Hippolytus' Prayer for the Hunt and Phaedra's Lament — Seneca the Younger, Phaedra, lines 1–109, Latin & English

Ite, umbrosas cingite silvas

Go, surround the shady woods,

summaque montis iuga, Cecropii!

and the highest ridges of the mountain, children of Cecrops!

celeri planta lustrate vagi,

Range with swift foot, wandering

quae saxosae loca Parnetho

through the places that lie beneath rocky

subiecta iacent,

Parnes,

quae Thriasiis vallibus amnis

and those which the river with rapid

rapida currens verberat unda;

running wave beats in the Thriasian valleys.

scandite colles

Scale the hills

semper canos nive Riphaea;

always white with Riphean snow.

hac, Aegalei qua nemus alta

This way, where the grove of Aegaleos is woven

texitur alno, qua prata iacent

with tall alder, where the meadows lie,

quae rorifera mulcens aura

which Zephyrus, soothing with dew-bearing breeze,

Zephyrus vernas evocat herbas,

calls forth into vernal herbs,

ubi per graciles levis Ilisos

where through slender fields light Ilisos

labitur agros piger et steriles

glides sluggishly and with meager

amne maligno radit harenas;

stream scrapes the barren sands.

vos qua Marathon tramite laevo

You, where Marathon on the left path

saltus aperit,

opens its glades,

qua comitatae gregibus parvis

where, accompanied by their small flocks,

nocturna petunt pabula fetae;

the newly-delivered mothers seek their nocturnal pastures.

vos qua tepidis subditus austris

You, where the harsh Acharnian, subjected to warm

frigora mollit durus Acharneus.

south winds, mitigates the cold.

alius rupem dulcis Hymetti,

Let one tread the rock of sweet Hymettus,

parvas alius calcet Aphidnas:

let another tread small Aphidnae.

pars illa diu vacat immunis,

That region lies long vacant and immune,

qua curvati litora ponti

where Sunion presses the shores

Sunion urget

of the curved sea.

si quem tangit gloria silvae,

If the glory of the woods touches anyone,

vocat hunc Phlyus:

Phlyus calls him;

hic versatur, metus agricolis,

here ranges, a terror to husbandmen,

vulnere multo iam notus aper.

a boar already well known by many a wound.

at vos laxas

But you, let loose

canibus tacitis mittite habenas;

the slack reins to the silent dogs.

teneant acres lora Molossos

Let the fierce Molossians hold their leashes,

et pugnaces tendunt Cretes

and let the combative Cretans stretch

fortia trito vincula collo.

their strong bonds on their chafed necks.

at Spartanos

But the Spartans

(genus est audax avidumque ferae)

(a breed bold and eager for the wild beast)

nodo cautus propiore liga:

bind with a closer knot, more cautiously.

veniet tempus,

The time will come

cum latratu cava saxa sonent;

when the hollow rocks will ring with their barking;

nunc dimissi nare sagaci

now, released, with sagacious scent

captent auras

let them catch the air,

lustraque presso quaerant rostro,

and search the coverts with lowered snout,

dum lux dubia est, dum signa pedum

while the light is still doubtful, while the dewy earth

roscida tellus impressa tenet.

keeps the impressed marks of the feet.

alius raras

Let one hasten to carry loose nets

cervice gravi portare¹ plagas,

on his heavy shoulder,

alius teretes properet laqueos.

let another make ready the smooth snares.

picta rubenti linea pinna

Let the line painted with red feathers

vano cludat terrore feras.

enclose the beasts with empty terror.

tibi vibretur missile telum,

For you, let the missile weapon be brandished;

tu grave dextra laevaque simul

do you, with right hand and left together,

robur lato dirige ferro,

direct the heavy oak-shaft with broad iron tip;

tu praecipites clamore feras

do you, as a lier-in-wait, drive the headlong beasts

subsessor ages; tu iam victor

with shouting; do you, already victor,

curvo solves viscera cultro.

rip open the entrails with curved knife.

Ades en comiti, diva virago,

Attend, behold, your companion, divine virgin,

cuius regno

under whose sway

pars terrarum secreta vacat,

a sequestered part of the earth lies vacant,

cuius certis petitur telis

by whose unerring weapons is sought

fera quae gelidum

the wild beast that drinks

potat Araxen

icy Araxes

et quae stanti ludit in Histro.

and that which plays on the frozen Ister.

* tua Gaetulos dextra leones,

Your right hand pursues Gaetulian lions,

tua Cretaeas sequitur cervas;

yours pursues Cretan hinds;

nunc veloces figis dammas

now you pierce swift roe-deer

leviore manu.

with lighter hand.

tibi dant variae pectora tigres,

To you the spotted tigresses yield their breasts,

tibi villosi terga bisontes

to you the shaggy bisons yield their backs,

latisque feri cornibus uri.

and the wild urus with broad horns.

quicquid solis pascitur arvis,²

Whatever feeds in the lonely fields,

sive illud Arabs divite silva

whether the Arab in his rich forest

sive illud inops novit Garamans

or the needy Garamantes knows it,

sive ferocis iuga Pyrenes

or whether the ridges of fierce Pyrene

sive Hyrcani celant saltus,

or the Hyrcanian glades conceal it,

vacuisque vagus Sarmata campis,

and the wandering Sarmatian in his vacant plains,

arcus metuit, Diana, tuos.

fears, Diana, your bows.

tua si gratus numina cultor

If a grateful worshipper has brought your divinity

tulit in saltus.

into the glades,

retia vinctas tenuere feras,

the nets have held the bound beasts,

nulli laqueum rupere pedes:

no feet have broken the snare.

fertur plaustro praeda gementi;

The prey is carried on a groaning wagon,

tum rostra canes sanguine multo-

then the dogs bear their snouts

rubicunda gerunt repetitque casas

red with much blood, and the rustic crowd

rustica longo turba triumpho.

returns to their cottages in a long triumph.

en, diva, faves:

Behold, goddess, you favor us:

signum arguti misere canes.

the keen dogs have given the sign.

vocor in silvas, hac, hac pergam

I am called into the woods; this way, this way I will proceed,

qua via longum compensat iter.

where the path shortens the long journey.

O magna vasti Creta dominatrix freti,

O great ruler of the vast Cretan sea,

cuius per omne litus innumerae rates

whose countless ships along every shore

tenuere † pontum quicquid Assyria tenus

have held the deep, as far as Nereus cuts with ship-penetrating

tellure Nereus pervius rostris secat,³

prows whatever lies towards the Assyrian land,

cur me in penates obsidem invisos datam

why do you force me, given as a hated hostage to this house

hostique nuptam degere aetatem in malis

and wedded to an enemy, to drag out my life in misery

lacrimisque cogis? profugus en coniunx abest

and tears? Behold, my runaway husband is absent

praestatque nuptae quam solet Theseus fidem,⁴

and pays to his bride such faith as Theseus is wont to show.

fortis per altas invii retro lacus

Boldly through the deep darkness of the pathless pool

vadit tenebras miles audacis proci,

he goes as a soldier of a daring suitor,

solio ut revulsam regis inferni abstrahat;

to drag away the queen torn from the throne of the infernal king.

pergit furoris socius, haud illum timor

He proceeds as a companion of madness; neither fear

pudorque tenuit— stupra et illicitos toros

nor shame held him back—adulteries and unlawful beds

Acheronte in imo quaerit Hippolyti pater.

in deepest Acheron the father of Hippolytus seeks.

Sed maior alius incubat maestae dolor,

But another, greater grief broods over me in my sorrow;

100

non. me quies nocturna, non altus sopor

no nightly rest, no deep sleep

solvere curis: alitur et crescit malum

releases me from cares; the evil is nourished and grows,

et ardet intus qualis Aetnaeo vapor

and burns within like the steam that overflows

exundat antro. Palladis telae vacant

from the Etnaean cavern. The looms of Pallas lie idle,

et inter ipsas pensa labuntur manus;

and the wool-tasks slip from between my very hands.

105

non colere donis templa votivis libet.

I have no desire to honor the temples with votive gifts,

non inter aras. Atthidum mixtam choris.

nor, mingled with the choruses of Athenian maidens,

iactare tacitis conscias sacris faces,

to wave the torches that share the secret rites among the altars,

nec adire castis precibus aut ritu pio

nor to approach with chaste prayers or pious ritual

adiudicatae praesidem terrae deam:⁵

the goddess who presides over the land adjudged to her.

Syntax notes5 items

45portare
Although it can be taken as a historical infinitive, it is syntactically more natural and symmetrical to understand it as a complementary infinitive depending on an omitted properet (from §45b) supplied for the first alius: 'let one hasten (properet) to carry (portare)'.
66quicquid solis pascitur arvis
This relative clause acts as the subject of the main verb metuit in §72, which is separated from it by a long series of conditional clauses (§67-71). The skeleton of the sentence is: 'whatever feeds in the fields... fears, Diana, your bows.'
87quicquid Assyria tenus tellure Nereus pervius rostris secat
The subject of this clause is Nereus (a personification of the sea). Assyria tenus tellure ('as far as the Assyrian land') features the postposition tenus governing the ablative. pervius rostris ('passable by prows') modifies Nereus, and the whole relative clause is governed by tenuere in §87.
92praestatque nuptae quam solet Theseus fidem
A highly ironical expression: Theseus is paying his bride the kind of 'loyalty' (i.e., faithlessness) that he is accustomed to show. fidem is the antecedent, modified by the relative clause quam solet.
109adiudicatae praesidem terrae deam
Refers to Athena (Pallas). The phrase denotes 'the goddess (deam) who presides (praesidem) over the land adjudged (adiudicatae) [to her]' in her mythical contest with Poseidon for the patronage of Attica.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (3, latest 2026-09-22)

2026-09-22 AI review — source 3

urn:cts:latinLit:phi1017.phi005.humanitext-lat2:1-109