Charinus's Return and Acanthio's Urgency — Plautus, Mercator, lines 81–146, Latin & English

atque odio me esse¹ quoi placere aequom fuit,

and when I understand that I am hated by the one whom it was right for me to please,

amens amansque ut ánimum offirmo meum,

when I, mad and loving, make up my mind,

dico esse iturum me mercatum, si velit:

I say that I will go to trade, if he wishes:

amorem missum facere me, dum illi obsequar.

and that I will dismiss my love, as long as I obey him.

agit grátias mi atque ingenium adlaudat meum;

He thanks me and highly praises my character;

sed mea promissa non neglexit persequi.

but he did not neglect to follow up on my promises.

aedificat navem cercurum et mercis emit,

He builds a cercurus ship and buys merchandise,

parata navi imponit, praeterea mihi

loads them on the prepared ship, and moreover to me

talentum argenti ipsus sua adnumerat manu;

he himself counts out a talent of silver with his own hand;

servom una mittit, qui olim puero parvolo

he sends along a slave, who once to me as a little boy

mihi paedagogus fuerat, quasi uti mihi foret

had been a pedagogue, as if he were to be to me

custos. his sic confectis navem solvimus.

a guardian. When these things were thus completed, we set sail.

Rhodum venimus, ubi quas merces vexeram

We came to Rhodes, where the merchandise I had brought

omnis ut volui vendidi ex sententia.

I sold all of it according to my wish, just as I wanted.

lucrum ingens facio praeterquam mihi meus pater

I make a huge profit in addition to what my father

dedit aestimatas merces: ita peculium

gave me as valued merchandise: thus a large private fortune

conficio grande. sed dum in portu illi ambulo,

I acquire. But while I am walking there in the harbor,

hospes me quidam adgnovit, ad cenam vocat.

a certain host recognized me and invites me to dinner.

venio, decumbo acceptus hilare atque ampliter.

I go, and take my place at the table, received cheerfully and sumptuously.

100

discubitum noctu ut imus, ecce ad me advenit

When we go to lie down for the night, behold, there comes to me

mulier, qua mulier alia nullast pulchrior;

a woman, than whom no other woman is more beautiful;

ea nocte mecum illa hospitis iussu fuit.

that night she was with me by order of the host.

vosmet videte quam mihi valde placuerit:

See for yourselves how greatly she pleased me:

postridie hospitem adeo, oro ut vendat mihi,

the next day I go to the host, and beg him to sell her to me,

105

dico eius pro méritis gratum me et munem fore.

saying that I would be grateful and generous in return for his favors.

quid verbis opus est? emi, átque advexi heri.

What need is there of words? I bought her, and brought her back yesterday.

eam me ádvexisse nolo resciscat pater.

I do not want my father to find out that I have brought her back.

modo eam reliqui ad portum in navi et servolum.

Just now I left her at the harbor in the ship, along with a little slave.

sed quid currentem servom a portu conspicor,

But why do I spy my slave running from the harbor,

110

quem navi abire vetui? timeo quid siet.

whom I forbade to leave the ship? I fear what it may be.

Ex súmmis opibus víribusque usque éxperire, nítere,

Try continually with your utmost resources and strength, strive,

erus ut minor opera tua servetur: agedum, Acanthio,

so that your young master may be saved by your effort: come now, Acanthio,

abige abs te lassitudinem, cave pigritiae praeverteris.²

drive away weariness from yourself, beware lest you give precedence to laziness.

simul enicat suspiritus (vix suffero hercle anhelitum),

At the same time, shortness of breath is killing me (by Hercules, I can hardly draw breath),

115

simul autem plenis semitis qui adversum eunt: aspellito,

and at the same time, those who go against me in the crowded paths: push them away,

detrude, deturba in viám. haec disciplina hic pessumast:

thrust them aside, throw them down into the road. This discipline here is the worst:

cúrrenti properanti haud quisquam dignum habet decedere.

no one thinks it worthy to give way to a man running in a hurry.

ita trés simitu res agendae sunt, quando unam occeperis:

Thus three things must be done at once, when you have begun one:

et currendum et pugnandum et autem iurigandum est in via.

you must run, and fight, and also argue on the way.

120

Quid illúc est quod ille tam expedite exquirit cursuram sibi?

What is that, that he so easily seeks a running course for himself?

curaest, negoti quid sit aut quid nuntiet.

I am anxious about what the matter is or what he is reporting.

Nugas ago.

I am playing the fool.

quam restito, tam maxime res in periclo vortitur.

The more I delay, the more the business turns into danger.

Mali nescio quid nuntiat.

He is bringing some bad news.

Genua hunc cursorem deserunt;

My knees desert this runner;

perii, seditionem facit lien, óccupat praecordia,

I am ruined, my spleen is causing a rebellion, it occupies my chest,

125

perii, animam nequeo vertere, nimis nihili tibicen siem.³

I am ruined, I cannot draw my breath, I would be a very worthless flute-player.

numquam edepol omnes balineae mi hanc lassitudinem eximent.

By Pollux, never will all the baths take away this weariness from me.

domin án foris dicam esse erum Charinum?

Shall I say that my master Charinus is at home or out?

Ego animi pendeo.

I am hanging in suspense.

quíd illud sit negoti lubet scire, ex hoc metu ut eximar.

I want to know what that business is, so that I may be freed from this fear.

130

Át etiam asto? at etiam cesso foribus facere hisce assulas?

But do I still stand here? But do I still hesitate to make splinters of these doors?

áperite aliquis. ubi Charinus est erus? dómin est an foris?

Open, someone. Where is my master Charinus? Is he at home or out?

num quísquam adire ad ostium dignum arbitratur?

Does anyone think it worthy to come to the door?

Ecce me,

Here I am,

Acanthio, quem quaeris.

Acanthio, whom you are seeking.

Nusquamst disciplina ignavior.

Nowhere is discipline more lazy.

Quae té malae res ágitant?

What bad things are driving you?

Multae, ere, te átque me.

Many things, master, both you and me.

135

Quid ést negoti?

What is the matter?

Périimus.

We are ruined.

Principium id inimicis dato.⁴

Give that beginning to our enemies.

At tibi sortito id optigit.

But it has fallen to you by lot.

Loquere íd negoti quidquid est.

Speak, whatever that business is.

Placide, volo adquiescere.

Quietly, I want to rest.

tua causa rupi ramites, iam dudum sputo sanguinem.

For your sake I have ruptured my lungs; for a long time now I have been spitting blood.

Resinam ex melle Aegyptiam vorato, salvom feceris.

Swallow Egyptian resin with honey, and you will make yourself well.

140

At edepol tu calidam picem bibito, aegritudo abscesserit.

But by Pollux, you drink hot pitch, and your pain will depart.

Hóminem ego iracundiorem quam te novi neminem.

I have known no man more hot-tempered than you.

At ego maledicentiorem quam te novi neminem.

But I have known no man more abusive than you.

Sin saluti quod tibi esse censeo, id consuadeo?

What if I advise what I think is for your health?

Apage istiusmodi salutem, cum cruciatu quae advenit.

Away with health of that kind, which comes with torture.

145

Dic mihi, an boni quid usquamst, quod quisquam uti possiet⁵

Tell me, is there any good anywhere, which anyone can enjoy

sine malo omni, aut ne laborem capias cum illo uti voles?

without any evil, or so that you do not take trouble when you wish to enjoy it?

Syntax notes5 items

81odio me esse
"odio esse" (to be hated) is an instance of the predicative dative (dative of purpose/effect), combined with the accusative subject "me" in an accusative-with-infinitive construction.
113cave pigritiae praeverteris
The construction "cave" followed by the subjunctive (with "ne" omitted) expresses a negative command ("take care not to..."). The verb "praevertor" governs the dative "pigritiae" and means "to give precedence to" or "to be surpassed by."
125nimis nihili tibicen siem
"nihili" is a genitive of value modifying "tibicen" (flute-player), meaning "a worthless flute-player." It is a humorous self-deprecating metaphor used by the slave who is too out of breath to act as a flute-player, a profession that requires continuous breath control.
135cPrincipium id inimicis dato
A colloquial Roman apotropaic formula used upon hearing an ill-omened word (here, "we are ruined") to deflect the misfortune onto one's enemies, literally meaning "give that beginning (evil omen) to our enemies."
145quod quisquam uti possiet
A relative clause containing the archaic subjunctive "possiet" (= possit). "quod" functions as the object of "uti," reflecting either an archaic ablative form of the relative pronoun or the archaic transitive use of "utor" taking an accusative.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi011.humanitext-lat2:81-146