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.

    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: tibitibituīstuōs (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.

    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

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