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Plautus · Casina §942-1018

Exposure of Lysidamus, His Pardon, and the Epilogue

Passage 14 of 14 · Latin

Summary

Olympio and Lysidamus are utterly humiliated by Chalinus disguised as Casina, and all their misdeeds are exposed to Cleostrata. The old man begs for forgiveness and is pardoned, and the play concludes happily with the announcement of Casina's upcoming marriage to Euthynicus.

§942nec quibus modis purgem scio me meae uxori.
nor do I know how to excuse myself to my wife.
§943atque expálliatus súm miser, §944clandestinae núptiae.
And I am stripped of my cloak, wretched me, by this secret wedding.
§945censeo §946mihi optumum est.
I think it is best for me.
§947intro ad uxorem meam §948súfferamque eí meum térgum ob iniúriam.
I will go inside to my wife and offer her my back for my wrongdoing.
§949séd ecquis est quí homo munús velit fúngier
But is there any man who would like to perform this duty for me?
§950pró me? quid núnc agam néscio, nisi ut ímprobos §951famulos imiter ac domo fugiam.
What to do now I do not know, except to imitate worthless slaves and run away from home.
§952nam salus nulla est scapulis, si domum redeo.
For there is no safety for my shoulders if I return home.
§953nugas istic dicere licet.
One may talk nonsense there.
vapulo hercle ego invitus tamen §954etsi malum merui.
Yet, by Hercules, I am whipped against my will even though I deserved trouble.
§955hac dabo protinam me et fugiam.
I will betake myself this way immediately and run away.
§955bHeus, sta ílico, amátor.
Hey, stand right there, lover.
§956_962Óccidi, revocór: quasi non aúdiam, abíbo.
I am ruined, I am called back: I will go away as if I do not hear.
§963Úbi tu es, qui cólere mores Mássilienses póstulas?
Where are you, who demand to respect Massilian customs?
§964nunc tu si vis subigitare me, probast occasio.
Now if you want to fondle me, there is a fine opportunity.
§965redi sis in cubiculum; periisti hercle.
Please return to the bedroom; by Hercules, you are ruined.
age, accede huc modo.
Come on, just step over here.
§966nunc ego tecum aequom arbitrum extra considium captavero.
Now outside of court, I will catch you with an impartial arbiter.
§967Perii, fusti defloccabit iam illic homo lumbos meos.
I am ruined, that man will soon strip my loins with a club.
§968hac iter faciundumst, nam illac lumbifragiumst obviam.
I must make my way this way, for a broken loin lies in wait that way.
§969Iubeo te salvere, amator.
I bid you greetings, lover.
§969bEcce autem uxor obviamst: §971hac lupi, hac canes: lupina scaeva fusti rem gerit; §972hercle opinor permutabo ego illuc nunc verbum vetus: §973hac ibo, caninam scaevam spero meliorem fore.
But look, my wife is in the way: wolves this way, dogs that way: the wolfish omen does business with a club; by Hercules, I think I will now change that old proverb: I will go this way, hoping that the dog-like omen will be better.
§974Quid agis, dismarite?
What are you doing, double-husband?
§974bMi vir, unde hoc ornatu advenis?
My husband, from where do you arrive in this attire?
§975quid fecisti scipione aut quod habuisti pallium?
What did you do with your staff, or what cloak did you have?
§976In adulterio, dum moechissat Casinam, credo perdidit.
In adultery, while he was playing the lecher with Casina, I believe he lost it.
§977Occidi.
I am ruined.
§977bEtiamne imus cubitum? Casina sum.
Are we still going to bed? I am Casina.
§977cI in malam crucem.
Go to a bad cross.
§978Non amas me?
Don't you love me?
§978bQuin responde, tuo quid factum est pallio?
But answer, what has been done with your cloak?
§979Bacchae hercle, uxor— §979bBacchae?
By Hercules, the Bacchae, wife— The Bacchae?
§979cBacchae hercle, uxor— §979dNugatur sciens, §980nam ecastor nunc Bacchae nullae ludunt.
By Hercules, the Bacchae, wife— He is playing the fool knowingly, for by Castor no Bacchae are celebrating now.
§980bOblitus fui, §981sed tamén Bacchae— §981bQuid, Bacchae?
I forgot, but yet the Bacchae— What, Bacchae?
§981cSin id fieri non potest— §982Times ecastor.
But if that cannot be— By Castor, you are afraid.
§982bEgone?
Me?
§982cMentire hercle.
By Hercules, you lie.
nam palles male.
For you are terribly pale.
§983ṇ quid me ṿẹ ụṣ am me rog̣ạs?
why do you ask me...?
§984ṃạḷẹ ṛ mihi §985g̣̣ṛatulor.
badly... to me I congratulate.
§986q̣ụ ṣẹṇex
which old man...
§987ḥọ ọṇ ụ §988ụṇc̣ cạsiṇụst | — |
now Casinus...
§989_990quị ḥịc̣ lem frus ṛạm ḍịs
here...
§991qui étiam me miserum famosum fecit flagitiis suis.
who has also made wretched me famous for his disgraceful deeds.
§992Non taces?
Won't you be silent?
§992bNon herle vero taceo. nam tu maxumo
Indeed, by Hercules, I will not be silent.
§993me opsecravisti opere, Casinam ut poscerem uxorem mihi §994_995túi amoris causa.
For you with the greatest effort entreated me to ask for Casina as a wife for myself for the sake of your love.
§994_995bEgo istuc feci?
Did I do that?
§994cImmo Hector Ilius §996te quidem oppresset.
No, Hector of Ilium must have overwhelmed you.
§996bFeci égo istaec dicta quae vos dicitis?
Did I do those things which you say?
§997Rogitas etiam?
Do you even ask again?
§997bSi quidem hercle feci, feci nequiter.
If indeed, by Hercules, I did it, I did it wickedly.
§998Redi modo huc intro: monebo, si qui meministi minus.
Just go back inside here: I will remind you, if you remember anything less.
§999Hercle, opinor, potius vobis credam quod vos dicitis.
By Hercules, I think I would rather believe what you say.
§1000sed, uxor, da viro tuo hanc veniam. Myrrhina, ora Cleostratam;
But, wife, give your husband this pardon.
§1001si umquam posthac aut amasso Casinam aut occepso modo, §1002ne ut eam amasso, sí ego umquam adeo posthac tale admisero §1003nulla causast, quin pendentem me, uxor, virgis verberes.
Myrrhina, entreat Cleostrata; if ever hereafter I either love Casina or even begin to, let alone love her, if I ever hereafter commit such a thing, there is no reason, wife, why you should not hang me up and beat me with rods.
§1004Censeo ecastor veniam hanc dandam.
By Castor, I think this pardon should be given.
§1004bFaciam ut iubes.
I will do as you command.
§1005propter eam rem hanc tibi nunc veniam minus gravate prospero, §1006hanc ex longa longiorem ne faciamus fabulam.
For that reason, I now grant you this pardon less reluctantly, lest we make this long play even longer.
§1007Non irata es?
You are not angry?
§1007bNon sum irata.
I am not angry.
§1007cTuaen fidei credo?
Do I trust your word?
§1007dMeae.
My word.
§1008Lepidiorem uxorem nemo quisquam quam ego habeo hanc habet.
No one has a more delightful wife than I have this one.
§1009Age tu, redde huic scipionem et pallium.
Come, you, return to him his staff and cloak.
§1009bTene, si lubet.
Take it, if you like.
§1010mihi quidem edepol insignite factast magna iniuria: §1011duobus nupsi, neuter fecit quod novae nuptae solet.
By Pollux, indeed, a distinguished and great injury has been done to me: I married two men, and neither did what is customary for a new bride.
§1012Spectatores, quod futurumst intus, id memorabimus.
Spectators, what is to happen inside, we will relate.
§1013haec Casina huius reperietur filia esse ex proxumo §1014eaque nubet Euthynico nostro erili filio.
This Casina will be found to be the daughter of this neighbor, and she will marry Euthynicus, our master's son.
§1015nunc vos aequomst manibus meritis meritam mercedem dare: §1016qui faxit, clam uxorem ducet semper scortum quod volet; §1017verum qui non manibus clare, quantum poterit, plauserit, §1018ei pro scorto supponetur hircus unctus nautea.
Now it is right for you to give with deserving hands a deserved reward: he who does so will always secretly sleep with whatever courtesan he wishes; but he who does not applaud clearly with his hands as much as he can, to him, instead of a courtesan, a dirty goat smeared with bilge-water will be substituted.

Notes

  1. §949-950qui homo munus velit fungier pro me — The verb `fungier` is an archaic passive infinitive form (equivalent to classical `fungi`). Although a deponent verb which typically governs the ablative case in classical Latin, here it governs the accusative `munus`, a characteristic syntax of early Latin.
  2. §1001-1002amasso ... occepso — `amasso` and `occepso` are archaic future perfect (or perfect subjunctive) forms (corresponding to classical `amavero` and `coepero`). They are used in the conditional `si`-clause to express a future hypothetical action.
  3. §1015manibus meritis meritam mercedem dare — The sequence of `manibus`, `meritis`, `meritam`, `mercedem` creates a powerful rhetorical effect through both alliteration (the repetition of the initial 'm') and polyptoton (using words derived from the same root `mereri` in different forms).

Cite this passage

Plautus, Casina §942-1018. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi006.humanitext-lat2:942-1018

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