she broke off the regal thread of a lazy life.
But Lachesis, with hair tied and with hair adorned
crowning her hair and forehead with Pierian laurel,
took up bright yarn from snowy fleece
moderating with a happy hand, the string which having been led out
took up a new color. The sisters wondered at their allotments.
the cheap fleece changed into precious metal,
a golden age descended shapely string.
And there is no end to those: they led out happy wool
and rejoiced to fill their hands: the allotments were beautiful.
The work hastened on its own accord and with no labor
soft strings descended the bent spindle;
They conquered the years of Tithonus and of Nestor.
Phoebus is present and aids with song and delights for the future
and happy he moves his plectrum, now he administers the allotments:
He detains them, intent with his song, and deceives the labor.
And while they praise excessively the lyre and fraternal songs,
Their hands spun more than accustomed and their praiseworthy
work transcended human fates. "Don't take away anything, Fates,"
Phoebus said, "let that man conquer the times of mortal life
he who is similar in countenance and grace to me and
no lesser in song nor voice. He will set forth
a happy age for the tired and will break the silence of the laws.
As Lucifer scattering the fleeing stars or
as Hesperus rises with the stars returning,
as, when rosy Aurora first leads forth
the day with shadows released, the bright Sun
gazes at the world and shakes the first axles from the starting-gate:
such a Caesar is present, now Rome will see such a
Nero. His shining countenance burns with remiss splendor
and his shapely neck with hair flowing forth."
This said Apollo. But Lachesis, who even herself favored the shapeliest man, did this with a full hand and gave Nero many years from her own. They ordered everyone however concerning Claudius:
"to carry him out from the house rejoicing and speaking well."
And he certainly gurgled out his soul, and from that time to ceased to seem to live. He expired however while he heard comedians, as you should know that I am not without cause to fear them. This was heard among men as his final voice, when he emitted a greater sound from that part, from which he more easily spoke: "Dear me, I think I've thoroughly shat myself." Whether he did this, I do not know; he certainly thoroughly shat on everything.
The extended poetical section here is in all honesty not very good. A prime example of this is the line discussing Lachesis and her hair in which three separate words for hair occur within two lines: comas, capillos, and crinem (though one might argue this shows creativity).
ReplyDeleteOther than that the reader must question why so many adjectives are appended to every noun for seemingly no purpose other than to seem fancy, though the adjectives themselves are not quite poetical nor uncommon.
A line stands out for me here though: "aurea formoso descendunt saecula filo" (a golden age descended shapely thread). Suitably the 'golden' age is worked into a 'golden' line which is laid out in a mirror construction usually of ABvAB.
The quote in Greek here comes from Euripides' Cresphontes to add to the humour of taking a line out of context.
Suetonius makes mention of comedians being brought in after Claudius died to keep up the illusion he was alive and well until his heir was decided upon, and seeing this statement here seems to support the fact that comedians were present sometime during his last days.
As a final humorous note: the verb "concacavi" is seen only here and must be an invention of Seneca as a more intense version of the usual verb "cacare" (to defecate). The con- prefix usually adds the sense of thoroughly or in a stronger manner than the regular verb, hence my translation as 'thoroughly shat'.