week 6
Syncretism
Definition: The assimilation or merging of one religion with another.
Example:
Roman and Greek religions blended due to Greek cultural influence on Roman development.
By the 3rd century BCE, Romans translated Greek literature into Latin, bringing over Greek myths and stories.
Roman adaptations made subtle changes to Greek myths, reflecting cultural distinctions.
Seneca and Hercules Furens
Lucius Annaeus Seneca:
Roman Stoic philosopher and playwright.
Advisor to Emperor Nero, later implicated in a conspiracy to assassinate Nero.
Died by suicide after being given the choice between execution or taking his own life.
he actually holds suicide in a high regard
at that time if you were set to be killed, your properties would be confiscated by the state, which was considered a disgrace among the elite
if you commit suicide before that then properties can be inherited
death over slavery
Literary Contributions:
10 tragedies are transmitted under Seneca’s name, though only 8 are confirmed to be his.
Hercules Furens is considered one of Seneca’s genuine works, likely written mid-career.
Dating of Hercules Furens:
Stylometric Analysis: Tracks speaker changes (mid-line vs. end-line) to relatively date Seneca’s plays, similar to analyzing Shakespeare's stylistic evolution.
Exact Dating:
Written before December 54 CE, as Seneca’s satire Apocolocyntosis (written for Saturnalia) parodies lines from Hercules Furens.
Likely composed shortly before Apocolocyntosis, as satires are most effective when addressing recent cultural material.
Manuscripts:
"E Manuscript" refers to the play as Hercules.
"A Manuscript" refers to it as Hercules Furens.
Roman Theater and Hercules
Evolution of Roman Theater
Early Roman plays (from 240 BCE) were performed in temporary wooden theaters.
Permanent stone theaters emerged in the 1st century BCE.
Romans adapted Greek drama into Latin, creating:
Fabula crepidata: Tragedy set in Greece.
Fabula palliata: Comedy set in Greece.
Cultural Distinctions
Tragedy: Focused on aristocratic heroes and rulers, addressing serious and moral themes.
Comedy: Centered on common people, with humorous and lighthearted tones.
Hercules in Roman Culture
Greek Heracles vs. Roman Hercules
Core Myth: Remains consistent between Greek and Roman versions.
Roman Context: Adds new meaning, portraying Hercules as a Stoic hero.
Stoic Philosophy in Hercules Furens
Central Theme: Endurance of suffering builds inner strength and virtue.
Hercules as a Role Model: Represents resilience and warns against impulsive violence and hubris.
Connection to Euripides’ Heracles
Seneca adopts Euripides’ version of the myth (5th century BCE), in which:
Hercules kills his family after completing his final labor of retrieving Cerberus from the Underworld.
This reordering adds emotional depth, highlighting the tragic irony of triumph followed by madness and catastrophe.
Context of Seneca’s Work
Historical Period:
Written during the Silver Age of Latin Literature, which followed the Augustan Golden Age.
Reflects Roman intellectual and philosophical sophistication.
Seneca’s Role:
A Stoic philosopher who emphasized enduring suffering with virtue and internal freedom.
Likely wrote Hercules Furens as an intellectual exploration rather than for theatrical performance.
Significance for Romans:
Hercules symbolizes endurance and personal growth, embodying Stoic ideals of controlling one’s reactions to life’s hardships.
In Seneca’s Hercules Furens (lines 15–127), the play opens with a prologue and early scenes that set the stage for the tragedy. Here's a summary of this section:
Lines 15–127: Prologue and Scene Setting
Juno’s Monologue (15–113):
Juno, the queen of the gods and Hercules' stepmother, expresses her intense hatred for Hercules, whom she views as an illegitimate offspring of Jupiter (Zeus).
She reflects on her failed attempts to destroy Hercules, lamenting that none of her previous plots—like sending serpents to kill him in his cradle or imposing the Twelve Labors—have succeeded.
Juno acknowledges Hercules’ incredible strength and his ability to overcome even divine challenges. She feels powerless against him, frustrated that her divine authority cannot bring him down
advocates for simple life even though Seneca himself was wealthy and powerful
Lycus
king of thebes
literally his name means wolf
he was considered the evil force
parallel with Seneca at the time as he viewed Nero to be not the best emperor
talks about how he is proud that he was not born into his power but took it
rules with violence and fear
can all be ended with violence too
Lycus and Megara talk (Megara is Hercules wife at the time)
Lycus is shocked that Megara thinks Hercules will return from the underworld
Lycus then says that since he is in charge she can be forced to marry him while Hercules is gone
She responds by saying one who can be forced does not know how to die
i.e. she has one last power which is suicide
Once Hercules returns
Amphitron is quite happy to see his “son” even though he knows its not actually his son
Hercules protected the world but the moment he “died” Lycus took over
so new goal or final goal of Hercules is to kill Lycus
kills Lycus and thinks he’s secured peace for the world
She decides to attack him indirectly, not by physical means but by targeting his mind. She plans to drive him to madness (furor) using supernatural forces.
she refers to him as Alcides, another name for Hercules
she knows he’s Jupiter (Zeus) son but refers to him with this name as though to ignore it
Eumenides
the Furies
says that the only match for Hercules is himself, i.e. attacking his mind
This madness will turn Hercules against his own family, fulfilling her desire for vengeance in a way that tarnishes his legacy.
Hercules says that he’s seeing the sky weird and dark
Amphitron confused about why he’s seeing/saying all this
Hercules says he wants to partner with Saturn (Sky/Uranus)
Hubris (he’s a human and should know his place amongst the gods)
says that he wants to partner with the god’s greatest enemy to fight them which is crazy
then he sees Fury
they show him King Lycus’ sons
says that his bow was meant to do this, shoot those kids
Megara running away from raging Hercules
she begs him to see her and their children but he sees them only as enemies
he wakes up and the madness has passed with no memory of what happened
then he realizes
says that he must kill himself
father amphitron begs him to stay alive
Hercules decides to as living with this is the greatest punishment
psychological analysis
was it all the gods?
Furies could represent the guilt that follows people back form war
Juno could represent that aspect of psychology
Chorus of Thebans (114–127): It is a song
The chorus of Theban citizens provides context about the setting and the state of Thebes.
They praise Hercules as a savior for his heroic deeds, particularly for his conquest of the underworld (Hades) and his role in alleviating the suffering of humanity.
The Thebans also express fear and uncertainty about the future, foreshadowing the coming tragedy.