But there is Amphitryon's slave Sosia; he is coming now from the port with a lantern.
§150abigam iam ego illum advenientem ab aedibus.
I will now drive him away from the house as he approaches.
Stand by: it will be worth the while for you spectators here to see Jupiter and Mercury play the actor.
§153Qui me álter est audácior homo aút qui confidéntior, §154iuventútis mores qui sciam, qui hoc noctis solus ambulem?
Who is there a bolder or more confident man than I, I who know the ways of youth, who walk alone at this time of night?
§155quid faciam nunc, si tres viri me in carcerem compegerint?
What shall I do now, if the three officers throw me into prison?
§156inde crás quasi e promptaria cella depromar ad flagrum, §157nec causam liceat dicere mihi, néque in ero quicquam auxili §158nec quisquam sit quin me malo omnes esse dignum deputent.
Thence tomorrow, like a thing drawn out of a store-room, I shall be dragged out to the whip, nor will I be allowed to plead my cause, nor will there be any help in my master, nor will there be anyone but that everyone will think me deserving of punishment.
§159_160íta quasi incudém me miserum hómines octo válidi caedant: §161_162ita peregre adveniens hospitio publicitus accipiar.
Thus, like an anvil, eight strong fellows will beat wretched me; thus, arriving from abroad, I shall be received with public hospitality.
This thoughtlessness of my master has forced me to it, he who against my will roused me from the harbor at this time of night.
§165nonne ídem hoc luci me míttere potuit?
Couldn't he have sent me during the daylight just the same?
§166opulénto homini hoc servitús dura est, §167hoc mágis miser est divítis servos: §168nóctesque diésque assiduó satis superque est §169quód facto aut dícto adeost ópus, quietus ne sis.
This slavery is hard for a rich man's servant, for this reason a rich man's slave is the more wretched: night and day continuously there is enough and more than enough of what must be done or said, so that you may never be at rest.
§170ípse dominus díves, operis ét laboris expers, §171quódcumque homini áccidit libére, posse retur: §172aéquom esse putát, non reputát laboris quid sit.
The rich master himself, free from work and labor, thinks that whatever comes into a man's head is possible to be done: he thinks it is fair, and does not consider what labor there is in it.
Therefore in slavery many unjust things are demanded of us: this burden must be held and borne with labor.
§176Satiúst me queri íllo modó servitútem: §177hodié qui fuerim líber, §178eúm nunc potívit patér servitútis, §179hic qui verna natus est queritur.
It is more fitting for me to complain of slavery in that manner: I who was free today, my father has now made me a partaker of slavery; while this fellow, who was born a slave, is complaining.
§180Sum véro verna vérbero: num número mi in mentém fuit, §181dis advenientem gratias pro meritis agere atque alloqui?
I am indeed a whip-rascal slave; did it occur to me at the right time to give thanks to the gods on my arrival for their merits and to address them?
§182ne illi edepol si merito meo referre studeant gratiam, §183aliquem hominem allegent qui mihi advenienti os occillet probe, §184quoniam bene quae in me fecerunt ingrata ea habui atque inrita.
Indeed, by Pollux, if they should desire to return favor according to my desert, they would commission some man to smash my face thoroughly on my arrival, since the benefits they have conferred on me I have held as thankless and of no account.
§185Facit ille quod volgo haud solent, ut quid se sit dignum sciat.
He does what people commonly do not do, in knowing what is worthy of him.
§186Quod numquam opinatus fui neque alius quisquam civium §187sibi eventurum, id contigit, ut salvi poteremur domi.
What I never expected, nor did any other of our citizens think would happen to him, has occurred: that we should get back safe to our home.
§188victores victis hostibus legiones reveniunt domum, §189duelló exstincto maximo atque internecatis hostibus.
The legions return home as victors, the enemy being conquered, after a very great war has been extinguished and the enemy completely slain.
§190quod multa Thebano poplo acerba obiecit funera, §191id vi et virtute militum victum atque expugnatum oppidum est §192imperio atque auspicio eri mei Amphitruonis maxime.
The town, which brought many bitter deaths upon the Theban people, was conquered and stormed by the force and valor of our soldiers, chiefly under the command and auspices of my master Amphitryon.
§193praeda atque agro adoriaque adfecit populares suos §194regique Thebano Creoni regnum stabilivit suom.
He has endowed his fellow-citizens with booty, land, and glory, and has secured his kingdom for Creon, the Theban king.
§195me a portu praemisit domum, ut haec nuntiem uxori suae, §196ut gesserit rem publicam ductu imperio auspicio suo.
He sent me ahead home from the port, to announce these things to his wife, how he conducted the public business under his own leadership, command, and auspices.
§197ea nunc meditabor quo modo illi dicam, cum illo advenero.
Now I will practice how I shall tell her those things when I arrive there.
§198si dixero mendacium, solens meo more fecero.
If I tell a lie, I shall only do what is customary, according to my habit.
§199nam cum pugnabant maxume, ego tum fugiebam maxume; §200verum quasi adfuerim tamen simulabo atque audita eloquar.
For when they were fighting hardest, I was running away hardest; but nevertheless I will pretend as if I had been present, and relate what I heard.
§201sed quo modo et verbis quibus me deceat fabularier, §202prius ipse mecum etiam volo hic meditari. sic hoc proloquar.
But how and in what words it becomes me to talk, I wish first to practice by myself here.
§203Principio ut illo advenimus, ubi primum terram tetigimus, §204continuo Amphitruo delegit viros primorum principes; §205eos legat, Telobois iubet sententiam ut dicant suam: §206si sine vi et sine bello velint rapta et raptores tradere, §207si quae asportassent redderent, se exercitum extemplo domum §208reducturum, abituros agro Argivos, pacem atque otium §209dare illis; sin aliter sient animati neque dent quae petat, §210sese igitur summa vi virisque eorum oppidum oppugnassere.
I will speak it thus: "First of all, when we arrived there, as soon as we touched land, immediately Amphitryon chose out the foremost of the chief men; he sends them as envoys, and orders them to declare his terms to the Teleboans: if they were willing without force and without war to deliver up the plundered goods and the plunderers, and if they would restore what they had carried off, he would immediately lead his army back home, the Argives would depart from their territory, and would grant them peace and quiet; but if they were otherwise minded, and would not grant what he demanded, then he would attack their town with the utmost force and power.
§211haec ubi Telobois ordine iterarunt quos praefecerat §212Amphitruo, magnanimi viri freti virtute et viribus §213superbe nimis ferociter legatos nostros increpant,
When those whom Amphitryon had set in charge repeated these terms in order to the Teleboans, those high-spirited men, relying on their valor and strength, too haughtily and fiercely rebuked our envoys,"