Pseudo-Seneca,
Hercules Oetaeus, the longest dramatic play of classical antiquity (1996 lines), has been handed down in the corpus of Senecan tragedies. Among these ten plays, the
Hercules Oetaeusand the
Octaviaare apparently not written by the same author as the other eight dramas. In one of the manuscript traditions, the genuine
Hercules Furensand the
Hercules Oetaeusare the first and the last play respectively of the collection. Indeed the
Hercules Oetaeusseems to be a sequel and counterpart to the
Hercules Furens, since the latter tragedy stages the last days of the hero in which he has to kill himself eventually in order to ascend to heaven, whereas in the
Hercules Furenshe returns from the underworld only to kill his family and to live on with the guilt and shame. Even if both…
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Citation: Walde, Christine. "Hercules Oetaeus". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 December 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13469, accessed 13 December 2024.]