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Plautus · Menaechmi §362-424

Erotium's Invitation and Menaechmus's Complicity

Passage 6 of 18 · Latin

Summary

The courtesan Erotium mistakes Menaechmus of Syracuse (Menaechmus II) for her lover and persistently invites him inside, confusing both Menaechmus II and his slave Messenio. However, after hearing Erotium accurately list his lineage and background, Menaechmus II decides to play along for a free meal, pretending to have denied knowing her only out of fear of his wife.

§362te hic stáre foris, fores quoí pateant, §363magis quám domus tua domus quom haéc tua sit.
That you stand here outside, to whom the doors lie open, more than your own house, since this house is yours.
§364omné paratumst, ut iússisti §365atque út voluisti, néque tibi §366ullá morast intus.
Everything is ready, as you ordered and as you wished, nor is there for you any delay inside.
§367prandium, út iussisti, hic cúratumst: §368ubi lúbet, ire licet áccubitum.
The lunch, as you ordered, has been prepared here; when you please, you may go to recline.
§369Quícum haec mulier loquitur?
With whom is this woman speaking?
§369bEquidem tecum.
Indeed with you.
§369cQuid mecum tibi §370fuit umquam aut nunc est negoti?
What business have you ever had, or have you now, with me?
§370bQuia pol te unum ex omnibus §371Venus me voluit magnificare, neque id haud immerito tuo.
Because, by Pollux, Venus wished me to exalt you alone of all men, and that indeed not undeservedly on your part.
§372nam ecastor solus benefactis tuis me florentem facis.
For, by Castor, you alone make me flourish by your kindnesses.
§373Certo haec mulier aut insana aut ebria est, Messenio, §374quaé hominem ignotum compellet me tam familiariter.
Certainly this woman is either mad or drunk, Messenio, who addresses me, an unknown man, so familiarly.
§375Dixin égo istaec hic solere fieri? folia nunc cadunt,
Didn't I say that those things are accustomed to happen here?
§376praeut si triduom hoc hic erimus: tum arbores in te cadent.
The leaves are falling now, compared to if we remain here for three days: then the trees will fall on you.
§377nam ita sunt hic meretrices: omnes elecebrae argentariae.
For such are the courtesans here: all are money-enticing allurements.
§378sed sine me dum hanc compellare.
But let me address her.
heus mulier, tibi dico.
Hey, woman, I'm speaking to you.
§378bQuid est?
What is it?
§379Vbi tu húnc hominem novisti?
Where did you get to know this man?
§379bIbidem ubi hic me iam diu, §380in Epidamno.
In the same place where he has known me for a long time, in Epidamnus.
§380bIn Epidamno? qui huc in hanc urbem pedem, §381nisi hodie, numquam intro tetulit?
In Epidamnus? He who into this city has never set foot inside until today?
§381bHeia, delicias facis.
Ah, you are joking.
§382mi Menaechme, quin, amabo, is intro? hic tibi erit rectius.
My Menaechmus, why, pray, do you not go inside? It will be more comfortable for you here.
§383Haec quidem edepol recte appellat meo me mulier nomine.
By Pollux, this woman indeed rightly calls me by my own name.
§384nimis miror, quid hoc sít negoti.
I wonder very much what this business is.
§384bOboluit marsuppium §385huic istuc quod habes.
That purse of yours which you hold has caught her scent.
§385bAtque edepol tu me monuisti probe.
And by Pollux, you have warned me properly.
§386accipe dum hoc.
Take this meanwhile.
iam scibo, utrum haec me mage amet an marsuppium.
Now I shall know whether she loves me more, or the purse.
§387Eamus intro, ut prandeamus.
Let's go inside, so that we may have lunch.
§387bBene vocas: tam gratiast.
You invite kindly; thanks all the same.
§388Cur igitur me tibi iussisti coquere dudum prandium?
Why then did you order me just now to cook lunch for you?
§389Egon te iussi coquere?
I ordered you to cook?
§389bCerto, tibi et parasito tuo.
Certainly, for you and your parasite.
§390Cui, malum, parasito? certo haec mulier non sanast satis.
To what parasite, plague? Certainly this woman is not sane enough.
§391Peniculo.
Peniculus.
§391bQuis iste ést Peniculus? qui extergentur baxeae?
Who is that Peniculus? The one with which shoes are wiped?
§392Scilicet qui dudum tecum venit, quom pallam mihi §393detulisti, quám ab uxore tua surrupuisti.
Obviously, the one who came with you just now, when to me you brought the mantle, which you stole from your wife.
§393bQuid est?
What is that?
§394tibi pallam dedi, quam uxori meae surrupui? sanan es?
I gave you a mantle which I stole from my wife? Are you sane?
§395certe haec mulier cantherino ritu ástans somniat.
Certainly this woman is dreaming standing up, in the manner of a horse.
§396Qui lubet ludibrio habere me atque ire infitias mihi §397facta quae sunt?
Why does it please you to mock me and deny to me things that have been done?
§397bDic quid est id quod negem quod fecerim?
Tell me, what is it that I deny having done?
§398Pallam te hodie mihi dedisse uxoris.
That you gave me your wife's mantle today.
§398bEtiam nunc nego.
Even now I deny it.
§399ego quidem neque umquam uxorem hábui neque habeo, neque huc §400umquam, postquam natus sum, intra portam penetravi pedem.
For my part, I have never had a wife, nor do I have one, nor here have I ever, since I was born, set foot inside the gate.
§401prandi in navi, inde huc sum egressus, te conveni.
I had lunch on the ship, from there I came out here, and met you.
§401bEccere,
My goodness!
§402perii misera, quam tu mihi nunc navem narras?
I am ruined, unhappy woman! What ship are you telling me about now?
§402bLigneam, §403saepe tritam, saepe fixam, saepe excussam malleo; §404quasi supellex pellionis, palus palo proxumust.
A wooden one, often worn, often repaired, often struck with a hammer; like a furrier's tool, peg is very close to peg.
§405Iám, amabo, desiste ludos facere atque i hac mecum semul.
Now, please, stop making fun of me, and go this way with me together.
§406Nescio quem, mulier, alium hóminem, non me quaeritas.
You are looking for some other man, woman, not me.
§407Non ego te novi Menaechmum, Moscho prognatum patre, §408qui Syracusis perhibere natus esse in Sicilia, §409_410ubi rex Agathocles regnator fuit et iterum Phintia, §411tertium Liparo, qui in morte regnum Hieroni tradidit, §412nunc Hiero est?
Do I not know you as Menaechmus, sprung from your father Moschus, who are said to have been born at Syracuse in Sicily, where King Agathocles was ruler, and secondly Phintia, thirdly Liparo, who at his death handed over the kingdom to Hiero, and now it is Hiero?
§412bHaud falsa, mulier, praedicas.
You do not declare false things, woman.
§412cPro Iuppiter, §413num istaec mulier illinc venit, quae te novit tam cate?
By Jupiter, did that woman come from there, who knows you so accurately?
§414_415Hercle opinor, pernegari non potest.
By Hercules, I think so, it cannot be denied.
§414_415bNe feceris.
Don't do it!
periisti, si intrassis intra limen.
You are ruined, if you cross inside the threshold.
§416bQuin tu tace modo.
Why don't you just keep quiet?
§417bene res geritur.
The matter is going well.
adsentabor quidquid dicet mulieri, §418si possum hospitium nancisci.
I will agree to whatever the woman says, if I can obtain free hospitality.
iam dudum, mulier, tibi §419_420non imprudens advorsabar: hunc metuebam, ne meae §421uxori renuntiaret de palla et de prandio.
For some time now, woman, I was to you not unintentionally opposing: I was afraid of this fellow, lest my wife he might report about the mantle and the lunch.
§422nunc, quando vis, eamus intro.
Now, since you wish, let's go inside.
§422bEtiam parasitum manes?
Are you still waiting for the parasite?
§423Neque ego illum maneo, neque flocci facio, neque, si venerit, §424eum volo intromitti.
I am neither waiting for him, nor do I care a straw for him, nor, if he comes, do I wish him to be let inside.

Notes

  1. §363magis quam domus tua domus quom haec tua sit — The comparative phrase `magis quam` involves an ellipsis, implying "more than [if it were not] your own house." The clause `quom haec tua sit` is a subjunctive clause of cause or concession, meaning "although this house is actually yours."
  2. §375praeut si triduom hoc hic erimus — The prepositional/conjunctional word `praeut` ("in comparison with") introduces a conditional clause `si... erimus` (future indicative). It humorously compares the present minor trouble (falling leaves) to the massive trouble (falling trees) if they were to stay for three days.
  3. §384bOboluit marsuppium huic istuc quod habes — The perfect form `oboluit` (from `oboleo`, to smell of/emit scent to) takes the purse (`marsuppium`) as its subject and the dative `huic` (to this woman) as its indirect object. It literally means "that purse of yours has emitted a scent to her," meaning "she has caught the scent of your money."
  4. §387btam gratiast — A colloquial idiomatic expression used for a polite refusal of an invitation or offer. It carries the nuance of "there is as much gratitude [as if I accepted, so thank you but no]."
  5. §391bqui extergentur baxeae — Here `qui` is used as an archaic ablative of instrument (or adverb) meaning "with which." `baxeae` means wooden sandals or shoes. The phrase translates to "with which shoes are wiped?" questioning the name Peniculus (which means brush/sponge).
  6. §395cantherino ritu astans somniat — `cantherinus` means "of a gelding/horse," and `ritus` means "manner, custom." Since horses sleep standing up, this is a metaphorical expression meaning "she is dreaming while standing like a gelding" (i.e., talking nonsense).
  7. §419_420non imprudens — A litotes (double negation) expressing a strong positive, meaning "fully aware" or "deliberately." It explains that Menaechmus II had been intentionally denying knowing her to hide it from his supposedly nearby wife.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Menaechmi §362-424. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi010.humanitext-lat2:362-424

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.