- 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.phi006.humanitext-lat2:945c-999c
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Demea exposes the truth behind Micio's easygoing nature by pushing him to grant several generous demands, including freeing Syrus. Finally, Demea reveals that his own strictness came from genuine care, offering true guidance to the youth and ending the play with a call for applause.
Age prolixe, Micio.
Demea: Come, be generous, Micio.
Etsi hoc mihi pravum, ineptum, absurdum, atque alienum a vita meaVidetur, si vos tantopere istuc vultis, fiat.
Micio: Although this seems wrong, silly, absurd, and foreign to my way of life, if you all want it so much, let it be done.
Bene facis:
Aeschinus: You do well;
Merito te amo. Verum—
I love you deservedly. But—
Quid?
Micio: What?
Ego dicam, hoc quum fit quod volo.1
Aeschinus: I will tell you, since this is being done which I wish.
Quid nunc quod restat? Hegio his est cognatus proximus,
Demea: What now remains? Hegio is their nearest relative,
Affinis nobis, pauper: bene nos aliquid facere illi decet.
a kinsman to us, poor: it is fitting that we do something good for him.
Quid facere?
Micio: Do what?
Agelli est hic sub urbe paulum, quod locitas foras:
Demea: There is a little bit of land here near the city, which you let out:
Huic demus qui fruatur.
let us give it to him to enjoy.
Paulum id autem?
Micio: Is that a little, though?
Si multum est, tamen
Demea: If it is much, still
Faciendum est: pro patre huic est; bonus est; noster est; recte datur.
it must be done: he is like a father to her; he is good; he is ours; it is rightly given.
Postremo nunc meum illud verbum facio quod tu, Micio,
Demea: Finally, now I make my own that saying of yours which you, Micio,
Bene et sapienter dixti dudum: "Vitium commune omnium est,
said well and wisely a short while ago: “It is a common vice of all,
Quod nimium ad rem in senecta attenti sumus." Hanc maculam nos decet
that in old age we are too attentive to property.” It is fitting that we escape
Effugere: dictum est vere, et re ipsa fieri oportet.
this stain: it was spoken truly, and in actual fact it ought to be done.
Quid istic? dabitur quandoquidem hic vult.
Micio: What of it? It shall be given, since he wants it.
Mi pater.
Aeschinus: My father!
Nunc tu mihi es germanus pariter corpore et animo.
Demea: Now you are my brother equally in body and soul.
Gaudeo.
Micio: I am glad.
Suo sibi gladio hunc iugulo.2
Demea: [To himself] I slay him with his own sword.
Factum est quod iussisti, Demea.
Syrus: It is done as you ordered, Demea.
Frugi homo es. Ego edepol hodie mea quidem sententia
Demea: You are an honest man. By Pollux, today in my opinion indeed
Iudico Syrum fieri esse aequum liberum.
I judge it is fair that Syrus be made free.
Istunc liberum?
Micio: That fellow free?
Quodnam ob factum?
For what deed?
Multa.
Demea: Many.
O noster Demea, edepol vir bonus es.
Syrus: Oh our Demea, by Pollux you are a good man.
Ego istos vobis usque a pueris curavi ambos sedulo;
I have cared for both of these boys for you diligently from childhood;
Docui, monui, bene praecepi semper quae potui omnia.
I taught them, warned them, always gave them all the good advice I could.
Res apparet. Et quidem porro haec; obsonare cum fide,
Demea: The matter is plain. And indeed further these things: to market with trustworthiness,
Scortum adducere, apparare de die convivium;
to bring a prostitute, to prepare a feast by daylight;
Non mediocris hominis haec sunt officia.
these are the duties of no ordinary man.
O lepidum caput!
Syrus: Oh, delightful soul!
Postremo, hodie in psaltria hac emenda hic adiutor fuit,
Demea: Finally, today in buying this music-girl he was an assistant,
Hic curavit: prodesse aequum est: alii meliores erunt:
he took care of it: it is fair to benefit him: others will be better;
Denique hic vult fieri.
in short, he wants it to be done.
Vin tu hoc fieri?
Micio: Do you want this to be done?
Cupio.
Aeschinus: I desire it.
Si quidem
Micio: If indeed
Tu vis, Syre, eho accede huc ad me: liber esto.
you want it—Syrus, come here to me: be free.
Bene facis.
Syrus: You do well.
Omnibus gratiam habeo, et seorsum tibi praeterea, Demea.
I am grateful to all, and separately to you besides, Demea.
Gaudeo.
Demea: I rejoice.
Et ego.
Aeschinus: And I.
Credo: utinam hoc perpetuum fiat gaudium,
Syrus: I believe it: would that this joy be made perpetual,
Phrygiam ut uxorem meam una mecum videam liberam.
that I might see my wife Phrygia free together with me.
Optimam quidem mulierem.
Demea: An excellent woman indeed.
Et quidem tuo nepoti, huius filio,
Syrus: And indeed to your grandson, this man’s son,
Hodie primam mammam dedit haec.
she gave the first breast today.
Hercle vero serio,
Demea: By Hercules, in truth, seriously,
Si quidem primam dedit, haud dubium quin emitti aequum siet.
if indeed she gave the first, there is no doubt but that it is fair she be set free.
Ob eam rem?
Micio: For that reason?
Ob eam. Postremo a me argentum quanti est sumito.
Demea: For that. Finally, take the money from me for whatever she is worth.
Di tibi, Demea, omnes semper omnia optata offerant.
Syrus: May all the gods always offer you all your wishes, Demea.
Syre, processisti hodie pulchre.
Micio: Syrus, you have done very well today.
Si quidem porro, Micio,
Syrus: If indeed further, Micio,
Tu tuum officium facies, atque huic aliquid paulum prae manu
you will do your duty, and give him some little thing in hand
Dederis unde utatur; reddet tibi cito.
from which he may make use; he will return it to you quickly.
Istoc vilius.3
Micio: Worse than nothing; he will return nothing.
Frugi homo est.
Demea: He is an honest man.
Reddam hercle; da modo.
Syrus: I will return it, by Jove; only give it.
Age pater.
Aeschinus: Come, father.
Post consulam.
Micio: I will consider it later.
Faciet.
Demea: He will do it.
O vir optime.
Syrus: Oh, best of men!
O mi pater festivissime.
Aeschinus: Oh, my most agreeable father!
Quid istuc? quae res tam repente mores mutavit tuos?
Micio: What is this? What thing has so suddenly changed your character?
Quod prolubium? quae istaec subita est largitas?
What whim? What is this sudden generosity?
Dicam tibi;
Demea: I will tell you:
Ut id ostenderem quod te isti facilem et festivum putant,
to show that what they think of you as easygoing and agreeable
Id non fieri ex vera vita, neque adeo ex aequo et bono:
does not come from a true way of life, nor indeed from equity and goodness,
Sed ex assentando, indulgendo, et largiendo, Micio.
but from flatteries, indulgence, and giving, Micio.
Nunc adeo si ob eam rem vobis vita mea invisa est, Aeschine,
Now indeed, if for that reason my way of life is hateful to you, Aeschines,
Quia non iusta iniusta prorsus omnia omnino obsequor,
because I do not comply completely with all things, right or wrong,
Missa facio: effundite, emite, facite, quod vobis libet:
I let it go: squander, buy, do what pleases you.
Sed si id vultis potius, quae vos propter adolescentiam
But if you rather wish that, in those things which you, on account of youth,
Minus videtis, magis impense cupitis, consulitis parum,
see less, desire more eagerly, and care for too little,
Haec reprehendere et corrigere me, et obsecundare in loco;
I should reprove and correct them, and support you at the right time;
Ecce me qui id faciam vobis.
behold, here I am to do it for you.
Tibi, pater, permittimus:
Aeschinus: We yield to you, father;
Plus scis quid facto opus est. Sed de fratre quid fiet?
you know better what needs to be done. But what will become of my brother?
Sino;
Demea: I permit it;
Habeat; in istac finem faciat.
let him have her; let him make an end of it with her.
Istuc recte.
Aeschinus: That is right.
Plaudite.
Demea: Applaud!
- 948choc quum fit quod volo
The conjunction quum (cum) with the indicative present 'fit' introduces a temporal-causal clause: 'now that this is happening'. Here, 'hoc' is the antecedent of the relative clause 'quod volo'.
- 960Suo sibi gladio hunc iugulo
The phrase 'suo sibi' combines the possessive reflexive 'suo' with the ethical/possessive dative of the reflexive pronoun 'sibi' for emphasis ('with his very own sword'). It metaphorically describes Demea defeating Micio with Micio's own philosophy of generosity.
- 983bIstoc vilius
A highly colloquial and elliptical expression. Literally meaning 'cheaper than that', here Micio cynically implies that he will get back even less than 'soon'—meaning Syrus will never repay him anything.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — source 1