AM.        Nunc ēde nātī nōbilem pugnam meī.760

patruī volentis mūnus an spolium refert?

 

THE.      Fērāle tardīs imminet saxum vadīs,

stupente ubi undā sēgne torpēscit fretum.

hunc servat amnem cultū et aspectū horridus

pavidōsque mānēs squālidus gestat senex.765

impexa pendet barba, dēfōrmem sinum

nōdus coercet, concavae lūcent genae;

regit ipse longō portitor contō ratem.

hic onere vacuam lītorī puppem applicāns

repetēbat umbrās; poscit Alcīdēs viam;770

cēdente turbā dīrus exclāmat Charōn:

"Quō pergis audāx? siste properantem gradum."

nōn passus ūllās nātus Alcmēnā morās

ipsō coāctum nāvitam contō domat

scanditque puppem. cumba populōrum capāx775

succubuit ūnī; sēdit et gravior ratis

utrimque Lēthēn latere titubantī bibit.

tum victa trepidant mōnstra, Centaurī trucēs

[Lapithaeque multō in bella succēnsī merō;]

 

*                      *                      *

 

Stygiae palūdis ultimōs quaerēns sinūs780

fēcunda mergit capita Lernaeus labor.

    Amphitryon finally asks about the Labor itself, the retrieval of Cerberus. Theseus describes how Charon ferried him and Hercules across the river Styx.

    The passage adapts Virgil, Aeneid 6.384–416. Note the careful arrangement of nouns, adjectives, and verbs in 762, 765, and 771.

    761 patruī: Dis, Jupiter’s brother, Hercules’ uncle.

    762 imminet: governs the dative vadīs, used after a verb of place or motion (AG 371).

    763 stupente … undā: “with languid waters,” ablative of quality (AG 415), a poetic use of stupeo (“to be stunned”) referring to an inanimate object (LS stupeo I.B).

    764 cultū et aspectū: ablative of specification (AG 418)

    765: gestat: “transports,” poetic for portat or fert

    766 sinum: “garment,” a poetic use of the word (LS sinus II.A.b.β), which normally means the hanging fold of the upper part of the toga, or the bosom of a garment.

    767: lucent: “glow,” presumably a reference to Charon’s eyes, rather than his sunken (concāvae) cheeks.

    768 contō: ablative of means (AG 408)

    769 onere: ablative of separation after vacuam (AG 400). applicāns: governs the dative litori, used after a verb of place or motion (AG 371).

    771 cedente turbā: ablative absolute (AG 419)

    772 quō: adverb of place, “to where” (AG 217.a)

    773 passus: “permitting” (LS patior II.A). nātus Alcmēnā: a periphrasis for Hercules.

    774 coāctum: “compelled” to admit a living passenger (> cogo -ere coēgī coāctum). contō: ablative of instrument (AG 409)

    776 unī: dative

    777 utrimque … latere titubantī: “on both tottering sides”

    778: victa: “beaten,” by Hercules. There follows a list of some of the monsters Hercules killed in his earlier labors. They now cower before him (trepidant) in the Underworld.

    779 This line is likely an interpolation by a later writer than Seneca. Hercules did not participate in the famous battle of the Centaurs and Lapiths, described by Ovid at Metamorphoses 12.210–315.

    781 Lernaeus labor: the Hydra

    edō ēsse ēdī ēsus: to eat

    patruus patruī m.: uncle

    volēns –entis: willing

    spolia –ōrum n.: plunder; hide (of an animal), arms

    fērālis –e: pertaining to the dead

    immineō imminēre: to threaten; overhang

    vadum –ī n.: shallow; ford, body of water

    stupeō –ēre –uī: to be stunned, amazed

    sēgnis sēgne: slow, sluggish, lazy

    torpēscō torpuī: to grow stiff; to become useless

    fretum fretī n.: strait, channel; the sea

    cultus –a –um: cultivated; sophisticated

    aspectus aspectūs m.: sight

    horridus –a –um: rough, bristly; savage; rude 

    pavidus –a –um: scared, frightened

    mānēs –ium m. pl: souls or ghosts of the dead 

    squālidus –a –um: rough; filthy

    gestō gestāre gestāvī gestātus: to carry, bear

    senex senis: old, aged

    impexus –a –um: uncombed, untrimmed

    barba –ae f.: beard

    dēfōrmis dēfōrme: ugly

    nōdus –ī m.: knot

    coerceō coercēre coercuī coercitus: to enclose, control

    concavus –a –um: completely hollow

    lūceō lūcēre lūxī: to shine

    gena –ae f.: cheek; eyelid; eye

    portitor –ōris m.: carrier; ferryman

    contus –ī m.: pole

    ratis ratis f.: raft; boat

    puppis puppis f.: stern of a ship; ship

    applicō applicāre applicāvī applicātus: to apply to, place to/near

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

    dīrus –a –um: ominous, fearful, horrible; dire

    exclāmō exclāmāre exclāmāvī exclāmātus: to exclaim

    sistō sistere stitī status: to set up

    Alcmēna or Alcumēna –ae or Alcmēnē –ēs f.: Alcmene, mother of Hercules

    coāctus –ūs m.: compulsion, constraint

    nauta nautae m.: sailor

    contus –ī m.: pole

    domō domāre domuī domitus: to tame, subdue

    scandō scandere scandī scānsus: to climb

    puppis puppis f.: stern of a ship; ship

    capāx –ācis: spacious

    succumbō –ere –cubuī –cubitus: to fall down; succumb

    ratis ratis f.: raft; boat

    utrimque: on or from either side

    titubō titubāre titubāvī titubātus: to be in doubt, waver

    bibō bibere bibī: to drink

    trepidō trepidāre trepidāvī trepidātus: to be agitated

    mōnstrum mōnstrī n.: monster; omen

    Centaurus –ī m.: a Centaur

    trux trucis: wild, rough, savage

    Lapitha –ae m./f.: Lapitha

    succendō –ere –cendī –cēnsus: to set on fire from beneath; (fig.)

    merus –a –um: pure undiluted

    Stygius –a –um: Stygian; pertaining to Styx (river)

    palūs –ūdis f.: swamp, marsh

    fēcundus –a –um: bringing forth, productive

    mergō –ere –mersī –mersus: to dip, immerse, plunge

    Lernaeus –a –um: of Lerna; Lernaean

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