AM. Ēn blandās manūs
ad genua tendēns vōce miserandā rogat.
— scelus nefandum, trīste et aspectū horridum!
dextrā precantem rapuit et circā furēns1005
bis ter rotātum mīsit; ast illī caput
sonuit, cerebrō tēcta dispersō madent.
at misera, parvum prōtegēns nātum sinū,
Megara furentī similis ē latebrīs fugit.
HER. Licet Tonantis profuga condāris sinū,1010
petet undecumque tēmet haec dextra et feret.
AM. Quō misera pergis? quam fugam aut latebram petis?
nūllus salūtis Hercule īnfēstō est locus.
amplectere ipsum potius et blandā prece
lenīre temptā.
MEG. Parce iam, coniūnx, precor,1015
agnōsce Megaram. nātus hic vultūs tuōs
habitūsque reddit; cernis, ut tendat manūs?
HER. Teneō novercam. sequere, dā poenās mihi
iugōque pressum līberā turpī Iovem —
sed ante mātrem parvulum hoc mōnstrum occidat.1020
Notes
Amphitryon narrates how Hercules kills one of his sons. Megara rushes out of the house with the other son. Hercules threatens to pursue Megara. Amphitryon urges her to supplicate Hercules, in the hope that he will spare her life. Megara holds out their son to her husband. But in his delusion Hercules believes he is attacking Juno.
As is customary in the Greco-Roman theater, a speaker describes violent acts which must occur offstage.
1002–03 manūs / ad genua tendēns: a ritual gesture of supplication.
1003 vōce miserandā: ablative of means (AG 408). rogat: the subject is Hercules’ son.
1004 Latin often uses the accusative case for exclamations (AG 397.d). aspectū: a supine, used as an ablative of specification (AG 418).
1005 dextrā: ablative of means (AG 411). precantem: Hercules’ son. rapuit: the subject is Hercules.
1006 bis ter: “two times, three times.” mīsit: “has thrown.” illī: dative of reference (referring to the son).
1007 tectum: (here used as a poetic plural) often describes a house in general, but the literal meaning is “roof”: given Hercules’ incredible strength, it may well be that he has splattered his son’s brains right up to the roof.
1009 furentī: substantive participle, dative with the adjective similis (AG 384), “like a madwoman.”
1010 licet … condāris: “even if you should be hidden” (LS condo II.B.4; licet II). profuga: “as a fugitive,” referring to Megara.
1011 undecumque: “from wherever (you are).” tēmet: an alternate form of tē.
1013 Hercule īnfestō: ablative absolute (AG 420).
1014 amplectere: imperative of the deponent amplector (AG 190). ipsum: Hercules. potius: “instead.”
1016–17 Megara attempts to show Hercules that their son looks like him (and is thus his son). ut tendat: indirect question (AG 574) after cernis.
1018 novercam: Juno: Hercules now mistakes Megara for the goddess. sequere: imperative of the deponent sequor (AG 190). Supply mē as the object: Hercules will drag his family offstage, following the ancient convention of not portraying deaths onstage.
1019 iugō … pressum: “oppressed by the yoke” of marriage.
1020 occidat: jussive subjunctive (AG 439)
Vocabulary
blandus –a –um: flattering, pleasant
genū genūs n.: knee
miseror–ārī –ātus sum: to feel or show pity
nefandus –a –um: unspeakable, abominable
horridus –a –um: rough, bristly; savage; horrible
furō furere: to rage, be mad
bis: twice
ter: three times
rotō rotāre rotāvī rotātus: to move like a wheel; whirl about
cerebrum –ī n.: the brain
madeō –ēre: to be wet, be damp
prōtegō –tegere –texī –tectum: to cover, conceal; protect
Megara –ae f.: Megara (wife of Hercules)
furō furere: to rage, be mad
latebra –ae f.: hiding place
Tonans, Tonantis m.: the Thunderer (Jupiter)
profugus –a –um: fugitive
latebra –ae f.: hiding place
Herculēs –is m.: Hercules
īnfestus –a –um: hostile, aggressive
amplector amplectī amplexus sum: to embrace
blandus –a –um: flattering, pleasant
coniūnx coniugis f.: spouse, wife
āgnōscō āgnōscere āgnōvī agnitus: to recognize, acknowledge
Megara –ae f.: Megara (wife of Hercules)
habitus habitūs m.: condition, appearance
noverca novercae f.: stepmother
līberō līberāre līberāvī līberātus: to free
Iuppiter Iovis m.: Jupiter, Jove
parvulus –a –um: very small
mōnstrum mōnstrī n.: monster; omen