Audisne Haec Amphiarae, Sub Terram Abdite? by Percy Bysshe Shelley

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.