But by Hercules, indeed we parasites are more clearly so, whom nobody ever either invites or invokes.
§77quasi mures semper edimus alienum cibum; §78ubi res prolatae sunt, quom rus homines eunt, §79simul prolatae res sunt nostris dentibus.
Like mice we always eat other people's food; When business is adjourned and men go to the country, at the same time business is adjourned for our teeth.
§80quasi, cum caletur, cocleae in occulto latent, §81suo sibi suco vivont, ros si non cadit, §82item parasiti rebus prolatis latent §83in occúlto miseri, victitant suco suo, §84dum ruri rurant homines quos ligurriant.
Just as, when it is hot, snails hide in secret places, they live on their own moisture, if no dew falls; likewise parasites, when business is adjourned, hide miserably in secret, and live on their own juices, while in the country those men are rusticating whom they might sponge off.
§85prolatis rebus parasiti venatici §86sumus, quando res redierunt, molossici §87odiosicique et multum incommodestici.
When business is adjourned, we parasites are hunting dogs; when business returns, we are Molossian hounds, and annoying dogs, and extremely troublesome dogs.
§88et hic quidem hercle, nisi qui colaphos perpeti §89potest parasitus frangique aulas in caput, §90ire extra portam Trigeminam ad saccum licet.
And here indeed, by Hercules, unless a parasite can endure cuffs and have pots broken over his head, he may go outside the Trigeminina gate to the sack.
§91quod mihi ne eveniat, non nullum periculum est.
And there is no small danger that this might happen to me.
§92nam postquam meus rex est potitus hostium— §93ita nunc belligerant Aetoli cum Aleis; §94nam Aetolia haec est, illic est captus in Alide, §95Philopolemus, huius Hegionis filius §96senis, qui hic habitat, quae aedes lamentariae §97mihi sunt, quas quotienscumque conspicio fleo; §98nunc hic occepit quaestum hunc fili gratia §99inhonestum et maxime alienum ingenio suo: §100homines captivos commercatur, si queat §101aliquem invenire, suom qui mutet filium.
For after my patron fell into the hands of the enemy— thus now the Aetolians wage war with the Alians; for this is Aetolia, and there in Alis he was captured, Philopolemus, the son of this old man Hegio, who lives here, whose house is a house of mourning to me, which whenever I look upon, I weep; now he has begun this trade for his son's sake, disreputable and extremely foreign to his nature: he buys up captive men, in the hope that he might be able to find someone to exchange for his own son.
§102quod quidem ego nimis quam cupio ut impetret; §103nam ni illum recipit, nihil est quo me recipiam.
Which indeed I desire exceedingly that he may obtain; for unless he recovers him, there is nowhere I can betake myself.
§104nam nulla est spes iuventútis, sese omnis amant; §105ille démum antiquis est adulescens moribus, §106cuius númquam voltum tranquillavi gratiis.
For there is no hope in the youth, they all love themselves; he alone is a young man of the old-fashioned manners, whose face I never cheered up for nothing.
§107condigne pater est eius moratus moribus.
His father is endowed with characters worthily matching.
§108nunc ad eum pergam.
Now I will go to him.
sed aperitur ostium, §109unde sáturitate saepe ego exii ebrius.
But the door is opening, from which I have often come out drunk with satiety.
§110Advorte animum sis tu: istos captivos duos, §111heri quos emi de praeda a quaestoribus, §112eis indito catenas singularias §113istas, maiores, quibus sunt iuncti, demito; §114sinito ambulare, si foris si intus volent, §115sed uti adserventur magna diligentia.
Hegio: Pay attention, if you please: those two captives whom I bought yesterday from the spoils from the quaestors, put separate chains on them; take off those larger ones with which they are joined together; permit them to walk, whether they wish outside or inside, but so that they are watched with great care.
§116liber captivos avis ferae consimilis est: §117semel fugiendi si data est occasio, §118satis est, numquam postilla possis prendere.
A free captive is just like a wild bird: if once an opportunity of escaping is given, it's enough, never after that can you catch him.
Lorarius: Surely we all more gladly are free than serve as slaves.
§120bNon videre ita tu quidem.
Hegio: You, at least, do not seem to think so.
§121Si non est quod dem, mene vis dem ipse—in pedes?
Lorarius: If there is nothing for me to give, do you want me to give myself—to my feet?
§122Si dederis, erit extemplo mihi quod dem tibi.
Hegio: If you give, I will immediately have something to give to you.
§123Avis mé ferae consimilem faciam, ut praedicas.
Lorarius: I will make myself like a wild bird, as you declare.
§124Ita ut dícis: nam si faxis, te in caveam dabo.
Hegio: Just as you say: for if you do it, I will put you in a cage.
§125sed satis verborumst.
But enough of words.
cura quae iussi atque abi.
Care for what I ordered and go.
I will go to my brother's to my other captives, to see if they have caused any disturbance during this night.
§128inde mé continuo recipiam rursum domum.
Thence I will immediately betake myself back home.
Ergasilus: It grieves me that this wretched old man is carrying on this trade of a gaoler on account of the misery of his son.
But if by any means that one can be restored here, I can even endure that he play the executioner.
§133Quis hic lóquitur?
Hegio: Who is speaking here?
§133bEgo, qui tuo maerore maceror, §134macesco, consenesco et tabesco miser; §135ossa atque pellis sum miser a macritudine; §136neque umquam quicquam me iuvat quod edo domi: §137foris aliquantillum etiam quod gusto, id beat.
Ergasilus: I, who am wasted away by your grief, grow thin, grow old, and pine away, wretched; I am wretchedly skin and bones from thinness; and never does anything please me that I eat at home; even the tiniest bit that I taste abroad, that makes me happy.
§138Ergasile, salve.
Hegio: Ergasilus, hail.
§138bDi te bene ament, Hegio.
Ergasilus: May the gods love you well, Hegio.
§139Ne fle.
Hegio: Do not weep.
§139bEgone illum non fleam? égon non defleam
Ergasilus: Should I not weep for him?
§140Talem adulescentem?
Should I not bewail such a young man?
Hegio: I have always felt that to my son you were a friend, and I understood that he was so to you.
Ergasilus: Only then do we men appreciate our blessings, when we have lost those things which we had in our power.
I, after your son fell into the hands of the enemy, having experienced how much he was worth, now feel his loss.