!
the harmonious lute struck by thy gentle finger, send

forth its dulcet strains! We would rather not have any
of the war-inspiring melodies, or that thou shouldst sound
thy grandiose notes pitched in a lofty key, but simple
measures, such as thou usedst to evoke from thy slender
harp, when the cultivated muse recited her plays to thee 1
Although thou mayst sound with a louder note, as once

thou didst when thou sangest of the joy felt by the Gods,
when the giants fell, vanquished by the thunderbolts of
Jupiter; or, when mountain heaped upon mountain afforded
:
Superimpofiti ftruxere gradus

Trucibus monftris ftetit impofita
Pelion Offa pinifer ambos
:
Olympus.
Preflit
Ades, Q magni foror & conjux, 34
Confers fceptri, regia Juno
Tua te colimus turba Mycenae:
Tu follicitum fupplexque tui
Numinis Argos fola tueris;
Tu bella mann pacemque regis; 34S
Tu nunc lauros Agamemnonias
Accipe viflrix.
Tibi multifora tibia buxo
Solenne canit, tibi fila movent
Docta puellas carmine molli. 350
Tibi votivam matres Grajse
Lampada jaflaut. ad tua conjux
Candida tauri delubra cadit,
Nefcia aratri, nullo collum
Signata jugo. 355
Tuque o magni nata Tonantis
Inclita Pallas, quas Dardanias
Ssepe petifti cul'pide turres:
Te permixto matrona minor
Majorque choro coHt, & referat 360
Veniente Dea templa facerdos:
Tibi nexilibus' turba coronis
Redimita venit,
Tibi grandaevi laffique fenes
Compote voto reddunt grates, 365
Libantque manu vina trementi.
Et te Triviam nota memores
Voce precamur. tu maternam
Siftere Delon, Lucina, jubes
Hue atque illuc prius errantem 370
Cyclada ventis. nunc Jam ftabilis
Fixa terras radice tenet;
Refpuit auras, religatque rates
Affueta fequi. Tu Tantalidos
Funera matris viflrix numeras. 375
Stat nunc Sipyli vertice fummo
Flebile faxum,
Et adhuc lacrimas marmora fundunt
Antiqua novas.
Colit impenfe femina virque 380
a ladder to those truculent monsters, when they endea-

voured to scale the heavens, when Ossa was heaped upon
Pelion, and the pine-growing Olympus pressed down
upon both of theml Come! Ohl thou puissant Juno,

sister and wife of Jupiter, and the sharer of his sceptre, .
the people of Mycenae approach thee adoringly, this dayK

Thou it is who alone watchest over the anxious and
suppliant Argos, with thy divine protection! Thou it is
who controUest the affairs of peace or war, with thy
powerful influence ! Oh thou conquering goddess, accept
!
these laurels in honor of Agamemnon the flute, made

from the wood of the box-tree with its multitude of
holes, plays its accustomed harmonies in honor of thee,
and the virgins, likewise, in honor of thee, play up
skUfiiUy on their stringed instruments, some of their most

soothing melodies and let the Grecian matrons, wave.
their torches, which they use at the sacrifices, and let the
white companion of the fierce bull, (the heifer) which
has never dragged the plough, and whose neck leaves
no traces of the pressure of the yokel And thou, ohl
glorious Minerva, the daughter of thundering Jove who
so often visitedst the lofty Dardanian towers with showers
from thy darts, let the older matrons and the younger
matrons, in happy concert, offer their adorations to thee
in this chorus, and the priest will rejoicingly unlock the
temple portals, when thou, the goddess, approachest! A
group of worshippers, adorned with woven, chaplets arrive
to greet thee! very old men, and men utterly broken
down by bodily infirmities, render thee thanks, for their
prayers, which have been so graciously responded to!
And, Oh! Diana, we off'er to thee our homage, remem-
bering that our accents will be fully recognized by thee 1
For it is thou, Lucina, (in her capacity of watching over

child-birth) that commandedst Delos to stand firmly
(when, before, it was one of the Cyclades, tossed about
anyhow by the winds, sometimes above water and
sometimes below its surface),. and now, in its stability it
rests on the earth with a permanent foundation It can
now resist the tempestuous winds, and any vessel, that
approaches it now, can come to a safe anchorage at its
banks! And thou, as the avenging conqueror of that
mother, Niobe, canst enumerate the various deaths of the
Tantalides, the children of Niobe, where now the still
weeping rock stands, on Mount Sipylus, and even now,
stiU in existence, the ancient marble summits drip sorrow-
fully with ever flowing tears! Both man and woman,
regardless of trouble or expense, worship thee, the three-
fold Deity! And thou, above all, father and ruler, all-
powerful with thy lightnings, at whose nod the farthest
and extremest heavens tremble at one and the same,
time Oh! thou Jupiter, the father of the great grand-
father of Atreus, look down with favor upon thy by no
Numen gemiDum. tuque ante omnes

Pater ac reflor, fulmine pollens,
Cujus nutu fimul extremi
Tremuere poli, generis noftri
Jupiter auflor, cape dona libens: 35
Abavufque tuam non degenerem
Refpice prolem.
Sed, ecce, vafto concitus miles gradu
Manifefta properat figna laetitise ferens.
Namque hafta fummo lauream ferro gerit: 390
Fidufque regi Temper Euiybates adeft.
ACTUS TERTIUS.
EURYBATES, CL YT^M N E S T R A.
Enrybates narrat, Agamemnona reducem advenire, tempesftatem a
Pallade immiffam, Naupliique dolo aggravatam ; parantur Diis
viflimaj & convivium Agamemnoni, captivae adducuntur.
EUR. X_>' F.LUDRA & aras coelitum, & patrios Lares

Port longa feffus fpatla, vix credens mihi,
Supplex adoro. vota (uperis folvite:
Telluris altum remeat Argolicas decus 395
Tandem ad penates vi(5lor Agamemnon fuos.
CLYT. Felix ad aures nuntius venit meas.
Ubinam petitus per decern conjux mihi
Annos moratur? pelagus, an terras premit?
KUR. Incolumis, auc5lus gloria, laude inclitus 400
Reducem expetito litori impreffit pedem.
CLYT. Sacris colamus profperum tandem diem,
Et fi propitios, attamen lentos, Deos.
Tu pande, vivat conjugis frater mei,
Et pande, teneat quas foror fedes mea. 405
EUR. Meliora votis pofco, & obteftor Deos.
Nam certa fari fors maris dubii vetat.
means degenerate progeny But listen

1 Look a soldier
1 1
is hastening towards us with lengthened strides, bringing

us, evidenuy from his manner, a budget of joyful news,
and what is more, his lance is decked with laurels, at
the sword-end of it! Lol it is Eurybates, the trusty
henchman of the king of kings who is now advancing.
(Eurybates acted as the herald arid messenger of Aga-
memnon.)
.
Lines 381407] ii.C;iLV...:..V....S U..S 495
ACT III.
EURYBATES-CLYT^MNESTRA.
Eurybates reports that Agamemnon has returned and is
now approaching that a tempest was visited upon
them by Pallas, which was made worse for them,
through the treachery of Nauplius Sacrifices are
prepared for the gods, and a feast is got ready for
Agamemnon. The captives are brought forward.
EURYBATES.
WEARIED out after such a long absence, for I can

scarcely believe myself even whilst I am speak-
ing^ I now appear as a suppliant and offer up
my adorations at the temples and altars of the Gods
perform the vows to the Gods above; at last, Agamern-
non the conqueror re-appears amongst us, as the proud
ornament of the land of Argos, and has now returned
to his household gods.
CLYT. Why
did my husband thus tarry? (said hypo-
having been expected by me for ten long years ?
critically)
Does the sea still retain him, or has he landed on " terra
firma" in safety?
EUR. Safe and sound! Of greater renown than ever,

rendered famous with the universal praise accorded him,
and he has planted his foot again on those shores he
has so much longed for.
CLYT. If that be the case, then, we will celebrate the

auspicious day, with becoming sacrifices; and do tell me
all about the kind gods, although they have been so dila-

tory does the brother of my husband still live (Menelaus)
and what about my sister (Helen), in what land has she,
at last, settled down?
EUR. I pray for better results than I can vouch for at

present, and 1 call the Gods to witness asto my sincerity
when I say so ; for in the first place, the certain disasters con-
nected with the vicissitudes of a capricious sea forbid me
to say much especially, when I have to observe that the
marvel is, how the scattered fleet escaped the sea at all!
and the ship, that was sailing as consort with our own.
Ut fparfa tumidum claffis excepit mare,

Ratis videre focia potuit ratem.
Quin ipse Atrides aquore immenfo vagus 410
Graviora pelago damna, quam bello, tulit;
Remeatque viflo fimilis, exiguas trahens
Lacerasque viiftor claffe de tanta rates.
ci,YT. Effare, cafus quis rates haufit meas?
Aut quae maris fortuna difpulerit duces? 415
EUR. Acerba fatu pofcis. infauftum jubes
Mifcere laeto uuntium. refugit loqui
Mens aegra, tantis atque inhorrefcit malis.
CLYT. Exprome. clades fcire qui refugit fuas,
Gravat timorem. dubia plus torquent mala. 420
EUR. Ut Pergamum omne Dorica cecidit face,
Divifa prseda eft. maria properantes petunt.
Jamque enfe feifum miles exonerat latus;
Negledla fummas fcuta per puppes jacent;
Ad militares remus aptatur manus; 425
Omnifque nimium longa properanti mora eft.
Signum recurfus regia ut fulfit rate,
Et clara lentum remigem monuit tuba,
Aurata primas prora defignat vias,
Aperjtque curfus, mille quos puppes fecent. 430
Hinc aura primo lenis impellit rates,
Allapfa velis. unda vix a<ftu levi
Tranquilla Zephyri mollis afatu tremit;
Splendetque claffe pelagus, & pariter latet.
Juvat videre nuda Trojse litora, 435
Juvat relicfli fola Sigaei loca.
Properat juventus oimiis adduAos fimul
Lentare remos. adjuvat ventos manu,
Et valida nifu brachia altemo movet.
Sulcata vibrant aequora, & latera iocrepant; 440
Dirimuntque canae caerulum fpumse mare.
Ut aura plenos fortior tendit fmus,
Pofuere tonfas creditat eft vento ratis:
lost sight of the companion-ship, which contained Mene-

lausl But Agamemnon himself, tossed about over the
immense ocean wastes, suffered much more
severe mis-
fortimes than he even endured during the whole of the
war, and he is now returning much more like a beaten-
down soldier than as a conqueror, dragging, as he is
doing, in his rear, a lot of battered disabled ships, left
to him out of such a noble fleet, too 1
CLYT. Speak freely, tell me what misfortunes have

befallen our dear ships (said with affectation of extreme
tenderness) or what particular disasters of the sea,
separated the Naval commanders.
EUR. Thou askest me to tell what is very disagreeable

to speak of. Thou art requiring me, as a reporter of lead-
ing events to interlard a great deal of what is truly shock-
ing to narrate, with that which is a matter for general
rejoicing; my unwilling lips almost forbid me to articulate
and my very soul shudders again, when I reciil, such
horrible disasters to my memory! \
CLYT. Be explanatory he who
; shrinks from narrating a
horrible story, only aggravates the fears of those who are \
eagerly waiting to hear it. \^
EUR. When all Troy succumbed to the Grecian Fires, the
spoils were divided and all hands eagerly wished to put
to sea, and by this time, I must tell you the worn-out
soldier was only too ready to doff the sword which had
dangled at his side so long; and the shields, of course,
now no longer required, lay piled on the top of each
other, about the ships' poops 1 The oars, too, were gladly
handled by the eager rowers, and the least hitch in getting
away appeared a perfect age to those expectant men so
anxious to make a start. At last, the flaming signals
_
flashed from the royal flag-ship, and the shrill bugle,

sounding with a will, notified to the lingering sailors
" 't was time to man the oars." The ship with the gilded
,
prow (Agamemnon's) leads the way, and indicates the

course, which the thousand ships are to take, as they
plough the watery main! At first, a gentle breeze wafts
the ships along, and all sail is lowered to the welcome
wind, (the sails were drawn up, when furled) and the sea,
so smooth is it, appears scarcely ruffled by the balmy
zephyrs, as the vessels are impelled onwards, and the
sea Itself, looks resplendent with the ships in such close
order, so much so, mdeed, that the watery main itself is
hardly distinguishable I Ahl and what pleasure it gave
us to cast our eyes back upon the naked coasts, of Troy,
and what joy it was, to have quitted the Sigsean pro-
montory and to leave it to itself the whole of^the eager
young sailors hasten to lend a vigorous hand with the
oars brought forward, and they assist with their manual
exertions the gende winds and they strain their powerful
arms, as die oars reach the water after the alternate
pause (that is to say, the interval between raising and
lowering the oars). The ploughed waters toss bewildered,
and as they recede with the onward progress made, strike
the quarters and creaking sides of the ships and lo!
The white foam divides the blue sea, (a line of foam)
and as die wind rises and blows stronger, it stretches out
the sails, and the rowers, thereupon, lay down their oars 1
(The word "tonsa" signifies the broad extremity of the

32
;
4q8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 444-480
Fufufque tranftris miles, aut terras procul,

Quantum recedunt vela, fugientes no tat: 445
Aut bella narrat: Hedloris fortis minas,
Currufque, & empto redditum corpus rogo:
Sparfum cruore regis Hercenm Jovem.
Tunc qii'i jacente reciprocus ludit falo,
Tumidumque pando tranfilit dorfo mare 450
Tyrrfienus omni pifcis exfultat freto.
Agitatque gyros, & comes lateri adnatat,
Anteire naves Isetus, & rurfus fequi.
Nunc prima tangens roftra lafcivit chorus,
y' Millefimam nunc ambit & luftrat ratem. 455
Jam litus omne tegitur, & campi latent,
Et dubia parent montis Idsei juga.
Et jam, quod unum pervicax acies videt,
Iliacus atra fumus apparet nota.
Jam laffa Titan coUa relevabat jugo 460
In aftra jam lux prona, jam praeceps dies,
Exigua nubes fordido crefeens globo
Nitidum cadentis inquinat Phoebi jubar.
Sufpedla varius occidens fecit freta.
Nox prima coelum fparferat ftellis. jacent 465
Deferta vento vela, tum murmur grave
Majora minitans collibus fummis cadit,
Traftuque longo litus ac petrae gemunt
Agitata ventis unda Venturis tumet:
Cum fubito luna conditur, ftellse latent. 470
In aftra pontus toUitur. coelum petit.
Nee una nox eft. denfa tenebras obruit
Caligo, & omni luce fubdufta fretum
Coelumque mifcet. undique incumbunt fimul,
Rapiuntque pelagus infimo everfum folo 475
Adverfus Euro Zephyrus, & Borese Notus.
Sua quifque mittunt tela, & infefti fretum
Emoliuntur. turbo convolvit mare.
Strymonius altas Aquilo contorquet nives;
Libycufque arenas Aufter ad Syrtes agit. 480
oar, iFor, as spread out, it operates upon a larger surface)

and now, the vessels are handed over to the winds only,
and the soldiers distributed about the transtra (the
seats of the rowers) begin to spin their different yams,
sometimes, about the land in the distance they wonder
how far the sails have carried them or they talk about
tiie incidents of the war
about that threatening scowl
of Hector, when he set fire to the Grecian ships, or they
speak about the car of Achilles, when it dragged Hector
around the walls of Troy, and then they talk about, how
the body of Hector was ransomed and given up to be

honored with the funeral pile then they speak of poor
old Priam, and how his blood was scattered at the altar
.
-ines 444480] JV^}\.X..Zjy...S U..V 499
of Jupiter Herceus, then there appears something that

plays about on the surface of the water, when they are
becalmed, and leaps about the swollen waves, with its

curved back this is the Tyrrhenian Dolphin, that per-

forms its gyrations, with every wave they swim on like

companions by the side of the ship sometimes briskly forg-
ing ahead of us as if enjoying the sport, and then following
us, at our stem then a crowd of leaping dolphins seem to
be revelling in their wanton sport, as they go in and out,
and around the prows of the ships, and finally, encom-
pass the Thousandth ship, the last of the Fleet. And now
every trace of the shore has disappeared and the once
well-known plains are hidden from our view, and then,
it is a matter for speculation, whether what is (suddenly)
seen is the summit of lofty Ida, but afterwards a closer
inspection revealing it to be only the smoke of Troy
which appears like a black streak in the horizon! And
now tired Phoebus relieves the necks of the chariot horses,
from their yokes (sets), then his rays descend upon the
stars, now that the day has declined. A
small cloud, in-
creasing into a dobular mass of darkness, completely
obscured the bright rays of Phoebus, and this changeable
setting has caused us to be alarmed, about the seas, we
might expect (this appearance portended a coming storm).
The first part of the night had freely scattered the stars
throughout the sky and the sails began to flap as the
wind fell (deserted by the winds) then, a huge murmur-
ing sound descending from the highest mountain lands,
threatened us with even greater danger, the shore and
the rocks groan again over an extended track, and the
sea agitated by the approaching winds, swells with anger
when, suddenly, the moon is hidden and the stars
disappear, and the sea appears to be raised towards the
skies; they are, as it were, seeking the very heavens, nor
is it night, simply! A dense blackness displaces only
the existing darkness, and all presence of light completely
vanishing-: the sea and the sky seem so intermixed, that
you could not discern the one from the other, and on all
sides, opposing forces appear to be meeting, and draw
the sea, as it were, everted from its lowermost bed!
The west wind opposing the east wind and the south
wind doing the same thing with rude Boreas, and each
displays its own peculiar fury, and these angry winds
cast the sea out by absolute force a perfect whirlwind
turns liie sea round and round the north-east cold wind
blowing over the Strymon, whirls about the deep snows,
and the south wind blowing over Libya, drives the sands
on to the Syrtes, nor is this the only thing remaining to
be effected by the south wind, for that same wind
500 SENECA'S TRAGE.J)...:.S. [Lines 481-516
Nee manet in Auftro; fit gravis nimbis Notus,

Imbre auget undas; Eurus Orientem movet,
Nabathaea quatiens regna, & Eoos fmus.
Quid rapidus ora Conjs Oceano exerens?
IVJundum revelli fedibus totum fuis, 485
Ipfofque rupto crederes coelo Deos
Decidere, & atram rebus induci chaos.
Vento refiftet asftus, & ventus retro
JEdam revolvit. non capit fefe mare:
Undafque mifcent imber & fluftus fuas. 490
Nee hoc levamen denique Eerumnis datur,
Videre faltem, & noffe, quo pereant malo.
Premunt tenebrse lumina, & diras Stygis
Inferna nox eft excidunt ignes tamen,
Et nube dirum fulmen elifa mieat: 495
Miferifque lueis tanta duleedo eft malse,
Hoc lumen optant. ipfa fe clafCs premit,
Et prora prorae noeuit, &
lateri latus.
Ulam dehifeens pontus in praeceps rapit,
Hauritque, & alto redditam removit mare. 500
Haec onere fidit, ilia convulfum latus
Summittit undis. fluftus banc decimus tegit.
Haec laeera, & omni decore populate levis
Fluitat; nee illi vela, nee tonfae manent;
Nee re(flus altas malus antennas ferens, 505
Sed trunea toto puppis lonio natat.
TsU. ratio & ufus audet. ars ceffit malis.
Tenet horror artus. omnis officio ftupet
Navita reliilo. remus effugit manus.
In vota miferos ultimus cogit timor, 510
Eademque fuperos Troes & Danai rogant.
Quid fata poffuot! invidet Pyrrhus patri,
Ajaei UlyiTes, Hedlori Atrides minor,
Agamfimno Priamo, quifquis ad Trojam jaeet,
Felix vocatur, eadere qui meruit gradu, 515
Quern fama fervat, vii5la quera teUus premit.
becomes loaded with clouds, which burst and augment

the sea, with the rains which follow the east wind, raging
from an easterly direction, greatly distvurbs the Nabathsean
Kingdom (Arabia) and the shores favored with the
first
visitsof Auroral Why is the impetuous north-west wind
(Corns) raising its head firom the Ocean, and blowing
from the west? And you would believe that the whole
world was being torn up from its very foundations, and
that the sky, having burst, the Gods themselves had fallen
from them, and that black Chaos was coming upon us
again The sea resists the winds, and the winds hurl
I
the tides back again And the sea, no longer its own
I
!!
master, overruns its banks and the ceaseless rains mix

up with the waves, and the raging sea is carried upwards,
and seems to be on a level with the skyl Nor amidst
all this, is the relief afforded us in our misery of being
able to see or to guess, what our approaching end is
likely to be Darkness drives away every vestige of light,
1
and the infernal night of the Tartarian Styx is upon us

However, when the lightnings fall around us, and the
terrible flashes shine again, as they cut their way through
the clouds, there is a relative sweetness even, m
such a
sinister kind of illumination, and we, absolutely, appreciate
a light like this The very fleet becomes a source of danger
1
ta Itself, and the prow of one ship damages the prow of

another, whilst the broadside of one crashes with and dam-
ages the broadside of another. The gaping sea suddenly
seizes one, and swallows it in the yawning gulf, and then
casts it up again, mockingly returned from its depths,
at some distance from where it had disappeared one
ship, presumably water-logged, founders with all hands
(its burden), another with its side stove in, falls a prey to

the waves the tenth wave (the maximum wave) submerges
another with its rigging torn in shreds, and with its
pennants and ornamental gear carried away bodily, floats
about in no fixed directionanother has neither sails nor
oars, nor does its still remaining mast retain even its
'
yards, but as a floating tub, it simply drifts all over the

Ionian sea never to be seen or heard of again ! All the
skill and nautical experience of the commanders are of
no avail They can attempt nothing, and their seamanship
1
counts for naught, in presence of these trying difficulties

Horror sei?es upon every fibre of their bodies! Every
sailor abandons nis post, fairly stunned by what he sees
around him, his oars drop from his hands At last, extreme
1
fear induces these wretched men to offer up their prayers,

and both Trojans and Greeks are asking the Gods for
the same things - that they may escape these cruel dangers,
and not meet with a watery grave {"As carnal seamen in
!
a storm, turn pious converts and reform") Then it was,

that we learned what unexpected things can be brought
about by the hands of Fate Pyrrhus actually envies the
1
quiet repose being enjoyed by his father Achilles Ulysses

envies Ajax (on account of his supposed invulnerabihties),
Menelaus envies the fate of Hector! Agamemnon envies
the fate of Priam, and whoever is now lying quietly at
rest at Troy, is considered to be enjoying a happy lot!
he, who achieved honorable glory, and died at his post I
he whom his fame has well handed down to posterity

and is still preserved in memory and to whom, that country,
which he had conquered, offers a peaceful tomb! Will
Nil nobile aufos pontus atque imdae ferent?

Ignava fortes fata confument viros?
Perdenda mors eft. quifquis es nondum malis
Satiate tantis coelitum, tandem tuum S^
Numen ferena. cladibus noftris daret
Vel Troja lacrimas. odia fi durant tua,
Placetque mitti Doricum exitio genus;
Quid hos fimul perire nobifcum juvat,
Quibus perimus? fiftite infeftum mare. Sî
Vehit ifta Danaos claffis? & Troas vehit.
Nee plura poffunt. occupat vocem mare.
Ecce alia clades. fulmine irati Jovis
Armata Pallas, quidquid aut hafta minax,
Aut asgide & furore Gorgoneo poteft, 53
Aut igne patrio, tentat; & coelo novas
Spirant procellse, folus invidlus malis
Lu(5tatiur Ajax. vela cogentem hunc fua
Tenfo rudente flamma perilrinxit cadens.
Libratur aliud fulmen. hoc toto impetu 535
Certum redufla Pallas excuffit manu,
Imitata patrem, tranfit Ajacem, & ratem,
Ratifque partem fecum & Ajacis tulit.
Nil ille motus, ardua ut cautes falo
Ambuftus exftat, dirimit infanum mare, 540
Flu(5lufque rumpit peflore, & navem manu
Complexus in fe traxit, & casco mari
Collucet Ajax. omne refplendet fretum.
Tandem occupata rape, furibundum intonat,
Superaffe nunc fe pelagus, atque ignes: juvat 545
ViciiTe coelum, Palladem, fulmen, mare:
Non me fugavit bellici terror Dei;
Et Hedlorem una folus & Martem tuli.
Phoebea nee me tela pepulerunt gradu.
L!um Phrygibus iftos vicimus. tene horream? 550
<'
Aliena inerti tela mittis dextera?
Quid fi ipfe mittat? Pljra cum
auderet furens,
Tridente rupem fubruit pulfam pater
Keptunus, imis exerens undis caput,
the sea and the rapacious waters claim only those, that
have dared nothing requiring courage? Will the cruel
fates victimize as well, the only brave men amongst us?
If so, then death will be deprived of all that was worth
dying fori Ohl thou God, whoever thou art of the
heavenly host, be satisfied with the great evils already
inflicted upon us, and calm dovra thy anger Even Troy,
!
heiêlf, would shed tears of condolence at the misfortunes

that we are undergoing if thy anger is to continue for
ever, and if it pleases thee that the Grecian portion of
the human freight is to be handed over to final extinction.
why_ should it be agreeable to thee that the Trojan

captives should perish along with us, and for whose
revenge we are_ doomed to perish! Oh ye powerful
I
Gods Decalm this troubled sea, this same fleet is carrying

the Greeks, and likewise transporting the Trojans! Nor
can we urge any thing more, for the sea muffles our
very voicesT Behold another catastrophe! Pallas, armed
with the lightnings of angry Jupiter, is trying all she can,
whatever her threatening spear, her ^gis, armed with
the head of Medusa (striking terror from its well-known
powers), together with her father's lightnings, can bring
about! and fresh storms spring up in the sky. The invin-
cible Ajax is the only one that shows overt resistance
in this state of things, and as he was hauling taut the
rope that enabled him to furl his sails, the lightning
falling upon him simply grazed his body, another more
efficacious description of lightning is then determined
upon by Pallas, and to make thmgs doubly sure, she
imitates her unerring father, and with her whole strength
hurls it forth from her right hand (great virtue residecf in
this right hand). The flash passes through Ajax, and the body
of the vessel carrying away Ajax, and the hull of the craft
with him But Ajax, not at all disconcerted starts up, but
!
very much scorched, like a sturdy rock would hold itself up

in the sea, and striking out right and left, cleaves the
raging waters, and contends with nis powerful chest against
the angry waves, and catching hold of some part of the
vessel with his hand, draws himself into it again, and he
shines forth with the brilliant lightning around him in
the dark sea around, the entire ocean is ablaze with the
lightnings. At length landed on a rock, which he had
found, he thunders forth in a furious voice, that he had
now conquered the seas and defied the lightnings! It
fave him great satisfaction to have triumphed over the
eavens, Pallas, the lightning and the sea not even the
terrors of the bellicose God (Mars) have been able to
subdue him, and he had borne up, aforetime, single-
handed against the conjoint onslaught of Hector and
Mars! Not even the arrows of Apollo had subdued him
with their attacks! He had overcome them all, as he
once did with the Trojans, and shall he learn at last,
wnat it is, to be scared? Should he fear those imitation
lightnings, which had been sent forth with the unpractised
hand of a woman? No! and not even if Jupiter himself
were to hurl them at hjm! Whilst in his swollen rage,
he was saying all this, and a great many things too hor-
rible for you to hear, Neptune struck the rock, on which
he was resting, with his trident, suddenly raising his head
from the ocean depths, and causing the rock to disappear,
Solvitque monlem; quem cadens fecum tulit: 555

Terraque igne viftus & pelago jacet.
&
Nos alia major naufragos peftis vocat.
Eft humilis unda, fcrupeis mendax vadis,
Pbi faxa rapidis clufa vorticibus legit
Fallax Caphareus seftnat fcppulis fretum, 560

Fervetque femper alterna vice
flu(5lus
Arx imminet prsenipta, quae fpedlat mare
Utrinque geminum. Pelopis hinc oras tui,
Et Ifthmon, ar(5lo qui recurvatus folo
Ionia jungl maria Phrixeis vetat; 565
Hinc fcelere Lemnon nobilem; hinc & Chalcida;
Tardamque ratibus Aulida. banc arcem occupai
Palamedis ille genitor, & clarum manu
Lumen nefanda vertice e fummo efFerens,
Iq faxa duxit perfida claffem face. 570
Hserent acutis rupibus fixas rates.
Has inopis undse hrevia comminuunt vada.
Pars vehitur hujus prima, pars fcopulo fedet.
Hanc alia retro fpatia relegentem ferit,
Et fradla frangit. jam timent terram rates, 575
Et maria malunt, cecidit in lucem furor.
Poftquam litatum eft Ilio, Phoebus redit,
Et damna noftis triftis oftendit dies.
CLYT. Utrumne doleam, laster an reducem virum?
Remeaffe Isetor. vulnus at regni grave 580
Lugere cogor. redde jam Grajis. pater,
Altifona qnatiens regoa, placatos Deos.
Nunc omne lasta fronde veletur caput.
Sacrifica dulces tibia effundat modes;
Et nivea magnas vidtima ante aras cadat. 585
Sed ecce turba triftis, incomtae comas,
Iliades adfunt, quas fuper celfo gradu
Effrena Phcebas entbeas laurus quatit.
carrying with it, him to whom it had just before afforded

a resting-place, and thus he fell conquered by the earth
the lightning and the sea! Another still greater cala-
mity awaits us distressed, practically ship-wrecked mari-
ners 1 There is a portion of the sea, when it is low water
very deceiving with its rocky channels, where the treach-
erous Caphareus (a mountam of Euboea) hides from the
view the multitude of rocks in the rapid gulfy streams,
over which it raises its majestic height The sea rages
I
with great severity round about these rocks, and me

waves always observe the same angry attitude, whether
the sea is ebbing or flowing! There is a lofty tower on
the summit of a rugged mountain, which commands a
view of the double sea, on both sides, from this coign
of vantage, you can see the coasts of the land of Pelops,
!
Lines 555-588] AGAMEMNON.' S05
and the isthmus,, which bending itself back with its narrow
neck of land, prevents the junction of the Ionian sea
with the Hellespont; from this point, you have .a view of
Lemnos sq, notorious for the crimes committed there
here also, you can spy Chalcis and Auhs, which retarded
the Grecian ships. The father of Palamedes (Nauplius)
occupies a citadel here, and displaying from its lofty-
heights, a brilliant light to further his wicked ends, has
caused the ships to run aground upon the rocks, misled

as we were by his treacherous fires the vessels, in con-
sequence were fast bound by the sharp rocks, and the shallow
streams, on account of the scanty waters, caused the ships
to fall to pieces on the said rocks. The prow of one ship
is in the water whilst its stem rests on a rock and liien
another vessel strikes against it, just as it is making for
another safer place, and then a mutual crash! And now
comes the time, when the ships begin to dread the land,
and would rather have to do with- the seal The fury of
the storms begins to abate, when day-light approaches,
and when Phcebus returns, after Troy has been thus
avenged, and the light of day fully reveals to us the dam-
age effected during the past sad night!
CLYT. Whichreally ought I to do, after all thou hast told

me? Ought I to grieve or rejoice at the return of my hus-
band? No! Irejoice, inexpressibly rejoice that he has come
back, but I am forced to grieve for the grave disasters,
which have visited our kingdom, as it were. Grant this
boon to the Greeks, oh! thou father of the thunders,
which shake the heavens, with its lofty echoes grant
that the angry Gods may be appeased at last! In the
meantime let every head be adorned with the triumphal
verdant foliage, and let the sacred lute tune forth its
most dulcet melodies, and the snow-white victim fall in
sacrifice before the altars But listen look a lugubrious
1 ! !
collection of women, with neglected locks, ah the Trojan

1
captives are now advancing preceded by the frantic priest-

ess of Apollo, Cassandra, with a lofty carriage and flourish-
ing the prophetic laurels, which she is carrying in her
hand
:
5o6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES, [lms 589-624
CHORUS ILIADUM, CASSANDRA.

Chorus Iliadumr Trojse fata cafumque luget, Caffandra furore Phoe-
beio correpta, quse Agamemnoni imminent, vaticinatur.
LJ
CHOR. -I- Ieu quam dulce malum mortalibus additum,
amor: cum pateat malis
Vitae dirus 59
Effugium, & miferos libera mors vocet,
Portus astema placidus quiete!
NuUus hunc terror, nee impotens
Procella Fortunae movet,
Aut iniqui fiamma Tonantis. 595
Fax alta, nuUos civium coetus
Timet, aut minaces vidloris iras;
Non maria afperis infana Coris:
Non acies feras,
Pulvereamque nubem, ' 600
Motam barbaricis equitum catervis;
Hoftica aut muros populante flamma,
Urbe cum tota populos cadentes
Indomitumve bellum. perrumper omne
Servitium contemtor levium Deorum, 605
Qui vultus Acherontis atri,
Qui Styga triftem non triftis videt,
Audetque vitae ponere finem.
Par ille regi, par fuperis erit.
O quam miferum eft nefcire mori! 610
Vidimus patriam ruentem nofle funefta,
Cum Dardana tefta Dorici raperetis ignes.
Non ilia bello vidla, nee armis,
Ut quondam Herculea cecidit pharetra;
Quam non Pelei Thetidifque natus, 615
Carufque Pelidse nimium feroci
Vicit, acceptis cum fulfit armis,
Fuditque Troas falfus Achilles:
Aut cum ipfe Pelides animos feroces
Suftulit luclu, celeremque faltu 620
Troades fummis timuere muris.
Perdidit in malis extremum decus;
Fortiter vinci. reftitit annis
Troja bis quinis.
CHORUS OF TROJANS -CASSANDRA.

The Chorus of Trojans bewail the fates and the mis-
fortunes of Troy. Cassandra being seized with one
of her prophesying paroxysms, foretells what dangers
are threatening Agamemnon.
CHORUS.
ALAS what
I a calamity, however much it may be
cherished, has been fastened upon us, poor mortals
in the shape of our unfortunate love of life !When
the way out of our misfortunes is open to us, and kind
Death summons the wretched, and a tranquil harbour of
refuge, with eternal rest, is given us, in exchange for

those troubles No such terrors affect such a man then,
nor is he tossed about by the cruel storms of fate, nor is
he, any longer, the victim of the unjust fulminations of

thundering Jove he then enjoys peace in its plenitude!
He fears no seditious gatherings of disaffected citizens,
nor the angry scowl of a tyrannical conqueror Nor
I
does he then dread the sea lashing itself into fury, with
a tempestuous north-wester, nor does he go in fear of
the sanguinary battlefield, nor is he disturbed by the
clouds of dust stirred up by the war steeds of the bar-
barian horsemen, as they gallop about the plain during
their hostileincursions! Nor is he terrified by the
enemy's laying waste his homestead, nor does he
fires,
fear the entire downfall of the population, with their
entire city destroyed! Not even the ceaseless prolong-
ation of war will disturb the man, who, as a despiser of
the frivolous gods, will trample on every kind of bondage ;
the man, who, with mental composure can gaze upon
the lugubrious Styx (in imagination) and who, as a view
of the black Acheron is pictured to his mind, can sum-
mon up the courage to put an end to his own existence
is on a par with very Kings, aye, with the actual Gods
above! Oh! what a wretched thing it is, this not knowing
how and when to die! Here are we! We see our very
country ruined in one dreadful night when the Grecian
flames seized upon the Trojan habitations, our Troy was
not conquered through honorable warfare, nor overpowered
by the arms of the victors, as it certainly was once, when
it fell by the quiver of Hercules Our Troy, which neither
the Son of Peleus and Thetis (Achilles) nor Patroclus,
that dear friend of the extremely ferocious Achilles, really
conquered, not even, when he stalked forth accoutred
with his borrowed arms and when that sham Achilles
did rout us only for a time, or even when Achilles roused
himself from grieving for his friend, and all his angry

ferocity returned, the Trojans were certainly scared, when

he appeared suddenly on the lofty walls and to observe
him being so swift m
the leap he took! The very last
honorable satisfaction has been denied us, of being con-
quered, by arms overpowering valor Our Troy resisted
!
successfully resisted for ten long years, and then, oh!

Unius no(ftis peritura furto. 625

Vidimus fimulata dona molis immenfse;
Danaumque fatale munus duximm noftra
Creduli dextra: tremuitque faspe
Limine primo fonipes, cavemis
in
Conditos reges bellumque geftans: 630
Et licuit verfare dolos, ut ipfi
Fraude fua capti caderent Pelafgi.
Ssepe commotae fonuere parmse,
Tacitumque murmur percuflit aures;
Et fremuit male fubdolo 635
Parens Pyrrhus Ulyffi.
Secura metus Troica pubes
Sacros gaudet tangere funes.
Hinc Eequsevi gregis Aftyanax,
Hinc Haemonio defponfa rogo, 640
Ducunt turmas: haec femineas,
Ille viriles.
Feftse matres votiva ferunt
Munera Divis: fefti patres
Adeunt aras. unus tota eft 645
Vultus in urbe.
Et, quod nunquam poft Hedloreos
Vidimus ignes, laeta eft Hecube.
Quid nunc primum, dolor infelix,
Quidve extremum deflere paras? 650
Moenia Divum fabricata manu,
Diruta noftra?
An templa Deos fuper ufta fuos?
Non vacat iftis lacrimare malis.
Te, magne parens, flent Hiades. 655
Vidi, vidi, fenis in jugulo,
Telum Pyrrhi vix exiguo
Sanguine tingi.
CASS. Cohibete lacrimas, omne quas tempus petit,
Troades, & ipfae veftra lamentabili 660
Lugete gemitu funera. serumnse meae
Socium recufant. cladibus queftus meis
Removete. noftris ipfa fufficiam malis.
CHOR. Lacrimas lacrimis mifcere juvat.
Magis exurunt, quos fecretas 665
Lacerant curas. juvat in medium
Deflere fuos. nee enim, quamvis
sad, that she should perish at last, through the treachery

enacted, in a single night 1 We
had seen the pretended
gift represented by that huge mountainous mass (the
Trojan Horse) and in our confidingness, we believed in
Sinon, we led along the fatal gift of the Greeks with our
trusting right hand, and we observed that the horse, more
than once, regularly trembled, just as it passed the thres-
hold of our gates, carrying within its hollow cavernous

interior armed kings themsSves, hidden up with all their
implements of battle and it might have been permitted,
to nave turned their treachery against its authors, so that
the Pelasgi, themselves, (Greeks) might have fallen as
easy captives, through that dreadful imposture! Their
shields, striking against each other, very often gave
forth a sound and even whispering noises would some-
times reach our listening ears, and Pyrrhus, whilst he
sullenly obeyed the orders of crafty Ulysses, groaned with
disgust 1The Trojan lads and young virgins, without any
fear delighted to handle those fatal ropes that hung
about the horse. There^ Astyanax played at soldiers and
marched, (military fashion,) at the head of boys of his

own age there, our virgins accompanied the engaged
Princess Polyxena, to the tomb of Achilles 1Such and
such a woman heading the females, such and such a
man the male portion of the retinue. The matrons
incUned to be joyous, bring their votive offerings to the
Gods. The fathers of their children, in a rejoicing mood,
approach the altars, and there is one look of universal
.
joy in the City, and Hecubaj even, appears to be jubilant,

a thing we never before noticed since Hector's body had
been ransomed and handed over to the funeral pile!
Oh! miserable anguish what will be the next, what will
1
be the misfortune, we are making ready' to weep

last
about? These walls built by the hands of the Gods and
now destroyed by the hands of man! Or, (shall we
weep about) our temples burnt and the debris immuring
their own Gods? Nol We
have no time to weep over
these misfortunes, it is for thee, that great Sire of our
nation, Priam, that the Trojans weep! We have seen,
yes, we have actually seen the sword of Pyrrhus plunged
into the chest of that old man, and when withdrawn, to
"be scarcely tinged with blood!
CASS. Oh ye Trojans, restrain your tears, you will have

1
plenty of time for that, and grieve rather, now, for your
own personal calamities, funereal enough in their character

my own misfortunes require no sharer cease then to
grieve for my troubles, I shall suffer enough, without
needing sympathizing tears, for my own calamities, when
they arrive!
CHOR. Tis pleasant to mix our own tears, with the tears
'
of others; they whom hidden troubles disturb suffer more

from lack of companions in sorrow! It is much better
for them to air their grievances Nor could you, although
!
a harsh virago and capable of bearing ordinary mis-

5IO SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Linis 668-707
Dura virago patienfque mali,

Poteris tantas flere ruinas.
Non quffi vemo nobile carmen 6^7
Ramo cantat triftis aedon,
Ityn in varios modulata fonos;
Non quae tedlis Biftonos ales
Kefidens fummis impia diri
Furta mariti garrula deflet; 675
Lugere tuam poterit digne
Conquefta domum: licet ipfe velit
Clarus niveos inter olores
Iftrum cygnus Tanaimque colens
Extrema loqui; licet alcyones 680
Ceyca fuum fluftu leviter
Plangente fonent, cum tranquillo
Male confifse credunt iterum
Pelago audaces, fcetufque fuos
Nido pavidas titubante fovent: 685
Non molles imitata viros
li
Triftis laceret brachia tecum,

Quae turritae turba parenti
Pedlora rauco concita buxo
Furit, ut Phrygium lugeat Attin. 690
Non eft lacrimis, Caflandra, modus,
Quia quas patimur vicere modum.
Sed cur facratas deripis capiti infulas?
Miferis colendos maxime fuperos reor.
CASS. Vicere noftra jam metus omnes mala. 695
Equidem nee uUa ccelites placo prece:
Nee, fii velint fsevire, quo noceant habent.
Fortuna vires ipfa confumpfit fuas.
Quas patria reftat? quis pater? quae jam foror?
Bibere tumili fanguinem atque arae meum. 700
Quid ilia felix turba fratemi gregis'
Exhaufta nempe: regia miferi fenes
Vacua relifti, totque per thalamos vident,
Praster Lacaenam, ceteras viduas nurus.
Tot ilia regum mater, & regimen Phrygum 705
Foecunda in ignes Hecuba, fatorum novas
Experta leges, induit vultus feros.
fortunes patiently, weep sufficiently for such calamities,

as we are grieving over! Not the sorrowing nightingale
(Philomela) which, at early spring chants forth her plain-
tive notes on yonder branch, and sings still for her
lamented Itys her different melodies! Nor could the
Bistonian Swallow (Progne) which settles on our house-
tops and bewails garrulously, the impious and incestuous
adulteries of her cruel husband TereusI bewail more
worthily the sad misfortunes of your dynasty Nor would I
it be possible for the swan so bright amongst the other

white swans which inhabit the waters of the Danube and
the Tanais (the Don) to utter its last dying notes in its
usual way, if it thought of your troubles F (Wheij the
swan is dying, its accents are considered quite musical.)
Let the langnshers lightly sound forth their mournful
notes, in harmony with the fluctuating murmurings of the
gende waves, for the death of Ceyx, when, although dis-
trustful, they muster up courage to risk the tranquil sea
again, and timorously cherish their tender broods in the
unsteady nestl nor if that mournful tribe of Corybantic
priestesses, imitating the effeminate men, should bruise
and mutilate their arms for your sorrows, that tribe which
after their parent, whose head was crowned with rising
turrets (refers to the mode of dressing their hair, turret-
fashion) work themselves up into a state of frenzy, and
tear their breasts, stirred up by the harsh screechings of
their box-wood flutes, so that they may sufficiently bewail
their Phrygian Attis! Cassandra! there is no Hmit to our
tears, because the evils we have suffered from have already
exceeded all bounds But why dost thou remove from
1
thy head thy sacred garlands? (A series of woollen

threads let down wth the hair, when they prophesied.)
We suppose that the gods above ought to De specially
honored with the strictest observances, by the wretched
suppliants, who seek their aid!
CASS. My misfortunes have effectually steeled me against

inasmuch indeed, that I never endeavour now to
all fears,
soften deities with any of my prayers, nor, if they
the
wish to grow wrathful, have they .it in their power to
injure me Even capricious fate, you perceive, exhausts
its own capabilities m time! What country is there left
to me? 'miat father? Whatsister have I now? The
dreadful tomb and the exacting altars have swallowed up
the blood of all my race! What has become of my once
happy brothers? They have perished away from life's
scene The Palace of Aged Priam is empty deserted
1 ! I
and out of so many spouses that were domiciled there

formerly, there is not one sister left, except Helen, that
is not a widow! That mother of so many Kings, and
that Phrygian Queen, Hecuba, so prolific in her parturi-
tions, as regards the fiery elements (allusion is here made
to her dream before the birth of Paris), has earned some
experience of what novel decrees, the fates are capable
of ordaining, and has now assumed the visage of a wild
animal, and barks aloud, as she prowls about the ruins
of her once "own city"! (Hecuoa was turned into a
' !
jb SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 78-?44
Circa ruinas rabida latravit fuas,

TroJK fuperftes, He<5lori, Priamo, fibi.
CHOR. Silet repente Phoebas, &

pallor genas, 710
Creberque totum pofCdet corpus tremor.
Stetere vittas, mollis horrefcit coma.
Anhela corda murmure inclufo fremunt.
Incerta nutaht lumina; & verfi retro
Torquentur oculi. rurfus immites rigent. 7^5
Nunc levat in auras altior folito caput,
Graditurque celfa. nunc reluftantes parat
Referare fauces; verba nunc clufo male
Cuftodit ore, Maenas impatiens Dei.
CASS. Qaid me firroris incitam ftimulis novi, 720
Quid mentis inopem facra Parnaffi juga
Rapitis? recede, Phoebe, jam non fum tua.
Exftingue dammas peiftori infixas meo.
Cui nunc vagor vefana? cui bacchor furens?
Jam Troja cecidit. falfa quid vates ago? 725
Ubi fum? fugit lux alma, & obfcm-at genas
Nox alta, & aether abditus tenebris latet.
Sed ecce gemino fole prsefulget dies;
Geminumque duplices Argos attollit domos.
Idsea cerno nemora. fatalis fedet 730
Inter potentes arbiter paftor Deas.
Timete rages, moneo, furtivum genus.
Agreftis ille alumnus evertet domum.
Quid ifta vecors tela feminea manu
Deftrifla praefert? quem petit dextra virum 735
Lacsena cultu ferrum Amazonio gerens?
Quae verfat oculos alia nunc facies meos?
Vi(ftor ferarum colla vexatus jacet
Ignobili fub dente Marmaricus leo,
Morfus cruentos paffus audacis leae. 740
Quid me vocatis fofpitem folam e meis,
Umbrae meorum? te fequor, tota pater
Troja fepulte. frater, auxilium Phrygum,
Terrorque Danaum, non ego antiquum decus
dog.)A legacy to Troy A reminiscence of Hector! A

I
memento of Priam A metamorphosis of her quondam

1
self!
CHOR. Cassandra is suddenly silent, and pallor seizes her

cheeks and a frequent tremor pervades her entire frame
The very fillets around her head grow stiffened, and her
soft locks stand on end, and have lost their well-combed

appearance her panting bosom resounds with smothered
murmiu-s her uncertain, (changing) gaze is cast iii every
direction, and her eyes roll about and sometimes seem
to be turning back, as it were, into their very sockets,
:
and then, they suddenly become stern and cruel I Then

she raises her head, and looks taller than usual, and steps
out with a lofty carriage At one time, she is preparing

to open her reluctant mouth at another she suppresses
her words with difficulty, and mutters with her lips closed
In short, she looks like some Maenad struggling with the
god, that is inspiring herl In spite, however, of her
resistance, the God, Apollo, forces her to speak as follows
Why should I excite myself with any fresh prophetic
impulses? Why dost thou drag me away to the tops of
Parnassus (sacred to Apollo)? Leave me! Phoebus I am 1
no longer thine! I now belong to Agamemnon ex-

tinguish the divining spirit, thou hast caused to reside in
my breast! For what am I now, wandering about as a
demented prophetess? For whom am I now raging, like
a frantic Maenad? Troy has now fallen! Why should I
again act the part of a false prophetess? (Cassandra
whilst speaking is seized with some kind of fit, and she
goes on, with her utterances, still under its influence.)
Where am I? The kind light of heaven has left me, and
the sombre blackness of night has blinded my eyes and
the sky around is hidden from me, through the obscurity,

that prevails (She then has a vision and exclaims:)
Behold the day is shining forth, as it were, with two
suns, (This is the visus duplicatus peculiar to drunkards
and vulgarly called "double vision", and is a symptom also
of some nervous affections of the optic apparatus) and a
double Argos also raises two sets of palaces I I see the
forests of Ida, where dwelt that fatal shepherd, who
adjudicated upon the rival claims of the three goddesses
(Paris). Go in fear of Kings, take my advice avoid their
incestuous offspring (aUudmg to .Êgisthus). That rustic
nurse-child wifi overturn the palace! (The name of
..Egisthus was given him, because he was suckled by a
she-goat). Why does that mad woman, I see, brandish a
drawn sword, in frontof me, in that feminine hand of hers?
What man is she seeking to destroy, that Laconian
woman attired in the garb of some bold Amazon? What
other face, too, is engaging the attention of my visual
organs? Oh! the conqueror of all the other wild beasts
the lion of Marmarica is lying dead (Agamemnon) having
suffered death, through the deadly fangs of yonder bold
lioness (Clytaemnestra). Oh! ye shades of my departed
ones! Why do you summon me as the sole salvatrix of
all my kith and kin? I am following you with my eyesl
Ohl Father mine, buried away, together with all Troyl
Oh! Brother mine, I see thee, too, the potent auxiliary
of the Phrygian cause, and the terror of the Greeks 1
(Hector) I cannot see that glorious ornament of the past

33

SI4 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 745-781
Video, aut calentes ratibus exuftis manus: 745

Sed lacera membra, & faucios vinclo giavi
HIos lacertos. te fequor, nimium ciio
Congreffe Achilli, Troile. incertos geris,
Deiphobe, vultus, conjngis munus uovas.
Juvat per ipfos ingredi Stygios lacus; 650
Juvar videre Tartari fsevum canem,
Avidique regna hodie ratis
Ditis. lisec
Phlegethontis atri regias animas vehet,
Vidlamque, vidlricemque. vos, Umbrae, precor,
Jurata fuperis unda, te pariter precor, _ 755
Referate paulum terga nigrantis poli,
Levis ut Mycenas tmrba profpiciat Phrygum.
Speftate miferi. fata fe vertunt retro.
Inftant forores fquallidse.
Sanguinea jadtant verbera. 760
Fert lasva femuftas faces,
Turgentque pallentes gens,
Et veftis atri funeris
Exefa cingit ilia;
Strepuntque noftumi metus, 765
Et offa vafti corporis
Corrupta longinquo fitu
Palude limofa jacent. ^
Et ecce defeffus fenex

Ad ora ludentes aqua-s
770
Non captat, oblilus fitis,
Moeftus futuro fvrnere.
Exfultat, & ponit gradus
Pater decoros Dardasus.
CHOR. Jam pervagatus ipfe fe fregit furor, 775
Caditque; flexo qualis ante aras genu
Cervice taurus vulnus incifa gerens.
Relevemus artus entheos. tandem fuos.
Viftrice lauro'cindlus Agamemnon adit;
Et fefta conjux obvios illi tulit 780
Greffus: reditque jundVa concordi gradu.
and gone, nor the hands that waxed so hot with the
burning of the ships, but I espy some mutilated limbs,
and those arms wounded (bruised) by the heavy chains
I see thee, also Troilus, who contended witii Achilles,
too mighty for thy juvenile arms! Oh Deiphobus, thou
I
art showing a most indescribable appearance, but the'

especial gift of thy new spouse (Helen betrayed him to
Menelaus who mutilated and slew him cruelly). It is
really c[uite pleasant to stroll round about the Stygian
lakes it does one good to see the savage dog of Tartarus,
and reconnoitre the domains of greedy Pluto That craft I
of Charon's which plies over the black Phlegethon this

day, will convey the souls of two royal individuals, as
passengers, the conquered one's (mine) and the con-
queror s (Agamemnon). I implore you, oh ye shades, and
1
I pray thee, ohl thou Styx, by which the gods above do

swear open up to view the interior of thy Wack heavens,
that the gentle tribe of Phrygians may see Mycenae, and
that the shades of the Trojans may have the consolation
of seeing Agememnon, killed by his wife, as a sort ,of
acceptable sacrifice to their Manes 1 The fates are rever-
sing themselves (changing the order of events). "Then the
hideous furies are coming upon the scene, they are
flourishing their blood-thirsty whips! Their left hands
are holding the half-burnt torches, and their pale cheeks
are puffed out, and the habiliments of black death environ
their emaciated sides! And those nocturnal sources of
terror, then give forth subdued noises, and the bones of
some vast giant are now paraded before my vision,
partially eaten away through their long continuance in a
muddy marsh, and I behold the wearied old man, he
cannot reach with his lips the tricky waters, he is actually
forgetting all about his thirst, and he is sad, on account
of the imminent death of his great grandson, but Dar-
danus, our great, great grandsire (Tritavus) chuckles
with delight, and steps about with a most dignified air
of triumph to see his oflFspring thus avenged. (The divining
spirit quitting her, the chorus resumes, and now Cassandra
fairly breaks down, and falls to the ground, just as the
bull, that has received the well-directed blow, which
has severed its neck, trembles and falls with its bent
knees, before the altar. Let us raise that body, which
till now, was filled with divine inspiration! At last,
Agamemnon approaches those, who are expecting his
arrival, with his nead adorned with the victorious Laurel,
and his (apparently only) joyful wife going forth to meet
him, returns side by side with him to the banqueting
Hall.
5i6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines jSa-sos
ACTUS QUARTUS.
AGAMEMNON, CASSANDRA.
Agamemnoni reduci pr^dicit Caffandra fatum, nee creditur.
Troad. verf. 34.
AGAM.
O
T-L ANDEM reverter fofpes ad patrios lares.
cara falve terra, tibi tot barbarffi
Dedere gentes fpolia, tibi felix diu
Potentis Afiae Troja fubmifit manus. 785
Quid ifta vates corpus effufa, ac tremens
Bubia labat cervice? famuli, attoUite.
Refovete gelido latice, jam recipit diem
Marcente vifu. fufcita fenfus tuos.
Optatus ille portus aerumnis adeft. T)0
Feftus dies eft. CASS. Feftus & Troise fuit.
AGAM. Veneremur aras. CASS. Cecidit ante aras pater.
AGAM. Jovem precemur pariter. CASS. Herceum Jovem?
AGAM. Credis videre te Hium? CASS. Et Priamum fimul.
AGAM. Heic Troja non eft. CASS. Ubi Helena eft, Trojam puto. 795
AGAM. Ne metue dominam famula. CASS. Libertas adeft.
AGAM. Secura vive. CASS. Mors mihi eft fecuritas.
AGAM. Nullum eft periclum tibimet. CASS. At magnum tibi eft.
AGAM. Vi<Sor timere quid poteft? CASS. Quod non timet.
AAM. Hanc fida, famuli, turba, dum excutiat Deum, 8co
Retinete, ne quid impotens peccet furor.
At te, pater, qui faeva torques fulmina
Pellifque nubes, fidera & terras regis,
ACT IV.
AGAMEMNON-CASSANDRA.
Cassandra, when Agamemnon returns, predicts his fate,
but she is not believed.
AGAMEMNON.
AT lastj
Ohl my
have returned to my paternal dwelling!
I
dear country I hail you with joy The
1
barbarian nations have rendered up to you many

valuable spoils Troy, the capital of Proud Asia, so long
I
a ilourishing Kingdom, has yielded to our valiant arms!

But, why is that prophetess on the ground in such a
state of bodily prostration ? She is trembling, and seems
to raise her head with difficulty! Here! Quick, ye atten-
dantsl Raise the princess up, sprinkle ye her with some

cold water Ahl she is opening her eyes, and recovering
1
from her vacant lookl Gomel Cassandra dearl Do

rouse thy senses The long-looked-for haven out of thy
1
troubles is now at handl This is a day of rejoicing

for all of usl
CASS. And it was once a day of rejoicing at Troy:
AG. Let us, prostrating ourselves, oflfer up our adora-

tions before tlie altar.
CASS. 'Twas at the foot of the altar, that my father

fell!^Priam.)
AG. Let us address Jupiter, Hkewise, with our prayers.
CASS. What Jupiter ? Dost thou mean Jupiter Herceus ?
AG. Dost thou still think Cassandra, that thou art gazing
at thy Troy?
CASS. Yesl and at Priam as welll
AG. But I am telling thee, this place is not Troy.
CASS. Where is Helen ? I can think of nothing but Troy.
AG. Come, Cassandra 1 don't, like any common servant,

go in fear of a mistress 1 while thou knowest, that thou
art beloved by mel
CASS. My liberty is not far off!
AG. Live, Cassandra, in comfort and security.
CASS. Death will be my security.
AG. There is no danger, that thou mayst fear.
CASS. But there is great danger for thee.
AG. What can a conqueror fear?

CASS. The very identical thing, that he does not fear I
AG. Here trusty attendants, take care of this prophetess

!
till she shakes herself out of this horrible deity inspiring

business, lest, during one of these frantic moods, she
may do herself or some one else some bodily mischief
and ohl Father Jupiter, who drivest away the clouds and
hurlest forth the dreadful lightnings who rulest the earth
and the starry firmament, to whom the conquerors are
5i8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines so4-Pj9
Ad quem triumphi fpolia vi(fVores ferunt;

Et foiorem cuadla pollentis viri,
te 805
Argolica Juno, pecore votivo libens
Arabumque donis, fupplice & fibra col am.
CHORUS ARGIVARUM.
Chorus Argivarum Herculis laudes canit, nutriti fcilicet Argis, cujufque
fagitte fato pofcebantur ad fecundum Trojse excidium.
A, RGOS nobilibus nobile civibus,

.
Argos iratas carum novercse,

Semper ingentes educas alumnos; 810
Imparem ssquafti numerum Deorum:
Tuus ille biffeno meruit labore
Allegi ccelo magnus Alcides;
Cui lege mundi Juppiter nipta
Rofcidas nocftis geminavit horas, 815
Juffitque Phoebum tardius celeres
Agitare cumis, & tuas lente
Remeare bigas, pallida Phoebe;
Retulit pedem, nomen altemis
Stella quae mutat, feque mirata eft 820
Hefperum dici; Aurora movit
Ad folitas vices caput, & relabens
Impoluit fenis humero mariti.
Senfit Ortus, fenfit Occafus,
Herculem nafci, violentus ille 825
Nofte non una poterat creari.
Tibi concitatus fubftitit mundus.
O puer magnum fubiture coelum;
Te fenfit Nemeaeus ar(5lo
Preflus lacerto fulmineus leo, 830
Cervaque Parrhafis.
Ssnfit Arcadii populator agri.
Gemuitque taurus, DicSaea linquens
Horridus arva.
Morte foecundum domuit draconem, 835
Vetuitque coUo pereunte nafci,
Geminofque fratres peftore ab uno
Tria monftra natos, ftipite incuffo
Fregit infultans: dnxitque ad ortus
bringing the spoils of their triumphant victory^ and ohl

Juno, thou especially protectrix of all Argos, and sister
as well as spouse of thy all-puissant hustand, we will
offer to thee, joyfully, in adoration our animal sacrifices,
and the perfumes and frankincense of Arabia, and with

every fibre, of our nature, we will approach thee siip-
phantly, with our adorations 1
THE CHORUS OF ARGOS WOMEN.

The Chorus of Argos Women sing the praises of Her-
cules, as he was brought up at Argos,
especially,
and they maintain that his arrows were required by
the fates, for the second downfall of Troy.
OhIArgos,
Argos celebrated thy for
dear, even to an angry step-mother
illustrious citizens!
(it
Oh!
was
hateful to Juno on account of Jupiter's concubines,
who were in strong force there) thou always bringest up
foster-children, that turii out something great; thou, now
hast equalized the number of the Gods m
that respect
thy great Alcidesl he has fully deserved to be elected,
as a fit recipient of divine honors, for his twelve labors
Alcides for whom, indeed, the laws of the universe were
I
set aside (Jupiter doubled the hours of dewy night and

ordered PhceDus to drive his swift courses at a more
moderate speed, and pale Phoebe, to come back at a
slower travelling pace, with her two-horse chariot! And
the star of Venus, which changes her name alternately,
as she returned, marvelled why ner cognomen should be
altered from Aurora to Hesperus! Aurora turned aside
to her accustomed position and reclined on the shoulders
of her aged Tithonus the Eastern Hemisphere perceived
the Western Hemisphere was reminded that a Hercules
was born into the world That great man could not be
!
created (ushered in) in a single night. The astonished

world, under orders, stood still awaiting his arrival! Oh!
that little boy, who was destined at birth, finally to enter
the kingdom of Jupiter's heaven! The angry Nemsean
Lion, that had been squeezed to death by his tight-press-
ing arms, knew him again! And the Parrhasian stag
and the ravaging wild boar of the Arcadian plains knew
him again 1As well as the horrible bull, that groaned
so loudly, when it quitted the Cretan pastures! And he
effectually subdued the prolific Lemsean Hydra (with
death), and by destroying its neck, preventing its power
of growing again (re-animation, as one head was de-
stroyed, two were said to spring up), and the trigeminal
bromers, which from one vitd centre common to all
three, were developed into a triple monster whom
Hercules with a sort of amused triumph promptly de-
spatched with one well-directed blow from his club, and
:
520 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines S40-870
Hefperium pecus, 840

Geryona: fpolium triformis.
Egit Threicium gregem,
Quem non Strymonii gramme fluminis,
Hebrive ripis pavit tyrannus;
Hofpitum dims ftabulis craorem 845
Praebuit faevis; tinxilque crudos ,
Ultimus riilus fanguis amrigae.
Vidit Hippolyte ferox,
Pe(3:ore In medio rapi fpolium: & fagittis
Nube percniTa Stymphalis alto 850
Decidit coelo,
Arborque pomis fertilis aureis
Extimuit manus infueta carpi.
Fugiique in auras leviore ramo
Audivit fonitum crepitante lamna 855
Frigidus cuftos nsfcius fomni,
Linqueret cum jam nemus omne fulvo
Plenus Alcides vacuum metallo.
Tradlas ad coelum canis inferorum
Triplici catena, tacuit, nee uUo 860
Latravit ore: lucis ignotss
Metuens colorem. te duce fuccidit
Mendax Dardaniaa domus,
Et fenfit arcus iterum timendos:
Te duce concidit totidem diebus 865
Troja, quot annis.
ACTUS QUINTUS.
CASSANDRA.
CalTandra vel ilia non videns vaticinatur, vel in profcenio ftans
quae intus & in eâff-rpa gerantur, de caede Agamemnonij
narrat.
R. ..ES agitur intus magna, par annis decem.

Eheu, quid hoc eft? anime, confurge, & cape
Pretium furoris. vicimus vidli Phryges.
Bene eft! refurgis, Troja, traxifti jacens 870
he drove the Hesperian flocks of this three-headed

giant Geryon, to feed upon Eastern pastures 1 He set
free the horses from Diomedes, the Thracian King, which
their tyrant owner had not allowed to graze upon the
pasture lands of Strymon, nor yet on the fertile banks
of the Hebrus, but instead of that, the cruel owner gave
!
them the blood of and the last human blood,

his guests,
that moistened their was that of the barbarous
lips
Charioteer himself! The fierce Hippolyte was doomed
to see her shield and girdle taken from her side and
then given up to Hercules as the spoil of war And the
I
St3rmphalides were struck down by his arrows fi-om the

very highest regions of the skies And that tree, which
!
produced the golden apples, unaccustomed to be robbed

of its burden and feared the approach of designing hands,
he caused to resume its position, but with its branches
lightened of their load, and the cold-blooded dragon, the
guardian of the apples, and which never knew what sleep
was, only heard me crepitating sound of the metalUc
fruit,when Hercules, loaded with the golden apples (yellow
metal) had already effected a safe exit from every part
of the grove! The dog of Tartarus was dragged to the
upper regions, with a tnpled chain, preserved its silence,
and never attempted to bark at all, but feared the im-
pression made upon him, by that light (day-light) which
he had never experienced before! The lying, perfidious
dynasty of Troy, has aforetime (Laomedon's) under thy
generalship, felt that the arrows were to be dreaded a
second time and, when thou leddest the way as general,
Troy fell in as many days, as it has just taken Agamem-
non ten years to bring about!
ACT V.
CASSANDRA.
Cassandra, although she (actually) sees nothing, and is
only in the Proscenium, foretells what is to happen,
and she narrates everything, that is progressing, in
the banqueting hall to those outside, concerning the
slaughter of Agamemnon.
GREAT event is being enacted inside, quite equal

A
Oh!
to anything, that may have happened during the
ten years' war! Alas! What does it all mean?
soul, rise to the occasion, and receive the full
my
reward due to thy inspirations! We, the down-trodden
Trojans have now turned conquerors! It is well, thus far
Oh! my Troy, you are being resuscitated; although fallen,
you have dragged Mycenae into the mire with you! The
conqueror is now retreating! And the inspiration of my
foreseeing mind, has never indicated anything more
evident more clearly to my perception, for I actually
:
Pares Mycenas. terga dat viflor tuus.

Tarn clara nunquam providas meiitis furor.
Oftendit oculis. video, & interfum, & fruor.
Imago vifus dubia non fallit meos.
SpeSamus. epulse regia inftni<5lK domo, 875
Quales fuermir ultimas Phrygibus dapes,
Celebrantur. oftro leftus Iliaco nitet;
Merumque in auro veteris Affaracl trahunt:
Et ipfe pidla vefte fublimis jacet
Priami fuperbas corpora exuvias gerens. 880
Detrahere cultus uxor hoftiles jubet,
Induere potius conjugis fide manu
Textos amidlus. horreOj atque animo tremo.
Regemne perimet exful, & adulter virum?
Venere fata, fanguinem extremes dapes 885
Domini videbunt, & cruor Baccho incidet.
Mortifera viniflum perfidas tradet neci
Induta veftis. exitum manibus negat,
Caputque laxi & invii cludunt finus.
Haurit trementi femivir dextra latus, 890
Nee penitus adigit: vulnere in medio ftupet.
At ille, ut altis hifpidus Clvis aper,
Cumcaffe vin(5lus tentat egreifus tamen.
Ardlatque motu vincla, & incaffum furit
Cupit fluentes undique &
cascos finus 895
Difficere; &
lioftem quserit implicitus fuum.
Armat bipenrii Tyndaiis dextram furens.
Qualifque ad aras coUa taurorum prius
Defignat oculis, antequam ferro petat;
Sic hue & illuc impiam librat manum. 900
Habet. peranum eft. pendet exigua male
Caput amputatum parte, & hinc trunco cruor
Exundat, illinc ora cum fremitu jacent.
Nondum recedunt. ille jam exanimem petit,
Laceratqun corpus, ilia fodienlem adjuvat. 905
Uterque tanto fcelere refpondet fuis.
Hie eft Thyefte natus, haec Helenae foror.
Stat ecce Titan dubius emerito die,
Suane currat, an Thyeftsea via.
see, am interested in what I do see, and I am now

enjoying the fullest fruits of my prophetic power! This
is not any doubtful vision or ignis fatuus, which is deluding
my vision (mental): it is a reality I positively see the
1
banquet, that is going on, in the royal palace, such as

the feasts of old were celebrated amongst the Trojans
the royal couch is resplendent with the purple coverings
stolen from Troy, and they are drinking their wine out
of the very golden goblets which belonged to the ancient
Phrygian Kmg Assaracus, and Agamemnon himself is
lolling in his embroidered garments, and wearing about
Lines 871909] AGAMEMNON, 523
his person, the habiliments wota by Priam himself, but

his wife (Clytaemnestra) is (cunningly) persuading him to
respect the susceptibilities of the Trojans, to take off the
attire of the enemy, and to put on, in preference, some
clothing actually woven by the dear hands of an affec-
tionate wife Ohl I dread what I am suspecting, I
I
am p3,using in my
mind, whether this adulterous exile
will dare to kill a King; and that King, the husband
of his accomplice! The fates have come true! And
the second course of the feast will witness the flow
of bloodj and that blood will be shed just as the loving-
cup passes round. (It was a Custom with the ancient

Greeks to pass round the loving-cup, philotesia). That
farment when it is put on will bind him fast and hand
im (Agamemnon) over to a treacherous death. It shuts
out all means of escape to the hands and the loose
inextricable folds completely envelop the head, (when
any attempt is made to remove it, is here meant). Then
that effeminate adulterer, ^gisthus, stabs the King in the
side with his right hand, trembling the while, but does
not send the weapon home, for he appears to be lacking
in resolution, whilst he is inflicting the wound! But
Agamemnon, just as the bristly wild-boar in the depths
of th^ forest, attempts to effect its escape whilst bound
hard and fast by the hunter's net and merely tightens the
cords which bind it, through its frantic exertions, and only
rages in vain at its failure! In a similar way, Agamemnon
seeks to tear away this flowing robe, which enveloped
him, and which permitted of no exit, and thus imprisoned,
he looks round inquiringly to see, who was his enemy!
The daughter of Tjnndarus, raging with excitement, takes
a two-edged sword in her right hand, and as the sacri-
ficing priest before the altar marks out with his eye
measuring the distance, before he takes his deadly aim
at the neck of the bull, as there, so here, Clytaemnestra
(as it were) scientifically poises her wicked hand! She
has it now! She has struck the blow, and the head
being divided, hangs only by a small portion of integu-

ment then, the blood flows profusely from the wound,
and he dies with a groan! But the murderous couple

do not go away ^lEgisthus approaches him, now that he is
dead, and mutilates the body, and Clytaemnestra assists
him in the process of cutting and maiming Both are
taking after their family predecessors, in this great crime
One is the son of Thyestes The other, the sister of
Helen! Behold! Phcebus is in a quandary! Will he
stop his chariot in celebration of such a meritorious day's
work, as he did in the case of the notorious supper of
Atreus, or will he go on with that chariot as usual?
ELECTRA, STROPHIUS, ORESTES

ET PYLADES, mutae perfonse.
fratri fuo Orefti fubduao fugam fuadet, eumque

Strophio
Eleftra
opportune occurrenti tradit abducendum; ipfa ad aram confugit.
F UGE, o patemae mortis auxilium unicum,

Fuge, & fceleftas hoftium evita manus.
910
Everia domus eft funditus. regna occidunt.

Hofpes quis ifte concitos currus agit?
Germane, vultus vefte furabor tuos.
Quos, anime demens, refugis? extemos fugis? 9JS
Domus timenda eft. pone jam trepidos metus,
Orefta. amici fida prsefida intuor.
STROPH. Phocide relitSa Slrophius, Elea inclitus
Palma revertor. caufa veniendi fuit,
Gratari amico, cujus impulfum manu 9^
Cecidit decenni Marte concuffum Ilium.
Quaenam ifta lacrimis lugubrem vultum rigat,
Pavetque moefta? regium agnofco genus.
Eleilra, fietus caufa qua; laeta in domo eft?
EL. Pater peremptus fcelere materno jacet. 925
Comes paternae quaeritur natus neci.
.^gifthus arces Venere quaefitas tenet.
STROPH. O nulla longi temporis felicitas!
EL. Per te parentis memoriam obteftor mei,
Per fceptra terris nota, per dubios Decs, 930
Recipe hunc Oreften, ac pium furtum occule.
STROPH. Etfi limendum casfus Agamemnon docet,
Aggrediar, & te, Orefta, furabor libens.
Pofcunt fidem fecunda, at adverfa exigunt.
Cape hoc decorum ludicri certaminis, 935
Infigne frontis, laeva viiflricem tenens
Frondem virenti protegat ramo caput.
Et ifta donum palma Pifaei Jovis
Velamen eadem prseftet atque omen tibi.
ELECTRA STROPHIUS-ORESTES AND

PYLADESMUTE PERSONAGES.
Electra persuades her brother Orestes to take flight, and
luckily encounters Strophius, and she hands him over
to Strophius, to be carried away. Electra flies to the
altar for protection.
ELECTRA.
T^leeI ohl thou hope of avenging a father's
only
^ murder I and avoid the wicked hands of our
Flee,
enemies The Palace is utterly overthrown! The
Kingdom has collapsed! Ah what guest is it^ I wonder,

I
thatis now approaching and driving those spirited cours-

ers? Ohl my dear brother, I will conceal thy face with
some of my garments Ohl my bewildered soul From
1 I
whom are we fleeing? Are we fleeing from strangers?

Yet, the Palace is to be dreaded, it is no longer safe-
Come, Orestes, put aside thy trembling fears I can trust
the safe protection of a friend 1
STR. (Electra demands, .who it is, of this stranger.) Who

am I ? I am Strophius I have just left Phocis, my Kingdom,
and am now returning, honored and distinguished, through
having gained a prize in the chariot race at the Olympic
Games; and the reason for my coming on hither, was
simply to congratulate an old friend, by whose prowess
shattered Troy has been finally overcome after a ten
years' campaign. And may I ask why thou art deluging
thy face with tears, and with such a sad look of terror
about thee ? I know thy royal race What is the cause
I
of all this weeping? in fliy joyful palace tool
EL. My fatherlying murdered through my mother's

is
wickedness, and now
the Son, Orestes, is being sought
for, that he may. follow his father, as a companion, to be
murdered in a similar manner JEgisthus holds the seat
1
of power now, which he has attained by means of a

lover's intrigue 1
STR. Ahl of what short duration is human felicity!
EL. I conjure thee, by the memory of my lost parent by

his sceptre, which was acknowledged throughout all lands
by the uncertain Deities let this boy, Orestes, receive
thy protection, and hide away this pious rehc, I have
filched awayl
STR. Although Agamemnon is slain, it behoves us to be

on our guard 1 will receive and wUlingly hideaway Orestes
Prosperity easily discovers friends, but adversity puts
them to the test! Take this fohaceous wreath in thy left
hand use it as an ornamental appendage to thy head;
it was awarded to me, as the victor s prize at the chariot
racesit will protect thy face with its ever-green branch-
lets, and this palm, the gift of Jupiter Pissus, will serve
alike the ofiice of a sun-shade, as well as the trophy of
victory, and they will be to thee a significant memento,
as regards the revenge owing for the slaughter of thy
Tuque 0, paternis affidens

frenis comes. 940
Condifce, Pylade, patris exemplo fidem.
Vos, Grsecia nunc tefte, veloces equi
-
Infida curfu fugite praecipiti loca.
EL, Exceffit. abiit currus effreno impetu
Effugit aciem. tuta jam opperiar meos 945
Hoftes, & ultro vulneri opponam caput.
Adeft cruenta conjugis viArix. fui,
Et figna csedis vefte maculata gerit,
Manus recenti fanguine etiamnum niadent,
Vultufque pras fe fcelera truculenti ferunt. 953
Concedam ad aras. patere me vittis tuis,
Caffandra, jungi paria metuentem tibi.
CLYT.SMNESTRA, ELECTRA,
yEGISTHUS, CASSANDRA.
Eleftram ab ara detrahi & in carcerem conjici jubet CI7-
tsemneftra. Caffandra jugulatur.
TT
CLYT. JL A OSTIS parentis, impium ajque audax caput,
<2uo more csetus publicos, virgo, petis ?
EL. Adulterorum virgo deferui domum. 955
CLYT. Quis effe credat virginem? EL. Natam tuam.
CLYT. Modeftius cum matre. EL. Pietatem doces.
CLYT. Animos viriles corde tumefadlo geris;
.Sed agere domita feminam difces malo.
EL. Nifi forte fallor, feminas ferrum decet. 960
CLYT. Et effe demens te parem nobis putas?
EL. Vobis? quis ifte eft iter Agamemnon tuus.'
"Ut vidua loquere. vir caret vita tuus.
Patherl thou, ohl Pylades, the companion now

And
sitting in thy father's chariot, learn in earnest, the re-
sponsibility attaching to the example of a father! And
Greece! be now my witness, that you, my swift coursers
fly with your headlong speed from these treacherous
regions I
EL. He has gone he has left us, and his steeds are
galloping away with a wild speed, from this battlefield of
the enemy! Now, I am sufficiently protected from the
foe I will willingly offer my own head to the assassin's
!
sword! The sanguinary conqueress of her slain husband

is nowapproaching, and shows the traces of murder on
her stained garments her hands, even now, are moist
with the blood only just shed, and her fierce visage car-
ries in its expression the very imprint of crime! I will

betake myself to the altars for refuge, and Cassandra,
allow me to wear thy fillets (the fillets thou wearest at
thy supplications) when as a crowned prophetess, thou
fleddest to the altar as a suppliant, to be associated with
thee thus far, I fear the same death is in store for thee
as well as for myself 1
CLYT^.MNESTRA-ELECTRA^GISTHUS
CASSANDRA.
Clytaemnestra orders Electra to be dragged away from
the altar and thrown into prison she stabs Cassandra.
CLYT^MNESTRA.
thou enemy
OhIaudacious upstart, by
of thy mother, thou wicked and
what new-fangled custom dost
thou, a virgin, pose as the frequenter of public
gatherings?
EL. It is simply because I am a Virgin, that I have quitted

the palace of an adulteress and her accomphce in adultery 1
CLYT. Who will believe, that thou art a Virgin?
EL. Those who know, that I am thy daughter.
CLYT. Be then a little more respectful in addressing that

mother.
EL. Thou teachest me the way to be affectionate.
CLYT. Thou hast the disposition of a Virago, with thy

inflated imagination, but being tamed down by punish-
ment, thou wUt learn to act more hke a woman.
EL. Unless I am mightily mistaken, is it becoming or

the usual thing for women to carry swords?
CLYT. And dost thou suppose, with thy insane notions,

that thou art on an equality with us?
EL. With us Who is the other Agamemnon, that be-

!
longs to thee? whilst thou art speaking as a widow, thy

husband is lying dead.
CLYT. Indomita poft hsec virginis verba impise

Regina frangam, citius interea mihi 965
Ediffere, ubi fit nahis, ubi frater tuus.
EL. Exiit Mycenas. CLYT. Redde nunc nahun mihi.
EL. Et tu parentem redde. CLYT. Quo latitat loco?
EL. Tutb; quietus, regna non metuens nova:
Juftse parenti fatis, at irafae parum. 97
CLYT. Morieris hodie. EL. Dummodo hac moriar manu;
Recede ab aris. five te jugulo juvat
Merfifle ferrum; prjebeo jugulum volens:
Seu more pecudum coUa refecaii placet;
Intenta cervix vulnus exfpedlat tuum. 975
Scelus peranum eft. csede refperfam viri
Atque obfoletam fanguine hoc dextram ablue.
CLYT. Confors pericli pariter ac regni mei,
iEgifthe, gradere. nata geoitricem impie
Probris laceffit. abditum fratrem occulit. 980
JEGISTH. Furibunda virgo, vocis infandae fonum,
Et aure verba indigna matema opprime.
EL. Etiam monebit fi:eleris infandi artifex,
Per fcelera natus, nomen ambiguum fuis?
Idem fororis natus, & patris nepos? 985
CLYT. JEgiRe, ceflfas impium ferro caput
Demetere.' firatrem reddat, aut animam ftatim.
.ffiGlSTH. Abftnifa caeco carcere & faxo exigat
^vum, per omnes torta poenarum modos.
Referre, quem nunc occulit, forfan volet 99.
Inops, egens, inclufa, paedore obfita,
Vidua ante tlialamos, exful, invifa omnibus,
jEthere negato. fero fuccumbet malis.
EL. Concede mortem, ^gisth. Si recufares, darem.
Rudis eft tyraunus, more qui poenam exigit. 995
EL. Mortem aliquid ultra eft? .egisth. Vita, fi cupias mori. .
CLYT. I, as thy Queen, will soon stamp out those

unruly utterances of the wicked Virgin! In the mean-
time, teU me without any more ado Where is this Son ?
1
Where is that brother of thine, I mean?

EL. He has left Mycenas.
CLYT. Restore, I say, my son to me.
EL. Restore, I say, my parent to me.
CLYT. Cornel In what place is he hiding?
EL. In safety He is perfectiy free from anxiety and
I
goes in no fear of the new establishment set up by thyself

and that adulterer, ^gisthusl Enough for a just parent
to know, but possibly too little for one, that is only seek-
ing him out, to wreak her vengeance uponl
!
Lines 964996] AGAMEMNON. 529
CLYT. Thou shalt die this dayl
EL. "No matter! so long as I die by thy hand; I shall

now remove myself from the altar, whether it pleases thee
or not to stab me with thy sword, and for that purpose,
I will give my
neck up to thee with all willingness, or will
it please thee more, that my neck should be dealt with
after the fashion of cattle slaughter! However, that neck
is only waiting for thy wounds thy crime must be
ftiUy carried out wash thy right hand besprinkled with
my life blood -that hand which has already been stained
with the blood of a husband!
CLYT. Come! ^gisthus consort mine, sharer of my

dangers, as well as my Kingdom This daughter is tiring !
her mother out with her theft, in a most defiant manner

too she has actually hidden away the brother, whom
she has impudently stolen from us!
JEG. Furious virgin thou ! restrain the accents of thy

wicked tongue, and desist from the utterances unfit fora
mother's ear!
EL. Even the very artificer of crime can now afford
to admonish a son actually born into the world as the
direct result of crime, with a doubtfiil name from his
own
parents the same man, who is a son of his own
sister and the grandson of his own father.
CLYT. Dost thou hesitate, .^gisthus, to cut off her

impious head with the sword? She shall give up that
brother, or die forthwith.
JEG. No she shall pass the remainder of her life in some

!
dark dungeon dug out of a rock tortured with every

kind of punishment, perhaps, starvation, privation of every
necessary, close confinement with repulsive filth around
'

her, and then, perhaps, she may be willing to tell us
where she is now hiding him a widow before being a
wife an exile an odious sight for every one to behold,
and the air of heaven being denied her; she must yield to
these measures, even if she is backward in doing so now
EL. Grant me death.
JB.G.If thou refiisest, I will punish thee, that tyrant is

a wretched novice, who inflicts death as a punishment!
EL. Is there anything more thou canst do, than to
visit me with death!
JEG. Yes ! Life ! if thou wishest to die.
34
!
530 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lin 997-101==
CLYT. Abripite, famuli, monftrum, & avedtam procul

Ultra Mycenas, ultimo in regni angulo
Vincite feptam noifte tenebrofi fpecus,
Ut inquietam virginem career domet. 1000
At ifta poenas capita perfolvat fuo,
Captiva conjux, regii pellex tori.
Trahite, ut fequatur eonjugem ereptum mihi.
CASS. Ne trahite, veilros ipfa prascedam gradus:
Perferre prima nuntium Phrygibus meis 1005
Propero; repletum ratibus everfis mare;
Captas Mycenas; mille du<lorem ducum,
Ut paria fata Troicis lueret malis,
Periffe dono feminae, ftupro, dolo.
Nihil moramur. rapite. quin grates ago. 1010
Tantum juvat vixiffe, poft Trojam juvat.
CLYT. Furibunda morere. CASS. Veniet & vobis furor.
CLVT. Attendants, seize this monster and convey her far

away from Mycenas ; ensure her confinement, immured in
the perpetual gloom of some dark cave, in the remotest
corner of the Kingdom, so that a life of imprisonment
may tame this lawless Virgin! But that captive wife
Cassandra shall pay the penalty with her head, that
concubine of the royal marriage bed. Drag her form that
she may foUow my worthy husband 1
CASS. Do not drag me out! I will anticipate thee by

walking out I hasten to be the messenger of what has
occurred to my fellow Trojans in Elysium the sea has
been filled with the wrecked ships of the enemy! Mycenae
has been captured (by the adulterer .^gisthus) and the
proud leader of the thousand captains, m
order that he
might suffer the same fate, as that which he visited upon
the Trojans, has perished through the gift of a woman
adultery and treachery! I wish for no delay, seize me,
I give myself up willingly; already, over and over again,
it delights me ever to have lived at all, it delights me,
that I have survived the fate of Troy!
CLYT. Die, thou furious harlot! (alluding to her

prophetic ravings.)
CASS. And a fiirious end is in store for thee, the

vengeance of thy own family
HERCULES CETiEUS.
[Lines i ii
DRAMATIS PERSONyE.
Hercules. Philoctetes.
Hyllus. Chorus CEchaliarum Vir-
Alcmena. GINUM.
Chorus ^tolarum Mulierum. LiCHAS, muta perfona.
NUTRIX. loLE ET Chorus CEchalidum
Dejanira. funt vporariKx 7rp6tTUTa.
lOLE.
ARGUMENTUM.
Dejanira, indigne ferens fibi prselatam lolen Euryti regis CEchalise
filiam, Herculi tunicam mittit imbutam faDguine Centauri Neffi,
fagitta Herculis hydrae felle tindla vulnerati; efficaciffiinum
credens philtrum praefentifCmumque amoris remedium, quod
illam monuerat moriens Ne0us. Quam fimul ac induilTet in
Cenaeo EubcEse promoutorio facrificaturus Hercules, ignem con-
cipit virus, veftifque corpori adhaerentis seftus camem, offa interiora
abfumit. Neffi fraude intelledla, fibi mortem confcifcit Dejanira.
Hercules, interfefto Licha, qui munus letale attulerat, mandat
Philodletas (cui moriens arcum &
fagittas tradit) exftrui fibi in
monte CEta pyram, in qua fe cum clava ac leonis pelle cremat.
Alcmense denique matri apparet, ipfamque confolatur jam in
coelitum numerum adfcriptus.
ACTUS PRIMUS.
HERCULES.
Scena haec prima cum choro feq. in Euboea ftatuitur, ubi
Hercules, in Cenaeo promontorio facrificaturus, vota de ccelo,
quod rebus geftis (quas enumerat) meruifle fe gloriatur,
concipit reliquae Tragcedise fcena eft Trachine.
^-7ator Deorura, cujus excuffum manu

fulmen domus,
Utrfflque Phcebi fentiunt
Secure regna: protuli pacem tibi,
Quacunque Nereus porrigi terras vetat.
Non eft tonandum. perfidi reges jacent,
Saevi tyranni. fregimus, quidquid fuit
Tibi fulminandum. fed mihi ccelum, parens,
Adhuc negatur? parui certe Jove
Ubique dignus: teque teftata eft meum
Patrem noverca. quid tamen ne6lis moras .^
Numquid timemur? numquid impofilum fibi

Lines i iij
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
Hercules. Philoctetes.
Hyllus. Chorus of CEchalian
Alcmena. Virgins.
Chorus of .^tolian LiCHAs(Dumb Personage)
Women. Iole and Chorus of
Nurse. CECHALIANS are PRO-
Dejanira. MINENT CHARACTERS.
lOLE.
ARGUMENT.
Dejanira suffering grievously at seeing that Iole, the
daughter of Eurytus, King of GEchalia, had been pre-
ferred before herself, sends Hercules a coat, which had
been impregnated with the blood of the Centaur Nessus,
who had been mortally wounded by an arrow shot by
Hercules, which arrow had been poisoned by the -iirus
(gall) of the Hydra, beUeving it to be a most efficacious
philtre as regards the means of bringing back to her
the love of Hercules, which, Nessus as he was dying,
assured her, that it would prove to be. The poison of
which, no sooner had Hercules put it on, became
ignited, and the fire fastened on his body, burnt the
flesh, and penetrated to the very bones. This decep-
tion of Nessus, being brought home to her, Dejanira
condemned herself to death. Hercules (Lichas, who had
brought the lethal present being slain) gives orders to
Philoctetes, to whom when d)ring he bequeaths his bow
and arrows, that he should be placed on the funeral
pile on Mount CEta, on which he was to be burnt with
his club and the Nemaean hon's skin Hercules appears
;
afterwards to his mother, Alcmena, and consoles her,

that he has been enrolled amongst the Gods.
ACT I.
HERCULES.
The first scene, with the chorus following is laid at Euboea,
where Hercules, about to offer sacrifices on the pro-
montory of Ceneum, records his wishes, concerning
his pretensions to a place in the heavens, and which
he recounts, and boasts he has deserved. The rest of
liie Tragedy is laid at Trachine.
Non poterit Atlas ferre cum coelo Hercnlem?

Quid Aftra, genitor, quid negas? mors tibi me
Certe remifit. omne conceffit malum,
Quod terra genuit, pontus, aer, inferi IS
NuUus per urbes errat Arcadias leo.
Stymphalis i(fla eft, Msenali nulla eft fera.
Sparfit peremtus aureum Terpens nemus.
Et hydra vires pofuit. & notes Hebro
Cruore pingues hofpitum fudi greges: 20
Hoftifque traxi fpolia Thermodontiffi.
Vidi filentum fata; nee tantem redii,
Sed trepidus atrum Cerberum vidit dies,
Et illefolem. nullus Antaeus Libys
Animam refumit. cecidit ante aras fuas 25
Bufiris. una eft Geryon fparfus manu.
Taurufque populis horridus centum pavor.
Quodcunque tellus genuit infefta, occidit,
Meaque fufum eft dextera. iratis Deis
Non licuit eiTe. fi negat mundus feras, 30
Animum noverca, redde nunc nato patrem,
Vel aftra forti. nee peto, ut monftres iter.
Permitte tantum, genitor: inveniam viam.
Vel fi times, ne terra concipiat feras;
Properet malum quodcunque^ dum terra Herculem 35
Habet, videtque. nam quis invadet mala?
Aut quis per urbes rurfus Argolicas erit
Junonis odio dignus in tutum meas
.'
Laudes recepi. nulla me tellus filet.
Me fenfit Urfse fngidum Scyihicas genus, 40

Indufque Phoebo fubditus, Cancro Libys.
Te, clare Titan, teftor. occurri tibi.
OhIwhen
Father of the Gods, by whose hand the
hurled are recognized in both of the
forth, fully
lightnings,
dominions traversed by Phoebus the East and the

Weston his rising and at his setting! Ohl thou Deity,
secure as far as thy Kingdom is concerned, I have
by my labors, brought about peace for thee, wherever
Nereus forbids the earth's surface to be covered with
the Ocean which he controls We need not thy angry
thunders now
treacherous things and blood-thirsty t5Tants
!
have fallen! In fact, I have destroyed every thing that is

worthy of thy thunder But still, oh my Parent, heaven
! 1
continues to be withheld from mel And surely I have

shown myself everywhere as worthy of Jupiter even my
step-mother, Juno, bears witness that thou and only thou
couldst possibly be my father, judging from what I have
done! Why, therefore, dost thou contrive thy delay in
admitting me into Heaven? I wonder what there is now
to inspire further fears! Is it, may I suggest, because Atlas

Lines 12-4=] HERCULES OETÛS. 535
would never be able to support the heavens on his shoulders

again, if the weight of Hercules were superadded thereto?
Why, ohl my father, dost thou deny me a place amongst
the constellations? Why dost thou refuse me? Surely,
when I visited the regions of Mors, and was permitted
to return therefrom, it must be that it was for thee that
I came back I Every monster and every thing objection-
able have disappeared through my services, whether brought
forth on the earth, the sea or the air, or even in the
infernal regions There is now no wild stag at Masnalus
I
to comniit its ravages, and the StymphaUdes have fallen

from their aerial abode above by means of my arrows
no lion now prowls about at large amongst the cities of
Arcadia! and that dragon, the vigilant custodian of the

farden of the Hesperides the golden grove iFell destroyed
y my hand, and the Hydra, Killed by me, lost its power
for further mischief and the well-fed flocks on the banks
of the Hebrus, the horses of Diomedes, and notorious for

consuming the blood of his guests them I successftilly
put to the rout I likewise captured spoils from the hostile
!
queen of the Amazons, Hippol3rte I witnessed personally

!
the fates of the wretched Manes, nor did I return alone,

for I brought with me a companion, but the astonished
world had never beheld before such a sight as the fierce
Cerberus, any more than Cerberus had ever known
before what Light was There is now, no Antasus of
I
Libya, who gained fresh strength each time he ahghted

on Mother Earth Busiris fell m
front of his own altars,
and the three-bodied Geryon 5delded to my unaided
strong arm, and that terrible bull, the terror of a himdred
peoples, and whatever else the cruel earth gave birth to,
succumbed and was dispersed by my right hand And I
the Gods have no reason to be angry, if Juno my step-

mother is withholding her wrath, and if the world is now
denying us any more wild beasts or monsters. Come
forward now and show thyself as a Parent towards a son,
and for my brave deeds, receive me into heaven amongst
the starry group, not that I ask, oh my father, that thou
1
shouldst point out the way give me the permission only

1
and I wfil find out the means of getting there! Or, if

thou art in any doubt, lest the earth might create fresh
monsters, let such calamities be hastened in their advent,
whilst the earth has Hercules upon it, and can look to
him to remove them, for who is there except myself that
could grapple with such monsters? Or, who will be the
next one in tiie Argolic cities deserving of the hatred of
Juno ? I have gained all my triumphs with perfect safety
to myself, in fact, no land is silent in recording my
successes I The people in the cold regions exposed to
Quacunque fulges. nee meos lux profequi

Potuit triumphos. Solis exceffi vices.
In&aque noftras fubftitit nietas dies. 45
Natura ceffit. terra defecit gradum.
Laxata per me nox. & extremum chaos
In me cucurrit. inde ad hunc orbem redii,
Unde retro nemo, tulimus Opeani mioas,
Nee ulla valuit quatere tempeftas ratem, S
Quacunque preffi. pars quota eft, quam profequor?
Jam vacuus aether non poteft odio tuse
Sufficere nuptse; quafque devincam feras
Tellus timet eoneipere, nee monftra invenit.
Ferae negantur. Hercules monftri loco 55
Jam quanta nunc fregi mala,
ccepit efle.
Quot feelera nudus? quidquid immane obftitit,
Solas manus ftravere. nee juvenis feras
Timui, nee iufans. quidquid eft juffum, leva eft.
'
Nee ulla nobis fegnis llluxit dies. 60
O quanta fudi monftra, quae nuUus mihi
Rex imperavit! inftitit virtus mihi
Junone pejor. fed quid impavidum genus
Feciffe prodeft? non habent pacem Dei.
Purgata tellus omnis in coelo videt, 65
Quodcunque timuit. tranftulit Juno feras.
Ambit peremtus Cancer ardentem plagam,
Libyaeque fidus fertur, &mefles alit
Annum fugatae tradit Aftraaae leo.
Att ille jaAans fervidam cceIo jubam, 70
Auftrum madentem fiecat, & nimbos trahit.
Invafit omnis ecce jam coelum fera,
Meque anteceffit. vidlor e terris meos
Spedlo labores. aftra portentis prius
the blasts of the Sc)rthian Bear have known of me, and

the swarthy Indians, subject to the boihng heat under
the tropical cancer 1And thou, bright Titan, I call upon
thee to endorse what I say, wherever thou hast shed thy
rays, hast thou not encountered me? Nor could indeed,
even thy penetrating luminosity follow me in some of
my various triumphs! (Allusion is here particularly made
to his visit to the Infernal Regions.) Thus, I have exceeded
the very limits of the Sun which has reached its goal, far
within the transactions of my diurnal routine. (Hercules here
means that his day is so much longer than that of Phoebus.)
Nature (on every side) has yielded to me, the earth
even has ceased to find me standing room for my exploits,
and the regions of Tartarus were then opened through
my exertions, and extreme chaos has been encountered by
me, and after all, I made good my return to this orb, from
that abysm, whence no one ever came back when once
Lines 43-74] HERCULES CETÛS. 537
engulphed therein! I have braved and withstood the

ocean s wild tempests and no fierce storm was ever able
to wreck the craft, which I had pressed down with my
weight 1But all this, that I am now advancing, is no-
thing, only a part of what I have gone through Already,
!
the sky has been cleared of the Stymphalides by me, and

that (even) does not satisfy the hatred of thy Wife II
will undertake to conquer any wild beasts or monsters,
but the Earth dreads to introduce them, nor has Juno
been able to discover them^ therefore wild beasts are
now denied me Hercules himself, therefore, must begin
1
to pose as some wonderful monster How many enemies

1
of mankind have I not subdued ? how many crimes have

I not punished, without the aid of weapons ?
whenever
any huge or (apparently) insuperable difficulties have
presented themselves, my unaided hands have signally
put them aside and rendered them harmless, nor even as
a mere child did I ever fear wild beasts nor as a baby-
;
boy did I dread the two serpents sent by Juno, when I

was in my cradle In short, whatever I have been com-
1
manded to do, I have found quite easy of accomplish-

ment! Nor has the light of day ever shone upon me,
that has been passed in an idle manner, without some
kind of victory! Ohl how numerous have been the
monsters and such like that I have destroyed, which no
Eurystheus ever ordered me so to do. The fact is, the
invincible desire that possesses me always to be con-
quering something or other, is far greater than the anger
of Juno, which suggests their being done, but of what
good is it, to have made mankind on this earth to have
Qieir objects of fear removed, when the gods above are
not to enjoy a reign of peace! Juno has transferred all
the monsters and wild oeasts, and whatever else was
dreaded by man, and the earth, purged of their pre-
sence, only sees them shining in the Heavens the very
crab I killed and which nipped my toe, when I was de-
spatching the Hydra, describes its celestial course, as the
torrid Zone, and serves as an esi)ecial constellation for
the burning plains of Libya, and ripens the harvests with
the heat it gives out. The Lion (Leo) hands over the
fleeting year to the Astraean Virgin (Virgo) who fled this
earth in disgust at its wickedness. But he, Leo, tosses
that angry mane of his round his neck, and dries up the
South winds charged with excessive humidities and drives
away the clouds. Behold therefore, that every wild beast
has taken up its abode in the heavenly regions, and have,
been selected in preference to me! And I, their con-
queror, am only permitted to gaze upon them from the
earth below! Juno, no doubt, has given priority to wild
:
Ferifque Juno tribuit, ut coelum mihi 75

Faceret timendum. fparferit mundum licet,
Coelumque terris pejus, ac pejus Styge
Irata faciat; dabitur Alcidse locus.
Si poft feras, poll bella, pod Stygium canem,
Nondum aftra merui, Siculus Hefperium latus 80
Tangat Pelorus ; una jam tellus erit
mine fugabo maria, fi jungi jubes
Committat undas Ifthmus, & junfto falo
Nova ferantur Atticae puppes via.
Mutetur orbis. vallibus currat novis 85
Ifter, novafque Tanais accipiat vias,
Da, da tuendos, Juppiter, faltem Deos.
Ula licebit fulmen a parte auferas,
Ego quam tuebor: five glacialem polum,
Seu me tueri fervidam partem jubes, 90
Hac eiTe fuperos parte fecuros puta.
Cirrhsea Paean templa, & setheream donum
Serpente caefo meruit, at quoties jacet
Python in hydra? Bacchus & Perfeus Deis
Jam fe intulere. fed quota eft mundi plaga 95
Oriens fubaftus? aut quota eft Gorgon fera?
Quis aftra natus laudibus meruit fuis
Ex te & noverca? quem tuli, mundum peto.
Sed tu, comes laboris Herculei Licha,
Prasfer triumphos, Euiyti vidlos lares, 100
Stratumque regnum: vos pecus rapite ocius,
Qua templa toUens ara Cenaei Jovis
Auftro timendum fpeftat Euboicum mare.
CHORUS CECHALIARUM VIRGINUM, lOLE.

lole Choro CEchalidum mixta patriae excidium, fuorum intemeci-
onem, fuam denique fervitutem plangit.
P
CHOR. A. AR ille eft fuperis, cui pariter
Et fortuna fuit. mortis habet vices,
dies
105
Lente cum trahitur vita gementibus.
beasts and monsters as constellations that she might make

the heavens a place to be dreaded by me, and although
she has scattered the sky with them, will she, in her
unbridled anger succeed in making the heavens more
formidable than the earth, or worse than the infernal regions ?
If so, that place will have to be given up to Alcides If, I
after my tnumphs over the wild beasts, after my successful

wars, after subduing the Stygian Cerberus, I shall not have
deserved my promotion to the starry firmament then I will
join the Sicilian promontory Pelorus, with the coast of
Hesperia, and they shall be joined as one land! With this
Lines 7S-I06J HERCULES CETÛS. 539
view, I will dissipate the seas, which separate them if thou

orderest them to he united the isthmus of Corinth shall be
submerged and the ^gaean and Ionian seas being mingled,
the Attic vessels shall be navigated over (this new route.
The very Orb's surface shall be transformed! The Danube
shall flow by fresh channels, and the Tanais shall shape a
different course Grant me, ohj grant me, at least, oh 1
!
Jupiter, the privilege of mounting guard over the safety

of the Gods it will then be in thy power to take away
the lightnings altogether from that part of the heavens,
which I shall defend and whether thou commandest me
to protect the icy Pole, or the hottest part of the heavens,
make up thy mind, that the gods above will be perfectly
protected in such a part! Apollo was considered worthy
to receive the Cirrhaean temple and obtained an ethereal
abode, for one serpent slain, the Python, but what is
that to my achievement with the Hydra? How many
Pjrthons were there in one Hydra? (As soon as one head
was removed, two appeared.) Bacchus and Perseus have
installed themselves amongst the Gods! But what an
inconsiderable patch of a country out of the whole world,
is this India, which was subdued by Bacchus! And of
what great importance was that wild Gorgon (Medusa)
who amongst all the sons thou hast had by Juno, my
step-mother, has gained the heavens, by such triumphs,
as I have achieved? I am, after all, only asking for what
I once carried on my shoulders. (Hercules supported the
heavens, thus, as he says.) But thou, Lichas, (the com-
panion of Hercules in all his labors) carry the report of
my victory to my wifeall about the scattered household
Gods and trophies of Eurytus, and tell her, his kingdom
is completely wrecked gather together, then, quickly the
sacrificial animals and drive them on to the temple,
where an altar is raised to Jupiter Censeus, and which
overlooks the Euboean sea that is so much dreaded by
the stormy South winds!
CHORUS OF CECHALIAN VIRGINS-IOLE.

lole joining in with the chorus of CEchaliahs, bewails the
destruction of her country, the slaughter of her father
and kinsfolk and lastly, her own position of serv-
itude.
CHORUS.
equal to the Gods above, whose good-

THAT man is
fortune keeps pace with the days that are passing
onwards, whilst existence only enacts the roll of a
living death, when life has been slowly eked out, by those
Quifquis fub pedibus fata rapacia,

Et puppem pofuit flaminis ultimi,
Non captiva dabit brachia vinculis
Nee pompae veniet nobile ferculum. 110
Nunquam eft ille mifer, cui facile eft mori.
Ilium fi medio decipiat ratis
Ponto, cum Boream expulit Africus,
Aut Eurus Zephynim, cum mare dividunt,
Non puppis lacerse fragmina colligit, lij
Ut litos medio fperet in aequore.
Vitam qui poterit reddere protinus,
Solus naufragium non poterit pati.
Nos turpis macies, & lacrimse tenent,
Et crinis patrio pulvere fordidus. 120
Nos non flamma rapax, non fragor obruit.
Felices fequeris, Mors, miferos fugis.
Stamus: nee patriae est moenibus, heu! locus
At filvis dabitur; lapfaque fordidse
Fient templa cafse. jam gelidus Dolops 125
Hac ducet pecudes, qua tepet obrutus,
Stratae qui fupereft CEchaliae, cinis,
nio Theffalicus paftor in oppido
ludoifla referens earmina fiftula,
Cantu noftra canet tempora flebili. 130
Et dum pauca Deus feeula eontrahit,
Qussretur, patriae quis fuerit locus.
Felix incolui non fteriles focos,
Nee jejuna foli jugera Theffali.
Ad Trachina vocor, faxa rigentia, 135
Et dumeta jugis horrida tomdis,
Vix gratum peeori montivago nemus.
At fi quas melior fors famulas vocat,
nias aut volucer tvansferet Inachus;
Aut Dircaea colent mceoia, qua fluit 140
Ifmenos tenui flumine languidus.
Heic mater tumidi nupferat Herculis.
Quae cautes Scythias, quis genuit lapis?
Num Titana ferum te Rhodope tulit,
Te praeruptus Athos, te fera Cafpia, 145
Quae virgata tibi praebuit ubera?
who are perpetually groaning over their miseries Who- 1 ,
ever can manage to stamp under foot the greedy Fates,

and who disregards that craft of Charon's which plies
across that eventful river will never resign his arms, as

a captive, to any sort of bondage nor enrol himself as
a contribution to the triumphal pomp of any conqueror).
That man is never miserable, to whom death is quite an

easy sort of business for, if the craft of such a man
should break down in mid-sea, (spring a leak or become
otherwise disabled) when the South- West wind has got the
better of blustering Boreas, or the East wind has triumphed

over that blowing from the West, and when these said
winds, as it were, divide the sea against itself (producing
what sailors would call a trough in the sea) (he is not
bewildered) and does not collect together the shattered
timbers of his craft that have been carried away) (to stop
up the divided parts in the hope that he may find some
snug shore (harbour) in the middle of the ocean; he, who
can, at once, give up his life, when summoned, is the
only one that can with unconcern bear up against the
horrors of a ship-wreck! A repulsive, emaciated (feature-
drawn) look and tears (in profusion) take possession of us,
and our locks are still soiled with the ashes of our coun-
try, we are to prefer base slavery to honorable death I
Neither the rapacious flames nor the crash of falling walls,

have been allowed to snatch us away! Oh! cruel Mors,
thou only seekest as thy victims, those that are basking
in the rays of happiness, the wretched thou dost abandon
to their cold despair ! We live (that is true enough), "but
our countiy is without cities or walled towns Alas the 1
land will be given up to forests, and our fallen temples

have subsided into contemptible huts, and already, the
frozen-out Dolops is conducting his flocks thither, even
where the cinders are spread about and still retaining
their caloric, and they are all that now remains of our
overthrown CEchalia! The Thessalian shepherd, in the
times to come, when he is rehearsing his unpolished
sonnets on his primitive flute, in that city of ours that
once was, will chant his tristful strains in sympathy with
the history of our past And when the Gods have brought
I
our short career to a close, the question will be asked!

Is this the spot, where that once glorious country flourished ?
I myself dwelt in a home with luxurious surroundings,
and the first fruits were yielded abundantly by the fields

around now, forsooth, I am brought to Trachine en-
compassed by barren rocks, or else by dreadful thickets
on the scorching mountain side, the forests scarcely
afibrding pasturage for the wild goats that wander and
climb hither and thither in search of their pabulum. But,
if any more favourable lot befalls some of the slaves, then
either the swifiiy-flowing Inachus wiU convey them to
Argos, or they will find some abode in the Dircsean city
(Thebes) where that slowly-flowing Ismenus glides along
with its gentle streams Twas here that the mother of
that puffed-up Hercules married her Amphitryon! But I
wonder whatever rock of Scytha, whatever stony place
fave birth to such a man ? 1 wonder whether Rhodope
rought him forth or that rugged Athos, and what Cas-
pian (Caucasian) striped wild beast gave the use of its
S42
SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 147-186
Falfa eft de geminis fabula noiftibus,

JEiher cum tenuit fidera longius,
Commifitque vices Lucifer Hefpero,
Et folem vetuit Delia tardior. 150
Nullis vulneribus pervia membra funt.
Ferrum fentit hebes; lentior eft chalybs.
In nudo gladius corpore frangitur,
Et faxum refilit, fataque negligit,
Et mortem indomito corpore provocat. ISS
Non ilium poterant figere cufpides,
Non arcus Scythica tenfus arundine,
Non quae tela gerit Sarmata frigidus;
Aut qui foliferae fuppofitus plagse
Vicino Nabathse vulnera dirigit 160
Parthus Cnoffiacis certior idlibus.
Muros CEchaliae corpore propulit.
Nil obftare valet, vincere quod parat,
Jam viftum eft. quota pars vulnere concidit?
Pro fato patuit vultus iniquior, 165
Et vidiffe fat eft HerculSas minas.
Quis vaftus Briareus, quis tumidus Gyges,
Supra Theifalicos conftitit aggeres,
Ut coelo infereret vipereas manus,
Hoc vulti riguit? commoda cladibus 170
Magnis magna patent, nil fupereft mali.
Iratum mifera vidimus Herculem.
lOLE. At ego infelix, non templa fuis
CoUapfa Deis, fparfofve focos,
Natis mixtos arfiffe patres, 175
Hominique Deos, templa fepulcris;
Nullum querimur commune malum.
Alio nolb'as Fortuna vocat
Lacrimas. alias flere ruinas
Mea fata jubent. Quae prima querar? 180
Quae fumma gemamf pariter cundla
Deflere juvat. nee plura dedit
Peftora tellus, ut digna fonent
Verbera fatis. me vel Sipyli
Flebile faxum fingite, fuperi, 185
Vel in Eridani ponite ripis,
teats for his sustenance It is all false about the doubled

I
night and that report about the stars being ordered to

remain on duty longer than usual, and that Lucifer gave
up her turn of duty to Hesperus, and that Delia (Diana,
the moon) was slower in progressing with her chariot
which then stood in the way of that of Phoebus (the Sun)
the fact is, his limbs are penetrable by no wounds,
and his pachydermatous hide blunts the very sword that
touches it the hardest steel is of no use, where his skin
is concerned
the weapon is shivered into atonis, which
Lines 147-186] HERCULES (ETÛS. 543
perchance, is aimed at his naked body, and even stones

rebound again, when hurled at diat frame of his and he
is utterly regardless of such trifles as fates or destinies,
and openly invites and defies death with that unconquer-
able bodily structure of his? No javeUn, that ever was,
could_ penetrate his body, nor any bow stretched by the
Scythian's arrow affect him in the least, nor any darts,
which the Sarmatian, in his frigid cold regions, could
level against himl Nor the Parthian living in a coun-
try subject to the rays of a broiling sun, and more
expertfwith their arrows than even the Gnossian archers,
with their practised arms, and who discharge their mur-
derous shafts against the Nabathae (of Arabia Petraea)
who occupy the neighbouring country He has over-
1
thrown the CEchalian walls entirely, with the impetus of

his own irresistible frame nothing is of any use to with-
stand his onslaughts, and what ne is making ready to
overcome, we must already regard as an accomplished
fact! Alasl how great a part, arising from this last blow
which he has dealt us, has fallen to our lot! His angry
look, alone, is looked upon simply as a death-warrant!
And to have once witnessed the menacing countenance
of Hercules has answered the purpose of the most lethal
weapons! What huge Briareus what inflated Gyges,
when he stood upright on the Thessalian Mound (Pehon,
Ossa and Olympus piled on the top of each other) that
he might seize the heavens with his venomous grasp,
would not have looked aghast, when Hercules gave him
one of his quailing glances? Great advantages sometimes
spring out of huge disasters! But with us, nothing but
misfortunes remain ! We, miserable wretches, have seen,
(to our cost,) this angry Hercules!
lOLE. But I, the unhappy one, do not sinaply deplore

the temples that have collapsed with the gods they con-
tained!, that have witnessed the scattered homesteads,
and parents burnt along with their children, gods indiscrim-
inately jumbled together with the human species, nor of
the temples thus converted into tombs! I complain of
no calamity, which has been felt by all! Destiny calls
forth my tears thus, in other directions my lot enjoins
me to weep for other kinds of ruin Why should I be
!
the first to complain? Why should I be the chief of the

mourners? It is enough for me to bewail all things in
an equal measure, but unfortunately, nature has only
endowed me with one bosom, to do all this, to heave
those sighs which are due for those cruel blows inflicted
by the unrelenting Fates! Oh! ye Gods above, transform
me into a weeping rock of Sipylus, or deposit me on the
544 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. fUncs iSr-"^
Ubi mcefta fonat Phaethontiadum

Silva fororum. me vel Siculis
Addite faxis, ubi fati gemit
Theffala Siren: vel in Edonas 190
Tollite filvas; qualis natum
Daulias ales folet Ifmaria
Flare fub umbra, formam lacrimis
Aptate meis, refonetqne malis
Afpera Trachin. Cypria lacrimas 19S
Myrrha tuetur: raptum conjux
Ceyca gemit. fibi Tantalis eft
Fadla fuperftes. fugit vultus
Philomela fuos, natumque fOnat
Flebilis Atthis. cur mea nondum 200
Capiunt volucres brachia plumas?
Felix, felix, cum filva domus
Noftra feretur, patrioque fedens
Ales in agro referam querulo
Murmure cafus: volucremque lolen 205
Fama loquetur. vidi, vidi
Miferanda mei fata parentis.
Cum letifero ftipite pulfus.
Tola jacuit fparfus in aula.
Pro, fi tumulum fata dediffent, 210
Quoties genitor quaerendus eras!
Potuine tuam fpecftare necem,
Nondum teneras veftite genas,
Necdum forti fanguine Toxeu?
Quid veftra querar fata, parentes, 215
Quos in tutum mors aequa tulitf
Mea me lacrimas fortuna rogat
Jam jam dominie captiva colos
Fufofque legam: pro, fseva decor,
Formaque mortem paritura mihi: 220
Tibi cun(5Va domus concidit uni,
Dum me genitor negat Alcidae,
Atque Herculeus focer effe timet.
Sed jam dominse tefta petantur.
CHOR. Quid regna tui clara parentis, 225
Proavofque tuos refpicis amens?
Fugiat vultus fortuna prior.
Felix, quifquis novit famulum
Regemque pati, vultufque fuos
banks of Eridanus, where the lugubrious groves resound

with the plaintive sobs of the sisters of Phaethon, or place
me on some Sicilian rock where the, Thessalian Siren
bemoans her fate (the Sirens were daughters of Achelous)
or convey me to the groves of Edon! Or^ let me be
like the Daulian bird (Philomela) which is m the habit
I!
!
Lines isy-^g] HERCULES (ETÛS. ,

545
of bewailing her lost son under the shady boughs of

Ismarus, and let me, as some winged mourner give me
such a shape in which to shed my tears cause the rocks
of Trachine to resound with my cries of woe !Myrrha,
that Cyprian offender, isallowed to record her repentance
in shedding her tears, (the gum escapes from the tree so-
called, resembling tears) and Alcyon, the bereft wife,
bewails her Ceyx, and the Tantalis Niobe, was made to
survive her grief in the shape of a stone retaining her
form, and is still seen to weep! Philomela has escaped
from Ker former appearance, (changed into a bird) and
the dismal Atthis causes the air to resound with her cries,
after the son which she lost! Why, then, cannot my
arms be covered with feathers, and assume the shape of
wings? Oh J happy I should be, if the woods could
become my habitation, and, if perched upon some tree
in my native soil, I could warble forth my misfortunes,
in plaintive melodies and be able to go down to posterity
as the lole who was changed into a bird! I saw
witnessed with my own eyes, the shocking fate of my
parent! He was struck down with that aeath-deaUng
club of Hercules, and his bodily remains were scattered
on the floor of the palace ! Alas if fate had given him
!
a tomb, how often and much would my father have had

to be searched for! (Alluding to the different parts,
which would require burial, as they were collected. See
Hippolytus, V. 1256 1259.) Nor could I bear to see thy
deatn, Toxeus, with thy tender cheeks still unbearded nor
as yet arrived at full manhood! Why should I bewail
thy fate, oh! my parents, whom death, unsparing to me,
has taken into a safer place, where ye cannot weep as I
am doing! My downright misfortunes imperatively call
forth my tears now, and hencefoward ; and I, as a captive
shall have to hold the distaff and turn the spindle Oh !
the disastrous consequences of female comeliness !Oh

that fatal beauty of mine that was paving the ro,ad to my
destruction! An entire dynasty has crumbled (into dust)
in consequence of my beauty alone! When my father
refused to give me to Alcides, and dreaded that he should
ever become the father-in-law of such a man as Hercules,
but nevertheless^ the palace of his wife, now my mistress,
must be sought out!
CHOR. Why dost thou in such a silly way hark back

upon the charming palace of thy parent and quote thy
grandfathers, and great grandfathers? The thing is ab-
surd! Let all thy former surroundings vanish from thy
mind's eye; blessed is that individual who knows how to
lead the life of slave or monarch, and can assume the
35
!
546 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Un=s =30-263
Variare poteft. vires pepulit 230

Pondufque mali, cafus animo
Qui tulit sequo.
ACTUS SECUNDUS.
NUTRIX, DEJANIRA, LICHAS, muta perfona.
Furens zelotypia Dejanira confpefta lola vindiftam meditatur

veftemque venenatam Herculi mittit.
NUTR.
Cum
o
V^^
patuit una
QUAM cruentus feminas Aimulat dolor,
pellici & nupte domus!
Scylla, & Charybdis Sicula contorquens freta 235
Minus uft timenda. nulla non melior fera eft. *
Namque ut reluxit pellicis captse decus,

Et fulfit lole, qualis innubis dies,
Purumve clans nodlibus fidus micat:
Stetit furenti fimilis, ac torvum intuens 240
Herculea conjux: fceta ut Armenia jacens
Sub rupe tigris, hafte confpefto exfilit:
Aut juffa thyrfum quatere, conceptum ferens
Msenas Lyaeum, dubia quo greiTus agat,
Haefit parumper: turn per Herculeos lares 245
Lymphata rapitur; tola vix fatis eft domus.
Incurrit, errat, Cftit. in vultus dolor
Proceffit omnis: pedlori psene intimo
Nihil reliftum. fletus infequitur minas.
eft
Nee unus habitus durat, aut uno furit 250
Contenta vultu. nunc inardefcunt gense,
Pallor ruborem pellit, & formas dolor
Errat per omnes. queritur, implorat, gemit.
Sonuere poftes: ecce prsecipili gradu
Secreta mentis ore confufo exferit. 255
DEJAN. Quamcunque partem fedis sethereae premis,
Conjux TonantiSj mitte in Alcidem feram,
Quae mihi fatis fit: fi qua fcecundum caput
Palude tota vaftior Terpens movet,
'
Ignara vinci: fi quid exceffit feras, 260

Immane, dirum, horribile, quo vifo Hercules
Avertat oculos; hoc finu immenfo exeat.
Vel fi ferse negantur, hanc animam precor
character appertaining to each position as chance occurs

That man, who bears his troubles with an unruffled mind
deprives misfortune of its sting and materially lightens
the burdens which it imposes!

Lines =3o-=63l HERCULES GETÛS. 547
ACT II.
NURSEDEJANIRA-^LICHAS (Dumb Personage).
Dejanira, furious with jealousy, when she sees lole, medi-

tates revenge, and sends a poisoned garment to
Hercules.
NURSE.-
OhI how work upon a woman's

bitter jealousy will
feelings, when the same domicile is made to hold
a wife and the concubine of her husband Scylla
and Charybdis, when there is a whirlpool in the Sicilian

sea are much less to be dreaded no wild beast could be
worse, and in proportion too, as the attractiveness of the
captive concubine shines forth conspicuously, and lole's
reall}^ did thus shine forth ! she was like unto the serene
day itself, and as the unsullied (spotless) star sparkles
brightly on a cloudless night 1Dejanira stood like some
fury and stared with a savage expression, even as the
tiger with her cubs, reposing beneath some Armenian
rock, leaps forth furiously, directly she spies the hunter,
or like some Masnad acting under the inspiration of the
God Lyasus hesitates for a time, undecided what she shall
do, before she sets herself the task of flourishing the

Thyrsus, after the usual wild fashion so Dejanira, after
the first burst of surprise, becomes transported with rage,
and rushes through the rooms belonging to Hercules
the whole palace seems scarcely big enough for her she
rushes on she wanders without purpose, then stops still,
and every lineament of her visage is the concentration

of anger, every other feeling has left her almost nothing
else dominates in the deepest recesses of her soul!
Violent weeping then succeeds to this display of anger
nor does one train of mind last, nor does her rage con-

tent itself with any fixed expression at one moment, her
cheeks are burning then pallor takes the place of the
flushed face, and thus her anger passes through a succession

of phases she wails she begins to implore (wildly) and

then finishes off with a groan the doors are creaking,
and as she advances with hurried steps, she betrays
the secrets of her mind, in the look of utter confusion
revealed by her countenance!
DEj. OhI wife of the Thundering Jove, in whatever

part of thy ethereal dominions thou mayst now be, do
send some wild beast to Alcides, as the representative of
my anger, something commensurate with what I am now
Converte in aliquid: quodlibet poffum malum

Hac mente fieri, commoda
effigiem mihi 265
Parem dolori. non capit peiSus minas.
Quid excutis telluris extremae finus,
Orbemque verfasf quid rogas Ditem mala
Omnes in ifto pedlore invenies feras,
Quas timuit, odiis accipe hoc telum tuis. 270
Ego fum noverca: perdere Alcidem potes.
Prefer manus quocunque. quid celTas, Dea?
Utere furente. quod jubes fieri nefasf
Reperi. quid hares? ipfa jam ceffes licet,
Hsec ira fatis eft. nutr. Peftoris fani parum, 275
Alumna, queftus comprime, & flammas doma.
Frena dolorem. conjugem oftende Herculis.
DEJAN. lole meis captiva germanos dabit
Natis? Jovifque fiet e famula nuriis?
Num flamma curfus paiiter & torrens ferent, 280
Et urfa pontum ficca cseruleum bibet?
Non ibo inulta; gefleris coelum licet,
Totufque pacem debeat mundus tibi:
Eft aliquid hydra potius; iratas dolor
Nuptae. Quis ignis tantus in coelum furit 285
Ardentis JEtnssi quidquid eft vi<ftum tibi,
Hie vincet animus, capta prseripiet toros?
Adhuc timebam monftra. jam nullum eft malum.
Ceffere peftes. in locum venit ferae
Invifa pellex. fumme ^ro redlor Devim, 290
Et clare Titan, Herculis tantum fui
Conjux timentis. vota quae fuperis tuli,
Ceffere captas. pellici felix fui.
Illi meas audiftis, o fuperi, preces:
Incolumis illi remeat. o nulla dolor 295
undergoing (thy own hatred outweighed the wild beasts

in its ferocity) if there be any repuUulating Hydra, too
vast for any marsh to contain, one that is incapable of
beipg overcome or if there be aught else, any thing that
exceeds in fierceness the ordinary wild beast one of
huge dimensions terrifying to behold and of such horri-
fying aspect, that at the Dare sight of which Hercules

would be glad to avert his gaze if so, let it at once,
emerge from the bowels of the earth or if wild beasts ;
should not be forthcoming, I implore thee to transform

me intosomething of the sort so that, whatever mischief
my anger may meditate, can be carried out to the full,
allow me something, the very fac-simile of my anger, for
I feel that this breast of mine is not large enough for my
wrath! Why should I have to search out the extremities
of the earth for my revenge, or even be under the neces-
sity of so industriously calling this orb into requisition
Lines 264-295] HERCULES (ETyÛS. 549
at all, for that revenge? Whyshould I appeal to Pluto

for any instrument of mischief? I shall find plenty of
wild beasts in this bosom of mine, something, too, which
Hercules will have reason to fear! Let this anger of
mine unite with that of thine. OhJunol I am
a step-
mother, as well I (Dejanira here alludes to the prospect
of offspring by lole) thou couldst destroy Hercules, stretch
forth thy power whatever it may be 1Why! Oh
Goddess,
dost thou hesitate ? use me as the vehicle of thy anger-
whatever crime thou orderest shall be perpetrated by me 1
Ahl I have thought of something, why dost thou hesi-

tate? well mayst thou thus hesitate! for myown anger
will be sufficient to accomplish what I desire I
NUR. Oh! my nursling, there's too little discretion in

that bosom of thine; cease thy complaints and quench

the flames of thy wrath and curb thy jealousy let every
body see that thou art the wife of Hercules 1
DEj. This captive,lole, will be furnishing brothers for

my own children, and the worst of all is, that a sister-in-
law is to be manufactured out of a captive maiden, im-
ported by this son of Jupiter! I wonder whether the
(running) flames and the flowing river can mix their
streams in cordial partnership ? (that is, will fire and water
mix) (as lole and myself are as likely to do). And will
"
the Arctic Bear, who likes to keep her fur dry, descend
from the sky, and dip herself in the blue, blue sea? (Yes!

when lole and myself amalgamate) I shall not go un-
revenged. Master Hercules, although thou once didst
carry the heavens on those broad shoulders of thine,
although the world owes a large amount of its peace and
comfort to thy achievements! There is still a something
left, more potential than any Hydra, and that is the
jealousy of an outraged wife What flames from burning
I
^tna, ascending angrily into the sky are so great? What-

ever has been conquered by thee, this anger of mine
shall surpass! Shall a captive maiden forestal me in my
marriage-bed? Formerly, I was somewhat afraid of mon-
sterSj but now, that there are none to fear and plagues
have gone out of fashion, in lieu of wild beasts (and
plagues) a hateful concubine has been introduced! Oh!
thou exalted ruler of the Gods, and thou, oh! bright
Phoebus I find that after all, I have been the wife of
Hercules, only as long as he was in a position to ap-
prehend disasters from his exploits! After all the vows,
1 have registered with the Gods above, they have only
redounded to tiie benefit and exaltation of a captive
maiden, and I have been consoled in the person of a
5SO SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 296-330
Contente poena, quaere fupplicia hbirida,

Incogitata, infanda. Junonem doce, ,
Quid odia valeant. nefcit irafci fatis.

Pro me gerebas bella. propter me vagas
Achelous undas fanguine infecit fuo, 3
Cum lenta Terpens fieret; in taunim trucem
Nunc fledleret ferpente depofita minas;
Et mille in hoft'e vinceres uno feras.
Jam difplicemus, capta pra^lata eft mihi.
Non praeferetur. qui dies thalami ultimus 305
Noftri eft futurus, hie erit vitae tuas.
Quid hoc? recedit animus, & ponit minas.
Jam ceffit ira, quid mifer langues dolor?
Perdis furorem? conjugis tacitse fidem
Mihi reddis iterum. quid vetas flammas ali? 310
Quid frangis ignis? hunc mihi ferva impetum^
Pares eramus. non erit votis opus.
Aderit noverca, que manus noftras regat,
Nee invocata. nutr. Quod paras demens fcelus?
PerimeSi maritum, cujus extremus dies 315
Primufque laudes novit, & coelo tenus
Kredla terras fama fuppofitas habet?
Rogos in iftos terra confiirget parens,
Domufque foceri prima, & ^tolum genus
Sternelur omne; faxa jamdudum & faces 320
In te ferentur vindicem tellus fuum
Defendet omnis. una quot poenas dabis?
EfFugere terras crede, & humanum genus
Te poffe: fulmen genitor Alcidae gerit.
Jam jam minaces ire per coelum faces 325
Spedla, & tonantem fulmine excuffo diem.
Mortem quoqne ipfam, quam putas tutam, time.
Dominatur illic patruus Alcidae tui.
Quocunque perges, mifera, cognatos Deos
Ulic videbis. dejan. Maximum fieri fcelus 330
concubine Ohl ye gods above, thou hast listened to my

1
prayers" for him, that he might return to me in safety 1
Ohl for my jealousy satisfied with no punishment; let me

now seek for some terrible penalties, some never dreamed
of before let me give Juno herself a lesson on anger,
that is to say, what anger is capable ofl Juno does not
know the way to be angry enough for me Hercules, thou
1
once wagedst war for me, and on my account] Achelous

tinged with his blood the wandering streams, so that he
might become a trailing serpent; whilst at another time,
having laid aside his serpentiform transformation, thou,
Hercules, wouldst be turning thy angry onslaught on a
savage bull, and thus, thou wast encountering a thousand
wild beasts, whilst engaged with one enemy (Achelous
!
Lines 296-330] HERCULES GETÛS. 551
was a suitor of Dejanira's and possessed the power of

changing himself into any thing he liked). Now, forsooth,
I displease thee, a captive maiden is now preferred
before
me, but she shall not be preferred for long, for when
that day arrives, on which she usurps my marrige-bed,
that day shall be the last one in thy earthly career!
What possesses me? Is my resolution giving way? And is
my anger displacing itself? And has my indignation begun
to hesitate? Why does my wretched hatred appear to be
dechning? Indeed, I am relaxing in my wrath, and do
feel to be returning to the old paths of conjugal devotion
and uncomplaining wifelinessl Why do I thus impose
any check upon the nurture of my burning anger? Why
do I seek to quench the fires raging withim me? (Rage
and Indignation.) Let me preserve all this energy, for my
own ends. My anger makes me feel quite equal to Her-
cules in strength, and which, if it continues, will not neces-
sitate the invocation of any divine aid; but Juno, who will
direct my plans, is sure to come upon the scene, never-
theless, without any invitation of mine
NUR. What mad crime art thou devising? Wouldst
thou dare to sacrifice a husband, whose triumphs are
blazoned forth from East to West, and that fame which
he has earned for himself on this earth below reaches

to the very skies above that earth which cherished his
existence (the people on it) would rise up, "en masse,"
and avenge such a death! And the first to suffer would
be the palace of his father-in-law; thy own father and
the entire ^tolian race would be exterminated; and the
moment after such a deed, the indignant rabble, who
idolize him, would stone thee and brand thee with their
torches I Every known land would rise up and proclaim
itself as an avenger, and thou alone wouldst suffer the
penalty 1 Dost thou believe, if thou couldst escape the
vengeance of every land, and the whole of the human
race, does not the father of Alcides, Thundering Jove,
still wield the hghtnings ? Now, at this very moment, look
at the angry flashes passing along the heavens, the light
of day itself trembles in awe at the thunders which follow
those repeated discharges of lightning! Go in fear too,
of that death, which thou fanciest would ensure thee
future security 1 Bear thou in mind that down below, an
uncle of Hercules (on the father's side) rules in this third
kingdom, and ohl miserable child, wherever else thou
mightest go thou wouldst be sure to encounter some of
his family connections!
DEj. I must be candid and freely acknowledge that

Et ipfa fateor, fed dolor fieri jubet.

NUTR. Moriere. dejan. Moriar Herculis nempe incliti
CoDJux. nee uUus no(5le discuffa dies

Viduam notabit, nee meos pellex toros
Captiva capiet. ante ab Occafu dies 335
Nafcetur. Indos ante glacialis polus
Scythafve tepida Phoebus inficiet rota,
Quam me reliftam Theffalae afpiciant nurus.
Meo jugales languine exftinguam faces.
Aut pereat, aut me perimat. elifis feris 340
Et conjugem addat. inter Herculeos licet
Me quoque labores numeret. Alcidae toros
Moritura eerie corpore ampleftar meo.
Ire, iread umbras Herculis nuptam libet;
Sed non inultam. fi quid e noftro Hercule 345
Concepit lole, manibus evellam meis
Ante, & pee ipfas pellicem invadem faces.
Me nuptiali viflimam feriat die
Infeflus, lolen dum fupra exanimem ruam.
Felix jacet, quicunque, quos odit, premit. 350
NUTR. Quid ipfa flammas pafcis? & vaftum foves
Ultro dolorem mifera? quid caffum times?
Dilexit lolen; nempe dum ftarent lares,
Regifque natam peteret. in famulse locum
Regina cecidit. perdidit vires amor, 355
Multumque ab illo traxit infelix flatus.
amantur; excidit, quidquid licet.
Illicita
DEJAN. Fortuna amorem pejor inflammat magis.
Amat vel ipfum, quod caret patrio lare,
Quod nudus auro crinis & gemma jacet: 360
Ipfas mifericors forfan serumnas amat,
NUTR. Hoc ufitatumeft Herculi, captas amat.
DileAa Priami nempe Dardanii foror
Conceffa famulo eft. adice, quofnuptas prius.
a crime of enormous magnitude would be perpetrated,

but my jealousy insists on my committing it.
NLTR. But thou wouldst have to diel
DEj. It is true, but I should then die as the wife of

the renowned Hercules, nor would any forthcoming
day mark me as a widow, when the shades of night had
been dispelled, and before any concubine could ensconce

herself in my marriage-bed the sun shall first learn to
rise in the West and set in the East! The North Pole
shall become the country of the dusky Indian, and
Phoebus shall darken the cold Scythian with his burning
rays rather than that the Thessalian Matrons should
behold in me, the deserted wife! I would extinguish
!
their nuptial torches with my own blood, and either he

should perish or he should kill me, and then he could
add a wife to the number of wild beasts that he had
slaughtered, and Ije would be able, also, to sum me up
amongst his other Herculean labors At all events,
1
when in the arms of Death, I should hke to embrace

with my hands the nuptial couch of my husband (This 1
is said to indicate her desire at the last, that the couch

had not passed into other hands, whilst she lived). Let
me, however, if it be so willed, go to the shades below,
but let me go, as the wife of Hercules, but not unrevenged
And if lole has become pregnant by my Hercules, I
would tear the foetus out of her very womb with my
own hands rather than that it should arrive at maturity,
and I would attack that concubine in the middle of the
marriage ceremony, if that cruel man should strike me
down on that nuptial day, when I should be able to fall
on the lifeless form of lole Whoever drags down any
!
one that she hates, to meet the same fate as herself, dies
a happy woman 1
NUR. Why dost thou fan the flames which are thus
devouring thee? And obstinately encourage that over-
whelming jealousy which aggravates thy misery? Why
dost thou conjure up tears which are to no purpose? It
is true that Hercules has been smitten with lole, but this
probably was when her worldly surroundings were on a
better footing he then sought the hand of a king's
daughter, but that young princess has now sunk to the
level of a mere captive thou knowest that all love loses
;
its ardour in time, and her unfortunate position, as a

captive, may now neutralize much of that infatuation
thmgs, that are forbidden, are often the more eagerly
sought after; whatever is easy of being arrived at, sooner
escapes from the longing desire of bemg retained by us I
DEj. Thou art mistakenher fallen fortunes only serve

to kindle the imagination of Hercules, and he even loves
her the more, inasmuch as she has lost her parental
home and because her locks are no longer bedecked
with jewellery of gold and priceless gems perhaps pity :
is prone to strengthen love and he may love her more

on account of her misfortunes; this kind of thing always
was the case with Hercules, he has a weakness for loving
those that he has made captives.
NUR. But think of this Did he not become enamoured

!
of the sister of Trojan Priam, and when he got tired of

her, did he not hand her over to one of his miUtary
554 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 363-39?
Quot virgines dilexit. erravit vagus. 365-

Arcadia nempe virgo, Palladios chores
'
Dum nedVit Auge, vim ftupri paffa excidit,

Nullamque amoris retinet Herculei notam.
Referam quid alias? nempe Tliefpiades vacant,
Brevique in illas arfit Alcides face. 370
Hofpes Timoli Lydiam fovit nurum,
Et amore captus, ad leves fedit colos,
Udum feroci ftamen intorquens manu.
Nempe ilia cervix fpolia depofuit ferae,
Crinemque mllra preffit, & famulus ftetit, 375
Hirtam Sabasa marcidus myrrha comam.
Ubique caluit, fed levi caluit face.
Haerere amantes poft vagos ignes folent.
Famulamne & natam tibi?
hoftis praeferet
DEJAN. Ut alta forma vemantes alit,
filvas 380
Quas nemore nudo primus inveftit tepor;
At cum folutos expulit Boreas Notos,
Et fffiva totas bruma decuffit comas,
Deforme folis afpicis truncis nemus:
Sic noilra longum forma percurrens iter, 385
Deperdit aliquid femper, & fulget minus.
Nee ilia Venus efl. quidquid in nobis fuit
Olim petitum, cecidit &
partu labat;
Materque multum rapuit ex illo mihi.
Mtas citato fenior eripuit gradu. 390
Vides, ut altum famula non perdat decus?
Ceffere vultus penitus, & psdor fedet;
Tamen per ipfas fulget serumnas decor,
Nihilque ab ilia cafus & fatum grave
Nifi regna traxit. hie meum pe<5lus timor, 3^5
Altrix, laceffitj hie rapit fomnos pavor.
Prfficlara totis gentibus conjux eram;
chums? and in addition to this, reflect on the number

of wives, and the multitude of virgins, that man has
fallen in love with? Why! He is a most fickle inconstant
For example, the Arcadian Virgin Auge, whilst
lover!
she was oificiating as a priestess at the choral celebra-
tions of Minerva, after having been positively ravished by
him, soon fell out of his memory, and he speedily showed
no traces of this Herculean love affair! Why should I
speak of other intrigues ? Yes I must mention, however,
I
the Thespiades, the daughters of Thespius Alcides burned

with amorous passion towards the wnole fifty at one time,
and impregnated forty-nine of them in one night (brevi
face) Then, as a guest of Timolus, he cherished an
affection for the Lydian Queen, (Omphale) and captivated
by her, he sat down in front of the frivolous distaff and
du-ected with those ferocious fingers of his, the threads
in the spindle, making it more easy to be worked with

the occasional use of his own saliva (Udum. No doubt in
!
those antiquated periods, saliva was more likely to be,

used than water, and conforms largely with modern usage)
and then, to crown the whole, he removed from his
shoulders, the Nemsean lion's skin, and covering his
rude locks with a mitre, he stood before the Queen, like
some serving-man, his shaggy hair being smoothed (flat-
tened) down with a thick layer of Sabsean Myrrh! (a
freasy compound used by the ancients and scented with
lyrrh and other perfumes). He fell in love everywhere,
but he always loved with a brief and inconstant passion I
And (what is more) lovers after such indiscriminate in-

dulgence of their passions are expected to waver, and
canst thou suppose that he will prefer for long, a captive
maiden and the daughter of an enemy too, before thyself?
DEj. How
the lofty beauty of the forest trees contri-
butes itsshare to the grace imported to them by the
advent of spring (what a transcendent loveliness pervades
the verdant woods)! A little before nothing but a naked
grove, which the first heat of glorious spring transforms
into branching trees with densely foliated boughs! But
when rude Boreas has by its force driven back the mild
South winds, and harsh winter has nipped off fi-om the
trees their foliaceous clothing, thou beholdest naught but
an unsightly wood, with an array of naked trunks ! In
like manner our beauty, although passing through a long
career, is always losing some of its pristine attractiveness
and shines forth less and less brilHantly till at last all pre-
tensions to vie with Venus are at an end! (That is to-say,
all the elements to constitute beauty are wanting) and
what was once mostly prized by us, slips away from our
Possession and is lost for ever, through the trials of child-
earing And as a mother myself, I may say, a great deal
!
has been taken out of me from that cause, and advancing

age has stolen in upon me, with a somewhat quickened
step Canst thou not see for thyself, that this captive maiden
!
has not lost her transcendent loveliness, whilst my good

looks have completely left me, and comparative plainness
has taken their place 1 And notwithstanding her captivity
and misfortunes this beauty of hers shines conspicuously,
and her trials and grievous destiny seem to have robbed
her of nothing, but her royal rank! This circumstance,
niy dear Nurse, troubles my mind, and it is this source
of vexation, which interferes with my sleep, because
I must tell thee, I was once, myself, a particularly hand-
some wife; more so, I may safely say, than the general
run of so-called beauties, and every matron, with an
556 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. {Uacs 398-428
Thalamofque noftros invido voto nurus

Optabat omnis: quo nimis quifquis Deos
Orabat ullos. nuribus Ajgolicis fui 4
Menfura voti. quem Jovi focerum parem,
Altrix, habebo? quis fub hoc modo mihi
Dabitur maritus? ipfe, qui Alcidse imperat,
Facibus fuis me jungat Euryftheus licet,
Minus eft.toro caruiiTe regnantis leve eft. 405
Alte quae viro caret Hercule.
ilia cecidit,-
NUTR. Conciliat animos conjugum partus fere.
DEJAN. Sic ipfe forfan dividet partus toros
NUTR. Famula ilia trahitur interim donum tibi.
DEJAN. Hunc, quem per urbes ire praeclarum vides, 410
Et viva tergo fpolia geftantem ferse,
Qui regna miferis donat, & celfis rapit,
Vafta gravatus horridam clava manum,
Cujus triomphos ultimi Seres canunt,
Et quifquis alius orbe confepto jacet; 415
Levis eft, nee illUm glorise ftimulat decor.
Errat per orbem, non ut aequetur Jovi,
Nee ut per urbes magnus Argolicas eat.
Quod amet, requirit. virginum thalamos petit.
Si qua negata, rapitur. in populos furit; 420
Nuptas minis qussrit; & vitium impotens
Virtus vocatur. cecidit CEchalia inclita,
Unufque Titan vidit atque unus dies
Stantem & cadentem: caufa bellandi eft amor. 1
Toties timebit, Herculi natam parens 425

Quoties negabit. boftis eft, quoties focer
Fieri recufat. fi gener non eft, furit.
Poft haec quid iftas innocens fervo manus,
envious regret, only longed that they had but made such
a marriage, as I had done, through my beauty And 1
to obtain something of a like character, every woman

prayed fervently to any deity that she thought would be
able to further her matrimonial aspirations I was held
I
up as a sort of pattern-model, By which they could

regulate their vows, by all the marriageable women round
about, and I can assure thee, Nurse, the common cry was
"I wonder whether I shall ever be able to get a father-in-
law to compare with Jupiter What husband, under heaven,
1
could have been provided like mine (for any woman?)

Although, Eurystheus himself, who issued his commands
to Alcides would have wished to have Ijeen joined in
marriage with me, but such a match was not desirable in
my eyes! And it would not be a trifling matter to be
debarred from the marriage-bed of the king (meaning
Eurystheus), but that woman would fall from a great height
who would lose a husband like Hercules!
Lines 398-4=8] HERCULES CETÛS. 557
NUR. As a general rule, the fact of having children (by

a husband) tones down conjugal squabbles (animosities).
DEj. But in like manner lole's having children, might

perhaps be the means of putting me out of court. (Aside).
NUR. In the meantime, at all events, that captive is

delivered over to thee, as a present.
DEJ. That man whom thou seest passing through the

cities, exalted before all and wearing on his shoulders
the skin of the Nemaean lion, a trophy taken from some-
thing that had possessed life a livmg foe (viva, a living
spoil in contra-distinction to any spoil of an inanimate
nature). He who captures kingdoms from the high and
mighty ones and bestows them on the indigent and miser-
able, poising in his terrible hand a huge club, whose
triumphs are sung by the far-off Seres and by whom-
soever else, that pass their lives in some hedged-in
country or another, is nothing more than a frivolous and
inconstant love-maker Nor does the distinction arising
I
from his triumphs, spur him on to noble things he

wanders about the earth, not that he may be thought
equal to Jupiter, (I give him credit for that,) nor that ne
may show off, as the great one" of the earth, amongst the
Argolic Cities! No! he simply demands, as an absolute
right whatever he takes a fancy to, and is always on the
hunt after the couches of virgins! And if any such
one be refused to him, she is forthwith taken by force!
he storms and raves at all the people she is mixed up
with, and seeks his future wives by first creating their down-
fall, and his ungovernable debauchery is euphoniously
paraded as a signal proof of valour! The illustrious
CEchalian country has fallen, and one Sun (one day) has
1
seen it standing in all its glory and that same Sun has
witnessed its fall! And love, so-called, was the origin
of this warlike deed! And as often as a Parent denies
his daughter to Hercules, so often will that father
have to go in and Hercules to become his deadly
fear,
enemy! And as often as he declines the honor of
being his father-in-law, so often does he storm and
rage, at the honor which he offered in being a son-in-
law, having been declined! (with thanks!) How can I
keep my hands from mischief, after all such things as
these? Until, I suppose, he feigns madness again, and
draws his bow with that murderous hand of his, and
kills me and my son (alluding to the case of Megara).
!
Thus it is that Alcides gets rid of his wives These are !
his sort of divorces! (with a vengeance!) Nor can he

558 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. fLines 4=9-457
Donee furentem fimulet, ac fseva manu

Intendat arcus, meque natumque opprimat? 430
Sic conjuges expellit Alcides fuas:
Hsec funt repudia! nee poteft fieri nocens.
Terris videri feeleribus caufam fuis
Feeit novercam. quid llupes, fegnis furor?
Scelus oceupandum eft: perge, dum fervet manus. 435
NUTR. Perimes maritum? dejan. Pellicis certe meae.
NUTR. At Jove creatum. DEJAN. Nempe & Alcmena fatum.
NUTR. Ferrone? dejan. Ferro NUTR. Si nequis? dejan.
Perimam dolo.
NUTR. Quis ifte furor eft? dejan. Quern meus conjux docet.
NUTR. Quem nee noverca potuit, hunc perimes virum? 440
dejan. Cceleftis ira quos premit, miferos faeit;
Humana nullos. NUTR. Parce, miferanda, & time.
DEJAN. Contemfit omnes ille, qui mortem prius.
Libet ire in enfes. NUTR. Major admiffo tuus,
Alumna, dolor eft. culpa par odium exigit 445
Cur faeva modicis ftatuis? ut laefa es, dole.
DEJAN. Leve effe eredis pellicis nuptse malum?
Quidquid dolorem pafcit, hoe nimium puta,
NUTR. Amome elari fugit Alcidse tibi?
DEJAN. Non fugit, altrix. remanet, & penitus fedet 450
Fixus meduUis, crede: fed magnus dolor,
Iratus amor eft. NUTR. Artibus magicis fere
Conjugia nuptse precibus admixtis ligant.
Vemare juffi frigore in medio nemus,
Miffumque fulmen ftare. concuffi fretum 455
CeiTante vento. turbidum explieui mare:
Et ficca tellus fontibus patuit novis.
ever be made to appear as a criminal he makes out to

1
the world, that Juno, his step-mother, is the cause of all

his crimes committed in the various countries But ohl
1
that dUatory anger of mine, art thou dumb-founding my

faculties ? The crime I contemplate must be done, so let
me push on, and strike whilst the iron is hotl (whilst
my inclination is eager for action!)
NUR. Wilt thou kill thy husband?
DEJ. Without doubt thou meanest the husband, of my

concubine rival 1
NUR. But one of the race of Jupiter!
DEJ. What dost thou mean? One springing from

Alcmena, through Jupiter's adultery?
NUR. Shalt thou use the sword?

Lines 4=9-457] HERCULES GETÛS. 559
DEj. Yes, a sword 1
NUR. But if thou art unable to do it with the sword?
DEJ. Then I will kill him by some stratagem!

Nxm. Whatever can this madness suggest?
DEJ. The example which he has given me, when he

slaughtered Megara in his rage!
NUR. And thou thinkest thou couldst kill that man

whom no step-mother could succeed in doing!
DEJ. When celestial anger isbrought to bear, it makes

its objects miserable only, but the anger of mortals
substitutes annihilation.
NUR. Forbear! Although thou art to be pitied, and go

in fear of consequences.
DEJ. That man who is always ready to meet the sword's

attack,looks with contempt upon all men who have not
learned to treat death with indifference I myself, am
ready to do so!
NUR. Thy anger, nurse-child, is greater than circum-

stances justify, a crime only deserves to be visited with
the vengeance that is due! Why dost thou determine
upon such a severe punishment for such small sins?
Grieve only in proportion as thou art injured.
DEJ. Dost thou regard this grievance of a marriage

with a concubine as a trivial one? Dost thou suppose
that any thing can be excessive which only keeps alive
that indignation which is called forth.
NUR. And has all love for the renowned Alcides left
your bosom?
DEJ. It has not fled. Nurse, it remains and rests per-

manently rooted, even in the very marrow of my bones,
believe me, as to that; but remember, excessive resentment
is only outraged love.
NUR. Very often wives make the marriage knot more

binding by magical devices conjoined with fond entreaties.
A grove, for instance, has by such means been made to
look verdant in the middle of winter, and lightning itself.
:
S6o SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 458-485
Habuere motum faxa. difcuffi fores.

Umbrae ftetiftis: & mea juffi prece
Manes loquuntur. fonuit infemus canis. 460
Mare, terra, coelum, & Tartarus fervit mihi.
Nox media folem vidit, & noftem dies
Nihilque leges ad meos cantos tenant,
Fleflemus ilium, carmina invenient iter.
DEJAN. Quas Pontus herbas generat, aut quas Theffala 465
Sub rupe Pindus? aut ubi inveniam malum,
Cui cedet ille? carmine in terras mago
Defcendat aftris luna defertis licet,
Et bruma melTes videat, & cantu fugax
Stet deprehenfum fulmeo, & verfa vice 470
Medius coadlis ferveat ftellis dies:
Non fleflet unum. nutr. Vicit & fuperos amor.
DEJAN. Vincetur uni forfan, & fpolium dabit,
Ainorque fummus fiet Alcidse labor.
Sed te per omne coelitum numen precor, 475
Per hunc timorem; quidquid arcani apparo,
Penitus recondas, & fide tacita premas.
NUTR. Quid iftud eft, quod effe fecretum jubesf
DEJAN. NoQ tela funti, non arma, non ignis minax.
NUTR, Prseftare fateor poiTe me tacitam fidem, 480
Si fcelere careat. interim fcelus eft fides.
DEJAN. Circumfpice, agedum, ne quis arcana aucupet,
Partemque ip omnem vultus inquirens eat.
NUTR. En locus ab omni tutus arbitrio vacat.
DEJAN. Eft in remoto regiae fedis loco 485
in its transit through the sky, has been intercepted in its

progress - 1 have myself set the sea in commotion, when there
was a total cessation of wind, and on the other hand, I have
caused the troubled waves to appear as a calm lake, and a dry
soil has been brought into view, displaying the most
unexpected fountains rocks have been endowed with

motion I have broken open the portals leading to the
infernal regions and oh ye shades, ye have stood forth,
!
and commanded through my invocations, the Manes have

spoken the dog of hell has barked at my solicitation
the sea, the earth, the heavens, and even Tartarus are
ever ready to wait upon me The Sun has been seen in
I
the middle of the night, and the day has been converted

into night nothing is regulated by its usual laws, when
I employ my incantationsT Let us turn the heart of Her-
cules, my magical strains will find their way even into
the soul of a Hercules 1
DEj. Whatever poisonous herbs are grown in Pontus

(celebrated for poisonous plants and castors), or whatever
plants may flourish at the foot of the Thessalian moun-
tains, or wherever else I may discover something deadly,

to which Hercules might succumb; let the moon be in-
duced to descend upon the earth and desert the com-
panionship of the stars by my magical incantations and I
let the cold winter behold the ripened corn, and let the
swift lightning stand still, arrested by my magic strains,
and the entire course of things being utterly reversed, let
there be the heat of mid-day with the stars shining in
the firmament at one and the same time, but all this
magical business would not move the heart of one partic-
ular man, and that man is Hercules to abandon his love
!
for lolel
NUR. Cupid, aforetime, thou knowest, has conquered

the Gods above, and may conquer, even Herculesl
Perhaps, Cupid, himself, may be conquered by
DEj.
this "oneparticular Hercules," and despoiled of his arms
(Cupid may yield up his bow and arrows to Hercules as
a trophy) and this love's representative, Cupid, thus con-
quered by Alcides may be converted into the last and
CTeatest of his labors. But I entreat thee, Nurse, by every
Deity amongst the Gods above, by the fear thou mayst
have of displeasing me, that whatever secret design I may
get ready to carry out, thou wilt hide awayin the innermost
recesses of thy soul, and conceal it with the strictest fidelity.
NUR. What is it may I ask, that thou enjoinest me to

keep so profoundly secret?
DEJ. They are not darts nor weapons of destruction

nor threatening flames!
NUR. tender my willingness to observe the strictest

I
secrecy, so long as there is no crime with it, for some-
times a promise c*" that kind might assume liie propor-
tions of a crime.
DEJ. Come this way: mind and be circumspect lest a

single soul should be listening, and catch at my secret,
and then some inquisitive eyes might be casting searching
looks towards every spot.
Ntm. Look! yonder is a snug place, secure against any

prying lookers-on!
DEJ. There is an unfrequented cave in the region of

the royal domain taking care of my secret the place
does not admit the light of early morn, nor even at
36
' 5
Arcana tacitus noftradefendens fpecus.

Non illeprimos aocipit foles locus,
Non ille feros, cum ferens Titan diem
Laflam rubenti mergit Oceano rotam.
lUic amoris pigous Herculei latet. 46
Altrix, fatebor, Neffus eft auflor mali,
Quem gravida Nephele Theffalo genuit duci,
Qua cclfus aftris inferit Pindus caput,
Ultraque nubes Othrys edudus riget.
Namque ut ruba(Sus Herculis clava horridi 495
Achelous, omnes facilis in fpecies dari,
Tandem peraftis omnibus patuit feris,
Unoque turpe fubdidit cornu caput:
Me coDJugem dum vii5lor Alcides habet,
Repetebat Argos. forte per campos vagus Soo
Evenos altum gurgitem in pontum ferens
Jam' psene fummis turbidus ripis erat.
Tranfire NeiTus vorticem folitus vadis
Pretium popofcit: meque jam dorfo ferens,
Qua jungit hominem fpina deficiens equo, 55
Frangebat ipfas fluminis tumidi minas.
Jam totus undis Neffus exierat ferox,
Medioque adhuc errabat Alcides vado,
Vafto rapacem vorticem fcindens gradu.
Aft ille ut effe vidit Alcidem procul, 510
Tu praeda nobis, inquit, & conjux eris.
Prohibetur undis; meque complexus ferens
Greffum citabat. non tenent unda? Herculem:
Infide vedVor, inquit, immixti licet
Ganges & Ifter vallibus junftis eant, 5'
Vincemus ambos. confequar telo fugam.
Ptseceflit arcus verba, tum longum ferens
Arundo vulnus, tenuit hsErentem fugam;
Mortemque fixit. ille jam quserens diem
Tabum fluentem vulneris dextra excipit, 520
Traditque nobis ungulae infertum fuse,
Quam forte faeva fciderat avulfam manu.
Tum verba moriens addit: Hoc, inquit, mags
Dixere amorem poffe defigi malo.
Hoc do<51:a Mycale Theffalas docuit nurus, 525
Unam inter omnes Luna quam fequitur magam,
Aftris reliftis. illitas veftes dabis
any later portion of the day, either when Titan par-

amountly rules that day, or when he sinks down with
his weary chariot below the ruddy ocean (the reddened
horizon). In that spot, lies concealed what will be a
crucial test of Hercules' love for me (a poison having
the property of reclaiming the lost love of Hercules)
I will confess to thee, Nurse; Nessus is the author of
this innocent fraud, he whom Nephele, made pregnant
Lin 486-5=7] HERCULES CETÛS. 563
by Ixion, bore to that Thessalian king, where the lofty

Pindus insinuates its peak, as high as the stars
where Othrys^ too, raising itself above the clouds is
covered with its perpetual mantle of ice and snow- For
as soon as Achelous was subdued by the club of that
terrible Hercules, he was ready for transformation into
any shape, and at last presented himself as a bull, after
all the wild beasts whose forms he had assumed, had
been disposed of by Hercules, and sank down his dam-
aged head (with one of his horns gone) in some of his
familiar streams whilst this conquering Alcides, looked
upon me as a wife, he was fond of visiting Argos, and
on one occasion the Evenus (a river) pursuing its wander-
ing course through the plains around, urging forwards a
very whirlpool of its deep waters towards the sea, rose
in its (swelling) boisterousness almost to the level of its
highest banks, and Nessus (the Centaur) accustomed to
this vortex, required some reward for carrying me across
these wild waters on his back, where that part of his back
representing a horse broke off abruptly and became
joined to tlie remainder, which assumed the form of a
man (thus, half man, half horse). All on a sudden, the
ferocious Nessus got completely out of the middle of the
stream, cutting his way through the rapacious vortex, at
a great pace, when Nessus saw that Hercules was some
distance off, exclaims "You are my property, and shall
be my wife Hercules is being kept back by the waters,"
and embracing me, Nessus flew on at a terrible rate, but
the water did not detain Hercules long, and he shouted
out, " Oh, thou treacherous porter, although the Ganges
and the Danube mixing their streams should flow over
the intermediate valleys, as over one river-bed, I would
overcome both, and follow up thy retreat with one of my
arrows " The bow was drawn before Nessus could have
!
heard the words, and the arrow causing a deep wound,

arrested his flight and sealed his doom; and whilst his
^yes were wandering and trying to distinguish the light
of day, he gathered up with his right hand some of his
poisoned blood, as it flowed, and handed it to me deposit-
ed in one of his hoofs, which he violently tore off' with
his savage hand; then his dying words were, with this
poison (a magic aphrodisiac) he went on to say, the
magicians have declared to me that love can be implanted
(in the bosom of those brought under its influence).
Mycale, so learned in the magic art, told this to the Thes-

salian matrons she was the only magician out of all the
others, by whose incantations the moon could be made
to come down upon this earth, and quit the companion-
ship of her fellow luminaries (the stars). Then he went
564 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 5'!8-s64
Hac, inquit, ipfa tabe, fi pellex tuos

Invifa thalamos tulerit, & conjux levis
Aliam parent! dederit altifooo nurum. 53
Hoc nulla lux afpiciat, hoc tenebrs tegant
Tantum remotse. fie potens vires fuas
Sanguis tenebit: verba deprendit quies,
Mortemque laffis intulit membris fopor,
Tu, quam meis admittit arcanis fides, 535
Perge, ut nitentem virus in veftem datum,
Mentem per artus adeat, & ta(5lu intimas
Intret medullas, nutr. Ocius juffa exfequar,
Alumna precibus tu Deum inviflum advoca,
Qui certa teneva tela dimittit manu. 54
DEJAN. Te, te precor, quem mundus & fuperi timent,
Et Eequor, & qui fulmen /Etnaeum quatit,
Timende matri teliger faevse puer;
Intende certa fpiculum velox manu,
Non e fagittis levibus, ex humero, precor, 545
Graviore profer, quod tuae nondum manus
Mifere in aliquem. non levi te'o eft opus,
Ut amare poffit Hercules, rigidas manus
Intende, &
arcum cornibus jundlis para.
Nunc', nunc fagittam prome, qua quondam horridus 550
Jovem petifti; fulmine abjeflo Deus
Cum fronte fubita tumuit, & rapidum mare
Taurus puellê ve(5lor AlTyria? fcidit.
Immitte amorem. vincat exempla omnia.
Amare conjugem. fi quas decor
difcat 555
loles inuffit pefloriHerculeo faces,
Exftingue tolas, perbibat flammas mei.
Tu fulminantem faepe domuifti Jovem,
Tu furva nigri fceptra geftantem poli,
Turbae ducem majoris, & dominura Stygis. 560
Tu, qui noverca es gravior irata Deus,
Cape hunc triumpliuffi. folus evince Herculem.
NUTR. Prolata vis eft, quasque Palladia colu
Laffavit omnem texta famularem manum.
on say, with this poison rubbed on their garments;

to
(for example) if some odious concubine should usurp
thy marriage-bed, or if some unfaithful husband should
bring into thy presence another daughter-in-law, for that
Jupiter who sends forth from above his mighty peals of
thunder. It must not be exposed to the air, but darkness
be it ever so far off, must shield it from the smallest
access of light, and by that means this potent specific
(blood) will preserve its virtues. His last end followed
these words, and the sleep of death stole over his power-
ful frame! And thou, Nurse, whom ray sincere trust in
thy fidelity, has admitted into my secret, proceed with
thy task so that the virus shall thoroughly penetrate every
!
Lines 5=8-564] HERCULES CETÛS. 565
filament of the handsome robe, which I shall give thee

and in its travel, it will enter his very soul, whilst it
traverses the innermost marrow of his bones
NUR. I will carry out thy commands with all despatch

my dear nurse-chUd, but invoke thou the invincible God
Cupid, with thy prayers, that god which sends forth his
certain arrows, with such a gentle hand.
DEj. I pray thee, thee of whom the gods above, and

the world below (the celestial, terrestrial and marine
animals) go in dread, and, thee, who rulest the sea, and
who shakest the universe with the lightnings of ^tna,
and oh! thou dart-bearing boy, to be feared, even (with
anxious regard) by thy morose mother, send forth with
thy unerring aim the swift arrow, but I pray thee, not one
of the lighter sort, which thou carriest on thy shoulder,
but come to my aid with a heavier kind, one of greater
power, the like of which thy hand has never yet nurled
at any one, for it is more than a gende dart that will
be required to make Hercules love in earnest Stretch I
thy hands firmly till thou makest the very cornua of the
bow nearly meet (that is to say. the extreme ends of the
bow approximated to the utmost by drawing the string
to its maximum). Now! Now is the time to get the arrow
ready, in the way thou didst once, although half frightened
at what thou wast doing, when that God threw the light-
nings aside, and suddenly assumed a ferocious aspect,
and as a bull with the Tyrian damsel on his back (Europa)
he cut his way through the waves of the tempestuous
sea 1 Instil thou love into the obdurate heart of Hercules
let it outstrip all thy former successes! Let Hercules
learn to love his wife, and destroy at once and for ever
any passionate flames by which the loveliness of lole,
have burnt their way into the breast of Hercules, and let
him imbibe the tender passion for my benefit Thou hast
1
often aforetime subdued the heart of lightning-hurling

Jupiter, thou hast likewise subdued him who wields that
murky sceptre in the sombre heavens, him who rules the
largest portion of subjects (the majority) who dominates
over the Stygian realms! Thou, who as a deity canst
make thyself more acutely felt than any anger of a step-
motherregard thou this as the triumph of triumphs, and
compliment thyself that thou art the only one that can
conquer a Hercules!
NUR. The poison has been brought! and here is the

specimen of the textile Palladian art turned out from the
distaff, which has tired out thou sayest the fingers of all
Nunc congeratur virus, ut veftis bibat S^S

Herculea peftem. precibus augebo malum.
In tempore ipfo gnavus occurrit Lichas.
Celanda vis eft dira, ne pateat, doli.
DEJAN. O, quod fuperbse iion habent unquam domus,
Fidele femper regibus nomen, Licha, 570
Cape hos amidlus, noftra quos nevit manus,
Dum vagus in orbem fertur, & vicfbis mero
Tenet feroci Lydiam gremio nurum,
Nunc pofcit lolen. fed jecur fors horridum
Fledlam merendo. merita vicerunt malos. 575
Non ante veftes induat conjux, jube,
Quam thure flammas pafcat, & placet Decs,
Cana rigentem populo vinftus comam.
Ipfa in penates regios greffus feram,
Precibufque amoris horridi matrem colam.' 580
Vos, quas patemis extuli comites focis,
Calydonise, deflete lugendas vices.
CHORUS ^TOLARUM MULIERUM.

Mulieres Calydoniae Dejanirae fortem defiant: ambitionem,
avaritiam, luxum, ceteraque mortalium ftudia inania
deteftantur, privatam fortunam laudant.
X LEMUS cafus, CEnei, tuos,

Comitum primos turba per annos:
Flemus dubios, veneranda, toros. 585
Nos Acheloi tecum folitEe
Pulfare vadum, cum jam tumidas
Vere pera(flo poneret undas,
Gracilifque gradu ferperet aquo,
Nee praecipitem volveret amnem 590
Flavus rupto fonte Lycormas.
Nos Palladias ire per aras,
Et virgineos celebrare chores:
Nos Cadmeis orgia ferre
Tecum condita ciftis,
folitse
595
Cum jam pulfo fidere brumse
Tertia foles evocat seftas,
Et fpiciferae conceffa Dese
Altica myftas clandit Eleufin.
the females who have been working at it! Now the magic
aphrodisiac (virus) must be collected carefully, and this
Herculean robe must soak it all in, and I will increase
its efficacy by my incantations at that moment^ the never-
failing Lichas is putting in an appearance, (aside) but the
fatal secret of this plot must be concealed from Lichas
or it may become known to Hercules I

DEj. Ohl Lichas, thou ever faithful confidant of the

kings thou servest under, a reputation which not every-
one serving in a proud palace can boast of take charge
of this garment, which was woven by my very own hands,
whilst my husband was roaming about the World at
this moment. (Dejanira is soliloquizing aside) he is sitting
at his table in a maudlin mood, and in his flights of
fancy, is hugging to his bosom his darling Omphale (the
Lydian Queen) under the influence of his vinous pota-
tionsin another minute, he is mumbling inquiringly, for
lole, but the chance still exists, that I shall prevail upon
him, to conquer this morbid passion by showing that I
am deserving in his estimation, for downright merit has
always got the better of unworthiness in die long run
But, let this injunction, Lichas, be faithfully observed,
before my husband enrobes himself with this tunic let
him ply the altar fires liberally with frankincense, and
when he offers up his prayers to the Gods, let him be
sure to encircle those harsh locks of his with the white pop-
lar. I myself will betake my steps to the Royal Palace, and
lose no time in devoutly approaching the Goddess mother
of that cruel deity, who coutenances the reproachable
amorousness of my husband, with my most urgent prayers
and ye ^tolian (Calydonian) women whom I have brought
as attendants from thy paternal homesteads, bewail in
concert, my miserable lot!
CHORUS OF ^TOLIAN WOMEN.

The ^tolian women bewail the lot of Dejanira, they
express their dislike of ambition, avarice, luxury and
other frivolous pursuits of mankind, and praise the
inferior conditions of life.
OHwe ! much adored daughter of GEneus,

Dejanira, thou
bewail thy unhappy lot as the assembled com-
panions of thy early years we deplore the precar-
:
ious aspect of thy marriage outlook (divorce, desertion)

we, who were accustomed to wade in the shallow streams
of Achelous in company with thee, when the spring was
over, and the swollen waters had subsided, and when,
with a graceful flow, they would glide along at a moder-
ate pace, nor would the muddy Lycormas, its fountain-
sources being interrupted, roll on, as heretofore as a
boisterous riverwe would then repair to the altars of
Minerva, and celebrate the dances of the virgins, as we
were accustomed with our mystic Bacchanial symbols,
triennially hidden away in our Theban baskets, in honor
:
568 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. Lines 600-641
Nunc quoque cafum quemcunque times, 600

Fidas comites accipe fatis.
Nam rara fideSj ubi jam melior
Fortuna ruit.
Tu quicunque es, qui fceptra tenes,
Licetomne tua vulgus in aula 605
Centum pariter limina pulfet:
Cum tot populis ftipatus eas,
In tot populis vix una fides.
Tenet auratum limen Erinnys,
Et cum magnse patuere fores, 610
Inti'ant fraudes, cautique doli,
Ferrumque latens. cumque in populos
Prodire parant, comes invidia eft.
No(flem qubties fommovet Eos,
Regem toties credite nafci. 615
Pauci reges, non regna colunt:
PJures fulgor concitat aulae.
Cupit hie regi proximus ipfi
Claras latas ire per urbes:
Urit miferum gloria pe<5lus. 620
Cupit hie gazis implere famem:
Nee tamen omnis plaga geramiferi
Sufficit Iftri; nee tota fitim
Lydia vincit; nee, quae Zephjro
Subdita tellus, ftupet aurato 625
Flumine clariim radiare Tagum;
Nee fi totus ferviat Hebrus;
Ruraque dives cingat Hydafpes;
Intraque fuos currere fines
Speiflet toto flumine Gangem. 630
Avidis, avidis natura parum eft.
Colit hie regem, regumque lares,
Non ut prefl"o vomere femper
Nunquam ceffet curvus arator,
Vel mille fecent arva coloni 635
Solas optat, quas donet, opes.
Colit hie reges, calcet ut omnes,
Perdatque aliquos, nullumque levet.
Tantum ut noceat, cupit effe potens.
Quota pars moritur tempore fati! 640
Quos felices Cynthia vidit,
of Bacchus in company with thee When the star of I
winter disappeared and the third summer would arrive,

we would invoke the presence of Phoebus, (summer heat)
and Attica having served up its offerings, as being con-
secrate to the harvest producing Goddess, Ceres, Eleusis
would witness the Athenian priestesses, shut up in their
temples with their mystic paraphernalia Now, verily, thou I
art fearful of some disaster, depend upon us, as faithful com-

Lines 600-641I HERCULES (ETÛS. 569
panions in thy troubles !For fidelity is a rare commodity

enough, when our better fortunes forsake us, and whosoever
thou art, that wieldest a sceptre, although all thy fawning
subjects throng the hundred entrances of thy palace at
the same time and with the same objects, thou simply
goest forth oppressed by the presence of so many people,
for amongst that large concourse, of human units, there
is scarcely one amongst them, that you can trust Erinnys
1
mounts guard at the gilded threshold, and when the

spacious portals are opened fraud and wily treachery make
their entrance, as well as the concealed dagger, and when
the kings make ready to show themselves in person,
amongst the populace, envy accompanies their footsteps,
and as often as Aurora dispels the night (early morn), believe
in thy own mind, that thou mayst be said to be coming
forward at day-light, as some fresh king (as often as a king
has escaped the snares and perils of the night, not to
say death itself, let him believe that a new king is born,
so much danger hanging over kings every night). Few
kings do not love and venerate their kingdoms: the
glitter of the palace enraptures so many, whilst another
man sighs to be the nearest to that very king when he sallies
forth in all his splendor amongst the cities far and wide,

and this, in order to raise his own importance that thirst
for glory fairly- inflames their miserable minds: another
longs to satisfy his craving hunger for riches not even
the entire land of the gem-producing Danube is sufficient
for him, nor does the wealth of all Lydia assuage his
longing thirst for gold, nor any land blown upon by the
mild Zephyr, but he is dazzled somewhat with the thought
that the bright Tagus shines for him with its golden
streams, nor would he be satisfied if the entire Hebrus
were placed at his disposal, and the rich fields, whose
banks are laved by the fertiHzing Hydaspes - not even, if
he could behold the Ganges itself, with its numerous
tributaries passing through his own territories. Nature is
quite a niggardly arrangement, on the part of Providence,
for the greedy for the ambitious ! One man will worship
a King and every thing that belongs to that King! not
that the ploughman, with his stooping back, will ever
cease to force his way through the soil with his diligent
ploughshare, or the husbandman ever relax from gathering
in the harvests from his thousand fields He only desires
!
the riches which they will yield him another is addicted

to king-worship, so that he may trample down every one
else, destroy and ruin some, and give a helping hand to

none such a man desires to wield his power only that
he may be able to oppress others How large a propor-
1
tion of ambitious mortals meet their fate Defore their

:
Vidit miferos enata dies.

Rarum eft, felix, idemque fenex.
CffifpesTyrio mollior oftro,
Solet iiupavidos ducere fomnos. 645
Aurea nimpunt te<5la quietcm,
Vigilefque trahit purpura nodtes.
O fi pateant peiftora ditum,
Quantos intus fublimis agit
Fortuna metus! Brutia Coro 650
Pulfante fretum mitior unda eft.
Peflora pauper fecura gerit.
Tenet e patula pocula fago,
Sed non trepida tenet ilia manu.
Carpit faciles vilefque cibos, 655
Sed non ftriftos refpicit enfes.
Aurea mifcet pocula fanguis.
Conjux modico nupta marito
Non difpofito clara monili
Geftat pelagi dona rubentis, 660
Nee gemmiferas detrahit aures
Lapis Eoa leflus in unda;
Nee Sidonio mollis aheno
Repetita bibit lana rubores;
Nee Maeonia diftinguit acu, 665
Quae Phoebeis fubditus Euris
Legit Eois Ser arboribus.
,
Quselibet herbas tinxere colos,
Quas indo(5lae nevere manus;
Sed non dubios fovet ilia tores. 670
Sequitur dira lampade Erinnys
Quarum populi coluere diem.
Nee fibi felix pauper habetur,
Nifi felices cecidiffe videt.
Quifquis medium defugit iter, 675
Stabili nunquam tramite curret.
Dum petit unum
prsebere diem,
Patrioque puer conftitit axe,
Nee per folitum percurrit iter,
Sed Piioebeis ignota fecat 680
Sidera flammis errante rola,
Secum pariter perdidit orbem.
Medium coeli dum fulcat iter,
Tenuit placitas Dsedalus eras,
NuUique dedit nomina ponto 685
time! The newly-arrived day sees many men miserable,

whom Cynthia moon) had seen the night
(last night's
before, radiant and happy! It is seldom that you see an
old man (and at the same time) a happy man re-
presented by the same individual! The green sward
softer than the Tyrian purple, allows you to enjoy your
sleep from apprehensions the gilded ceilings (roof) often

disturb the rest, and those clothed in their purple only
Eass wakeful nights Oh if the hearts of the rich could
I I
e laid bare, what an amount of misery we should dis-

cover, that elevated fortune brings in its train! The Sici-
lian sea is not so rough, when the North West wind is
contending against its waves; a poor man possesses a
serene mind, as he holds in his hand the rude drinking-
cup, carved out of the wide-spreading beech tree, nor does
he raise his lips with that hand in a trembling
it to
condition 1 He
gathers in his daily food, either that which
costs him nothmg at all or what is of the very cheapest
kind, but he does not know any thing about the sword
of Damocles, and blood (that is, the price of it) does not
mix up with the contents of his golden gobletl The wife
married to the humble man does not bedeck herself with
a necklace mounted with the bright ornaments, yielded
up from the Red Sea Nor does the Oriental pearl found
!
at the bottom of the ocean wei^h down the lobes of her

ears as a gem-laden pendant! Nor does the soft wool of
the poor man's wife imbibe the red dyes from such
repeated immersions in the Sidonian copper vessel! Nor
does the Maeonian matron carefully ply with her embroidery
needle the delicate threads, which the Ser living under an
Oriental Sun, gathers from the trees in those Eastern
Woods any common plant suffices to yield up its colors
to the materials issuing from the poor woman's distaff
which, too, have been spun by the very roughest of hands,
but such a woman, as that, does not harass her mind by
dwelling upon the unfaithfulness of the marriage-bed!
Erinnys follows up with her unrelenting torch the people
who celebrate with pomp and public demonstrations
their natal days, nor is even a poor man satisfied in
his own mind, thut he is a happy man till he sees some
of the high and mighty fall from their lofty eminence!
Whoever eschews the paths of moderation, can never
proceed on his way, along a track to be depended on
for its safety When the boy Phaethon madly asked that
1
one day should be granted him to drive the horses of the

Sun, and settled himself down in his father's chariot, it
was not allowed to travel the usual path, but with the
eccentrically-driven Chariot, he cut his way through those
regions in space, altogether strange to the fiery steeds of
Phoebus and he might have destroyed the earth as well
as himself! Daedalus preserved his serenity of count-
enance, when he ploughed the middle way in the sky
and have his name to no sea! But when Icarus had
the temerity to outstrip the birds themselves in his aerial
flight and whilst that conceited boy totally disregarded
:
Sed dum volucres vincere veras

Icarus audet, patriafque puer
Defpicit alas, Phceboque yolat
Proximus ipfi, dedit ignoto
^^
Nomina ponto. "9
Male penfantur magna ruinis.
Felix alius, magoufque fonet;
Me nulla vocet turba polentem.
Stringat tenuis litora puppis.
Nee magna meas aura phafelos 69S
Jubeat medium fciodere pontum.
Tranfit tutos Fortuna fmus,
Medioque rates quasrit in alto,
Quarum feriunt fuppara nubes.
Sed quid pavido territa vultu, 7
Qualis Baccho faucia Masnas,
Fertur rapido regina gradu?
Quae te rurfus fortuna rotat,
Miferanda, refer, licet ipfa neges,
Vultus loquitur, quodcunque tegis. 705
ACTUS TERTIUS.
DEJANIRA, CHORUS.
Dejaniram, periculo veneni ad folem expofiti flammafque
concipientis faifto, confilii fui poenitet.
DEJAN. VV AGUS per artus errat excuffos tremor.

Ereflus horret crinis. impulfis adhuc
Stat terror animis, & cor attonitum falit,
Pavidumque trepidis palpitat venis jecur.
Ut fradlus Auftro pontus etiamnum tumet, 710
Quamvis quiefcat languidis ventis dies
Itamens adhuc vexatur excuffo metu.
Semel profe<5lo premere felices Deus
Cum ccepit, urget. hos habent magna exitus.
CHOR. Quis tam impotems, o mifera, te cafus rotat? 715
DEJAN. Ut miffa palla eft, tabe Neflea illita.
the unaspiring wings of his father's, and flew quite near

to the Sun which melted the wax of his wings, and
falling gave his name to an unknown sea A
lofty condi-
!
tion does not compensate for the ruin involved therewith

another man, more fortunate and rejoicing in his
greatness, may fly about (sometimes with impunity) but
let no flattermg crowd call you great! A
fragile skiff^
may graze the shore unharmed, but a heavy breeze should
never tempt that craft to cut its way to the middle of

the ocean f Good fortune only attends upon those who
hoist easy canvas, and goes on a vain errand, in quest
of those crafts doomed to destruction that venture into
the middle of the deeps, with their topsails made to
strike the very clouds! (that is to say, they come to grief.)
But why is the Queen coming on (advancing) with such
a rapid step? Why does she look so terrified in her
expression, like some wounded Msnad full of her inspiring
God, Bacchus? Tell us, oh! miserable Dejanira, what
capricious turn of Fortune's wheel has again affected thee
thus? Although thou mayst deny the accusation thy very
face revea!s that whatever thou art fancying^ thou art
hiding from us!
ACT III.
DEJANIRA- CHORUS.
Dejanira repents of her design, when she is acquainted
with what danger the poison has brought about, and
which calamity, as predicted from its exposure to
the sun, had now taken place.
DEJANIRA.
WANDERING trenior travels all over my convulsed
A frame, my hair stands erect from my fright and

(inward) terror still possesses my agitated soul! I
am so bewildered in my mind and my natural sensibilities
are so much wrought upon, that my terrified heart leaps
and throbs, and my very liver beats against my side
with its blood-vessels in tremulous commotion as the
sea still remains swollen and angry after it has been
vanquished by the South wind, although the tempest has
quieted down, the winds having become more gentle, so
my inward soul is harassed from the effects of the fears,
which had been left behind of a truth, when once the
angry deity tries to oppress those that were once happy,
he perseveres with the task he commenced with (great
undertakings generally have anxious and calamitous
endings).
CHOR. What terrible calamity, oh! miserable princess,

causes thee to shake thus?
DEj. When the cloak was sent to me, with the Nessus
poison rubbed into it, being cast down by my sorrows, I
574
SENEGA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 7-7-745
Thalamifque mosrens intuli greffum meis,

Nefcio quid auimus timuit, & fraudem ftruit.
Libet experiri. folibus virus ferum
Flammifque Neffus fanguinem oftendi arcuit. 720
Hie ipfe fraudes effe pramonuit Deus.
Et forte nulla, nube refperfus jubar
Laxabat ardens fervidum Titan diem.
(Vix ora folvi patitur etiam nunc timor)
Medios in ignes folis, & claram facem 725
Quo fuerat palla, veftifque illita,
tiiicfta
Abjeflus horret fanguis, &

Plioebi coma
Tepefaftus ardet vix queo monftrum eloqui.
Nives ut Eurus folvit, aut tepidus Notus,
Quas vere primo lubricus perdit Mimas; 73
Utque involutos frangit lonio falo
Oppofita fluftus Leucas, & laiTus tumor
In litore ipfo fpumat; aut cceleftibus
Afperfa tepidis tliura laxantur focis:
Sic languet omne vellus, & perdit comam. 735
Dumque ipfa miror, caufa mirandi perit.
Quin ipfa tellus fpumeos motus agit,
Et quidquid tabe conta(lum eft, labat.
ille
[Tumenfque tacita fequitur, & quaffat caput]
Natum paventem cemo & ardenti pede 740
GreiTus ferentem. prome, quid portes novi.
HYLLUS, DEJANIRA, NUTRIX.

Intellefto ex Hyllo funefti muneris malo, Dejanira fibi
mortem confcifcit.
HYL. -L, PROFUGE, quaere fi quid ulterius patet

Oceano, inferis.
Terris, freto, fideribus,
Ultra labores, mater, Alcidae fuge.
DEJAN. Nefcio quod animus grande prtefagit malum. 745
wended my
steps towards my bed-chamber, and I know
not, why had my fearful misgivings and I somehow
I
suspected that some fraud had been planned out, I thought,
however, I would give it a trial; Nessus laid great stress
on the precaution, that his blood, which was a virulent
poison should not be exposed to the light nor brought
under the influence of heat my good genius forewarned
;
me there was some fraud intended, but Titan, (the Sun)

by chance, with no clouds hanging about, as he let loose
the burning day, must have shed his rays on it; my
excessive timidity, even now, will scarcely allow me to
find utterance for my thoughts. The blood, with which
the cloak was impregnated, and the other garment, which
!
L>n 7-7-74S] HERCULES OETÛS. 575
was rubbed with it also, exposed to the heat of a mid-day

sun and the glaring Hght of the bright day began to
tremble visibly (the calorific and luminous rays combined
to cause a bubbhng up, as if in boiling, from the
augmentation of temperature), and thus begmning to be
made hot by the rays of the sun, soon began to burn
fiercely. I can scarcely express myself with regard to
this prodigious occurrence. As the East wind or the
warm South wind, which dissipates the snow in early
spring on the slippery Mimas, that snowy Ionian mountain,
and as the coast of Leucas exacdy opposite breaks up
the waves, which are rolled against it by the Ionian sea,
and the swelling of such wavesljecoming exhausted, leaves
only a mass of foam on its shores, or as the frankincense
scattered upon the celestial altars, when they are heated,
soon becomes evaporated, in like manner do the entire
woolly materials composing the substance of the cloak
and the other garment disappear altogether through the
heat of the flames, and at last, become self-extinguished.
(By this passage is meant, the whole of the comoustible
carbonaceous matter being consumed, nothing is left for
the active flames to operate upon, and thus, the flames
die out.) And whilst I ponder wonderingly over all this
the cause of such wonder soon vanishes, when I think of
every thing. But the ground itself becomes agitated and
sets up a frothy appearance from its disturbed condition,
whilst every thing that is brought into contact with that
virulent poison, is instantly destroyed, and although swelling
with pent-up anger, without saying a word, she ponders
over the situation and merely shakes her head significantly 1
I now perceive my terrified son, Hyllus, approaching with

rapid steps: tell me, Hyllus, what news hast thou brought?
HYLLUS -DEJANIRA NURSE.

The niischief brought about by this fatal gift, being
ascertained from Hyllus, Dejanira resolves to kill
herself.
HYLLUS.
seek out there any spot open

Go,formother, flee, if
thy reception more remote than even
is
earth this
the sea the heavens the Ocean or even the
infernal
regions beyond those regions which have
witnessed the labors of Alcides
DEJ. A presentiment of some great calamity, I know

not what, has taken possession of my mind.
:
HYL. Regna, tiiumpha, templa Junonis pete

Hjec tibi patent, delubra prseclufa omnia.
DEJAN. Effare, qui me cafus infontem premat.
HYL. Decus illud orbis, atque prasfidium unioum,
Quem fata terris tn locum dederant Jovis, 75
O mater, abiit. membra, & Herculeos toros
Urit lues nefcio qua. qui domuit feras,
Ille, ille vi<flor vincitur, moeret, dolet.
Quid quaeris ultra? DEJAN. Miferias properant fuas
Andire miferi. fare, quo pofita in ftalu 755
Jam noftra domus eft.o lares, miferi lares!
Nunc vidua, nunc expulfa, nunc feror obruta!
HYL. Non fola moeres. Hercules toto jacet
Mundo gemendus. fata ne, mater, tua
jam genus totum obftrepil.
Privata credas. jSo
Hunc, quem gemis, cunfli gemunt.
ejulatu
Commune terris omnibus pateris malum.
Luilum occupafti prima, non fola Herculem
Miferanda moeres. dejan. Quam prope a leto tamen,
Ede, ede, (quaefo) jaceat Alcides meus. 7^5
HYL. Mors refugit ilium, viifta quae in regno fuo
Semel eft. nee audent fata tam vaftum nefas
Admittere. ipfa forfitan trepida colos
Clotlio manu projecit, & fatum Herculis
Timet peragere. pro diem! infandum diem! 770
Hocne ille fummo magnus Alcidus erit?
DEJAN. Ad fata & umbras, atque pej'orem polum
Prsecedere ilium dicis? an poffum prior
Mortem occupare? fare, fi nondum occidit.
HYL. Euboica tellus vertice immenfo tumens 775
Pulfatur omni latere. Phrixeum mare
Scindit Caphareus. fervit hoc Auftro latus.
At qua nivofi patitnr Aquilonis minas,
Euripus undas fleftit inftabilis vagas,
Septemque curfus & totidem refert,
volvit, 780
Dum laiTa Titan mergat Oceano juga.
HYL. Seek for some kingdom, for some fresh triumphs,

ayej the temples of Juno they will be open to thee, but
all other fanes will be closed against thee.
DEj. Express thyself more explicitly. Who is there that

can rail at me, one that is entirely innocent of this
calamity 1
HYL. That ornament of the world and its only safeguard,

one which the Fates had presented to the Earth the m
place of a Jupiter. Oh mother, he has gonel I know
I
not what destructive agent has burnt up the limbs and

muscles of Hercules, and he that subdued the wild beasts
is grieving and mourning, and he, the proud conqueror
Lines 746-781] HERCULES CETÛS. '
577
has lived to see himgelf conquered ! What more dost thou

want to know, than all this?
DEj. Those in misery are always in a hurry to know

the length and breadth of their miseries! Speak outl Ohl
in what a sad position our palace is placed! Oh! my
home! my now wretched home! but now I am a widow
and am utterly overwhelmed in ruin Now I am a home-
!
less woman!
HYL. Thou art not the only mourner, Hercules dies
with all the world groaning at his loss do not attach any
importance, mother, to thy own personal loss already the
entire human race resound the air with their grief all the
peoples bewail him with the same moanings, which thou,
thyself, art evincing now
thou art suffering from a calam-
ity which is felt by all the earth
thou art the first, 'tis
true to take on with grief, but thou in all thy misery art
not the solitary mourner for Hercules!
DEJ. But how near death is he ? Oh tell me, I beseech

1
thee, and will my

dear Alcides really die?
HYL. Even Mors does not like to face him the Mors
of that land which he once subdued, as she reigned para-
mount in her own Kingdom, nor even do the Fates dare
to commit any impious offence (where Hercules is con-
cerned), and Clotho herself most likely has arranged her
distaff with a trembling hand, and is fearing to issue her
fiat with regard to the fate of Hercules Alas for such a
I !
day to arrive! Alas! for such a cruel day! And will that
really be the last eventful day for the great Alcides?,
DEJ. Dost thou say that he is going before me to the

Patesthe Manes and the worse dark^sky below ? Cannot
I possibly meet my own doom first? Speakl if he has not
as yet departed this world.
HYL. The land of Eubcea swelling proudly with its
immense mountain promontory, isstruck by the boisterous

waves in every part of its insular sea-board Caphareus
divides the Hellespont, (Phrixean Sea) and this side of
Eubcea is under the influence of the South wind, but where
the same island suffers from the angry tempests of the
North wind with its dreadful snowdrifts, and there the restless
Euripus winds its seven flood tides and consequently ebbs
often. (The tides vary in different parts of the world, and
as many as eight are known to occur amongst some of
the islands in the Eastern Archipelago.) Where Titan sinks
37
*
578 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 782-8^8
Heic rape celfa, nulla quam nubes ferit,

Annofa fulgent templa Ceosei Jovis.
Ut ftetit ad aras omne votivum pecus,
Totumque tauris gemuit auratis nemus; 785
Spolium leonis fordidum tabo exuit,
Pofuitque clavas pondus, & pharetra graves
Laxavit humeros. vefte tunc fulgens tua,
Cana revindlus populo horrentem comam,
Succendit aras. Accipe has, inquit, focis 790
Non falfe mefles genitor, & largo facer
Splendefcat ignis tliure, quod Phoebum colens
Dives Sabasis coUigit truncis Arabs.
Pacata tellus, inquit, & coelum, & freta;
Feris fubadlis omnibus vidlor redii. 795
Depone fulmen. gemitus in medias preces,
Stupeute & ipfo, cecidit. hinc coelum horrido
Clamore complet. qualis impreffa fugax
Taurus bipenni vulnus & telum ferens,
Delubra vafto trepida mugitu replet; 8eo
Aut quale mundo fulmen emiifum tonat;
Sic gemitus fidera & pontum ferit:
ille
Et vafta Chalcis fonuit, & voces Cyclas
Excepit omnis. hinc. petrse Capharides,
Hinc omne voces reddit Herculeas nemus. 805
Flentem videmus. vulgus antiquam putat
Rabiem rediffe. tunc fugam famuli petunt.
At ille vultns ignea torquens face,
Unum inter omnes quserit & fequitur Licban.
Complexus aras ille tremebunda manu, gio
Mortem metu confumfit, & parum fui
Pcenae reliquit. dumque tremebundum manu
Tenuit cadaver, Hac manu, hac, inquit, ferar
(O fata!) vi(lus? Herculem perimit Lichas.
Ecce alia clades, Hercules perimit Lichan. 815
Faifla inquinentur. fiat hie fummus labor.
In aftra miflus fertur, &
nubes vago
Spargit cruore. talis in caelum exfilit
Arundo, Getica vifa dimitti manu;
Aut quam Cydon excuffit: inferius tamen 820
Et tela fugient. truncus in pontum cadit.
In faxa cervix, funus ambobus jacet.
Refiftite, inquit. non furor mentem abftulit.
Furore gravius iftud atque ira malum eft.
In me juvat fsevire. vix peftem indicat, 825
Et fsevit. artus ipfe dilacerat fuos,
Et membra vafta carpit avellens manu.
Exuere ami(5lus quaerit. hoc folum Herculem
his wearied chariotbelow the ocean, on a lofty hill, here,

which no clouds ever obscure from the sight (envelope),
Lmes 782-8^8] HERCULES CETÛS. S79
the ancient temple of Jupiter Cenaeus shines forth radiantly.

As all the cattle intended for the sacrifice are standing
before the altars, the whole forest around echoes to the
bellowinKs of the bulls with their gilded horns Hercules
!
takes off the Lion's skin stained Vith the blood of that
Nemsean trophy, and relieves his burdened shoulders of
his ponderous quiver, then, looking very radiant with the
robe thou hadst given him, binds round his shaggy locks
the white poplar, (the tender flexible stems and leaves)
then, he lighted up the altars and exclaimed: Oh! my
father, receive as a sincere demonstration of my devotion
these oriental aromatics on thy venerable altars, and let
the sacred iires grow bright with unstinted frankincense,
which the rich Arab, who worships the sun, gathers from

the aromatic trees of Sabasa- He then goes on to say Let:
the earth now be at peace, and the heavens and the sea 1
As a proud conqueror, I have returned from having over-

come every wild monster in existence. Oh! my father,

do away now with thy lightnings! And with a sudden
groan in the midst of his adorations he fell to the ground
stupefied then he filled the air with a terrific shout, much
in the same way as the bull, effecting its retreat after it
has received the blow from the sacrifical axe and the
wound actually retaining the weapon itself, fills the very
temple, and causes it to tremble again with its tremendous
roarings; or. such as the thunder produces, when the
lightnings of Jupiter are shot forth from the heavens,
in like manner does the groaning of Hercules smite the
heavens above and the sea beyond, and the vast Chalcis
resounds with his tremendous voice, and in every one of
the Cyclades is it likewise heard as well as, in the
rocky Capharides - every forest near this place echoes to
the voice of Hercules ; and now we behold him weeping,
the old attendants round about him, thinking that his
former madness had re-appeared (when he killed Megara
and his children) and under that impression his servants
take to their heels But in reality, his face is only writhing
!
from the. agony arising out of the burning heat of the fire
round about his body, and he singles out one from amongst
the number of those near him, and pursues Lichas, who
clung to the altar with a trembUng hand, and half-dead
with fear already, left very little scope for the vengeance
of Hercules And whilst Hercules held his quivering car-
!
cass in his hand, he exclaimed: Oh! my sad destiny, that

it should go forth to the world, that I had been conquered
by such a hand as this, for a Lichas to kill a Hercules!
Wait to hear of the other's slaughter, which follows; Her-
cules kills Lichas, exclaiming: "The deed is really an
inglorious one, and tarnishes my former exploits, and to
jSo SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 829-860
Non poffe, vidi. trahere conatus tamea,

corporis palla horridi 3
Et membra traxit.
Pars eft, &
ipfam veftis immifcet cutem.
Nee caufa dine cladis in medio patet:
Sed caufa tamen eft, vixque fufficiens male.
Nunc ore terram languidus prono ferlt;

Nunc pofcit undas. unda non vincit malum. 835.
Fluftifona qu^rit litora, & pontum occupat.
Famularis .ilium retinet errantem manus.
O fortem acerbam! fuimus Alcidse pares.
Nunc puppis ilium litore Euboico refert,
Aufterque lenis pondus Herculeum rapit. 840
DEJAN. Deftituit animus membra, nox oculos premit.
Quid, anime, ceflas? quid ftupes fa6lum fcelus?
Natum repofcit Juppiter, Juno amulum.
Reddendus orbi eft. quod poteft reddi, exhibe.
Eat per artus enfis exadtus meos. 845
Sic, fie agendum eft. tam levis pcenas manus
Tantas repofcit? toUe fulminibus, focer,
Nurum fceleftam. nee levi telo manus
Armetur. illud fulmen exfiliat polo.
Quo, ni fuiffet genitus Alcides tibi, 850
Hydram cremaffes, peftem ut infolitam feri,
Et ut noverca pejus irata malum.
Emitte telum, quale in errantem prius
Plisethonta miffum eft. perdidi erepto Hercule
Et ipfa populos. quid rogas teluui Decs? 855
Jam parce focero. conjugem Alcidse necem
Optare pudeat. hsec erit voto manus:
A me petatur. occupa ferrum ocius.
Cur deinde ferrum f quidquid in mortem trahit,
Telum eft abimde. rupe ab setherea ferar. 860
think, too, that the deed should represent very lastmy

labor" and after saying this, Lichas is thrown upwards
towards the sky, and sprinkles the clouds with his scattered
blood, and like an arrow, his carcass was shot forth, appear-
ing as if it had been hurled by some Scjrthian marksman,
or as if it were one, which some Cydonian (Cretan) archer
had shot forth from his bow, but only that their arrows
would fly to a distance much less His body fell into the
I
sea and his neck struck upon the rocks, and thus a resting
Elace was found for both! Stop! Hercules said, rage my
as not deprived me of my
reason it is this calamitous
condition, which is greater than madness or anger, it is
that I am induced to turn my anger against myself! He
does not know what the virus has brought about, and he
waxes very wild with rage, and begins to tear away at his
body, and his limbs, with his huge hand, and seeks to
remove his clothing (that fatal cloak). I saw at once that
Hercules could not effect that object, the only thing, perhaps,
he ever failed in. However, he attempted to cfraw it (his
clothing) from his body, a second time, and dragged away
part of his body with it for the cloak had become a
part of that body and had adhered and connected itself
so inseparably with the integuments nor was the cause
of this destructive work by any means brought to light,
but there, the cause was evidently sufificient for the evil
it had brought about; then, being scarcely able to bear
the pain any longer, and being very exhausted, he smote
the earth with his face bent downwards, and then he
asked for water, but the water did not quench his torment-
ing thirst; he sought the shore, which the noisy waves
are beating against, and got into the sea, but his servants'
hands prevented him from wandering far, (they had hold
of him.) Oh cruel lot, we are all now on a par with
1
Hercules, then some craft brought him back to the Eubcean

shore, which a gentle South wind wafts shorewards, with
the ponderous Hercules on board, to CEtal
DEJ. All animation has left my body my sight is quite

dimmed! Ohl my soull Why dost thou hesitate? Why
art thou thus taken aback (astounded) the crime has,
indeed, been worked out (committed) Jupiter is calling
back his son Juno will receive a rival No (this uttered
! ! !
in great despair) but Hercules must be given up to the

earth again! But let me show, what can be given up
let the pointed sword find its way through my body,
its legitimate due! Yes! Yes! this is what I must do,
cannot my hand, though slight, carry out this heavy
punishment? Take me away, Dy means of thy lightnings,
ohl my father-in-law, (Jupiter) thy wicked daughter-in-law,
nor be thou not armed with one of thy light thunder-
boltslet that lightning flash forth from the skies, with
which, if there had been no Alcides, as a son to thee,
thou couldst have burnt up even the Hydra! Destroy
me, as thou wouldst some extraordinary monster of the
wild-beast genus or as thou wouldst some monster, even
more dangerous, than any mere angry step-mother could
make herself send forth thy lightnings, such as aforetime,
thou shottest forth against Phaethon Hercules has been
!
destroyed by me, and I have thus brought misery upon

mankind! Then, why should I ask for lightnings from
the Gods ? let me, at all events, spare my father-in-law to
grant me death, as the wife of Alcides ? No This very !
hand of mine must be made to carry out my wish! Let

me call the sword's point into speedy requisition. But
why the sword necessarily? Whatever would annihilate

me will be sufficient for my object I will be hurled from

58z SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lin 861-89^
Hffic, hsec renatum prima quae pofcit diem,

CEla eligatur. corpus hinc mitti placet.
Abrupta cautes fcindat, &
partem mei
Ferat omne faxum. pendeant lacerae manus,
Totumque rubeat afperi montis latus. 865
Levis una mors eft. levis, at extendi poteft.
Eligere nefcis, anime, cui telo incubes.
Utinam effet, utinam fixus in thalamis meis
Herculeus enfis! huic decet ferro immori.
Una perire dextera nobis fat eft.' 870
Coite gentes. faxa & incenfas faces
Jaculetur orbis. nulla nunc ceffet manus.
Corripite tela, vindicera veftrum abftuli.
Impune fasvi fceptra jam reges gerent.
Impune jam nafcetur indomilum malum. 875
Reddentur arae cernere affuetae hoftiam
.Similem colenti. fceleribus feci viam.
Ego vos tyrannis, regibus, monftris, feris,
Sasvlfque, rapto vindice, oppofui Deis.
Ceffas, Tonautis focia? non fpargis facem, 880
Imitata fratrem, & miitis ereptam Jovi.'
Meque ipfa perdis? laus tibi erepta inclita eft,
Ingens triumphus. semuli, Juno, tui
Mortem occupavi. nutr. Quid domum impulfam trahis?
Erroris eft hoc omne, quodcunque eft, nefas. 885
Haud eft nocens, quicunque non fponte eft nocens.
DEJAN. Quicunque fato ignofcit, & parcil fibi,
Errare meruit, morte damnari placet.
NUTR. Nocens videri, qui mori quaerit, cupit.
DEJAN. Mors innocentes fola deceptos facit. 890
NUTR. Titana fugies? dejan. Ipfe me Titan fugit.
NUTR. Vitam relinques mifera? DEJAN. At Alciden fequar.
some rock which raises its lofty peak to the skies, let
CEta then be my choice, which from it height is the first
to catch a glimpse of the rising sun in the far distant

horizon from that I should like to be thrown the craggy
protruding rocks might perchance sever my body in its
descent, and every sharp stone might filch a portion of
that
body my lacerated hands might be caught, and I
should be suspended by them, or the entire rugged moun-
tain side might be tinged with traces of my life-blood.
One death is easy to go through, it is a slight affair, but
it can be prolonged.
Thou knowest not, ohl my soul,
upon whose weapon thou shouldst fall! But I wish that
Hercules' own sword was hanging up in his bed-chamber
(its usual place) I do so wish it wasf It would really be
a worthy death to die, by such a sword as his! But is
my own right hand quite equal to the task of inflicting
I
the death-wound on myself? Assemble, oh! ye various

peoples, let the whole indignant world advance upon me
with missiles (stones) and blazing torches Let no hesitating
1

hands be found^ seize up thy unfaltering weapons for I
have robbed thee of thy avenger? Now, forsooth, cruel
kings may wield their sceptres with perfect impunity, and
now, any indomitable monster may be born and stride
the earth unopposed, and the altars which were formerly
accustomed to claim the guests of Busiris as human
sacrifices, will be restored to their original use I have
thus rendered quite easy all the avenues leading to crime
have supplied you mortals with plentiful relays of sanguinary
tyrants, cruel kings, dreadful monsters,and ferocious wild
beasts and have robbed you even of your only avenger
against the cruel deities! Why dost thou hesitate, oh!
thou sister and wife of Jupiter, do not scatter far and
wide thy own lightnings, imitating thy brother's but filch
some of Jupiter's lightnings, and take upon thyself to
destroy mel Consider what glorious renown has been
achieved through my instrumentality, what great triumph
for thee. Oh Juno, inasmuch as I have caused the death
!
of thy rival 1
NUR. Why dost thou thus endanger the safety and

welfare of thy home and family? This so-called crime
is, after all, whatever it may be regarded, a mere error
on thy part: that person is not a criminal who is not so
arising out of his own free will.
DEj. glosses over or pretends not to see her

Whoever
destiny, so thatshe may deal sparingly with herself,
deserves to suffer for her errors, and thus I willingly
adjudge myself to diel
NUR. He, who is courting death, wishes to be con-

sidered guilty.
DEJ. Death only considers those really innocent, who-

have sinned in error (deceived by circumstances).
NUR. Shalt thou then avoid, for ever, the light of day?
DEJ. The day, thou shouldst say, will not deign to

00k at me.
NUR. Oh miserable princess, wilt thou really surrender

!
thy existence?
DEJ. But I shall only be following Alcides.

NUTR. Supereft, & auras ille coeleftes trahit.

DEJAN. Vinci Hercules cum potuit, hinc coepit mori.
NUTR. Natum relinques, fataque abrumpes tuaf 895
DEJAN. Quamcunque natus fepelit, hsec vixit diu.
NUTR. Virum fequeris? DEJAN. Prsegredi caftie folent.
NUTR. Si te ipfa damnas, fcelere te, mifera, arguis.
DEJAN. Nemo nocens Cbi ipfe pcenas abrogat.
NUTR. Multis remiffa eft vita, quorum error nocens, 900
Non dextra, fuerat. fata quis damnat fua?
DEJAN. Quicunque fata iniqua fortitus fugit.
NUTR. Hie ipfe Megaren nempe confixam fuis
Stravit fagittis atque natorum indolem,
Lemsea figens tela furibunda manu. 905
Ter parricida fa(5lus ignovit tamen
Sibi. nam furoris fonte Cinyphio fcelus -
Sub axe Libyco terfit, & dextram abluit

Quo mifera pergis? quid tuas damnas manus?
DEJAN. Damnat meas deviflus Alcides manus. 910
Placet fcelus punire. nutr. Si novi Herculem,
Aderit cruenti forfitan vi(5lor mali,
Dolorque fraftus cedet Alcidae tuo.
DEJAN. Exedit artus virus, et fama eft, hydras.
Immenfa peftis conjugis membra abftulit. 915
NUTR. Serpentis illi virus enedlae autumas
Hand poffe vinci, qui malum & vivum tulit?
Elifit hydram, dente cum iniixo ftetit
Media palude obrutus
yi(5lor, effufo
Artus veneno. fanguis hunc Neffi opprimet, 920
Qui vicit ipfas horridas Neffi manus?
DEJAN. Fruftra tenetur ille, qui ftatuit mori.
Proinde lucem fugere decretum eft mihi.
Vixit fatis, quicunque cum Alcide occidit.
NUTR. Per has aniles ecce te fupplex comas, 925
Atque ubera ifta paene materna obfecro,
NUR. Hercules still survives ! but dwells, henceforward,

in celestial regions.
DEj. When Hercules' turn came to be conquered, from

that time forth he commenced to die.
NUR. Wilt thou leave a son behind, and break away

from all thy destined duties?
DEJ. Whomsoever a son buries, (the mother for whom

allaffection has died away) such a woman has lived quite
long enough!
NUR. Then thou wilt follow thy husband.
DEJ. The chaste and good are apt to go first.

NtfR. If thou condemnest thyself thus. Oh! miserable

Princess, thou art deeming thyself guilty of the crime itself.
DEj. No guilty man ought to withhold punishment from

himself.
NUR. Life has been spared to many, whose guilt was

the result of error and not design who therefore, ought
to be expected to sit in judgment on what was the result
of some unfortunate error?
DEJ. Yes whoever had an unjust sentence passed upon

I
him, certainly would attempt to fly from it, if he thinks

it is unjust, and it is to escape that injustice, that such a
man would do so.
NUR. Hercules himself, for example, struck down

Megara pierced with his arrows, as well as her family of
sons, wounding them with the shafts armed with the virus

of the Hydra his hands being brought under the control
of his madness, thus making of himself, a parricidal sort
of three-fold murderer, yet he found a way of forgiving
himself^ and he washed out his crime committed whilst
mad, in the Cinyphian streams, under the scorching
Libyan sky, and, he, in a simple manner enough cleansed
his guilty hands. But what plan art thou pursuing, oh I
miserable Dejanira? Why dost thou conclude that thy

hands cannot be cleansed (of thy error) in like manner.
DEJ. Why? The fact of Alcides being overcome, is

sufficient to condemn me
(beyond pardon) and, moreover,
it is my will and wish, that my
offence should be atoned
by my punishment.
NUR. If my notions about Hercules are at all near the
mark, he would appear most likely to turn out the
conqueror in the matter of the virus of that sanguinary
monster Nessus, and the pain, thus overcome, will yield to
thy Alcides, as all other difficulties have done before!
DEJ. The virus of this Hydra has eaten away his very-
limbs,so goes the report and this poison has well nigh
consumed his immense body as well.
NUR. Dost thou think, that the virus of that hydra,

which was killed, could not be effectually guarded against,
by him who deprived that monster of life he strangled
this hydra and when the conqueror stood up in the middle
of the marsh, wounded by its fangs, his body was covered
!
Depone tumidas pedloris laefi rainas,

Mortifque dirse expelle decretum liorridum.
DEJAN. Quicunque mifero forte diffuadet mori,
Crudelis ille eft. interim pcena eft mori: 930
Sad faepe donum in pluribus veuiae fuit.
NUTR. Defende fallem dexteram, infelix, tuam,
Fraudifque facinus eiTe, non nuptse, fciant.
DEJAN. Defendar illic. inferi abfolvent ream.
A me ipfa damnor. purget has Pluton manus. 935
Stabo ante ripas, immemor Lethe, tuas,
Et umbra triftis coniugem excipiam meum.
Sed tu, nigrautis regna qui torques poll,
Para laborem. fcelera quae quifque aufus eft.
Hie vicit error. Juno non aufa Herculem eft 940
Eripere teiTis. horridam poenam para.
Sifyphia cervix ceffet, & noftros lapis
Impellet humcros. me vagus fugiat latex,
Meamque fallax unda deludat fitim.
Merui manus prasbere lurbinibus tuis, 945
Quaecunque rej;em TlieiTalum torques, rota.
Effodiat avidus hinc &
hinc vultur fibras.
Vacat una Danais; has ego explebo vices.
Laxate manes recipe me comitem tibi,
Phafiaca conjux. pejor bsec, pejor tuo 950
Utroque dexlra eft fcelere, feu mater nocens,
Seu dira foror es. adde me comitem tuis,
Threicia conjux, fceleribus. natam tuam.
Althaea mater, recipe nunc veram tuam
:
all over with the poison as it streamed off the monster 1
Will the blood of this Nessus then, suffice to destroy him

who overcame the terrible power of Nessus himself?
DEj. That person is held back in vain, who has deter-
mined to die!
NUR. Look at me, an old woman And I conjure thee,!
even as a suppliant, by these hoary, aged locks of mine,

and by these now shrivelled-up breasts, that during thy
cradlehood were almost those of a mother's in affording
thee the pabulum necessary for thy infantile sustenance 1
I conjure thee, to cast aside the swelling passions raging

in thy wounded heart and abandon this terrible threat
of self-destruction 1
DEJ. Whoever, perchance, dissuades a wretched mortal

from dying, commits an act of cruel injustice sometimes, ;
to die is a punishment, although, oftentimes, death is

awarded to us as a form of merciful pardon
!
Lines 9^7-954] HERCULES CETÛS. 587
NUR. Restrain thy hand at

unfortunate
least, Oh!
Princess, and let all the world know
what has that
occurred, has only been an offence springing out of the
deception on the part of another, and not in any way
the outcome of a wife's design 1
DEj. I myself plead, guilty! Pluto wiU pacify these

hands of mme, the infernal deities will acquit me as a
convict! I shall be defended, there at all events, I shall
stand up with a clear conscience before thy banks. Oh!
thou Lethe, that river of oblivion; and as one of the
tristful, timid Manes, will anxiously look out for my lost
Alcides But thou, who governest that kingdom with its
!
sombre sky, prepare some penalty for me This offence !
of mine (in its results) surpasses anything, which the

most audacious malefactor could ever have perpetrated;
even Juno herself would never have dared to seize away
Hercules bodily, from off the surface of the earth (as I
have been the instrument of accomplishing). Get ready,
then, some terrible punishment, let, for instance, the
shoulders of Sisyphus have a rest, and the huge rock
shall be thrust onwards by my (feminine) shoulders, or let
the baffling streams retreat from my eager approach, and
let the deceptions waters play maliciously at the expense
of my thirsting lips! And, Oh! thou wheel of Ixion,
which twirls round and round that Thessalian king, I
deserve to deliver up my body to thy revolutions From I
all sides, let the greedy vulture peck away at liver my

and entrails ! Or, if there happens to be, a Danaid short,
I can easily fill up the vacancy f Open thy dismal abodes.
Oh! ye Manes, and let me
join thy fraternity, as a most
desirable companion ! Oh The
Phasian wife of Jason
!
(Medea) I am a worse offender than thou art, my hands

have been much worse than thine, in the commission of
crime, either in thy capacity as a criminal mother (slaughter
of thy children) or as a cruel sister (as regards her brother
Absyrtus). Let me join thy ranks, as a companion of the
criminal order! Oh! thou Thracian wife (Procne) And 1
consider me
as thy daughter. Althaea, and regard thyself
as my mother (thou that slewest thy son), acknowledge
me as one of the veritable off-spring, but what an unim-
portant proportion compared with mine, however, that
thy hands were instrumental in removing out of the way
Let me be excluded from the temple of Eleusis, whatsoever
faithful wives, ye are, who are offering up thy adorations,
in the groves ye frequent in that sacred forest! Or, if
any one can be found who has besmeared her hands
with the blood of a husband, or any cruel daughter of
Belus, altogether regardless of the marriage obligations.
S88 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 955-99^
Agnofce prolem. quid tamen tantum manus 955

Veftra abftulevunt? claudite Elyfium mihi,
Quaecunque fidse conjuges nemoris facri
Lucos tenetis. fi qua refperfit manus
Viri cruorCj nee memor caftse facis
Stricfto cruenta Belias ferro ftetit, 9^0
In me fuas agnofcat & laudet manus.
In hanc abire conjugum turbam libet.
Sed & ilia fugiet turba tam diras manus. '
Invicfte coDJux, innocens animus mihi,

Stelefta manus eft. pro nimis mens credula, 9^5
Pro Neffe fallax! atque femiferi doll!
Auferre cupiens pellici, eripui mihi.
Recede, Titan; tuque, quae blanda tenes
In luce miferos, vita: cariturae Hercule
Lux vilis ifta eft. exigam poenas tibi, 97
Reddamque vitam fala an extendo mea?
Mortemque conjux ad tuas fervo manus?
Virtufne fupereft aliqua, & armatae manus
Intendere arcum tela miffurum valent?
An arma ceiTant, teque languenti manu 975
Non audit arcus? fi poteft letum dare,
Animofe conjux, dexterara exfpefto tuam.
Mors dilTeratur. frange ut infontem Licham;
Alias in urbes fparge; & ignotum tibi
Emitte in orbem. perde, ut Arcadiae nefas, 980
Et quidquid aliud reftitit. ab illis tamen,
Conjux, redifti. hyl. Faroe jam, mater, precor.
Ignofce fatis. error a culpa vacat.
DEJAN. Si vera pietas, Hylle, quffirenda eft tibi.
Jam perime matretn. pavida quid tremuit manus? 985
Quid ora hoc erit pietas fcelus.
fleftis?
Ignave, dubitas? Herculem eripui tibi.
Haec, haec peremit dextra, cui debes patri
Avum Tonantem. majus eripui decus,
Quam in luce tribui. (i tibi ignotum eft nefas, 990
A matre difce. feu tibi jugulo placet
Merfiffe ferrum, five matemum libet
who once stood forth with the unsheathed sword, she will-
recognize in me, her own crimes and thus be able to
approve of her deeds in comparison, as a merest approxima-
tion to mine! It would please me to put in appearance
at once, and willingly join such a throng of wives but, I
what if that bevy of women should shrink with horror at

me and my dreadful deed, the destruction of such a man
as Alcides I Oh my unconquered husband, my intentions
1
towards thee were harmless, although my hands became

the unconscious instrument of crime Alas for my too
1 1
credulous mind Oh! that deceitful Nessus and the

I
treachery of that two-formed Centaur (half man and half

! ! !
Lines 955-99S] HERCULES OETÛS. 589
beast). In my desire to get rid of a concubine, I have

brought about my own downfall 1 Hide thyself from me,
oh Titan, thou grand luminary, and thou my own vitality
1
which clings to me, and condemn not the wretched to

behold the bland light of heaven against their will! (I
would say that to thee, any wife, deprived of and sighing
for her Hercules, any husband, that is as dear as Hercules)
that the hght of heaven is a thing of no value, then
Nol I "must exact the punishment, which is due to thee,
oh thou life of mine f Shall I surrender my life by my
!
own agency or shall I allow it toibe prolonged? (For

Hercules, to take it). Ohl my husband, shall I reserve
my death to be dealt with by thy hands? And does
sufficient strength yet remain in thee that thy armed
hands would be able to stretch thy bow and send forth
thy arrows ? Do thy arrows hesitate, or does the bow not
respond to the enfeebled hands? Oh! my courageous
husband, if thou canst give me thatj death, I will look
forward to thy kindly aid! Let my death, by my own
hand- be deferred I (Lichas had noychoice in his case)
Kill me, however, as thou didst that innocent Lichas!
Scatter me, in my fall, amongst different cities (places)
and let me be cast forth into some world unknown to
thee! Destroy me, as thou didst that Maenalian Boar,
the pest of Arcadia, or as thou didst whatever offered
thee the slightest resistance, but from which thou always
earnest off as my conquering husband
HYL. Spare thyself! Oh !my mother": I pray thee,

throw no blame either on the irrevocable Fates a mere
error is exempt from the disgrace attached to a crime
DEj. If true affection, Hyllus, is to be expected from

thee, now is the time to kill thy mother! Why do thy
timid hands tremble so? Why dost thou turn thy face
aside? Such an offence, (as thou mayst' .look at it) would
be absolute affection! Oh! dull-sighted boy, dost thou
hesitate? I have taken Hercules from thee; this this
very hand of mine has destroyed him, to whom, as thy
father, thou art so indebted, inasmuch as thou possessest
Jupiter himself, as a grandfather! I have taken away a
distinguishing ornament, greater than the one I have in-
troduced into the world in the shape of thyself! Learn
from thy mother, whether such a crime is to be imored
and pardoned by thee! either then, let it please thee to
plunge the sword into this neck of mine, or if it please
thee better, into the very womb, which gave thee birth
thy mother will show the most unflinching courage, whilst
thou dost so, and if the act cannot be completely done
Invadere uteram, mater intrepidum tibi

Prsebebit animum. non totum fcelus
erit
A te peraflum. dextera ftemar tua, 995
Sed mente noftra. natus Alcidae times?
Ita nulla peragas juffa, nee frangens mala
Erres per orbem, fi qua nafcetur fera
Referas parentem. dexteram intrepidam para.
Patet ecce plenum peftus Eeruttinis. feri. 1000
Scelus remilto dexterae parcent tuse ,
Eumenides ipfse. verberum crepuit fonus.

Qusenam ifta torqueos angue vipereo comam
Temporibus atras fquallidis pinnas quatit?
Quid dira me flagrante perfequeris face, 1005
Megaera? poenas pofcit Alcides, dabo.
Jamne inferorum, Diva, federe arbitri.'
Sed ecce, diras carceris video fores.
Quis ifte faxum immane detritis gerit
Jam fenior humeris? ecce, jam ve(5lus lapis loio
Quffirit relabi. membra 'quis pjrasbet rotae?
Heic ecce pallens dira Tifiphone ftetit,
Caufam popofcit. parce verberibus, precor,
Megaera, parce j fuftine Stygias faces.
Scelus eft amoris. fed quid hoc? tellus labat 1015
Et aula tedlis crepuit excuffis. minax
Unde ifte ccetus? totus in Vultus meos
Decurrit orbis, hinc & hinc populi fremunt,
Totufque pofcit vindicem mundus fuum.
Jam parcite, urbes. quo fugam pntceps agam? 1020
Mors fola portus dabilur aerumnis meis.
Teftor uitentis flammeam Phoebi rotam,
Superofque teftor. Herculem terris adhuc
Moritura linquo. HYL. Fugit attonita. hei mihi!
Pera(5la jam pars matris eft. ftatuit mori. 1025
Nunc noftra fupereft, mortis auferre impetum.
O mifera pietas! fr mori matrem vetas,
Patri es fceleftus. fi mori pateris tamen,
In matre peccas. furgit hinc illinc nefas.
Inhibenda tamen eft. pergam, & eripiam fcelus. 1030
by thee alone, I will, assisted by thee, throw myself down

on thy armed right hand, but I should think, as a son of
Alcides, thou wouldst not exhibit such a thing as fear!
But it is one of two things, either never attempt to carry
out the orders of any future Eurystheus, and wander

about the earth in search of monsters, if ever wild beasts
of that kind are to be born again, or it is, imitate thy
kind parent and get ready thy courageous right hand to
kill me behold, my
breast lies open for thee, full as it
is of grief and woe. Come Strike
! I forgive thee the
1
crime! Here Dejanira works herself into a state of frenzy,

and fancies she beholds various visions. The Eumenides,
Lines 993-1030] HERCULES (ET^.US, 591
even, would deal lightly with thee, for thy handiwork;

the noise of their whips is now ringing in my ears ; then
she exclaims. Who is that woman with her hair twined
round with serpents, like so many vipers? she is now
shaking those ugly appendages, which hang down round
her repulsive temples Oh cruel Megaera, why dost thou
1 !
follow me with thy burning torches? Ah I will give I
myself up to punishment I seel I seel Alcides demands

1
itl Oh! thou fury-goddess, are not the judges presiding

over the Infernal Tribunals, already sitting to pronounce
sentence upon mel But! Ah! look again, I see the ter-

rible portals of Tartarus that huge prison-house is now
open before my eyes Who is that old man bearing that
!
immense rock, on his bruised and worn-out shoulders,

the stone no sooner carried forwards, but it seeks to fall
back again! Who is that, too, giving up his body to the
revolutions of that ever-turning wheel ? And there cruel
Tisiphone, of pale aspect, is standing forth she has
demanded my punishment I pray thee, spare those blows
1
from thy whips, Megaera be merciful hold back those

Stygian torches I My
crime arose entirely out of my love
for Hercules! What shall I do next? The very earth
seems to quake beneath my feet, and the palace is creaking
with its shaking roofs Whence comes all this assemblage
!
of people with, their angry glances a whole world of

human beings running aoout me and staring me in the
face everybody- appears to be clamouring aloud for
revenge! Be merciful to me, oh! ye cities, for to what
place shall I make my headlong flight? No! Death,
alone will afford me a safe harbor of refuge in my over-
whelming miseries ! And I call the fiery chariot of bright
Phoebus, to witness my resolve, and I call to witness,
likewise, the whole of the Gods above, that, although I
am about to die, I shall still leave Hercules upon this Earth!
HYL. Woe is me! my
mother is rushing away quite
delirious in her manner! Now, the part mother means my
to play has been thoroughly planned out by her: she. is
determined to die! Now my
part in this sad business
is before me, to stave off this impetuous determination
of courting death. Oh! my
natural affection! in what a
miserable dilemma is it placed If I forbid mother
! my
to die, I am acting criminally towards father, if my
however, I suffer her to die I shall sin against her! On
all sides, nothing but crime, crime surges up to my
puzzled brain Whatever I do, however,
! mother must my
be restrained hereupon, I will set to work, and will, at
all events, prevent a fresh crime! (The suicide of his
mother.)
CHORUS.
Sumta ab Herculis robore labefaflato occafione, Choras omnia
interitui obnoxia, nihil natum aeternum canit, quam
fententiam ab au<5lore Orpheo commendat, ejufque
artem obiter celebrat.
V.ERUM
Threffse fub
eft,quod cecinit
Rhodopes jugis,
facer
Aptans Pieriam chelyn,

Orpheus, Calliopae genus:
.(Eternum fieri nihil. 1035
lUius ftetit ad modos
Torrentis rapidi fragor,
Oblitusque fequi fugam
Amifit liquor impetum:
Et dum fluminibus inora eft, 1040
Defeciffe putant Geten
Hebrutn Biftones ultimi.
Advexit volucrem nemus,
Et filva refidens venit;
Aut fi quae aera pervolat, 1045
Auditis vaga cantibus
Ales deficiens cadit.
Abrupit fcopulos Athos,
Centauros obiter ferens;
Et juxta Rhodopen ftetit 1050
Laxata nive cantibus.
Et quercum fugiens fuam.
Ad vatem properat Dryas,
Ad cantus veniunt fuis
Ipfse cum latebris ferae. 1055
Juxtaque impavidum pecus
Sedit Marmaricus leo,
Nee damse trepidant lupos,
Et Terpens latebras fugit,
Tunc oblita veneni. 1060
Quin per Tasnarias foces
Manes cum tacitos adit,
Moerentem feriens chelyn,
Cantu Tartara flebili
Et triftes Erebi Deos 1065
Movit: nee temuit Stygis
Juratos fuperis lacus.
Haefit nou ftabilis rota
Vi(5lo languida turbine.
Increvit Tityi jecur, 1070
Dum cantus volucres tenet.
Audito quoque uavita
Inferni ratis Eequoris
NuUo remigio venit.
CHORUS.
The Chorus sings of everything, as being subject to Death
the occasion being so suggestive, since the failing
strength of Hercules "that nothing born or created
is lasting," which sentiment of Orpheus it praises, and
they intersperse the Chorus with celebrating his
divine art.
isa great truth of which Orpheus, the sacred poet of

ITthe Muses and interpreter of the Gods, and son of
Calliope, once sang on the mountain summits of Thracian
Rhodope, when he accompanied his canorous melodies on
his Pierian Harp, "that nothing which has been created
is eternal." The very roarings of the rapid torrents of
the Hebrus have ceased, enchanted by his melodious
strains, and that river has abandoned its usual impetuos-
ity and become utterly unmindful of pursuing its accustomed
violent course, (listenmg to Orpheus) and whilst the stoppage
of that river's courses last, the Bistones afar off (Thra-
cians) actually suppose that the Getian Hebrus must surely
have become dried up at its very source! The forest,
bringing together with it all its feathered inhabitants, and
the woods are drawn thither, riveted by the enchanting
melodies, and whatever is on the wing, m
the air above,
directly his song is heard whatever small bird is flitting
about, is overcome by his melodies, and falls to the earth
helpless! (That is their wings lose their nerve power.)
Mount Athos breaks away from its rocky foundations,
carrying with it the Centaurs dwelling here and there on
its summits, (Athos was the abode of the Centaurs) attracted
to Orpheus, and took up its stand close to Rhodope,
whilst the snow thereupon is being thawed by the sweet
melodies of Orpheus And every Dryad abandoned the
1
watchful guardianship of her especial oak and hastens to

listen to the musical poet The wild beasts with their dens
!
included come forward at the sound of his melodies, and

the ferocious Marmaric Lion crouches languidly, by the
side of the flock, which do not go in dread of his presence
for the nonce! Nor do the timid wild goats fear to have
the hungry wolf in their very midst And the serpent for
1
once, forgets all about its poisonous fangs and escapes

from its lurking-place! But when Orpheus passes in by
the Taenarian Portals and meets with the silent Manes
(thinking of the death of his Eurydice) and striking up
some doleful strains upon his Pierian Lyre, he moved
Tartarus itself and the sad deities of Erebus with his
mournful melodies, nor did he fear to approach those
Stygian lakes, by which the Gods do swear! And the wheel
38
!;
Tunc primum Phrygius fenex J075

Undis ftantibus immemor
Excuffit rabidam fitim,
Nee pomis adhibet manus:
Sed cum linqueret inferos
Orpheus carmina fundens; 1080
Et vinci lapis improbus,
Et vatem potuit fequi.
Confumtas iterum Deas
Supplent Euiydices colos:
Sed dum refpicit immemor, 1085
Nee eredens redditam
fibi
Orpheus Eurydieen fequi,
Cantus prsemia perdidit.
Quae nata eft iterum, peril.
Tunc folamina cantibus 1090
Quaerens, flebilibus modis
Hsec Orpheus cecinit Getis:
Leges in fuperos datas,
[Et qui tempora digerens
Quatuor praecipitis Deus 1095
Anni difpofuit vices]
Nulli non avidas eolo
Parcas ftamina necftere.
Quod natum eft, poterit mori.
Vati credere Thracio 1 100
Deviflus jubet Hercules.
Jam jam legibus obrutis
Mundo cum veniet dies;
Auftralis polus obruet
Quidquid per Libyam jacet, 1105
Et fparfus Garamas tenet.
Arftous polus obruet,
Quidquid fubjacet axibuSj
Et ficcus Boreas feril.
Amiffum trepidus polo mo
Titan excutiet diem.
Cceli regia coucidens
Ortus atque obitus ti-ahet.
Atque omnes pariter Deos
of Ixion which never stopped before, stood still then, its

feeble revolutions being overcome by Orpheus and the
liver and entrails of Tityus, had time to grow larger,
whilst the songs of Orpheus held the vultures spell-bound
and that old pilot, Charon, when he heard the music was
enchanted thereby, and the skiff of that infernal river,
came to land without any help from him as its oarsman
Then, directly Orpheus was heard, the Phrygian veteran,
Tantalus, became quite unconscious that the hitherto fuga-
Lines I07S-.II4] HERCULES CETÛS. 595
cious streams in front of his lips were now standing still,

and he himself forgot all about his maddening thirst, nor
did his hands betray any eagerness to seize the apples,
though within his reach and showing no disposition to
retreat. But, as he was taking leave of the infernal regions,
stillpouring forth his melodies, that relentless time-serv-
ing_ stone was willing to be overcome, to yield up its
duties and follow the musical poet (the stone of Sisyphus)
I
and the Goddesses (Parcse) had already replenished the

exhausted distaff and renewed the threads of life to Eury-
dice, but Orpheus, forgetting all about his promise to
Pluto, looked behind him, and then bethinking himself, no
longer believed that his Eurydice, just lately restored to
him, would now be able to follow him, and thus he lost
the reward and advantages of all his enchanting songs I
And Eurydice,. who had been born a second time, thus

returned to her former state (dies again)! Then seeking
consolation from his own melodies, the Thracian Orpheus
chanted forth these truthful measures to the Getae (a
Scythian tribe, noted for their contempt of death). Certain
fates have been decreed, even for the Gods above, and
that deity, who, when he regulated the seasons, has laid
out with exactitude the four divisions of the year, as it
rolls onwards and it is of no moment, that the greedy
Fates should fail to weave threads from their distaff: for
whatever is born or created must die! Place, therefore,
reliance on the Thracian Poet; it was simply ordained
that Hercules should be finally overcome! And when, at
length, the very laws of the universe become overthrown,
the last day must come too, to this world The Southern
1
Heaven will overrun whatever exists throughout Libya,

and whatever lands the nomad Garamantes wander over
(now the desert of Zaara). The Northern Pole will over-
whelm whatever is beneath its own sky, and wherever the
dry Boreas shows its power with its freezing cold and
stormy blasts! And trembling Titan (the sun) will be
dislodged from the sky, and there will then be the end
of Day And the palaces of the heavenly regions, falling
!
pell-mell, will drag down in their train all traces of such

distinctions as East and West! And some species of
annihilation will alike destroy the whole race of Gods, and
Chaos will reign supreme And Death, even, will establish
1
for itself some new laws for its own future guidance!
(That is to say, after everything has been destroyed by
death, the destroying cause "ipsissima causa" will be
eventually changed in its turn, mutata mutabuntur!) But
what place will receive the world? Will the entrances to
Tartarus disappear, or lie open in order to receive the
scattered skies as they fall ? And what space will serve to
SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines ms-nso
S96
'I '5
Perdet mors aliqua, & chaos.
Et mors fata novitfima
In fe conftUuet fibi.
Quis mundum capiet locus?
Difcedet via Tartari,
'J 20
Stratis ut pateat polls?
An quod dividit aethera
A terris fpatium, fat eft
Et mundi nimium malis?
Quis tantum capiet nefas
Fati? quis fuperis locus 1125
Pontum, fidera, Tartara,
Regna unus capiet tria?
Sed quis non modicus fragor
Aures attonitas movet?
Eft, eft Herculeus fonus. "3
ACTUS QUARTUS.
HERCULES, CHORUS.
Ejulans Hercules conqueritur, indigne ferens, fe indigna
morte perire, femineis fcilicet dolis.
c
HERC. V_ÔNVERTE, Titan clare, anhelantes equos,
Emitte nodVem. pereat hie mundo dies,
Quo moriat. atra nube inhorrefcat polus.
Obfta novercse. nunc, pater, caecum chaos
Reddi decebat, hinc & hinc compagibus 1135
Ruptis uterque debuit frangi polus.
Quid parcis aftris? Herculem amittis, pater.
Nunc partem in omnem, Juppiter, fpecla poll,
Ne quis gigas Theffalica jaculetur juga,
Et fiat OArys pondus Encelado leve. 1 140
Laxabit atri carceris jam jam fores
Pluton fuperbus vincula excutiet patri,
Ccelumque reddet. ille, qui pro fulmine
Tuifque facibus natus in terris eram,
Ad Styga revertor. surget Enceladus ferox, 1145
Mittetque, quo nunc premitur, in fuperos onus.
Regnum omne, genitor, setheris dubium tibi
Mors noftra faciet. antequam fpolium tui
Caelum omne fiat, conde me tota, pater,
Mundi ruina. frange, quern perdis, polum. 115
divide the skies from the earth, it is enough and too

cruel a destiny for this world to have to look forward to 1
What place can possibly receive these accumulated crimes

of fate? What region above where the Gods do dwell
L.nes .11S-.150] HERCULES (ETÛS. 597
could inclose the sea, the firmament and the realms of

Tartarus? Will one place suffice to contain all three? But
what is that certainly not very mild noise, which now
assails our astounded auriculars? Ahl It isl Yesl it is the
veritable sound of Hercules 1
ACT IV.
HERCULES CHORUS.
Hercules complains in a lugubrious strain, about suffering
undeservedly, and that he should be doomed to die
an ignominious death, especially one arising out of
a woman's treachery.
HERCULES.
TURN back, oh! bright

send forth the night
Titan, thy panting steeds-
and on the day on which
I die, let the day-light disappear for ever from the
world let the sky become terrible to behold, obscured
by one vast black cloud, and stand in the way of my
step^mother's hearty joy at my downfall 1 Oh my father,
I
it be an advantageous thing for thee, that the heavens

will
should resume the state of Chaos, and every part of the
heavens must be utterly destroyed, the very bonds of
union being severed, why spare the stars ? Oh my father, I
thou art losing Hercules now look carefully, oh Jupiter,

1 1
to every assailable part of the celestial regions lest some

ânt should hurl forth the Thessalian mountain, and
Orthrys be made a light burden for Enceladus, and soon,
very soon, proud Pluto would unlock the prison doors
in the infernal regions, and relieve thy father, Saturn, of
the chains that are now binding him down, and restore
Heaven to him, and I, who was bom into the world to
serve thy cause in lieu of thunderbolts, and to spare thy
I lightnings, am simply finding my way back to the regions
of the Styxl As sure as fate, that ferocious Enceladus
will rise to the occasion, and will hurl forth that burden
^tna, by which he is now being kept down, at the gods
above, and my death will render the whole of the celestial
kingdom, oh my father a most uncertain possession for
I !
thee 1But before such a catastrophe as being seized from

thee, should befall thy celestial dominions, oh! my
father, bury me completely in the ruins of the world, and
rather destroy thou the heavens thou possessest, than to
be thus deprived of them!
5^8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. {Un^^ 1151-.180
CHOR. Non vana times, nate Tonantis,

Jam Theffalicam Pelion Offam
Premet; & Pindo congeftus Athos
Nemus sethereis inferet aftris.
Vincet fcopulos inde Typhoeus, IISS
Et Tyrrhenam feret Inarimen.
Feret ^taseos inde caminos
Scindetque latus mentis aperti,
Nondam Enceladus fulmine vi(lus.
Jam te coeli figna fequentur. 1 1 60
HERC. Ego, qui relifta morte, contemta Styge,
Per media Lethes ftagna cum fpolio redii.
Cum psene trepidis excidit Titan equis:
Ego, quem Deorum regna feuferunt tria,
Morior: nee ullus per meum flridet latus 1165
Tranfmiffus enfis: haud mese telum necis
Saxam eft, nee inflar mootis abrupt! latus,
Aut totus Othrysj non ti'uci ri<5lu Gyges
Pindo cadaver obruit toto meum:
Sine hofte vincor: quodque me torquet magis, 11 70
(O mifera virtus !) fummus AlcidjE dies
Nullum malum profternit. impendo, hei mihi,
In nulla vitam fa(5ta. pro mundi arbiter,
Superique, quondam dexterse teftes mese!
Pro cundla tellus, Herculis veftri placet 11 75
Mortem perire? dirus o nobis pudor!
O turpe fatum femina Herculesfe necis
!
Audlor feretur: au(5lor Alcides quibusf

Invi(ta fi me cadere feminea manu
Voluere fata, perque tam turpes colos 1 180
CHOR. Thou art not setting up any silly fears, ohl

thou son of the thunderer; very soon the giants would
press down Ossa upon the Thessalian Pelion, and Athos
piled up on Pindus would very soon intermingle their
forests with the stars of heaven; then Typhceus would
soon get the better of the rocks, where he lies buried,
and he would bear on his shoulders the Tyrrhenian
Inarime, and after that, he would bring to his aid ^tna
itself with its blazing furnaces And Enceladus, who, as
I
thou knowest, has never been conquered, by the lightnings

hitherto, would make an opening for himself in the side
of the mountain, and then all the constellations throughout
the heavens, would fall into ruin (if thou wert to die !)
HERC. I, who left death behind me, when I quitted

Hell and looked with contempt on the Styx itself (although
I
the Gods do swear by it) I threaded my way through

the streams of Lethe, with my proud spirit, the dog
Cerberus, which monster, when Titan saw, he nearly
Lines ii5i-ix8o] HERCULES CETÛS. 599
failed to manage his affrighted steeds I I, of whom the

three kingdoms of the universe, have had occasion to
experience the prowess (the Stymphahdes, the Hydra and
Cerberus), am doomed to die nor is any pointed weapon
1
piercing my side through and through, brmging about my

downfall 1No huge rock is taking away my life, nor,
as it were, the side of some broken mountain, or the whole
of Orthrys crushing me down, nor does any huge Gyges,
with his horrid grinning jaws overwhelm my carcass with
the whole of Pindus. I am simply conquered, conquered,
as it were, by no ostensible enemy, and what tortures
me more than any thing else, alas for my deplorably
I
waning physical power, is that the last days of Alcides

are not signalized by the downfall of any monster! Woe
is mel I am eking out my miserable remnant of life, with
no deeds to testify to my existence! Oh! thou administrator
of the universe, and oh! ye other Gods above, once, my
own right hand was my witness! Oh! ye entire lands,
does it meet with thy approval, that Hercules should die?
Oh! what cruel shame is shared by both of us! Oh!
ignominious destiny, for a woman to be forthcoming,
as the bringer about of the death of a Hercules For 1
the deaths of how many have I, Alcides, been the cause,

monsters giants tyrants wildbeasts! If the Fates had
willed me to fall unconquered, and only by a woman's
hand, and the predictions of such a fate had been duly
decreed by the unrelenting distaff of the Parcae, I might
have fallen, woe is me! long ago by the hatred of Juno!
But I should have fallen, nevertheless, (methinks) by the
cruel persecution of some woman, having (at all events)
some claims to a heavenly origin! If it had been so
ordained, oh! ye Gods above, and I was not considered
sufficientiy worthy for Juno, as an enemy, some redoubt-
able amazon (Hippolyte) born under a Scythian sky,
might have overcome my strength, and by a woman's
hand am I, the enemy of Juno, conquered at last! In
this way, my dear step-mother, thou art put to the blush,
more than myself, why dost thou consider this a joyful
day for thyself? What monster so terrible could this
earth have supplied for thy angry purpose, more destructive
than this Dejanira? Thou seest, a poor earthly mortal
in the shape of a woman has exceeded thy celestial
anger! Up to a certain point thou posed as unequal to
Alcides, thou art now conquered both by myself and
Dejanira! Is not that humiliation enough to anger thy
fellow Deities? But I wish that the Nemjean monster
had satiated his savage appetite with my blood, or when
surrounded as I was, by a hundred serpents in that
memorable marsh, would that my corrupt body had
! !
6oo SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines iiSi-1224
Mea mors cucurrit, cadere potuiffem, hei mihl,

Tunonis odio: feminae caderem minis,
Sed ccelum habentis. Si nimis, Superi, fuit,
Scythico fub axe genita domuiffet meas
Vires Amazon, feminse cujus manu "85
Junonis hoftis vincor? hinc gravior tui,
Noverca, pudor eft. quid diem hunc lastum vocas?
Quid tale tellus genuit iratffi tibi?
Mortalis odia femina exceffit tua.
Adhuc ferebas eiTe te Alcidae imparem. 1190
Vida es duobus: pudeat irarum Decs.
Utinam meo cruore fatialTet fuos
Nemesea riflus peftis! aut centum anguibus
Vallatus hydram tabe paviiTem mea!
Utinam fuiffem prseda Centauris datus 1 195
Aut inter umbras viflus, aeterno mifer
Saxo federem, fpolia cum traxi ultima
Fato ftupente. nunc ab infema Styge
Lucem recepi, Ditis evici moras.
Ubique me mors fugit, ut leto inclito 1200
Fortis carerem. o ferae viflse, o ferae
Non me triformis fole confpeiSo canis
Ad Styga reduxit. non fub Hefperio polo
Ibera vicit turbo paftoris feri;
Non gemina Terpens, perdidi mortem, hei mihi, 1205
Toties honeftam. titulus extremus quis eft?
CHOR. Viden', ut laudis coufcia virtus
Non Lethseos horreat amnes?
Pudet au(5loris, non morte dolet,
Cupit extremum finire diem 1210
Vafta preflus mole gigantum,
Et montifeium Titana pati,
Rabidaeque necem debere ferae.
Si tua caufa eft miferanda uecis,
Quod nulla fera eft, nuUufque gigas, 1215
Jam quis dignus necis Herculeae
Supereft auftor, nifi dextra tui?
Herc. Heu qualis intus. fcorpios, quis fervida
Plaga revulfus cancer infixus meas
Urit medullas? fanguinis quondam capax 1220
Turoidi jecur pulmonis arentes fibras
Diftendit: ardet felle ficcato jecur,
Totumque lentus fanguinem avexit vapor.
Primam cutem confumfit. hinc aditus nefas
served as food for the Hydra! Would that I had been

given up as a prey to the Centaurs, or to have been
conquered, when I was amongst the Manes, miserable
enough no doubt, but I could have sat on that everlasting
rock, to which Theseus was chained, when I dragged
Lines ii8i-i=^4] HERCULES CETÛS. 6oi
away the last spoil, Cerberus ; fate itself was taken aback
at the exploit; then I returned to the light of day from
the infernal Stjfx, I overcame every obstacle which Pluto
put in my way! Mors avoided me at every turn, and
oh that valiant as I have always been, I should now lack
!
a respectable kind of death Ohl ye wild beasts! Ah!

1
me! ohl ye wild beasts, that I have been, the means of

conquering! and the triple-headed dog, which, when he
beheld the light and was scared thereby, became recal-
citrant, but he could not drag me back to his Stygian
kennel, nor could that Iberian trio (Geryon, Orthos
and Eurythion) which constituted the staff of the triple-
bodied monster, that savage herdsman, who dwelt under
the Hesperian sky, subdue me; nor the two serpents,
which Juno sent to destroy me, whilst I was a poor little
infant in my cradle! I could have died, ah! so often!
some, some respectable sort of death! Woe is me! Oh!
that I should perish at last, by such an ignominious end!
CHOR. Canst thou not perceive, Hercules, that true

valour,, conscious of its own pretensions, would never be
scared at the sight of the Lethaean rivers ? A
man, it is
true, may look down on himself with self-pity when he
reflects on the mean character of his destroyer, but he
does not grieve, to have to face death itself I would, He
far rather, finish his last days crushed by the immense
weight of the giants and suffer at the hands of some of
the mountain-lifting Titans, or owe his death to the deadly
fangs of some wild animal! If the cause of thy death,
Hercules, is to be commiserated, simply because there
is no wild beast nor any giant in the question, why then,
what so dignified a mode is there of doing away with a
Hercules, than thy own veritable right hand?
HERC. (Hercules is in great pain.) Oh! dear, what

scorpion is inside of me ? What crab, recently imported
from the fervid sky (the Zodiac) has lodged itself in my
interior, and burning away the innermost marrows of my
body, and the natural condition (jecur) of the air-inflated
lungs, once capable of transmitting blood through its veins,
now serves only to distend a collection of dried-up
fibres! My very liver burns within me, the bile being
dried up in its ducts, and the insidious heat of the poison
has drained away all my blood it has burnt away all
the external skin of my body (epiderma) and has made its
cruel way towards my extremities my tissues have left
my ribs they are now devoid of integuments rny body
seems entirely eaten away, and the horrible virus has
exhausted all the more fluid secretions: it has taken up
!
6o2 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lin.s '^.j-iê^
'
In membra fecit, abftulit coftis latus, 1225

Exedit artus penitus, & tolas malum
Haufit medullas, offibus vacuis fedet.
Nee offa durant ipfa, fed compagibus
Difcuffa ruptis mole collapfa flaunt.
Defecit ingens corpus, & pefti fatis 1230
Herculea non funt membra pro, quantum eft malum,
Quod efl'e Taftum fateor? o dirum nefasl
En cemite, urbe.=:, cemite ex illo Hercule
Quid jam fuperfit. Herculem agnofcis, pater?
Hifne ego lacertis fpolia Nemesei mali 1235
Elifa preffi? tenfus hac arcus manu
Aftris ab ipfis detulit Stymphalidas ?
His ego citatam greffibus vici feram.
Radian te clarum fronte geftantem caput?
His frafla Calpe manibus elifit fretum? 1240
His tot ferae, tot fcelera, tot reges jacent?
His mundus humeris fedif? hsec moles mea eft?
Hsecne ilia cervix? has ego oppofui manus
Coelo ruenti? cuius, 0, cuftos manu
Trahetur ultra Stygius? o, vires prius 1245
In me fepultse! quid patrem appello Jovem?
Quid per Tonantem vindico caelum mihi?
Jam jam meus credetur Amphitryon pater.
QujEcunque peftis vifcere in noftro lates,
Procede. quid me vulnere occulto petis? 1250
Quis te fub axe frigido pontus Scythes,
QuEe pigra Tethys genuit, aut Maurum premens
Ibera Calpe litus? o dirum malum!
Utrumne ferpens fquallidum crifta caput
Vibrans? an aliquod eft mihi ignotum malum? 1255
Numquid cruore es genita Lernsese ferae?
An te reliquit Stygius in terris canis ?
Omne es malum, nuUumque. quis vultus tibi eft?
Concede faltem fcire, quo peream malo.
Qusecunque peftis, five quaecunque es fera, 1260
Palam timeres. quis tibi in medias locum
Fecit medullas? ecce, dirupta cute
a firm stand in the osseous parts of my frame, and by

burning up the marrow has fairly hollowed out my bones I
the bones have lost all their pretentions to hardness, and

the nerves, ligaments and tendons being ruptured, they
all flap about in one confused heap My once huge
1
body has fallen away, and the limbs of a Hercules, even,

do not seem to satisfy the advances of this cruel poison
Alas I How disastrous is this invincible poison, since I,
Hercules, am constrained to confess its intense power, to
have thus been my conqueror Ohl cruel wickedness!
I
Behold see for yourselves, oh ye cities see what is left

I I 1
Lines 12=5-1262] HERCULES GETÛS. 603
of Hercules, as he used to be! Dost thou, thyself, oh!

my father, recognize me in my present plight? Was it, I
ask, with such arms as these (he raises them, as he calls
attention to their attenuated condition) that I squeezed the
throttled neck of the Nemsean lion ? Was it, with a hand
like this, that I stretched my bow and brought down with
my arrows (from their aerial fastnesses) the Stymphalides
from the lofty skies? Was it with such feeble steps, as
these legs of mine could now attempt, that I outstripped
in flight the wild stag wearing the golden horns on its
glistening forehead? With these hands, aforetime, have
I not set the sea free by breaking through Calpe,
(opposite Abyla, here were the pillars of Hercules, he
thus joined the Mediterranean with the Ocean of the
West). Are these the hands too, by which so many wild
beasts have fallen? So many wicked crimes received
punishment, and so many cruel tyrannical Kings have
met their death? Are these the shoulders, on which the
heavens have once rested ? And is this all that is left of
my once massive body? And is this the miserable
remnant of my once huge head? And is it, these wretched
hands, that I once employed with which to prop up the
tottering heavens? I ask thee (oh my father) by whose
I
hands will Cerberus be dragged again to this earth, from

beyond the Styx ? Oh my whilom strength Now buried
! 1
away before my very eyes! Why do I call thee, Father,

ohl Jupiter? Why do I advance my claims to a position
in the heavens, unless it be through thee, the thundering
Jove? Now, surely the whole world will believe, after
all, that Amphitryon is my real father and not thyself!
(Addressing the poison, Hercules exclaims) Come forward
and show thyself, whatever poison thou art that lies con-
cealed in my viscera 1 Why should I be thus persecuted
by some hidden wound? What Scythian sea beneath a
frigid sky? What whimpering mother of the Nymphs, or
sluggish inlet of the sea can have generated thee, ohl
thou maleficent enemy Or, what Iberian Calpe, the shore
1
which overlooks the country of the Moors? Oh! cruel

poison ! Or is it some crested serpent shaking its repulsive
head, and emitting its salivary virus? Or is it some
agent of which I can form no conception ? But whether
thou art produced from the gore of the Lernaean Hydra,
or whether the Stygian Cerberus left thee behind him,
as a legacy to the earth (above), thou art indeed an
unmistakably powerful evil, from the effects thou hast
wrought on me, and yet thou art invisible! I wonder
what thou art like! only permit me to know, at least, by
what malign agency, I am perishing, whether thou art a
plague germ, or whether thou art some rabid animal
6o4 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1263-1^95
Vifcera manus detexit, ulterior tamen

Inventa latebra eft. o malum fimile Herculi!
Unde ifte fletus? unde iu has lacrimae genas? 1265
Inviilus olim vultus & nunquam malis
Lacrimas fuis praebere confuetus (pudet!)
Jam flere didicit. quis dies fletum Herculis,
Quae terra vidit? ficcus serumnas tuli.
Tibi ilia virtus, quae tot elifit mala, 127
Tibi cefCt uni. prime, & ante omnes mihi
Fletum abftulifti. durior faxo horrido
Et chalybe vultus, & vaga Symplegade,
Riilus meos infregit, & lacrimam extulit.
Flentem, gementem, fumme pro redlor poli, 1275
Me terra vidit. quodque me torquet magis,
Noverca vidit. urit ecce iterum fibras,
unde nunc fulmen mihi?
Incaluit ardor,
CHOR. Quid non poffit fuperare dolor?
Quondam Getico durior Amo, 1280
Nee Patrhafio lentior axe,
Sasvo ceffit membra dolori;
Feffumque movens per coUa caput
Latus alterno pondere fledlit.
Fletum virtus Cxpe reforbet. 1285
Sic Arftoas laxare nives,
Quamvis tepido fidere Titan
Non tamen audet, vincitque faces
Solis adufti glaciale jubar.
HERCULES, ALCMENA.
Lamentantem Herculem folalur Alcmena.
HERC. c
V-/ONVERTE vultus ad meas clades, pater.
Nunquam ad tuas confugit Alcides manus.
1290
Non, cum per artus hy(ira fcecundum meos

Caput explicaret. inter infernos lacus
PoiTeiTus atra no(5le cum Fato fteti;
Neq invocavi. tot feras vici horridas, 1295
concealed within me thou darest not attack me, in open

fight so thou hast secured for thyself, some safe fighting
ground within my body to carry on thy irresistible
ivarfarel Behold my skin being broken through, my
1
hand can touch my very entrails; however, thy hiding

place will be found much farther off than that Oh thou I 1
indomitable poison, thou art like Hercules once was,

unconquerable Whence this weeping? Whence the tears
I
Lines .2S3-i=i95] HERCULES CETÛS. 60S
on these cheeks? A
face invincible and never addicted
to tear-shedding, whatever evils were in the wayl Ohl
ashamed Iam that I have learned at last to weep!
What day ever beheld Hercules weeping? What region
on earth ever beheld such a sight? No I bore my I
troubles with tearless eyes Is this thy valour, which has

I
destroyed so many monsters, and has yielded at last to

thee, (the poison) the first and above all others, thou hast
drawn tears from mewith a face harder than the ugly
rock or steel itself, or the wandering Sjmiplegades thou
hast relaxed this hard visage, conquered my self-control
and drawn forth these tears The Earth has now seen
I
me weeping and groaning Ohl thou chief ruler of the

1
skies, what angers me the more is, my step-mother has

seen mel (agam in excruciating agony). Ohl dear, my
inside is burning again awfully, and the heat seems to be
getting more unbearable Why not send thy lightnings
1
at once, oh my father, to finish me off, so tnat I might

1
perish by them I
CHOR. Why cannot Hercules conquer his pain ? He was

once harder than that (Thracian) mountain the Getic
^mus, nor was he more gentle than the austere Parrhasian
sky 1 Moving his weary head, supported by a tired neck,
he turns his once ponderous body first on one side and
then on the other, and his wonderful endurance often
restrains his weeping much in the same way that Titan
1
even with his hottest rays fails to thaw the hardened

arctic snows, and succeeds no better with his strongest
solar heat brought to bear upon the once clear waters
now hardened into pellucid icel
HERCULES- ALCMENA.
Alcmena consoles Hercules, whilst lamenting his sad fate.
HERCULES.
TURN thy face, ohl my father, towards me and behold

my sad downfall Never, before this, has Alcides
I
flown to thee for assistance, not even, when the

Hydra intertwined its repullulating head round my body,
nor when amongst the dark lakes of Hell, enveloped as
I was in black hideous night, when I stood forth in the
hands of Fate neither did I call upon thee when I was
1
overcoming so many terrible wild beasts Kings tyrants I
Never did I turn my face towards heaven in a supplica-

ting manner! This hand of mine has always hitherto
6o6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1296332
Reges, tyiannos; non tamen vultus meos

In aftra torfi. femper hsec nobis manus
Votum fpopondit. nulla propter me facro
Micuere coelo fulmina hie aliquid dies
Optare juffit. primus audierit. preces, 1300
Idemque fiimmus. unicum fulmeu peto.
Giganta crede. non minus coelum mihi
Aflerere potui. dum patrem varum puto;
Ccelo pepei'ci. five crudelis pater,
Sive es mifericors, commoda nato manum. 1305
Propera ante mortem, & occupa banc laudem tibi.
Vel, fi piget, manufque detreftat
nefas,
Emitte Siculo vertice ardentes, pater,
Titanas in me, qui manu Pindum ferant,
Aut te, Offa, qui me monte projedlo opprimant. 1310
Abrumpat Erebi clauftra, me ftri(5lo petat
Bellona ferro. mitte Gradivum trucem;
Armetur in me dirus; eft frater quidem,
Sed ex noverca. tu quoque Alcidae foror
Tantum ex parente, cufpidem in fratrem tuum 13 15
Jaculare, Pallas, fupplices tendo manus
Ad te, noverca. fparge tu faltem, precor,
Telum. perire feminae poflum manu.
Jam fraAa, jam fatiata, quid pafcis minas?
Quid quaeris ultra? fupplicem Alciden vides. 1320
Et nulla tellus, nulla me vidit fera
Te dreprecantem. nunc mihi irata quidem
Opus eft noverca. nunc tuus ceffat dolor.
Nunc odia pouis. parcis, ubi votum eft mori?
terrae & urbes! non facem quifquam Herculi,
1325
Non arma tradet? tela fubtrahitis mihi.
Ita nulla fsevas terra concipiat feras
Poft me fepultum. nee meas unquam manus
Imploref orbis. fi qua nafcetur fera,
Nafeatur alius, undique infelix caput 1330
Madlate faxis, vincite jerumnas meas.
Ingrate eeffas orbis? excidimus tibi?
responded to my willl Owing to my labors, thy light-

nings have been at a discount, they have never illumined
the sacred skies! But this day compels me to invoke
thy aid This is the first occasion, that I have ever been
!
heard to address thee, as a humble petitioner, and may

this be the lastl And even now, I only humbly ask thee
for thy lightnings, that I may perish by themf Let me
persuade myself that I am some terrible giant, and that
I am laying claim for myself, upon nothing short of thy
own celestial kingdom, and that I am only inclined to
be forbearing in enforcing my pretensions, whilst I am
hugging myself with the belief, that thou art my veritable
Lines 1296-1332] HERCUI,ES CETÛS. 607
father! But whether thou art a cruel father, or whether

thou art a compassionate one, oblige that son with thy
fulminating aid, hasten to do this before I die, and ar-
rogate to thyself the credit of having done me a good
turn, or if thou art chicken-hearted over the matter, and
if thy hand be likely to shrink from inflicting, what thou
mightest consider a wrong act because I am thy son!
Why! then, let the savage Titans from Etna's summits,
who could easily seize on Pindus and overwhelm me, or
who could crush me effectually, with thee, Ossa with thy
1
mountainous ponderosity brought to bear, in being thrown

down on me! Let Bellona burst forth through the en-
trances of Erebus, and pursue me, sword in hand send
me, even, that truculent Mars, let that merciless fighting
God take up arms against me he is a sort of brother,
in a roundabout way, that is to say, my step-mother
became pregnant, through smelling a certain flower, and
thou, Pallas, art a sort of sister to Alcides (by Jupiter's
side only, whose cranium cleft by Vulcan, evolved an
adult Minerva fully armed). Hurl, Pallas, one of thy spears
at thy brother, and oh! my step-motherl I implore thee
at least, to scatter some of thy husband's lightnings over
me I am now perfectly reconciled to the idea of being
destroyed, even if it be by some feminine hand Although
!
thou hast been, frustrated by me, surely thou art now

amply satisfied with what thou hast tried to do. Why,
therefore, continuest thou to cherish thy wrathful spirit?
Thou art now beholding Alcides as a poor suppliant.
For there is no land and no wild beast that sees me
facing them now, deprecating thy interference in setting
me on to destroy them, but at this moment, verily, there
is great need (to me) of an angry step-mother, and just
as this is the case, thy anger has cooled down! Now
do be merciful, lay aside all thy ancient animosities
when thou art reminded, my one wish_ is only to be
allowed to die Oh ye lands, oh ye cities, will no one
1 ! !
furnish a consuming torch for Hercules? Will no one

supply him with some weapon? are ye withholding every
instrument of destruction from me ? If so, may no land
ever go in fear of wild beasts, when I am dead and
buried, nor may the world ever have reason to implore
my services again If any fierce wild beasts should ever
!
be born again, let another Hercules be born to deal with

them I Oh ye populace, why do ye not assail my head
I
with stones and thus put an end to my miserable suffer-

ings? Ohl ungrateful world! Dost thou hesitate? Ah! I
seel my services have fallen out of thy recollection up
to this time thou wouldst be exposed to monsters and
wild beasts, if thou couldst not have reckoned on me!
6o8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1333-136=
Adhuc malis ferifque fuppofitus fores,

Ni me viodicem veftrum malis
tuliffes
Eripite, populi.tempus hoc vobis datur. I33S
Penfate merita.mors erit pretium omnium.
ALCM. Quas mifera terras mater Alcidas petam?
Ubi nalus, ubinam eft? certa fi vifus notat,
Reclinis ecce corde anhelanti seftuat.
Gemit. peraftum eft. membra compledli ultima, 1340
O Date, liceat. fpiritus fugiens meo
Legatur ore. brachia in amplexus cape.
Ubi membra funt? ubi ilia, quae mundum tulit,
Stelligera cervix? quis tibi exiguam tui

Partem reliquit? herc. Herculem fpedlas quidem, 1345
Mater; fed umbrae fimile nefcio quid mei
Agnofce, mater, ora quid fledlis retro,
Vultumque moerens? Herculem dici tuum
Partum erubefcis? ALCM. Quis feram mundus novam.
Quae terra genuit? quodve tam dirum nefas 1350
De te triumphat? Herculis vicflor quis eft?
HERC. Nuptae jacentem cernis Alciden dolis.
ALCM. Quis tantus eft, qui vincat Alciden, dolus?
HERC. Quicunque, mater, feminae iratse fat eft,
ALCM. At unde in artus peftis aut oifa incidit? 1355
HERC. Aditum venenis palla femiueis dedit.
ALCM. Ubinam ipfa palla eft? membra nudata inluor.
HERC. Confumpta mecum eft. ALCM. Tantane inventa eft lues?
HERC. mater, hydram, & mille cum Lema feras
Errare mediis crede vifceribus meis. 1360
Quae tanta nubes flamma Sicanlas bibit?
Quae Lemnos ardens? quae plaga igniferi poli.
Oh Iye populacCj snatch thy avenger from the pain he

opportunity is now offered to thee, com-
is suffering, this
pensate me for my meritorious services, and if thou canst
give me that death, which I now ask, at thy hands, that
shall be thy receipt in full! The price at which I value
them all!
ALC. In what lands shall I, the wretched mother of

Alcides, prosecute my search? Where is my son? In
what place is he ? if my sight does not betray me, behold,
there he is in a reclining posture struggling for breath,
and in a high fever He is groaning tool it is a despe-
1
rate case, oh I my
son, let me embrace the miserable
remains of thy once noble frame, and let thy departing
breath mingle with mine! (It was the custom with the
ancients to kiss the face of the dear dying ones, and to
intermingle their breath with their own, and the same
observance was in vogue with the nearest of kin, closing
down the eyelids.) Let me take those arms into my em-
!
Lines 133336^1 HERCULES CETÛS. 609
brace 1 Oh dear, where are those limbs, that once existed ?

!
Where are the star-bearing shoulders that once bore the

heavens? What is it that has left to thee such a small
remnant of thy quondam self?
HERC. Thou art indeed beholding Hercules, but I know

not, mother, what there is in me like my ancient self,
that thou art able to recognize me at all! Why dost
thou avert thy gaze and hide thy grieving face, is it that
thou art blushing that such a poor specimen of a Hercules,
should ever have been said to have been brought forth
by thee?
ALC. What orb what country has given birth to this

new monster? (the poisoned cloak) what wickedness so
dreadful to contemplate has triumphed over thee? Who
is thisconqueror of Alcides?
HERC. Thou art now beholding in Hercules, a man

laidlow through the treachery of a wife
ALC. What treachery could ever be great enough, from

whomsoever arising, that could overcome an Alcides?
HERC. What treachery, mother, was ever enough for

an angered woman!
ALC. But how has this destructive agent affected thy

entire body and gone down to the very bones?
HERC. A cloak has been the vehicle for effecting the

entrance of this woman's poison.
ALC. Where on earth is this cloak, I observe you are

in a state of absolute nudity.
HERC. That has been burnt up, with the rest of my

integuments.
ALC. Has not this extraordinary poison been detected ?
HERC. Ah I mother dear, believe me that the Lernaean

Hydra and a thousand other wild animals have been
going the rounds of my unfortunate viscera What flames, 1
ever so intense, .Etna's summits and

emerging from
diffusing themselves in the Sicilian clouds above? What
Lemnos ever burned so severely? What tract in the
heavenly regions, subjected to the maximum heat of the
sun, and on such account, forbidding even the Chariot
39
6io SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1363-1395
Vetans flagranti currere in zona diem?

In ipfa me ja(5late, pro comites, freta,
Mediofque in amnes. qui fat eft Ifter mihi? 1365
Non ipfe terris major Oceanus meos
Frangit vapores. omnis in noftris malis
Deficiet humor, omnis arefcet latex.
Quid, re6lor Erebi, me remittebas lovi?
Decuit tenere. redde me tenebris tuis. '37
Talem fuba<5lis Heiculem oftende inferis,
Nil inde ducam. quid times iterum Herculem?
Invade mors non trepida. jam poffum mori.
ALCM. Compefce lacrimas faltem, & serumnas doma,
Malifque tantis Herculem indomitum refer, 1375
Mortemque vince. quod foles, vince inferos.
HERC. Si me catenis horridus vindVum fuis
Praeberet avidEe Caucafus volucri dapem
Scythia gemente, flebilis gemitus mihi
Non exftitiflet. fi vagae Symplegades 1380
Uiraque premerent rape, redeuntis minas
Ferrem ruina;. Pindus incumbat mihi
Atque ^mus, & qui Thracios fluiftus Athos
Frangit, Jovifque fulmen excipiens Mimas.
Non ipfe fi in me, mater, hie mundiis ruat, 1385
Superque noftros flagret incenfus rogos
Phcebeus axis, degener mentem Herculis
Clamor domaret. mille decurrant ferae,
Pariterque lacerent: hinc feris clangoribus
JEtherea, me Stymphalis, hinc taurus minax 1390
Cervice tota pulfet, & quidquid furit.
Solum quoque ingens furgat, hinc illinc fremens,
Artufque noftros dirus immittat Sinis.
Sparfus filebo. non fera: excutient mihi,
Non arma gemitus. nil, quod impelli poteft. 1395
of Phcebus to proclaim the day, by going beyond the

limit of that burning zone, could give rise to the con-
suming heat which oppresses my breast? (It must have
been somewhere beyond the limit here hinted at, that
Phaethon attempted his disastrous journey, when struck
down by Jupiter.) Oh! ye, that are around me, cast me
headlong into the sea itself or into the middle of some
river what Danube, though, would be equal to the task
of cooling my heated body? No! not the entire ocean,
which is larger in extent than the lands enclosing it,
would counteract the burning heat, which has got hold
of this wreck of my former self, any species of watery
fluid would fail to relieve my tortures arising from this

poison every spring would be speedily dried up! Why
Lines 1363-139S] HERCULES (ETÛS. 611
ohl ruler of Erebus, dost thou pass me on to Jupiter to

deal with me ? It is only right for thee to hold me in
possession, take me back to thy realms of darkness 1
Thou canst exhibit with perfect safety such a miserable

Hercules as I am at this moment, to the dark regions I
once conquered I shall not take another Cerberus away
1
with me this time Why dost thou fear Hercules visiting

!
thee again ? Seize upon me, Mors, without any of thy

trembling approaches I am quite ready, and only in a
condition to die I
ALC. Restrain at all events those tears of thine, and

get the better of thy misery, and try and hark back to
the Hercules, who was never conquered by any obstacle,
and triumph manfully over death itself and dismiss
this idea about the infernal regions, with thy former
characteristic courage 1
HERC. If the dreadful Caucasus should hold me down,

bound by its chains and offer me, as a repast to some
rapacious bird of prey and even, while the very Scythian
I
lookers-on commiserated me for my sorry predicament

(Hercules rather despises being in a condition to be pitied)
no weeping or groaning would escape from me if the
wandering Symplegades were pressing against my side at
every turn, I could bear up against the tnreatenmg aspect
of the crash, which confronted me, without even a murmur
or a groan Pindus might fall upon me so might vEmus,
I
and Athos which breaks up the Thracian waves, and

Mimas that comes on for the full force of Jupiter's light-
nings Not if the whole universe itself, oh my mother,
! 1
were to fall upon me, and the chariot of Phoebus were

to burn up the litter on which I lay stretched at length,
no unbecoming cry of mine should proclaim that I was
a tamed-down craven Hercules! A thousand wild beasts
might be running around me at this moment, run here,
run there and tear away at me one and all of them
some sky-inhabiting stymphalis might attack me, (announc-

ing its approach) with its ferocious cries some savage
bull might rush at me
butting head, or any thing
with its
else capable of a furious onslaught the expanded soil
might rise, as if by some seismic convulsion roaring there,
roaring there, or some cruel, Sinis might practise his
tortures upon my limbs, and as my members were scattered
abroad piecemeal I would preserve a silent voice the
wild animals at every side would not disturb my equili-
brium, nor sharpened swords extract a single groan-
nothing, in short, that could be directed against me, in
order to crush me outright!
6i2 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1396-14=4
ALCM. Non viris artus, nate, femineum coquit;

Sed dura feries operis; & longus tibi
I'avit cnientos forfitan morbos labor.
HERC. Ubi mors? ubi ilia? teftis eft aliquis malir
Intendant arcus, nuda fufficiet maDus. 1400
la orbe mecum veniat hue aliquis mihi.
Procedat, agedum, hue. ALCM. Hei mihi, fenfum quoque
Excuffit ille nimius impulfum dolor.
Removete, qusefo, tela, & infeftas, precor,
Rapite hinc fagittas. igne fuffufse genae 1405
Scelus mihantur. quas petam latebras anus?
Dolor ifte furor eft. Hereulem folus domat.
Cur deiode latebras aut fugam vecors petam?
Obire forti meruit Alcmene manu.
Vel fcelere peieat, antequam letum mihi 1410
Ignavus aliquis maodet, ac turpis manus
De me triumphet. ecce, lalTatus mails
Sopore feffas aliigat venas dolor,
Gravique anhelum peftus impulfu quatit.
Favete, fuperi. fi mihi natum inclitum 1415
Miferffi negatis; vindieem faltem, precor,
Servate terris. abeat exeuffus dolor,
Corpufque vires reparet Herculeum fuas.
PHILOCTE.TES, muta perfona.
Reverfus Hyllus nuntiat Herculi, Dejaniram, pofttquam fe Neffi

dolo deceptam comperiffet, fibi mortem confcivifle.
HYL. X
RO lux acerba, pro capax fcelerum dies!
Nurus Tonantis occidit. natus jacet. " 1420
Nepos fuperfum. fcelere matemo hie periit;
Fraude ilia capta eft. quis per annorum vices,
Totoque in aevo poterit aerumnas fenex
Referre tantas? unus eripiet dies
ALC. Ohl my son, no woman's poisoning arrangements

could have brought about all this, but the arduous round
of thy numerous labors, and perhaps thy chronic exertions
have thus contributed towards giving some cruel disease
a stronger hold upon theel
Where is that kind of death, as thou describest

HERC.
it,or disease? Where is it? Is there any tangible proof of
such a condition of system (chronic debility brought on
as Alcmena suggests, by over-exertion and cachexia): Let
!
Lines 1396-14=4] HERCULES CETÊUS. 613
such an enemy, then, stretch at once its bow, (figuratively

spoken) my weaponless arms will be sufficient for such a
foe! If there be left any enemy as that in the world, let
it stand forth before me! Let it appear forthwith Now! I
Gome on Here and

! ! I will try conclusions with thee 1
ALC. Woe is me
This excessive pain has made him
I
more impulsive, and has unsettled his reason! (This is

said aside.) I pray thee, Hercules, remove those weapons
and put from thence those dreadful arrows, (aside again)
his cheeks are fairly glowin.^ with rage, and threaten some
sort of mischief What hiding-place, shall I, a poor old
woman go in search of? That pain of his has brought on
a fit of madness sufficient of itself to conquer Hercules!
Why should I, after all, a doting old woman, have to seek
a hiding-place ? Alcmena is worthy to die by his powerful
arm! Let me
perish then through his crime rather than
some contemptible poltroon should have it in his power,
to kill me or some ignoble hand triumph over me Behold !
he is thoroughly worn out by his sufferings, and his

exhausting pain has found a refuge in sleep, to calm down
his weary spirit, and he is now heaving his panting chest
with his labored breathing ! Oh
be merciful, oh ye gods
! !
above, if ye refuse to spare to me miserable this noble

son of mine, at least, I pray, keep some avenger on the
earth for protection from henceforth. But let us hope,
that the pain being diminished may ultimately disappear
entirely, and that this sleep may recruit the body of Her-
cules with its effects!
HYLLUS ALCMENA HERCULES -PHILOC-

TETES-MUTE PERSONAGE.
Hyllus having returned, tells Hercules that Dejanira, after
she found that she had been deceived by Nessus,
kills herself!
HYLLUS.
OH what bitter things the light of day is constrained

1
to bring into view. Oh

what a single day can bring
!
forth in the matter of startling crimes The daughter- !
in-law of thundering Jove, Dejanira, is dead, his son has

perished I, the grandson, am the only one remaining.
Hercules has perished through my mother's agency, but
she herself was deceived by treachery What aged person, !
throughout a long series of years in fact, during a whole

life-time, could tell of misfortunes so terrible! One day,
Parentem utrumque. cetera ut fileam mala, 1425

Parcamque fatis, Herculem amitto patrem.
ALCM. Compefce voces inclitum Alcidse genus,
Miferffique fato fimilis Alcmenas nepos.
Longus dolorem forfitan vincet fopor.
Sed ecce laffam deferit mentem quies, I43
Redditque morbo corpus, & luftus mihi.
HERC. Quid hoc? rigenti cernitur Trachiu jugo.
Et inter ailra pofitus evafi genus
Mortale tandem quis mihi coelum parati''
Te, te, pater, jam video placatam quoque
: 1435
Spe(5lo novercam. qui fonus noftras ferit
Coeleftis aures? Juno me generum vocat.
Video nitentem regiam clart setheris,
Plioebique Iritam flammea zonam rota.
Cubile video hinc tenebras vocat.
no(lis. '44
Quid hoc? quis axem cludit, & ab ipfis, pater,
Deducit aftris? ora Phoebeus modo
Afflabat axis, tam prope a coelo fui.
Trachina video, quis mihi terras dedit?
Modo nempe me infra fteierat, ac totus mihi 1445
Sujpofitus orbis. tam bene excideras, dolor.
Cogis fateri. parce, & hanc vocem occupa.
Haec. Hylle, dona matris. hoc munus parat.
Utinam liceret ftipite ingefto impiam
Effringere animam, quale Amazonium malum 1450
Circa nivalis Caucafi domiii latiis.
O clara Megara, tune, cum furerem, mihi
Conjux fuifti? ftipitem atque arcus date.
Dextra inquinetur. landibus maculam imprimam.
Summus legatur femina Herculeus labor. 1455
HYL. Compefce diras, genitor, irarum minas.
Habet. pera(5lum eft. quas petis pcenas, dedit.
Sua peremta dextera mater jacet.
HERC. Ceeci dolores. manibus irati Herculis
alas 1 deprive me of both parents Oh that I could

will 1 !
be about other calamities, and that I may, myself,

silent
abstain from condemning the Fates, although I am now
losing my father, Hercules!
ALC. Cease thy doleful utterances, oh! thou illustrious

off-spring of Alcides and grandson to a miserable Alcmena,

who is similarly situated by the hand of fate perhaps, a
long sleep will overcome his pain; but behold! tranquil-
hty has quitted his weary soul, and has handed over his
body again, to the disease which oppresses him, and
brings back afresh the grief to me.
HERC. (Is in a delirious state) What is this? I see

Trachine before my eyes, with its rough rocky summits!
And myself placed amongst the stars I have, at length,

escaped from the race of mortals below! Who is it that
is thus preparing for me the way to Heaven? I see thee
already! Yes! thee thyself, oh my father, and behold at
I
the same time my step-mother, now reconciled to mel

What celestial sound is reaching my ears ? Juno is calling
me her dear son-in-law I see that shining palace in the
1
bright heavens and the path traversed by Phoebus in his

fiery chariot along the torrid zone I see the resting-place
of Nox, (it is at this point that Nox summons the con-
ditions called Darkness) ohl my father, that excludes me
from the heavens, and drives me away from the presence
of the stars it is only just now that the car of Phcebus
whizzed by me; how near I must have been to Heaven!
I see Trachine again, who has presented me with this
sight of that land? It was only just this second, that CEta
was below me and that the whole world was beneath
me Oh my pain, thou hast given me a temporary respite,
! !
and it is well! Thy power, falluding to the poison) how-

ever, compels me to make at once a confession-rforgive
me for the avowal I now make, and listen attentively to
what I say, (Hercules here, mentally enumerates the various
things he intends for Hyllus)the arrows, the bow, and
the quiver, and then exclaims, "This bequest of mine to
thee, Hyllus, are substantially the gift of thy mother," (this
is said to imply, that the mother's act has brought things
thus about) and I wish that with that club (his attention
being brought suddenly to it) brought down on her body,
I could beat out the impious life of thy mother, as I
broke down the savage Amazons with their indomitable
spirit, round about the sides of the snowy Caucasus Oh 1 I
my dear Megara, thou wast a good wife to me, when I

was laid up with my fit of madness! Here! hand me my
club and bow, let my
hands be soiled again (with the
blood of Dejanira), I will imprint another stain upon my
previous triumphs, and a woman shall be chosen this
time, for the last of the labors of Hercules 1
HVL. Do
control thy furious outbursts of anger^ oh 1
my the thing has already been done - my mother

father 1
has received her punishment! She inflicted upon her-

self that punishment which thou art just now contem-
plating! My mother is now lying dead, destroyed by
her own suicidal hands!
HERC. Oh! my purposeless wrath! thou art baffled!

it by the hand of outraged Hercules alone, that she
is
ought to have died! Lichas has been deprived of his
companion (in guilt), and my anger would even force
!
Occidere meruit, perdidit comitem Lichas. 1460

SiEvire in ipfum corpus exanime impetus
Atque ira cogit. cur minis noftris caret?
Ipfum cadaver pabulum accipiant ferse.
HYL Plus mifera Isefo doluit. hinc aliquid quoque
Detrahere velles. occiilit dextra fua, 1465
Tuo dolore, plura, quam pofcis, tulit.
Sed non cruentse fceleribus nuptse jaces,
Nee fraude matris. NeiTus hos ftruxit dolos,
Idlus fagittis qui tuis vitam exfpuit.
Cruore tinfla eft palla femiferi, pater, 1470
Neffufque nunc has exigit poenas fibi.
HERC. Habet. peraflum eft. fata fe noftra explicant.
Lux ifta fumma eft. quercus banc fortem mihi
Fatidica quondam dederat, & Pamaffio
Cirrhoea quatiens templa mugitu nemus: 1475
'Dextra peremti, viflor Alcide, viri
"Olini jaceb^s. hie tibi emenfo freta,
"Terrafque & umbras, finis extremus datur."
Nil querimur ultra, decuit hunc finem dari,
Ne quis fuperftes Herculis vi(5tor foret. 1480
Nunc mors legatur clara, memoranda, inclita,
Me digna prorfus. nobilem hunc faciam diem.
Casdatur omnis filva, & CEtaeum nemus
Sufcipiat ignis. Herculem accipiat rogus.
Sed ante mortem, tu genus Poeantium, 1485
Hoc trifte nobis, juvenis, officium appara.
Herculea totum flamma fucceudat diem.
Ad te preces nunc, Hylle, fupremas fero.
Eft clara captas inter, in vullu genus
Regnumque referens, Euryto virgo edita, 1450
lole. tuis banc facibus & thalamis para.
Vidlor cruentus abftuli patriam, lares,
Nihilque miferse prseter Alciden dedi;
Et ifte rapitur. penfet serumnas fuas:
upon me now a strong to vent my wrath even

desire,
upon her lifeless body Why
should she thus escape
I
my wrathful revenge? May the wild beast have that

carcass of hers with which to glut their stomachs
HYL. My mother has grieved, I asstu-e thee, more than

thou,who art the injured party! She perished by her
own hand she has put up with more things than thou
wouldst ever have exacted even with they angered spirit!
But thou art not lying there, suffering from any crime
of a cruel wife, at all, nor with any connivance what-
ever on my mother's part. Nessus simply concocted all
this wicked treachery it was the result of his wound at
the hands of thy arrows which took away the life of
Nessus. Oh my father, the cloak was impregnated with

!
the blood of that Centaur, half man and half beast, and
now Nessus has thus revenged the punishment that was
inflicted upon him.
HERC. It is well! the thing is done! Enough! And

now Destiny unfolds itself clearly to me this is my last
;
day on Earth. The prophetic oak once foretold my

fortune to me, and the grove fairly shook the Cirrhaean
temples, and the intense roarings which resounded all
over Parnassus, (the Oracles were always given out in
loud noisy tones) and this is what the Oracle said: "Oh!
Alcides, thou art destined to be a mighty conqueror,,
thy fate will be to die by the hand of some male vic-
tim, killed by thy own self and thus having scoured,
far and wide, the seas the earth and even the shades
below with thy exploits, the end of thy career will close
with this final event." I do not therefore complain of
any thing more, it is only in the nature of things, that
my end should be arrived at in this way, in order that
there should not be left behind him, any one else to be
able to say, that he was the conqueror of Hercules!

Now, my death will be illustrious memorable renowned
altogether worthy of me I I will have this day rend-
ered famous: let the entire forest be cut down and let
the flames light up the groves of CEta, and let the
funeral pile welcome the arrival of a Hercules! But
before I breathe my last, oh! Philoctetes, thou youthful
offspring of Paeans, arrange this mournful business for me,
and let the flames on the pile of Hercules, burn the
whole of the day! To thee, Hyllus, I tender my last
entreaties: there is a beautiful girl among the captives
here, betraying in the very lineaments of her visage, the
unmistakable traces of her CEchalian origin and royal
descent! She is a virgin sprung from the royal blood
of Eurytus, her name is lole, prepare her mind for the
installation of thy nuptial torches, and thy marriage
bed ! When I was a ruthless conqueror, I ransacked her
father's country, and took away his household gods and
belongings, and in return, I gave the miserable being
(lole) nothing but myself an Alcides! But now that he
is snatched away, let some amends be made for her mis-
fortunesshe will value and cherish a grandson of Jupiter,
and the veritable son of a Hercules, and whatever she
retains (within her womb) that has sprung from me, she
will duly bring forth for thee, as if it were thy very own
(that is if she is pregnant, Hyllus must adopt her off-
spring). And I beseecn thee, oh! my illustrious mother,
to put away all thy funeral lamentations, thy Alcides
6i8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1495-15^3
Jovis nepotem foveat, & natum Herculis. 1495

Tibi ilia pariat, quidquid ex nobis habet.
Tuque ipfa plaii(5lus pone funereos, precor,
O clara genitrix. vivit Alcides tuus.
Virtute noftra pellicem feci tuam
Credi novercam. five nafcente Hercule 1500
Nox ilia certa eft, five moitalis mens
Pater eft: licet fit falfa progenies mihi;
Matema culpa ceffet, & crimen Jovis.
Merui parentem, contuli ccelo decus.
Natura me concepit in laudes Jovis. 1505
Quin ipfe quamquam Juppiter credi meus
Pater effe gaudet. parce jam lacrimis, parens.
Superba matres inLer Argolicas eris.
Quid tale Juno genuit, sethereum gerens
Sceptrum, & Tonanti nupta? mortali tamen 15 10
Coelum tenens invidit? Alciden fuum
Dici efle voluit. perage nunc, Titan, vices
Solus reliiSus. ille, qui vefter comes
Ubique fueram, Tartara & Manus peto.
Hanc tamen ad imos perferam laudem inclitam, 1515
Quod nulla peftis vicit Alciden palam,
Omnemque peftem vicit Alcides jjalam.
CHORUS.
Solem orat, ut toti mundo Herculis mortem nuntiet. Herculis
apotheofim prsdicit, Jovemque precatur, ut vel nuUi
producantur tyranni, ferae, monftra, vel alius
fufficiatur Hercules malorum vindex.
o. 'DECUS mundi, radiate Titan,

Cuius ad primos Hecate vapores
Laffa nofturnae levat ora bigas, 1520
Die fub Aurora pofitis Sabseis,
Die fub Occafu pofitis Iberis,
Quique fei-venti quatiuntur axe,
lives and will live eternally! For by my valor, I have

rendered thee, the reputed concubine of Jupiter, to be
considered now as thy legitimate step-mother, and whether
that report, about the night being prolonged when Her-
cules was born, be true or not, or whether my father,
after all, is only Amphitryon, a mortal, or Jupiter, a god
and allowing that there is this mistake about my pater-
nal origin still hanging over me, let there be no more
reproaches levelled at my mother and no more immoral
accusations brought against Jupiter. This must be acknow-
ledged, however, that 1 deserved on account of my valor
!
Lin<=s i49s-is==3] HERCULES CETÛS. 619
such a parent as Jupiter and that I have materially con-

duced to the glorification of the heavens nature, in short
conceived one to add to the triumphs of Jupiter, and
more than that, if Jupiter himself rejoices in being re-
garded as my father, why! the least thou canst do, oh!
my parent (Alcmena), is to spare the shedding of and
more tears Thou wilt, henceforward, figure as a prouy
I
personage amongst the rank and file of Argohc matrons

What indeed (or a patch on it) at all like me has ever
Juno brought forth, although she is the wife of the
Thunderer and wields an asthereal sceptre. But, inhabit-
ing the heavens, Juno has always been jealous of any
one boasting of only a mortal origin, but she is now
quite willing that Alcides should be treated as one of
the family (as her own Alcides). And now, Phoebus, pur-
sue thy solitary journeys, I am now left alone, he who
has been thy companion everywhere! (Wherever the
sun appeared, there was Hercules, that is, everywhere.)
I now seek Tartarus, and the companionship of the
Manes. However, I be able to convey this self-
shall
glorifying triumph those below, that no monster in
to
those regions had ever conquered Alcides openly, but
on the other hand, that Alcides always conquered every
monster openly and in fair fight!
CHORUS.
The Chorus beseeches Phoebus to announce to all the
world the death of Hercules they predict the apo-
:
theosis of Hercules, and implore Jupiter, there may

be no more Tyrants, wild beasts or monsters, brought
forth in the future, if so, that another Hercules may
be forthcoming, as the avenger of such calamities.
Titan, with thy brilliant rays, oh! thou bright

Oh!ornament of the universe, at the first appearance of
whose morning beams, Hecate loosens the bits from
the mouths of the two wearied steeds attached to her
nocturnal car, proclaim thou to the inhabitants of Arabia
Felix (Sabcea) who are blessed by thy morning rays,
smiled on by Aurora tell it to those who dwell in the
Western Hispania, where thou finishest thy diurnal journey
(thy setting), tell it to those who are tortured by thy heat,
as thou traversedst the torrid Zone in thy fervid course
tell it to those who suffer from the inclemencies pre-
vailing, just under the waggon of the Northern Bear
proclaim the fact that Hercules is hastening on to the
eternal regions of the Manes and to that kingdom where
Quique fub plauftro patiuntur Urfse;

Die ad aeternos properare Manes 1525
Herculem, & regnum canis inquieti,
Unde non unquam remeavit ullus.
Sume, quos nubes radios fequantur.
Pallidus moeftas fpeculare terras,
Et caput turpes nebulae pererrent. 1530
Quando, pro Titan, ubi, quo fub axe
Herculem in terris alium fequeris?
Quas manus, orbis mifer, invocabis,
Si qua fub Lema numerofa peftis
Sparget in centum rabiem dracones? '535
Arcadum fi quis, populi vetufti,
Fecerit filvas aper inquietas?
Thracife fi quis Rhodopes alumnus
Durior terris Helices nivofae
Sparget humano ftabulum cruore? '54
Quis dabit pacem populo timenti,
Si quid irati fuperi per urbes
Jufferint nafci? jacet omnibus par,
Quem parem genuit Tonanti.
tellus
Planiflus immenfas refonet per urbes, 1545
Et comas nullo cohibente nodo,
Femina exferlos feriat lacertos,
Solaque obduftis foribus Deorum,
Templa fecuras pateant novercae.
Vadis ad Lethen Stygiumque litus, 155
Unde te nullae referent carinae.
Vadis ad Manes miferandus, unde
Morte devi<5la tuleras triumphum.
Umbra nudatis venies lacertis,
Languido vultu, tenuique colic: 1555
Teque non folum feret ilia puppis.
Non tamen viles eris inter umbras;
.lEaconque inter, geminofque Gretas,
Faifla difcernes. feries tyrannos.
Parcite, o dites, inhibete dexiras. 1560
dwells that ever-watchful Cerberus, and from whence no

one has ever come back Divert some of the rays, which
!
the clouds might transmit, and assume a pallia face, as

thou gazest on the sad, sad earth, and let mists never so
murky hover round thy disc! When? Alas! ohl Titan,
where, under what future sky wilt thou follow another
Hercules on this earth? What succour, ohl thou forlorn
earth, wilt thou invoke, if another vast monster lurking
in the marshes of Lerna, should disperse its rabid poison
from itshundred draconian heads (this passage alludes
to the numerous heads of the Hydra). If any wild boar,
for example, should in the future disturb the quiet of the
Arcadians, that ancient people ? Or, if some detestable
Lines 15=4 5S0] HERCULES CET^:US. 621
descendant of Busiris of the Thracian Rhodope, more

unrelenting than the snow-bound Helice (the Greater
Bear) is to the earth beneath it, should deluge his stables
again with human blood- (the blood of his guests) who,
now will ensure tranquillity to the timid peoples, if the
angry gods above give orders for any thing terrible to
be born agam amongst the cities? Here, Hercules is
lying on a level with all ordinary mortals, him, the Alter
Ego whom the earth, aforetime, bestowed on us, as a
substitute for Jupiter himself Let his bewailings find a
I '
ready echo from all the immense cities of the universe-

let every woman do away with her top-knot, letting her
locks fall down carelessly, and beat with all her might her
arms laid bare And all the other temple doors of the
!
gods being closed and in mourning, the only temples

that will still be open for admission are those of the
undisturbed step-mother Juno! Thou art now wending
thy journey to Lethe and the Stygian shores, whence no
craft of Charon's will ever bring thee back IThou art
going, sympathized with universally, to the Manes, whence,
aforetime^ thou broughtest away, as well as thyself, Cer-
berus as thy triumphal spoil ; thou successfully combatedst
with Mors thou wilt now arrive there, as a mere shadow
:
of thy quondam self, with thy arms despoiled of their

brawny muscles, with a languishing worn-out visage, and
thy shoulders attenuated down to an absolute nothing!
And that craft of Charon's will not transport thee, this
time, as a single passenger! But when thou dost get
there, thou wilt not pose, as a contemptible nonentity,
amongst thy fellow Manes thou wilt be seated on the judicial
bench with âcus on thy right, and between the two
Cretan Kings (âcus and Rhadamanthus), and thou wilt
thresh out the pros and cons of every case that will be
brought before thee, but thou wilt deal severely with all
Tyrants, as they deserve. Be merciful then, ohl ye that
are powerful amongst the denizens of the infernal regions,
restrain your hands from the perpetration of cruel deeds I
If Hercules has to pronounce judgment upon you, for it

is to the praise and credit of Hercules that he has always
wielded his sword unsullied by any acts of crime, oppres-
sion or cruelty, and whilst thou reignedst the very mini-
mum amount of the storms of fate befell thy cities (that
is, they did not suffer any thin^ at the hands of capricious
Tyrants or dreadful monsters). But his valor has now
obtained for him a place amongst the stars! But where
will he go? Wilt thou fill up the space in the Arctic
Pole? Or where the serious Titan prepares his most
terrible fires? Or wilt thou shine forth in the warm
balmy West, whence thou wilt listen to Calpe resounding
Laudis purum tenuiffe ferrum.

eft,
Dumque regnabas, minimum cruentis

In tuas urbes licuiffe fatis.
Sed locum virtus habet inter aftra.
Sedis Ariftose fpatium tenebisi' 1565
An gravis Titan ubi promlt seftus?
An fub Occafu tepido nitebis,
Unde commiffo refonare ponto
Audies Calpen? loca quae fereni
Deprimes cceli? quis erit recepto 1570
Tutus Alcida locus inter aftra?
Horrido tantum procul a Leone
Det pater fedes, calidoque Cancro;
Ne tuo. vultu tremefafta leges
Aftra conturbent, trepidetque Titan. 1 5 75
Vere dum floies venient tepenti,
Et comam Clvis hiemes recident,
Vel comam filvis revocabit aeftas,
Pomaque autumno fugiente cedent,
Nulla te terris rapiet vetuftas. ISÔ
Ta comes Phoebo, comes ibis aftris.
Ante nafcetur feges in profundo,
Vel fretum dulci refonabit unda;
Ante defcendet glacialis Urfae
Sidus, & Ponto vetito fruetur, 1585
Quam tuas laudes populi quiefcant.
Te, pater rerum, miferi precamur.
Nulla nafcatur fera, nulla peftis.
Non duces fevos miferanda tellus
Horreat: nulla domiuetur aula, '59
Qui putet folum decus effe regni,
Semper impenfum tenuiffe ferrum.
Si quid in terris iterum timetiir,
Vindicem terrse petimus relidlas.
Hem, quid hoc? mundus tonat. ecce, mseret, 1595
Moeret Alcida paler, an Deorum
Clamor, an vox eft timidê novercas ?
Hercule an vifo fugit aftra Juno ?

Laffns an pondus titubavit Atlas?
An magls diri tremuere Manes 1600
Herculem? & vifum canis inferorum
Fugit abruptis trepidus catenis?
Fallimur: Iseto veuit, ecce, vultu,
Quera tulit Pceas, humerifque tela
Geftat, & notas populis pharetras, 1605
Herculis heres.
with the waves beating'on its shores, from its two seas?
What is the Uicky place, that thou wilt press down with
thy weight, in the serene sky? What place will be free
from anxiety in the firmament, to which Alcides will be
consigned? His father must assign him a habitat as far
!
off as possible from that terrible Nemaean Lion (Leo) and

likewise from that t-errible burning Cancer (The Torrid
Zone), lest, at the sight of thee, the affrighted stars might
capsize the very laws which govern their celestial move-
ments, and Titan, himself, be made to tremble for the
consequences! No! let the flowers joyfully bud in the
warm spring, and the winter, as usual, nip off the foliage
from the forest trees, and the ensuing summer recall the
bright verdure to the groves, and let the ripened fruit, as
heretofore, fall from the trees when autumn wanes!
But no length of time, Hercules, will snatch thee from
the world's memory and the hearts of the people. Thou
wilt go forth as the celestial companion of^Phoebus, now,
and as a companion to the stars, and corn will be seen
to grow in the middle of the vasty deep, and the Ocean shall
be full of deliciously sweet water, and the frosty Northern
Bear shall descend and defiantly enjoy that dip in the
sea which it is forbidden to make, before the peoples
will cease to sing thy praises! And we poor wretched
mortals beseech thee, ohl thou father of all things, let
no wild beast be born again, no monster ! Let not the
miserable Hercules-bereft earth grow wretched again
with cruel kings! Let no palace intrigues exert an
oppressive dominion, and let no one exist who harbours
the notion that the solitary glory of kingly power resides
in the fact of always giving the sword abundance of
employment! But whatever is an object of terror to the
earth in the future, we shall seek for thee again (that is,
we shall wish for thee again) as the avenger of that earth
thou hast just quitted! Hark! What is that frightful
noise? Surely the thunder is being heard all over the
earth Let us think
! Is it grieving that Hercules has left
!
us? Or is it the father of Alcides who is grieving and

repenting his rashness in raising Hercules to the stars?
Or is it the voice of the terrified step-mother ? Or is it
a factious clamour of dissatisfaction got up by all the
gods in conclave ? Or has Juno fled from heaven, when she
saw Hercules arriving? Or has Atlas stumbled with his load,
as he was trying to lift the heavens again ? Or what is the
most likely solution of this phenomenon ? Surely it is the
mournful Manes that are trembling from head to foot at the
sight of Hercules ? Or has the frightened Cerberus, of the
infernal regions, burst his chains and fled in dismay at
seeing Hercules again? No we are all wrong
1 Behold!
!
it is Philoctetes, whomHercules has appointed his heir.

See! with what a self-satisfied countenance, this son of Pceas
is coming on towards us
he has actually got the very arrows
of Hercules on his shoulders, and is carrying that identical
quiver, so familiar to the different peoples of the earth
ACTUS QUINTUS.
NUTRIX, PHILOCTETES.
Philodtetes Herculis mortem atque funus nuntiat.
NUTR. Jj /FFARE cafus, juvenis, Herculeos, precor,

Vultuque quonam tulerit Alcides necem.
PHIL. Quo nemo vitam. NUTR. Lcelus adeone ultimos
Invafit ignes? PHYL. Effe jam flammas nihil 1610
Oftendit ille, qui fub hoc mundo Hercules
Immaue nil reliquit. en domita omnia.
NUTR. Inter vapores quis fuit forti locus?
PHIL. Quod unum in orbe vicerat nondum malum,
Et flamma vifta eft.hsec quoque acceffit feris, 1 615
Inter labores ignis Herculeos abiit.
NUTR. Ediffere agedum, flamma quo vi(5la eft modo?
PHIL. Ut omnis CEten moefta corripuit manus,
Huic fagus umbras perdit, & toto jacet
Succifa trunco: fleflit hie pinum ferox 1620
Aftris minantem, & nube de media vocat;
Ruitura cautes movitj & lilvam trahit
Secum minorem. Chaonis quondam loquax
Stat vafta late quercus, & Phcebum vetat,
Ultraque totos porrigit ramos nemus. 1625
Gemit ilia multo vulnere impreffo minax,
Frangitque cuneos. refilit excuffus chalybs,
Vulnufque ferrum patitur, & truncum fuglt.
Commota tandem eft. tunc cadens latam fui
Cuxit ruinam. protinus radios locus 1630
ACT V.
NURSE-PHILOCTETES.
Philoctetes announces the death and the last disposal of
the body of Hercules.
NxmsE.
T 'ELL me, youth,

last end ;
I pray thee, all about Hercules'
with what expression of countenance did
Alcides face his death?
PHIL. With that amount of equanimity which no man

ever evinces, in dealing with even the commonest draw-
backs of his daily life.

NUR. Did he approach then the very thick of the flames,

_
with a joyous expression at all?
PHIL. He showed by his outward expression, that the

flames were nothmg to him that Hercules, indeed, who
never did give up in this sublunary world, any enterprise
however weighty, and considered that all things have
been subdued by him.
NUR. What scope was there for showing any extraor-

dinary bravery, when surrounded by flames?
PHIL. The fiery elements were the only difficulties he

had never conquered in this world before, but he fairly
vanquished them then, and this achievement was quite
equal to any of his wild-beast exploits! Fire therefore,
must henceforward be included in the category of
Hercules' labors 1
NUR. Tell me, come, be plain, in what way dost thou

mean that the flames were overcome?
PHIL. How every sorrowing hand has hastened to CEta

the lofty beech was made to part with its spreading
protection and to be converted to his use, and lay there
cleft at the very lowest part of its huge trunk one forester,
rough and ready, hewed down a pine that threatened
the tranquillity of the stars with its lofty pretentions, and
he very soon lowers its pride and summons it from its
proud place in the midst of the sky, and as it fell, it
shook the very rocks around, and dragged down in its
tremendous fall, a number of smaller trees of the forest
around ; and the Chaonian Oak, which spreads its import-
ance far and wide, and once gave out its oracular responses,
and prevented Phoebus himself from penetrating with his
rays its dense foliage as it stretched its multitudinous

branches right over the forest it groaned, as it were in
a very angry manner, as it was struck with a series of
blows breaking the very wedges (which they use on such
occasions), and the steel hatchet, shivering to pieces, bound-
edback again, and the edge of the axe was turned (blunt-
ed) and appeared reluctant to. repeat its attack on the
trunk of such a recalcitrant tree. At length, however, it was
disturbed from its resting place, then, when it did fall it
brought about indescribable disorder with its downfall!
the place, hitherto shaded, was instantaneously lighted up,
as it were, by the free admission of the solar rays (which
had never penetrated before) and the feathered creation,
being driven from their habitats, hopped about, (dismayed)
40
626 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. iUnes 1631-1668
Admifit omnes. fedibus pulfae fuis,

Volucres pererrant nemore fuccifo diem,
Quseruntque laffis garrulse pinnis nemus.
Jamque omnis arbor foDuit, & facrae quoque
Senfere qu'ercus horridam ferro manum, 1035
NuUique prifcum profuit ligno nemus.
Aggeriiur omnis filva, & altemae trabes
In aftra tollunt Herculi anguftum rogum.
Rapit alta flammas pinus, & robur tenax,
Et brevior ilex filva. contexit pyram 1640
Populea filva, frondis Herculess nemus.
At ille, ut ingens nemore fub Nafamonio
YEger reclini pedlore immugit leo,
Fertur. quis ilium credat ad flammas rapi?
Vultus petentis aftra, non ignes, erant. 1645
Ut preffit CEten, ac fuis oculis rogum
Luftravit omnem, fregit impofitus trabes,
Arcumque pofcit: Accipe hsEc, inquit, fate
Poeante, dona; munus
Alcidas cape.
Has hydra fenfit: his jacent Stymphalides, 1650
Et quidquid aliud eminus vici malum.
Virtute felix juveois, has nuuquam irritas
Miites in hoftem. five de media voles
Auferre volucres nube, defcendent aves,
Et certa prjedas tela de ccelo fluent.
Nee fallet unquam dexteram hie arcus tuam: 1655
Librare telum didicit, & certam dare
Fugam fagittis. ipfa non fallunt iter
Emiffa nervo tela, tu tautum, precor,
Accommoda ignes &
facem extremam mihi. 1660
Hie nodus, quem capiet manus,
inquit, nulla
Mecum per ignem flagret. hoc telum Herculem
Tantum fequalur. hoc quoque acciperes, ait,
Sir ferre pofl'es. adjuvet domini rogum.
Turn rigida fecum fpolia Nemeaei mali 1665
Arfura pofcit. latuit in fpolio rogus.
Ingemuit omnis turba, nee lacrimas dolor
Cuiquam remifit. mater in lu(5lum furens
at the light of day, the broken-up grove, and the birds

all chattering in their own peculiar way, seek with wearied
wings, some other grove, as their asylum And at length, 1
every tree .sounded with the strokes of the hatchet, and

the sacred oaks likewise experienced the terrible blows
of the ruthless forester's axe, and in that grove of such
great antiquity, no log, even, available for purposes of
consecration, was left to record this tale of destruction 1
All the forest is heaped up, and the beams being arranged
one above the other, soon raise the pile towards the sky,
although narrow for the body of a Hercules! The
inflammable lofty pine attracts the flames the first, then
Lines 1631-1668] HERCULES (ET^.US. 627
the tough oak, and then, the less pretentious hohn-oak,

which the forests had yielded up, and lastly, the poplar
plantations surmounted the pyre the very groves, that
had furnished Hercules with his poplar wreaths But 1
Hercules as he lay there, although weak and subdued,

reclining on his broad chest, reminded you of the huge
Libyan lion that roared in the Nasamonian forest! He
then mounts upwards, and who, to look at him would
suppose for a moment that he was offering himself to
the rapacity of the voracious flames ? But even then, his
looks were directed only towards the heavens, and he
appeared utterly to disregard the flames around him. As
he approached CEta, he surveyed the whole of the pile
with studious eyes, and the beams, which had been placed
above, broke down with his weight he then asked for
his bow. Take these presents, he says, oh Son of Poeas,
!
take them as the last parting gift of Hercules The Hydra,

aforetime has had reason to be acquainted with these!
(alluding to the arrows) and with them the Stymphalides
were brought down from the lofty skies, and whatever
other animated monster, that required to be done away
with were it never so far off! Oh! youth, rejoicing in
thy strength never use these arrows without effect upon
thy enemy, for whether it be that thou seekest to dislodge
the feathered tribe from the middle of the skies, the birds
will fall directly the cloud is struck, and these arrows,
always sure of their prey, will return to thee, floating
gently from out of the air above nor will this bow ever
!
suffer thy right hand to miss its aim, the arrows them-
selves have acquired the knack of poising themselves
with precision, and to afford an assured direction in their
flight these arrows, when they are shot forth from the
string of the bow, never mistake the path they are intended
to take! But wilt thou, I pray, see to making this fire
ready, and prepare these final (torches) flames for me!
This club, Hercules said, is one which no hand but mine
can wield, and it must, therefore, be burnt with me in the

same fire this is the only weapon which will accompany
Hercules, but thou shouldst also receive this at my hands,
he continued, if thou couldst handle it, but it will serve
to augment the funeral pile of its master. Then he asked
for that terrible-looking skin of the Nemasan Lion and
said that it should be burnt with him also, and which,
trophy when spread out, completely concealed the summit
of the pile. All the people about gave a groan, nor did
any one fail to demonstrate his grief with copious tears,
and Alcmena, the mother, raging frantically, hands over
her bosom, eager to enter upon Tier task of grieving, and
beats her naked breasts, and as far down as her very
628 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines ,669-1702
Diduxit avidum pedlus, atque utero tenus

1070
Exferra vaftos ubera in plan(5lus ferit;
Superofque & ipfum vocibus pulfans Jovem
Implevit omnem voce feminea locum.
Deforme letum, mater, Herculeum facis:
Compefce lacrimas, inquit. introrfus dolor
Femineus abeat. Juno cur tetum diem Id7S
Te flente ducat? pellicis gaudet fuse _
Speflare lacrimas. contine infirmum jecur,

Mater, nefas eft ubera atque uterum tibi
Laniare, qui me genuit. & dirum fremens,
Qualis per urbes duxit Argolicas canem, 1680
Cum vi(ftor Erebi Dite comtemto rediit
Tremente Fato, talis incubuit rogo.
Quis fie triumphans Iffitus in curru ftetit
Vi(5lor? quis illo gentibus vultu dedit
Leges tyraunus? quanta pax obitus tulit? 1685
Hsefere lacrimse. cecidit impulfus dolor
Nobis quoque ipfis. nemo morituro Ingemit.
Jam flere pudor eft. ipfa, quam fexus jubet
Maerere, ficcis haefit Alcmene genis,.
Stetitque nato pjene jam fimilis parens. 1690
NUTR. NuUafne in aftra mifit ad fuperos preces
Arfurus, aut in vota refpexit Jovem.'
PHIL. Jacuit fuLXecurus, and caelum intuens,
Quffifivit oculis, arce an ex aliqua pater
Defpiceret ilium, turn manus tendens ait: 1695
Quacunque parte profpicis natum, pater,
Te, te, pater, quem nodle commifla dies
Qusefivit unus, fi meas laudes canit
Utrumque Phcebi litus, & Scytliise genus,
Et omnis,,ardens, ora, quam ton-et dies. 1700
Si pace tellus plena, fi nullje gemunt
Urbes, nee aras impius quifuam inquinat:
flanks, her wailings being in concert with the heavy blows

she is dealing herself (this passage is in harmony, with
verse 82 in the Troades implying that weeping and
beating the breasts was a sort or study amongst the
ancients and the foregoing rendering is in conformity
with this idea and the keeping of tune as regards the
wailings and blows), and attacking Jupiter himself and all
the Gods above with her angry denunciations, she literally
iilled every distant place with her vocal efforts, although
that voice was only that of a woman, after all Thou art
I
making my death, mother, Hercules said, to be quite out

of keeping with what it ought to be! Restrain those
tears of thme, let thy woman's grief be kept within thyself.
Why, (he continued) thou shoiildst make it quite a day of
rejoicing, for Juno, to see thee weeping in this manner.
Lines ,669-170=] HERCULES CETÛS. 629
will chuckle at the tears of what she would call her rival's,
as regards the affections of Jupiter rather strengthen thou,
mother, any infirmity of spirit thou mayst have it is not
the right thing, at all, for thee, to be tearing away at the
very breasts that once suckled an Alcides, and to beat
against the site of the very womb that bore me 1 Then
giving out a terrific roar, like that which occurred when
he dragged Cerberus through the Argolic cities, when
the conqueror of Erebus returned from the Stygian realms
at which act even Fate itself, which he had always held
in such supreme contempt, fairly trembled I And in such
a mood he lay down on the pile what jubilant conqueror
ever sat so enwrapped in triumphant glee, at witnessing
his own regal pomp, or what tyrant (King) ever dealt
decrees to his subjects, with so benign and calm an air of
majesty! What a tranquil ending received him at last!

The tears of all were stayed the demonstrations of grief
with which they were all affected, ceased forthwith, not one
of us even gave forth a groan, when he was about to breathe
his last I "Surely it is an unbecoming thing on my part
to weep," says Alcmena, "because the weakness of my sex
only would seem to be calling it forth," and thus Alcmena
checked herself, and she showed a face with tearless eyes,
and as a Noble Parent, stood forth vying with her son in
self-possession I
NUR. And as he was dying, did he not send forth any

prayers to the Gods, and look up to Jupiter to ratify his
vows ?
PHIL. No! He lay there self collected and self-reliant

and looking steadfastly at the heavens, stared eagerly
with his longing eyes, to see whether his father would deign
to look down upon him, from some one or other of his
lofty celestial palaces ; then stretching forth his hands, he
said, " In whatever part of the heavens, thou mayst be,
oh! my father! look down on thy son; to thee, thee, oh!
father, whom one entire day sought for in vain, afore-
time, when night followed night, I now appeal if my
praises are sung on each shore visited by Phrebus east ,
and west if they are sung in regions traversed by the /
whole wandering tribes of Scythia, and if every coast- /
line records my fame, which the mid-day sun burns up

with his scorching rays! If peace reigns throughout the
earth if no cities have any groimds for groaning under
their oppressors' hand, nor any such impious specimen of
humanity be found, that would dare to defile thy sacred
altars! If crimes cease to be committed, I pray thee admit
this soul of mine to mix with the stars above, but let not
:
!
Si fcelera defunt, fpiritum admitte hunc, precor,

In aftra. nee me mortis infernse locus,
Nee moefta nigri regna conterrent Jovis 1 7S
Sed ire ad umbra, quos vici, Deos,
illos
Pater, erubefco. nube difcufTa diem
Panda, ut Deorum vultus ardentem Hereulem
Speflet: lieet tu fidera & mundum neges, -
Ultro, pater, eogere. fi voces dolor 1710

Abftulerit ullas, pande lum Stygios lacus,
Et redde Fatis. approba natum prius.
Ut dignus aftris videar, hie faciet dies.
Lave eft, quod a(5lum aft. Hereulem hie, genitor, dies
Inveniet, aut damnabit. hoe poftque addidit: 1715
Noverea cernat, quo feram flammas modo.
Flammas popofeit. hoc age Alcidse comes;
Non fegnis, inquit, eoiTipe CEteeam facem.
Quid dexlra tremuit.' num manus pavida impium
Scelus rafugit? redde jam pharatras mihi, 1720
Ignave, iners, iuermis". en noftros manus
Quae tendat arcus. quis fedet pallor genis?
Animo faces invade, quo Alcidan vides
Vultu jacera rafpice arfurum, mifer.
;
Voeat ecce jam me genitor, & pandit polos. ^725

Vanio," pater, vultufqua non idem fuit.
Tremente pinum dextera ardentem impuli.
Rafugit ignis, & relu(5lantur faces,
Et membra vitant: fed recedentem Hercules
Infequitur ignem. Caucafum, aut Pindum, aut Athon 173
Ardera credas. nuUus erumpit fonus.
Tantum ingemifcit ignis, o durum jecur
TyphoD in illo pofitus immanis rogo
GemuiiTet ipfe, quique eonvulfam folo
Impofuit humeris Oflan Enceladus ferox. 1735
At ilia madias inter exfurgens faces
Samiuftus ac laniatus, inti-epidus, rubens;
Nunc, o parens Hereulea, fie ftare ad rogum,
Te, mater, inquit, fic deeet fieri Hereulem.
Inter vapores pofitus & flammpe minas, 1740
a place in the infernal regions be assigned for destina- my

tion not that the poor sorrowful kingdom of that sombre
Jupiter (Pluto) would in any way terrify me, but I should
really be put to the blush, that I should have to return
as a miserable Umbra to those very gods, whom I once
subdued, when I was a Hercules! No! Having driven
away the clouds, open for me the avenues to thy celestial
kingdom, that the faces of the Gods may_ look down and
see Hercules burning in these flames! It is quite natural,
that thou shouldst hesitate, under all circumstances to
grant me admission amongst the stars, and to make me

Lines 1703-1740] HERCULES CETÛS. 6^

a celestial denizen, but, ohl my father, thou wilt be con-
strained to do so some time of thy own free will, and if
rtiy pain, which I am now undergoing, should extract a
sinde syllable of a murmuring character, consign me,
forthwith, to the Stygian lakes and without compunction
hand me over to the Fates. But do allow me to prove
that I am thy son first! This day will determine, whether
I can be a candidate for celestial honors.
But what I
have already done^ let all things be regarded as com-
parative trifles This day, oh! my father, will be either
1
the making or the marring of Hercules " He afterwards

!
added these remarks" My step-mother will see for herself,

with what composure I bear up against these flames."
He then cried out for more fire "Come hither, thou com-
panion of Alcides, do not be dilatory, but hasten thy

steps to feed these CEtaean flames why is thy hand
trembling in that way? Does thy hand shrink as from
some terrible crime ? Give that quiver back to me directly,
thou idle lazy useless fellow! Behold! My hands which

can even yet stretch this bow why that paleness which
now shows itself on thy cheeks? Seize up the torches,
with the same courage that thou seest Alcides display in
his look Oh thou miserable wretch, watch me, as I am
! 1
burning all this time! Behold! Now my father calls me,

and he is opening the gates of heaven! I am coming!
oh! my father," and his face assumed quite a different
aspect, it was no longer the same countenance! I began
to push on, trembUng all the time, and approached the
pile, with a burning pine, but the fire seemed to be flagging,
and the torches, as it were, seemed unwilUng to burn,
and to avoid close contact with the body of Hercules,
but he moved close to the flames, as they appeared to
be receding, and you really would have believed that
Caucasus or Pindus or Athos was fairly in flames! No
sound escaped from Hercules the fire, alone, was heard
to make its characteristic roaring noise! Oh! What un-
flinching endurance Typhosus, that immense giant, placed
!
on such a pile as that, would have roared with a will,

and even, that ferocious Enceladus, who bore Ossa on his
shoulders, which he tore away from the earth from its
very foundations, would have groaned too But Hercules,
!
rising up in the middle of the flames, half burnt, shockingly

mutilated, was courageous and only flushed with excite-
" Now, oh
ment, as any animated conqueror would be ! I
thou parent of Hercules," (Alcmena) he said, "it is becoming

on thy part to stand in front of the pile and that is the
way for Hercules to be bewailed!" There was Hercules
unmoved, in no way disconcerted, placed between columns
of smoke and rapacious flames, bending his diminishing
632 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines i74i->77
Immotus, inconculTus, in neutnim laliis

Con-epta fleilens membra, adhortatur, monet.
Gerit aliquid ardens omnibus fortem addidit
:
Animum miniftris. mere ardenlem putes.

Stupet omne valgus, vix habent flammse fidem. 1745
Tam placida frons eft, tanta majeftas viro.
Nee properat uri. cumque jam forti datimi
Leto fatis penfavit, igniferas trabes
Hinc inde traxit, nimia quas flamma occupat,
Totafque in ignem vertit, & qua plurimus \1S^
Exundat ignis, recipit intrepidus, feiox.
Nunc ora flammis implet. aft illi gi-aves
Luxere barbie: cumque jam vultum minax
Appeteret ignis, lamberent flammê caput,
Non preffit oculos. Sed quid banc moeftam intuor 1755
Sinu gerentem? reliquias magni Herculis
Cineremque ja<5lans fquallidum Alcmene gemit. .
ALCMENA, PHILOCTETES.
Suam ex Herculis morte cladem Alcmena dolet.
ALCM.
Herculeus
TJ. IMETE.
eft. hue
fuperi, fata,
ille
tam parvus
decrevit gigas.
cinis
O quanta, Titan, in nihil moles abit! 1760

Anilis, heu me, cepit Alciden finus.
Hie tumulus illi eft. ecce vix totam Hercules
Complevit urnam quam leve eft pondus mihi,
Cui totus aether pondus incubuit level
Ad Tartara olim regnaque, o nate, ultima 1765
Rediturus ibas. quando ab inferna Styge
Remeabis iterum? non ut & fpolium trahas,
body nor the other, and then he begins,

to neither one side
to exhort, admonish, as if, whilst burning as he was, his
mind must be occupied about something he then tries

to inculcate a brave bearing on the part of all those in
attendance, and you would scarcely credit that any one
could go, being burnt in such a way, amidst such flames,
without suffering more than Hercules appeared to be
undergoing! All the lookers-on are fairly stupefied, and
they think that the flames must surely have lost all their
calorific virtue but, then, behold the face of Hercules
placid, and so much majesty is revealed in the countenance
of that man, nor does he seem to be hurrying on the
process of combustion; but when he bethought himself,
that he had given ample proof of his courage in meeting
death, he then drew towards himself the beams, that were
!
Lines J74I 767] HERCULES CETÛS. 633
burning freely, those indeed, on which the flames had

taken tightest hold and he turns them all towards the
fire, and then moves himself intrepidly defiantly towards
the spot where the flames were the most active at
length, those flames surround his face, but his thick beard
soon caught fire, and when the threatening flames were
already reaching his face, and were playing around his
head, he never once closed his eyes But what sad woman
!
is it that I am now beholding, and what is she carrying,

wrapped up in her clothes? Why! it is surely Alcmena
herself^she is wailing, as she is fondlingly conveying along

those sorry ashes the only relic she now has of the Great
Hercules 1
ALCMENAPHILOCTETES.
Alcmena grieves about her own downfall, arising out
of the death of Hercules.
ALCMENA.
OH ye gods above, go in fear of thy own fate to come

!
upon thee some day, thou perceivest to what a

small amount of ashes the great Hercules has been
brought! (Holding up the article of clothing containing
them) what that giant of a man has dwindled to!
this is
Ah! me! clothes dangling about an old woman's
The
body, (thou seest) are ample enough to hold them ! Here
is a nice sort of tomb for him ! (said jeeringly) Behold
the ashes of the once great Hercules scarcely fill this urn!
What a hght weight, alas! it is for me to carry now!
He, too, to whom the whole weight of the heavens was
only a light burden! Oh! my son, thou went, formerly,
to Tartarus, and the realms of Pluto, when thou returnedst
again in safety, from the infernal Styx, but thou wilt never
again drag back with thee, a dog Cerberus, and never
again, will a Theseus be under an obligation to thee, for
restoring him to the light of day But when wilt thou
return, even alone? (without the dog Cerberus) No! the
world placed above thee will leave thy shade in repose,
and the watch-dog of Tartarus, will prevent thee from
ever escaping therefrom! When wilt thou be able again,
to force the doors of Tsenarus? (entrance of Hell) Ah! to
which entrance, thy mother would fain be drawn, but by
what path are the realms of Mors to be approached?
Thou, that goest to inhabit those regions, travellest by
one irrepassable road, never to be trodden agam! Why
should. I, therefore, pass the day in useless complamts?
! !
Rurfumque Thefeiis debeat lucein titi:

Sed quando folus? mundus impofitus tuas
Compefcet umbras, teque Tartareus canis '77
Inhibere poterit? quando Tasnareas fores
Pulfabis? ah, quas mater ad fauces agar?
Qua mors aditur? vadis ad Manes iter
Habiturus uaum. quid diem queftu tero?
Quid mifera duras vita? quid lucem banc tenes? 1775
Quem parere nirfus Herculem poffum Jovi?
Quis me parentem natus Alcmenam fuam
Tantus vocabit ? 'o nimis felix, nimis,
Thebane coiijux. Tartari intrafti loca
Florente nato; teque venientem inferi 1780
Timuere forfan, quod pater tantum Herculis
Vel falfus aderas. quas petam terras anus,
Invifa fevis regibus? fi quis tamen
Rex eft relidlus fasvus. hei mifera; mihi
Quicunque csefos ingemunt nati patres, 1785
A me petent fupplicia. me cunfli obnient.
Si quis minor Bufiris, aut fi quis minor
Antaeus urbes fervidse terret plagse,
Ego pra^da ducar. fi quis Ifmarios greges
Thracis cruenti vindicat, carpent greges '79
Mea membra diri. forfitan poenas petet
Irata Juno, totus uretur dolor,
Secura vidlo tandem ab Alcide vacat.
Pellex fuperfum, fupplicia de qua exigat.
Ne parere poffem, fecit hie natus mihi 1795
Uterum timeudum. quas petam Alcmene loca?
Quis me locus, quae regio, quae mundi plaga
Defendet? aut quas mater in latebras agar?
Ubique per te nota. fi patriam petam,
Larefque miferos, Ai-gos Euryftheus tenet. 1800
Orbata Thebas regnum & Ifmenum petam,
Thalamofque noflros, in quibus quondam Jovem
Diledla vidi? pri nimis felix, nimis.
Si fulminantem & ipfa fenfiffem Jovem
Utinam meis vifceribus Alcides foret 18J5
Exfeftus infans! nunc datum eft miferae, datum,
Videre natum laude certautem Jovi:
Et hoc daretur fcire, quod fatura mihi
Eripere poflet! quis memor vivet tui,
O Date, populus? omne jam ingratum eft genus. 1810
Petam Cleonas? Arcadum an populos petam?
Meritifque ten am nobilem quEeram tuis?
Oh my miserable life, why

I dost thou ding to me thus?
Why am I thus spared to view the light of heaven?
What Hercules shall I ever bring forth for Jupiter again ?
What so great a son will ever call Alcmena "Mother"
again? Oh! too happy, my too happy Theban husband,
?!
Lines 1768-1812] HERCULES CETÛS. 63S
Amphitryon, thou enteredst the regions of Tartarus whilst

thy son was in the height and pride of glorious manhood 1
and perhaps, the Gods below somewhat dreaded thy

arrival amongst them, inasmuch as thou appearedst as
the supposed father of Hercules, although not the real
one; what land, shall I, an old woman, go in search of?
I am an object of hatred to the cruel kings left behind,
and whatever cruel king is left behind. Woe is me and 1
whatever sons of such kings are bewaiUng the fate of their

slain fathers will single me out as a target for punishment
and revenge one and all will rush forward eagerly to
consummate my downfall if there be an offshoot of
Busiris, or any descendant of Antseus be still holding in

terror, the cities that exist in that hot country I shall be
looked upon as their legitimate prey! Or if any be alive
to revenge the destruction of the Ismarian cattle, which
belonged to that cruel Thracian Diomedes, and to let
those savage horses feast upon my carcass perhaps Juno,

in her anêr, may seek to vent her spleen upon me, by
some kind of punishment, and thus, all her long-continued
resentment may be expended upon mel At last, she
is left safe, since Hercules has thus been conquered; it
is true, I, her rival hitherto, am still spared, but my son
has caused my womb to be an especial object of alarm
to me, lest, by any possibility, I should be made a mo-
ther again! What refuge shall I, an Alcmena, seek?
What place will protect me what region -what country
in whatever hiding-place in this wide world? Everywhere
I go I shall be recognized as thy mother on account of
thy exploits! If I seek my own country, the now sad
home of my father Electryon, Eurystheus is still in power
at Argos ! Being thus bereaved, shall I seek the Theban
kingdom washed by the waters of the Ismenus, and the
scene of my marriage amour, where once a beloved one,
I first met with Jupiter! Oh too happy for me, if I had
!
experienced the lightnings of Jupiter, during that embrace,

as Semele once did; I wish that the infant Alcides had
been excised from my very womb 1 Now it has happened
to my lot; it has not been brought about, that I should
live to heboid a son vyin^ with Jupiter in his pretensions
to glory! But this has been given me to know, that
nothing can snatch me from my destiny! What people,
oh! my son, will ever live to be mindful of thy services
The whole race of mankind is one mass of ingratitude
(Shall I seek Cleonas? Or shall I ily for refuge to the
people of Arcadia? I will, at all events, seek out some
land rendered famous by thy meritorious deeds! 'Twas
in one place, the Hydra fell, in another, the Stymphahdes
met their end -here, a cruel king was conquered there.
Heic dira fei-pens cecidit; heic ales fera;

Heic rex cruentiis; heic tua fracftus manu,
Qui te fepulto poffidet coelum, leo. 1815
Si grata ten-a eft, populus Alcmenam tuam
Defendat omnis. Thracias gentes petam,
Hebrique populos? haec quoque eft meritis tuis
Defenfa lellus. ftabula cum regno jacent.
Heic pax cruento rege proftrato data eft. 1820
Ubi euim negata eft? quod tibi infelix anus.
Quaeram fepulcrum? de luis totus regis
Contendat orbis. reliquias magiii Herculis
Quis populus, aut quse templa, quae gentes colent?
Quis jam petet, quis pofcet Alcmenes onus? 1825
Quae tibi fepulcra, nate, quis tumulus fat eft?
Hie totus orbis. fama erit titulus tibi.
Quid, anime, trepidas? Herculis citieres tenes.
Compleftere offa. reliquiae auxilium dabunt.
Erunt fatis prsefidia. ten-ebunt tuas 1830
Reges vel umbrae. PHYL. Uebitos nato quidem
Compefce fletus, mater Alcidas incliti.
Nou eft gemendus, nee gravi urgendus nece,
Virtute quifquis abftulit fatis iter.
JEtemn virtus Herculem fieri vetat. 1^35
Fortes vetat mcerere, degeneres jiibet.
ALCM. Sedabo queftus? vindicem amifi parens
Terrae atque pelagi, quaque purpureus dies
Utrumque clara fpedlat dceanum rota.
Quot mifera in uno condidi natos parens? 1840
Regno carebam, regna fed poteram dare.
Una inter omnes terra quas matres gerit,
Votis perperci. nil ego a fuperis petii
Incolume nato. quid dare Flerculeus miM
Non poterat ardor? quis Deus quidquam mihi 1845
Negare poterat? vota in hac fuerant manu.
Quidquid negaret Jupiter, daret Hercules.
Quid tale genitrix uUa mortalis tulit?
Deflevit aliqua mater, & toto ftetit
Succifa foetu, bifque feptenos greges 1850
Deplanxit una. giegibus aquari meus
Quot ille poterat? matribus miferis adhuc
Exemplar ingens deerat. Alcmene dabo.
CefTale matres, periinax fi quas dolor
that lion was subdued by thy hand, and which now

possesses a place in the heavens, and thou, its conqueror
art merely buried below If the earth is grateful, every
!
country and people will defend thy mother Alcniena.

Shall I seek the people of Thrace and those who live
on the borders of the Hebrus that is a land, which has
been protected by thy valuable labors the notorious
stables with the kingdom itself have fallen too, and here.

peace was secured when that sanguinary king was laid

low Was there ever any thing denied to me? what burial
I
place shall I, only a imiseraDle old woman, seek out for

thee? All the world will dispute for the possession of
what was filched by me from the funeral pile (the ashes);
what people or what temples or what nation will be the
happy possessor of and De able to worship these relics
of Hercules? Who is there that is already asking for
them who will beg for this small burden, which Alcmena
is now carrying about with her? What burial-place, oh!
my son, what tomb will be in keeping with thy deserts?
Why, ohl my anxious heart, do I seem to tremble? I
ought to remember that I am carrying the ashes of

Hercules to embrace even his incinerated bones, these
relics will inspire me with an earnest of ready support
they alone will be a sufficient safeguard!
PHIL. Restrain those tears which, no doubt, are fully

called forth, oh thou mother of glorious Alcides he must
1
not be bewailed for, too much; too much must not be

urged about his terrible form of death, who, by his valor,
simply has triumphed over destiny Such immortal valor
1
forbids that Hercules should be wept for in an ordinary

manner.The brave are forbidden to be wept for, it is
only the chicken-hearted ones that demand such pity and
sympathy 1
ALC. I will check my complaining spirit then, but I,

a parent, have lost that avenger of the earth and the sea,
and wherever the roseate light of day overlooks both
Oceans, East and West, as it is ushered in from the bright
chariot of Phoebus How many sons, alas, do I, as a
1
parent, seem to have buried away in that solitary Her-

cules 1I had no kingdom of my own, but I could always
give away kingdoms, I was that only mother amongst
all the other mothers in the world, who could do that.
But I spared Heaven the addressing of my vows, I
sought nothing from the gods above, my son was the
stronghold of safety, and' what could the ardent love
and valor of Hercules not accomplish? What deity could
.
deny me anything, my wishes were all in his power
to grant! What Jupiter was inclined to deny that Her-
cules could give What like this did any mortal mother
!
ever enjoy as to privilege? A

certain mother, Niobe,
wept and stood aghast at being deprived of an entire
family, and all at once, had to weep for the death of
fourteen children! (Apollo killed the males, Diana, the
females.) But how many I should like to know could
represent as a sum total, the equivalent for my "own"l
;
Adhuc jubet lugere, quas luflus gravis 1855

In faxa vertit. cedite his cunflse malis.
Agedum, fenile peftus, n miferse manus,
Pulfate. & una funeri tanto fat eft
GrandEeva anus defedla; quod totus brevi
Jam qusret orbis? expedi in plan(lus tamen i860
Defeffaquamquam brachia. invidiam ut Deis
Lugendo facias, advoca in planftum genus.
A L C M E N A.
Triftis Alcmena naeniam canit
J. LETE Alcmenen, magnique Jovis

Plangite natum, cui concepto
Lux una periit, noflefque duas 1865
Contulit Eos: ipfa quiddam
Plus luce perif. tote pariter
Plangite gentes, quarum faevos
file tyrannos juffit Stygias
Penetrare domos, populifque madens 1870
Ponere ferrum. fletum meritis
Reddite tantis. totus, totus
Perfonet orbis. fleat Alciden
Caerula CretSj magno tellus
Clara Tonante centum populi
: 1875
Brachia pulfent.
Nunc Curetes, nunc Corybantes,
Anna Idsea quaffate manu
Armis ilium lugere decet.
Nuuc nunc funus plangite varum: 1880
Jacet Alcides non minor ipfo,
Creta, Tonante.
Flete Herculeos, Arcades, obitus,
Nondum Phcebo nafcente genus.
Juga Parthenii Nemeseque fonent, 1885
As yet, lamenting mothers have been without any exem-

plary model whereby to regulate the orthodox standard
of grief I will furnish them now, with one, in the shape
I
of myself, an Alcmena Cease, oh! ye bewailing mothers,

I
therefore, if any deeply-rooted cause for grief constrains

you still to persevere with your weeping, even such as
those, whose grief might transform them into stones
(alluding to Niobe) ; yield, one and all of you, in respect
of maenititude to this calamity of mine Come, oh this ! 1
senile Dosom of mine, and oh these miserable hands of

!
mine, strike and belabor in orthodox fashion, and do not

let any woman, although she may be somewhat stricken
Lines 1855-1885] HERCULES GETÛS. 639
in years, be backwardin her manifestations of adequate

-grieving, forso great a misfortune, which all the world
will seek to do shortly let me get ready, however, for
my bewailing observances, although my arms are pretty
well wearied out by age, so that I may excite the very
jealousy of the Gods, in the way I can weep, and let me
summon all sympathizers for the fate of Hercules, to aid
in this mournful task!
ALCMENA.
Alcmena, in her grief, chants a funeral dirge.
LAMENT for Alcmena in her grief, weep for the son of

the mighty Jupiter, for whom an entire day, was
missing at his conception, and Aurora had to pass
three consecutive nights in succession now, something
more than mere light has passed away from us, and all
ye nations weep alike for him who consigned cruel tyrants
to enter their last Stygian resting-place, and cast aside
the sword wreaking with blood that threatened the people
tender thy weeping for such great benefits let every

world resound again with mournful cries let that Crete
watered by the blue sea, and favored with such a blue
sky, bewail Alcides, that land so renowned as having been

the nursery of the mighty Jupiter let a hundred peoples
beat their arms at once, and now let the Curetes, then
the Corybantes testify their grief as worthy priests, and
jingle the instruments they use on Mount Ida (cymbals,
horns, drums and their box-wood flutes) it is only the
right thing on an occasion like this to accompany their
lamentations ! For now, and now if ever, is the time to
strike up a funereal dirge! Oh! Crete, Alcides is now
departed, not less great, than Jupiter himself. Bewail, oh!
ye Arcadians, bewail the death of Hercules, a race that
existed before Phoebus himself was as yet born let the
mountain sides of Parthenium and Nemea resound with
cries, and let the peoples about Mtenala strike their bodies
with hard blows, let them vociferously yet plaintively call
back Alcides, the Erymanthian wild boar was laid low
on the borders of the country here it was, that the Stym-
phalides were summoned from their lofty abodes in the
skies by the arrows of Hercules, those birds that with
their out-spread wings completely obscured the light
of day! Weep, oh! ye people of Argos, weep, oh! ye
denizens of Cleona, 'twas here that the right hand
of my son, destroyed the lion, which was the terror of
thy cities. Oh! ye Sithonian matrons deal yourselves
Feriantque graves Mffinala plan(5lus.

Pofcite magno Akiden gemitu:
Stratus veftris fetiger oris:
Alefque fequi jufla fagittas,
Totum pennis velata diem. lo9
Flete, ArgolioiE, flete, Cleonie;
Hie terrentem moenia quondam
Veftra leonem fregit noftri
Dextera nati. Date Sithonias
Verbera matres, gelidufque fooet 1895
Plandlibus Hebrus. flete Alciden,
Quod non ftabulis nafcitur infans,
Nee veftra greges vifcera carpunt.
Fleat AntEeo libera tellus,
Et rapta fero plaga GeryouiE. 19
Mecum miferss plangite gentes.
Audiat i(tus ulraque Tethys.
Vos quoque mundi turba citati,
Flete Herculeos, numina, cafus.

Veftrum Alcides cervice meus 1905
Mundum, fuperi, coelumque tulit:
Cum ftelligeri veflor Olympi,
Pondere liber fpiravir Atlas.
Ubi nunc veftrse, Juppiter, arces?
Ubi promiffi regia mundi.' 1910
Nempe Alcides mortalis obit,
Nempe fepultus. quoties telis
Facibufque tuis ille pepercit!
Quoties ignis fpargendus eratl
In me faltem jaculare facem, 1915
Semelemque Jamne Elyfias,
puta.
O nate, domus, jam litus habes,
Ad quod populos Natura vocat?
An poft raptum Styx atra canem
Prseclufit iter; 1920
Teque primo limine Ditis
in
Fata morantur? quis nunc Umbras,
Nate, tumultus, Manefque tenet?
Fugit abdufla navita cymba,
Et Centauris Tlieffala motis 1925
Ferit attonitos ungula Manes?
Anguefque fuos hydra fub undis
Territa merfit? teque lahores,
O nate, timent?
Fallor, fallor, vefana parens; 1930
Nee te Manes Umbi-teque timent.
Non Argolico rapta leoni
Fulva pellis contefla juba
Laevos operit dura lacertos,
Vallantque feri tempora denies. 1935
Donum pharetrae ceflere tue.
Telaque mittet jam dextra minor.
!
becoming blows, and let the frigid Hebrus cause its

lamentations to be heard weep for Alcides and thank-
fully, that no infant not as yet born, will be destined
to supply the stables of another Diomedes, nor the horses
of that cruel king to feed upon their entrails weep, that
land, which was freed from such a gigantic monster as
Antseus, and let that country weep that was snatched
from the clutches of a Geryon all ye nations, that have
been rendered miserable, grieve in concert with me, and
let each side of the sea. East and West, hear each thy
moans, and oh ye deities, the. celestial denizens sum-
I
moned from every part of the heavens, weep for lie

misfortunes of Hercules ! Oh ye gods above, my Alcides
!
bore the heavens, which ye govern, on his shoulders and

propped up the falling firmament, when Atlas, who
carried the star-bearing Olympus (that is on account of
its height nearly reaching the stars) had to pause and
take his breath, while he relieved himself of his burden.
Where are thy celestial citadels now. Oh Jupiter, where
1
is that promised palace in the heavens? Now that Alci-

des has vanished from this earthly scene, like any other
mortal, and forasmuch, as he is practically buried, how
often has he saved thee, the trouble of employing thy
thunderbolts and thy lightnings? How many times, nave
thy lightnings been scattered? At the least, hurl thy
lightning at me, and think that I am another Semele!
Dost thou not, ohl my son, now inhabit, the Elysian

habitations? hast thou not reached that shore to which
nature calls all the people from this earth? Or has the
sombre Stvx closed its doors against thee, since thou
triumphantly carried off Cerberus r Or are the Fates loth
to admit thee, and are showing some hesitaion, as thou
approachest the threshold of Pluto ? What a stir, oh
my son, thou wilt make amongst the shades How thou
1
wilt frighten those Manes And has Charon fled in dis-

1
may, giving up his post as pilot? And the Centaurs

getting into an excited state, are they not kicking away
furiously at the Manes, with their hoofs of Thessalian
memory? Or has the Hydra, with its hundred appended
draconian heads, sunk hidinely under the water, thor-
oughly scared at thy approach? Ohl my son, they fear
thee, and marvel at the labors thou hast achieved I am
1

mistaken yes, 1 am mistaken, the foolish doting parent
that I am, neither the Manes nor the shades (shades,
here, must allude to the monsters) have reason to fear
thee now that terrible skin, which thou tookest from the
I
Argolic (Nemaean) Lion, no longer adorns thy robust

shoulders, and its ferocious fangs no longer encrown
thy noble temples. The quiver has been given up as a
4
Vadis inermis, nate, per umbras,

Ad quas femper manfurus eris.
ALCMENA, HERCULES.
Solatur lugentem matrem Hercules in Deorum collegium
translatus, machina autem demi/fus Here, ex edition
loco fupra efifcenium inducitur.
HERC.
a
V^/um me tenentem regna Cderei poli,
Coeloque tandem redditum, planflu jubes
Sentire fatum? parce. nam virtus mihi
1940
In aftra, & ipfos fecit ad fuperos iter.

ALCM. Unde fonus trepidas auras ferit?
Unde meas inliibet lacrimas fragor? 1945
Agnofco, agnofco, viilum eft Chaos.
A Styge, nate, redis iterum mihi:
Fradtaque non femel eft Mors horrida.
Vicifti rurfus Nocftis loca,
Puppis & infernsevada triftia. '95
Pervius eft Acheron jam languidus,
Et remeare licet foli tibi;
Nee te Fata tenent poft funera.
An tibi praecluCt Pluton iter,
Et pavidus regni metuit Cbi? 1955
Certo ego te vidi flagrantibus
Impofitum iilvis, cum plui'imus
In caelum ftu-eret flammse melus.
verum ultima
Arfifti certe;
Non tenuere tuas umbras loca. -
1960
Quid timuere tui manus, precor?
Umbra quoque eft Diti nimis horrida.
HERC. Non me gemenlis ftagna Cocyti tenent,
Non puppis umbras furva tranfvexit meas.
Jam parce, mater, queftibus. Manes femel 1965
Umbrafque vidi quidquid in nobis tui
:
Mortale fuerat, ignis evi(lus tulit.

Patema coelo pars data eft, flammis tua.
Proinde plandlus pone, quos nato paret
Genitrix inerti. luflus in turpes eat. 1970
Virtus in aftra tendit, in mortem timor.
mater, Alcides cano.
present to Philoctetes, and now a less mighty hand than

thine will discharge the arrows therefrom! Thou goest
thither without offensive weapons, ohl my son, towards
those shades, amongst which, alas thou must dwell for
I
ever I
Lin 1938-1972] HERCULES CETÛS. 643
ALCMENA-HERCULES.
Hercules, having been raised to the companionship of
the gods, consoles his grieving mother, but being
lowered from the habitations above, by the same
aerial contrivance, as that by which he was trans-
lated to the heavens, is introduced into this scene,
HERCULES.
WHY dost thou force thyself to bewail my fate, when

thou perceivest that I am now in possession of
an abode in the starry heavens, and at last re-

ceived into the celestial regions be sparing, therefore,
in thy lamentations, for my valor has wrought its way to
the stars and the gods above 1
ALC. Whence this sound, that has just now struck my

ears? Whence the crash, which, from its very sudden-
ness has arrested my tears? The infernal regions and
Mars are overcome I Chaos is conquered Oh my son,
1 I
thou art returning to me from the Styx, and Mars has

been vanquished for the second time! But hast thou,
really, overcome the obscure realms of Nox, and those
dreadful streams ferried over by that craft of Charon's?
Is Acheron, heretofore a swiftly flowing river, only skim-
ming along languidly now, and has it thus allowed thee
only, to reappear on this earth? Or is it that the Fates
cannot control thee, even when thou art dead? Or has
Pluto barred up against thee, the approaches to his
kingdom ? And anxious as to the safety of that kingdom,
that he has been equally so about himself? I certainly
saw thee placed on those burning contributions of the
forest, which composed thy funeral pile I When the- ter-
rible flames raised themselves high up towards the
heavens, thou wert burning most assuredly, but then, the
last goal, Tartarus, that has to be reached by all mortals
alike, as it would appear, has not been arrived at by
thy Manes! (spirit).' I pray thee, tell me, why these
Manes have gone in such fear of thy Umbra? Is it, that
thy Umbra is to terrifying for even Pluto to behold?
HERC. The stagnant waters of the Cocytus have not

returned me, nor has that unrelenting bark, flying its
way towards eternal darkness, had the task of conveying
my mortal remains across its streams! Now be sparing,
mother, of thy lamenUtions. I have seen the Shades I
and the Manes once only, and whatever there was m

me, of a mortal nature, the fire has overcome and elimm->
! :
Poenas cruentus jam tibi Euryftheus dabit.

Curru fuperbum vecfla tranfcendes caput.
Me jam decet fubire coeleftem plagam. 1975
Inferna vici rurfus Alcides loca.
ALCM. Mane parumper. ceffit; ex oculis abiit;
In aftra fertur. fallor, an vultus putat
Vidiffe natum? mifera mens incredula eft.
Es numen, & te mundus asternus tenet. 1980
Credo triumphis. regna Thebarum petam,
Novumque templis additum numen canam.
CHORUS.
Herculis ivoHairi afpirat Chorus, novumque numen
adorat.
N. UNQUAM Stygias fertur ad umbras

I
Inclita virtus, vivite fortes;

Vos Lethasos fseva per amnes 1985
Nee fata trahent. fed cum fummas
Exiget boras confumta dies,
Iter ad fuperos gloria pandet
Sed tu, domitor magne ferarum,
Orbifque fimul pacator, ades. '990
Nunc quoque noftras refpice terras
Et fi qua novo bellua vultu
Quatiet populos ten-ore gravi,
Tu fulminibus frange trifulcis.
Fortius ipfo genitore tuo 1995
Fulmina mittes.
ated, but the paternal portion of me, that given to me

by Heaven, remains The flames have claimed, as their
1
own, what I received from thee! [The mortal portion.]

Henceforward lay aside thy weeping, which a mother
only spares for a helpless mortal son Let grief, there-
I
fore, be reserved for the baser-born of mankind! Valor

bends its course, upwards, to the stars! Cowardice
shrinks downwards, with its eyes on Mors: being now
before thee, mother, and coming from the stars (direct)
I enunciate to thee, this prediction! The time will
arrive, when that cruel Eurystheus will suffer his punish-
ment and at thy hands, thou shalt pass over his proud
head in thy triumphal chariot! (He is afterwards slain
by Hyllus.) It is now proper and right for me to go
back to the heavenly regions again. I, Alcides, thou
now perceivest, have again triumphed over the infernal
realms
Lines 1973996] HERCULES OETÛS. 645
ALC. Wait a little time! Oh! he escapes from me

he disappears from my vision he is borne towards the
stars! Am I under some illusion of the senses? Or
does my vision deceive me in supposing that I
only,
have just seen my son! My
wretched mind is really
not quite made up on the point! Thou art a veritable
Deity now, my son, and I will seek the Theban king-
dom, and will there sing to the praises of the new
_
Divinity which has been given to their temples, and to

whom they may now render their homage!
CHORUS.
The chorus breathes forth its thanks for the Apotheosis
of Hercules, and is ready to worship the newly
acquired Deity.
RENOWNED valor is never brought so low, as to have

to return to the sombre shades! live, oh! ye brave
ones of the earth! Neither the cruel Fates will
drag you through the streams of the Lethe, but when
the last day of your lives has passed away, and your
last hours have arrived (are demanded from you), Glory
will open up the way to the gods above! But thou,
Hercules, camest as the great conqueror of the wild
beasts, and at the same time^ to be the pacificator of
the world ! Even now, thou wilt deign to look upon the
earth, and if any huge monster, with a new form, should
agitate the people with grievous terrors, thou wilt strike
it down with thy three-forked lightnings, and thou wilt
send thy lightnings forth with a stronger hand, too, than
even thy father, Jupiter, ever did!
O C T A V I A.
!
Lines I 23J
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
OCTAVIA. POPPA.
nutrix octavie. Agrippina.
Chorus Romanorum. Nero.
Seneca. NUNTIUS.
Pr^fectus.
ARGUMENTUM.
Claudius DRufus C^fAR MEflALiN.ffi, quae
illi Britannicum &
Oiftaviam pepererat, quod mori juflse, Agrippinam
Silio nupfiffet,
filiam fratris fui Germanic!, viduam Cn. Dom. /Enobarbi Neronis,
fuperinduxit; cujus filio Neroni 0<5laviam fuam in matrimonium
dedit. Claudio & Brittannico veneno fublatis, Nero Imp. Odtaviam,
quam oderat, repudiat, Poppseam Sabinam ducit cujus divorlii
caufa commoti populi tumultum multa csede reprimit, & Oftaviam
in Pandatariam ablegatam interfici jubet.
ACTUS PRIMUS.
OCTAVIA.
Vite pertaefa miferias fuas deflet Oftavia.
I AM vaga coelo fidera fulgens
Aurora fugat: furgit Titan

Radiante coma, mundoque diem
Reddit clarum.
Age, tot tantis onerata malis,
5
Repete affuetos jam tibi queltus,
Atque sequoreas vince Alcyonas;
Vince & volucres Pandionias:
Gravior namque his fortuna tua eft.
Semper genitrix deflenda mihi, 10
Prima meorum caufa malorum.
Trifles queftus
Natae exaudi, fi quis remanet
Senfus in umbris. utinam ante manu
Grandieva fua mea rupiffet 15
Stamina Clotho, tna quam mcerens
Vulnera vidi,
Oraque fedo fparfa cruore!
O lux Temper funefta milii
Tempore ab illo lux eft tenebris 20
Invifa magis.
Tulimus fevse juffa novercse,
Hoftilem animum, vultufque tiuces.
Lines i 23]
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
OCTAVIA. PoPPjEA.
Octavia's Nurse. Agrippina.
Chorus of Romans. Nero.
Seneca. Messenger.
Prefect.
ARGUMENT.
Claudius Drusus C^sar (Messalina, because she had
married Silius, being condemned to die she had borne
him (Caesar) Britannicus and Octavia) took to himself.
for a fourth wife (he had divorced Urgulanilla and
^lia Paetina before he married Messalina). Agrippina,
the daughter of his brother Germanicus, and the widow
of Cn. Domitius ^nobarbus Nero, to whose son, he
"aye his daughter Octavia in. marriage. Claudius and
Britannicus bemg poisoned, Nero, then Emperor, divorces
Octavia, whom lie had always hated, and marries Pop-
paea Sabina in consequence of which divorce he had
;
to put down the riots amongst the populace amidst

great slaughter, and he orders Octavia to be transported
to Pandataria, and there to be slain.
ACT I.
OCTAVIA.
Octayia, weary of her existence, bewails her misery.
Aurora, was shining brilliantly in the heavens, is

that
now the wandering starry group, and
forsaking
Titan is rising from his Eastern couch, with his
radiating flakes of fire, and is giving forth to the world
another bright day. Let me pursue the recital of my woes
burdened as I am with so many and such great misfortunes,
and let me rehearse to thee my oft-repeated plaints, and
let me surpass the Alcyons (Ceyx and Alcyon) which
give out their dismal notes, as they hover over their
aquatic abodes (during the nidifying season) and let me
exceed too the Pandionian birds (Progne and Philomela)
with my dolorous strains I for my troubles are greater,
than ever theirs were it is always a mother, a mother
that the prominent theme in my lamentations, the first
is
cause of my misfortunes, hear then the sad plaints of a
daughter if any sense or feeling is to be looked for in
those numbered with the shades ; I wish that Clotho had
"
6SO "SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines ^-54
meis triftis Erinnys

Ilia ilia
Thalamis Stygios prsetulit ignes? ZS
Teque exftinxit, miferande pater,
Modo cui totus paruit orbis
Oceanum, cuique Biitanni
Ultra
Terga dedere,
Ducibus noftris ante ignoti, 3
Jurifque fui.
Conjugis (heu me!) pater infidlis
Oppreffe jacesj fervitque domus
Cum prole tua capta tyranno!
NUTRIX OCTAVI^.
Propter alumnse fuas Oftavias calamitatem fublimis & aulicas
vitse conditionem exfecratur.
R ULGORE prlfno captus, & fragili bono

Fallacis aulse quifquis attonitus ftupet,
Subito labantis ecce Fortunes impetu
35
Modo praepotentem cernat everfam domum,

Stirpemque Claudii, cujus imperio fuit
Subjedlus orbis, paruit liber diu 40
Oceanus, &
recepit invitus rates.
En qui Britanhis primus impofuit jugum,
Ignota e ante claffibus texit freta,
Interque genles barbaras tutus fuit,
Et faeva maria; conjugis fcelere occidit, 45
Mox ilia nati. cujus exftindlus jacet
Frater venenis. moeret infelix foror,
Eademque conjux. nee graves luftus valet
Ira coafta tegere. crudelis viri
Secrela refugit femper, atque odio pari 50
Ardens mariti, mutua flagrat face.
Animum dolentis noftra folatur fides,
Pietafque fniftra. mutat immitis dolor
Confilia^ noftra. nee regi mentis poteft
broken the threads of my life, with her venerable fingers,

before, ever plunged in the abyss of grief, I beheld the
wounds' on thy body (Messalina's) and thy face besmeared
with the unsightly blood Oh this access of the li^ht
! I
of day, always distressing to iny mind (from the

it is
repulsive reminiscences). Light is now more odious to
rae, than ever Stygian darkness could be, ever since that
sorrowful time I have had to submit to the imperious
tyranny of a step-mother, her hostile spirit, and her savage
glances! It is she, she that, like cruel Erinnys, has im-
1!
Lines =4-54] OCTAVIA. 65
ported her Stygian torches and disturbed the harmony

of the marriage homestead! And she has destroyed thee,
ohl mv father a thousand times to be pitied, whom till
now, the whole world beyond the very ocean! owed
subjection at whose appearance on their shores, the
affrighted Britons fled m
dismay; having never before
owed allegiance to any foreign conqueror Ah me oh I !
niy father, thou art laid low, fallen by the wicked snares
of a wife (destroyed by one of the fungi, Boletus, a
poisonous mushroom) and thy palace and thy off-spring
are under the cruel rule of a tyrant.
OCTAVIA'S NURSE.
On account of the sad misfortunes befalling her nurse-
child Octavia, the nurse execrates the drawbacks
which beset the proud surroundings of hfe in a
Palace.
ANYsplendor
one
and
that is captivated at first sight
advantages of the treacherous
fleeting
by the outside
palace, can now behold with his own eyes, wonder-

struck, and reahze what remains of a once most powerful
dynasty overthrown on a sudden by the insiduous ad-
vantages of adverse fate, and see what has befallen the
offspring of Claudius, to whose imperial sway the whole
world was once subject, and by whom that Ocean hitherto
free, and unnavigated over, was brought under control
and was constrained to afford an unopposed passage for
our Roman fleets Think that it was he who first placed
!
the Britons under any foreign yoke, and covered the very
seas, before unknown to the Romans, with his fleets, and
amongst even such barbarous nations, and such tempes-
tuous seas, he was, at all events, in a state of personal
safety! But alas! he fell at last by the wickedness of

a wife presentiy she will share the same lot at the hands
of a son (Nero), and a brother of whom is now lying
dead from the effects of poison. (Britannicus was not a
brother, by the ties of blood, Nero became a brother by
adoption only.) That miserable sister (by marriage only)
and likewise wife, is in a deep grief, nor does her restrained
anger suffice to conceal her terrible woe she always
avoids being alone with her cruel husband, eschewing
privacy, ancf her angry sentiments are quite on a par with
the aversion which the husband entertains towards her!
They burn with mutual hatred! The confidence, which
she reposes in me, is in some sort a consolation to her
grieving heart, but devoted affection is quite useless, in-
as much as her uncontrollable grief thwarts all my well-in-
6S2 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines S5-S4
Generofus ardor, fed malis vires capit.

_
55
Heu, quam nefaadum profpicit nofter timor
Scelus. quod utinam numen avertat Deftm!
OCTAVIA, NUTRIX.
Lugentem Oftaviam nutrix confolatur, & a viodidla, quam
cogitat, dehortatur.
OCT. V_^MEA nullis sequanda malis

Fortuna! licet repetam lucftus,
Eledlra, tuos. tibi moerenti 60
Cffifum licuit flere parentem;
Scelus ulcifci vindice fratre,
Tua quem pietas hofti rapuit,
Texitque fides; me crudeli
Sorte parentes raptos prohibet 65
Lugere timor, fratrifque necem
Deflere vetat, in quo fuerat
Spes una mihi,
Totque malorum breve folamen.
Nunc in ludtus fervata meos, 70
Magni refto nominis umbra.
KUTR. Vox (heu) noftras perculit aures
Triftis alumnse.
Ceffas thalamis infeiTe gi-adus,
Tarda feneftus? OCT. Excipe noftras 75 4
Lacrimas, nutrix. teftis noftri
Fida doloris. NtJTR. Quis te tantis
Solvet curis, miferanda, dies?
OCT. Qui me Stygias mittet ad umbras.
NUTR. Omina, qusefo, fmt ifta procul. 80
OCT. Non vota meos tua nunc cafus,
Sed fata regunt. notr. Dabit afflifts
Meliora Deus tempera mitis.
Tu modo blando vince obfequio
tentioned advice, nor can her resolute strong-mindedness,

be in any way brought under by my efforts, but she even
seems to have acquired increased determination, arising
out of the very misfortunes she has undergone! Alasi
what wicked crime do my alarms lead me on to fore-
shadow, would that the kind intervention of the Gods
may avert such a climax!
OCTAVIA-NURSE.
The Nurse consoles the grieving Octavia, and dissuades
her from prosecuting any revenge, which she might
be contemplating.
Lines 55-84] OCTAVIA. 6S3
OCTAVIA.
OH I my
cruel destiny, to be equalled by none, in the
severity of my
misfortunes, it may be, Electra, that
I shall rehearse thy griefs in my
own personal
sufferings it was thy fate to have to bewail the loss of
a murdered parent, but in thy case, there was a brother
in view, to revenge, at some future time, by that terrible
crime a brother, whom thy affection snatched away from
the sword of the enemy and to whom thy fidelity gave
its sheltering protection but : my
fear for the consequences
hinders me
from even outwardly bewailing the loss of
my parents, who were snatched away from me, by the
cruel hand of fate; it forbids me, too, to bemoan the
death of a brother, in whom my one, niy only hope
was centred There was a brief mterval of^ consolation
!
afforded me amidst such great misfortunes (while the

brother Britannicus lived), but now, forsooth, I am handed
over alone, with no brother to look forward to, to my
own bitter grief, and thus I remain only, now, as the
shadow of a once great name 1
NUR. Alas! a sorrowing voice has struck my ears! and

why should I, although affected with the tardiness of old
age, hesitate to hasten with quickened steps to the bed-
chamber of Octavia?
OCT. Trace these tears to their proper source, Nurse,

thou art the one faithful witness of my grief
NUR. What day will ever arrive, oh, thou one to be

pitied, which will rid thee of thy troubles?
OCT. What day (dost thou mean) will arrive? (Is it)
the day on which I shall be packed off to the Stygian
Shades?
NUR. 1 beseech the Gods, may such an unpropitious

day as that, then, be a long way offl
OCT. Unfortunately, thy wishes, Nurse, have no in-

fluence over such troubles as mine, but the Fates have I
NUR. Surely a merciful deity will vouchsafe better

times for the one afflicted as thou art; but thou hast
calmed thyself down somewhat, just try and prevail on
thy husband's susceptibilities, if he has ariy, and assume
a bland, obsequious demeanour towards him.
:
6S4 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 85-1^3
Placata virum. OCT. Vincam faevos 85

Ante leones, tigrefque truces,
Fera quam fsevi corda tyranni.
Odit genitos fanguine claro,
Spernit fuperos Eominefque fimul,
Nee fortunam capit ipfe fuam, 90
Quam dedit illi per fcelus ingens
Infauda parens, licet ingratum
Dirse pudeat munere matris,
Hoc imperium cepiffe j licet
Tantum munus morte rependat: 95
Feret hunc titulum port fata tamen
Femina longo femper in sevo.
NUTR. Animi retine verba furentis.
Temere emiffam comprime vocem.
OCT. Toleranda quamvis patiar, baud unquam queant, 100
Nifi morte noftra finiri mala.
trifti,
Genitrice casfa, per fcelus rapto patre,
Orbata fratre, miferiis, luftu obruta,
Moerore preflkj conjugi invifa, ac mese
Subjefla famulffi, luce non grata fruor; 105
Trepidante femper corde, non mortis metu,
Sed fceleris. abfit crimen a fatis meis
Mori juvabit. poena nam gravior nece eft,
Videre tumidos & truces miferge mihi
Vultus tyranni, jungere atque hofti ofcula, no
Timere nutus'; cujus obfequium meus
Hand ferre poffet, fata poft fratris, dolor,
Scelere interemti; cvyus imperium tenet
Et morte gaudet anchor infandss necis.
Quam fffipe triftis umbra germani meis 115
Offertur oculis, membra cum folvit quies,
Et feffa iletu lumina oppreffit fopor!
Modo facibus atris armat infirmas manus,
Oculofque, & ora fratris infeftus petit:
Modo trepidus idem refugit in thalamos meos. 120
Perfequitur hoftis, atque iuhserenti mihi
Violentus enfem per latus noftrum rapit.
Tunc tremor & ingens excutit fomnos pavor.
OCT. 1 shall have to overcome, first the savage lion of

the plains, and the fierce tiger of the jungle, before I can
subjugate the adamant heart of the tyrant Nero. The
fact is, he has an instinctive hatred to start with, of any
one descended from an illustrious race he despises alike,
the ignoble herd of mankind and the Gods above as
well, nor has he received anything at the hands of fortune,
but what a cruel parent has heaped upon him, as the
proceeds of aggravated crime; although he is ungrateful
enough to be ashamed of ever having received anything
Lines 85-123] OCTAVIA. 655
from that cruel mother, he has, nevertheless, taken upon

himself, the dominion over this empire, and although, in
return for such a great gift, he hands her over to be
assassinated! But a woman will long hold the credit for
her share in the transaction, even after her death, and it
will continue to last for many a long year in the minds
of the people.
NUR. Restrain the expressions of thy angered mind,

weigh with care the words thou sufferest to escape thy
lips.
OCT. Although I may patienfly suffer these things, and

appear to. tolerate them, my misfortunes can never be
brought to an end, but by the sad alternative means of
Death What with a murdered mother a father snatched
!

from me by a wicked crime robbed of a brother over-
whelmed with all kinds of misery and grief hateful in
the eyes of a husband, and exposed to the insolent author-
ity of a subject, it cannot be supposed that I can enjoy
my life vasdyl My heart is perpetually in a kind of
tremble, not from the fear of death, but from the possibil-
ity of some crime being committed May I, however, never
1
be fated to perpetrate onel It would please me to die,

and the punishment of death itself could not be more
dreadful to bear, especially by me in my miserable state,
than having to encounter the angry and murderous looks
of that tyrant (Nero) and then to have to exchange kisses
with a downright enemy, which I know him to be, so as
to dread his very nod! Whose caresses my inward grief
could not permit me to entertain, and after that fate of
my brother^, who fell a victim to his crimes, and whose
very empire he has usurped, and who glories in having
been the author of that impious slaughter How often is 1
the tristful ghost of my brother brought before my mental

vision, when a state of bodily repose relaxes my tired
frame, and sleep invades the lids so wearied with weeping
Sometimes the ghost arms its feeble hands with funeral
torches, and aims its blows at the eyes and face of his
brother, (Nero was a brother by adoption only) who, in
a state of alarm takes refuge in my couch -the enemy
still pursuing him, and making a rush at him, as he is
clinging to me, passes his sword through my side! Then
the tremors come over me, and an intense dread drives
away further sleep and my grief is renewed, and the
alarms^ as to my own miserable fate, return to me in
force. Then add to this that insolent concubine (Poppsa)
shining forth bedecked in all the finery which our palatial
home affords her; to gratify whose whims and caprices.
656 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 1=4-16'
Renovatque lufliis & metus miferae mihi.

Adice his fuperbam pellicem, noftrs domus 125
Spoliis nitentem; cujus in munus fuam
Stygise parentem natus impofuit rati,
Quam dira poll naufragla fuperato mari
Ferro intererait, fsevior pelagi fretis.
Quae fpes falutis poll nefas tantum mihi? 130
Inimica, vi61:nx, imminet thalamis meis:
Odioque noftri flagrat, & pretium ftupri
maritum conjiigis captat caput.
Juftse
Emergere uodis, & fer auxilium tuse
Natas invocanti, genitor; aut Stygios finus 135
Tellure rupta pande, quo prseceps ferar.
NUTR. Fruftra parentis invocas manes tui,
Miferanda, fruftra, nulla cui prolis fuas
Manet inter umbras cura, qui nato fuo
Prffiferre potuit fanguine alieno fatum, 140
Genltamque fratris conjugem captus fibi
Toris nefandis flebili junxit face.
Hinc orta feries facinorum, csedes, doli,
Regni cupido, fanguinis diri fitis:
Maflata focen concidit thalamis gener 145
Vidlima, tuis ne fieret hymenseis potens.
Pro facinus ingens! feminae eft munus datus
Silanus, & cruore foedavit fuo
Patrios penates, criminis fiifli reus.
Intravit hoftis (hei mihi) captam domum, 150
Dolis novercae, Principis faclus gener,
Idemque natus, juvenis infandi ingenli
Capaxque fcelerum, dira cui genitrix facem
Accendit, & te junxit invitam metu.
Tantoque viflrix fa(5la fucceflu ferox, 155
Aufa imminere eft orbis imperio facri.
Quis tot referre facinorum formas poteft,
Et fpes nefandas feminae, & blandos dolos
Regnum petentis per gradum fcelerum omnium?
Tunc fani5la Pietas extulit trepidos gradus, 160
Vacuamque Erinnys faeva funefto pede
Inti-avit aulam; polluit Stygia face
that son has caused hisown mother to be embarked on

board an unseaworthy craft, veritably only one meant to
reach the Stygian banks! (that is, one which meant des-
truction, that would easily fall to pieces through the
action of the waves, and be wrecked) and that mother
whom, after the craft had become a wreck, and the difficulty
of the waves had even been surmounted, he slew with
his sword, and which proved to her a more cruel enemy
than the waves of the seal What prospect of safety dost
thou think there can be, and security for me, after such
Lines 1246=] OCTAVIA. 657
a crime as that? That hostile woman, that Nero-conqueress,

Poppaea is Uke some tempestuous cloud, hovering over
my matrimonial bondage, and is burning with her hatred
towards me, and she is now requiring at the hands of a
husband, the life of a legitimate wife, as the price of her
infamy Oh my father, be thou emerged from the Stygian
1
streams, and ^rant aid to thy daughter, or the earth being

opened up, bring to my view that Stygian gulf, into which
I would, myself, fain be borne headlong!
NUR. In vain thou invokest the Manes of thy father

Oh! thou art much to be pitied in vain I repeat, as
amongst the manes, there is no anxiety with them, as to
the oifspring they left behind them (allusion is here
implied to the Oblivion induced by Lethe), and he could
prefer one of an alien race, to his own son, his own flesh
and blood, and who took to himself by an incestuous
marriage, a wife who was the daughter of a brother, has
intermingled the race, by a most deplorable and unpro-
pitious nuptial knot! Hence it is, that a whole series
of crimes has been the outcome^murders wholesale
treacheries, the terrible grasping for power and that thirst
for the cruel shedding of blood! The same day that the
son-in-law of Claudius, Silanus, fell a victim, thy father's
marriage with Agrippina took place, lest he should be
found to gather greater influence in consequence of thy
marriage! Oh! that intense piece of wickedness Silanus
!
was presented to that vile woman, Agrippina, as a sort

of wedding present and that noble young Roman stained
with his blood his own paternal household gods, having
been falsely accused, by a trumped up charge of fictitious
crime! Woe is me! The arch-enemy has now entered
the palace to which access has been gained by the treachery
and wiles of a woman, and he that has been made a son-
in-law of the Emperor Claudius, in the same way that he
has been constituted a son by adoption, a young man of
a most cruel disposition and capable of any crime, for
whom that mother of his ignited the nuptial torches and
joined thee by the marriage knot, although thou fearedst,
and wast averse to such a union, and that ferocious woman,
who accomplished whatever she set about, with great
success, has actually dared to shed her imperious will over
the cherished destinies of the very world! Who can
describe the many forms in which crime has been served
up, and the diabolical ambition of that woman, and her
smooth, unsuspected treachery, whilst she is seeking to
gain imperial power through every gradation of crime.
Thus it is, that Piety with all its sacred associations quits
the scene, in trembling horror! and thus cruel Erinnys,
42
6s8 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines .6388
Sacros penates: jura Naturae furens

Fafque omne nipitj mifcuit conjux viro
Venena faeva; cecidit atque eadem fui i6S
Mox fceleie nati. tu quoque exftindlus jaces
Deflende nobis femper, infelix puer,
Modo fidus orbis, columen Auguftse domus,
Britannice, (heu me) nunc levis tantum cinis,
Et triftis umbra; fasva cui lacrimas dedit 17
Etiam noverca, cum rogis artus tuos
Dedit cremandos, membraque & vultus Deo
Similes volanti, flamma fervens abftulit.
OCT. Exftinguat & me, ne manu noftra cadat.
NUTR. Natura vires non dedit tantas tibi. 175
OCT. Dolor, ira, mceror, miferlae, luflus dabunt.
NUTR. Vince obfequendo potius immitem virum.
OCT. Ut fratrem ademtum fcelere reftituat mihi.'
NUTR. lucolumis ut fis ipfa, labentem ut domum
Genitoris olim fobole reftituas tua. l8o
OCT. Exfpeflat aliam Principis fobolem domus:
Me dira miferi fata germani trahunt.
NUTR. Confirmet animum civium tantus favor.
OCT. Solatur ifte noftra, non relevat, mala.
NUTR. Vis magna populi eft. OCT. Principis major tamen. 185
NUTR. Refpiciet ipfe conjugem. OCT. Pellex vetat
NUTR. Invifa cunclis nempe. OCT. Sed cara eft viro.
NUTR. Nondum uxor eft. OCT. Jam fiet, & genitrix fimul.
with all her ill-boding, advances into the palace to

take her vacant place f She has defiled the sanctity of
our household gods with her Stygian torches, in her fury,
she has broken down the institutions of Nature herself,
and set every human law at defiance a cruel wife has
prepared the poisoned bowl for a husband, and she, her-
self, has perished afterwards by the hands of a son and
thou also, Britannicus, hast been deprived of thy life, to
be bewailed by us for everl Ohl unhappy boy, till lately
the great star of the Universe, the prop and mainstay of
the Imperial Augustan Dynasty (the Caesars). Oh Britan- !
nicus I woe is mel thou art now only a collection of

flimsy ashes, and a tristful shade For whom, be it said,
1
even thy cruel step-mother shed a few tears, when she

gave up thy body to be consumed on the funeral pile,
resembling as thou didst, the winged God himself, (Cupid)
in thy shapely fonn and comely face the greedy flames,
however, took all that away OctavialI
OCT. And let them extinguish me in like manner, lest

the tyrant fall by my hand.
NUR. Nature has not endowed thee, with such strength,

as to enable thee to carry out such a threat.
OCT. Long continued grief, anger, heaviness of heart,

misery of soul, lamentations would supply me with the
necessary strength I should think.
NUR. No ! rather subdue that fierce man, by wheedlings

and caresses.
OCT. That I may induce him to restore to me a brother

of whom he has deprived me by a cruel crime! Dost
thou mean that?
NUR. No, not that but that thou, thyself, might be. in
;
a state of security, that thou some day might build up

the shattered dynasty, of which thy father was the dig-
nified head, with thy own off-spring 1
OCT. The
palace of the Emperor is expecting another
arrival the shape of offspring, the cruel fate of my
in
miserable brother will soon drag me towards a similar end.
NUR. So favorable is the feeling of the citizens towards

thee, that this fact goes far to conform hopes. my
OCT. Ves it is a good thing, to have one's misfortunes

1
pitied,but that does not remove nor even lessen the

incubus resulting, therefrom (the weight of troubles).
NUR. The power of the populace is great.
OCT. That, however, of an Emperor is greater.
NUR. But he surely will have some regard for a wife.
OCT. No ! a concubine will stand in the way of that.
NUR. But it is granted, that she is odious in the sight

of all the people.
OCT. But she is held dear by Nero.
NUR. She is not a wife as yet, remember!
OCT. But she will soon become one, and a mother

as well!
66o SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines i89-2=.9
NUTR. Juvenilis ardor impetii primo furit;

Languefcit idem facile, nee durat diu IQO
In Venere turpi, ceu levis flammse vapos.
Amor perennis conjugis callse manet.
Violare prima quae tores aufa eft tuos,
Animumque domini famula poffedit diu,
Jam metuet eadem, nempe praelatam fibi 195
Subjefta & humilis: atque monumenta exftruit,
Quibus timorem faffa teftatur fuum.
Et banc levis fallaxqutf' deftituet Deus
Volucer Cupido. fit licet forma eminens,
Opibus fuperba; gaudium capiet breve. 200
Paffa eft fimiles ipfa dolores
Regina Deum, cum fe forma.s
omoes dominus
Vertit in coeli,
Divumque pater:
Et mode pennas fumfit oloris; 205
Mode Sidonii cornua tauri;
Aureus idem
Fluxit in imbri. fulgent ccelo
Sidera Ledse. patrio refidet
Bacchus Olympo. Deus Alcides 210
Poffidet Heben, nee Junonis
Jam timet iras; cujus gener eft,
Qui fuit hoftis. vicit fapiens.
Tameo obfequium conjugis altse,
Preffufque dolor, fola Tonantem 215
Tenet sethereo fecura tore
Maxima Juno nee mortal!
;
Captus forma deferit altam

Juppiter aulam. tu quoque terris
Altera Judo, foror Augufti, 220
Conjuxque, graves vince dolores.
OCT. Jungentur ante fseva fideribus freta,
Et ignis undse, Tartaro trifti polus.
Lux alma tenebris. rofcidse nodti dies:
Quam cum fcelefti conjugis mente impia 225
Mens noftra, Temper fratris exftindli memor.
Utinam nefandi Principis dirum caput
Obruere flammis Coelitum reiStor paret.
Qui fsepe terras fulmine infefto quatit,
NUR. Juvenile ardour, thou must remember, burns only

as long as the early impressions operate, which called it
forth, nor does it last long, ever, with these unlawful
amours, it passes oflflike some flickering flame on the other
hand, the love of a chaste wife is an enduring posses-
sionshe is, as thou art aware, only the first who has
ventured to violate the sanctity of thy marriage-bed, but
this rival of thine, although a subject, has possessed the
affections
of thy husband for a long time it is an old
love affair but this same woman is now evidently, more
submissive and more subdued in her manner, as if she
feared that some one else might be preferred to herself
(lest in like manner, another may be preferred to herself
as she, herself, was to Octavia), and she shows this by
various indications, by which, as if tacitly confessing it,
she openly portrays ner fears! And the winged God
(Cupid) may leave her in the lurch, let her beauty be
never so transcendent, or however proud she may be
of her wealth of physical attractions all this sort of thing
amounts to a very limited lease of human enjo3Tiient.
The Queen of the Gods herself, has, aforetime, under-
gone grief similar to thy own, when Jupiter, the lord of
the heavens, and father of the Gods, changed himself
into all kinds of shapes, and when, at one time, he
assumed the plumage of a swan (to gain the better of
Leda), at another tmie, he donned the horns of the
Sidoman bull, (when he carried off Europa) then again,
the same Jupiter has fallen upon another, as a golden
shower (when he introduced himself to Danae). The
constellations of Leda are now shining in the heavens,
Bacchus is duly installed in his father's Olympian king-
dom and Alcides possesses Hebe as a wife, now that he
has been made a god, nor does Alcides any longer fear
the anger of Juno, whose acknowledged son-in-law he is
now, having married Hebe, but who was formerly con-
sidered in the light of an enemy 1However, the wise
submissiveness of an exalted wife like Juno, with her
dissembled grief, has completely overcome the temper
of Jupiter, and the mighty Juno reigns supreme in the
ethereal marriage couch of the Thundering Jove Nor
1
does Jupiter, now desert the palaces on high, captivated

by mortal beauties and thou, Octavia, art another Juno,
;
although a terrestrial one, thou art the sister and wife

of an Augustus. (The emperors at that time assumed
the title of "Augustus.") Conquer therefore thy troubles
as Juno did.
OCT. Let the stormy seas seek cordial companionship

with the stars and let fire mingle with water, let the very
heavens descend and take the place of grim Tartarus,
let balmy light amicably join hands with hideous
dark-
ness, and bright clear day ally itself with the dewy night,
before my mental tenderness could harmonize with the
impious disposition of that wicked husband of mine. I
am ever mindful of my murdered brother, I wish that
the ruler of the heavenly gods would make ready
to cut
short with his lightnings, the terrible life of that cruel
662 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines =.30-266
Mentefque noftras iguibus terret facris, .

230
Novifque monftris! vidimus ccelo jubar
Ardens, cometam pandere infeftam facem,
Qua plauftra tardus nodlis seterna vice
Regit Bootes, frigido Ardloo rigeus.
En ipfe diro fpiritu fevi duds 235
PoUuitur setlier, genlibus clades novas
Minantur aftra, quas regit dux impius.
Non tam ferum Typhona neglefto Jove
Irata tellus edidit quondam
parens.
Hsec gravior hie hoftis Deiim
illo peftis. 240
Hominumque, templis expulit fuperos fuis,
Civefque patria; fpiritum fratri abftulit;
Haufit ciuorem matris; & lucem videt?
Fruiturque vita, noxiamque animam trahit?
Pro, fumme genitor, tela cur fruftra jacis 245
Invidla toties temere regali manu?
In tam nocentem dextra cur ceflat tua?
Utinam fuorum facinorum pcenas luat
Nero, ipfe Divo Domitio genitus patre,
Orbis tyrannus, quem premit turpi jugo; 250
Morumque vitiis nomen Auguftum inquinat.
NUTR. Indigous ille (fateor) eft tlialamis tuis;
Sed cede fatis atque fortunas tuse,
Alumna, qurfo; neve violenli move
Iram mariti. forfitan vindex Deus. 2S5
Exfifter aliquis, Isetus & veniet dies.
OCT. Gravi Deorum noftra jam pridem domus
Urgetur ira: prima quam preffit Venus,
Furore miferê dira genitricis mtx :
Quas mipta demens nupfit incefta face, 260

Oblita noftri, conjugis, legum immemor.
Illo foluta crine, fucciufla anguibus,
Ultrix Erinnys venit ad Slygios toros,
Raptafque tlialamis fanguine exftinxit faces:
Incendit ira Principis pecftus truci 265
Cssdem in nefandam. cecidit infelix parens
emperor that deity, who so often shakes the earth vsfith

his frightful thunderbolts and terrifies our very souls with
his awful igneous displays and novel wonders (fresh pro-
digies). But I have witnessed of late a blazing pheno-
menal splendor in the heavens, a comet that has ex-
posed to my view its ominous fiery torch, (tail) just where
slow-moving Bootes, stiff as it were with the Arctic cold,
drives his wagon at each turn of the night continually;
behold, the very atmosphere seems polluted with the
horrible breath of that cruel ruler. The angry stars actu-
ally seem to be threatening the people with some fresh
disasters, whom that impious potentate holds in domi-
nation. Not so bad was it, even, when the indignant

earth formerly became a parent, and brought forth a
ferocious Typhoeus, when Jupiter was not so much looked
up to, as he is now this present monster is worse than
any Typhoeus ever was, for he is in addition, the avowed
enemy of the gods and of mankind alike, for he has ex-
pelled all the deities from their temples he has driven
away the citizens from their .native land, and robbed my
brother of his life he has drawn the life-blood of his
own mother and is he not still allowed to behold the
light of heaven? and, moreover, does he not seem to
enjoy his vile existence and drag on his noxious life?
Alas! Oh! thou supreme father of all, why dost thou,
invincible as thou art, hurl thy lightnings, oftentimes, so
harmlessly from thy regal hand: Why does thy hand
hesitate, to hurl them with efficacy upon one so guilty

as is Nero ? I wish that Nero could be made to pay the
just penalty of his crimes he (an adopted son of Dion
Domitius, his adopting father) is the very tyrant of the
universe, which he takes care to oppress with an igno-
minious yokel he fairly contaminates and compromises
the very name of Augustus, with his vicious tendencies
and confirmed immorafities!
NUR. He is altogether unworthy, I am free to confess,

of being married to a woman like thee, but is it not better,
dost thou not think, to bow to the Fates (the inevitable)
and to go on hoping for some favorable change on the
part of fortune (chapter of events). My nurse-child, I
beseech thee to ponder over all this and take it to heart
and never excite the anger of thy violent husband -perhaps
some avenging deity may crop up (exist) who will come
to thy aid, and may that auspicious day arrive!
OCT. Already our dynasty is under the ban of oppression

through the severe anger of the Gods iirst, when cruel
Venus stepped in and impregnated my wretched mother
with those lustful desires, who, ignoring us, her children
(in a state of sexual madness, nymphomania) and though,
already married, contracted an illicit matrimonial union
with Silius (a sham marriage), thinking nothing at all about
the husband she had already, and not troubhng her head
in the slightest degree^ as to the lawlessness of such a
proceeding. With her hideous locks, hanging loosely, duly
surrounded with their serpents, that avenging Erinnys was
present at this veritably Stygian marriage ceremoiyr, and
only extinguished the nuptial torches, to be seized upon
for the purpose of future blood-shedding! For it inflamed
(Heu) noftra ferro, meque perpetuo obruit

Exftindla lu(5lu. conjugem fuum,
traxit
Natumque ad umbras, prodidit lapfam domum.
NUTR. Renovare lucftus parce cum fletu pios, 27
Manes parentis neve follicita tuas,
Graves furoris quae fui poenas dedit
CHORUS.
PoppssEE nuptias deteftatur Chorus 0<5lavise favens. degenerum,
lentum nimis & fervilem Romanorum arguit patientiam,
& in fceleta Neronis invehitur.
V^^ UJE fama modo venit ad aures,
Utinam falfo credita, perdat

Fruftra toties jadlata fidem! 275
Nee nova noftri conjux thalamos
Principis intret. teneatque (uos
Nupta penates Claudia proles:
Edat partu pignora pacis,
Qua tranquillus gaudeat orbis, 280
Servetque decus Roma aeternum.
Fratris thalamos fortita tenet
Maxima Juno, foror Augufti
Sociata toris, cur a patria
Pellitur aula? fanfla quid illi 285
Prodeft pietas, Divufque pater?
Quid virginitas, caftufque pudorf
Nos quoque noftri fumus immemores
Poft fata ducis, cujus prodimus
Stirpem fevo fuadente nietu. 290
Vera priorum virtus quondam
Romana fuit, verumque genus
Martis in illis fanguifque viris.
Illi reges hac expulerunt
Urbe fuperbos; ultique tuos 295
SuQt bene manes, virgo, dextra
Csefa parentis, ne fervitmm
Paterere grave, aut improba ferret
Prffimia vi(5lrix dira libido.
the outraged breast of the Emperor, with such murderous

wrath, as to culminate in the cruel slaughter of my mother,
and thus my unfortunate parent fell a victim to the sword,
and her death has overwhelmed me with never-ending
frief As the consequence of all this, she has dragged in
1
er train, her husband and her son, to the shades below!

And has handed over our dynasty to its downfall!
NUR. Do refrain from a renewal of thy grief, and of

those tears, which know thou only sheddest out of
I
affection for the Manes of thy parent, who has undergone
a heavy punishment for her mad conduct!
CHORUS.
The Chorus being in favor of Octavia, looks with detesta-
tion upon the marriage of Poppaea, and condemns
the degenerate patience of the Romans, as being un-
worthy, too indifferent and servile, and inveighs against
the crimes of Nero.
WHAT
we
report is this, that has just reached our ears
wish that if such a story be wrongfully believed,
although it may have been so industriously, can-
vassed abroad, and in such a purposeless manner, that it
may not meet with any future credence let not a
fresh wife, usurp the marriage-bed of our empress! let
the wife sprung from the loms of Claudius still reign
supreme, over her own household gods! And may she,
by a happy child-birth, bring forth those guarantees of
peace, which the tranquil universe will hail with joy,
and let Rome preserve its everlasting glory (among
nations). The mighty Juno has drawn a prize in the
lottery, of fortune, and now shares the couch of her hus-
band, and brother, in absolute security and why should
not the sister of Augustus, (that now isj having reconciled
her matrimonial feud, do the same thing! Why is she
to be driven away from her paternal palace ? If that is
the case, what does her devoted piety (moral observances)
profit her? What good has the having possessed Divus
for a father done for her? What good has her virginity
done her ? And what earthly use has her chaste modesty
been to her ? But we are all forgetful of what we once
were, since the death of our emperor, whose race we
are inclined to ignore in a manner, owing to our fear of
that Tyrant Nero! Once upon a time, there did exist
the Roman type of bravery amongst our ancestors, and
the genuine progeny of Mars, and the true racial blood
flowed in the veins of the men of bye-gone days! They
drove out, without the smallest hesitation, haughty, insuffer-
able kings from their cities! And they nobly avenged
thy manes, oh! Virgin thou! (Virginia) who wast slain by
the hands of a parent, lest thou shouldst undergo an
odious slavery, or that cruel lust should carry off victori-
ously its wicked prize! Sad war, too, followed on after
: :
Te quoque bellum trifle fecutum eft, 300

Matflata tua miferauda manu
Nata Lucretii, ftuprum fasvi
Paffa tyranni. dedit infandi
Sceleris poenas cum Tarquinio
Tullia conjux; quae per cEefi 305
Membra parentis fsevos egit
Impia currus, laceroque feni
Violenta rogos nata negavit.
Hoc quoque noftra videre nefas
Secula; magnum cum Tyrrhenum 310
Rate ferali Princeps captam
Fraude parentem mifit in sequor.
Properant placidos linquere portus
Juffi nautse;
Refonant remis pulfata freta; 315
Fertur in altum provefta ratis,
Quae refoluto robore labens
Preffa dehifcit, forbetque mare.
ToUitur ingens
Clamor ad aftra cum femineo 320
Mixtus planfiu. mors ante oculos
Dira vagatur. quserit leti
Sibi quifque fugam
Alii lacerae puppis tabulis
Haerent nudi, ftudlufque fecant: 325
Repetunt alii litora nantes:
Multos mergunt fata profundo
.Scindit veftes Augufta fuas,
Laceratque comas, rigat & mceftis
Fletibus ora. 330
Poftquam fpes nulla falutis,
eft
Ardens ira, jam
vifla mails,
Hsec, exclamat, mihi pro tanto
Munere reddis prsemia, nate?
Hac fum, fateor, digna carina, 335
Quae te genui, quae titi lucem
Atque imperium nomenque dedi
Csefaris amens. exfere vultus
Acheronte tuos, pcenifque meis
Pafcere, conjux: ego caufa tuse,
340
Miferande, necis; natoque tuo
Funeris auflor.
En, ut merui, ferar ad manes
Inhumata tuos,
Obruta fevis asquoris undis. 3^5
Feriunt flucfûs ora loquentis.
Ruit in pelagus, rurfumque falo
Preffa refurgit. pellit palmis
Cogente raetu fata, & cedit
Feffa labori. manfit tacitis
35
In peftoribus fpreta trifti
!
thee, ohl thou daughter of Lucretius, so much to be

pitied, who was sacrificed by thine own hand, after
having been ravished by a cruel tyrant (Sextus Tarquinius).
At the hands of our outraged ancestors TulHa, the wife
of Tarquinius, was punished for her cruel crimes she
who wickedly drove her cruel chariot over the body of
her murdered father, and who, although a daughter, denied
the accustomed funeral pile to the mutilated remains of
the old man! Our own time, even, has witnessed an
abominable crime, when the emperor, treacherously seizing
upon the person of his parent, had her conveyed in a
Stygian Craft (that is one meant for the purpose of
destruction) across the T5rrrhenian Sea; the sailors receiv-
ing their orders, hastened to leave their tranquil harbours,
and the waves soon resounded with the plash of their
oars, and the craft shoving off, was quickly borne upon
the sea, and which from the force of the waves soon
springs a tremendous leak, letting in the sea, the hull giving
way on account of the looseness of its timbers, and it
ships a heavy sea! A great shout, thereupon is raised
towards the sky, mixed with female cries, and cruel death,
in various shapes, is now wandering before their eyes,
each' one seeks to escape from a watery grave -some in
a state of nudity clung to the planks of the shattered
craft, and with their aid, ply the waves successfully

others reach the shore by swimming many are immerged,
and hurry to their fate into a deep sea! Augusta
(Agrippina) rends her garments, tears her hair, and
deluges her face with her sad tears after a little. There
is no prospect of safety, and burning with inward rage,
and although fairly overpowered by the disaster, sne
exclaims " Oh my son, is this the reward, for the benefits
: !
I have lavished on thee ? I am indeed worthy of having

been caused to embark in such a craft, who have brought
thee into the world and who have given thee thy very
life, and in my motherly weakness have handed over to
thee the proud name and empire of the Csesars ! Oh
my husband, show thy face from out of the Acheron,
and feast thy eyes on the punishment I am now under-
goingI, oh! thou to be pitied one, was the cause of
thy death, and the instigatrix of the death of thy son
(Britannicus) also! Behold! as I have richly deserved, let

me, unburied, be borne off to join thy manes let me be
overwhelmed by the cruel waves of the sea" (at this mo-
ment the waves strike her in the face, as she is speaking)
she plunges into the sea, sinks, but soon rises again to the
surface, and impelled by her fear, she strikes out with
her hands, but being soon tired out, gives up the struggle.
But a great deal of loyalty lurked in the silent hearts
Jam morte fides, mulli dominie

Ferre auxilium pelago fiaftis
Viribus audent. biacliia quamvis
Lenta trahentem, voce hortantur, 355
Manibufque levant, quid tvbi fsevi
Fugiffe maris profuit undas?
Ferro es nati moritura tui:
Cujus facinus vix pofteritas,
Tarde femper credula, credet. 3^"
Furit, ereptara pelagoque dolet
Vivere matrem
Impius, ingens geminatque nefas.
Ruit in miferse fata parentis,
Patiturque moram fceleris nuUam. 3^5
MllTus peragit jufTa fatelles;
Referat dominae peftora ferro:
Caedis moriens ilia rainiftrum
Rogat infelix, utero dirum
Condat ut enfem 37
Hie eft, hie eft fodiendus, ait,
Ferro, monftrum qui tale tulit.
Poft banc vocem cum fupremo
Mixtam gemitu
Animam tandem per feia triftem 375
Vulnera reddit.
ACTUS SECUNDUS.
SENECA.
Philofophus feculi fui vitia deteftatus, prifci sevi fimplici-
tatem laudat, utque omnia in dies in deteriora
ruerint commemorat.
V^/uiD me, potens Fortuna, fallaci mihi

Blandita vultu, forte contentum mea
Arte extulifti, gravius ut ruerem edita
Receptus arce, totque profpicerem metus? 380
Melius latebam procul ab invidix malls
Remotus inter Corfici rupes maris:
Ubi liber animus, & fui juris, mihi
Semper vacabat, ftudia recolenti mea.
of the sturdy Roman sailors, this awful death being

looked upon by them, at last, with excessive disgust!
Many of the crew venture to render aid to their former
empress, when they see that her strength is breaking
Lines 352-384] OCTAVIA. 669 ,
down, and although they assist her with their hands, as

she is feebly struggling with her own arms, and encourage
her with kind words of sympathy, they remark: "What
does it avail thee thus to have escaped the waves ? thou
art doomed to die by the sword of thy son, to which
crime, distant posterity, although credulous as a rule, will
scarcely lend their belief." He rages (Nero) and is angry
that his mother has been rescued from the waves and
is still alive; he then perpetrates a monstrous double
crime I He madly rushes to effect the murder of his
mother, and suffers no delay in the fulfilment of the
crime one of his followers is told off, and carries out his
:
orders to- the full! this fellow lays open with his sword
the breast of Agrippina, and whilst she is dying, this
unhappy mother, with her last breath, asks the perpetrator
of her murder, to bury the cruel weapon into her very
womb. "This is the place," she says, " this is the spot that
must be pierced with thy sword, the place which gave
birth to that monster of a son " After these words inter-
1
mingled with much groaning, she surrendered her sad

life, finally brought about by those cruel wounds!
ACT II.
SENECA.
The philosopher despises the vices of his times, praises

the simplicity of his former life, and gives it, as his
opinion, that all things are tending in ai direction for
the worse.
WHY, me
oh powerful
to with
fortune, who hast been so
deceptious outside show, hast thou
alluring
summoned me from my former position, with which

I was supremely contented? Is it, that from my being
raised so high, I should fall all the more heavily, or that
I might have a fuller prospect, from my elevated post,
of the many dangers I might see around me? I was
much better off, when I was hidden away at a distance,
remote from the perils of envy, amongst the rocky coasts
of the Corsican sea, where my inclinations were unfettered
and where I felt that I was my own master, and where
an ample margin was afforded me for the following up
of my favorite pursuits. Oh how it used to delight me,
!
to look at the glorious sun, than which, our first parent,

nature, the artificer of that immense work, has produced
O quam juvabat (quo nihil majus parens 385

Natura genuit, operis immenfi artifex)
Coelum intueri, Soils & curfus facros,
Mundique motus, Solis altemas vices,
Orbemque Phoebes, aftra quem clngunt vaga,
Lateque fulgens setherls magni decus! 390
Qui fi fenefcit, tantus in caecum chaos
Cafurus Iterum, nunc adeft mundo dies
Supremus ille, qui premat genus impium
Cceli ruina; rurfus ut ftirpem novam
Generet, renafcens ihelior: ut quondam tullt 395
Juvenis, tenente regna Saturno poll.
Tunc ilia virgo, numinis magni Dea,
Juftitia, coelo milTa cum fanfta Fide,
Terras regebat mitis. humanum genus
Non bella norat; non tubae fremitus truces; 400
Non arma gentes; cingeve affuerant fuas
Muris nee urbes. pervium cunftis iter.
Communis ufus omnium rerum fuit.
Et ipfa tellus lasta fcecundos fiaus,
Pandebat ultro, tam piis felix parens 405
Et tuta alumnis. alia fed foboles minus
Confpefla mitis. tertium foUers genus
Novas ad artes exftitit; fan(5lum tamen.
Mox inquietum, quod fequi curfu feras
Auderet acres; fluflibus tecftos graves 410
Extrahere pifces rete; vel calamo lev!
Decipere volucres; premere fubjedlos jugo
Tauros feroces, vulnere immunem prius
Sulcare terram, laefa quae fruges fuas
Interius alte condidit facro finu. 415
Sed in parentis vifcera intravit fuse
Deterior setas; eruit ferrum grave,
Aurumque; fasvas mox & armavit manus;
Partita fines regna conftituit, novas
Exftruxit urbes; teila defendit fuis 420
Aliena telis, aut petiit prsedse imminens.
nothing grander, and the awe-inspiring courses traced out

by that solar luminary, to contemplate the revolutions of
the heavenly bodies, and the alternate tracks of the sun
(indicating day and night) and the planet Phoebe, that
orb which the wandermg stars surround, and far and
wide, the resplendent ornament of the firmament. Now,
verily the world has arrived at its last day, which, if not
so, and it lives to be older, so much so as again to lapse
into the condition of indescribable chaos, when the crash
of the fallen heavens will overwhelm impious mankind,
so that it may for the second time, create a new race,
and the one, that is to be born again, to bean improve-

Lines 38S-421] OCTAVIA. 671
ment upon the present one as it was, indeed, at its earlier

periods, when Saturn held the dominion of the skies (the
golden age). Then it was the Virgin Justitia (Astraea) that
goddess of such distinguished reputation amongst the
deities commissioned from Heaven, with that sacred trust,
ruled the earth with mildness The human race had never
known what wars were, nor had they ever heard the
battle, inspiring blasts of the shrill war-trumpet and the
1
people of those days were unacquainted with the weapons

used in battle they did not surround their cities with

walls the land was one grand highway, open to all: and
the enjoyment of all things was within the reach of and

common to every one and the smiling earth freely dis-
closed its fruitful bosom, and this Parent was happy in

having the protection of such contented children. Another
age (the silver age) supervened, but the race of mankind
was considered inoffensive, and the third (the brazen age)

produced a skilled progenjr one that applied itself to
new inventions, but yet was quite observant of the sacredness
of the laws by and bye, men became restless (the fourth
!
race) and ventured to hunt the savage wild beasts, to draw out
from the sea, in a net, the large fishes, which had hitherto been
unmolested and protected by the waves, or to take the
birds of the air aback, with their swift arrows, to bring
into subjection the fierce bulls, and submit their necks to
.
the yoke to plough the earth, before free from the wounds
of the ploughshare, which, however, when thus torn up,
was found to hide away its productiveness, much deeper
down in the bosom of its sacred interior (sacred because
it had never been intruded upon). But this discontented
age penetrated into the very bowels of its parent, and out
of it, soon showing themselves, came the dreadful sword
(iron) and gold (that incentive to crime), and very soon,
mankind carried weapons of destruction, in their cruel
hands! They parcelled out kingdoms, and defined the
limits of territorial holdings, and built new cities some-
times they defended the homesteads of others, used those
weapons, threateningly, with plunder, only, for their object!
Astraea, the bright ornament of the starry firmament, finding
herself no longer held in respect or veneration, fled the
earth, and avoided their savage ways, and looked with
abhorrence at the hands of mankind stained with the
blood, which flowed from their savage slaughters and the
thirst for gold likewise and then came into view, the
Greatest evil of all, and spread throughout the world.
,uxury, that insidious curse of mankind, the long-continued
indulgence in which involving such a pernicious departure
from the lines of moderation, acquired additional power
over mankind, as it became more confirmed, and the

672 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 4^^-449
Neglefla terras fugit, & mores feros,

Hominum cruenta csede pollutas manus,
Aftrasa virgo, fiderum magnum decus.
Cupido belli crevlt, atque auri fames. 425
Totum per orbem maximum exortum eft malum,
Luxuria, peftis blanda; cui vires dedit
Roburque longum tempus, atque error gravis.
CoUedla vitia per tot aetates diu
In uos redundant, feculo premimur gravi, 430
Quo fcelera regnant, fjevit impietas furens,
Turpi libido Venere dominatur potens.
Luxuria vidlrix orbis immenfas opes
Jam pridem avaris manibus, ut perdat, rapit.
Sed ecce grelTu fertur attonito Nero, 435
Trucique vultu. quid ferat, mente lion-eo.
NERO, PR^FECTUS, SENECA.

Incaffum monet fuum Neronem philofophus, qui tyrannicis
proximumque diem
inftitutis pertinaciter infiftit,
nuptiis cum Poppsea deftinat.
NERO. P
X
Sullseque
ERAGE imperata.
csefi
mitte, qui Plauti
referat abfciffum caput.
mihi
PR^F. Juffa baud morabor. caftra confeftim petam.

SEN. Nihil in propinquos temere conftitui decet. 440
NERO. Jufto eiTe facile eft, cui vacat pectus metu.
SEN. Magnum timoris remedium dementia eft.
NERO. Exftinguere hoftem, maxima eft virtus ducis.
SEN. Servare cives, major eft patrise palri.
NERO. PriEcipere mitem convenit pueris feuera. 445
SEN. Regenda magis eft fervida adolefcentia.
NERO, ^tate in hac falls effe confilii reor.
SEN. Ut fafta fuperi comprobent Temper tua.
NERO. Stulte verebor, ipfe cum faciam, Deos.
aggre^rate vices accumulating throughout so many ages,

have been very abundantly shown amongst us for a long
time now we are oppressed by very distressing times
an age, in which crime seems to rule paramount, and
rampant wickedness seems to take cruelty as its guide,
whilst irrepressible debauchery is presided over by that
salacious Goddess, Venus! Luxury, that successful con-
queror, some while since, has grasped, with its greedy
hands, the immense resources of the world (riches) so that
they may be only squanderingly got rid of! But, behold,
Nero is approaching with a step suggestive of something
out of the usual way, by his truculent look -I quite shudder
m ray very soul, as to what is uppermost his mind! m
Lines 422-4491 OCTAVIA. 673
NERO PREFECT SENECA.

The philosopher warns his patron Nero to no ptirpose,
who pertinaciously insists on carrying out his tyrannical
plans, and appoints the next day for his marriage
with Poppsea.
NERO.
CARRY my orders out exactly, despatch some one,

who will bring me, as soon as they have been cut
off, the heads of Plautus and Sulla.
PREF. I will not delay the execution of thy commands,

I will forthwith repair to the camp.
SEN. It is wiser for thee to determine nothing rashly,

especially towards friends, and those, allied to thy cause.
NERO. It is easy to preach that doctrine to a man who

himself is credited with justice, and does not suspect
others, about whom, in short, his mind is free from
apprehension.
SEN. Clemency is the most powerful remedy, in

counteracting any danger arising from others.
NERO. To stamp out an enemy, is the highest triumph

an Emperor could wish for.
SEN. To look to the welfare of the citizens, constitutes

the greatest virtue, in the father of a country.
NERO. It is quite in keeping, that an old man should

be mild, when he is laying down precepts for youngsters.
SEN. The ardor of the adult youth, on the other hand,

requires more governing than that of mere boyhood.
NERO. I think, that at my age, my own will is all that

is necessary.
SEN. So long as the Gods above, may always approve

of thy acts.
NERO. It would be in a very silly superstitious way,

that I should fear the Gods, when I am about to do
anything I
43
SEN. Hoc plus verere, quod licet tantum tibi. 45

NERO. Fortuna noftra cundla permittit mihi.
SEN. Crede obfequenti parcius. levis eft Dea.
NERO. Inertis eft, nefcire quid liceat fibi.
SEN. Id facere, laus eft, quod decet, non, quod licet.
NERO. Calcat jacentem vulgus. sen. Invifum opprimet. 455
NERO. Ferram tuetur Principem. SEN. Melius fides.
NERO. Decet timeri Caerarem. sen. At plus diligi.
NERO. Metuant neceffe eftt. sen. Quidquid exprimitur, grave eft..
NERO. Juffifque noftris pareant. SEN. Jufta impera.

NERO. Statuam ipfe. SEN. Que confenfus efficiat rata. 460
NERO. Defpedtus enfis faciet. sen. Hoc abfit nefas.
NERO. An patiar ultra, fanguinem noftrum peti
Iuviftus,-& contemtus ut fubito opprimar?
non fregere fummotos procul
Exfilia
Plautum atque SuUam, pertiuax quorum furor 465
Armat miniftros fceleris in csedem meam.
Abfentium cum maneat etiam ingens favor
In urbe noftra, qui fovet fpes exfulum;
ToUantur hoftes enfe fufpeftl mihi.
Invifa conjux pereat, & carum fibi 47
Frab-em fequatur. quidquid excelfum eft, cadaL
SEN. Pulchrum eminere eft inter illuftres viros,
Confulere patriae, parcere affliftis, fera
SEN. Feax all the more, as to what would be considered

right for thee to do.
NERO. My good fortune (position) permits all things I

may wish to do.
SEN. Be careful, as to the confidence, thou reposest in

that fickle deity, Fortune, she is a very frivolous Goddess 1
NERO. He must be a dullard indeed, who does not

know, what to permit himself to do.
SEN. It is a praiseworthy thing to do what is right,

but the reverse, when it is not so.
NERO. The common herd of mankind are inclined to

spurn a man who is kind, gentle, and of whom they can
take advantage.
SEN. They will seek to punish, though, one that is an

object of hatred to them.
NERO. The sword is the protection of an Emperor.

SEN. But it is a safer kind of protection that he should
be beloved.
Lines 4SO-473] OCTAVIA. 67S
NERO. It is proper that they should fear a Ctesar.
SEN. But it is better that a Caesar should be loved.
NERO. But it is also indispensable that they should fear.
SEN. Whatever is extorted from a man is sometimes an

irksome gain to him, who obtains a thing by such means.
NERO. But they must obey my commands.

SEN. That is all the greater reason that thy commands
should be tempered with justice.
NERO. I shall myself always determine, (what is, and

what is not to be done).
SEN. But which, it is to be presumed, will obtain a

favorable reception from thy subjects.
NERO. The drawn sword, the employment of which

some affect to despise, will do all that.
SEN. I pray thee, may such wickedness be absent

from everything, thou mayest ever do.
NERO. Shall I suffer anjrthing more than that, as an

unrevenged emperor? that my very blood should be re-
garded with contempt, and that I should be fallen upon
unawares. Simple exile, I perceive, has not subdued the
turbulent natures of Plautus and Sulla, though they have
been removed to a long distance off they, whose per-
sistent madness is now arming the willing instruments of
crime (assassins) with the view to my destruction! Con-
sidering also, that a large amount of sympathy towards
the conspirators, whom I nave exiled, still prevails amongst
the people in this city, and who, no doubt, would further
the aspirations of those exiles by every means in their

Eower my enemies, therefore, and those, I suspect to
e such, must be removed by the sword that odious
wife of mine must perish,^she must follow that darling
brother of hers in short, whatever else is of lofty rank
;
(and derives prestige from it) must falll
SEN. Oh 1 it is an admirable thing to shine conspicuously

amongst the men of the land, to consult the
illustrious
welfare of one's country, to spare those that are afflicted.
6^6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Li 474-507
Cifide abftinere, tempus atque irse dare,

Orbi quietem, feculo pacem fuo. _
475
Hffic fumma virtus, petitur hac coelum via.
Sic ille patriae primus Auguflus parens
Comple.\;us aftra eft, colitur & templis Deus.
Ilium tamen Fortuna jadlavit diu
Terra marique per gi-aves belli vices; 480
Hoftes parentes donee oppreffit fui.
Tibi numen incruenta fummittit fuum;
Et dedit habenas imperii facili manu,
Nutuque, terras, maria, fubjecit tuo.
Invidia triftis vifla confenfu pio 4^5
Ceffit. fenatus equitis accenfus favor
Plebifque votis, atque judicium Patrum eft.
Tu pads aucSor, generis humani arbiter
EleiSus, orbem tu facra fpecie regis
Patriae parens quod nomen, ut ferves, petit,
: 49
Suofque cives Roma commendat tibi.
NERO. Munus Deorum eft, ipfa quod fervit mihi
Roma, & Senatus; quodque ab invitis preces,
Humilefque voces exprimit noftri metus.
Servare cives Principe & patrise graves 495
Claro tumentes genere, quae dementia eft,
Cum liceat una voce fufpe(5los fibi
Mori jubere? Brutus in caedem ducis,
A quo falutem tulerat, armavit manus.
Inviifliis acie, gentium domitor, Jovi 5
.iEquatus altos fepe per honorum gradus,
Cffifar nefando civium fcelere occidit.
Quantum cruoris Roma
tunc vidit fui,
Lacerata toties! qui meruit pia
ille,
Virtute coelum, Divus Auguftus, viros 505
Quot iuteremit uobiles, juvenes, fenes,
Sparfos per orbem, cum fuos mortis metu
to abstain from cruel slaughter, to control one's anger

(to give time for it to cool down), to secure tranquillity
for the world, peace to the age in which we live
this
is the highest form of virtue, and by such a road is
heaven only to be arrived at. It was in such a way,
that the first Augustus (Octavius), the great parent of his
country, was enabled to reach the stars, and he is wor-
shipped now as a very god in the temples. Fortune,
however, tossed him about both by sea and land, through
many trying vicissitudes of war, as long as ever he con-
tended against the enemies of his father, (Julius Cassar,
who adopted Octavius). But the goddess, Fortune, with-
out any shedding of blood, has showered her favors upon
thee, has given thee government of a mighty empire,
that thou mightst rule it without any difficulty, and has
subjected the Earth and the Sea to thy very nodi Con-
temptible envy has stepped aside, abased and over-
powered by the devoted acclamations, which have been
poured forth the enthusiastic support of the Senate,
and the equestrian order has been accorded thee, and it
is by the unanimous vote of the people, ratified by the
decrees of the senators, that thou hast been chosen as
the fountain-head of peace, and the chief ruler of the
human race; thou as a parent to thy country, governest
the world in thy quasi-divine person Rome expects
thee to cherish this honoured reputation, and thus freely
hands over her citizens to thy safe keeping.
NERO. It is a gift of the Gods, no doubt, that Rome

and the Senate should be subservient to my authority,
forasmuch as it is only the fear they entertain of me,
which draws from their reluctant lips, those cringing
supplications, and the low-toned fawning voices which
mask all this affected humility. But that the factious
citizens, conspirators against their country, and my person
as Emperor, puffed up with pride, about their illustrious
descent, should pretend to serve me willingly! What
downright madness it would be, to entertain such a
wild notion But at the same time, it is competent
I
for me, an Emperor, with one word to consign any one,

that I might suspect of criminal designs, to immediate
death 1 Brutus armed his hands for the slaughter of his
generalissimo (Julius Caesar) from whom he had received
every marked friendship, and support. And that great
Caesar, who had never been vanquished in battle, the
conqueror of so many nations, oftentimes was regarded,
as the equal of Jupiter himself, judging from the elevated
pinnacle, to which his honors had raised him, in the eyes
of the people, (Jupiter ruled all things in heaven, Caesar,
all things on earth) fell by the crimes of the citizens 1
How much blood did Rome, torn by the intestine factions

of its citizens, see shed by such internecine slaughter!
Divus Augustus, who won his way to Heaven, by those
praiseworthy deeds of valor of his: how many nobles,
young men, and old men, had he slain, scattered as they
were, over the world, when they deserted their very
homesteads, with the fear of death staring them in the
face, and fled from the swords of the triumvirs, shuddering
as they cast their eyes at the proscription tables, which
registered the names of those that were doomed to death!
and the grieving senators saw the heads of the slain, ex-
posed for inspection in their very Rostra, (a place in the
Senate, Rostrum) nor was it allowable for any one to
weep for the loss of those who had belonged to them,
Fugerent penates, & trium ferrum ducum,

Tabula notante deditos trifti neci?
Expofita roftris capita casforum patres S'
Videre moefti: flere nee licuit fuos,
Non gemere, dira tabe pollute foro,
Stillante fanie per putres vultus gravl.
Nee finis heic cruoris aut csedis ftetit.
Pavere volucres & feras fevas diu 515
Trifles Philippi. haufit & Sieulum mare
Claffes, virofque faspe cedentes. fuis
Coneuffus orbis viribus. Magnus ducum
Superatus aeie, puppibus Nilum petit
Fugas paratis, ipfe periturus brevi. 520
Haufit eruorem incefta Romani ducis
^gyptus iterum, nunc leves umbras tegit.
Illic fepultura eft impie geftum diu
Civile bellum. eondidit tandem fuos
Jam feflus enfiss viftor, hebetatos feris 525
Vulneribus, & eontinuit imperium metu.
Annis, fideque militis tutus fuit.
Pietate nati fa<51;us eximia Deus,
Port fata confecratus, & templis datus.
Nos quoque manebunt aftra, fi fsevo prior 530
Enfe occuparo, quidquid infeflum eft mihi,
Dignaque noftram fobole fundaro domum.
SEN. Implebit anlam ftirpe coelefti tuam
Generata Divo, Claudiae gentis deeus,
Sortita fratris, more Junonis, toros.
535
NERO. Incefta geoitrix detrahit generi fidem,
Animufque nunquam conjugis jun(5tus mihi.
SEN. Teneris in annis baud fatis clara eft fides,
Pudore viflus cum tegit flammas amor.
NERO. Hoc equidem & ipfe credidi fruflra diu. 540
Manifefta quamvis peflore infociabili,
Vultuque figna proderent odium mei.
Tandem quod ardens ftatuit ulcifci dolor:
Dignamque thalamis conjugem inveni meis
Genere atque forma, vidla cui cedat Venus, 545
Jovifque conjux, & ferox annis Dea.
nor to sigh even, when the forum became positively in-

fectious, through that dreadful slaughter, the sanious filthy-
discharges dripping from their decomposing faces;
still
nor did blood-and-slaughter business stop here, by
this
any means the cruel birds of prey, and wild animals
feasted for many a day on the mortal remains which lay
exposed (unburiedj on the plains of Philippi, and the
Sicilian sea drew tneir ships into its watery gulf, and the
crews, which had been worsted in this fratricidal fray, by
men of their own blood, and the bulk of the people,
were fairly shattered by the warlike persistency of the
Lines S08-546] OCTAVIA. 679
combatants 1 But Antony, being worsted in a battle, was

obliged to make for the Nile, in the ships already pre-
pared for flight, he himself being doomed to perish,
shortly after and thus, incestuous Egypt, (on account of
the marriage of Cleopatra with her brother Ptolemy) again
imbibed the blood of a Roman general, and now it covers
up his insignificant remains! Then, indeed, was the civil
war, which lasted so long, brought to an end, and then at
last, the tired conqueror sheathed his truculent sword,
absolutely rendered blunt by the many terrible blows it
had inflicted, aud he continued to rule, but it was through
the fear he had inspired He was safe then, with Es
1

armaments, and the fidelity of his soldiery, Here, then,
was that Deity, who_ was made great by the devoted ser-
vices of a son (Tiberius), canonized after death and handed
down for adoration in the temples. And in a similar
manner, the stars will hold good for my reception, if I
am prompt with the stern sword, and employ it against
everjfthing that is hostile to my interests and I myself
I
shall have laid the foundation-stone of a future dynasty,

for some offspring equally worthy!
SEN. That glorious ornament of the race of Claudius,

will yet live to fill the palace with the celestial stock,
descended from a Divus, (by Octavia is here meant) after
the example set by Juno, sharing the nuptial-bed of her
brother (having buried past differences).
NERO. An incestuous mother-in-law (Messalina) is rather

apt to shake confidence out of a son-in-law, and what is
more, the disposition of this wife of mine, has never har-
monized with my own.
SEN. During the tender years of a young woman's life,
her confiding love is not sufficiently shown, she is then
so much under the dominion of bashfulness, that she
conceals from observation, the amorous fires which lurk
beneath that shyness.
NERO. Indeed! I have clung to that notion in vain,
for a long time too and altogether it is self-evident to
1
me, from her unsociable tone, and manner, the symptoms

of absolute hatred towards me, are obvious enough in
her very look so much so, that my burning indignation
has determined me to take my revenge, and with that
end, I have found a wife worthy of my marriage-bed,
both as regards her birth and her unequalled beauty, a
woman to whom Venus herself would yield the palm,
or even the wife of Jupiter, or that other goddess, so fierce
in battle (Minerva).
!
68o SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 547-578
SEN. Probitas, fidefque coDJugis, mores, pudor,

Placeant marito. fola perpetuo manent
Subjefla nuUi, mentis atque animi bona.
Florem decoris finguli carpunt dies. S50
NERO. Omnes in unam contulit laudes Deus,
Talemque nafci fata voluerunt mihi.
SEN. Recedat a te, temere ne credas, amor.
NERO. Quern fubmovere fulminis dominus uequit,
Cceli tyrannum, faeva qui penetrat freta, 555
Ditifque regna, detfahit Superos polo.
SEN. Volucrem efle Amorem fingit immitem Deum
Mortalis error, armat & telis manus,
Arcufque facros mifcuit faeva face;
Genitumque credit Venere, Vulcano fatum. 560
Vis magna mentis, blandus atque animi calor
Amor eft; juventa gignitur; luxu, otio
Nutritur inter teta Fortunje bona.
Quem fi fovere atque alere defiftas, cadit,
*revique vires perdit exftinftus fuas. 565
NERO. Hanc efle vitse maximam caufam reor,
Per quam voluptas oritur, interitu caret,
Cum procreetur femper humanum genus
Amore grato, qui truces mulcet feras.
Hie mihi jugales prsferat taedas Deus, 570
Jugetque noftris igne Poppseam toris.
SEN. Vix fuftinere poffet hos thalamos dolor
Videre populi: fanfla nee pietas final!
NERO. Prohibebor unus facere, quod cundlis licet?
SEN. Majora populus femper a fummo exigit. 575
NERO. Libet experiri, viribus fra(flus meis
An cedat animis temere conceptus favor.
SEN. Obfequere potius civibus placidus tuis.
SEN. Probity, faithfulness in a wife, strict morality, and

modest reserve should be, what ought to please a hus-
band those lasting advantages of mind, and heart, second
to none in importance, are those and those only which
continue permanent, and as long as life lasts; but thou
oughtest to know that each day steals away a portion
of the beauty of every flower.
NERO. A
kind deity has moulded all these gifts in one
individual, Poppsea; thou perceivest that the kind Fates
have actually willed that such a one (impersonating all
these qualifications) should have been born expressly
for me.
SEN. thoughts of love be banished from the

Let all
mind at once, in some rash foolish moment, thou
lest
mightest believe all this sort of thing to be a downright
reality
Lines S47-578J OCTAVIA. 68l
NERO. Dost thou mean that little deity, whom the God
of Lightning, and the grand ruler of the heavens, is
unable to drive away from himself, who penetrates the
recesses of the angry sea, the kingdom of Pluto, and
draws down from their celestial abodes, the very Gods
above ?
SEN. It is a mistake, we mortals commit, when we

picture the winged god Cupid as a cruel deity; we arm
his hands with arrows, and add to them the fatal bow
and the cruel torch, and delude ourselves that he was
born from Venus and sprung from the loins of Vulcan
the fact is. Love is a potent force springing from the
imagination, and an insinuating passioUj which rises up
in the human breast; it begins to show itself in youth,
and is kept alive by luxurious surroundings, want of oc-
cupation amid the alluring advantages held out by for-
tune, the which, if thou lailest to cherish,, and pamper^
soon languishes, and being thus deprived of what pre-
serves its existence, loses its influence in a short timel
NERO. I am of opinion that this passion is the princi-

pal object in by whose influence, pleasiu-e accrues to
life,
its votaries, for as much, too, as the human race will
always continue to be reproduced by this agreeable
means, (Love) it is that likewise, which has the power
of mollifying the fierceness of the wild beasts. At all events,
this little deity shall lead the way, with his marriage
torches, and shall yoke Popprea to my nuptial couch
with his seductive fires!
SEN. The indignation of the populace will scarcely

tolerate being the witnesses of this marriage, nor will the
solemn ordinances of piety sanction it.
NERO. Shall I be the only one to be prevented from

divorcing a wife, a privilege which is allowed to every one.
SEN. The people exact higher and nobler observances

from him who is the acknowledged head over all men.
NERO. It will please me

to try, and, moreover, whether
that foolish Octavia, which has crept into
partiality for
the noddles of the Romans, shall not give way, when it
is beaten out of them, by my weight and authority.
SEN. Rather comply placidly with the wishes of the

citizens,
NERO. Male imperatur, cum regit vulgus duces.

SEN. Nil impetrare cum valet, jufte dolet. 580
NEKO. Exprimere jus eft, ferre quod nequeunt preces.
SEN. Negare durum eft. NERO. Principem cogi nefas.
SEN. Remittal ipfe. NERO. Fama fed viftum feret.
SEN. Levis atque vana. NERO. Si licet, multos notat.
SEN. Excelfa metuit. nero. Non minus carpit tamen. 585
SEN. Facile opprimetur. merita te Divi patris,
jEtafque frangat conjugis, probitas, pudor.
NERO. Defifte tandem, jam gravis nimium mihi,
Inftare, liceat facere, quod Seneca improbat.
Et ipfe populi votam jam pridem moror, 590
Cum portet utero pignus, & partem mei.
Quin deftinamus proximam thalamis diem?
ACTUS TERTIUS.
A G R I P P I N A.
Ab inferis prodit Agrippina, dira aufpex faces exitiales prasferens
nuptiis PoppasEe & Neronis, cujus mortere prasdicit.
TX ellure rupta Tartaro greffum extuli,

E
Stygiam cruenta prjeferens dextra facem
Thalamis fceleftis. nubat his flammis meo ^ 595
NERO. It must be, indeed, a sorry departure from the

methods of governing, when the vulgar herd dictate terms
to an emperor.
SEN. That man only has a right to complain, who can

obtain nothing whatever, that he seeks, to be granted him.
NERO. It is quite right then, to enforce a thing to be

granted, which solicitations fail to obtain?
SEN. It is hard to have to deny anything to a suppliant.
NERO. But it is a crime, I should think, to attempt,

even to coerce an emperor.
SEN. But that emperor should relax his desires some-

times.

NERO. But then the report would get about, Oh I we
have brought the emperor lo his senses, thou seest 1 (that

the emperor was beaten).
SEN. Such a report as that, would be silly, and exercise

no effect on any one.
NERO. But it might be that such a notion would strike

the minds of many.
SEN. As a rule, the public approach matters, above

their own level, with some degree of diffidence.
NERO. They might not censure the less, however.
SEN. But that could easily be put down. Will not the
tender age of thy wife, her probity, her modesty have
any effect in breaking through thy objections, to say
nothing of the great benefits which thou hast received
at the nands of her father Divus ?
NERO. Do
cease, for the last time, urging thy objec-
tionsit really too much for
is me
to listen to; it is in
my power to do what Seneca condemns, and I myself
am only biding my
time for the acquiescence of the
people, when Poppaea shall carry in her uterus some
pledge of my
affection, and a representative part of my
ownself Therefore I fix the earliest day for
1 marriage, my
namely to-morrow 1
ACT III.
AGRIPPINA.
Agrippina appears from the infernal regions, a cruel sooth-
sayer carrymg before her the fatal torches, at the nup-
tials of Poppaea, and Nero whose death she predicts.
(Shade of Agrippina speaks.)
THE Earth being opened, I have found my way out

of Tartarus, bringing in my unrelenting hand, the
Stygian torches to grace this wicked marriage. It is
with these torches, Poppaea shall be joined in marriage
to my son, which the avenging hand, and indignation of
an outraged mother, would rather employ for a graver
684 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [lu=s 596-633
Poppsea nato junfla, quas vindix manus

Dolorque matris vertet ad triftes rogos.
Manet inter umbras impise caedis raihi _
Semper memoria, manibus noftris gravis

Adhuc inultis, reddita & meritis meis 600
Funefta merces puppis, & pretium imperii
Nox ilia, qua naufragia deflevi mea.
Comitum necem, natique crudelis nefas
Deflere votum fuerat. hand tempus datum eft
Lacrimis; fed iugens fcelere geminavit nefas. 605
Peremta ferro, fceda vulneribus, facros
Intra penates fpirilum effudi gravem,
Erepta pelago, fanguine exftinxi meo
Nee odia nati, fsevit in nomen ferus
Matris tyrannus. obrui meritum cupit. 610
Simulacra, titulos deftrait, mortis metu,
Totum per orbem, quem dedit pcenam in meam
Puero regendum nofter infelix amor.
Exftin(51us umbras agitat infeftus meas
Flammifque vultus noxios conjux petit, 615
Inftat, minatur, imputat fatum mihi
Tumulumque nati. pofcit audlorem necis.
Jam, parce, dabitur. tempus hand longum peto.
Ultrix Erinnys impio dignum parat
Letum tyranno; verbera, & tuvpem fugam, 620
Poenafque, queis &Tantali vincat fitim,
Dirum laborem .Sifyphi, Tityi alitem,
Ixionifque membra rapientem rotam.
Licet exftruat marmoribus, atque auro tegat
.Superbus aulam, limen armatie ducis 625
Servent cohortes, mittat immenfas opes
Exhauftus orbis, fupplices dextram petant
Parthi cruenlam, regna, divitias, ferant:
Veniet dies tempufque, quo reddat fuis
Animum nocentem fceleribus, jugulum hoftibus, 630
& deftructus, & cunais egeus.
Defertus,
Heu, quo labor, quo vota ceciderunt mea!
Quo te furor provexit attonitum tuus,
occasion, his funeral pile (Nero's). May the memory of

my impious slaughter cling to me, as long as I am
numbered with the shades, oppressed with the thought, as
I am, that these hands of mine have gone unavenged, and
the fatal craft intended for my destruction, given to me,
as the reward for my services, and that dreadful night,
which he has given me as the price of the Empire I gave
up to him, on which I had to bewail my shipwreck it
had not been an object of my desire on my part, to have
duly bewailed the deaths of my companions in misery
(Creperius, Gallus and Aceronia), the results of the cruel
;
crime of a son, but no time was afforded me, even for

shedding tears for Nero coupled his previous wickedness
with another crime, and being slain by the sword, I yielded
up my burdened existence, within the proximity of my
venerated household gods, nor I, even then, stifled the
persecuting hatred of that son of mine, with my last drops
of blood the cruel tyrant began to grow wrathful against
the very name and memory of his mother, his desire
was, that any claim to merit on my part should be com-
pletely effaced he caused to be destroyed all pictured
likenesses or sculptured models, and all inscriptions which
represented me, on pain of death, throughout the whole
world, the Empire of which I, in my foolish love, gave to
him, and all this, too, that as a requital, he should even-
tually take away my lifel But my husband Claudius,
who was cruelly deprived of life, disturbs my very manes
he rushes with his torch at my face, which is hateful to
him to behold, he is ubiquitous in his presence, he
menaces, and imputes to me his own fate and the death
of his son Britannicus, and demands to know who was
the actual murderer (Nero). Spare me, Claudius, thy re-
proaches he shall be given up, and I ask no long time either
;
for it to be brought. The averiging Erinnys is preparing

a condign death for such a cruel tyrant she is making
ready to inflict the stripes and pave the way for the
ignominious flight, and the punishment with which a Tan-
talus is to quench his thirst, and for the cruel task of a
Sisyphus, and the rapacious vulture of a Tityus, as well
as the wheel, which whirls round rapidly the body of an
Ixion! He may, indeed, erect his marble monuments, and
in his pride, gild the very roofs of his palace, and the
armed trained bands (cohort) may vigilantly guard the
portals of their emperor and the thresholds of his palace,
the very world may, through his exactions, be drained of
its riches to answer to his beck and call! The Parthians
in suppliant humility, may seek to salute with the kiss of
submission, that sanguinary right hand of his, and Tiri-
dates may throw his kingdom, and all the riches he pos-
sesses at the feet of Nero 1But the day and hour will
arrive soon on which he shall give up that criminal life
of his ; for the wickedness of which he has been the
author, his throat shall be a very target for the javelin of
the enemy, he shall be universally shunned, ruined, and
reduced to absolute want 1 Alas how all my labor how
1
my fondest wishes have turned outl Oh f thou son of

mine, whither has thy madness drifted thee, and to what
a fatal destination! The just anger of thy mother, who
fell by thy crime, is a paltry consideration, compared
with the many punishments thou wilt have to undergo I
Et fata, nate? cedat ut tantis malis

Genitricis ira, quffi tuo fcelere occidit! , 635
Utinam, antequam te parvulum in lucem edidi,
Aluique, fsevag noftva laceraflent feree
Vifcera! fine uUo fcelere, fine fenfu innocens
Meus occidifles: jun<5lus atque hserens mihi,
Semper quietam cemeres fedem Inferum, 640
Proavos, patremque, nominis magni viros.
Quos nunc pudor, luitufque perpetuus manet,
Ex nefaude, meque, quae talem tuli.
te,
Quid tegere ceflb Tartaro vultus meos,
Noverca, conjux, mater infelix meisf 645
OCTAVIA, CHORUS.
Odlavia diffimulata triftitia faventem Cbi populum orat, ne
divortium fui lugeat. Chorus tamen ipfms vicem dolet.
OCT. P
X ARCITE lacrimis urbis fefto
Lsetoque die; ne tautus amor,
Noftrique favor Principis acres
Sufcitet iras, vobifque ego fim
Caufa malorum. non hoc primum 650
Peflora vulnus mea fenferunt.
Graviora tuli. dabit hie noftris
Finem curis vel morte dies.
Non ego fsevi cemere cogar
Conjugis ora. . gee
Non invifos intrare mihi
Thalamos famulse. foror Augufti,
Non uxor, ero.
Abfmt tantum trifles pcenas,
Letique metus. fcelerum diri, 660
Miferanda, viri potes hsec, demens,
Sperare memori' hos ad thalamos
Servata diu, vi(lima tandem
Funefta cades, fed quid patrios
Ssepe penates refpicis udis 665
Confufa genis? propera te(flis
Efferre gradus: linque cruentam
Principis aulam.
I wish, though, before I had ever brought thee into the

world, as a little baby boy, and suckled thee at my breasts,
that some ferocious wild beast had torn the very womb'
out of my body, or that thou hast died as my innocent
suckling, without any knowledge of what existence was
Lines 634-668] OCTAVI A. 687
and without any crime to answer fori joined to, and still
leaning on me, thou mightst always have before thy eyes
a quiet resting-place in the regions below, where thou
mightst see around thee^ thy father, thy great grandfather
and men of our lineage of glorious reputation Before !
whom, alas there remain instead only disgrace and per-

I
petual sorrow and all this arising out of thy crimes, and
1
myself, who have brought such a monster into the world.

But why do I stay longer, why do I cease from hiding
ray face in Tartarus, the cruel step-mother of a Britannicus,
the wife of a murdered Claudius, and the unfortunate
mother of a Nero 1
OCTAVIA-CHORUS.
Octavia, feigning sadness, prays the populace, who are
espousing her cause, not to grieve about her divorce.
The chorus, however, does grieve for her sad lot.
OCTAVIA.
SPARE these tears, on a day of such rejoicing and

gladness to the city let not the great affection thou
hast for me, and the interest shown in my cause,
rouse any feelings of bitter resentment in the heart of
the Emperor, I may yet be the means of bringing great

misfortunes upon thee it is not the iirst time my breast

has felt wounds like this I have already put up with
more grievous ones! May this day procure for me an
end to my troubles, even if it be by death 1 There is
one thing, I shall no longer be called upon to rest my
eyes on the visage of my cruel husband, I shall hence-
forth be the sister and not the wife of an Augustus, and
thus not be compelled to share the odious nuptial couch,
with a rival! But I do pray, that sad mental tortures
may be spared me the apprehensions of crime and the
fear of some cruel death! But! oh! miserable! oh!
demented Octavia, canst thou reasonably hope for such
things, mindful as thou must be of the former crimes of
this detestable man, or that he, who is accustomed to
spare nobody, would deal gently and mercifully with thee ?
For a long time hast thou been reserved for such a
marriage as this (to occur before thy eyes)j and at last,
as a sorrowful victim thou wilt fall ; but why in that con-
fused kind of way dost thou glance back upon thy pater-
nal household gods with such tearful eyes? hasten away
ratiier from under such a roof, and quit for ever the
palace of the blood-thirsty Emperor.
CHOR. En illuxit fufpeila diu

Fama toties jailata dies! 670
Ceffit thalamis Claudia diri
Pulfa Neionis,
Quos jam vidlrix Poppaea tenet,
Ceffat pietas dum noftra, gravi
Compreffa metu, fegnifque dolor. 675
Ubi Romani vis eft populi?
Fregit claros quse fsepe duces,
Dedit inviiflae leges patrije,
Fafces dignis civibus olim,
Juffit bellum, pacemque, feras
680
Gentes domuit, captos reges
Carcere clufit? gravis en oculis
Undique noftris jam Poppaese
Fulget imago junila Neroni:
Afflig'at bumo violenta manus 685
Similes nimium vultus dominae:
Ipfamque toris detrahat altis:
Petal infelix mox & flammis
Telifque feri Principis aulam.
ACTUS QUARTUS.
NUTRIX, POPPÂ.
Territa in fomno Poppsea nutrici narrat fomnium quam :
ilia, vana fomnium eludens interpretatione, folatur.
NUTR.
Effers,
Q.
\^vo trepida greffum conjugis thalamis tui
alumna? quodve fecretum petis
690
Turbata vultu? cur gense fletu madent?

Certe petitus precibus & votis dies
Noftris refulfit. Csefari jun<5Va es tuo
Tseda jugali. quern tuus cepit decor, 695
Et culpa Senecffi, tradidit vindlum tibi
Genitrix amoris maximum numen Venus.
O qualis, altos quanta preffifti toros
Refidens in aula! vidit attonitus tuam
CHOR. Behold the da)^ shines forth at last, so long,

1
and so much mingled with certain misgivings, yet so

often canvassed abroad as mere hearsay. Claudia has
been banished from the nuptial bed of cruel Nero, and
has surrendered the couch, of which the triumphant
Poppsea, by this time, is the tenant in possession, whilst
the affections we all felt for her, must now be put a stop
Lines 669-699I OCTAVIA. 689
to. Kept down by the terrible fear of consequences,

and our indignation must be outwardly suppressed. But
where is the ancient courage of the Roman populace,
which often caused the most illustrious of men to fly for
their lives? (Syphax, Perses, Jugurtha, Herodes) that
populace which âve law and institutes to a country,
which has never been conquered, and which, in ancient
days, bestowed the magisterial dignities only on those
who were worthy recipients - that populace decided, when

there was to be war and decided likewise when there

was to be peace they brought the turbulent nations into
subjection, they confined conspiring captive kings in the
prison dungeons! Behold, grievous as is the sight, on
all sides, model images of Poppasa, dazzling our vision
side by side with those of Nero! Let us dash to the
earth with our violent hands those images which are
only too like, the face of this newly created Empress!
And let us drag her from her exalted couch, without
delay let us, in our disgust, make for the palace of the
cruel Emperor, with the fiery torch, and the sword of
vengeance 1
ACT IV.
NURSE-POPPÂ.
Poppaea, being frightened, in her sleep, narrates her dream
to the Nurse ; the Nurse treating the dream as nonsense,
consoles Poppâ, with some silly interpretation.
NURSE.
H owis it, my nurshng, that thou art quitting the marriage

couch of thy husband in such a state of terror, and
of what hiding-place art thou in quest, with so
troubled a countenance, and why are thy cheeks so wet
with weeping? Surely, this day, which has been so long,
and so anxiously looked forward to, has shone brightly
in response to thy prayers and desires ! Thou art matrimo-
nially linked with a Caesar! The chief of the deities,
Venus, and the Mother of Love, has given Nero to thee,
bound by the sacred nuptial chains, and to one whom
thy beauty has captivated, in spite of Seneca's objections,
too, to such a marriage union! Oh! what an important
personage thou hast become, and in what a magnificent
palace thou hast settled down, and upon what an exalted
couch wilt thou now recline! The senate were fau-ly
44
Formam Senatus, thura cum Superis dares, 700

Sacrafque grato fpargeres aras mero,
Velata fummum flammeo tenui caput,
Et ipfe lateri junflus atque hEereus tuo
Sublimis inter civium lasta omina
Inceffit, habitu atque ore Isetitiam gerens 705
Princeps fuperbo. talis emerfam freto
Spumante Peleus conjugem accepit Thetin:
Qnorum toros celebraffe Coeleftes ferunt,
Pelagique numen omne confenfu pari.
Quae fubita vultus caufa mutavit tuos? 7'
Quid pallor ifte, quid ferant lacrimse, doce.
pop. Confufa trifti proximse noiSis metu
Vifuque, nutrix, mente turbata feror,
Defedla fenfu. laata nam poftquam dies
Sideribus atris ceffit, & nofti polus, 715
Inter Neronis junfta complexus mei
Somno refolvor; nee diu placida frui
Quiete licuit. vifa nam thalamos meos
Celebrare turba eft moefta; refolutis comis
Matros Latinae ftebiles planAus dabant; 720
Inter tubarum faspe terribilem fonum
Sparfam cruore conjugis genitrix mei
Vultu minaci fseva quatiebat facem:
Quam dum fequor, coa6la prsefenti metu,
Didudla fubito patuit ingenti mihi 725
Tellus hiatu: lata quo preeceps, toros
Cemo jugales pariter & miror meos,
In queis refedi feffa. venientem intuor
Comitante turba conjugem quondam meum,
Natumque. properat petere complexus meos 730
Crifpinus, intermiffa libare ofcula;
Irrumpit intra tefta cum Irepidus mea,
Enfemque jugulo condidit faeviim Nero.
Tandem quietem magnus excuffit timor:
Quatit ora & artus horridus noftros tremor, 735
Pulfatque pecflus: continet vocem timor,
Quam nunc fides pietafque produxit tua.
astounded when they beheld thy transcendent beauty,

admired thee when thou ofFeredst up (with such reverence)
the frankincense to the Gods, and when thou sprinkledst
the sacred altars with the gladsome wine the upper part
1
of thy head, so gracefully shaded by the red veil (worn

by recent brides, as tokens of modesty, and wifely subjec-
tion), and Nero, walking forth, amidst the enthusiastic
acclamations of the citizens, holding himself up so loftily,
and hanging on so closely to thy sidel An Emperor all
over, testifying with joy in his very carriage and coun-
tenance! Such, indeed, as Peleus manifested, when he
a
Lines 700737] OCTAVIA. 69I
took Thetis to wife, as she emerged from the foaming

waves, whose marriage the Gods are said to have celebrated
with great pomp and with the universal acquiescence of
every deity of the sea likewise. But what hidden event
has thus changed thy wonted expression of countenance ?
tell me why this paleness? What trouble do those tears
indicate ?
POP. Oh! Nurse, suffering sadly from my harrowing

thoughts, I seem to have utterly lost my senses: the fact is,
I was perplexed and terrified by the doleful visions of last
night, for when the expiring brightness of glorious day
had given place to those gloomy stars, and the sky was
handed over to the dark realms of night, I went off to
sleep, hugged by the embracing arms of my Nero, but I
was not permitted to enjoy my placid repose long
lugubrious multitude appeared before me, as if to celebrate
my marriage, and the Roman Matrons, with their locks
loose and hanging down, gave forth the most distressing
wailings, and amidst, every now and then, a terrific blowing
of trumpets, and the mother of my husband (Agrippina)
with a savage threatening look, flourished her torch at me,
all covered with blood, whom, whilst I was following,
which I felt forced to do, so inspired was I with the
fear which had taken possession of me the earth seemed
to be suddenly divided, and an immense yawning gulf
lay open before me, into which opening I seemed to have
been borne away headlong. I could perceive, at the same
moment, and I wondered equally at this, my own marriage
couch, the couch on which, I have before lain down,
thoroughly fagged out I then beheld him who was mv
former husband, Crispinus, advancing towards me, with
a crowd following him, and then amongst them, my son
(Rufus who was ordered, to be drowned by Nero). Crispinus
rushes forward to seek ray embrace and showered my
face with those kisses which have been now so long
in abeyance when, all on a sudden, Nero breaks into
1
my chamber, and buries his cruel sword deep down in

his throat! (that of Crispinus.) At length, this excessive
alarm, effectually chased away all further disposition for
sleep I The horrible tremor into which I was thrown, has
made mylimbs tremble all over, and has impeded my
very powers of utterance and my heart palpitates to
that degree, that it beats forcibly against the walls of my
chest. My fear prevents me from expressing in words,
what I feel, but thy fidelity and affection. Nurse, reassures
me, and has given me back my powers of speech-
Alas! Why do the Ghosts, from those mfernal regies,
think proper to molest me, and at the same time, might
Heu, quid minantur Infei'flm manes niihi,

Aut quem cniorem conjugis vidi mei?
NUTR. Qusecunque mentis agitat infeftiis vigor, 740
Ea per quiet em facer &
arcanus refert
Veloxque fenfus. conjugem, thalamos, rogos,
Vidifife te miraris, amplexu novi
Hserens mariti? fed movent Iseto die
Pulfata palmis pedlora, & fufse comse. 745
Odlavise difcidia planxerunt facros
Intra penates fratris, & patrium larem.
Fax ilia, quam fecuta es, AuguftiE manu
Praelata,clarum nomen invidia tibi
Partum ominatur. Inferum fedes, toros 750
Stabiles futures fpondet ostemas domus.
Jugulo quod enfem condidit Princeps tuus;
Bella haud movebit, pace fed ferrum teget.
RecoUige animum. recipe Isetitiam, precor,
Timore pulfo. redde te thalamis tuis. 755
POP. Delubra & aras petere cooftitui facras,
Csefis litare viftimis numen Deiim,
Ut expientur noftis & fomni minje,
Terrorque in hoftes redeat attonitus meos.
Et vota pro me fufcipe, & precibus piis 760
Superos adora, manet ut pr^fens metus.
C H O R U S.
Laudat Chorus Poppasa formam.
> /I vera loquax fama Tonantis

Furta & gratos narrat amores;
Quem modo Ledae preffifie fmum
Tedium plumis pennifque ferunt; 765
Modo per flu(5tus raptam Europen
Taurum tergo portaffe trucem;
I ask what it was, when I distinctly perceived the blood

of my husband?
NUR. Whatever subjects the mind is intent upon, or

troubled about during our waking moments, such is the
rapidity, and wonderfulness of human thought, altogether
as it is a divine and mysterious property of the mind,
that It reproduces^ during sleep, those very things im-
pressed on us durnig the day, under a variety of visions,
and fantastic appearances. Thou wonderest, no doubt,
that thou sawest a husband, a marriage couch, and
what
thou tookest for a funeral pile, whilst thou wert being
embraced and hugged, by the new husband, but the breasts

thou sawest being beaten in the dream, and the shattered

locks, arose out of the excitement created by the auspi-
cious event (the marriage day). The partisans of Octavia,
were bewailing her divorce before the cherished house-
hold gods of thy brothers and thy paternal lares that
torch, which thou followedst, was carried in front of thee,
by the hands of Augusta (Agrippina) and the envy aroused,
by the marriage, foreshadow thy name as rendered still
more illustrious thereby the position in which thou
wast placed in the Infernal Regions during thy dream,
clearly indicates that the future marriages, in the durable
dynasty, will henceforward be permanent in their tenure
then, as regards why thy Emperor husband thrust his
sword into the throat of the spectre shows that he will
never more excite wars, but that he means to hide it,
henceforth in the sheath (the throat of the spectre only)
as a guarantee of peace! Now collect thy scattered
faculties, take on a cheerful look, I beseech thee, and
shaking off all these fabrics of thy vision (fears having
no foundation) betake thyself to thy bed chamber.
POP. I had made up my mind to seek the teniples

and the sacred altars, and to sacrifice to the worship of
the Deities with slaughtered victims, that such threatening
visitationsof the night, and the period allotted to sleep
might be expiated, and that the terror inspired thereby,
might recoil upon my enemies; and. Nurse, offer up thy
prayers for me, and worship the gods above, with thy
pious suppUcations, that the apprehensions which still
hang about my mind, may pass away from me I
CHORUS.
The Chorus praises the beauty of Poppasa.
garrulous report tells the truth when it talks of the

IFfurtive amours of the Thunderer, and the love affairs
in which he so much delighted; once,, whom they report
as having coaxindy embraced the bosom of Leda, whilst
disguising himself with the wings, and feathers of a swan
at another time, transforming himself into a fierce bull,
carrying off Europa, as a captive across the sea even,
now Poppsea, Jupiter would quit the heavens above, and
the starry firmament, which he is ruling, and seek the
pleasure of thy embraces, and which he could, with reason
prefer to Leda's and even thine, Danae, whom he admu-ed
so much and descended with amorous intent, that yellowm
golden shower. Sparta may brag of the beauty of that
famous offspring of hers, Helen, and it is permissible
Quae regit, & nunc deferet aftra,

Petet amplexus, Poppaea, tuos;
Quos & Leds prseferre poteft: 77
Et tibi, quondam cui miranti
Fulvo, Danae, fluxit In auro.
Formam Sparte jacSlet alumnse
Licet, &
Phrygius prsemia paftor;
Vincet vultus hsec Tyndaridos, 775
Qui raoverunt horrida bella,
Phrygiseque folo regna dedere.
Sed quis greffu ruit attonito?
Ant quid pedtove povtat anhelo?
NUNTIUS, CHORUS.
Motum populi nuntiat ob repudiatam Odlaviam
nuptiafque Poppseae.
Q.
NUNT. v_ûiCUNQUE leAis miles exfultat ducis,
Defendat aulam, cui furor populi imminet.
7^
Trepidi cohortes, ecce, Prsefecfti trahunt

Praefidia ad urbis; vicla nee cedit metu
Concepta rabies temere, fed vires capit.
CHOR. Quis ifte mentes agitat attonitus furor? 785
NUNT. Oflavias furore perculfa agtnina,
Et efferata per nefas ingens ruunt.
CHOR. Quid aufa facere, quove confilio, doce.
NUNT. Reddere penates Claudiae Divi parant,
Torofque fratis, debitam partem imperii. 790
CHOR. Quos jam tenet Poppasa concordi fide?
NUNT. Hie urit animos pertinax nimium furor,
Et in furorem temere prscipites agit.
QuEecunque claro marmcre effigies ftetit,
Aut sere fulgens ora Poppseje gerens, 795
enough that the Phrygian shepherd (Paris) should have

been proud of his conquest! She, Poppaea will outstrip
in beauty this daughter of Tyndarus, and who brought
about dreadful war, and levelled the Phrygian Kingdom
to the very ground. Bi:t who is this rushing on at a
Eace accelerated by some fright, or what news is he
ringing, with his breath panting likethat? (out of breath).
MESSENGER-CHORUS.
The Messenger describes the excitement of the populace,
on account of the divorce of Octavia, and this marriage
with Poppasa.
Lines 78-79s] OCTAVIA. 695
MESSENGER.
WHOEVER that soldier may be, who entertains

boastful pride in being a chosen guardian
a
of the
emperor's portals, let him rouse himself, for the
defence of the palace, which the fury of the populace is

now menacing. Behold, the Prefects, in a state of trepida-
tion, are calling together (mustering) the armed bands, to
garrison the city with extra protection, nor does this
msane feeling, which has so rashly sprung up, appear
amenable to any kind of fear, but is acquiring greater
and greater intensity.
CHOR. What mad fury is it, that is now agitating the

minds of the populace?
MES. This multitude of i)eople are seized with rage

about this treatment of Octavia, and being wild with anger,
they are rushing on into every kind of crime.
CHOR. Tell us what they have had the audacity to do,

and at whose instigation all this has originated.
MES. They are making preparations to restore Claudia

(Octavia) to the household of the Divus, the restitution
of conjugal rights by her husband and brother, and her
legitimate share of the imperial dignity.
CHOR. Of which, already, Poppasa is in full possession,

through the legal marriage contracted by unanimous
authority in good faith, and upheld by one-minded ap-
proval.
MES. This excessive uncontrollable fury springs out of

the indignation, to which these nuptials have given rise,
and it is that, which is urging them on with headlong
rashness, into this display of madness. Whatever statue of
Poppasa, sculptured out of the purest marble stood in
their way, or whatever brazen monument was shining
forth and revealed the Hkeness of Poppasa, was ruthlessly
dashed to the ground by the infuriated hands of the
populace, and lies there broken up, by means of hammers
wielded by savage arms ; they then dragged the pieces of
the statues, which had been pulled down from their
standing place, trailed them along the streets, with cords,
and after kicking them about for some time in an angry
fashion, they would plaster them all over with fiUthy mudl
And the swearing, and cursing, that went on, and their
obscene language was quite in keeping with their acts,
Affiifla vulgi manibus, & faevo jacet

Everfa ferro. membra
per partes trahiiDt
Dedufla laqueis. obruimt turpi diu
Calcata coeno. verba conveiiiunt feris
Immixta faiflis, quse timor recipit meus. 800
Sepire flammis Principis fedem parant,
Populi nifi irse conjugem reddat novam,
Reddat penates Claudiae viflus fuos.
Ut nofcat ipfe civium motus, mea
Voce haud morabor juffa Prsefefti exfequi. 805
CHOR. Quid fera fruftra betla movetis?
Invidla gerit tela Cupido,
Flammis veftros obruet ignes:
Queis exftinxit fulmina fepe,
Captumque Jovem coelo traxit. 810
Lsefi trifles dabitis poenas
Sanguine veftro. iion eft patieus
Fervidus irx facilifque regi.
Ille ferocem jiiTfit Achillem
Pulfare lyram; fregit Danaos; 815
Fregit Atridem ; regna evertit
Priami; claras diruit urbes.
Et nunc animus, quid ferat, hoiTet,
Vis immitis violenta Dei.
ACTUS QUINTUS.
NERO, PR^FECTUS.
/^ftuans ira Nero propter tumultum populi, in ipfum feviri
jubet, & 0(5laviam veluti motus caufam, deportatam
ill Pandatariam, interfici.
NERO. V /lenta nimium militis noftri manus, 820

Et ira patiens poft nefas tantum mea,
Quod noo cruor civilis accenfas faces
Exftinguit in nos, csede nee populi madet
Funerea Roma, quse viros tales tulit!
Admiffa fed jam morte puniri parum eft, 825
Graviora meruit impium plebis fcelus.
and which was so bad that I should be afraid to repeat

it ; they are, now
preparing to surround, the Palace with
flames, unless Nero surrenders this new wife of his, to
appease their indignation, and becomes prevailed upon
to restore Claudia to her household Gods (her home), and
that the Emperor may know of this insurrection, from my
.
own lips, I will make no further delay in carrying out

the instructions I have received from the Prefect.
CHOR. Why dost thou bring about all this cruel strife ?
it is of no good Cupid is invincible, and has used those
1
arrows of his, which will obscure all thy fires (throw

them into the shade). Will the flames which he has set
up in the heart of Nero ever be cooled down ? That little
Deity has drawn down even Jupiter himself from lofty
Olympus, and has extinguished his very lightning. Thou
wilt pay with thy life any obstacle thou mayst throw in his
way he is hot in his rage and not very patient, in his trans-
;
ports of anger, or easy to be brought under control. He,

It was, who commanded that ferocious Achilles, to strike
his lyre, and produce his amorous melodies, he it was
who was the means of nearly ruining the Greeks with

their ten years' war he it was who paved the way for
the downfall of Agamemnon he it was who destroyed
the kingdom of poor old Priam, and has been the means
of ruining the beautiful cities of the world; and now our
minds are simply horrified at what he can really do, and
at the unrelenting energy now being displayed by that
merciless little God I
ACT V.
NERO PREFECT.
Nero, boiling over with rage, on account of the tumul-
tuous rismg of the populace, orders the most severe
measures to be taken against them, and that Octavia,
as the cause of such a rising, shall be transported
to Pandataria and there slain.
NERO.
the excessive laggardliness in the spirit of my

Oh! oh! what anger rages withm me,
soldiery, and
have done from the commission of
suffering as I
such dreadful crimes Why has not the very life-blood
1
of the citizens been made to extinguish the torches

which have been kindled against me for my destruction?
Why does Rome, assuming such a funeral aspect, not
wade in the blood arising from the slaughter of such a
populace? Oh thou Romel that has ever produced men
like them! but it would be a trifling thing for them to
be punished only with that death that is the admitted
retribution ordained for such deeds. No! this impious
Et ilia, ciii me civium fubicit furor,

Sufpeila conjux & foror femper mihi.
Tandem dolori fpiritum reddat meo,
Iramque noftram fanguine exftinguat fuo. 830
Mox tedla flammis concidant urbis meis.
Ignes, ruinas, noxium populum premant,
Turpifque egeftas, feva cum luilu fames.
Exfultat ingens feculi noftri bonis
Corrupta turba: nee capit clementiam 835
Ingrata noftram, ferre nee pacera poteft,
Sed inquieta rapitur. hinc audacia,
Hinc lemeritate feitur in prteceps fua.
Malis domanda eft, & gravi femper jugo
Premenda, ne quid fimile tentare audeat, 840
Contraque fandlos conjugis vultus meae
AttoUere oculos. fracfVa per poenas metu
Parere difcet Principis nutu fui.
Sed adeffe cemo, rara quem pietas virum
Fidefque caftris nota prsepofuit meis. 845
PRiEF. Populi furorem csde pancorum, diu
Qui reftiterunt temere, compreflum affero.
NERO. Et hoc fat eft? fic miles audifti ducem?
Compefcis? haec vindifta debetur mihi?
-pr;ef. Cecidere motus impii ferro duces. 850
NERO. Quid? ilia turba, petere quae flammis meos
Aufa eft penates, Principi legem dare,
Abftrahere noftris conjugem caram toris,
Violare, quantum licuit, incefta manu
Et voce dira, debita poena vacat? 855
pRjEF. Poenam dolor conftituet in cives tuos?
NERO. Conftituet, aetas nulla quam famae eximat.
VKMF. Quam temperet non ira, non nofter timor?
crime of the populace deserves more than that! But

she, Octavia, for whom the fury of the citizens has sub-
jected me to all this, and who has always been as a
sister and wife to me, but whom I have had every reason
to suspect, she shall at last be made to give up her life
to me as the cost of that just anger, which she has al-
ways excited in my bosom, and she shall extinguish that
anger with her blood! Very soon, the homesteads of
the citizens shall fall a prey to the conflagrations which
I will set going! Fire, utter ruin, shall weigh down this
hateful rabble, extremest privations, bitter starvation with
weeping and sorrow! The fact is a large proportion of
the citizens have been eaten up with corruption and
idleness and have grown exultant and surfeited with all
the benefits that have accrued to them during my
reign,
nor does the ungrateful rabble appreciate the clemency
they have received during my beneficent rule, nor, further,
Lines 827858] OCTAVTA, 699
can they bear the idea of things going on peaceably,

but the restless rascals must be seized with some mama
or another, and in one direction they are carried away
by sheer audacity, and in another they drift headlong
with their rashness These men must be kept under by
1
terrible punishments, and perpetually weighed down by

some oppressive yoke, lest they may have the audacity
to venture upon a repetition of those outrages at some
future time! No! they shall be made to raise their eyes
with reverential respect at the divine face of my wife,
and being crushed by the fear of my punishments, to
obey the very nod of their emperor! But I now see
coming towards me, a man, whose strict habits of discipUne
and acknowledged fidelity to my sceptre, have installed
him in his present high position in my camp.
PREF. I have to report that the fury of the populace

has at last been brought under, with the slaughter, too,
of only some few, who, for a time, resisted to the last,
urged on by their foolisli obstinacy.
NERO. And dost thou suppose,^ enough ? Is this,

is this,
too, the mode in as a soldier, hast dared to
which thou,
address thy Emperor? Thou appeasedst them indeed!
No No let this hostile little modicum of punishment
! 1
business fall to my lot!
PREF. The wicked leaders of the insurrection have

already fallen by the sword.
NERO. What that rascally rabble that dared to seek out

1
my very Palace, and consign it to the flames; in other

words, to lay down the law to their very Emperor, and
to drag away my darling wife from my lawfully instituted
marriage couch, to violate her liberty in short, as far as
was in their power, by their incestuous hands and terrify-
ing language! No! the punishment which they deserve
must be left for me to cany out.
PREF. Will thy anger determine thee to inflict still
further punishment upon thy citizens?
NERO. My anger will determine me to inflict that

punishment which no length of time will ever serve to
efface from the memory of man.
PREF. But canst thou not determine some punishment

which impose some sort of limit to thy anger, and
will
which, at the same time, would diminish our fears.
a
NERO. Iram expiabit prima quse meruit meam.

pRjEF. Quam pofcat, ede, noftra ne parcat manus. 860
NERO. Caedem fororis pofcit, & dirum caput.
pRjEF. Hon'ore viilura trepidus adftrinxit rigor.
NERO. Parere dubitas? prêf Cur meam damnas fideiii?
NERO. Quod parcis liofti. pr;ef. Femina hoc nomen capit.'
NERO. Si fcelera cepit. vrjef. Eftne, qui fontem arguat? 865
NERO. Populi furor. VRMF. Quis regere dementes, valet?
NERO. Qui concitare potuit. pr^p. Haud quemquam reor.
NERO. Mulier, dedit natura cui pronum malo
Animum, ad nocendum pe(5lus inftruxit dolis;
Sed vim negavit, ut ne inexpugnabilis 870
Effet, fed aegras frangeret vires timor,
Vel poena; quse tam fera damnatam premit,
Diu nocentem. toUe confilium, ac preces,
Et imperata perage: devecflam rate
Procul in remotum litus interim! jube, 875
Taudem ut refidat peftoris noflrl tumor.
CHORUS, OCTAVIA.
Chorus pemiciofum multis favorem populi fuifle canit. mox
dura fata mulierum domus Csefarese commemorat.
CHOR. V-/ FUNESTUS multis populi

Dirufque favor! qui, cum flatu
Vela fecundo ratis implevit,
Vexitque procul, languides idem 880
NERO. The first object that shall expiate my anger,

will be that one who deserves it the most.
PREF. Tell me whom thou wilt require for that purpose,

and do not let our hands spare them.
NERO. My anger demands the execution of my sister,

I require her odious life to be taken away.
PREF. I am trembling with horror at thy words

sudden rigor has frozen up my veins! Iam spell-bound!
NERO. Dost thou hesitate, then, to obey?
PREF. Why shouldst thou call my fidelity into question ?

NERO. Why wouldst thou appear inclined to spare an
enemy ?
PREF. Dost thou mean to say, that any woman, as far

as thou art concerned, deserves such a name as enemy?
NERO. Not if she has lent herself to acts of crime?
PREF. Is there any one who can prove Octavia to be

guilty of that?
NERO. This fury of the populace amply proves it to me.

PREF. Who is able, to exercise any influence over a
lot of madmen ?
NERO. Octavia, who was the means of exciting them
on to those crimes.
PREF. I cannot suppose any woman to be capable of

such a thing!
NERO. A woman,
in whom
nature has implanted the
disposition, to do evil, and which has endowed her
prone
mind with all the instincts of crime and treachery, but
yet that nature has withheld from her the requisite
power, so that she should not in short be so impregn-
able, but that fear might have some chance of breaking
down her feeble powers for mischief, or the punishment
itself, which, although late in the day, threatens to be
visited upon her, now that she is finally condemned, but
this only, after having been an offender for so long!
Therefore, abstain from offering me
any more sugges-
tions, or advancing any more intercessions, and see and
carry out my
orders to the very letter; give orders that
Octavia be carried away, in some craft or other, to a
remote spot, to some far-off shore, that, at last, the surging
wrath in my
breast may be allowed to cool down!
CHORUS-OCTAVIA.
The Chorus regarding popular favor, which has
sings
been destructive to so many, and after that, brings
into notice, the hard fates which have befallen the
Csesarean Dynasty.
CHORUS.
OH 1 that favor
from the people
and enthusiastic preference emanating,
What a source of trouble, and
!
misery it has proved to so many! It is like the

craft, which has filled its sails under a favorable wind, and
has carried thee far away from the shore, but which same
Deferit alto faevoque mari.

Flevit Gracchos miferanda parens,
Perdidit Ingens quos plebis amor,
Nimiufque favor, genere illuftres,
Pietate, fide, lingua claros, 885
Peftore fortes, legibus acres.
Te quoque, Llvi, fimill leto
Fortuna dedit; quem neque fafces
Texere fui, nee tedla domus.
Plura referre prohibet praefens 890
Exempla dolor, modo cui patriam
Reddere cives, aulatn, & fratris
Voluere toros; nunc ad poenam
Letumque trahi, ftentem, miferam
Cemere poffunt. Bene paupertas 895
Humili tetSo contenta latet.
Quatiunt altas faepe procellae,
Aut evertit Fortuna domos.
OCT. Quo me trahitis? quodve tyrannus
Aut exfilium vegina jubet? 900
Si mihi vitam frafta remittit
Tot jam noftris evidla mails;
Si caede mea cumulare parat
Lu(lus noftros; invidet etiam
Cur in patria mihi fseva mori? 905
Sed jam fpes eft nulla falutis,
Fratris cemo miferanda ratem.
Hffic eft, cujus vefta carina
Quondam genitrix, nunc & thalamis
Expulfa foror miferanda vehar. 910
Nullum Pietas nunc numen habet.
Nee funt Superi. regnat mundo
Triftis Erinnys.
Quis mea digne deflere poteft
Mala? quae lacrimis noftris queftus 915
Reddet Aedon? cujus pennas
Utinam miferse mihi Fata darent?
Fugerem lu(Sus ablata meos
Penna volucri, procul & coetus
Hominum trifles, caedemque feram. 920
Sola in vacuo nemore, & tenui
Ramo pendens, querulo poifem
Gutture moeftum fundere murmur.
CHOR. Regitur fatis mortale genus;
Nee fibi quidquam fpondere poteft 925
wind, when a dead calm presents leaves thee

itself,
helpless in the cruel ocean depths! A
miserable parent,
aforetime bewailed the loss of the Gracchi (Cornelia)
whom intense popular regard, and excessive appreciation
by the public, were the means of leading to their ultimate
Lines 881925] OCTAVIA. 703
ruin, men, too, of such illustrious descent, and acknowledg-

ed piety, fidelity, distinguished eloquence, moral courage,
and of unflinchmg severity, in their administration of just
laws; and thee also Livius, fortune gave up to a similar
end, whom neither thy magisterial dignity, nor the roof
of thy very homestead, served as a protection against
death! We could adduce many more striking examples,
if our griefs did not prevent us it was only quite lately,
Octavia, that citizens were up in arms, and were most
desirous of restoring to thee thy country thy palace,
and to exact from thy brother thy conjugal rights, but
now, forsooth, they can calmly look on and see thee

weeping and in misery dragged away to meet thy doom I
Poverty, in a state of happy contentment, lies hidden

under the humble roof, but the storms of fate shake the
lofty palaces, or capricious fortune overthrows them
altogether!
OCT. Where art thou conducting me? What has that

tyrant Nero ordered now? or what exile has his Queen
Poppsea appointed for me ? or is it that she is melted by
compassion at the troubles I have suffered, and my being
so utterly cast down by such an array of misfortunes?
If Nero is preparing to accumulate my sorrows, by my
slaughter, as a climax to my sufferings, why does he
even grudge me the privilege of dying in my own
paternal soil, although my country has been the arena
of so much cruelty towards me? But now there is no

apparent hope of my ultimate safety I perceive already
in my misery the craft which bore away my brother!
Ah! that is the craft, too, in which his mother was once
carried off, and now, as an unfortunate wretch, banished
from the marriage bed, I shall be carried away by the
same conveyance. Piety has no tutelar deity now, and
the Gods above, alas! are nowhere to be found! It is
that cruel Erinnys, who can now cause me to weep
adequately for the evils I have gone through! What
Thracian nightingale will ever send forth its plaintive
notes equal to mine? I only wish the Fates would give
to me, in misery, a pair of wings would I not cleave the
I
air with my rapid wings spread out, and fly far, far away
from all my present troubles, and remote from the busy
haunts of man, and the hotbed of cruel slaughter, and
alone in the desert grove, perched on some delicate
twig, should I then be able to warble my tristful strains
from my sorrowing throat!
CHO. The race of mortals is governed by the inexor-

able Fates! Nor does any thing sublunary answer the
704 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. ^Lines 9.6-971
Firmum & ftabile:

Per quae cafus volvit vainos
Semper nobis metuenda dies.
Animum firmeat exempla tuuni
Jam multa, domus 930
QuiE veftra tulit. quid faevior eft
Fortuna tibi? tu mihl primum
Tot natorum memoranda parens,
Nata AgrippjE, nurus August!,
Cffifaris uxor, cujus nomen 935
Clarum toto fulfit in orbe;
Utero toties enixa gravi
Pignora pacis; mox exfilium,
Verbera, fsevas pafla catenas,
Funera, ludlus, tandem letum, 940
Cruciata diu. Felix thalamis
Livia Drufi, natifque, ferum
Ruit in facinus, poenamque fuam.
Julia malris fata fecuta eft:
Poft longa tamen tempora ferro 945
Casfa eft, quamvis crimine nuUo.
Quid non potuit quondam genitrix
Tua, quEB rexit Principis aulam,
Cara marito, partuque potens?
Eadem famulo ftibjedla fuo, 950
Cecidit diri militis enfe
Quid, cui licuit regnum in coelum
Sperare, parens tanta Neronis.'
Non funefta violata manu
Remigis ante, 955
Mox & ferro lacerata diu,
Saevi jacuit vidlima nati?
OCT. Me quoque trifles mittet ad umbras
Ferus & manes, ecce, tyrannus.
Quid jam fruftra miferanda moror? 960
Rapite ad letum, quels jus in nos
Fortuna dedit. teflor Superos.
Quid agis, demens? parce precari.
Quels invifa es, numina Divum.
Tartara leftor, Erebique Deas
965
Scelerum ultrices, & te, genitor
Diguum tali morte & poena:
Non invifa eft mors ifta mihi.
Armate ratem, dale vela fretis,
Ventifque petat puppis re(tor
970
Pandatariae litora terrae.
expectations of any one as regards stableness or dura-

Dilityi and the coming day is always to be dreaded;
.
whilst it invariably brinK round in its train, such a variety

of events! Surely thy Cassarean dynasty has undergone
many troubles! What! Is fortune more cruel to thee,
Lines 926971] OCTAVIA. 70S
than it has been to many others before thee? We will

mention thee, first of all, oh! thou the daughter of Agrippa,
the unhappy parent of so many sons, the daughter-in-law
of an Augustus, the wife of a Caesar, whose name shone
so gloriously over the whole world, thou, that broughtest
forth, from thy gravid uterus, so many pledges of peace
to the universe! a double pledge, first, of love to
a hus-
band, secondly, a guarantee of unbroken succession to the
imperial throne; by and bye, exile, stripes, undergoing
the indignity of being fettered by chains, and being thus
tormented for a long time, the once felicitously married
Livia, the wife of Drusus, happy too, with the possession
of her sons, rushed on to the commission of a terrible
crime, and its subsequent punishment Julia, her daughter,
1
followed the fate of her mother; after a long time, how-

ever, she met her death by the sword, although for no
crime, of her own! What could not thy own mother,
Messalina, do who filled the palace of the Emperor, so
dear to that husband too, and so proud and elated with
her progeny; yet this same woman, having submitted to
the unlawful advances of an underling (the marriage with
Silius), fell by the sword of a savage soldier What about 1
Agrippina, too, such an illustrious parent of thy own

Nero, who, with justice, and every show of reason, could
have aspired to a place in the heavens, to absolute Apo-
theosis, as Divus did! was she not, however, outraged by
the terrible hands of the Tyrrhenian boatmen, before she
was seen to be hacked about by the sword, for a con-
siderable time, and eventually succumbed, as the victim
of a cruel son !
OCT. Behold that cruel tyrant will send me likewise

to the tristful shades, and the manes in !misery Why my
am I detained on earth to no purpose? Let me be
seized upon for one of death's victims, by those to whose
power my
bitter lot has surrendered me I call the gods !
above to witness! But what am I now talking about in

my madness ? Let me spare myself the mockery of in-
voking the good will of the deities to whom, for some
cause or other, I have evidently been an object of hatred 1
I therefore call the of Hell to witness, and the

deities
goddesses of Erebus, who are the avengers of crime, and
thee, even, oh my father, who really wert worthy of such
!
a death, and punishment, as I am now about to suffer

from that death, however, is by no means unacceptable
or hateful to me Get the craft in readiness, unfurl the
sails, and commit her to the waves, and let the com-
mander of that craft steer for the coast of Pandataria
with a flowing breeze!
4S
!
7o6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 97^-98=
CHOR. Lenes aurse, Zephyiique leves,

Te(5lam quondam nube setherea
Qui vexiftis raptam faevse
Virginis aris Iphigeniam, 975
Hanc quoque trifti procul a pcena
Portate, precor, templa ad Triviae.
Urbe eft noftra mitior Aulis,
Et Taurorum barbara tellus.
Hofpitis illic csede litatur 980
Numen Superum: civis gaudet
Roma cruore.
CHO. Oh! for the gentle breezes. Oh! for the light
and balmy Zephyrs, which caught thee up, and wafted
thee away, Ipnigenia, surrounded, by an ethereal cloud,
far from the altars of the cruel goddess (Diana), Oh! ye
kind breezes, convey away this victim, Octavia, far away,
from any cruel punishment, I pray, to the temples of
Trivia, even (Diana) Aulis itself, is a less cruel place than
thy city of Rome, and so is the land of the Tauri, for
there it is they sacrifice the blood of any strangers who
approach their shores, to appease the anger of the god-
dess whom they worship! But Rome is very different,
she rejoices only in the slaughter of her own citizens

NOTES.
HERCULES FURENS.
Line
6.
Arctos Alta. Callisto, the daughter of Ljcason was de-
bauched by Jupiter and changed by Juno into a. Bear; she
was afterwards placed in the heavens with her son Areas,
the one was called Helice, and the other the Cynosure.
9. Vector.
Jupiter disguised as a Bull, carried Europa across
the sea to Crete
Taurus was the second sign of.the Zodiac,
and which the poets feign to have been the Bull, which
conveyed him, and which was subsequently placed by Jupi-
ter amongst the constellations.
11.
Atlantides. The seven Pleiades between Taurus and the
tail of Aries, and were the daughters of Atlas by Plei'one,
of which three were debauched by Jupiter, Maia, Electra
and Taygetes, they were very dangerous to navigators.
12. Orion. Born from the combined urines of Jupiter, Neptune
and Mercury ab urinS. Ovid says ;
"Perdidit antiquum littera prima sonum"

"The first letter has lost its ancient sound." As the con-
stellation appears on the glh March, and sets on the 21st
June, it was generally accompanied at its rising by great
rains and storms.
Another definition is;
"Quod zelotypam deam male urit"
"Because he sadly vexed the jealous Goddess Diana.'' But
the terrifying character of Orion, was that the neighbour-
ing constellations were scared by the severe atmospheric
disturbances, with which he heralded his approach.
13.
Stellas aureus. Sprung from Danae, upon whom Jupiter
descended, as a golden shower. Perseus, as the result of
this embrace has in his constellatory retinue, twenty-six
"golden" stars.
14. ClaraTyndarid^.Bright stars, Castor and Pollux, twin

brothersand sons of Jupiter by Leda, wife of Tyndarus,
whom he approached as a "Swan."
16. QuiBUSQUE NATIS. Latona, although made a deity, is no-
where mentioned as a constellation, so that Juno, in enum-
erating the various constellations, reminding her of Jupiter's
infidelities, casts her eyes earthwards, and quotes Delos, as

one of the refreshing mementoes the rendering, therefore,
which I have given, I think, fully elucidates this line.
45*
7o8 NOTES.
Line
i8. PUELL/E Gnossiac^.
^Juno was at the boiling-point of in-
dignation at the wholesale amours of Jupiter, and I have
used the word "wench" as applied to Ariadne, in order
to point out her utter contemptuosity towards that person-
age, as the term " wench " in our own language is gener-
ally used in a sense of disrespect.
zo. NURIBUS.
As a rule does not signify step-daughters, but
daughters-in-law, but here, Nuribus means simply, any woman,
maid or matron, who through Jupiter's amours, are con-
vertible into step-daughters.
26. Mersum OCEANO JUBAr. The sun was ordered not to shine
upon the earth, for one entire day, practically involving
three successive nights.
38. BiNOS TINGIT ^THIOPAS. Understand by "binos" the two

black races, the African and the Asiatic, amongst the An-
cients, the term ^thiopic was applied to any of the black
races, and not confined to Ethiopia proper, or as it is now
called Abyssinia; those races, therefore, found anywhere
from the Coromandel Coast of the Indian Continent, to the
parallel of Hesperia, or West Coast of Africa, were thus
designated. Then with regard to the word " propinqua," as
necessarily indicating the increasing propinquity of the sun,
as the power of the solar rays became more intensified
Seneca here falls into an error, as it is, because the sun's
rays are less oblique in tropical latitudes, the sun losing its
vertical character, in latitudes beyond 234 North and South,
at which point between that and the Equator they exert
their maximum calorific power, for in point of fact, the
sun is at a greater distance under such conditions there-
fore "propinqua" is here misused by the Poet; the terms
" apogee " and " perigee " are used by the moderns, to
denote the earth's distance from the sun.
43. Tyranni. Eurystheus, "tyrannus" originally meant King, and
is usually employed in this sense by the older writers.
48. Opima. The number, 3, is a multiple, closely observed by
nature, hence its general application
it is curiously noticeable
in the operations and stages of diseased activities, and in
the periods of utero-gestation from the human race down-

wards we have it observed as regards the three brothers
Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto, presiding over the three King-
doms of nature, the Heavens, the Sea and the Earth the
"three" is observed in the three-forked lightning, the three-
pronged trident, and the three-headed Cerberus as regards
the foregoing three Deities thus we have the "three"

Graces, the "three" Furies the "three" Fates the nine

Muses the Trinity of Scriptural writers, the Trinity of the
Hindoo, Brahma, Vishna and Seva; this rule applies also
to the blending of liquors, culinary concoctions and so
forth, chymical combinations three bodies or elements will

combine freely and it is the addition of the third body
NOTES. 709
Lin
or substance which so materially alters, disguises or transforms
so effectually the other "two" Opima because Cerberus
was the representative of his especial prerogative.
49. F.EDUS Umbrarum. This refers to the league which had been
entered into by the three brothers, Jupiter, Neptune and
Pluto, but was infringed when Hercules forced the entrance
of Hell, and returned to the Earth above.
67. E
VACUO. The rest of the Gods being drawn from heaven.
80. SicULi.Liberate the giant Enceladus, who was struck by
lightning, and kept down by the weight of JEtna. pressing
upon him, and who, when he moved his weary side, shook
Trinacria, with a terrific rumbling.
83. Luna. The ancients believed that the Nemaean lion had fallen
from the moon, and that, of course, other wild beasts were
still there; moreover, they thought that the moon was in
all respects like our own earth hence, concipit feras?
98. Errorque Furor. Both these terms refer to the mental

condition the former especially denoting hallucinations, or
what we might call " Amentia ", or a wandering purposeless
condition, but not unconnected occasionally with the suicidal
element; whilst the latter represents the advanced forms of
mental alienation, downright uncontrollable madness destruc-
tive to the lives of the objects themselves, as well as
dangerous to others, and this was what Juno is supposed
to have had in her mind, with which to visit upon Hercules
and which, indeed, she carried into effect
100. Famuli. The Furies, the avenging Goddesses.
134. Cadmeis inclita Bacchis. The poet here alludes to Mount

CithseroQ, in Bseotia, sacred to Bacchus; the Bacchanals
celebrated their revels there, and it was on this mountain,
that Pentheus was torn in pieces by Agave.
173. JURGIA VENDENS IMPROBUS.

I have been rather lavish, per-
haps, in my delineation of the character alluded to by the
Poet, as "improbus". Of course I have travelled much
beyond the "ipsissima verba" of the Text, but to my mind
it only serves to fully exemplify the style of man who
existed in those days, as portrayed by Seneca, and as to
whose characteristics the Poet appears to have been fully
alive.
226. Stabula
BlSTONlI. Diomedes, King of Thrace, fed his
horses on the flesh and blood of strangers, who visited
his dominions. Hercules punished him for his cruelty, and
gave him, in turn, to his own horses, to be devoured.
The Thracians are likewise called Bistonians, from Bisto-
nicus, the son of Mars and Calirrhoe.
228. Erymanthus. A
mountainous forest of Arcadia, on the
confines of Elis and Arcadia; 'twas here that Hercules
slew the famous Eiymanthian bear.

710 NOTES.
Line
22g. M^NALIUM. The wild boar of Msenalus, which laid waste,
llie country of Arcadia; Hercules brought it alive, to
Eurystheus.
230. Taurumque.
The Cretan Bull, the terror of a hundred

peoples Neptune caused this Bull to be so furious, as he
was deceived by Minos, who gave it to him instead of
the one he had originally admired so much. Hercules
took this, also, alive to Eurystheus.
239. Nemoris
Opulenti. Hercules killed the Dragon which
guarded the garden of the Hesperides, and gave to Eurys-
theus all the golden apples he found there.
244.
Petiit ab ipsis nubibus. Stymphalides. They were named,
"Martis Alumnffi aves," inasmuch as they furnished a very
hard kind of steel from theiv beaks and claws, as well as
from their feathers which were tipped with that metal,
which Mars used for his weapons, instead of arrows They
gave forth abominable stercoraceous odors from their bodies;
and the tips of their wings, when brought to bear against
the objects of attack, operated like swiftly-shot arrows.
They preyed upon human beings and the lower
alike
animals. They fairly darkened the sky when in flight near
tlie earth, and the natives, reminded of what Phineus had
suffered from the Harpies, freely used their spears and
shields in order to scare them away, by the clangorous
din they set up.
"Ex monitu Phinei, clypeos et hastas sumpserunt et
more curetum (Corybantice) sonitu eas abegerunt,"
Hercules destroyed them effectually.
248,
Stabuli. The stables of Augias, containing three thousand
heads of cattle, and which had not been cleaned out for
thirty years: they were a source of disease to the country
around, from their stench and poisonous exhalations.
Hercules cleaned them out in one day, and caused the
river, the flow of which had been interrupted by this vast
accumulation of filth, to resume its ancient course.
261.
JuvENTUS Orta. Cadmus having killed the Dragon, an
armed waiTior sprang up from each tooth of that monster
these men, directly they were born, fell to fighting most
furiously with each other, till only five of them were left.
These survivors of such unique warfare afterwards became
the companions of Cadmus, and assisted him in the building
of Thebes.
262. CujusQUE MuROS.

Amphion, son of Jupiter and Antiope,
at the building of Thebes, who so enchanted the very
stones with his melodious strains, that they all rose of
their own accord, and took up the places assigned to them,

without any manual interference Mercury gave Amphion
his lyre. This skill is mentioned by Virgil. Eclogue 2,
verse 24, as also by Ovid.
;
NOTES. 711
Line
391. MoESTUS. Niobe had been changed into a rock, and from
which, the poets feigned, tears still continued to flow.
398. Alcides pati. The cardinal duty, to obey Kings, as Her-

cules' was, in carrying out the orders of Euiystheus.
457. FULMINE EJECTUS PUER.Juno, in order to avenge her

jealousy of Semele, caused her not to be satisfied till she
had seen Jupiter in all his celestial radiance; she was then
pregnant with Bacchus. Jupiter tried in vain to dissuade

her from this desire and as she appeared before him on
his heavenly throne, she was consumed by ligthing- Jupitei-,
however, preserved the child in his thigh, where he finished
the period which should have been passed in his mother's
womb, which was regarded by the ancients, according to
Aulus Gellius and other writers, to have been ten months,
and from the fact of Bacchus having emerged from two

places or doors namely, his mother's womb and Jupiter's
thigh, he was surnamed amongst other cognomens, Dithy-
rambus, and the canticles sung in his honor were called
Dithyrambs.
477.
EURYTUS. The father of lole and King of CEchalia; he was
killed and his country devastated by Hercules, who captured
his daughter. When Hercules died on Mount CEta he gave
lole in marriage to his son Hyllus see "Hercules CEtseus".
587. Spartani JANUA TjENARI. This was a promontoiy of Laconia,
and feigned by the Poets to have been the entrance to the
infernal regions.
643. Lentum est, dabit, DAT, DEDIT.
This is simply an allusion
to the rapidity, with which Hercules always carried out
his intentions "no sooner thought of than done." The
re-iteration of a verb in certain expressions, is noticeable
in "Vale, V.ileas, Valebis" and "Valeas, Valeat, Valeam."
678. Gradumqde retro. "Hoc opus, hie labor est " (Virgil) the
identical words occur in one of the verses of Ovid; it
would therefore seem to have been a colloquialism with
the Latins, and the equivalent vernacular for our "Ah!
that's the rub."
758. Errant furentes. The three daughters, Ino, Agave and

Antonoe, the latter of whon was the mother of Actson:
Ino had one of her sons, Learchus, slain by her husband
Athamas, and wilh the other, Melicerta, leaped into the
sea and was afterwards worshipped as a Goddess. Pentheus
was the son of Agave by Echion, and was torn to pieces
by his mother, during one of her fits of Bacchanal delirium.
759.
AviDA. These were the Harpies, the daughters of Pontus
and Terra, thus they lived partly on the sea and partly on
the land they had the faces of Virgins and the bodies of
:
obscene birds. Hesiod calls themÎris Aello and Ocypeta

Virgil calls them, Furias and Diras. To the lively imagin-
ation of the Greeks, they were something like demons

urging on the fury of the storm and then were named

712 NOTES.
"Ocypeta" rapid; "Aello" a storm, and "Celeno,"

obscurity.
776. SxiccUBUlT UNl.ÂUuding to the weight of Hercules ; when he

stepped on board the craft of Charon to be conveyed
across the Styx, Charon looked aghast. Virgil says the same
thing about ^neas when similarly crossing that river:
"gemuit sub pondere cymba
"Sutilis et multam accepit rimosa paludem."
915. CoNDlTORES Urbis.

Cadmus and his followers. Cadmus was
the son of Agenor, and brother of Europa, in search of
whom he was sent by his father.
916. Trdcis Zethi.
Zethus was brother to Amphion, and whilst
the latter amused himself with his musical studies, Zethus
betook himself to the woods and hunted wild animals
Seneca thus gives him the prasnomen of Trux.
979, ClTH^RON.
A mountain of Bsotia, constantly alluded to in
these tragedies; the most notable occurrence connected
with it, is that of the son of Laius being taken thither
soon after he was bom, and exposed with his feet trans-
fixed with a skewer, which treatment caused that condition
of the feet, which obtained for him the name of OEdipus,
from the Greek words, ITOTZ and OIAEil "foot" and
"to swell". The Oracle had warned Laius that he would
be slain by a son.
THYESTES.
140. Myrxilus. jEnomaus was told by the Oracle that he
who obtained his daughter Hippodamia in marriage would
kill him
he therefore resolved she should not marry but ;
at length being prevailed upon, he declared that no one

should have her unless he could be outsti'ipped in a
chariot-race with the suitor; accordingly, Pelops became
a suitor, and induced Myrtilus to tamper with the axles,
detaching them in some way, prior to the race, so that
the chariot would break down and secure the victory for
Pel'ops
^nomaus felt the fullest confidence in himself as
a charioteer. This was brought about, under promises from
Pelops, which he never intended to carry out, one of which
was that he shai'e sexual favors from Hippodamia. Pelops
did not approve of this novel kind of partnership, and when
Myrtilus demanded that the promise should be ratified, in-
stead of complying with such a request, threw him unto
the sea, which received its new name from that cir-
cumstance.
142. Vectus. The word ''Vectus" is used here quite in a figur-
ative sense asnot to be supposed that Myrtilus was
it is
carried in any way, but only that as .(Enomaus was de-
ceived by Myrtilus, so Myrtilus was deceived by Pelops,
as to the kind of death which was prepared for him, in
lieu of what had been promised him by Pelops.
NOTES. 713
Line
274. Sed occupatum. Atreus hints that he was not the first,
who had done what he had in view, and would prefer,
if possible, some novel crime. Philomela, for example.
296. Natis. Agamemnon and Menelaus.
345- Tyri^.From Tyre, in Phoenicia, where the fish yielding
the celebrated purple dyes chiefly abounds.
357.
Fervens. Allusion is here made to the increase of temper-
ature produced by the continuous treading of the oxen,
which were used in those days for threshing out the com.
379. Seres. A often quoted by Seneca, who lived in
people
some country, and gathered the materials, which
far-off
were worked into the finest fabrics, from the trees,
possibly from the silk-worm, hence tlie Latin word for
silk "Sericum". Could this far-off country have been
China?
386. Machinis. These were used for hurling great stones, for
the purpose of breaking down the walls of a city a kind
of battering-ram.
579. SCYLLA. A rock in the Sicilian Straits, which on account
of the waves beating against it, gave forth a sound, which
resembled the barking of dogs, hence the fable of Scylla
being turned into a sea monster, and always surrounded

by a pack of dogs "canibus pube tenus succincta."
582. Ferus Cyclops. Polyphemus fears lest his father, Neptune,
should at any time extinguish the fires of ^tna.
730. Gemina. Tantalus and Plisthenes.
810. From Phlegra, a valley of Thessaly, where the
PHLEGR.ffi;os.
giants fought with the Gods.
841. CURVO. The oblique track of the Zodiac.
864. .(Egoceros or Capricorn, which deserved some trifling recog-
nition fron Heaven, as Pan, from his curious face and ugly
figure, once frightened the giants.
99 r. Desertus. Deserted by the Sun, the moon and the stars.

1006.
SusTiNES. Seneca, here, personifies the "Earth", as he
does elsewhere "Fire" and the "Sea" a very consum-

mation of poetic license he uses this prosopopaeia very
frequently and with great effect.
1049.
Heniochus. Many writers believe there was once a people
by this name, in Asia, noted for the ferocity of their customs.
1089. Trifclco.
Lightning, which splits up and burns every
thing with its subtle fire.
PHCENISSiE.
14.
JACUIT AcT.(EON. ActaeoD, for having surprised Diana,
whilst she was bathing, was turned into a stag and torn to
pieces by his own dogs.

714 NOTES.
Line
17. SoRORES Mater.
Agave, with her two sisters Ino and
Antonoe, killed Pentheus, when under the influence of the
Bacchanal fury. Agave fancied that Pentheus was a calf.
18. ViBRANTE. They carried the head of Pentheus, at the end
of a spear, bound round with vine leaves.
47. MoRTEMQUE. Metaphorically, from the gladiators.
70.

Tellus. " Terra " is usually applied to the Earth's surface'
from ''tero" to rub, as substances rub in contact with it
"tellus" is applied to the interior and undisturbed portion
of the earth.
<jl.
Rapax. Proper term for a ton-ent; Lucretius and Virgil call
them "rapacious rivers". Festus says, it signifies a river
lashed into motion by sudden downfalls of rain.
128. Spartenque fratre nobilem. Castor and Pollux.
153.
MiLLE. On all sides, a thousand ways of escaping from
life
many, short, easy starvation, beating your head
against a wall, holding your breath Martial alludes to
the kinds of death, in his epigram ^'De Bruti Portia"
Lib.: L Epig.: 43.
237. Virtus. My courage, which was described by the ancients,
as " sola virtus "
ut virtus, a viro, since tlie noble courage-
ous spirit resided in the male as opposed to the milder
characteristics of the female.
248. Nox OCCUPAVIT. Sometimes, "nex" but

"nox" it is the same
in effect "night" as opposed
is "lux"to light,
and therefore "lux" is "life" and "nox" "death"-
326.
Septena Muros. The seven Kings were, Adrastus, Tydeus,
Polynices, Hippomedon, Amphiaraus, Parthenopseus. Cap-
aneus.
339. NOBILITAS. Can be applied either for a good or bad
cause here, refers the
it to latter.
471. Vinculo.Head-pieces or Helmets.

503. Regis. Adrastus.
549. Et Thesis. To which country, no crime whatever a is
novel occurrence.
604. Pactolus. A Lydia, carrying along in
river in flowing its
course, golden sands.
608. Gargara. The top of mount Ida, remarkable for its fertility,
its com productiveness.
The remainder (and the greater pari: of this fine tragedy)
is lost.
HIPPOLYTUS.
65.
Feri cornibus uri. This race of animals with huge horns
and gi-eat size, appears to be extinct this must have
resulted from the untiring pei-severauce of the hunting
princes, always bent on the chace.
NOTES. 71S
Line
227. ExpERTA S^VAM EST. Theseus, in a fit of anger slew
Antiope, otherwise named Hippolyte Hippolyte was
presented to him by Hercules.
322. LuTEO PLANTAS.Latin Authors agree as to the color,
yellow or orange, having been that chosen for the dresses
and appendages of a newly-created bride.
401. Tanaitis aut môtis. These designations point to the
Amazons, who dwelt in those vicinities they made their
incursions into Attica, and were conquered by Hercules.
419.
CORNIBUS. The homed heifer was held sacred to the moon;
by the Egyptians, says Eusebius.
760. Phmdrje quem Bromio. Ariadne had been jilted by
Theseus, and left on the island of Naxos, but was after-
wards married to Bacchus, and promoted to the Stars.
1022. NUMEN Epidaurii DEI. This alludes to the temple erected
to the honor and worship of yEsculapius, the father of
physic. It is asserted that his two sons Machaon and
Podalirius went to the Trojan War, and therefore the
date of the latter must be the same as that in which
.(Esculapius flourished.
1049. PISTRIX. A marine monster of such an enormous size,
that it swallowed ships entirely, and then vomited them
up again spoken of by Pliny.
1 169. Membra quis
servus. To render her reproaches more
stinging to Theseus, she quotes the robbers and the
monsters he had killed (the Minotaur).
CEDIPUS.
36.
Fecimus Ccelum nocens. The plague has been described
by various authors in the CEdipuS of .Sophocles Thucy-
dides Lib. IL, Lucretius Lib. V., Virgil Georgic, III.
92. Nec sphinga. This monster, with ihe face of a virgin, wings
lil<e body of a dog, and claws like a lion,
a bird, the
was found near Thebes, and destroyed everyone who
could not explain the enigmas she proposed for solution.
117. Cinnami SILVIS.
Arabia Felix, where all the perfumes were
obtained.
Iig. Terga fallacis. The flight of the Parthians was always
dreaded, because it was then they made their aims more
certain.
282.
BiMARIs SiSYPHi terras. -Sisyphus founded on this isthmus
a city which received in succession the names of Corcyra,
Epirus and lastly Corinth.
432.
Bassaridum. The Bassarides were priests of Bacchus.
445. Matertera. Ino, sister of Semele, and therefore aunt to
Bacchus.
485. Ophianaque caEDE. This term refers to the Thebans killed
on Mount Cithaeron during the orgies
from Ophion,

7i6 NOTES.
Line
sprung from the serpent's teeth and who was one of
those, that accompanied Cadmus to Thebes.
500. Geminus Cupido.
This epithet applies to the two forms
of what is called Love, Eros and Anteros the one a
holy feeling sanctified by good principles the other, a
gross animal, lustful passion.

557. Atr Boves. Black animals were selected for sacrifices
connected with things infernal, and white ones, when
the gods above were concerned.
728. Chaonias. This
term does not designate any particular
variety of Oak, but simply refers to those growing in
Chaonia.
824. Famuli. Shepherdsherdsmen of the flocks.
859. LuE. Decomposition.
930. SCELERUM. The crimes of Agave and the other Bacchanals.
1000. Atra. As seems black
all the blind, black being the
to
absence of all colors.
TROADES.
7.
CcELlTUM EGREGIOS LABOR. The walls of Troy, according
to the story, were built by Neptune and Apollo.
12.
Qvx: VAGOS vicina. The poet here alludes to the Amazons,
and their queen Penthesilea.
17.
AsSARACl DOMUS. Assaracus, King of the Trojans, was son
of Hus, who built the citadel called Hium.
38.
Ithaci comes. This companion of Ulysses was Diomedes,
with whom he went in the night to steal the horses of
Rhesus.
70.
Graias hospes Amvclas. Amyclse, a city of Laconia
there was one of the same name in Campania.
134. Nil Troja semel.
Troy was taken twice during the life

of Priam once whilst Laomedon reigned, and the second
lime, when Priam was King.
224. Causa litis regibus.
The captiure, of Chrysa, was in its
consequences the cause of the quarrel between Achilles
and Agamemnon.
519.
Cephallenum. The Cephallenians were inhabitants of an
island in the Ionian sea, having followed Ulysses to the
siege of Troy.
535. Dicebat Hector.
Not that Hector did literally say this
or that, but that it was implied by his acts, by his prestige,
as we say, a thing speaks for itself, when it was obvious
or self-apparent.
665. Qu^
VENDIDISTIS. The Greeks being Masters of the plains
surrounding Troy, Priam was compelled to buy the spot
on which to erect the tomb for his son Hector.
NOTES. .
717
Line
820. loLCHOs.
lolchos was the land of Jason, who attempted the
first "sea" expedition, that of the Argonauts.
830. Regnum Prothoi.Prothous reigned in the country which
overlooked Pelion, one of the three mountains which the
giants piled up when they invaded heaven,
848. TiTARESSOS. A river of Thessaly, whose waters were so oily

that they would not mix with those of Peneus.
loio. DtJLCE LAMENTIS.
Lucretius, Lib. II., Lin. I., says, it is a
pleasing consolation to behold from the land the great
exertions made by another, who is struggling with the
waves rendered violent by the storm; not that it is an
object of pleasure in itself, to witness the sufferings of
another, but a source of comfort that we are not in a
similar plight ourselves.
The chorus here, are thankful
that others are in sympathy with their calamities.
"Suave mari magno turbantibus sequora ventis
E terra magnum alterius spectare laborem,
Non quia vexari est quemquam jucunda voluplas
Sed quibus ipse malis careas, quia cernere suave est."
1069. Una magna turris. This was likely the tower from which
Helen pointed out to Priam the principal leaders of the
Grecian Army.
MEDEA.
I.
Dii CONJUGALES. The deities here invoked, as presiding
over conjugalities were, Jupiter, Juno and Pitho amongst
the Greeks,
Suada, Diana or Lucina and Venus amongst
the Romans.
60. Taurus tergore candido.
Tergus is here used for the
color of the hair
on the hide. They always sacrificed a
white one to Jupiter, and one whose neck had never been
bent to the yoke.
87.
ViRGlNIS ASPERSE. Diana, the chaste goddess, who amused
herself with following the rough pursuits of the forests.
130. Inclytum regni decus. Here is meant the celebrated gold-

en fleece.
231. .Satiqde BoREyE. Calais and Zetes, sons of Boreas, and

the nymph Orithyas.
634.
Aquilone. Used to signify Boreas, also used to signify
the North Wind.
652. Idmon.
The son of Apollo and a very learned augur, who
died from the bite of a serpent.
698. Ophiuchus. A constellation composed of 17 Stai-s, but the

serpent, immediately above Scorpion is accredited with 23.
It is likewise called, " Anguitenens ", "Anguifer" and
"Serpentaria" by Cicero see Manilius Lib. I., V. 331.
7i8 NOTES.
Line
Medea in the fulness of her object to revenge heiself
upon Jason, leaves no stone (serpent) unturned to bring
it about. .She wishes to include the heavens as well as
the eai-th, in massing every thing of a poisonous or dele-
terious nature.
726. B.CTIS. A river of Spain, now called the Guadalquivir.
730.
Seges. -This word is used by Medea to accentuate the ina-
portaoce of a certain plant which had been nicked by
some magician's nail, and she fortliwith pronounces it as
a regular harvest in itself, as a veritable god-send.
781. Reliquit istas.
Zetes and Calais, in return for the kind-
ness thus received from Phineus, delivered him from the
Harpies.
785. of/, ai/. This

is a Greek exclamation and is used to denote,
that the lugubrious sound which she hears is from the
Infernal Deities, and is recognised by her, and she simply
ejaculates her acknowledgment by oil, ", which is tanta-
mount to our English, " Hie ! Surely that is some signifi-
cant sound, I heard.'
795. DiCTYNNA. One

of the names of Diana, derived from the
Greek, a net in her capacity of huntress, the
SikKvov,
Goddess used nets to ensnare the wild animals.
796. .(Era Corinthi.
It is to be inferred from the recorded ex-
ceptional sonorousness of the cymbals, bells and basins
cast at Corinth that they owed this property to some judi-
cious combination of various metals. Delrius thinks that
gold was one of the constituents. This may have been
the case and must have augmented their value, but this
metal surely could not have enhanced the quality of the
sound; on the other hand, silver can easily be supposed
to have added to their enchantingness of tone ne scilicet
Luna incantatione audita ccelo delraheretur.
814. Persei. Perseis is another name for Diana.
1022. Sic FUGERE SOLEO. In
from Colchis Medea slew her
flying
brother, in flying from Thessaly, Pelias from Thebes,
Creon, Creusa and her two children.
AGAMEMNON.
6. Im6 fraternos lares. Calls to the memory of Thyestes,
the repast given to him by Atreus.
30. Gnat^
infandos. Thyestes, after the treachery of his
brother, consults the oracle, which advises him to marry
his own daughter Pelopeia, and that a son by her, .^gis-
thus, would be the means of carrying out his revenge.
133. MiXTUS DOLORL In the present passage, as well as in many

others, "dolor" is used for "jealousy"; whilst Seneca
employs this word in all its principal meanings jealousy,
grief, pain, and anger,

NOTES. 719
Line
162. Tyndaris cmli genus. Clytemna;stra was the daughter of
Tyndarus, who was the grandson of Jupiter.
216. Rheso. Rhesus killed by Ulysses in his camp at night.
314. Stirps Inachia.This chorus is composed of the Argolian
women. Inaclnis was the first King of Aigos.
451. Tyrrhenus piscis. These words refer to the fish called the
Dolphin, into which the Pirates were changed.
566.
ScELERE Lemnon Nobilem. The women in the island of
Lemnos, being neglected by their husbands, killed all the
men who were husbands on the island on the same day.
Lemnos was also the scene of another massacre, the
Lemnians killing all the children they had by some
Athenian women, whom they had carried away to become
their wives.
Hence arose the proverb "Lemnian Deeds",
as applied to any acts of uncommon cruelty.
673. BiSTONls. Progne, who killed Itys, her infant, and was
changed into a swallow.
686. Molles Viros. The Poet here speaks of the Galli, priests
of Cybele, because they mutilated themselves even to
castration, so as to render themselves effeminate, which
they became by this means of emasculation in memory of
young Atys.
the mutilation of the
739. IMarmaricus LeO.
The Marmaric Lion, found in a country
north of Libya, bordering on Egypt.
748. Troilus. The youngest son of Priam, rash enough to
challenge Achilles, by whom he was killed.
863. Mendax Dardani^ domus.
Allusion to Laomedon especi-
ally, who was punished by Hercules.
HERCULES CETÛS.
24. Antaeus Libys. Antaeus, the son of Neptune and Terra,
whom Hercules squeezed to death in his arms as he only
gained additional strength every time he came in maternal
contact with Terra.
69.
AstRjEA. -The Constellation Virgo of the Zodiac which follows

Leo Astrasa quitted this earth in disgust at the wickedness
of the human race.
160.
Nabath.^;. The people who inhabited Arabia Petraea.
369.
Thespiades. The fifty daughters of Thespius, whose great
ambition was that they should all be made pregnant by
Hercules, a task which Hercules cheerfully undertook, and
succeeded with all but one of them, upon whom Hercules,
however, visited his revenge for her non-compliance,
some classical wag has dubbed this performance as the
13th Labor in the subjoined hexametric couplet:
"Tertius huic decimus labor est durissimus una
Quinquaginta simul stupravit nocte puellas"
which I have anglicized:
"This thirteenth labor did most surely test his might
To make those fifty Virgins Mothers in one night."
720 NOTES.
Line
49Z. Gravida Nephele, The cloud which is fabled to have
given birth to the Centaurs.
574. Jecur. The seat of one's longing desires, chiefly of love,

which is supposed to be associated in the mind with
yellowish bile, that of auger with bile of a blackish tinge.
" Fors " is used here adverbially, so in Virgil- Aeneid S, line 232.
"Et fors sequatis cepissent prsemia rostris"
This isa word frequently used by Seneca,
"Sanguinis quondam capax."
and was employed colloquially by the Latins to represent
various internal organs, as well as to denote certain con-
ditions of the mind, disposition etc.
The Liver was sup-
posed, and very properly so, to preside largely over the
temper, which it does and will continue to do ; the spleen,
too, comes in for its share in this respect, the small intes-
tine likewise, "O! dura ilia messorum" O! durum jecur!
by Seneca, Line 1733. But it is not in its figurative sense
thatit is used here, any more than it is at Line 709
"Cor attonitum salit, pavidumque"

"Trepidis palpitat venis jecur"
However, it appears in above 1220, that it clearly refers
to the substance of the lungs either functionally or ana-
tomically, and I have rendered the passage accordingly;
are we right, then, in assuming that the word "jecur" was
employed to designate any larger organ? It is evident
that the liver cannot palpitate, as at Line 709, but it may
have been used by Seneca in the sense of that organ
("Jecur" following "Cor" in the line preceding).
I have reason to think that the knowledge of anatomy
was not so backward as it might appear, in Seneca's day,
and that he might have known of the existence of adiaphragm,
dividing the thoracic and abdominal cavities, and if this
"Jecur" were applied to the act of breathing, which it
obviously was, I think that the rendering which I have
advanced will serve to dissipate any physiological or
anatomical inconsistencies and impossibilities. Some com-
mentators give "vigor" instead of "jecur", clearly im-
plying the function of the Lung.
582. CalydonIjE.
Calydon, the principal city of CEtolia.

706. Vagus per artus. I am so bewildered in my mind, and
my natural susceptibilities are so much wrought upon,
that my terrified heart leaps and throbs, and my very liver,
as the result of fear beats against my side with its blood-
vessels in tremulous commotion.
709. Cor Jecur.
These words occur in following lines, and one
of them must be rendered "the heart", which, if beating
very forcibly, might be supposed to extend its impulsive
movements, just over the left lobe of the liver, and thus
simulating the pulsation of the liver itself; thus, in deference
to Seneca, I have recognized the anatomical anomaly of
the liver palpitating, and have thus rendered the word
NOTES. 721
Line
"Jecur" as the "liver"- Horace uses the word "Jecur"
eight times for the liver, aud once for
the "heart". "Jeciir"
may likewise be taken for strength, courage, endurance,
disposition.
739- TUMENSQUE TACITA SEQUITUR. This line is italicized in the

Latin text, owing to some difference with the commentator
as to its proper position.
"Locus desperatus in quo deserit dux noster ab Etruria."
Detrius suggests that it should come after lines 1001-1002
Quosnam ista.> But Grouovius thinks that he has overshot
the mark, sed fhistri gratulatur sibi, as he remarks. De-
janira does not see Megaera following her from behind,
but before her eyes, with the brandished torches, so that I
prefer to render the passage where it is; besides, it is a
fittingprelude enough to the verse which follows, when
Dejanira's train of thought is interrupted as she sees her
son hastening with rapid steps, "and although swelling
with pent-up anger, without saying a word, she ponders
over the situation as presented to her senses, and merely
shakes her head significantly." The absurdity of Dejanira
having eyes at the back of her head, would shock the
most indulgent of readers, even allowing fully for the
vagaries of poetic fictions.
776. Phrixeum Mare. The Hellespont.
820.
Cydon. The archers in the city of Crete were famous for
their skill.
960. Cruenta The Danaides

Belias. were grand-daughters of
Belus.
975. Mors differatur. Let me put off death, as determined

upon by myself, and me
perish as Lichas did, only
let
that I choose that death, and Lichas had no choice about
tlie matter.
1 168. Truci rictu Gvges

The giant Gyges was reckoned the
most ugly and the most formidable of all the giants.
1 204.
Turba. I have given a rendering of this word as " Staff",
as whilst Hercules was disposing of Geryon, it is not
likely that Eurythion, although a less formidable giant,
and the two-headed dog Orthrus, stood by as passive
spectators, whilst the conflict went on.
1220. Sanguinis quondam capax.
Seneca is very fond of this
word "jecur," and employs it here as a figurative ex-
pression, implying the normal action of the respiratory
apparatus, the due circulation of the blood throughout the
pulmonary tissues, and draws attention to the consequen-'
ces of its having been interrupted, as hinted at in the text.

"Jecur" appears to apply to the function of any organ,
and then simply signifies the physiological duties thereof,
and I have used it in this sense without any hesitation,
as applied to the lines 1220 1221.

722 NOTES.
Line
1811.
Cleonas. Between Argos and Corinth, near the spot
where the Nemsean lion was killed.
1973. PcENAS.
This prediction of Hercules was accomplished.
Eurystheus was conquered by Hyllus near Marathon
some say that Hyllus cut off his head, and handed it over
to Alcmena as an especial present.
OCTAVIA.
10. Genitrix. Urgulanillaand jElia Pastina were divorced by
Claudius before he married Messalina. Messalina, the
mother of Octavia, was noted for her lustful propensities,
supposedly, I should think, suffering from the "furor
uterinus", which was not very mercifully regarded in
those days. At all events, consistent with this notion of
nymphomania, which led to such doings, so derogatory
to her dignity as a Queen Consort, she had been guilty
of a series of immoralities, before the disgraceful mockery
of marriage with Silius, which, this time, however, cost
her her life.
22. NovERCA. The marriage of Claudius with Agrippina was
regarded in Rome, as an incestuous man-iage, although
according to Juvenal, sexual moi"ality was not a canon
held in the strictest obsei-vance in those days of Patrician
licentiousness.
60. Electra. Sophocles has alluded copiously to the weeping
of Electra, and her strong desire for the return of Orestes,
to revenge the death of their father, Agamemnon.
105.
StJBjECTA FAMUL/E. Seneca constantly uses this word and
in very different senses Poppsea was not a slave, but
a woman of good descent. Her father had filled the
office of Qusestor.
148. SiLANUS. Silanus was not killed, but committed suicide,

the same day that Claudius married Agrippina, and Tacitus
says this added to the public indignation.
231. Vidimus ccelo jubar. Tacitus alludes to this comet, and
Seneca in the Qusest: Natur.
382. Remotus. Seneca had been accused of adultery with Julia,

the daughter of Germanicus, and was expatriated by
Claudius tothe island of Corsica. Agrippina obtained
his return and made him the tutor of Nero.
437 8. Plauti Sui.l.s;que.
Plautus Rabellius had been exiled
into Asia, and Sulla into Narbonensian Gaul : but they
were botli executed by Nero's orders
Tacitus, Lib. 12.
Annal., aod Suetonius apud Neronem, Cap. 15.
515.
Pavere. It was at Philippi, where a great battle was fought
by Octavius and Antony, against Brutus and Cassius, and
allusion is here made to the immense number of the slain,
which were left exposed, unburied, on the plains for the
birds of prey to feast upon.
NOTES. 723
Line
623. IsTRi. I prefer /woV which is suggested in some editions,
the latter river being more associated with the idea of
gems and precious stones, than the Ister or Danube can
be so imagined.
696.
Culpa Senece. I think that the rendering I have given
of the word "Culpa", represents the poet's meaning.
882.
MiSERANDA PARENS. This unfortunate woman was Cornelia
the daughter of Scipio Africanus, and being sprung from
him, was consequently a scion of one of the principal
families in Rome.
887. Te quoque Livi.
The tribune Livius Drusus, established
great reforms in the laws. He was assassinated just as
he was leaving his own house.
942. LiviA. Livia poisoned her husband, Drusus.
943. Julia. Julia, the of Livia, was accused of compli-
daughter
city the
in of Drusus, but it was not proved;
poisoning
she was, nevertheless, exiled and ultimately suffered death.
979. Taurorum. The Tauri were a people of Scythia, and they
sacrificed strangers on the altars of Diana.

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If JOHI'. i\l.

'^ OLIIJ -'.

The original of this book is in

the Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright restrictions in

the United States on the use of the text.

Xop'hx? xpsKsiv oJ'Ssv xoi'Sog

Printed hy the Motley Press^ Amsterdam.

of Seneca, I refer my readers to Lempri^re, from whose

comprehending them, or of availing himself in estimating

Seneca, as before stated, was appointed tutor to Nero, by

Juno Jovis furta, pellices, nothos, Herculem autem maxime

Julio waxes wrath at the furtive amours of Jupiter, his

Sister of Thundering Jove, for that distinction is

Locumque, coelo pulfa, pellicibus dedi.

Thebana nuribus fparfa tellus impiis 20

my quondam throne to my husband's concubines! Hence-

Mother Danae). In another part of the HeavenSj the

complain, moreover, of still more chronic grievances-

less her son should eventually take possession of the

Iraque noftra fruitur: in laudes fuas

for gaining his renown Wherever Phoebus rises, or

wherever he sets in those regions, where he deeply tans

Lines 34-68] HERCULES FURENS. 7

less he finally subdued he sallies forth, forsooth, furnished

territories of Jupiter Infernus (Pluto) and afterwards brings

he savagely triumphs over me, and drags with haughty

his own father's sceptre! Nor will his passage towards

his head, nor has the difficulty of raising such an immense

Et poffe ccelum viribas vinci fuis

mass in the least impaired his powerful shoulders, and

Lines 69-.0S] HERCULES FURENS, 9

Monsters ! For Eurystheus, himself will soon be tired out

such as I have to do with. (The Nemaean Lion, the

lo SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 106-133

Quam qui caminis ignis jEtnseis furit.

Chonis e Thebanis a defcriptione ortus diei, magnatum curas

I AM rara micant fidera prono 125

from the burning pile Do all this in earnest, I say, seek

with intensest madness, shall be duly brought under my

height: Oh ye sisters (Furies), exercise your skill upbn

me, so long as he conquered himself as well (Juno

Behold! The stars now scarcely perceptible are

Jam Caclmeis inclyta Bacchis

Arcadian Bears, with their seven stars, the Northern sign-

rises from the azure waters with his steeds refreshed

Lines 134-177] HERCULES FURENS. 13

display their verdancy, whilst the scene is opened with

Vivite Iffiti. properat curfu

Vita citato, volucrique die

Stranger to few except those who, mindful of the fleeting-

Lines .78-207] HERCULES FURENS. 15

only by each flying day. The obdurate

quickly overtakes the weak, but moderate means in a

Monarch of mighty Olympus, and of arbiter the

i6 SENECA'S TRAGEDIES. [Lines 208-^47

Secura fulfit. mali

and the end of one calamity is only the beginning of

Juno is always in foremost pursuit! Why, I ask, was the