Hosidius Geta, The Tragedy of Medea

HOSIDII GETAE MEDEA TRAGEDIA

Hosidius Geta 
2nd-3rd c. AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)

Medea: esto nunc sol testis et haec mihi terra precanti et dirae ultrices et tu, Saturnia Juno!

[Medea: Let now the sun be a witness to me as I pray, and the Earth too, and the grim avengers, and you too, Juno, daughter of Saturn!]

ad te confugio, nam te dare iura loquuntur conubiis.

[I flee to you, you see, wise men say that you grant justice to spouses.]

si quid pietas antiqua labores respicit humanos. 

[If any exists, the morality of old remembers the deeds of men.]

conubia nostra reppulit et sparsos fraterna caede penates.

[It rejects my marriage and my household guardians, now splattered with the blood of my brother.]


quid Syrtes aut Scylla mihi, quid vasta Charybdis profuerit mediosque fugam tenuisse per hostes?

[What do I care about Syrtes and Scylla? What was the point of the enormous Charybdis and escaping through the midst of my enemies?]

improbe amor, quid non mortalia pectora cogis?

[Wicked love, why don't you force a mortal's feelings to your will?]

iussa aliena pati iterumque revolvere casus, ire iterum in lacrimas.

[By an unbelievable calling, I've once again allowed myself to spin out disaster, to once again break down into tears.]

sed nullis ille movetur fletibus, inflixum stridit sub pectore vulnus.

[But he, you know who, is not moved any tears; he, unbowed, hides his wound beneath his breast.]

extinctus pudor atque immitis rupta tyranni foedera et oblitus famae melioris amantis.'

[All sense of dignity has faded, the treaties of the unfeeling tyrant are now broken, and he has forgotten the fame of his superior lover.']

lacrimae volvuntur inanes.

[My tears roll down, pointlessly.]

nusquam tuta fides, vana spe lusit amantem crudelis.

[Loyalty is never assured; a cruel man has deceived his lover with a empty hope.]

quid, si non arva aliena domosque ignotas peteret, pro viginitate reponit?

[If he could find the fields of another and houses unfamiliar to him, what can he do to redeem one's virginity?]

heu pietas, heu prisca fides!

[So much for piety, so much for loyalty!]