Hercules or Hercules furens is a fabula crepidata of c. 1344 lines of verse written by Lucius Annaeus Seneca.
“Unrighteous fortune seldom spares the highest worth; no one with safety can long front so frequent perils. Whom calamity oft passes by she finds at last.”
Iniqua raro maximis virtutibus fortuna parcit ; nemo se tuto diu periculis offerre tam crebris potest ; quem saepe transit casus, aliquando invenit.
Seneca the Younger Hercules Furens
Hercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules), lines 325-328; (Megara).
Tragedies
“Arms observe no bounds; nor can the wrath of the sword, once drawn, be easily checked or stayed; war delights in blood.”
arma non servant modum; nec temperari facile nec reprimi potest stricti ensis ira; bella delectat cruor.
Seneca the Younger Hercules Furens
Hercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules), lines 403-405; (Lycus).
Tragedies
“Once again prosperous and successful crime goes by the name of virtue; good men obey the bad, might is right and fear oppresses law.”
rursus prosperum ac felix scelus virtus vocatur; sontibus parent boni, ius est in armis, opprimit leges timor.
Seneca the Younger Hercules Furens
Hercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules), lines 251-253; (Amphitryon)
Alternate translation: Successful and fortunate crime is called virtue. (translator unknown)
Alternate translation: Might makes right. (translator unknown).
Tragedies
“Who can be forced has not learned how to die.”
Cogi qui potest nescit mori.
Seneca the Younger Hercules Furens
Hercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules), line 426; (Megara).
Alternate translation: Who can be compelled does not know how to die.
Tragedies
“Who vaunts his race, lauds what belongs to others.”
qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat.
Seneca the Younger Hercules Furens
Alternate translation: He who boasts of his descent, praises the deeds of another (translator unknown).
Hercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules), lines 340-341; (Lycus).
Tragedies
“Tis the first art of kings, the power to suffer hate.”
ars prima regni est posse invidiam pati.
Seneca the Younger Hercules Furens
Hercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules), lines 353; (Lycus)
Alternate translation: To be able to endure odium is the first art to be learned by those who aspire to power (translator unknown).
Tragedies
“Of war men ask the outcome, not the cause.”
quaeritur belli exitus, non causa.
Seneca the Younger Hercules Furens
Hercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules), line 407; (Lycus).
Tragedies
“Things ’twas hard to bear ’tis pleasant to recall.”
quae fuit durum pati, meminisse dulce est.
Seneca the Younger Hercules Furens
Hercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules), lines 656-657; (Amphitryon)
Alternate translation: Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember. (translator unknown).
Tragedies
“He [Hercules] will find a way — or make one.”
inveniet viam aut faciet.
Seneca the Younger Hercules Furens
Hercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules), line 276; (Amphitryon)
In this line, Seneca adapts a well-known saying "Inveniam viam aut faciam" (commonly attributed to the Carthaginian general Hannibal) for use in his drama
Tragedies
“Do you seek Alcides' equal? None is, except himself.”
Seneca the Younger Hercules Furens
Hercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules), line 84.
Tragedies
