1329-1344

in quās impius

terrās recēdēs? ortum an occāsum petēs?1330

ubīque nōtus perdidī exiliō locum.

mē refūgit orbis, astra trānsversōs agunt

oblīqua cursūs, ipse Tītān Cerberum

meliōre vultū vīdit. ō fīdum caput,

Thēseu, latebram quaere longinquam, abditam;1335

quoniamque semper sceleris aliēnī arbiter

amās nocentēs, grātiam meritīs refer

vicemque nostrīs: redde mē īnfernīs, precor,

umbrīs reductum, mēque subiectum tuīs

restitue vinclīs; ille mē abscondet locus —1340

sed et ille nōvit.

 

THE.                                 Nostra tē tellūs manet.

illīc solūtam caede Grādīvus manum

restituit armīs; illa tē, Alcīdē, vocat,

facere innocentēs terra quae superōs solet.

    Hercules considers where to exile himself, but realizes that he will be recognized wherever on earth he goes. He begs Theseus to find him a hiding place and asks to don Theseus’ former chains in the Underworld. Theseus instead offers him refuge in Athens, where even Mars (Ares) was purified of blood guilt.

    Mars had been acquitted for the murder of Halirrhothius. The god killed Halirrhothius in vengeance for the rape of his daughter Alcippe (Apollodorus, Library 3.14). Theseus mentions this example because Mars is a god, and Hercules should be all the more willing to follow the example for that reason. Athens had also provided refuge to mortals polluted by murder, such as Oedipus and Orestes.

    1329–30 recēdēs … petēs: Hercules addresses himself. ortum an occāsum: east or west, the places where the sun rises and sets.

    1331 exiliō: dative of purpose (AG 382).

    1332–34 The natural world will not look at Hercules, finding him more horrifying than even the sight of Cerberus was. 

    1332–33 astra … cursūs: “the stars turn aside and run their courses askew” (Fitch). 

    1333 meliōre vultū: “with a kinder face,” ablative of manner (AG 412).

    1334 caput: referring to Theseus. The metonymy “head” = “person” is common in Latin (LS caput II); here, it imitates a similar metonymy of κάρα (“head”) in Greek tragedy.

    1336 sceleris aliēnī: objective genitive depending on arbiter (AG 347).

    1337–38 meritīs … nostrīs: dative, “for my services.”

    1338–39 redde mē ... reductum: literally, “give me back having been returned”; more idiomatically, “return and restore me.” infernīs … umbrīs: dative indirect object. reductum, subiectum: perfect passive participles agreeing with the direct object mē  (AG 494).

    1341 nostra … tellus: Athens.

    1342 caede: ablative of separation (AG 400) depending on solūtam. Grādīvus: a cult title of Mars.

    1343 armīs: dative, “to his weapons,” i.e. “to warfare.”

    1343–44 Prose order: illa terra tē, Alcīdē, vocat, quae superōs facere innocentēs solet.

    impius –a –um: disloyal, wicked

    ortus ortūs m.: rising, beginning; sunrise, the East 

    occāsus –ūs m.: a setting; sunset, the West; destruction, ruin

    ubīque: everywhere

    refugiō –fugere –fūgī: to flee back, run away

    transverto, transverti, transvertum: to turn or direct across 

    oblīquus –a –um: slanting, indirect, covert

    Tītān –ānis m.: a Titan

    Cerberus –ī m.: Cerberus, three-headed dog of Pluto

    ō: O

    fīdus –a –um: faithful, trustworthy

    Thēseus –ī m.: Theseus

    latebra –ae f.: hiding place

    longinquus –a –um: remote (in time or space)

    abditus –a –um: removed, hidden

    arbiter –trī m.: witness; judge; ruler

    meritum –ī: something deserved, reward, recompense; merit, service, kindness, benefit

    vicis vicis f.: change, alternation; turn

    īnfernus –a –um:  of that which is below, infernal

    redūcō redūcere redūxī reductus: to bring back; to restore

    subiciō subicere subiēcī subiectus: to throw under

    restituō restituere restituī restitūtus: to restore

    abscondō abscondere abscondī and abscondidī absconditus: to put out of sight, hide

    Grādīvus –ī m.: Gradivus (Mars)

    Alcīdēs –ae m.: a descendant of Alceus; Hercules

    innocēns: innocent, harmless

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