- Source
- Terence. Publii Terentii Comoediae Sex. Parry, Edward St. John, editor. London: Whittaker and Co.; George Bell, 1857.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0134.phi004.humanitext-lat2:392-459
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Phormio and Demipho continue to argue over legal obligations regarding the girl, and Demipho's offer of money is rejected. Demipho then consults three advocates for advice, but their conflicting opinions leave him more confused than before.
Quisquam istoc nomine.
”Is there anyone at all by that name?”
Itane? non te horum pudet?
”Indeed? Are you not ashamed of this?”
At si talentum rem reliquisset decem—
”But if he had left a fortune of ten talents—“
Di tibi malefaciant.
”May the gods bring ruin upon you!”
primus esses1 memoriter
”you would be the first to readily”
Progeniem vestram usque ab avo atque atavo proferens.
”rehearsing your lineage, tracing it all the way from your grandfather and great-great-grandfather.”
Ita ut dicis: ego tum si advenissem, qui mihi
”Just as you say: if I had come then, how she”
Cognata ea esset dicerem: itidem tu face.
”was related to me, I should have explained; do you now do the same.”
Cedo qui est cognata?
”Tell me, how is she related?”
Eu, noster, recte. Heus tu, cave.
”(Aside) Well done, our master, right. Hey you, watch out!”
Dilucide expedivi quibus me oportuit
”I have explained it clearly to those to whom I was required to,”
Iudicibus: tum, si id falsum fuerat, filius
”the judges: then, if it had been false, why did your son”
Cur non refellit?
”not refute it?”
Filium narras mihi,
”Do you speak of my son to me,”
Cuius de stultitia dici ut dignum est non potest?
”whose foolishness cannot be spoken of as it deserves?”
At tu qui sapiens es magistratus adi;
”But you, who are wise, go to the magistrates;”
Iudicium de eadem causa iterum ut reddant tibi;
”let them grant you a trial on the same cause again;”
Quandoquidem solus regnas, et soli licet
”since you alone reign, and to you alone is it allowed”
Hic de eadem causa bis iudicium adipiscier.
”to obtain a trial twice on the same cause here.”
Etsi mihi facta iniuria est, verumtamen
”Although an injury has been done to me, nevertheless,”
Potius quam lites secter, aut quam te audiam,2
”rather than pursue lawsuits, or rather than listen to you,”
Itidem ut cognata si sit, id quod lex iubet
”just as if she were a relative, that which the law commands,”
Dotem dare, abduce hanc, minas quinque accipe.
”namely to give a dowry, take her away, and accept five minae.”
Ha, ha, he! homo suavis.
”Ha, ha, he! A sweet gentleman indeed.”
Quid est? num iniquum postulo?
”What is it? Do I demand something unfair?”
An ne hoc quidem adipiscar ego, quod ius publicum est?
”Or shall I not even obtain this, which is common right?”
Itane tandem quæso, item ut meretricem ubi abusus sis,
”Is it so indeed, I ask you, just as when you have abused a courtesan,”
Mercedem dare lex iubet ei atque amittere? An,
”the law commands you to give her a reward and dismiss her? Or,”
Ut ne quid turpe civis in se admitteret
”so that a citizen might not commit any disgraceful act upon herself”
Propter egestatem, proximo iussa est dari,
”due to poverty, was she not ordered to be given to her nearest relative,”
Ut cum uno aetatem degeret? quod tu vetas.
”to pass her life with him alone? Which you forbid.”
Ita proximo quidem! At nos unde? aut quamobrem—
”Yes, to the nearest relative indeed! But from where are we related to her? Or why—“
Ohe,
”Oh,”
Actum, aiunt, ne agas.3
”what is done, they say, do not undo.”
Non agam? immo haud desinam,
”Shall I not undo it? Nay, I will not stop,”
Donec perfecero hoc.
”until I have accomplished this.”
Ineptis.
”You are playing the fool.”
Sine modo.
”Just let me be.”
Postremo tecum nihil rei nobis, Demipho, est.
”Lastly, we have no business with you, Demipho.”
Tuus est damnatus gnatus, non tu; nam tua
”It is your son who was condemned, not you; for your”
Præterierat iam ad ducendum aetas.
”age for marrying was already past.”
Omnia haec
”All these things”
Illum putato quae ego nunc dico dicere;
”suppose that he is saying which I now say;”
Aut quidem cum uxore hac ipsum prohibebo domo.
”or indeed, with this wife, I shall shut him out of my house.”
Iratus est.
”(Aside) He is angry.”
Tute idem melius feceris.4
”You would do better to do that very thing yourself.”
Itane es paratus facere me adversum omnia,
”Are you so prepared to do everything against me,”
Infelix?
”you wretch?”
Metuit hic nos, tametsi seduloDissimulat.
”(Aside) He is afraid of us, although carefully...”
Bene habent tibi principia.
”(Aside) Your beginning is going well.”
Quin quod est
”Why don’t you,”
Ferendum fers? tuis dignum factis feceris,
”bear what must be borne? You will have done what is worthy of your deeds,”
Ut amici inter nos simus.
”so that we may be friends between us.”
Egon tuam expetam
”Should I seek your”
Amicitiam? aut te visum aut auditum velim?
”friendship? Or wish you to be seen or heard?”
Si concordabis cum illa, habebis quae tuam
”If you will agree with her, you will have someone to”
Senectutem oblectet; respice aetatem tuam.
”comfort your old age; reflect upon your age.”
Te oblectet; tibi habe.
”Let her comfort you; keep her for yourself.”
Minue vero iram.
”Do moderate your anger.”
Hoc age:
”Pay attention to this:”
Satis iam verborum est: nisi tu properas mulierem
”there has been enough talk: unless you make haste”
Abducere, ego illam eiiciam. Dixi, Phormio.
”to take the woman away, I will cast her out. I have spoken, Phormio.”
Si tu illam attigeris secus quam dignum est liberam,
”If you touch her otherwise than is fitting for a free woman,”
Dicam tibi impingam grandem: dixi, Demipho.
”I will bring a heavy lawsuit against you. I have spoken, Demipho.”
Si quid opus fuerit, heus, domo me.
”If there is any need, hey, find me at home.”
Intelligo.
”I understand.”
Quanta me cura et sollicitudine afficit
”With how much care and anxiety does”
Gnatus, qui me et se hisce impedivit nuptiis;
”my son affect me, who has entangled me and himself in this marriage!”
Neque mihi in conspectum prodit, ut saltem sciam
”Nor does he appear in my sight, so that I might at least know”
Quid de hac re dicat, quidve sit sententiae.
”what he says about this matter, or what his opinion is.”
Abi; vise redieritne iam an nondum domum.
”Go; see if he has already returned home or not yet.”
Eo.
”I am going.”
Videtis quo in loco res haec siet.
”You see in what position this matter stands.”
Quid ago? dic, Hegio.
”What should I do? Tell me, Hegio.”
Ego Cratinum censeo,
”I think Cratinus should speak,”
Si tibi videtur.
”if it seems good to you.”
Dic, Cratine.
”Speak, Cratinus.”
Mene vis?
”Do you wish me?”
Te.
”Yes, you.”
Ego quae in rem tuam sint ea velim facias: mihi
”I would wish you to do what is to your advantage; to me,”
Sic hoc videtur. Quod te absente hic filius
”this matter seems thus. What your son did here in your absence,”
Egit restitui in integrum aequum est et bonum,5
”it is fair and good that it be restored to its original state,”
Et id impetrabis: dixi.
”and you will obtain this: I have spoken.”
Dic nunc, Hegio.
”Now speak, Hegio.”
Ego sedulo hunc dixisse credo: verum ita est,
”I believe he spoke with good intention; but the truth is,”
Quot homines, tot sententiae; suus cuique mos.
”as many men, so many opinions; each has his own way.”
Mihi non videtur quod sit factum legibus
”To me, it does not seem that what was done according to the laws”
Rescindi posse; et turpe inceptum est.
”can be annulled; and it is a disgraceful attempt.”
Dic, Crito.
”Speak, Crito.”
Ego amplius deliberandum censeo:
”I think there should be further deliberation;”
Res magna est.
”it is a great matter.”
Numquid nos vis?
”Is there anything else you want of us?”
Fecistis probe:
”You have done well:”
Incertior sum multo quam dudum.
”I am much more uncertain than I was a moment ago.”
- 393At si talentum rem reliquisset decem... primus esses
A mixed contrary-to-fact conditional sentence: "if he had left a fortune of ten talents" (protasis: pluperfect subjunctive) ... "you would be the first" (apodosis: imperfect subjunctive), indicating a past unreal condition leading to a present unreal result.
- 408Potius quam lites secter, aut quam te audiam
The subjunctive mood (secter, audiam) is used in the clause introduced by potius quam to express a strong rejection of an undesirable alternative ("rather than pursue lawsuits or listen to you").
- 419Actum, aiunt, ne agas
A famous Latin proverb: "do not do what has been done" (i.e., do not undo what is settled). ne agas is a negative command using the present subjunctive in the second person singular, expressing a general maxim.
- 426bTute idem melius feceris
feceris is a perfect subjunctive used independently (potential subjunctive) to express a mild assertion or recommendation: "you yourself would do better to do that same thing" (i.e., locking the son out).
- 450Quod te absente hic filius egit restitui in integrum aequum est et bonum
restitui in integrum is a legal technical term in Roman law meaning "restoration to the original state." restitui is a present passive infinitive, with the clause quod... egit ("what he did") acting as its subject, dependent on the impersonal expression aequum est et bonum.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (2, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — source 2