Source edition
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus. Tragoediae. Peiper, Rudolf; Richter, Gustav, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1921.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This tragic drama centers on the Greek hero Hercules and depicts the horrific tragedy brought about by the vengeance of Juno, the queen of the gods. Incensed by her husband Jupiter's infidelity and envious of Hercules's glorious deeds, Juno plots to destroy the hero by driving him into a state of madness. On earth, the tyrant Lycus has seized control of Thebes and attempts to force Hercules's wife, Megara, into marriage; however, Hercules returns from the Underworld with Cerberus and slays the tyrant to save his family. Yet, during the victory celebrations, Juno's curse takes hold, causing a delusional Hercules to mistake his own wife and children for enemies and brutally murder them. Upon regaining his sanity and discovering his horrific deeds, Hercules is driven to the brink of suicide, but he is ultimately persuaded by his father Amphitryon and his friend Theseus to choose exile in Athens over death.