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The Annotated Edition

AUDISNE HAEC AMPHIARAE, SUB TERRAM ABDITE? by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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This Latin epigraph is what Shelley selected for *Prometheus Unbound*, his renowned lyrical drama focusing on the Titan who challenges the gods.

Poet
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Themes
freedom, hope, identity
The PoemFull text

AUDISNE HAEC AMPHIARAE, SUB TERRAM ABDITE?

Percy Bysshe Shelley

[Composed at Este, September, October, 1818 (Act 1); at Rome, March-April 6, 1819 (Acts 2, 3); at Florence, close of 1819 (Act 4). Published by C. and J. Ollier, London, summer of 1820. Sources of the text are (1) edition of 1820; (2) text in “Poetical Works”, 1839, prepared with the aid of a list of errata in (1) written out by Shelley; (3) a fair draft in Shelley’s autograph, now in the Bodleian. This has been carefully collated by Mr. C.D. Locock, who prints the result in his “Examination of the Shelley Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library”, Oxford (Clarendon Press), 1903. Our text is that of 1820, modified by edition 1839, and by the Bodleian fair copy. In the following notes B = the Bodleian manuscript; 1820 = the editio princeps, printed by Marchant for C. and J. Ollier, London; and 1839 = the text as edited by Mrs. Shelley in the “Poetical Works”, 1st and 2nd editions, 1839. The reader should consult the notes on the Play at the end of the volume.]

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This Latin epigraph is what Shelley selected for *Prometheus Unbound*, his renowned lyrical drama focusing on the Titan who challenges the gods. The title translates to "Do you hear these things, Amphiaraus, hidden beneath the earth?" — a line taken from antiquity that sets the tone for the entire play as a message directed at a buried prophet. With this choice, Shelley indicates that his poem resonates with those who, similar to the seer Amphiaraus, may have been consumed by the earth yet continue to listen.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. AUDISNE HAEC AMPHIARAE, SUB TERRAM ABDITE?

    Editor's note

    The single Latin line is the entire text. It poses a question: "Do you hear these things, Amphiaraus, buried beneath the earth?" This question is directed at Amphiaraus, the Greek prophet-hero who, according to myth, was swallowed alive into the ground during the war of the Seven Against Thebes. Shelley takes this phrase from Cicero's *Tusculan Disputations* (II.60), where it highlights the idea of enduring suffering with dignity. By placing it at the beginning of *Prometheus Unbound*, Shelley creates a connection between Amphiaraus — a seer forced to live underground — and Prometheus, the Titan who is chained beneath a mountain. Both characters are buried, yet conscious, and both are being asked: are you aware of what is happening above you in the world?

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone carries a solemn yet conspiratorial vibe. It feels like someone is leaning down to whisper into the earth—urgent, respectful, and slightly rebellious. There's no hint of self-pity; instead, there's a palpable expectation that the buried figure *can* hear, and that the words being spoken truly matter.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Amphiaraus
The Greek seer swallowed alive by the earth reflects Prometheus — both are symbols of prophetic wisdom facing punishment through burial or binding. Shelley employs this imagery to suggest that suffering in darkness doesn't equate to silence or defeat.
Sub terram (beneath the earth)
Being underground signifies suppression—whether political, spiritual, or intellectual. The buried figure remains concealed from the world but is not annihilated. This reflects the state of any truth or ideal that has been forcefully driven out of view.
The question itself
Asking "do you hear?" instead of making a statement transforms the epigraph into a shared experience. Shelley isn't just making an announcement; he's reaching out to a kindred spirit, suggesting that those who are buried and those who are alive continue to engage in dialogue.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Shelley wrote *Prometheus Unbound* between 1818 and 1819 while in self-imposed exile in Italy. At that time, Europe was facing a conservative backlash after the Napoleonic Wars — the Holy Alliance was suppressing liberal movements across the continent, and in Britain, the Peterloo Massacre of 1819 demonstrated just how violently the establishment would resist reform. Shelley was outraged and felt politically stifled himself. He looked back to Aeschylus's lost trilogy about Prometheus and reimagined it as a bold vision of liberation. The Latin epigraph, taken from Cicero, connects the play to a long history of endurance in the face of oppression. Amphiaraus was a prophet who knew his fate awaited him in Thebes but went anyway — a symbol of integrity under immense pressure. By choosing this line, Shelley signals that *Prometheus Unbound* speaks to those who have been silenced, and he believes they are still listening.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

It translates to "Do you hear these things, Amphiaraus, buried beneath the earth?" This is a direct question posed to the Greek prophet Amphiaraus, who, according to myth, was swallowed alive into the ground.

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