Invitus invitam

In the preface to his play Bérénice from 1670 Jean Racine writes that the challenge to the author ‘consists in making something out of nothing’. He is referring to the fact that his entire five-act play is based on a single line from Suetonius’ history of the Roman Emperors: ‘Titus, reginam Berenicen… demisit invitus invitam.’ It means ‘Titus sent Queen Berenice away against his will, against her will’.