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
Set in the ruined aftermath of the fall of Troy, this tragedy depicts the agonizing fate of the captive Trojan women, centered around Queen Hecuba and Andromache. The drama unfolds as the ghost of Achilles demands the sacrifice of Hecuba's daughter, Polyxena, while a prophecy decrees the execution of Hector’s young son, Astyanax. In a desperate bid to save her child, Andromache hides Astyanax in his father’s tomb, but she is ultimately forced to surrender him after a chilling psychological interrogation by Odysseus. The latter half of the play reports the tragic yet courageous deaths of both children, leaving the surviving women in profound despair. As Hecuba and the chorus prepare to be dragged into exile, the play concludes on a note of utter desolation, reinforced by choral songs that question the existence of an afterlife and emphasize the harshness of fate.