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A Translation of Octavia, a Latin Tragedy, with Notes and Introduction

Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end.

A Translation of Octavia, a Latin Tragedy, with Notes and Introduction

A TRANSLATION OF OCTAVIA, A LATIN TRAGEDY, WITH NOTES AND INTRODUCTION

A Translation of Octavia, a Latin Tragedy, with Notes and Introduction

THESIS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER MY SUPERVISION BY

ENTITLED _Translation of Octavia, a Latin Tragedy with Notes and Introduction_

IS APPROVED BY ME AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF _A.M._

_Herbert J Barton_ HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF _Latin_.

Octavia is the only extant tragedy in fabula praetexta or historical Roman tragedy in Roman scene and setting. It is remarkably true to fact, and almost every statement may be verified by reference to the ancient historians.

It deals with the sad story of Octavia, the daughter of Claudius and Messalina. Married against her will when only twelve years old to Nero, a lad of sixteen, she was after five years divorced by her husband on a charge of barrenness in favor of Poppaea Sabina, and in 62 A.D. was banished to a desert island there to be executed.

The play is a well rounded whole, all the parts are well worked out, and the characters are vivid and lifelike. There is a force and majesty in the tragedy which carries the reader through without pause. The sad story of Octavia forms the plot, but the poet has interwoven political motives and represents the people as taking Octavia’s part. This only serves to hasten her death, for Nero eagerly seizes upon this as a pretext to condemn her.

There are five acts in the play, and each is closed by chants from the chorus which serve to explain the action further. There are many references to history and mythology, but the atmosphere is distinctly Roman. At no time do three actors appear on the stage in the same scene. The characters are exactly as one would expect from a close study of history and are delineated with marvelous skill and fidelity.

The versification is confined to iambic meters in the dialogues, while the choruses, though they form a very prominent feature, are restricted to anapestic systems somewhat loosely constructed.