Humanitext Reader

Plautus · Epidicus §124-186

Stratippocles' Change of Heart and Epidicus' Scheme

Passage 3 of 12 · Latin

Summary

Stratippocles returns from abroad and informs Epidicus that his former lover is no longer desired. Epidicus devises a new plan to obtain the necessary forty minae, preparing to trick his master's father, Periphanes, and his friend Apoecides.

§124Salva res est: bene promittit, spero servabit fidem.
The matter is safe: he promises well, I hope he will keep his word.
§125sine meo sumptu paratae iam sunt scapulis symbolae.
Without any expense of my own, the contributions for my shoulders are already prepared.
§126aggrediar hominem.
I will approach the man.
advenientem péregre erum Stratippoclem §127impertit salute servos Epidicus.
To his master Stratippocles arriving from abroad, his slave Epidicus offers greeting.
§127bVbi is est?
Where is he?
§127cAdest.
He is here.
§128salvom huc advenisse— §128bTam tibi istuc credo quam mihi.
That you have arrived here safe— I believe that of yours as much as I do of myself.
§129Benene usque valuisti?
Have you been quite well all along?
§129bA morbo valui, ab animo aeger fui.
I have been well from illness, but sick in my mind.
§130Quod ad me attinuit, ego curavi: quod mandavisti mihi §131impetratum est, empta ancilla, quod tute ad me litteras §132missiculabas.
As far as it concerned me, I took care of it: what you commissioned me has been obtained, the maidservant is bought, about whom you used to send letters to me so repeatedly.
§132bPerdidisti omnem operam.
You have lost all your labor.
§132cNam qui perdidi?
Why, how have I lost it?
§133Quia meo neque cara est cordi neque placet.
Because she is neither dear to my heart nor pleasing.
§133bQuid retulit §134mihi tanto opere te mandare et mittere ad me epistulas?
What did it profit then, that you commissioned me with such great effort and sent letters to me?
§135Illam amabam olím, nunc iam alia cura impendet pectori.
I loved her once, but now another care hangs over my breast.
§136Hercle miserum est ingratum esse hómini id quod facias bene.
By Hercules, it is a wretched thing for what you do well to be ungrateful to a man.
§137ego quod bene feci male feci, quia amor mutavit locum.
What I did well I did ill, because love has changed its place.
§138Desipiebam mentis, cum illa scripta mittebam tibi.
I was out of my mind when I sent those writings to you.
§139Men piacularem oportet fieri ob stultitiam tuam, §140ut meum tergum tuae stultitiae subdas succidaneum?
Must I become a sacrificial victim for your foolishness, so that you substitute my back as a surrogate for your foolishness?
§141Quid istic? verba facimus.
What of that? We are wasting words.
huic homini ópust quadraginta minis §142celeriter calidis, danistae quas resolvat, et cito.
This man needs forty minae quickly, hot, for him to pay to the moneylender, and that soon.
§143Dic modo unde auferre me vis.
Just say where you want me to get it.
a quo trápezita peto?
From which banker shall I seek it?
§144Vnde libet.
From wherever you please.
nam ni ante solem occasum elo
For unless before sunset you...
§145meam domum ne inbitas: tu te in pistrinum
do not enter my house: you to the mill...
§146Facile tu istuc sine periclo et cura, corde libero §147fabulare; novi ego nostros: mihi dolet cum ego vapulo.
You speak of that easily, without danger and care, with a free heart; I know our people: it hurts me when I get beaten.
§148Quid tu nunc? patierin ut ego me interimam?
What will you do now? Will you allow me to kill myself?
§148bNe feceris.
Don't do that.
§149ego istuc accedam periclum potius atque audaciam.
I will rather approach that danger and bold attempt.
§150Nunc places, nunc ego te laudo.
Now you please me, now I praise you.
§150bPatiar ego istuc quod lubet.
I will endure that whatever pleases.
§151Quid illa fiet fidicina igitur?
What then will become of that music-girl?
§151bAliqua res reperibitur, §152aliqua ope exsólvar, extricabor aliqua.
Some way will be found, by some help I shall be released, I shall be extricated somehow.
§152bPlenus consili es.
You are full of counsel.
§153novi ego te.
I know you.
§153bEst Euboicus miles locuples, multo auro potens, §154qui úbi tibi istam emptam esse scibit atque hanc adductam alteram, §155continuo te orabit ultro ut illam tramittas sibi.
There is a wealthy Euboean soldier, powerful with much gold, who, when he knows that that girl was bought for you and this other one has been brought back, will immediately of his own accord entreat you to transfer her to him.
§156sed ubi illa est quam tu adduxisti tecum?
But where is she whom you have brought with you?
§156bIam faxo hic erit.
I will make sure she is here shortly.
§157Quid hic nunc agimus?
What do we do here now?
§157bEamus intro huc ad te, ut hunc hodie diem §158luculentum habeamus. — §158bIte intro, ego de re argentaria §159iam senatum convocabo in corde consiliarium, §160quoi potissimum indicatur bellum unde argentum auferam.
Let us go inside here to your house, so that we may have this day splendid.— Go inside, I will now summon a council senate in my heart for financial matters, against whom I should chiefly declare war to get the money from.
§161Epidice, vide quid agas, ita res subito haec obiectast tibi; §162non enim núnc tibi dormitandi neque cunctandi copia est: §163adeundumst.
Epidicus, see what you do, so suddenly has this matter been cast upon you; for now you have no opportunity for sleeping or delaying: you must go forward.
senem oppugnare certumst consilium mihi.
To attack the old man is my fixed plan.
§164i ábi intro atque ádulescenti dic iam nostro erili filio, §165ne hinc foras ámbulet neve usquam óbviam veniat seni. — §166Plérique homines, quós cum nil refért pudet, §167úbi pudendum est íbi eos deserit pudor, §168quom úsus est ut pudeat.
Go, depart inside and tell our master's young son now not to walk out from here nor to meet the old man anywhere.— Most men, who are ashamed when there is no need, where they ought to be ashamed, there shame deserts them, when there is need that they should be ashamed.
§169ís adeo tu és.
That indeed is who you are.
quid est quód pudendúm siet, §170génere natám bono paúperem domum §170adúcere te uxorem?
What is there that should be shameful, to bring home as a wife a poor girl born of a good family?
§171praesértim eam, qua ex tibi cómmemores hanc quaé domist §172fíliam prognatam.
Especially her, from whom you recollect that this daughter who is at home was born to you.
§173Révereor filium.
I respect my son.
§173bAt pól ego te crédidi §174úxorem, quam tu éxtulistí, pudore éxsequi, §175cúius quotiéns sepulcrúm vides, sácruficas §176ílico Orco hóstiis, néque adeo iniúria, §177quiá licitumst eam tíbi vivendo vincere.
But by Pollux I believed you were following with respect the wife whom you buried, whose tomb as often as you see, you immediately sacrifice victims to Orcus, and indeed not without justice, because it was permitted to you to overcome her by living.
§177bOh, §178Hércules égo fui, dum ílla mecúm fuit; §179neque séxta aerumna acérbior Herculí, quam illa mihi obiéctast.
Oh, I was Hercules as long as she was with me; nor was the sixth labor of Hercules harder than she was when cast upon me.
§180Pulcra édepol dos pecuniast.
By Pollux, a dowry is a beautiful sum of money.
§180bQuae quidem pol non maritast.
Provided indeed, by Pollux, it is not a wife.
§181St, tacéte, habete animúm bonum.
Sh, be silent, have good courage.
§182liquido éxeo foras auspício, aví sinistra; §183acútum cultrum habeó, senis qui exénterem marsúppium.
I go out of doors with a clear auspice, a bird on the left; I have a sharp knife with which to eviscerate the old man's purse.
§184_185sed eccum ípsum ante aedis conspicor Apoecide† §186qualis volo vetulos duo.
two old men just as I want them.

Notes

  1. 125scapulis symbolae — Literally "contributions for the shoulders." This is a metaphorical play on the Greek-derived word *symbolae* (contributions or club-money for a shared feast), humorously referring here to the lashes Epidicus expects to receive on his shoulders.
  2. 139Men piacularem oportet fieri — An accusative with infinitive construction governed by the impersonal verb *oportet*. The accusative subject is *me* (with the enclitic interrogative particle *-ne* as *Men*) and the infinitive is *fieri*. It expresses Epidicus's outrage at having to become a scapegoat (*piaculum*) for his master's folly (*stultitia*).
  3. 174pudore exsequi — *pudore* is an ablative of cause or manner. *exsequi* is used in the sense of "to pursue or follow with respect (out of shame or modesty toward the deceased wife)."
  4. 177vivendo vincere — The ablative gerund *vivendo* modifies the infinitive *vincere* (to conquer by living). This is a humorous and sarcastic reference to outliving a troublesome wife, framed as a "victory" over her.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Epidicus §124-186. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi009.humanitext-lat2:124-186

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