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Plautus · Cistellaria §293-462

Alcesimarchus' Pleading and His Father's Mistake

Passage 5 of 10 · Latin

Summary

Alcesimarchus is advised by his slave to avoid fighting Love and instead apologize to his mistress's mother. Subsequently, his father mistakenly confronts Gymnasium, believing she is his son's mistress, while Alcesimarchus desperately pleads for forgiveness from his lover and her mother, only to be rejected.

§293multos hastatos, post id multos velites, §294multos cum multis? haec tu pervorsario
many heavy-armed spear-throwers, and after that many light-armed skirmishers, many with many?
§295mihi fabulatu's.
You have told these things in a perverse way to me.
§295bDixin égo istaec, obsecro?
Did I say those things, I beg you?
§296Modó quidem hercle haec dixisti.
Indeed, by Hercules, you said these things just now.
§296bNon praesens quidem.
Not when I was present, indeed.
§297Praestigiator, siquidem hic non es atque ades.
You trickster, if indeed you are not here and yet you are present.
§298Video ego te Amoris valde tactum toxico, §299adulescens; eo te magis volo monitum.
I see you are deeply touched by the poison of Love, young man; therefore I want to warn you all the more.
§299bMone.
Warn me.
§300Cave sís cum Amore tu unquam bellum sumpseris.
Please take care lest you ever wage war with Love.
§301Quid faciam?
What shall I do?
§301bAd matrem eius devenias domum, §302expurges, iures, ores blande per precem §303eamque exores ne tibi suscenseat.
Go down to her mother's house, excuse yourself, swear, plead gently with entreaties, and persuade her not to be angry with you.
§304Expurigabo hercle omnia ad raucam ravim.
By Hercules, I will explain away everything until I am hoarse.
§305_frg3prohibét divitiis máximis, dóte áltili atque opíma.
it debars from the greatest wealth, and a rich, abundant dowry.
§306muliérculam exornatulam.
A finely adorned little woman.
quidem hercle scita.
Indeed, by Hercules, a smart one.
§307quamquam vetus cantherius sum, etiam nunc, ut ego opinor, §308adhinnire equolam possum ego hanc, si detur sola soli.
Although I am an old gelding, even now, in my opinion, I can still neigh after this young filly, if we were left alone together.
§309Nimis opportune mi evenit rediisse Alcesimarchum; §310nam sola nulla invitior solet esse.
It has turned out very opportunely for me that Alcesimarchus has returned; for no woman is accustomed to be alone with more reluctance.
§310bMe vocato,
Call me, lest you be alone; I will be with you.
§311ne sola sis: ego tecum ero, volo ego agere, ut tú agas aliquid.
I want to act so that you may do something.
§312Nimis lépide exconcinnavit hasce aedis Alcesimarchus.
Alcesimarchus has fitted up this house very charmingly.
§313Vt quom Venus adgreditur, placet; lepidumst amare semper.
As when Venus approaches, it pleases; it is always delightful to love.
§314Venerem meram haec aedes olent, quia amator expolivit.
This house smells of pure Venus, because a lover has adorned it.
§315Non modo ipsa lepidast, commode quoque hercle fabulatur.
Not only is she herself charming, but, by Hercules, she also speaks appropriately.
§316sed cum dicta huius intérpretor, haec herclest, ut ego opinor, §317meum quaé corrumpit filium.
But when I interpret her words, this is she, by Hercules, in my opinion, who is ruining my son.
suspiciost eam esse, §318utpote quam nunquam viderim; de opinione credo.
There is a suspicion that she is the one, since I have never seen her; I believe it from conjecture.
§319nam hasce aedis conductas habet meus gnatus, haec ubi astat: §320hoc hanc eam esse opiniost; nam haec illum nominavit.
For my son has this house rented, where she is standing: hence is the opinion that she is the one; for she named him.
§321quid si adeam atque appellem.
What if I approach and address her?
mali damnique inlecebra, salve.
Hail, enticement of evil and loss!
§322vapulabis.
You will be beaten.
§323volo apud te.
I wish to be with you.
§330Intro abeo, §331nam méretricem astare in via solam prostibuli sanest.
I am going inside, for a courtesan to stand alone in the street is indeed a sign of prostitution.
§362quid vis.
What do you want?
§363Volo éx te scire quidquid est §364quid ego usquam male feci tibi aut meus quisquam, id edisserta, §365quam ob rem me meumque filium quom matre remque nostram §366habes pérditui et praedatui?
I want to know from you, whatever it is, explain in detail what evil I or any of my family have ever done to you, why you hold me and my son with his mother, and our property, for ruin and plunder?
§366bMiser errat, ut ego dixi.
The wretched man is mistaken, as I said.
§367lepidast materies, ludam ego hunc, nam occasio videtur.
This is fine material, I will play with him, for it seems a good opportunity.
§368potin operam inique equidem malam ut ne des innocenti?
Can you indeed not cause unjust trouble to an innocent person?
§369Sed obsecro te, nullusnest tibi amator alius quisquam, §370nisi meus modo unus filius?
But I beseech you, is there no other lover of yours, except only my son?
§370bQuem quidem ego amem, alius nemo est.
As for one whom I indeed love, there is no other.
§371At ego
But I...
§371bNil moror: damno sunt tui mihi similes.
I care nothing: people like you are a loss to me.
§372Quid §372bisne est id arbitratus?
Is it he who thought so?
§373_frg4datores §373anegotioli bellissimi senices soletis esse.
You old men are accustomed to be the givers of very delightful business.
§374_frg5Me respondere postulas? iniurium est.
Do you demand that I answer?
§375stipulari semper me ultro oportet a viris,
It is unjust.
§376eum quaestum facio, nil viris promittere.
I ought always voluntarily to stipulate from men, I make that my trade, to promise nothing to men.
§377_frg6siquidem ímperes pro copia, pro recula
if indeed you command according to means, according to small estate Why don't you go, if you are going to go?
§378_frg7Quin is, si itura es? nimium is vegrandi gradu.
You are going with too slow a step.
§379_frg8Pol ad cubituram, mater, magis sum exercita
By Pollux, mother, I am more practiced for lying down than for running.
§380fere quam ad cursuram. eo sum tardiuscula.
Therefore I am a little slow.
§381_frg9meminere officium suom.
They remember their duty.
§382_frg10ita mustulentus ventus nares attigit.
Thus a wine-rich wind touched the nostrils.
§383_frg11capillo scisso atque excissatis auribus §384_frg12quae quasi carnificis angiporta purigans §405non quasi nunc haec sunt hic, limaces, lividae, §406febriculosae, miserae amicae, ósseae, §407diobolares, schoeniculae, miraculae, §408cum extritis talis, cum todillis crusculis §449Molestus es.
with torn hair and torn ears cleaning as it were the executioner's alleyways not like these here now, snails, pale, feverish, wretched mistresses, bony, cheap, scented with rush-oil, monstrous, with worn-out ankles, with spindly little legs You are troublesome.
§450Meae issula sua aedes egent.
My house lacks its little princess.
ad me sine ducam.
Let me lead her to myself.
§450bAufer manum.
Take your hand away.
§451Germana mea sororcula.
My own little sister.
§451bRepudio te fraterculum.
I reject you as a little brother.
§452Tum tu igitur, mea matercula.
Then you therefore, my little mother.
§452bRepudio te † fraterculum.
I reject you, little brother.
§453Opsecro te §453bValeas.
I beseech you Farewell.
§453cVt sinas §453dNil moror.
To allow I care nothing.
§453eExpurigare me.
me to excuse myself.
§454bSine dicám.
Let me speak.
§454cSatis sapit mihi tuis periuriis.
It tastes enough to me of your perjuries.
§455at nunc non potest.
but now it is not possible.
§455bSupplicium polliceri volo.
I want to promise satisfaction.
§456At mi aps te accipere non libet.
But it does not please me to accept it from you.
§456bEm omnia §457patior iure infelix.
Lo, everything I endure by right, unhappy as I am.
§457bVolup est neque tis misereri decet.
It is a pleasure, nor is it fitting to pity you.
§458quamquam hominem §459verba dare §460non illa qui frangant foedera §461eos §462dabis. —
Although a man to deceive not those who break covenants them you will give. —

Notes

  1. §296bNon praesens quidem — Can be interpreted as "Not when I was present" or "Not in my right mind." In this humorous context, the slave denies responsibility for his previous words by suggesting his conscious self (or reason) was not truly "present."
  2. §299volo monitum — A construction common in Early Latin where the verb `volo` is paired with the perfect passive participle `monitum`, expressing a strong desire ("I want you warned"). It is nearly synonymous with `moneri volo` but emphasizes the resulting state.
  3. §300Cave sís... sumpseris — A prohibition syntax consisting of `cave` followed by the perfect subjunctive `sumpseris`. `sís` is a contraction of `si vis` ("if you wish," "please").
  4. §318utpote quam nunquam viderim — A relative clause introduced by the particle of reason `utpote` which takes the subjunctive `viderim` (here perfect subjunctive), expressing a subjective or explanatory reason ("inasmuch as I have never seen her").
  5. §366perditui et praedatui — Datives of purpose (or effect) using the archaic fourth-declension dative ending in `-ui`. Used with `habes` ("you hold/keep"), they form a construction similar to the double dative, meaning "to keep for ruin and plunder."
  6. §375stipulari — A term from Roman verbal contract (stipulatio). It contrasts the role of the party demanding a promise as the questioner (`stipulari`) with the party making the promise (`promittere`, §376), using a legal metaphor to express that the courtesan always demands favorable terms.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Cistellaria §293-462. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi007.humanitext-lat2:293-462

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