The Universal Power of Love and Phaedra's Delirium — Seneca the Younger, Phaedra, lines 286–387, Latin & English

286

quaeque ad Hesperiae iacet ora metas,

and whatever shore lies at the boundaries of Hesperia,

si qua ferventi subiecta cancro,

and whatever land lies beneath the burning Cancer,

si qua Parrhasiae glacialis ursae

and whatever land endures the ever-wandering inhabitants

semper errantes patitur colonos,¹

of the icy Parrhasian bear,

290

novit hos aestus, iuvenum feroces

knows these burning heats. He rouses the fierce flames

concitat flammas senibusque fessis

of youth, and to weary old men

rursus extinctos revocat calores,

recalls again the extinguished warmth;

virginum ignoto ferit igne pectus

he strikes the breast of maidens with an unknown fire,

et iubet caelo superos relicto

and commands the gods above, having left heaven,

295

vultibus falsis habitare terras.

to dwell on earth with false countenances.

Thessali Phoebus pecoris magister

Phoebus, as a herdsman of the Thessalian flock,

egit armentum positoque plectro

drove the herd, and having laid aside his plectrum,

impari tauros calamo vocavit,

called the bulls with unequal reeds.

induit formas quotiens minores

How often did he put on meaner forms,

300

ipse qui caelum nebulasque ducit:

he himself who guides the heaven and the clouds:

Candidas ales modo movit alas,

at one time as a bird he moved his white wings,

dulcior vocem² moriente cygno;

with a voice sweeter than the dying swan;

fronte nunc torva petulans iuvencus

now as a wanton young bull with a stern brow,

virginum stravit sua terga ludo,

he flattened his back for the maidens’ play,

305

perque fraternos nova regna fluctus

and through his brother’s waves, a new kingdom,

ungula lentos imitante remos

with hoof imitating slow oars,

* pectore adverso domuit profundum,

he subdued the deep with opposing breast,

pro sua vector timidus rapina,

a timid carrier on behalf of his own plunder.

arsit obscuri dea clara mundi

The bright goddess of the dark world burned with love,

310

nocte deserta nitidosque fratri

and having deserted the night, delivered her shining chariot to her brother,

tradidit currus aliter regendos:

to be guided in another manner:

ille nocturnas agitare bigas

he learns to drive the nightly two-horse chariots

discit et gyro breviore flecti,

and to bend in a narrower orbit,

dum tremunt axes graviore curru;

while the axles tremble under the heavier chariot;

nec suum tempus tenuere noctes

neither did the nights keep their proper time,

315

et dies tardo remeavit ortu.

and day returned with a late rising.

natus Alcmena posuit pharetras

The son of Alcmena laid aside his quivers

et minax vasti spolium leonis,

and the threatening spoil of the vast lion,

passus aptari digitis zmaragdos

permitting emeralds to be fitted to his fingers

320

et^dari legem rudibus capillis;

and order to be given to his rough hair;

crura distincto religavit auro.

he bound his legs with patterned gold,

luteo plantas cohibente socco;

while a yellow sleeper enclosed his feet;

et manu, clavam modo qua gerebat,

and with the hand with which he recently wielded the club,

fila deduxit properante fuso:

he drew out the threads with a hastening spindle:

325

Vidit Persis ditique ferox

The Persian saw him, and fierce Lydia

Lydia³ regno

in her wealthy kingdom

deiecta feri terga leonis

the skin of the wild lion’s back cast aside,

umerisque, quibus sederat alti

and on those shoulders upon which had rested

regia caeli,

the royal palace of high heaven,

330

tenuem Tyrio stamine pallam.

a thin cloak of Tyrian thread.

sacer est ignis (credite laesis)

It is a sacred fire (believe those who have been hurt)

nimiumque potens, qua terra salo

and all too powerful, wherever the land is girt

cingitur alto quaque per ipsum

by the deep sea, and wherever the bright stars

candida mundum sidera currunt:

run through the universe itself:

haec regna tenet puer immitis,

this kingdom the cruel boy holds,

335

spicula cuius sentit in imis

whose darts are felt in the deepest waves

pervius undis rex Nereidum

by the king of Nereids, accessible to the waters,

flammamque nequit relevare mari.

nor can he relieve the flame with the sea.

ignes sentit genus aligerum;

The winged race feels his fires;

Venere instinctus suscipit audax

incited by Venus, the bold

340

grege pro toto bella iuvencus;

young bull undertakes wars for the whole herd;

si coniugio timuere suo,

if they fear for their own mates,

poscunt timidi proelia cervi.

the timid stags demand battle.

Poeni quatiunt colla leones

The Punic lions shake their manes

cum movit Amor.

when Love has moved them.

et mugitu dant concepti

And they give with their roaring the signs

signa furoris.

of the madness they have conceived.

tunc virgatas India tigres

Then India dreads her striped tigers,

345

decolor horret;

losing her color;

tunc vulnificos acuit dentes

then the wild boar sharpens his wounding teeth

aper et toto est spumeus ore;

and is foaming all over his mouth;

350

tum silva gemit murmure saevo.

then the forest groans with a savage murmur.

amat insani belua ponti

The beast of the wild sea loves,

Lucaeque boves: vindicat omnes

and the Lucanian oxen: nature claims

natura, sibi nihil immune est,

everyone, nothing is immune to itself,

odiumque perit, cum iussit Amor:

and hatred perishes when Love commands:

355

veteres cedunt ignibus irae.

old angers yield to the fires.

quid plura canam?

Why should I sing more?

vincit saevas cura novercas.

Care conquers cruel stepmothers.

altrix, profare quid feras; quonam in loco est

Nurse, speak out what you bring; in what place is

regina? saevis ecquis est flammis modus?.

the queen? Is there any limit to her savage flames?

360

Spes nulla tantum posse leniri malum,⁴

There is no hope that so great an evil can be mitigated,

finisque flammis nullus insanis erit.

and there will be no end to her mad flames.

torretur aestu tacito et inclusus quoque,

She is burned by a silent heat, and even when shut in,

quamvis tegatur, proditur vultu furor;

although it is hidden, her madness is betrayed by her face;

erumpit oculis ignis et lassae genae

fire breaks out from her eyes and her weary cheeks

365

lucem recusant, nil idem dubiae placet

refuse the light, nothing pleases her doubtful mind for long

artusque varie iactat incertus dolor,

and an uncertain pain tosses her limbs in various ways.

nunc ut soluto labitur moriens gradu

Now she slips with a loose, dying step

et vix labante sustinet collo caput,

and scarcely supports her head on her drooping neck,

nunc se quieti reddit et. somni immemor,

now she returns to rest, and unmindful of sleep,

370

noctem querelis ducit; attolli iubet

she passes the night in lamentations; she orders her body to be raised,

iterumque poni corpus et solvi comas

and again to be laid down, and her hair to be let loose,

rursusque fingi: semper impatiens sui

and again to be arranged: always impatient with herself,

mutatur habitus, nulla iam Cereris subit

her state changes, and no care for Ceres or health now enters her mind;

cura aut salutis; vadit' incerto pede,

she walks with an uncertain step,

375

iam viribus defecta: non idem vigor,

already depleted of strength: there is no longer the same vigor,

non ora tinguens nitida purpureus rubor;

nor the crimson blush staining her bright face;

et qui ferebant signa Phoebeae facis

and those eyes which used to bear the signs of Phoebus’ torch

380

oculi nihil gentile nec patrium micant.

shine with nothing of her race or of her father.

lacrimae cadunt per ora et assiduo genae

Tears fall down her face, and her cheeks are irrigated

rore irrigantur, qualiter Tauri iugis

with a constant dew, just as on the ridges of Taurus

tepido madescunt imbre percussae nives.

the snows melt, struck by a warm rain.

Sepone questus: non levat miseros dolor;

Set aside your complaints: grief does not relieve the wretched;

405

agreste placa virginis numen deae.

appease the wild divinity of the virgin goddess.

Sed en, patescunt regiae fastigia.

But behold, the portals of the palace open.

385

reclinis ipsa sedis auratae toro

She herself, reclining on the cushion of her golden seat,

solitos amictus mente non sana abnuit.

with an unsound mind, rejects her usual attire.

Removete, famulae, purpura atque auro inlitas

Remove, handmaids, those garments painted with purple and gold...

Syntax notes4 items

288Parrhasiae glacialis ursae... colonos
The 'ever-wandering inhabitants' under the 'icy Parrhasian bear' (the constellation Ursa Major) refers to the nomadic peoples of the far north (such as Scythians). Parrhasiae glacialis ursae is a genitive dependent on colonos or functions as a locative-associated description, emphasizing the harsh subpolar climate.
302vocem
vocem is an accusative of respect (Greek accusative), modifying the comparative adjective dulcior to mean 'sweeter in respect to voice.' moriente cygno functions as an ablative of comparison.
325Vidit Persis ditique ferox Lydia...
A highly complex syntactic structure with hyperbaton. The subjects are Persis and ferox Lydia. The verb Vidit takes two parallel accusative phrases as direct objects: 1) deiecta feri terga leonis (the cast-aside skin of the wild lion) and 2) tenuem Tyrio stamine pallam (a thin cloak of Tyrian thread). The second object is associated with umerisque (on his shoulders), which is further modified by the relative clause quibus sederat alti regia caeli (on which had rested the royal palace of high heaven), referring to Hercules' myth of holding up the sky.
360Spes nulla tantum posse leniri malum
The verb est is omitted after Spes nulla. In the following Accusative cum Infinitivo (A.C.I.) construction, tantum malum acts as the subject accusative, and leniri is a present passive infinitive, yielding the meaning 'there is no hope that so great an evil can be mitigated.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (3, latest 2026-10-11)

2026-10-11 Collated with the printed edition — source 2
2026-09-21 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi1017.phi005.humanitext-lat2:286-387