SENECA THE YOUNGER was a Latin playwright and philosopher who flourished in Rome in the late C1st A.D. during the reigns of the emperors Claudius and Nero. His surviving work includes ten tragedy plays,
SENECA THE YOUNGER was a Latin playwright and philosopher who flourished in Rome in the late C1st A.D. during the reigns of the emperors Claudius and Nero. His surviving work includes ten tragedy plays, nine of which are based on mythological themes. His authorship of Hercules Oetaeus and Octavia is uncertain.
Seneca. Tragedies. Translated by Miller, Frank Justus. Loeb Classical Library Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1917.
The Miller translations of Seneca's tragedies are no longer in print having been replaced in the Loeb Classical Library series by those of John Finch. These are available new from Amazon.com (see left below for details). In addition to the translation of the plays, the two volumes contain the source Latin texts, Miller's introduction and footnotes and an index of proper names.
AGAMEMNON, TRANSLATED BY FRANK JUSTUS MILLER
AGAMEMNON, king of Argos, and leader of all the Greeks in their war against Troy.
GHOST OF THYESTES, returned to earth to urge on his son to the vengeance which he was born to accomplish.
AEGISTHUS, son of Thyestes by an incestuous union with his daughter; paramour of Clytemnestra.
CHORUS of Argive women.
EURYBATES, messenger of Agamemnon.
CASSANDRA, daughter of Priam, captive of Agamemnon.
ELECTRA, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.
STROPHIUS, king of Phocis.
ORESTES, son of Agamemnon (persona muta).
PYLADES, son of Strophius (persona muta).
BAND of captive Trojan women.
THE SCENE is laid partly within and partly without the palace of Agamemnon at Argos or Mycenae, on the day of the return of the king from his long absence at Troy, beginning in the period of darkness just preceding the dawn.
The blood-feud between Atreus and Thyestes was not ended with the terrible vengeance which Atreus wreaked upon his brother. It was yet in fate that Thyestes should live to beget upon his own daughter a son, Aegisthus, who should slay Atreus and bring ruin and death upon the great Atrides, Agamemnon.
The Trojan war is done. And now the near approach of the victorious king, bringing his captives and treasure home to Argos, has been announced. But little does he dream to what a home he is returning. For Clytemnestra, enraged at Agamemnon because he had sacrificed her daughter Iphigenia at Aulis to appease the winds, and full of jealousy because he brings Cassandra as her rival home, estranged also by the long-continued absence of her lord, but most estranged by her own guilty union with Aegisthus, is now plotting to slay her husband on his return, gaining thus at once revenge and safety from his wrath.
GHOST OF THYESTES
 Leaving the murky regions of infernal Dis, I come, sent forth from Tartarus’ deep pit, doubting which world I hate the more – Thyestes flees the lower, the upper he puts to flight. Lo, my spirit shudders, my limbs quake with fear; I see my father’s, nay more, my brother’s house. This is the ancient seat of Pelops’ line; here ‘tis the custom of the Pelasgians to crown their kings; on the this throne sit high lords whose proud hands wield the sceptre; here is their council-chamber – here they feast.1
 Fain would I turn me back. Is it not better to haunt even the gloomy pools, better to gaze upon the guardian of the Styx, tossing his three-fold neck with sable mane? where one,2 his body bound on the swift-flying wheel, is whirled back upon himself; where vain uphill toil3 is mocked as the stone rolls ever backward; where a greedy bird tears at the liver4 constantly renewed; and the old man,5 thirst-parched midst waters, catches at fleeting waves with cheated lips, doomed to pay dearly for the banquet6 of the gods. But how small a part of my offence is his? Let us take count of all whom for their impious deeds the Cretan judge7 with whirling urn condemns; all of them by my crimes shall I, Thyestes, conquer. But by my brother shall I be conquered, full of my three sons buried in me; my own flesh have I consumed.
 Nor thus far only has Fortune defiled the sire,8 but, daring greater crime than that committed, she bade him seek his daughter’s incestuous embrace. Fearlessly and to the dregs did I drain her bidding, but ‘twas an impious thing I did. And therefore, that a father’s power might extend o’er all his children, my daughter, forced by fate,9 bore child to me, worthy to call me father. Nature has been confounded; father with grandsire, yea, monstrous! husband with father, grandsons with sons, have I confused – day with night.
 But at length, though late and coming after death, the promise of dim prophecy is fulfilled to me, worn with my woes; that king of kings, that leader of leaders, Agamemnon, following whose banne