AM. Nōndum tumultū pectus attonitō carēns
mūtāvit īrās, quodque habet proprium furor,1220
in sē ipse saevit.
HER. Dīra Fūriārum loca
et īnferōrum carcer et sontī plāga
dēcrēta turbae! sī quod exilium latet
ulterius Erebō, Cerberō ignōtum et mihi,
hoc mē abde, Tellūs; Tartarī ad fīnem ultimum1225
mānsūrus ībō.
Pectus ō nimium ferum!
quis vōs per omnem, līberī, sparsōs domum
dēflēre dignē poterit? hic dūrus malīs
lacrimāre vultus nescit. hūc arcum date,
date hūc sagittās, stīpitem hūc vastum date. 1230
tibi tēla frangam nostra; tibi nostrōs, puer,
rumpēmus arcūs; at tuīs stīpēs gravis
ārdēbit umbrīs; ipsa Lernaeīs frequēns
pharetra tēlīs in tuōs ībit rogōs —
dent arma poenās. vōs quoque īnfaustās meīs1235
cremābō tēlīs, ō novercālēs manūs.
Notes
Amphitryon observes that Hercules has now turned his anger against himself. Hercules resolves to hide himself deep in the Underworld after first destroying his weapons, which he blames for the murders he has committed.
1219 tumultū ... attonitō: ablative of separation after carēns (AG 401).
1220 quodque … furor: “and (a thing which madness has proper to itself),” i.e. this is how we would expect an insane person to behave. The clause looks forward to in sē ipse saevit.
1222–23 sontī … turbae: “to the guilty mob,” dative depending on decrēta, “alotted, assigned, determined by law (to belong to),” > decerno -ere.
1224 Erebō: ablative of comparison (AG 406) depending on ulterius.
1225 Tellūs: Hercules addresses a personified Earth.
1226 mānsūrus ībō: future active participle indicating purpose (AG 499.2): “I will go [intending] to remain,” unlike his last trip to the Underworld. pectus: i.e., his own heart.
1227–28 quis … poterit: potential subjunctive (AG 445), “who could?” The implied answer is “no one.”
1228 malīs: ablative of cause with dūrus. Hercules has been hardened by his long suffering.
1229–30 hūc … hūc ... hūc: i.e., to Hercules.
1231 tibi: Hercules’ son. Note the intensely emotional anaphora: tibi … tibi … tuīs … tuōs (he probably turns from one son to another with each repetition).
1232–33 tuīs … umbrīs: dative, “for your dead spirit.”
1233–34 Lernaeīs … telīs: ablative depending on the adjective frequēns. For Lerna, see 1195n.
1235 dent: hortatory subjunctive (AG 439).
1235–36 meīs … tēlīs: dative with the adjective īnfaustās (AG 384). Hercules says his hands were “unlucky to my weapons,” i.e. they caused his weapons to murder his family. novercālēs manūs: his hands are “stepmotherly” because they have done the terrible work of Juno.
Vocabulary
tumultus tumultūs m.: uproar, confusion; commotion, disturbance
attonō attonāre attonuī attonitus: to thunder at; to stun
saeviō saevīre saeviī saevitum: to rage
dīrus –a –um: ominous, fearful, horrible; dire
Furia –ae f.: a Fury
carcer carceris m.: prison, jail
sōns –sontis: hurtful; guilty
plaga –ae f.: tract, region
ulter –tra –trum: remote, on the other side
Erebus –ī m.: Erebus
Cerberus –ī m.: Cerberus, three-headed dog of Pluto
īgnōtus –a –um: unknown
abdō abdere abdidī abditum: to withdraw; conceal
Tartarus –ī m.: Tartarus
līberī līberōrum m. pl.: children
dēfleō –ēre –flēvī –flētus: to weep over, lament
lacrimō lacrimāre lacrimāvī lacrimātus: to cry
arcus arcūs m.: bow, arch
sagitta sagittae f.: arrow
stīpes or stips –itis m.: log, post; tree trunk
vāstus –a –um: empty, desolate; vast
Lernaeus –a –um: of Lerna; Lernaean
pharetra –ae f.: quiver
rogus rogī m.: funeral pile
īnfaustus –a –um: unfortunate, ill-omened
cremō cremāre cremāvī cremātus: to burn
novercalis, -e (adj. noverca): of a stepmother