Thyestes: Lines 169-175
instat deinde sitis non leuior fame
This man drinks deeply the dust from the rapid whirlpool.
I’ve published a reader for this play, and you can find a translation of it which I published a few years ago. It is an excellent play and perhaps my favorite of Seneca’s plays.
instat deinde sitis non leuior fame;
qua cum percaluit sanguis et igneis 170
exarsit facibus, stat miser obuios
fluctus ore petens, quos profugus latex
auertit sterili deficiens uado
conantemque sequi deserit; hic bibit
altum de rapido gurgite puluerem.
Vocabulary
Altus, a, um — deep, high
Āvertō, ere, āvertī, āversus : to turn away, divert.
Bibō, ere, bibī, bibitus : to drink.
Cōnor, cōnārī, cōnātus sum — to try, attempt
Dē (prep. + abl.) — from, down from, about
Dēficiō, ere, dēfēcī, dēfectus : to fail, run out, desert.
Deinde (adv.) — then, next
Dēserō, ere, dēseruī, dēsertus : to abandon, desert, leave.
Exārdēscō, ere, exārsī, exārsus : to blaze up, catch fire.
Famēs, famis, f. : hunger.
Fax, facis, f. : torch, firebrand.
Flūctus, ūs, m. — wave, flow, tide
Gurges, gurgitis, m. : whirlpool, abyss, depths.
Hīc (adv.) — here
Īgneus, a, um — fiery, burning
Instō, āre, īnstitī — to press upon, threaten, be at hand
Latex, laticis, m. : liquid, fluid, water.
Lēvis, e — light, slight, trivial
Miser, misera, miserum — wretched, miserable
Obvius, a, um — in the way, meeting, coming to meet
Ōs, ōris, n. : mouth, face.
Percalēscō, ere, percaluī : to become very hot, glow.
Petō, ere, petiī, petītus : to seek, head for, ask.
Profugus, a, um — fleeing, receding, elusive
Pulvis, pulveris, m. : dust, powder.
Quī, quae, quod — who, which
Rapidus, a, um — rapid, swift, tearing
Sanguis, sanguinis, m. : blood.
Sequor, sequī, secūtus sum : to follow.
Sitis, sitis, f. : thirst.
Sterilis, e — barren, dry, sterile
Stō, stāre, stetī, status — to stand
Vadum, ī, n. — shallow, shoal, water
