AUDISNE HAEC AMPHIARAE, SUB TERRAM ABDITE? by Percy Bysshe Shelley: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This Latin epigraph is what Shelley selected for *Prometheus Unbound*, his renowned lyrical drama focusing on the Titan who challenges the gods.
The poem
[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.]
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.
Line-by-line
AUDISNE HAEC AMPHIARAE, SUB TERRAM ABDITE?
Tone & mood
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.
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.
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.
FAQ
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.
He references Cicero's *Tusculan Disputations* (Book II, section 60), a philosophical text exploring the themes of enduring pain and hardship. Cicero was quoting or paraphrasing an earlier source regarding Amphiaraus.
Amphiaraus was a prophet-hero in Greek mythology. He predicted that the Seven Against Thebes expedition would end in failure and that he would die there, yet he chose to join the venture. During the battle, Zeus opened the earth, and Amphiaraus—still alive—was swallowed into the ground along with his chariot. Afterward, he was revered as an oracular hero.
Shelley was well-versed in both Greek and Latin literature and navigated between the two with ease. By utilizing Cicero's Latin rendition of a Greek tale, the classical tradition becomes richer — it illustrates how the concept of the buried, suffering prophet has endured through centuries of thought across multiple cultures.
Both characters possess profound knowledge and face punishment by being compelled to live underground or trapped beneath rock. They are fully aware of their suffering and the gravity of their situation. Shelley employs Amphiaraus to position Prometheus within a historical lineage of visionary figures who have been oppressed by power yet remain unvoiced.
Strictly speaking, it’s an epigraph—a brief quote that appears before a longer work to establish its tone and meaning. However, as a standalone piece, it acts like a condensed poem: a single question that invites a vast realm of implications.
It indicates that the play explores hidden truths, resilience in the face of oppression, and the notion that those who have been silenced continue to listen and hold significance. Additionally, it introduces the idea that Shelley is engaging *with* a tradition of suffering, rather than merely writing about it.
Absolutely. Shelley wrote the play during a time of severe political repression in Europe and Britain. The image of a prophet buried alive yet still aware served as a powerful metaphor for the liberal and radical ideas that the establishment sought to suppress. Essentially, Shelley was conveying that while these ideas may be underground, they are still very much alive and aware.