A new edition of the Latin text, with a facing English prose translation, of one of Rome's most notorious and ferocious plays. The lengthy, useful introduction examines all aspects of the play's literary and thematic features, placing it firmly within the context of the 1st century AD, whilst also trying to determine the processes that led Seneca to create such a bleak view of the universe. Hine's discussion includes a biography of Seneca, a history of tragedy and the Roman theatre, the influence of Stoicism, politics and religion, characterisation, the play's language, devices and structure, questions of staging and the manuscript tradition.