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Plautus · Captivi §809-868

Ergasilus' Proclamation and Demand for a Feast

Passage 14 of 17 · Latin

Summary

Ergasilus arrives at Hegio's house shouting arrogant, market-inspector-like proclamations to punish various merchants. Carrying great news about Hegio's son, he demands the preparation of a luxurious feast and sacrifices to himself, utterly bewildering Hegio.

§809eorum si quoiusquam scrofam in publico conspexero, §810ex ipsis dominis meis pugnis exculcabo furfures.
If I see the sow of any of them in public, I will stamp the bran out of the owners themselves with my fists.
§811Basilicas edictiones atque imperiosas habet: §812satur homost, habet profecto in ventre confidentiam.
He issues kingly and authoritative edicts: the man is full, he certainly has confidence in his belly.
§813Tum piscatores, qui praebent populo pisces foetidos, §814qui advehuntur quadrupedanti crucianti cantherio, §815quorum odos subbasilicanos omnes abigit in forum, §816eis ego ora verberabo surpiculis piscariis, §817ut sciant, alieno naso quam exhibeant molestiam.
Then the fishmongers, who provide the people with stinking fish, who ride here on ambling, wretched geldings, whose smell drives all the sub-basilican loafers into the forum, I will beat their faces with their own fish-baskets, so that they may know what a nuisance they present to other people's noses.
§818tum lanii autem, qui concinnant liberis orbas oves, §819qui locant caedundos agnos et duplam agninam danunt, §820qui petroni nomen indunt verveci sectario, §821eum ego si in via petronem publica conspexero, §822et petronem et dominum reddam mortales miserrumos.
Then also the butchers, who dress up sheep bereaved of their lambs, who offer lambs for slaughter and sell lamb-meat at double price, who give the name of 'petro' to a castrated ram, if I see that 'petro' in the public street, I will make both the petro and its master the most miserable of mortals.
§823Eugepae, edictiones aedilicias hic quidem habet, §824mirumque adeost ni hunc fecere sibi Aetóli agoranomum.
Bravo, he indeed issues ediles' edicts here, and it is indeed a wonder if the Aetolians have not made him their market-inspector.
§825Non ego nunc parasitus sum, sed regum rex regalior, §826tantus ventri commeatus meo adest in portu cibus.
I am not a parasite now, but more kingly than a king of kings, such great provision for my belly is present in harbor as food.
§827sed ego cesso hunc Hegionem onerare laetitia senem, §828quó homine hominum adaeque nemo vivit fortunatior?
But why do I delay to load this old man Hegio with joy, than whom no man among men lives more fortunate?
§829Quae illaec est laetitia, quam illic laetus largitur mihi?
What is that joy which he, so joyful, is going to bestow upon me?
§830Heus ubi estis? ecquis hic est? ecquis hoc aperit ostium?
Hey, where are you? Is anyone here? Is anyone opening this door?
§831Hic homo ad cenam recipit se ad me.
This man is betaking himself to my house for dinner.
§831bÁperite hasce ambas fores §832prius quam pultando assulatim foribus exitium adfero.
Open both of these doors before I bring destruction to the doors by knocking them into splinters.
§833Perlúbet hunc hominem colloqui.
I have a great desire to speak with this man.
Ergásile.
Ergasilus!
§833bErgasilum qui vocat?
Who is calling Ergasilus?
§834Respíce.
Look back.
§834bFortuna quod tibi nec fácit nec faciet, me iubes.
You order me to do what Fortune has never done and never will do for you.
§835séd quis est?
But who is it?
§835bRéspice ad me, Hégio sum.
Look back at me, I am Hegio.
§835cÓh mihi, §836quántum est hominum óptumorum óptume, in témpore advenis.
Oh my, most excellent of all excellent men, you arrive in good time.
§837Nescío quem ad portum náctus es ubi cénes, eo fastídis.
You have found some harbor where you may dine, and that is why you are so haughty.
§838Cédo manum.
Give me your hand.
§838bManum?
Your hand?
§838cManum, inquam, cedo tuam actutum.
Your hand, I say, give it to me immediately.
§838dTene.
Take it.
§839Gaude.
Rejoice.
§839bQuid ego gaudeam?
Why should I rejoice?
§839cQuia ego impero, age gaude modo.
Because I command it, come on, just rejoice.
§840Pol maerores mi antevortunt gaudiis.
By Pollux, my sorrows anticipate my joys.
§841iám ego ex corpore exigam omnis maculas maerorum tibi.
Now I will banish all the spots of sorrow from your body.
§842gaude audacter.
Rejoice boldly.
§842bGaudeo, etsi nil scio quod gaudeam.
I rejoice, although I know nothing of why I should rejoice.
§843Bene facis.
You do well.
iubé— §843bQuid iubeam?
Order— What should I order?
§843cIgnem ingentem fieri.
A huge fire to be made.
§844Ignem ingentem?
A huge fire?
§844bIta dico, magnus ut sit.
So I say, that it be giant.
§844cQuid? me, volturi, §845tuan causa aedis incensurum censes?
What? You vulture, do you think I am going to burn my house down for your sake?
§845bNoli irascier.
Don't be angry.
§846iuben an non iubes astitui aúlas, patinas elui, §847† laridum atque epulas foveri foculis ferventibus?
Do you order or do you not order the pots to be set on, the dishes to be washed, the bacon and the feast to be warmed over the hot hearths?
§848alium pisces praestinatum abire?
Another to go and buy fish?
§848bHic vigilans somniat.
This man is dreaming while awake.
§849Alium porcinam atque agninam et pullos gallinaceos?
Another to buy pork and lamb and chickens?
§850Scis bene esse, si sit unde.
You know it is good to have, if there were the means.
§850b† Pernam atque ophthalmiam, §851horaeum, scombrum et trygonum et cetum, et mollem caseum?
Ham and 'ophthalmia', preserved fish, mackerel, stingray, whale-fish, and soft cheese?
§852Nominandi istorum tibi erit magis quam edundi copia §853hic apud me, Ergasile.
You will have more opportunity of naming those than of eating them here at my house, Ergasilus.
§853bMean me causa hoc censes dicere?
Do you think I say this for my own sake?
§854Nec nihil hodie nec multo plus tu hic edes, ne frustra sis.
You will eat neither nothing nor much more here today, lest you be deceived.
§855proin tu tui cottidiani victi ventrem ad me afferas.
Therefore bring your belly prepared for your daily fare to my house.
§856Quin ita faciam, ut tute cupias facere sumptum, etsi ego vetem.
Indeed, I will make you wish to spend, even if I should forbid it.
§857Egone?
I?
§857bTune.
You.
§857cTum tu mi igitur erus es.
Then you are my master now.
§857dImmo benevolens.
No, indeed, a well-wisher.
§858vin te faciam fortunatum?
Do you want me to make you fortunate?
§858bMalim quam miserum quidem.
I would prefer that to being miserable, indeed.
§859Cedo manum.
Give me your hand.
§859bEm manum.
There is my hand.
§859cDi te omnes adiuvant.
All the gods are helping you.
§859dNil sentio.
I feel nothing.
§860Non enim es in senticeto, eo non sentis.
For you are not in a briar-patch, that is why you don't feel.
sed iube §861vasa tibi pura apparari ád rem divinam cito, §862atque agnum afferri proprium pinguem.
But order pure vessels to be prepared quickly for the sacred rite, and a fat, sacred lamb to be brought.
§862bCur?
Why?
§862cVt sacrufices.
So that you may sacrifice.
§863Cui deorum?
To which of the gods?
§863bMi hercle, nam égo nunc tibi sum summus Iuppiter, §864idem ego sum Salus, Fortuna, Lux, Laetitia, Gaudium.
To me, by Hercules! For I am now supreme Jupiter to you, I am also Salvation, Fortune, Light, Joy, and Gladness.
§865proin tu deum hunc saturitate facias tranquillum tibi.
Therefore make this god favorable to you by filling him.
§866Esurire mihi videre.
You seem to me to be hungry.
§866bMi quidem esurio, non tibi.
I am hungry for myself, indeed, not for you.
§867Tuo arbitratu, facile patior.
As you please, I easily endure it.
§867bCredo, consuetu's puer.
I believe so, you have been accustomed to it from boyhood.
§868Iuppiter te dique perdant.
May Jupiter and the gods destroy you!

Notes

  1. 819caedundos agnos — A gerundive construction agreeing with 'agnos', functioning as the object of 'locant' ('they contract out lambs to be slaughtered'), depicting the fraudulent business practices of the butchers.
  2. 834bFortuna quod tibi nec fácit nec faciet — Ergasilus plays on the double meaning of 'respice' ('look back' and 'look with favor upon'), responding to Hegio's command. The relative clause with 'quod' acting as the object of the implied action, meaning 'what Fortune has never done and never will do for you (i.e., look upon you with favor)'.
  3. 850si sit unde — An elliptical construction with the relative adverb 'unde', functioning as 'if there were [the means/the money from which they might be bought]'.
  4. 860Non enim es in senticeto, eo non sentis — A characteristic Plautine pun playing on the phonetic similarity between 'senticetum' (briar-patch) and 'sentis' (you feel, from 'sentire'). The causal conjunction 'eo' (therefore) humorously links the two unrelated words.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Captivi §809-868. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi005.humanitext-lat2:809-868

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