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Plautus · Miles Gloriosus §1087-1149

Plan to Dismiss the Mistress and Meeting with the Allies

Passage 19 of 24 · Latin

Summary

Palaestrio suggests to the soldier that he should dismiss his mistress Philocomasium amicably by letting her keep her belongings and telling her that her mother and sister have arrived. Once the soldier goes inside to carry this out, Palaestrio meets up with Acroteleutium and the others to confirm that their scheme is succeeding perfectly.

§1087ita mé mea forma habet sóllicitum.
Thus does my beauty keep me anxious.
§1087bQuid hic núnc stas? quin abis?
Why do you stand here now? Why don't you go?
§1087cÁbeo.
I am going.
§1088Atque ádeo, audin? dicíto docte et cordáte, ut cor ei sáliat — §1089Philocómasio dic, si ést istic, domum ut tránseat: hunc hic ésse.
And indeed, do you hear? Tell her cleverly and with all your heart, so that her heart may leap — Tell Philocomasium, if she is there, to cross over home: that this man is here.
§1090Hic cúm mea era est, hinc clám nostrum hunc sermónem sublegérunt.
He is here with my mistress; from here they secretly overheard this conversation of ours.
§1091Lepidé factumst: iam ex sérmone hoc gubernábunt doctius pórro.
Nobly done: now from this conversation they will steer their course more cleverly henceforth.
§1092Remoráre, abeo.
You are delaying me, I am going.
§1092bNeque té remoror neque tángo neque te — táceo.
I neither delay you, nor touch you, nor do I — I am silent.
§1093Iube máturare illam éxire huc.
Bid her hasten to come out here.
iam istíc rei praevortémur.
Now we shall turn our attention to that matter.
§1094Quid nunc mi es auctor ut faciam, Palaestrio, §1095de concubina? nam nullo pacto potest
What do you advise me to do now, Palaestrio, concerning my mistress?
§1096prius haec in aedis recipi quam illam amiserim.
For in no way can this other one be received into the house before I have sent her away.
§1097Quid me consultas quid agas? dixi equidem tibi
Why do you consult me on what to do?
§1098quo id pacto fieri possit clementissime.
I indeed told you how that could be done most gently.
§1099aurum atque vestem muliebrem omnem habeat sibi, §1100quae illi instruxisti: sumat, habeat, auferat; §1101dicasque tempus maxume esse, ut eat domum: §1102sororem geminam adesse et matrem dicito, §1103quibus cóncomitata recte deveniat domum.
Let her keep for herself all the gold and women's clothing you provided for her: let her take it, keep it, carry it away; and say that it is the best time for her to go home: say that her twin sister and mother are here, accompanied by whom she may return home safely.
§1104Qui tu scis eas adesse?
How do you know they are here?
§1104bQuia oculis meis §1105vidi hic sororem esse eius.
Because with my own eyes I saw her sister here.
§1105bConvenitne eam?
Did she meet her?
§1106Convenit.
She met her.
§1106bEcquid fortis visast?
Did she seem attractive at all?
§1106cOmnia §1107vis optinere.
You wish to possess everything.
§1107bVbi matrem esse aiebat soror?
Where did the sister say the mother was?
§1108Cubare in navi lippam atque oculis turgidis §1109nauclerus dixit, qui illas advexit, mihi.
The skipper who brought them told me she is lying sick on board, blear-eyed and with swollen eyes.
§1110is ad hos nauclerus hospitio devortitur.
That skipper is staying as a guest at this house here.
§1111Quid is? ecquid fortis?
What about him? Is he at all sturdy?
§1111bAbi sis hinc, nam tu quidem
Go away, please!
§1112ad equas fuisti scitus admissarius, §1113qui consectare qua maris qua feminas.
For you indeed have been a fine stallion for mares, who chase after males and females alike.
§1114hoc age nunc.
Attend to this now.
§1114bIstuc quod das consilium mihi, §1115te cum illa verba facere de ista re volo; §1116nam cum illa sane congruos sermo tibi.
That advice which you give me, I want you to speak with her about that matter; for indeed your speech is quite agreeable to her.
§1117Qui potius quam tute adeas, tuam rem tute agas?
Why don't you rather go yourself, and do your own business yourself?
§1118dicas uxorem tibi necessum ducere; §1119cognatos persuadere, amicos cogere.
Say that it is necessary for you to marry a wife; that your relatives persuade you, and your friends compel you.
§1120Itan tu censes?
Do you really think so?
§1120bQuid ego ní ita censeam?
Why should I not think so?
§1121Ibo igitur intro.
I shall go inside then.
tu hic ante aedis interim §1122speculare, ut, ubi illaec prodeat, me provoces.
In the meantime, watch here before the house, so that when she comes out, you may call me out.
§1123Tu modo istuc cura quod agis.
You only care for what you are doing.
§1123bCuratum id quidemst.
That indeed is cared for.
§1124quin si voluntáte nolet, vi extrudam foras.
Nay, if she will not do it of her own accord, I will thrust her out by force.
§1125Istuc cave fáxis; quin potius per gratiam §1126bonam abeat abs te.
Beware of doing that; rather let her depart from you in good grace.
atque illaec quae dixi dato, §1127aurum, ornamenta quae illi instruxisti ferat.
And give her those things I mentioned, let her carry away the gold and ornaments you provided for her.
§1128Cupio hercle.
By Hercules, I desire to do so.
§1128bCredo te facile impetrassere.
I believe you will easily obtain it.
§1129sed abi intro.
But go inside.
noli stare.
Do not stand here.
§1129bTibi sum oboediens. —
I am obedient to you.
§1130Numquid videtur demutare alio atque uti §1131dixi esse vobis dudum hunc moechum militem?
Does this adulterous soldier seem at all to change into something other than what I told you just now he was?
§1132nunc ad me ut veniat usust Acroteleutium aut §1133ancillula eius aut Pleusicles.
Now there is need for Acroteleutium to come to me, or her little maid, or Pleusicles.
pro Iuppiter, §1134satine ut Commoditas usquequaque me adiuvat?
O Jupiter, how fully Opportunity assists me everywhere!
§1135nam quos videre exoptabam me maxume, §1136una exeuntis video hínc e proxumo.
For those whom I especially desired to see, I see coming out together here from next door.
§1137Séquimini, simul círcumspicite, né quis adsit árbiter.
Follow me, at the same time look around, lest there be any witness.
§1138Neminem pol video, nísi hunc quem volumus conventum.
By Pollux, I see no one, except him whom we wish to meet.
§1138bEt ego vos.
And I you.
§1139Quid agis, noster architecte?
How are you doing, our architect?
§1139bEgone architectus? vah.
I, an architect? Ah!
§1139cQuid est?
What is it?
§1140Quia enim non sum dignus prae te, ut figam palum in parietem.
Because indeed I am not worthy compared to you to drive a peg into a wall.
§1141Heia vero.
Come, really?
§1141bNimis facete nimisque facunde malast.
Exceedingly witty and exceedingly eloquent is this wicked girl.
§1142ut lepide deruncinavit militem.
How delightfully she scraped down the soldier!
§1142bAt etiam parum.
But even too little.
§1143Bono animo es: negotium omne iam succedit sub manus; §1144vos modo porro, ut occepistis, date operam adiutabilem.
Be of good cheer: the whole business is now succeeding in our hands; only continue, as you have begun, to give helpful assistance.
§1145nam ipse miles concubinam intro abiit oratum suam, §1146ab se ut abeat cum sorore et matre Athenas.
For the soldier himself has gone inside to entreat his mistress to depart with her sister and mother to Athens.
§1146bEu, probe.
Excellent, well done.
§1147Quin etiam aurum atque ornamenta, quae ipse instruxit, mulieri §1148omnia dat dono, a se ut abeat: ita ego consilium dedi.
Nay, even all the gold and ornaments, which he himself provided, to the woman he gives all as a gift, so that she may depart from him: thus I gave the advice.
§1149Facile istuc quidemst, si et illa volt et ille autem cupit.
That is indeed easy, if she also wishes it and he besides desires it.

Notes

  1. §1093istic rei — A contracted form of the dative feminine singular `istici` (from `iste` with the deictic suffix `-ce`). Here it functions as an adjective modifying `rei` (dative feminine singular), meaning "to that matter," and serves as the object of `praevortemur` ("we shall turn our attention to / prioritize"), which governs the dative.
  2. §1113qua maris qua feminas — The correlative use of `qua... qua...` means "both... and..." or "whether... or...", analogous to `cum... tum...` or `et... et...` in classical prose. `maris` is an archaic form of the accusative plural `mares` (from `mas`, "male"), set in parallel contrast with `feminas` (accusative plural, "females").
  3. §1125cave faxis — A construction combining the imperative of prohibition `cave` directly with `faxis` (equivalent to `feceris`), an archaic perfect subjunctive (s-subjunctive) form common in early Latin. It expresses a strong negative command ("do not do that") without the negative conjunction `ne`.
  4. §1134satine ut — A colloquial idiom contracted from `satisne est ut`, common in early Latin and comedy. Formed as a question, it expresses surprise or emphasis, meaning "is it not indeed enough that...?" or "how completely does...!" Here it voices amazement at how Opportunity (`Commoditas`), personified, is perfectly aiding his schemes at every turn.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Miles Gloriosus §1087-1149. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi012.humanitext-lat2:1087-1149

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