''Phoenissae'' (Phoenician women) is a ''

fabula crepidata A ''fabula crepidata'' or ''fabula cothurnata'' is a Latin tragedy with Greek subjects. The genre probably originated in adaptations of Greek tragedy (hence the names, coming from ''crepida'' = ''sandal'' and ''cothurnus'') beginning in the early ...

'' (Roman tragedy with Greek subject) written by

Lucius Annaeus Seneca Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger ( ; AD 65), usually known mononymously as Seneca, was a Stoicism, Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, a dramatist, and in one work, a satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature. Seneca ...

; with only c. 664 lines of verse it is his shortest play. It is an incomplete text in two parts. It is situated in Thebes in Boeotia, the city founded by Cadmus, who came from Sidon, in Phoenicia.

Characters

Oedipus Oedipus (, ; "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family. ...

, son of Jocasta *

Antigone ANTIGONE (Algorithms for coNTinuous / Integer Global Optimization of Nonlinear Equations), is a deterministic global optimization solver for general Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programs (MINLP). History ANTIGONE is an evolution of GloMIQO, a global ...

, daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta *''nuntius'' (messenger) *

Jocasta In Greek mythology, Jocasta (), also rendered as Iocaste ( ) and EpicasteHomer, ''Odyssey'', Vol. XI11.271/ref> (; ), was Queen of Thebes through her marriages to Laius and her son, Oedipus. She is best known for her role in the myths surroundi ...

, mother and wife of Oedipus *''satelles'' (attendant) *

Polynices In Greek mythology, Polynices (also Polyneices) (; ) was the son of Oedipus and either Jocasta or Euryganeia and the older brother of Eteocles. When Oedipus was discovered to have killed his father and married his mother, Oedipus was expelled ...

, son of Oedipus and Jocasta, twin brother of Eteocles *

Eteocles In Greek mythology, Eteocles (; ) was a king of Ancient Thebes (Boeotia), Thebes, the son of Oedipus and either Jocasta or Euryganeia. Oedipus killed his father Laius and married his mother without knowing his relationship to either. When the ...

, son of Oedipus and Jocasta, twin brother of Polynices

Plot

When Oedipus discovered his crime, he blinded himself; and went into exile with his daughter Antigone, who offered herself as guide. In the meantime his sons Eteocles and Polynices engage in war, the treaty binding them to reign alternately being violated.

Act I

Antigone, the daughter, becomes guide to her blind father, and prevails on Oedipus to relinquish his determination to die.

Act II

A messenger sent from Thebes, beseeches Oedipus that he should return and reconcile his sons. Oedipus refuses, and heading to the dismal forests, lavishes his insults upon his sons.

Act III

(The beginning of this act is lost). Jocasta from the report that the armies of the brothers are drawn up against each other in battle array, is summoned hastily. She tries her utmost to reconcile the brothers.

Act IV

Jocasta entreats the brothers that they should put away their mutual hatred, and return to the paths of reconciliation and affection. (The rest of this incomplete tragedy is missing.)