Prologues of Ambivius and Dialogue of Philotis and Syra — Terence, Hecyra, lines production–67, Latin & English

production

HECYRA. ACTA LUDIS MEGALENSIBUS, SEX. IUL. CAESARE CN. CORNELIO DOLABELLA AEDILIBUS CURULIBUS. NON EST PERACTA. MODOS FECIT FLACCUS CLAUDII, TIBIIS PARIBUS. TOTA GRAECA APOLLODORU FACTA EST. ACTA PRIMO SINE PROLOGO. DATA SECUNDO CN. OCTAVIO T. MANLIO COSS. RELATA EST L. AEMILII PAULI LUDIS FUNEBRIBUS. NON EST PLACITA. TERTIO RELATA EST Q. FULVIO L. MARCIO AEDILIBUS CURULIBUS. EGIT L. AMBIVIUS TURPIO. PLACUIT.

THE MOTHER-IN-LAW. PERFORMED AT THE MEGALESIAN GAMES, WHEN SEXTUS IULIUS CAESAR AND GNAEUS CORNELIUS DOLABELLA WERE CURULE AEDILES. IT WAS NOT COMPLETED. FLACCUS, THE SLAVE OF CLAUDIUS, COMPOSED THE MUSIC, FOR EQUAL FLUTES. THE WHOLE WAS TAKEN FROM THE GREEK OF APOLLODORUS. PERFORMED THE FIRST TIME WITHOUT A PROLOGUE. PRODUCED THE SECOND TIME WHEN GNAEUS OCTAVIUS AND TITUS MANLIUS WERE CONSULS. BROUGHT FORWARD AGAIN AT THE FUNERAL GAMES OF LUCIUS AEMILIUS PAULUS. IT DID NOT PLEASE. BROUGHT FORWARD A THIRD TIME WHEN QUINTUS FULVIUS AND LUCIUS MARCIUS WERE CURULE AEDILES. LUCIUS AMBIVIUS TURPIO ACTED IT. IT PLEASED.

Hecyra est huic nomen fabulae: haec cum data

The Mother-in-Law is the name of this play; when this was produced

Nova est novum intervenit vitium et calamitas,

as new, a new misfortune and calamity intervened,

Ut neque spectari neque cognosci potuerit.

so that it could neither be witnessed nor understood.

Ita populus studio stupidus in funambulo

Thus the people, stupid with excitement over a rope-dancer,

Animum occuparat. Nunc haec plane est pro nova;

had occupied their minds. Now this is clearly in place of a new play;

Et is qui scripsit hanc ob eam rem noluit

and he who wrote this, for that reason, did not wish

Iterum referre ut iterum posset vendere.

to bring it forward again, so that he might be able to sell it again.

Alias cognostis eius: quaeso hanc nunc noscite.

You have known other plays of his; I beg you now to know this one.

Orator ad vos venio ornatu prologi:

I come to you as an advocate in the dress of a prologue;

Sinite exorator sim, eodem ut iure uti senem

allow me to be a successful pleader, so that an old man may be permitted to enjoy the same right

Liceat¹ quo iure sum usus adolescentior;

which right I enjoyed when younger;

Novas qui exactas feci ut² inveterascerent,

I who made new plays, which had been driven off, grow old in favor,

Ne cum poeta scriptura evanesceret.

lest the writing should perish along with the poet.

In his quas primum Caecili didici novas

Among those of Caecilius which I first learned as new,

Partim sum earum exactus, partim vix steti.

in some of them I was driven off, in others I scarcely stood my ground.

Quia scibam dubiam fortunam esse scenicam,

Because I knew that the fortune of the stage is doubtful,

Spe incerta certum mihi laborem sustuli.

with uncertain hope I undertook certain labor for myself.

Easdem agere coepi ut ab eodem alias discerem

I began to act the same plays so that I might learn other new ones

Novas studiose, ne illum ab studio abducerem.

from the same author with zeal, lest I should withdraw him from his study.

Perfeci ut spectarentur. Ubi sunt cognitae,

I brought it about that they were witnessed. When they were understood,

Placitae sunt. Ita poetam restitui in locum

they pleased. Thus I restored the poet to his place,

Prope iam remotum iniuria adversarium

who was almost already removed by injustice as an adversary

Ab studio atque ab labore atque arte musica.

from his study, and from his labor, and from the musical art.

Quod si scripturam sprevissem in praesentia,

But if I had despised his writing for the present,

Et in deterrendo voluissem operam sumere,

and had wished to employ my effort in discouraging him,

Ut in otio esset potius quam in negotio,

so that he might be in leisure rather than in business,

Deterruissem facile ne alias scriberet.

I would easily have discouraged him from writing others.

Nunc quid petam mea causa aequo animo attendite.

Now, for my sake, listen with an impartial mind to what I ask.

Hecyram ad vos refero, quam mihi per silentium

I bring back to you the Mother-in-Law, which in silence

Numquam agere licitum est; ita eam oppressit calamitas.

I was never permitted to act; so much did calamity oppress it.

Eam calamitatem vestra intelligentia

This calamity your understanding

Sedabit, si erit adiutrix nostrae industriae.

will allay, if it will be a helper to our industry.

Quum primum eam agere coepi, pugilum gloria,

When I first began to act it, the glory of boxers,

Funambuli eodem accessit expectatio:

and the expectation of a rope-dancer was added to the same place;

Comitum conventus, strepitus, clamor mulierum

the gathering of companions, the noise, the clamor of women

Fecere ut ante tempus exirem foras.

made me leave the stage before the time.

Vetere in nova coepi uti consuetudine,

I began to use my old custom in a new play,

In experiendo ut essem: refero denuo

that I might be in making trial; I bring it forward again.

Primo actu placeo; quum interea rumor venit

In the first act I please; when in the meantime a rumor comes

Datum iri gladiatores; populus convolat:

that gladiators are going to be given; the people fly together:

Tumultuantur, clamant, pugnant de loco:

they make an uproar, they clamor, they fight for a place;

Ego interea meum non potui tutari locum.

meantime I could not maintain my place.

Nunc turba nulla est: otium et silentium est:

Now there is no crowd; there is leisure and silence;

Agendi tempus mihi datum est: vobis datur

time for acting is given to me; to you is given

Potestas condecorandi ludos scenicos.

the power of decorating the scenic games.

Nolite sinere per vos artem musicam

Do not permit, through your fault, the musical art

Recidere ad paucos: facite ut vestra auctoritas

to fall back to a few; bring it about that your authority

Meae auctoritati fautrix adiutrixque sit.

may be a promoter and helper to my authority.

Sinite impetrare me, qui in tutelam meam

Permit me to obtain my request, for him who committed

Studium suum et se in vestram commisit fidem,

his study to my protection and himself to your protection,

Ne eum circumventum inique iniqui irrideant.

lest the unjust should unjustly mock him who is circumvented.

Mea causa causam hanc accipite, et date silentium,

For my sake accept this cause, and give silence,

Ut libeat scribere aliis, mihique ut discere

so that it may please others to write, and that it may be expedient for me hereafter

Novas expediat posthac pretio emtas meo.

to learn new plays bought at my own price.

Per pol quam paucos reperias³ meretricibus

By Pollux, Sira, how very few faithful lovers

Fideles evenire amatores, Syra.

you may find turn out to courtesans!

Vel hic Pamphilus iurabat quoties Bacchidi,

Even this Pamphilus, how often he swore to Bacchis,

Quam sancte ut quivis facile posset credere,

so sacredly that anyone could easily believe,

Nunquam illa viva ducturum uxorem domum.

that he would never, while she lived, bring home a wife.

Hem duxit.

Ah, he has married!

Ergo propterea te sedulo

Therefore, for this reason, I diligently

Et moueo, et hortor, ne cuiusquam misereat,

both advise and exhort you, that you pity no one,

Quin spolies, mutiles, laceres, quemque nacta sis.

but that you despoil, mutilate, and tear to pieces whomsoever you have caught.

Utine eximium neminem habeam?⁴

That I should have no one excepted?

Neminen;

No one;

Nam nemo illorum quisquam, scito, ad te venit

for know that not one of them comes to you,

Syntax notes4 items

10uti senem / Liceat
The accusative senem serves as the subject of the infinitive uti, which is embedded under the impersonal verb liceat. The verb uti syntactically governs the ablative iure.
12exactas feci ut
exactas is a perfect participle meaning 'hissed off/driven from the stage', modifying the omitted feminine plural accusative noun novas (new plays). feci ut introduces a noun clause of result expressing causation ('I brought it about that...').
58quam paucos reperias
Introduced by the exclamatory adverb quam, the verb reperias is a present subjunctive in the second-person singular. It is used as a potential subjunctive with a generic second-person subject ('one/you can find').
66Utine eximium neminem habeam?
The conjunction ut combined with the enclitic question-particle -ne and the present subjunctive habeam forms a repudiating question expressing indignation or incredulity at the previous speaker's statement.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (2, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — source 2

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0134.phi005.humanitext-lat2:production-67