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Plautus · Menaechmi §214-289

Arrival of Menaechmus of Syracuse and the Cook's Mistake

Passage 4 of 18 · Latin

Summary

Menaechmus of Syracuse and his slave Messenio arrive in Epidamnus in search of his long-lost twin brother. The cook Cylindrus returns from marketing and mistakes Menaechmus of Syracuse for his twin brother, leading to a confusing encounter.

§214iam hic nos erimus: dum coquetur, interim potabimus. §215Quando vis veni, parata res erit. §215bPropera modo. §216sequere tu. — §216bEgo hercle vero te et servabo et te sequar, §217neque hodie ut te perdam, meream deorum divitias mihi. — §218Evocate intus Culindrum mihi coquom actutum foras. §219sportulam cape atque argentum.
"Soon we shall be here; meanwhile, while the food is cooking, we shall drink." "Come when you wish, the preparation will be ready." "Just hurry." "Follow me, you." "By Hercules, indeed, I will both watch over you and follow you, nor would I earn the riches of the gods for myself today at the cost of losing you." "Call out my cook Cylindrus from inside immediately to me." "Take the basket and the money.
eccos tris nummos habes. §220Habeo. §220bAbi atque obsonium adfer; tribus vide quod sit satis: §221neque defiat neque supersit. §221bCuius modi hí homines erunt? §222Ego et Menaechmus et parasitus eius. §222bIam isti sunt decem; §223nam parasitus octo hominum munus facile fungitur.
Look, you have three nummi." "I have them." "Go and bring the provisions; see what is enough for three: neither let there be too little, nor let there be any left over." "What sort of men will these be?" "I, and Menaechmus, and his parasite." "Then those make ten already; for a parasite easily performs the duty of eight men." "I have named the guests, take care of the rest." "It shall be cared for.
§224Elocuta sum convivas, ceterum cura. §224bLicet. §225cocta sunt, iube ire accubitum. §225bRedi cito. §225cIam ego hic ero. — §226Voluptas nullast navitis, Messenio, §227maior meo animo, quam quom ex alto procul §228terram conspiciunt. §228bMaior, non dicam dolo, §229si adveniens terram videas quae fuerit tua.
They are as good as cooked; bid them go and take their places." "Return quickly." "I shall be here soon." "There is no pleasure for sailors, Messenio, greater in my opinion, than when from the deep sea they see land from afar." "A greater one, I will speak without deceit, if on arrival you should see the land which was your own.
§230sed quaeso, quam ob rem nunc Epidamnum venimus?
But I ask you, for what reason have we come now to Epidamnus?
§231an quasi mare omnis circumimus insulas? §232Fratrem quaesitum geminum germanum meum. §233Nam quid modi futurum est illum quaerere?
Are we going around all the islands like the sea?" "To seek my twin brother." "For what limit will there be to seeking him?
§234hic annus sextust postquam ei reí operam damus.
This is the sixth year since we have been devoting our labor to this matter.
§235Histros, Hispanos, Massiliensis, Hilurios, §236mare superum omne Graeciamque exoticam §237orasque Italicas omnis, qua adgreditur mare, §238sumus círcumvecti.
Istria, Spain, Massilia, Illyria, the whole Adriatic Sea, and foreign Greece, and all the Italian coasts, wherever the sea approaches, we have sailed around.
sí acum, credo, quaereres, §239acum invenisses, si appareret, iam diu.
If you were seeking a needle, I believe, you would have found the needle long ago, if it were visible.
§240hominem inter vivos quaeritamus mortuom; §241nam invenissemus iam diu, si viveret. §242Ergo istuc quaero certum qui faciat mihi, §243qui sese dicat scire eum esse emortuom:
We are searching for a dead man among the living; for we would have found him long ago if he were alive." "Therefore I am seeking someone who can make that certain to me, who can say that he knows he is dead: after that I will never spend labor in seeking him.
§244operam praeterea numquam sumam quaerere. §245verum aliter vivos numquam desistam exsequi.
But otherwise, I will never cease to follow him as long as he is alive.
§246ego illúm scio quam cordi sit carus meo. §247In scirpo nodum quaeris.
I know how dear he is to my heart." "You are seeking a knot in a bulrush.
quin nos hinc domum §248redimus, nisi si historiam scripturi sumus? §249Dictum facessas, datum edis, caveas malo.
Why don't we return home from here, unless we are going to write a history?" "Do what you are told, eat what is given, and keep clear of trouble.
§250molestus ne sis, non tuo hoc fiet modo. §250bEm §251illoc enim vérbo esse me servom scio.
Don't be troublesome; this will not be done in your way." "Look, by that very word indeed I know that I am a slave.
§252non potuit paucis plura plane proloqui.
He couldn't have declared more things more clearly in so few words.
§253verum tamen néqueo contineri quin loquar.
But nevertheless, I cannot refrain from speaking.
§254audin, Menaechme? quom inspicio marsuppium,
Do you hear, Menaechmus?
§255viaticati hercle admodum aestive sumus.
When I look into the purse, by Hercules, we are provisioned in a very summery fashion.
§256ne tu hercle, opinor, nisi domum revorteris, §257ubi nihil habebis, geminum dum quaeres, gemes.
Indeed, by Hercules, I think, unless you return home, when you have nothing, while you are seeking your twin, you will groan.
§258nam ita est haec hominum natio: in Epidamnieis §259voluptárii atque potatores maxumi; §260tum sycophantae et palpatores plurumi §261in urbe hac habitant; tum meretrices mulieres §262nusquam perhibentur blandiores gentium.
For this is the character of this nation: in Epidamnus there are the greatest lovers of pleasure and heavy drinkers; then the most sycophants and flatterers dwell in this city; then the courtesan women are said to be the most enticing in the world.
§263propterea huic urbi nomen Epidamno inditumst, §264quia nemo ferme huc sine damno devortitur. §265Ego istúc cavebo.
Therefore the name Epidamnus was given to this city, because almost no one turns aside here without loss." "I will guard against that.
cedo dum huc mihi marsuppium. §266Quid eo vis? §266bIam aps te metuo de verbis tuis. §267Quid metuis? §267bNe mihi damnum in Epidamno duis.
Give the purse here to me now." "What do you want with it?" "Even now I fear from you because of your words." "What do you fear?" "Lest you give me a loss in Epidamnus.
§268tu magnus amator mulierum es, Messenio, §269ego autem homo iracundus, animi perditi; §270id utrumque, argentum quando habebo, cavero, §271ne tu delinquas neve ego irascar tibi. §272Cape atque serva.
You are a great lover of women, Messenio, and I am a wrathful man, of a wild temper; both of these things, when I hold the money, I shall guard against, lest you do wrong or I grow angry with you." "Take it and keep it.
me lubente feceris. §273Bene opsonavi atque ex mea sententia, §274bonum anteponam prandium pransoribus.
You will do so with my pleasure." "I have marketed well and to my liking; I shall set a good luncheon before the lunchers.
§275sed eccúm Menaechmum video.
But look, I see Menaechmus.
vae tergo meo,
Alas for my back!
§276prius iám convivae ambulant ante ostium, §277quam ego opsonatu redeo.
Already the guests are walking before the door before I return from marketing.
adibo atque alloquar.
I will approach and speak to him.
§278Menaechme, salve. §278bDi te amabunt quisquis es. §279Quisquis quis ego sim?
Menaechmus, hail." "May the gods love you, whoever you are." "Whoever I am?
§280Non hercle vero. §280bVbi convivae ceteri? §281Quos tu convivas quaeris? §281bParasitum tuom. §282Meum parasitum? certe hic insanust homo.
Who I am?" "Indeed, by Hercules, I do not." "Where are the other guests?" "Which guests are you seeking?" "Your parasite." "My parasite?
§283Dixin tibi esse hic sycophantas plurumos? §285Quem tu parasitum quaeris, adulescens, meum? §286Peniculum éccum in vidulo salvom fero. §287Menaechme, numero huc advenis ad prandium.
Surely this man is mad." "Didn't I tell you that there are very many sycophants here?" "Which parasite of mine are you seeking, young man?" "Look, I am carrying Peniculus safe here in the traveling bag." "Menaechmus, you come here too early for luncheon.
§288nunc opsonatu redeo. §288bResponde mihi, §289adulescens: quibus hic pretiis porci veneunt
Now I am returning from marketing." "Answer me, young man: at what prices are pigs sold here?"

Notes

  1. 217neque hodie ut te perdam, meream deorum divitias mihi. — The present subjunctive `meream` indicates potentiality or concession ("I would not earn"). The `ut` clause expresses result or condition, implying "at the cost of losing you."
  2. 226meo animo — Ablative of opinion or judgment, meaning "in my opinion" or "to my mind."
  3. 247In scirpo nodum quaeris. — "To seek a knot in a bulrush" is a well-known Latin proverb, meaning to look for a difficulty where there is none, or to find fault unnecessarily, as a bulrush stem is smooth and has no knots.
  4. 255aestive — The adverb `aestive` literally means "in a summery fashion," but here it is used metaphorically to describe the purse (travel funds) as being very "thin" or "scanty," like light summer clothing.
  5. 267bduis — `duis` is an archaic present subjunctive form of `do, dare` (equivalent to classical `des`). Here it functions in a `ne` clause introduced by the preceding `metuo`, expressing fear: "lest you should cause (give) me some loss."

Cite this passage

Plautus, Menaechmi §214-289. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi010.humanitext-lat2:214-289

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