Humanitext Reader

Plautus · Mercator §913-969

Charinus's Recovery and the Report to the Fathers

Passage 15 of 16 · Latin

Summary

Charinus, prevented by Eutychus from entering the house to see his mistress, embarks on an imaginary journey before being restored to sanity and led inside. Meanwhile, Demipho and Lysimachus are approached by Eutychus, who reports that Lysimachus' wife has been appeased but Demipho's mistress is lost.

§913ut, si haec non sint vera, inceptum hoc itiner perficere exsequar.
Charinus: so that, if these things are not true, I may proceed to complete this journey I have begun.
§914Non mihi credis?
Eutychus: Don't you believe me?
§914bOmnia equidem credo quae dicis mihi.
Charinus: Indeed, I believe everything that you say to me.
§915sed quin intro ducis me ad eam, ut videam?
Charinus: But why don't you lead me inside to her, so that I may see her?
§915bPaulisper mane.
Eutychus: Wait a little while.
§916Quid, manebo?
Charinus: What, shall I wait?
§916bTempus non est intro eundi.
Eutychus: It is not the time for going inside.
§916cEnicas.
Charinus: You are torturing me.
§917Non opus est, inquam, nunc intro te ire.
Eutychus: There is no need, I say, for you to go inside now.
§917bResponde mihi, §918qua causa?
Charinus: Answer me, Charinus: for what reason?
§918bOperae non est.
Eutychus: It is not convenient.
§918cCur?
Charinus: Why?
§918dQuia non est illi commodum.
Eutychus: Because it is not convenient for her.
§919Itane? commodum illi non est, quae me amat, quam ego contra amo?
Charinus: Is it so? It is not convenient for her, who loves me, whom I love in return?
§920omnibus hic ludificatur me modis.
Charinus: This fellow is mocking me in every way.
ego stultior, §921qui isti credam.
I am more foolish, Charinus: to believe him.
commoratur.
He is delaying me.
chlamydem sumam denuo.
I will take my cloak again.
§922Mane parumper atque haec audi.
Eutychus: Wait a little while and hear this.
§922bCape sis, puere, hoc pallium.
Charinus: Take, please, boy, this cloak.
§923Mater irata est patri vehementer, quia scortum sibi §924ob oculos adduxerit in aedis, dum ruri ipsa abest: §925suspicatur illam amicam esse illi.
Eutychus: My mother is violently angry with my father, because a mistress for himself Eutychus: he has brought into the house before her eyes, while she herself was away in the country; Eutychus: she suspects that she is his mistress.
§925bSonam sustuli.
Charinus: I have picked up my belt.
§926Eam rem nunc exquirit intus.
Eutychus: She is now investigating that matter inside.
§926bIam machaerast in manu.
Charinus: Now the sword is in my hand.
§927Nam si eo ted intro ducam— §927bTollo ampullam atque hinc eo.
Eutychus: For if I lead you inside there— Charinus: I lift up my oil-flask and go hence.
§928Mane, mane, Charine.
Eutychus: Wait, wait, Charinus.
§928bErras, me decipere haud potes.
Charinus: You are mistaken, you cannot deceive me at all.
§929Neque edepol volo.
Eutychus: Indeed, by Pollux, I do not wish to.
§929bQuín tu ergo itiner exsequi meum me sinis?
Charinus: Why then don't you let me pursue my journey?
§930Non sino.
Eutychus: I do not let you.
§930bEgomet me moror. tu puere, abi hinc intro ocius.
Charinus: I am delaying myself. You, boy, go inside from here more quickly.
§931iam in currum escendi, iam lora ín manus cepi meas.
Charinus: Already I have mounted my chariot, already I have taken the reins into my hands.
§932Sanus non es.
Eutychus: You are not sane.
§932bQuin, pedes, vos in curriculum conicitis §933in Cyprum recta, quandoquidem pater mihi exilium parat?
Charinus: Why, feet, do you not hurl yourselves into a run Charinus: straight to Cyprus, since my father prepares exile for me?
§934Stultus es, noli istuc quaeso dicere.
Eutychus: You are foolish, please do not say that.
§934bCertum exsequist, §935operam ut sumam ad pervestigandum, ubi sit illaec.
Charinus: It is determined to pursue, Charinus: so that I may apply my effort to tracking down where she is.
§935bQuin domist.
Eutychus: Why, she is at home.
§936Nam hic quod dixit, id mentitust.
Charinus: For what this fellow said, he lied about it.
§936bVera dixi equidem tibi.
Eutychus: Indeed, I have told you the truth.
§937Iam Cyprum veni.
Charinus: Already I have come to Cyprus.
§937bQuin sequere, ut illam videas quam expetis.
Eutychus: Why don't you follow, so that you may see her whom you desire?
§938Percontatus non inveni.
Charinus: Having inquired, I have not found her.
§938bMatris iam iram neglego.
Eutychus: I now disregard my mother's anger.
§939Porro proficiscor quaesitum.
Charinus: Further I set out to search.
nunc perveni Chalcidem; §940video ibi hospitem Zacyntho, dico quid eo advenerim, §941rogito quis eam vexerit, quis habeat si íbi indaudiverit.
Now I have arrived at Chalcis; Charinus: I see there a guest from Zacynthus, I tell why I have come thither, Charinus: I ask repeatedly who carried her off, who has her if he has heard anything of it there.
§942Quin tu istas omittis nugas ac mecum huc intro ambulas?
Eutychus: Why don't you drop those trifles and walk inside here with me?
§943Hospes respondit, Zacynthi ficos fieri non malas.
Charinus: The guest replied that the figs of Zacynthus are not bad.
§944Nil mentitust.
Eutychus: He has lied in nothing.
§944bSed de amica se indaudivisse autumat, §945hic Athenis esse.
Charinus: But about my mistress, he says he heard a rumor, Charinus: that she is here in Athens.
§945bCalchas iste quidem Zacynthiust.
Eutychus: That Zacynthian is indeed a Calchas.
§946Navem conscendo, proficiscor ilico.
Charinus: I board a ship, I set out on the spot.
iam sum domi, §947iam redii ex exilio.
Already I am at home, Charinus: already I have returned from exile.
salve, mi sodalis Eutyche:
Greetings, my comrade Eutychus!
§948ut valuisti? quid parentes mei? valent mater pater?
Charinus: How have you been? How are my parents? Are my mother and father well?
§949bene vocas, benigne dicis: cras apud te, nunc domi.
Charinus: You invite me well, you speak kindly: tomorrow at your house, now at home.
§950sic decet, sic fieri oportet.
Charinus: So it is fitting, so it ought to be done.
§950b†Eloque ni somnias.
Eutychus: Speak out, unless you are dreaming.
§951hic homo non sanust.
Eutychus: This man is not sane.
§951bMedicari amicus quin properas mihi?
Charinus: My friend, why don't you hurry to cure me?
§952Sequere sis.
Eutychus: Follow, please.
§952bSequor.
Charinus: I follow.
§952cClementer quaeso, calces deteris.
Charinus: Gently, please, you are treading on my heels.
§953audin tu?
Charinus: Do you hear?
§953bIam dudum audivi.
Eutychus: I have heard for some time now.
§953cPacem componi volo §954meo patri cum matre: nam nunc est irata— §954bI modo.
Charinus: I wish peace to be made Charinus: for my father with my mother; for now she is angry— Eutychus: Just go.
§955Propter istanc.
Charinus: On account of that girl.
§955bI modo.
Eutychus: Just go.
§955cErgo cura.
Charinus: Therefore take care of it.
§955dQuin tu ergo i modo.
Eutychus: Why don't you then just go.
§956tam propitiam reddam, quam quom propitiast Iuno Iovi. — §957Quasi tu numquam quicquam adsimile húius facti feceris.
Eutychus: I will make her as propitious as Juno is to Jupiter when she is propitious.— Demipho: As if you had never done anything similar to this deed.
§958Edepol numquam; cavi ne quid facerem.
Lysimachus: By Pollux, never; I took care not to do anything.
vix vivo miser.
Miserable, I am barely alive.
§959nam mea uxor propter illam tota in fermento iacet.
Lysimachus: for my wife, on account of her, lies all in a ferment.
§960At ego expurigationem habebo, ut ne suscenseat.
Demipho: But I will have an excuse, so that she may not be angry.
§961Sequere me.
Lysimachus: Follow me.
sed exeuntem filium video meum.
But I see my son coming out.
§962Ad patrem ibo, ut matris iram sibi esse sedatam sciat.
Eutychus: I will go to my father, so that he may know that my mother's anger towards him has been appeased.
§963iam redeo.
Eutychus: I will return now.
§963bPlacet principium.
Lysimachus: The beginning pleases.
quid agis? quid fit, Eutyche?
How are you doing? What is happening, Eutychus?
§964Optima opportunitate ambo advenistis.
Eutychus: You have both arrived at the best opportunity.
§964bQuid rei est?
Demipho: What is the matter?
§965Vxor tíbi placida ét placatast.
Eutychus: Your wife is peaceful and appeased towards you.
cette dextras nunciam.
Give your right hands now.
§966Di me servant.
Lysimachus: The gods preserve me.
§966bTibi amicam ésse nullam nuntio.
Eutychus: To you, I announce that you have no mistress.
§967Di te perdant.
Demipho: May the gods destroy you!
quid negotist nam, quaeso, istuc?
What business is that, pray tell?
§967bEloquar.
Eutychus: I will speak.
§968animum advortite igitur ambo.
Eutychus: Therefore turn your attention, both of you.
§968bQuin tibi ambo operam damus.
Lysimachus and Demipho: Why, we are both giving our attention to you.
§969Qui bono sunt genere nati, si sunt ingenio malo,
Eutychus: Those who are born of a good family, if they are of a bad character,

Notes

  1. 913itiner — Archaic Latin accusative form of the neuter noun iter (variant of classical iter).
  2. 915quin — Formed from the archaic ablative/instrumental quī and the negative ne, introducing a question expressing urgency or complaint, meaning "why... not?".
  3. 918bOperae non est — An impersonal expression using the genitive of opera (effort, leisure), meaning "it is not worth the trouble" or "there is no leisure". Here it means "it is not convenient".
  4. 920stultior, qui isti credam — The comparative stultior is followed by a relative clause of cause with the subjunctive (credam), meaning "I am more foolish for believing him".
  5. 923quia scortum sibi / ob oculos adduxerit — The subjunctive adduxerit is used in the quia clause to express the reason as the mother's allegation or thought (reported reason), rather than Eutychus's own objective statement of fact.
  6. 932bquin... conicitis — The conjunction quin with the second person plural indicative (conicitis) expresses a strong command or exhortation ("why don't you throw yourselves" = "throw yourselves!").
  7. 957Quasi tu numquam quicquam adsimile húius facti feceris — The conjunction quasi introduces a conditional clause of comparison ("as if"), taking the subjunctive (feceris).

Cite this passage

Plautus, Mercator §913-969. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi011.humanitext-lat2:913-969

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

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