diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/54702-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54702-0.txt | 1801 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 1801 deletions
diff --git a/old/54702-0.txt b/old/54702-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 5871714..0000000 --- a/old/54702-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1801 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Translation of Octavia, a Latin Tragedy, -with Notes and Introduction, by Elizabeth Twining Hall - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: A Translation of Octavia, a Latin Tragedy, with Notes and Introduction - -Author: Elizabeth Twining Hall - -Release Date: May 11, 2017 [EBook #54702] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TRANSLATION OF OCTAVIA *** - - - - -Produced by Craig Kirkwood and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive.) - - - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes: - -Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - -Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end. - - * * * * * - - - - -A TRANSLATION OF OCTAVIA, A LATIN TRAGEDY, WITH NOTES AND INTRODUCTION - - - BY ELIZABETH TWINING HALL, A. B., 1900 - - THESIS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL - - UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS - - 1901 - - * * * * * - -UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS - -_May 29_ 190_1_ - -THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER MY SUPERVISION BY - -_Elizabeth Hall_ - -ENTITLED _Translation of Octavia, a Latin Tragedy with Notes and -Introduction_ - -IS APPROVED BY ME AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE -DEGREE OF _A.M._ - - _Herbert J Barton_ - HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF _Latin_. - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -Octavia is the only extant tragedy in fabula praetexta or historical -Roman tragedy in Roman scene and setting. It is remarkably true to -fact, and almost every statement may be verified by reference to the -ancient historians. - -It deals with the sad story of Octavia, the daughter of Claudius and -Messalina. Married against her will when only twelve years old to Nero, -a lad of sixteen, she was after five years divorced by her husband on -a charge of barrenness in favor of Poppaea Sabina, and in 62 A.D. was -banished to a desert island there to be executed. - -The play is a well rounded whole, all the parts are well worked out, -and the characters are vivid and lifelike. There is a force and majesty -in the tragedy which carries the reader through without pause. The sad -story of Octavia forms the plot, but the poet has interwoven political -motives and represents the people as taking Octavia’s part. This only -serves to hasten her death, for Nero eagerly seizes upon this as a -pretext to condemn her. - -There are five acts in the play, and each is closed by chants from -the chorus which serve to explain the action further. There are many -references to history and mythology, but the atmosphere is distinctly -Roman. At no time do three actors appear on the stage in the same -scene. The characters are exactly as one would expect from a close -study of history and are delineated with marvelous skill and fidelity. - -The versification is confined to iambic meters in the dialogues, while -the choruses, though they form a very prominent feature, are restricted -to anapestic systems somewhat loosely constructed. - -The play is really a bitter impeachment of Nero and was composed -shortly after his death in 68 A.D. The tragedy of Octavia for a long -time was supposed to be written by Seneca and was handed down to -posterity with his genuine dramas, but later authorities ascribe its -authorship possibly to Curiatius Maternus. There is unmistakable -evidence in the words of the play that it was composed after Nero’s -death, and this would render the authorship of Seneca entirely out of -the question since he died three years before Nero. - -There is perceptible the strong influence of Greek tragedy, but -the plot and setting are distinctly original. Octavia has the -characteristics of tragedy as laid down by Aristotle, that the aim is -to purify the passions by means of action exciting pity for the actors -and fear for the hearers, and that the leading characters must partly -occasion their own misfortunes. Octavia conforms to the old Greek idea -of the unities of time, place, and action. The place of action is -confined to the palace of Nero; the action may be considered as taking -place in one day and night; and the action forms a whole of which -each part has its proper place and the parts follow one another in -logical order. - - - - -CAST OF CHARACTERS - - - NERO, THE EMPEROR - SENECA, THE TUTOR OF NERO - PREFECT - MESSENGER - OCTAVIA, THE DIVORCED WIFE OF NERO - POPPAEA, THE MISTRESS OF NERO - NURSE OF OCTAVIA - NURSE OF POPPAEA - AGRIPPINA, MOTHER OF NERO - CHORUS - - - - -OCTAVIA, A TRAGEDY. - - -_OCTAVIA_: Already glorious Aurora[1] chases the wandering stars from -the sky. Titan,[2] with radiant hair, rises and returns a clear day to -the world. Come, thou[3] who art burdened by so many great misfortunes, -utter once more thy sad lamentations. Surpass the kingfishers[4] and -the swift nightingales, for thy fate is more grievous than theirs. -O, mother, for whom I have always mourned, the first cause of my -misfortunes, (if any consciousness exists in the shades) hear the -sad lamentations of thy daughter. Would that Clotho[5] had broken my -threads with her own aged hand before I saw thy features sprinkled with -loathsome blood.[6] O, day always fatal to me, from that time thou -hast been to me more hateful than the lower regions. I have endured -commands, hostility, and fierce glances from my cruel stepmother.[7] -That gloomy Erinys[8] has brought to my bridal room Stygian[9] fires -and has destroyed thee, wretched father,[10] whom recently the -whole world beyond the Ocean obeyed, before whom retreated the -Britains,[11] ignorant of our leaders and their own rights. Woe to me, -father, that I am overwhelmed by the treachery of thy wife, and that -thou liest prostrate, and that thy conquered home and daughter obey the -tyrant. - -_NURSE_: If anyone is captivated, astonished, and stupefied by -the first gleam of deceptive royalty, he will see, overthrown by a -sudden attack of concealed Fortune, a recently powerful home and the -progeny of Claudius who ruled the world and commanded the ocean which -reluctantly received his fleets.[12] Behold, he who first placed the -yoke upon the Britains[13] and covered unknown seas with such great -fleets, and was safe among barbarous tribes and savage seas, perished by -his wife’s crime.[14] Soon she died by the hand of her own son whose -brother met death by poison. The unhappy sister and wife sorrows; -restrained indignation cannot conceal the grievous affliction of a -cruel husband whom she in her innocence always escapes, while the -passionate husband burns with a mutual hatred. In vain my fidelity and -loyalty to soothe her sorrowing mind. Pitiless grief frustrates my -plans; the mind’s generous ardor cannot be subdued but gathers strength -for evils. Alas, what an infamous crime our terror foresees. O, may the -gods avert it. - -_OCTAVIA_: My fortunes are comparable to no evils,[15] even if I -should recall thy sorrows, Electra.[16] Thou wast permitted to mourn -thy father and to avenge the crime by the vengeance of a brother whom -thy loyalty rescued and thy fidelity protected.[17] Fear prevents me -from lamenting my parents removed by a cruel destiny, and forbids me to -weep for the death of a brother who had been my only hope and the brief -solace for so many misfortunes. Now I remain in my sorrow the shadow of -a great name.[18] - -_NURSE_: Listen, I hear the voice of my sad foster daughter. Does -slow old age hesitate to go to the wedding chamber? - -_OCTAVIA_: O, nurse, thou faithful witness of my grief, see my tears. - -_NURSE_: What day, wretched daughter, will free thee from such sorrow? - -_OCTAVIA_: The day which will send me to the Stygian shades. - -_NURSE_: I hope that these forebodings of thine may be long in -realization. - -_OCTAVIA_: Not thy prayers but the fates rule my destiny. - -_NURSE_: A pitying god will give better opportunities to thee in thy -sorrow. Soon thou wilt quietly win over thy husband with caressing -obedience. - -_OCTAVIA_: I could conquer the savage lion and the fierce tiger sooner -than the merciless heart of a barbarous tyrant. He hates men of noble -descent, he scorns both gods and men, and not yet does he meet the -fate which his infamous mother by a dreadful crime bestowed upon him. -Although he may be ashamed to have gained this unacknowledged empire by -the kindness of his ill-omened mother, yet she will bear this title of -honor[19] after death for endless generations. - -_NURSE_: Restrain the thoughts of thy raging mind; repress those rashly -spoken words. - -_OCTAVIA_: However much I may endure the inevitable, never can -my misfortunes be ended except by sorrowful death. With a mother -murdered and a father removed through crime, deprived of a brother, -overwhelmed by my woes and grief, distasteful to my husband, and -submissive to my slaves, I do not enjoy a pleasant life. My heart is -always trembling, not from fear of death--to die would be a joy--but -from dread of crime[20] of which I hope I may never be accused. For -it is a punishment worse than death for me in my misery to see those -swollen features and to endure the fierce glances of a tyrant[21] and -the kisses of an enemy, not even whose courteous nod I cannot endure -after the murder of my brother[22] whose empire the wicked assassin -rules and over which he rejoices. How often the sorrowful apparition of -my brother appears to my vision when quiet relaxes my limbs and sleep -weighs down my eyes wearied by weeping. Now he arms his feeble hands -with smoky torches and with hostile intent seeks the presence of his -own brother;[23] now in fear and trembling he flees into my apartment; -his enemy follows and violently pierces us with his sword as we cling -together. - -Then tremulous dread drives away sleep and renews my wretched sorrow -and fear. Besides all these woes, there is the haughty mistress[24] -resplendent with the spoils of our home--the mistress whose son -rewarded her by placing her upon that fatal bark.[25] More cruel than -the waves of the sea, he destroyed[26] her by his sword after the -failure of the shipwreck in the peaceful waters. After such a great -crime, how can I hope to escape? A victorious and unfriendly woman[27] -threatens my marriage couch. Burning with hatred toward me, she -demands, as a reward for her dishonor, the head of the lawful wife. -Come forth from the shades and aid thy appealing daughter, father,[28] -or open the Stygian depths to the sundered earth whither I may be borne -headlong. - -_NURSE_: In vain, wretched daughter, dost thou invoke the spirit of -thy father who in the lower world has no thought for his child. He -could prefer the progeny of foreign blood[29] to his own son and he -married in disgraceful nuptials the daughter of his own brother.[30] -From thence is begun a long series of crime, murder, treachery, desire -for dominion, and thirst for royal blood. The noble son-in-law[31] was -betrayed by his wife’s father and perished in the bridal chamber lest -he become powerful by his union with thee. Alas, that such a crime -should be! Silanus, given as a reward to Agrippina who falsely accused -him, has taken his own life. Then there entered the conquered home the -hostile son-in-law[32] and yet an own son, a youth of infamous genius, -capable of any crime, and influenced by the wily stepmother who gave -him to thee in marriage although thou wast timid and reluctant. - -This fierce and victorious woman, carried away by her great success, -has dared to menace the sacred empire of the world. Who can recall the -many crimes, and infamous desires, and beguiling treachery of a woman -who seeks power through the steps of every crime? Then sacred Loyalty -fled with trembling step; cruel Erinys with deadly tread entered -the deserted halls, polluted with baneful fires the sacred Penates, -violated Justice, and broke every law of Nature. The unnatural wife -mixed poison for her husband; he perished; then soon, she, too, fell by -the hand of her own son. Thou, too, art fallen, Britannicus, unhappy -youth whom we forever mourn, recently the star of the universe and the -protector of a mighty home; now, woe to me, thou art only light ashes -and a sorrowful shade. Even the cruel stepmother shed tears when I -placed thy body upon the funeral pyre and when the cruel flame played -round thy godlike limbs and features.[33] - -_OCTAVIA_: Let it destroy me too lest this tyrant perish by my hand. - -_NURSE_: Nature has not given such strength to thee. - -_OCTAVIA_: Grief, sadness, misery, anguish, and mourning will give it. - -_NURSE_: Thou hadst better conquer pitiless Nero by obedience. - -_OCTAVIA_: For what purpose? That he may restore to me my brother whom -he has murdered? - -_NURSE_: That thou, thyself, mayst be safe; that thou by thy progeny, -mayst keep from ruin the former home of thy father. - -_OCTAVIA_: The home of the emperor desires another offspring. The -dreadful death of my brother distracts me. - -_NURSE_: Such great favor of the citizens toward him should soothe thy -mind.[34] - -_OCTAVIA_: It alleviates my sorrows but does not free me from them. - -_NURSE_: The power of the people is great. - -_OCTAVIA_: But the power of the ruler is greater. - -_NURSE_: He will have regard for his wife. - -_OCTAVIA_: His mistress forbids this.[35] - -_NURSE_: But as everyone knows, she is hated by all. - -_OCTAVIA_: But dear to my husband. - -_NURSE_: Not yet his wife, however. - -_OCTAVIA_: Soon she will be a wife and at the same time a mother. - -_NURSE_: Youthful ardor rages at first but easily languishes just as -the warmth of a little flame; not long does it continue in disgraceful -love, but unceasing love for a chaste wife remains. The first slave[36] -who dared to dishonor thy couch long swayed the emperor’s mind, but now -she fears-- - -_OCTAVIA_: Undoubtedly someone preferred to herself. - -_NURSE_: Humble, submissive, and confessing her fault, she heaps up -votive offerings by which she shows her own fear. Cupid, the fickle god -of love, will abandon her, and although beautiful in form and haughty -in her resources she will enjoy but brief happiness. Juno, the queen -of the gods, endured sorrows similar to thine when Jupiter, the lord -of the heavens and father of the gods, changed himself into every -form; now he took the wings of the swan;[37] now, the horns of the -Sidonian bull;[38] now he flowed in golden showers.[39] The stars of -Leda shine in the sky; Bacchus[40] resides on paternal Olympus; the -god Alcides[41] is the husband of Hebe,[42] nor fears the wrath of -Juno although she has been his lifelong enemy. Yet the wise compliance -and suppressed rage of the proud wife conquered. Great Juno alone now -retains the Thunderer securely on the heavenly couch, nor allured by -mortal beauty does Jupiter leave the lofty halls. Thou, too, a second -Juno on earth, sister[43] and wife of Augustus, mayst thus vanquish thy -heavy sorrows. - -_OCTAVIA_: The cruel seas will be united with the stars; fire with -water; the heavens with the gloomy under world; genial light with -darkness; day with dewy night, before my spirit, always mindful of my -murdered brother, will be united with the abandoned soul of my infamous -husband. - -May the ruler of the heaven dwellers who often shakes the world -with his deadly thunderbolts and terrifies our mind with sacred -lightning,--may he prepare to overwhelm the head of the impious chief -with flames.[44] We have seen in the sky, where Bootes[45] stiff with -cold slowly draws his wagons in the eternal change of night, the -glowing splendor of the comet expand its baneful light.[46] Behold, -even the very atmosphere is contaminated by the ominous breath of the -savage chief;[47] the stars foretell new calamities to the nations -which the impious leader rules. - -When long ago Tellus, furious at Jove, was a mother,[48] she did -not produce a monster as fierce as this infamous Nero. This curse, -more dreadful than Typhon, this enemy of gods and man, has driven -the celestial deities from their temples and the citizens from their -fatherland; he has deprived my brother of life; he has shed the blood -of his own mother; yet he sees the light, he enjoys life, and continues -to draw his deadly breath.[49] Alas, Jupiter, thou noble father of the -world, why dost thou vainly hurl with thine own royal hand so many -times at random? Why dost thou hesitate to act against such a baneful -monster? May Nero, the pretender, the true descendant of Domitius[50] -pay the penalty for his crimes--Nero, the tyrant of the world which he -burdens with a disgraceful yoke--Nero, who defiles the very name of -Augustus with his blemished character. - -_NURSE_: I acknowledge that he is unworthy of thee but submit to fate -and fortune, daughter, and do not, I implore thee, arouse the wrath of -thy angry husband. Perhaps some avenging god will appear and a joyful -day will dawn. - -_OCTAVIA_: For a long time our home has been beset with the heavy wrath -of the gods. Pitiless Venus first exacted punishment for the madness of -my wretched mother who was united in incestuous marriage, regardless -of me, of her husband, and forgetful of the laws.[51] With her hair -flowing and entwined with serpents, that avenging Erinys came to the -fatal marriage couch and quenched in blood the torches snatched from -the marriage chamber. Anger aroused the heart of the fierce leader -to disgraceful murder. Our unhappy mother perished by the sword, and -her death continually saddens me. She has led forth to death her own -husband and son; she has betrayed and destroyed our home. - -_NURSE_: Cease renewing filial sorrows by thy weeping. Do not disturb -the spirit of thy mother who has paid heavy penalties for her own -madness. - -_CHORUS_: What rumor do we now hear? Falsely believed and repeated in -vain so many times, may it lose credence; may the new wife not enter -the bridal apartments; may the former wife, the child of Claudius, -retain her own Penates; may she give birth to pledges of love in which -a peaceful universe may rejoice and Rome preserve an eternal glory. - -Great Juno, chosen by lot, occupies the bridal apartment of her -brother. Why is the wife and sister of Augustus driven from her -ancestral halls? What does sacred pity avail her? What, a divine -father? What, chastity and virtuous modesty? We, too, are forgetful -of ourselves after the death of a leader whose son we betrayed since -his life caused fear.[52] Once there was genuine Roman valor of the -ancestors and the true race and blood of Mars in these men. They drove -the haughty kings from Rome, and well did they avenge thy wrongs, -Lucretia, thou, dishonored by the cruel tyrant and killed by thy own -wretched hand.[53] Tullia, the wife of Tarquinius, paid the penalty -for her dreadful crimes.--Tullia who wickedly drove the cruel chariot -over the body of her murdered father and refused a funeral pyre to the -mangled old man.[54] - -This generation has seen the infamous crime of a son who sent -into the Tuscan seas his mother enticed into the fatal boat by -treachery.[55] The sailors are ordered to leave the peaceful port; the -waves resound with the measured beat of the oars. The ship is borne -along upon the deep seas; sinking slowly, it suddenly divides and sucks -in the waters. A great clamor mingled with women’s wailing is raised to -the stars; a dreadful death threatens them; each one seeks for himself -escape from death; some cling to the planks of the shattered stern; -their naked bodies cleave the waves; others swim for the shore; the -fates plunge many to the depths of the sea. Augusta rends her clothing; -she tears her hair and weeps. After she has given up hope of escape, -burning with wrath and overcome by her misfortune, she exclaims, “Dost -thou reward me, thus, for my great services, my son? I confess that I -am worthy of this ship since I gave birth to thee, and in my madness -gave thee life, dominion, and the royal name of Caesar. - -“Lift thy face from the lower world, husband, and feast upon my -punishment. The cause of thy death, Claudius, and the instigator of thy -son’s funeral pyre, I shall be borne to Tartarus, deservedly unburied -and overwhelmed by the savage waters of the sea.” As she spoke, the -waves beat her face, she rises again from the waters; in terror, she -beats the billows with her palms but finally exhausted she yields to -the struggle. Loyalty still remained in silent hearts though scorned -even in the hour of bitter death. Many hasten to aid their mistress -whose strength is broken by the force of the sea. With shouts they -encourage her as she slowly but persistently waves her arms. Eagerly -they lift her into their boat. What did it profit thee to escape the -waters of the cruel sea? Thou art destined to die by the sword of -thy son whose infamous crime posterity will scarcely believe and to -which succeeding generations will always be slow to give credence. The -unnatural son is furious at his mother’s escape, he grieves that she -is saved from the sea, and he commits a greater crime by hastening her -death. The servant sent to commit the murder lays open the breast of -the mother with his sword. The unhappy woman, while dying, commands -the slave to bury the fierce sword in her womb. “Here, here is the -place. The sword must pierce the womb which bore such a monster.” Then, -passionately weeping, she breathed her last. - -_SENECA_: O, thou powerful Fortune with beguiling but treacherous -countenance! Why didst thou elevate me when I was content with my lot? -Didst thou hope that, received into a lofty citadel, I might see afar -so many causes for anxiety and therefore fall most heavily?[56] - -Rather would I, removed far away from envious misfortunes, lie -concealed among the rocks of the Corsican sea where my mind had freedom -and leisure to pursue its studies.[57] O how delightful it was to watch -the sky which is as great as anything Mother Nature, the builder of the -universe, has produced, to gaze upon the alternating changes of the sun -and moon surrounded by wandering stars, the far shining glory of the -lofty firmament. If this world wanes, if, although so great, it returns -again to gloomy chaos, be thou present to the world, that last day -which overwhelmed the wicked race of the world with ruin so that rising -again, it produced a new and better generation. Such a people[58] -Jupiter brought forth when Saturn held the dominion of the universe.[59] - -The maiden Justice, the goddess of divine majesty, sent with sacred -Piety from heaven, mercifully ruled the human race. The nations had not -known wars, nor the fierce blasts of the trumpets, nor arms; they did -not surround their cities with walls; everything was held in common. -Mother Earth herself, blessed and happy in her devout foster sons, -voluntarily opened her fruitful bosom. But a second race less skilled -and gentle appeared; then a third, practised in new arts but not wicked -yet.[60] Soon this age was restless. It dared to follow the swift wild -beasts in their course, to draw out with heavy net the fish concealed -in the depths, to catch the birds in lime twig snares, to hold a -trap-X-X-X,[61] make the fierce bulls submissive to the yoke, to plow -the earth before untouched by a plowshare,--the land which concealed its -fruits far within its sacred bosom. But a worse age pierced the vitals -of its own parent. - -It dug up heavy iron and gold and soon armed its cruel hands. The -land was divided; kingdoms were established; new cities were built; it -defended its own walls or, intent upon pillage, sought the property of -a stranger. Astraea, now the great glory of the stars, fled from the -earth and the cruel customs of men defiled with bloody carnage.[62] -Desire for war and thirst for gold increased throughout the entire -world. The greatest misfortunes had their origin in luxury, that -beguiling evil, which gained strength from time and serious error. -Vices acquired during so many long ages abound in us. We are oppressed -by an infamous age in which crime rules, raging impiety grows furious, -and passionate lust and disgraceful love conquer. With avaricious -hands, victorious Luxury grasps the immense resources of the world -to destroy them. But, lo, with frenzied step and fierce glance Nero -enters.[63] I fear what he brings. - -_NERO_: Fulfil my commands! Send a man who can bring back to me the -severed heads of Plautus and Sulla.[64] - -_PREFECT_: I shall not delay your commands. I will seek the camp -immediately. - -_SENECA_: It is best to decide nothing rashly against relatives. - -_NERO_: It is easy for him to be just whose heart is free from fear. - -_SENECA_: Clemency is a great cure for fear. - -_NERO_: To destroy an enemy is the greatest virtue of a leader. - -_SENECA_: It is a greater virtue to preserve the citizens for the -father of the fatherland.[65] - -_NERO_: It is right for a merciful old man to admonish youth. - -_SENECA_: Glowing young manhood must be guided more. - -_NERO_: I think there is enough advice for this period of life. - -_SENECA_: May the gods always sanction thy policy. - -_NERO_: I should be foolish to fear the gods for what I myself have -done. - -_SENECA_: Thou shouldst fear them all the more since they have given so -much power to thee. - -_NERO_: Fortune bestows all upon me. - -_SENECA_: Trust not too much to her compliance. The goddess is fickle. - -_NERO_: He is incompetent who does not know what he may do. - -_SENECA_: It is commendable for a ruler to do what is right, not what -he may. - -_NERO_: The crowd tramples upon the humble. - -_SENECA_: But it crushes the object of its hatred. - -_NERO_: The sword guards the emperor. - -_SENECA_: But loyalty better. - -_NERO_: It is imperative that they fear-- - -_SENECA_: Compulsion is dangerous. - -_NERO_: And that they obey my commands. - -_SENECA_: Grant privileges. - -_NERO_: I will be master. - -_SENECA_: This procedure may breed conspiracies. - -_NERO_: That the sword may destroy this object of contempt? - -_SENECA_: May this crime never happen! - -_NERO_: Shall I suffer my life, besides, to be sought so that, -unavenged and despised, I may suddenly be overwhelmed. Even far distant -exile did not subdue Plautus or Sulla whose persistent wrath arms the -servants of crime for my death, since there exists in our city great -partiality for these absent men and many foster the hopes of the -exiles. May all my possible enemies be put to the sword! May my hated -wife perish and follow her beloved brother! May whatever is noble cease -to be! - -_SENECA_: It is glorious for a man to be eminent among illustrious men, -to plan for the fatherland, to spare affliction, to refrain from fierce -carnage, to control wrath, to give quiet to the world and peace to his -own generation. This is the greatest virtue; by this path Heaven is -gained. Augustus, the first father of the fatherland, thus attained the -stars and is worshiped as a god in the temples.[66] Yet Fortune long -tossed him about on land and sea, through all the vicissitudes of war -until he crushed the enemy of his father. He bequeathed to thee his own -divinity without bloodshed; he held the reins of empire with skillful -hand; he made submissive to thy will the land and sea. Bitter envy -disappears conquered by blessed harmony. The applause of the equestrian -order and of the senate is aroused. Thou, the author of peace and the -arbiter of the human race, chosen by the plebeians’ entreaties and the -judgment of the senate,[67] now by a sacred resemblance art ruling the -world as father of the fatherland. - -Rome implores thee to guard this appellation and entrusts to thee her -own citizens. - -_NERO_: It is the gift of the gods since Rome herself and the senate -are devoted to me and since fear of me has wrested prayers and -submissive words from reluctant citizens. For a ruler to save men -hostile to him and to the fatherland and proud of their royal race -is madness, when with a word he can command his enemies to die. -Brutus armed his bands to kill a leader from whom he had received -prosperity.[68] Unconquerable in battle, father of nations and equal -to Jove, Caesar crowned with honors fell by the wicked crime of the -citizens. How many murders of her own citizens has Rome seen? How -many noble men have been killed by divine Augustus who deserved -Heaven by his sacred virtue? How many youths and old men has he -scattered over the world and destined to bitter death when from -fear of death they fled from their own homes and the sword of the -triumvirate?[69] Sorrowing fathers saw their sons’ heads exposed on the -Rostra, but they could neither weep nor groan for their own children, -even when the forum was defiled by dreadful corruption and the thick -blood dripped over the putrid countenances. There was no end to -bloodshed and murder. - -Gloomy Philippi long frightened the birds and savage wild beasts. -The Sicilian Sea engulfed the fleets and men often abandoning their -fellow countrymen, and the world was shaken by the mighty power of the -triumvirate. Conquered, with his ships prepared for flight, and soon -to die, Antony sought the Nile.[70] The Egyptian Cleopatra a second -time drained the blood of a Roman leader.[71] Now he has reached the -lower world. Yonder is buried civil war which long and wickedly has -been carried on. Finally the wearied victor sheathed his sword dulled -by fierce wounds, and fear held the empire. By the arms and fidelity of -the soldiery he was safe; he was pronounced a god by the noble piety of -the son, deified after death, and worshipped in the temples. Stars will -be destined for me, too, if I shall be the first to attack with a cruel -sword whatever is hostile to me and shall establish a home for a noble -offspring. - -_SENECA_: The glory of the Claudian house, the daughter of a god, and -chosen like Juno for the bridal couch of a brother, will fill thy home -with divine progeny. - -_NERO_: The vile mother withheld confidence from her daughter’s -husband, and never has the soul of Octavia been united with mine.[72] - -_SENECA_: Love is scarcely intelligible in youthful years; overcome -with shame it conceals its passion. - -_NERO_: I, too, long made this same mistake, but the unmistakable -signs of her lonely heart and features revealed her hatred for me. -Yet burning indignation has determined to avenge this. I have found -a wife worthy of my couch--a woman of noble family and magnificent -bearing.[73] She is more beautiful than Venus, or the wife of Jove, or -the stately goddess of war. - -_SENECA_: Let the goodness, fidelity, modesty, and character of the -wife please the husband. The good alone continue to be second to -none in mind and spirit. The days, one by one, rob the flower of its -beauty.[74] - -_NERO_: The gods have bestowed every gift upon one woman, and the -fates have decreed her for me. - -_SENECA_: Love will abandon thee. Do not trust rashly. - -_NERO_: Can Jove himself keep away this tyrant of the heavens who -penetrates the savage waves of Neptune and the kingdoms of Pluto and -draws the celestial deities from their home above? - -_SENECA_: The mind of man assumes that swift Love is a pitiless god. -It arms his divine hands with bow and arrow; it gives him a cruel -torch and believes him to be the son of Venus and Vulcan. Love is the -powerful force of the mind and the caressing warmth of the spirit. It -is fostered in youth and nourished in extravagance and idleness, among -the joyful blessings of Fortune. If thou shalt cease to nourish and -to cherish this Love, it falls in a short time and destroys its own -strength. - -_NERO_: I consider Love to be the greatest reason for existence; -through it, passions spring up. Love is harmless; the human race is -always refreshed by pleasing love which soothes the fierce wild beasts. -May Cupid bring to me nuptial torches, and may he join Poppaea to me in -wedlock. - -_SENECA_: The grief of the people can hardly endure these nuptials, nor -can sacred loyalty consent.[75] - -_NERO_: Shall I alone be forbidden what is permitted to all? - -_SENECA_: The people always exact greater deeds from the emperor.[76] - -_NERO_: It pleases me to test whether good will rashly harbored in -their minds dies overpowered by my strength. - -_SENECA_: Thou hadst better calmly gratify thy subjects. - -_NERO_: It is bad government when the common people rule the leader. - -_SENECA_: When the people can obtain no redress, they justly mourn. - -_NERO_: It is right to extort by force what entreaties can not -accomplish? - -_SENECA_: It is difficult to refuse. - -_NERO_: It is a crime for an emperor to be forced. - -_SENECA_: Let him yield. - -_NERO_: Rumor will report him conquered. - -_SENECA_: Rumor is light and airy. - -_NERO_: Although that may be, it brands many people. - -_SENECA_: It fears men in lofty positions. - -_NERO_: Yet not less does it censure. - -_SENECA_: Rumor can easily be suppressed. Let the favors of divine -Claudius, and the youth, fidelity, and modesty of Octavia appease thee. - -_NERO_: Yet cease to urge me. Already thou hast threatened me too much. -I have power to do even what SENECA condemns. Too long have I delayed -my solemn vows to Poppaea since she is soon to become the mother of my -child. Why do I not appoint tomorrow for our nuptials? - -_AGRIPPINA_: I have come from the lower world to this wicked bridal, -carrying the Stygian torch in my blood-stained hand. Poppaea as a -bride veils herself with these fires of passion which my vengeance -and anguish will turn to bitter destruction. Even among the shades, -the memory of my unnatural murder haunts me, and I am oppressed by my -unavenged spirit. Deservedly I recall the deadly reward of the ship, -the recompense for my ambition, and the night when I deplored my -shipwreck. I had vowed to lament the violent death of my companions and -my son’s cruel crime--he gave me no opportunity to weep but repeated -his wicked crime. Saved from a watery grave, slain by the sword, -defiled by wounds, among my own household gods, I breathed my last, nor -did I quench with my blood my son’s hatred. The fierce tyrant rages at -the very name of mother. He desires to forget benefits; he destroys -his mother’s statues and titles of honor throughout the entire empire -which her ill-fated love gave to him to control for her punishment. My -murdered husband disturbs and threatens me even after my death, and -with flames seeks my hated features. He approaches and menaces me; he -imputes to me his son’s death and cenotaph; he demands the assassin’s -punishment. Cease thy entreaties. Expiation will soon be made. -Avenging Erinys prepare for the impious tyrant the lash, disgraceful -flight, a worthy death, and punishments which surpass the thirst -of Tantalus,[77] the dreadful labor of Sisyphus,[78] the bird of -Tityos,[79] and the wheel that whirls the body of Ixion.[80] Although -the haughty tyrant may fill the hall with marble statues and cover it -with gold,[81] although an exhausted world may send riches, although -the suppliant Parthians may bow before his blood-stained hands,[82] -although empires may bestow their treasures, yet the day will come when -abandoned, ruined, and deprived of everything, he will turn his wicked -thoughts to his own crimes and surrender his life to his enemies.[83] - -Alas, how have my vows resulted? Whither have fury and the fates -led thee, my son, that the wrath of thy mother who perished by thy -crime may yield to such great misfortunes? Would that the savage wild -beasts had torn my vitals before I brought thee, a little child, -into the world and nourished thee. Would that guiltless and without -consciousness, my son, thou hadst perished. Would that with me thou -hadst seen the peaceful home of the lower world, thy father, and thy -ancestors, men of great renown. Now disgrace and unending grief await -them from thee, wicked son, and from me who gave birth to such a -monster. Why do I hesitate to hide my face in Tartarus, stepmother, -wife and parent who have brought misfortune to all my kinsfolk and -friends? - -_OCTAVIA_: Cease thy weeping on such a joyful holiday[84] of the city -lest thy great love for me excite the fierce wrath of the emperor and -be a source of misfortune to thee. This is not the first wound my heart -has known. I have felt deeper sorrows. Today will end my anguish by -death. I shall not be forced to see the face of my cruel husband nor to -enter the hated bridal chamber of a slave. Sister of Augustus I shall -be but not his wife. Let only bitter punishment and fear of death be -far from me. When thou dost remember the crimes of this wicked man, -canst thou in thy misery hope for mercy? Long saved for these nuptials, -an unfortunate victim at last thou wilt fall. But why dost thou with -tear-stained cheeks look so often in terror at thy father’s palace? -Hasten to the city walls. Leave the blood-stained hall of the chief. - -_CHORUS_: See, a day, long foretold by any rumor, dawns. Claudia is -forced to leave dread Nero’s bridal room which now victorious Poppaea -occupies. Our loyalty and indignation are oppressed by foreboding fear. -Where now is the power of the Roman people which often destroyed noble -leaders, which once gave laws to an invincible fatherland and fasces to -worthy citizens, which commanded war and peace, which conquered fierce -tribes and imprisoned royal captives? Behold the images of Poppaea and -Nero gleam every where before our sight.[85] May the angry people dash -to the ground the exquisitely carved statues of the mistress, and may -it drag her from the royal couch.[86] May it soon seek the palace of -the emperor with hostile flames and fierce weapons. - -_NURSE OF POPPAEA_: Where art thou going from thy husband’s bridal -chamber, trembling daughter? Why in terror dost thou seek concealment? -Why dost thou weep? Surely the day dawns for which we have sought -by prayers and vows. Thou art married to Caesar whom thy beauty -captivated. Although thou art despised by Seneca,[87] Venus, the mother -of Love and greatest of all divinities, has charmed the emperor and -given him over to thee. - -Thou hast sat in lofty halls; thou hast rested upon royal couches. -The astonished senate saw thee with thy head adorned with the red -bridal veil, offering incense to the gods and sprinkling the sacred -altars with fragrant wine.[88] Close by thy side, honored among the -many happy omens of the citizens, showing joy in his haughty bearing, -the chief advanced. Thus did Peleus receive his wife Thetis from the -foaming waves. They say the heaven dwellers and every divinity of the -sea united to celebrate their nuptials.[89] What has changed thee so -suddenly? Tell me why thou dost grow pale and weep? - -_POPPAEA_: O, nurse, confused by the sad and fearful sights of the past -night, disturbed in mind, and deprived of feeling, I am borne along. -When joyful day gave place to gloomy stars and heaven to night, clasped -in the embrace of Nero, I could not sleep nor rest for a long time. For -a sad throng seemed to celebrate my nuptials.[90] Roman matrons with -flowing hair made doleful lamentations. Often amid the terrible blasts -of trumpets, my husband’s cruel mother shook the blood-stained torch. -When resistless fear compelled me to follow her, the sundered earth -opened before me in a vast chasm. - -Borne headlong, I see the marriage couches and I marvel at mine in -which, wearied, I reclined. I see my former husband and son coming with -a crowd of attendants. Crispinus[91] hastens to embrace and kiss me. -Just as he entered my dwelling, trembling Nero buried the savage sword -in his throat. Then overwhelming terror seized me. Horrible fear shakes -my body and brings anguish to my heart. Anxiety has kept me speechless, -but now thy faithful loyalty induces me to speak. Alas, why do these -departed spirits come from the lower world to threaten me? Why have I -witnessed the death of my husband? - -_NURSE_: Whatever the restless activity of the mind considers, divine -consciousness silently and swiftly recalls in sleep.[92] Dost thou -wonder that, clasped in the embrace of a new husband, thou hast dreamed -of thy former one, of the bridal room, and nuptial couch? But on such -a happy day, does it disturb thee that matrons with flowing hair beat -their breasts? They mourn the divorce of Octavia among the sacred -Penates of her brother and in the home of her own ancestors. That torch -which thou didst follow, borne aloft by the hand of Augusta, predicts -to thee a royal and envied name. It foretells that the temples of the -lower world will be thy eternal couches. - -It does not predict war that thy chief buried the sword in his -throat, but it meant that he sheathed his sword in peace. Collect thy -thoughts, accept thy good fortune, I implore thee, and casting aside -all fear return to thy bridal apartments. - -_POPPAEA_: I have determined to seek the shrines and sacred altars, to -propitiate the gods with sacrifices that terror and astonishment may -return upon my enemies. Offer up vows for me and honor the god with -devout prayers that the present state of affair may continue. - -_CHORUS_: If gossiping rumor which now rules and again abandons the -stars, should tell of the true stratagems of Jove and his pleasing -loves--Jove who disguised as a swan had slept upon the breast of Leda, -and who, as a fierce bull, had carried the stolen Europa through the -waves--he will seek thy embraces, Poppaea, whom he prefers to Leda and -to Danae to whom he once descended in a golden shower. Although Sparta -may boast of Helen’s beauty and Paris, the shepherd of Phrygia, may -tell of his reward, Poppaea is more beautiful than the Spartan Helen -who caused such fierce wars and overthrew the kingdom of Priam. But -who rushes in with astonished step, and what news does he bring with -gasping breath? - -_MESSENGER_: May the soldiers who guard the palace of the emperor -defend the hall which the furious people threaten. Behold, the anxious -cohorts bear aid to the city. The anger of the people rashly aroused -does not yield to fear but gathers strength and force. - -_CHORUS_: What madness and terror distract his mind? - -_MESSENGER_: The crowds of people are strongly attached to Octavia, and -frenzied by her great wrongs and persecutions they surge in turmoil -everywhere.[93] - -_CHORUS_: Tell what they have dared to do and by what counsel? - -_MESSENGER_: The gods prepare to return to Claudia her brother’s -penates and couch, the empire which was her dowry. - -_CHORUS_: Whom does Poppaea now hold in allegiance? - -_MESSENGER_: This rash favor inflames the mind of the people and drives -them headlong into raging madness. All the costly marble and shining -bronze images of Poppaea are broken and lie prostrate overthrown by -their savage swords. They drag her dismembered statues along and after -trampling them in the filthy mire, finally destroy them entirely. -My fears conceal their plans and fierce deeds. They prepare to burn -the palace of the emperor unless he surrenders the new wife to their -wrath and submissively returns to Claudia her own penates. I shall not -delay to carry out the commands of the prefect, that Nero may know the -movements of his citizens. - -_CHORUS_: Cupid carries invincible weapons with which thou dost vainly -excite fierce wars. He will overwhelm thee with the fires of passion -with which he has often destroyed thunderbolts and has drawn captive -Jove from the sky. Thou wilt pay the penalty with thy life. Glowing -with passion, he is not patient nor easily controlled. He commanded -fierce Achilles to play the lyre; he shattered the Greeks and Menelaus; -he overturned the kingdom of Priam; he destroyed royal cities. Now the -mind fears what the relentless power of the pitiless god brings. - -_NERO_: O, too lenient is the band of my soldiers and my anger -after such a great wrong, since civilian blood has not quenched the -torches burning for us and since Rome which produced such a monster -does not reek with the blood of the people. The wicked crime of the -common people deserves more severe punishment. But let that woman who -has stirred up rebellion among the citizens and whom I have always -suspected though she was wife and sister, too--let her die by my wrath -and let her extinguish my anger in her own blood. Let the walls of the -city perish in my flames. Let disgraceful poverty, hunger, and cruel -sorrow destroy a hated nation. Great crowds corrupted by the prosperity -of the times run riot; moderation does not please it, nor can it endure -a peaceful reign, but it is borne hither by restless audacity, and -is hurled thither by its own temerity. Misfortune must govern it; a -heavy yoke must always crush it down lest it should dare to compare me -with former rulers and to conspire against my wife. Crushed by fear of -punishment, the people will learn to obey the will of its own leader. -But I see a man coming whose singular loyalty and remarkable fidelity -have placed him in command of my legions. - -_PREFECT_: I announce that the uprising of the people is checked by the -death of a few who long rashly resisted. - -_NERO_: And is this all? Dost thou, a soldier, thus obey thy leader’s -commands? Why dost thou cease thy endeavors? Is this the vengeance due -me? - -_PREFECT_: The leaders of the rebellion have fallen. - -_NERO_: Why have not all perished who dared to seek my palace with -torches, to lay down the law to the emperor, to remove such a wife from -my couch, and to dishonor her in every way? Shall they escape richly -deserved punishment? - -_PREFECT_: Will thy indignation prepare punishment for thy own citizens? - -_NERO_: It will prepare a punishment which will never be forgotten. - -_PREFECT_: Let thy wrath, not our fear, restrain us. - -_NERO_: The first age which has deserved my wrath shall expiate it. - -_PREFECT_: Disclose what thy anger demands so that we may punish the -culprit. - -_NERO_: It demands my sister’s death and her severed head. - -_PREFECT_: Chilling horror holds me spellbound. - -_NERO_: Dost thou hesitate to obey? - -_PREFECT_: Why dost thou doubt my loyalty? - -_NERO_: Because thou art merciful to an enemy. - -_PREFECT_: Should a woman receive this name? - -_NERO_: She incites crime. - -_PREFECT_: Who is it who accuses her? - -_NERO_: The wrath of the people against me. - -_PREFECT_: Who can rule the frenzied crowd? - -_NERO_: She who influenced it. - -_PREFECT_: I do not think anyone could. - -_NERO_: A woman whose mind is naturally inclined to evil has inflamed -their hearts with evil plans to injure me. - -_PREFECT_: But she refused their aid. - -_NERO_: But only that she might not be accused and that fear of -punishment might not overcome her weak strength. Retribution will -finally overtake the long condemned criminal. Hear my plans and carry -out my commands.[94] Order Octavia to be placed on a ship and carried -far away to a desert isle. There let her be killed that the fear in my -heart may subside. - -_CHORUS_: Indignation at the present instance forbids mention of many -examples of fickle fortune. The woman upon whom the citizens wished -to bestow the empire of the world, now they see led weeping to bitter -punishment and death. Well does contented poverty conceal itself -in humble dwellings. Often tempests shake those homes or fortune -overwhelms them. - -_OCTAVIA_: Where dost thou lead me? What exile does the tyrannical -queen command for me, if, touched by my many misfortunes, she grants -me life? But if she intends to end my sorrow by death, why does she -begrudge me the pleasure of dying in my own native land? But now I -cannot hope to escape. In my misery, I see my brother’s boat prepared -for me.[95] Borne along in this vessel, once a wife, now only a sister, -driven from my own palace, sorrowfully I shall drift away. Loyalty now -has no divinity, nor are there gods above. Gloomy Erinys rules in the -world! What nightingale can return soft plaintive notes to my weeping? -I would like to escape my sorrows on the uplifted pinions of a bird and -borne aloft and far away flee from the gloomy crowds of men and fierce -carnage. Alone in a deserted forest and suspended on a slender bough, I -would utter sad and mournful murmurs. - -_CHORUS_: Mortals are ruled by fate, and no one can depend upon -the certainty of human life. A single portentous day brings forth -varying fortunes. May the many misfortunes which thy home has endured -strengthen thy mind. What is more cruel to thee than destiny, -Octavia? Thou, a mother worthy of many sons, daughter of Agrippa, -daughter-in-law of Augustus, and wife of Caesar[96] whose royal name -is illustrious in the entire world, soon a barren wife, thou wilt -endure exile, the scourge, cruel fetters, gloomy sights, sorrows, -long continued torture, and finally death itself. Livia, blessed -in the couch and sons of Drusus, committed a great sin and received -punishment.[97] Julia followed her mother’s fortunes.[98] Yet after a -time, although innocent, she falls by the sword. Why was not thy former -mother victorious who dear to her husband and rich in children ruled -the palace of the emperor? She was submissive to her own servant and -fell by the sword of a rough soldier.[99] Why was such a mother of Nero -permitted to hope for divinity? Injured by the blows of the oarsmen -but not fatally, mangled by the sword, she perished, the victim of her -cruel son. - -_OCTAVIA_: Alas, the cruel tyrant sends me to the sorrowing shades -in the lower world. Why do I in my misery vainly hesitate? Hasten to -the death which fate has bestowed upon thee. I call to witness the -immortal gods--What art thy doing in thy madness? Cease to supplicate -the gods who hate thee--I call to witness Tartarus, the avenging -goddesses of Erebus, and thee, father, who art worthy of such a death -and punishment. This dreadful death was not unforeseen by me. -Equip and launch the ship. Let the pilot set sail for the shores of -Pandataria.[100] - -_CHORUS_: Gentle breezes and light zephyrs which bore away Iphigenia -from the cruel altars of the Virgin and covered her with a heavenly -cloud, we beseech thee, waft this maiden far away from bitter -punishment to the temples of Trivia.[101] The harbor of Aulis[102] and -the barbarian land of the Tauri are more merciful than our city. The -gods above are propitiated by the sacrifice of a stranger, but Rome -rejoices in the murder of her own citizen. - - * * * * * - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] Goddess of the dawn. - -[2] The sun. - -[3] Messalina, third wife of Claudius and mother of Octavia and -Britannicus. She acquired the most infamous celebrity of all the Roman -matrons. - -[4] Alcyone threw herself into the sea when Ceyx, her husband, -was shipwrecked, and the gods in compassion changed the two into -kingfishers. Ovid Book XI l. 583-748. - -[5] The spinner among the Parcae. - -[6] Murder of Messalina. - -[7] Agrippina. - -[8] One of the Furies. - -[9] Styx, river in the lower world. - -[10] Claudius, fifth Caesar, reigned 41-54 A.D. He was distinguished -among the Roman emperors by his politic munificence in founding empires. - -[11] Claudius determined to carry into effect the plan which Augustus -had prematurely announced of an invasion of the great island of -Britain. He conquered magnificently and was accorded a triumph at Rome. - -[12] Referring probably to the construction of Portus Romanus and the -extension of maritime power. - -[13] Claudius was the first emperor who really conquered the Britains. - -[14] Tiberius Claudius Drusus who succeeded Caligula obtained with -his infant son the name of Britannicus in honor of his British -victories. After the death of his third wife Messalina, he married -his own niece Agrippina 49 A.D. She influenced him to set aside his -own son Britannicus and to adopt her son Domitius Ahenobarbus giving -him the name of Nero. Having afterward shown a disposition to return -the succession to Britannicus, Claudius was poisoned by Agrippina 54. -Britannicus was poisoned in 55 and Agrippina murdered in 59 by order of -Nero. - -[15] To Octavia her marriage was a funeral in a house where her father -and soon afterward her brother had been poisoned, where a maid had -become more powerful than her mistress, where a paramour had supplanted -the lawful wife, and where she had been branded with a crime more -hateful to her than the worst of deaths. - -[16] Electra, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra and sister of -Orestes. Her sad story has formed the basis of three extant plays, the -Choephori of Aeschylus and the Electra of Sophocles and Euripides. - -[17] Orestes. - -[18] Lucan Bk I. 135. - -[19] Sarcasm. - -[20] Evidently the fear of suicide. - -[21] Nero. - -[22] Britannicus. - -[23] Nero. - -[24] Agrippina. - -[25] The attempt by Nero to dispose of his mother by shipwreck. - -[26] Murder of Agrippina. - -[27] Poppaea. - -[28] Claudius. - -[29] The adoption of Nero and Octavia’s forced betrothal to him. - -[30] Agrippina was the niece of Claudius and their marriage was -contrary to law. The senate gave permission. - -[31] Appius Silanus to whom Octavia was affianced. Agrippina by a -pretended charge of immorality caused him to be disgraced and the -betrothal to be rescinded. At the marriage of Agrippina and Claudius, -Silanus put an end to his own life. - -[32] Nero. - -[33] Agrippina was innocent of the death of Britannicus. The simple -pyre had been prepared before and the corpse was consumed that very -night in the midst of a sudden tempest. - -[34] The sympathy of the people was with Britannicus. The superiority -of natural over legal descent seems to have been generally acknowledged. - -[35] Poppaea who became Nero’s wife in 62 A.D. - -[36] Acte, the favorite concubine of Nero. Originally a slave from Asia -Minor, after Nero’s infatuation she was claimed to be a descendant of -King Attalus and at one time he even thought of marrying her. See Quo -Vadis. - -[37] Leda bore by Jupiter, who visited her in the form of a swan, two -eggs from one of which came Pollux and Helen and from the other Castor -and Clytemnestra. - -[38] Europa was carried off to Crete by Jupiter in the form of a bull. - -[39] Danae was mother of Perseus by Jupiter who visited her in the form -of a shower of gold. - -[40] Bacchus, god of wine, son of Jupiter and Semele. - -[41] Hercules, son of Jupiter and Alcmena, was pursued by Juno’s hatred. - -[42] Hebe was daughter of Juno, cupbearer to the gods, and wife of -Hercules after his deification. - -[43] After Nero’s adoption by Claudius, he became Octavia’s brother. - -[44] Whole passage similar to Vergil. - -[45] The Great Bear Constellation. - -[46] The appearance of a comet was considered a herald of misfortune. A -comet appeared at this time and was generally supposed to portend the -fall of the reigning prince. - -[47] In 63, a comet, great tempests, pestilence, the partial -destruction of Pompei by an earthquake, and the news of the evacuation -of Armenia by the Roman legions seemed to confirm the belief that the -blessing of the gods was no longer with the emperor. - -[48] Typhon was the youngest son of Tartarus and Tellus who was angry -at Jupiter’s giving birth to Minerva. Typhon was a monster with one -hundred heads, fearful eyes, and terrible voices, who wished to obtain -dominion over gods and men but was subdued by Jupiter. - -[49] Life of Nero by Suetonius. - -[50] The Domitian gens was noted for its cruelty. - -[51] Tacitus affirms that Messalina was actually married with the most -formal ceremonies to her lover, Caius Silius, during the lifetime of -Claudius, her lawful husband. - -[52] Britannicus. - -[53] Sextus, son of Tarquinius committed an outrage upon Lucretia who, -after informing her husband Collatinus and father Lucretius, stabbed -herself. The people then arose and drove out the Tarquins. - -[54] Tullia, wife of Tarquinius, urged her husband to the murder of her -father. She drove her chariot over the mangled body and her father’s -blood spurted over her and her carriage. - -[55] Nero attempted to shipwreck his mother on her return from Baiae -to Bauli, but the empress was picked up by boats from the shore and -carried to Lucrine villa. Nero immediately sent Amicetus with a band of -soldiers to complete the crime. As she lay dying from her many wounds, -she exclaimed, “Strike the womb which bore a monster.” - -[56] L. Annaeus Seneca was a senator and philosopher in the reign -of Caligula. Incurring the displeasure of Messalina, the wife of -Claudius, he was banished in 41 A.D. to Corsica. He was recalled in 48 -by Agrippina to be the tutor of Nero. After the accession of his pupil -to the throne, Seneca was for a long time the ruling power, but being -implicated in the Pisonian conspiracy, he was driven to suicide 65 A.D. - -[57] Eight weary years of waiting were relieved by study and -authorship. He is said to have written his extant tragedies during his -exile. - -[58] When Jupiter ordered the flood to come, Deucalion and his wife -Pyrrha alone found refuge on Mt. Parnassus. They were ordered by -the oracle to cast behind them the bones of their mother which they -interpreted to be the stones of the earth. As they threw the stones, -those thrown by Deucalion became men and those by Pyrrha became women. - -[59] Saturn was the father of all the gods. His reign was the Golden -age, the age of innocence and happiness. - -[60] Second was the Silver Age when good Saturn was banished from above -and Jove reigned. - - “To this came next in course the Brazen Age; - A warlike offering prompt to bloody rage; - Not impious yet! - Hard steel succeeded then; - And stubborn as the metal were the men.” - - Ovid’s Metam--Book I Dryden’s Translation. - -[61] Evidently something omitted. - -[62] Astraea was goddess of purity and innocence and daughter of -Justice. After she was driven from earth, she was placed among the -stars where she became the constellation Virgo. - -[63] Nero Claudius Caesar, the sixth of the Roman emperors, born 37 -A.D. was the son of Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina, the daughter of -Germanicus. He was originally named Lucius Domitius. After the death -of Ahenobarbus and a second husband, Crispus Passienus, Agrippina -married Claudius who gave his daughter Octavia to Nero in marriage and -subsequently adopted him with the formal sanction of the senate. - -[64] Cornelius Sulla who had been banished to Massilia in 58 was put to -death on the grounds that his residence in Gaul was likely to arouse -disaffection in that province, and a similar charge proved fatal to -Rubellius Plautus who had for two years been living in retirement in -Asia. - -[65] Formal title of the emperor. - -[66] Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor, originally Gaius -Octavius. After his adoption by his great uncle, C. Julius Caesar, he -was called Augustus by the senate. He defeated Brutus and Cassius, his -adopted father’s murderers, at Philippi B.C. 42. - -[67] In Nero’s first speech, he placed the authority of the senate on -the same footing with the consent of the soldiers. - -[68] Brutus murdered Caesar, his patron. - -[69] Augustus, Antony, and Lepidus formed a triumvirate and made a -proscription of all their enemies. More than two thousand knights -and three hundred senators were thus put to death and their property -confiscated. - -[70] Marcus Antonius, the triumvir, received Asia as his share and -there met Cleopatra. He followed her to Egypt, a victim of her charms. -At the battle of Actium, her flight and Antony’s subsequent pursuit -changed the destiny of the Roman empire. - -[71] Pompeius had fallen victim to the charms of the beautiful Egyptian. - -[72] Agrippina embraced the cause of the wretched Octavia and declared -herself to be the protectress of her injured innocence. - -[73] Poppaea Sabina, a very beautiful but licentious woman. She was the -daughter of T. Ollius but assumed the name of her maternal grandfather, -Poppaeus Sabinus. She was first married to Rufrius Crispinus and -afterward to Otho from whom she was divorced in order to marry Nero. -She persuaded Nero to murder his mother who was opposed to the -marriage. She was killed by a kick from Nero. - -[74] Similar to Catullus and Vergil. - -[75] The Romans were very indignant at this marriage. - -[76] Noblesse oblige. - -[77] Tantalus was admitted to the feasts of the gods, but having -disclosed their secrets he was sent for punishment to the lower world -where he stood up to his chin in water under an overhanging fruit tree, -both of which retreated whenever he attempted to satisfy the hunger and -thirst which tormented him. - -[78] Sisyphus’ task in the lower world was to roll up hill a huge stone -which constantly rolled back again. - -[79] A vulture was constantly feeding upon Tityos’ liver which as -constantly grew again. - -[80] Ixion was bound to an ever-revolving wheel. - -[81] Life of Nero by Suetonius. - -[82] In 66 occurred the visit of the Parthian prince, Tiridates to -Italy to receive his crown from the hands of the Roman emperor. - -[83] Compare with curse of Dido in Vergil when Aeneas went below. - -[84] Wedding day of Poppaea and Nero. - -[85] Poppaea’s head appeared on the coins side by side with Nero, and -her statues were erected in the public places of Rome. - -[86] Sejanus. Juvenal’s Satires. - -[87] Seneca and Burrhus were both opposed to the marriage. - -[88] Similar to Catullus. - -[89] The wedding of Peleus and Thetis was honored by the presence of all -the gods with the exception of Discord who was not invited and who took -revenge by throwing among the assembled gods the golden apple which was -the source of so much misery. - -[90] Poppaea’s dream. - -[91] Poppaea’s first husband was Rufrius Crispinus. - -[92] Attempt of the nurse to explain the dream. - -[93] Twelve days after Nero divorced Octavia, he married Poppaea who -brought a false accusation against the former wife, and Octavia was -imprisoned in Campania. When the citizens murmured against such an -unjust decree and Nero recalled her, they rushed tumultuously to the -capital to offer sacrifice. They overthrew all the statues of Poppaea -within reach and crowned Octavia’s. They surged around the palace until -the emperor dispersed them with an armed force. - -[94] Rebellion against Nero. - -[95] Octavia was banished to the island of Pandataria where she was -murdered by order of Nero. Her head was severed from her body and -carried to the cruel Poppaea. Vows and sacrifices were offered to the -gods by order of the senate. - -[96] Nero. - -[97] Livilla, the wife of the younger Drusus son of the emperor -Tiberius, was persuaded by her lover, Sejanus, to poison her husband. - -[98] Julia, daughter of Caligula and Milonia Caesaria, suffered death -with her mother after the assassination of her father. - -[99] Messalina. - -[100] Now Ventotene; a small island off the coast of Campania to which -political offenders were sometimes banished. - -[101] Iphigenia was daughter of Agamemnon who offered her up to appease -the gods. She was rescued by Diana and carried off in a cloud to the -land of the Tauri where it fell to her lot to offer up as victims all -strangers who were shipwrecked on the coast. - -[102] Aulis, a harbor in Beotia where Iphigenia was offered in -sacrifice. - - * * * * * - -Transcriber’s Notes: - -The original text is typewritten with hand corrections by the author. - -Some text on the certification page following the title page in the -original text is handwritten, and this text is shown in italics. - -Character names are underlined in the original script, and these are -shown in italics. - -Footnotes, which appear on the page where they are anchored in the -original text, have been moved to the end of the text and relabeled -consecutively through the document. - -Punctuation has been made consistent. - -Variations in spelling and hyphenation were retained as they appear in -the original text, except that obvious typographical errors have been -corrected. - -The following changes were made: - -p. 3: Materneus changed to Maternus (Curiatius Maternus. There) - -p. 11: A footnote anchor is missing on this page in the original text. -The anchor for the footnote 17 in the original text was reassigned -to footnote 18, and an anchor for footnote 17 was inserted based on -context. - -p. 11: to added (go to the) - -p. 14: The last footnote on this page in the original text has no -anchor. It is a duplicate of footnote 29 on the next page, and it was -deleted. - -p. 19: Footnotes 40 and 41 were reversed to agree with hand corrections -made by the author on this page. - -p. 23: Tarquinus changed to Tarquinius on this page and also in -footnotes 53 and 54. - -p. 50: Footnote 96 does not have a label or anchor in the original -text, and an anchor was inserted based on context. - -p. 51: Footnotes 99, 100, and 101 are mislabeled in the original text, -and the labels were changed. - -p. 51: Aulus changed to Aulis on this page and also in footnote 102. - -p. 51, footnote 100: Vendutene changed to Ventotene (Now Ventotene; a) - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Translation of Octavia, a Latin -Tragedy, with Notes and Introduct, by Elizabeth Twining Hall - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TRANSLATION OF OCTAVIA *** - -***** This file should be named 54702-0.txt or 54702-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/7/0/54702/ - -Produced by Craig Kirkwood and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive.) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |