Pyrgopolynices "I have decided to devote this day to the king." "Come, let us go then." "Follow me, guards." — [Exit Pyrgopolynices with guards.
— §79Mihi ad enarrandum hoc argumentum est comitas, §80si ad auscultandum vostra erit benignitas; §81qui autem auscultare nolet, exsurgat foras, §82ut sit ubi sedeat ille qui auscultare volt. §83nunc qua adsedistis causa in festivo loco, §84comoediai quam nos acturi sumus §85et argumentum et nomen vobis eloquar. §86Alazon Graece huic nomen est comoediae, §87id nos Latine gloriosum dicimus. §88hoc oppidum Ephesust; illest miles meus erus, §89qui hinc ad forum abiit, gloriosus, impudens, §90stercoreus, plenus periuri atque adulteri. §91ait sése ultro omnis mulieres sectarier: §92is deridiculost, quaqua incedit, omnibus. §93itaque hic meretrices, labiis dum ductant eum, §94maiorem partem videas valgis saviis. §95nam ego hau diu apud hunc servitutem servio; §96id volo vos scire, quo modo ad hunc devenerim §97in servitutem ab eo cui servivi prius. §98date operam, nam nunc argumentum exordiar. §99erat erus Athenis mihi adulescens optumus; §100is amabat meretricem matre Athenis Atticis, §101et illa íllum contra; qui est amor cultu optumus. §102is publice legatus Naupactum fuit §103magnai rei publicai gratia. §104interibi hic miles forte Athenas advenit, §105insinuat sese ad illam amicam eri † §106occepit eius matri suppalparier §107vino, ornamentis opiparisque obsoniis, §108itaque intimum ibi se miles apud lenam facit. §109ubi primum evenit militi huic occasio, §110sublinit os illi lenae, matri mulieris, §111quam erus méus amabat; nám is illius filiam §112conicit in navem miles clam matrem suam, §113eamque húc invitam mulierem in Ephesum advehit. §114ubi amicam erilem Athenis avectam scio, §115ego quantum vivos possum mihi navem paro, §116inscendo, ut eam rem Naupactum ad erum nuntiem. §117ubi sumus provecti in altum, fit quod di volunt, §118capiunt praedones navem illam ubi vectus fui: §119prius périi quam ad erum veni, quo ire occeperam. §120ille quí me cepit dat me huic dono militi. §121hic postquam in aedis me ad se deduxit domum, §122video illam amicam erilem, Athenis quae fuit. §123ubi contra aspexit me, oculis mihi signum dedit, §124ne se appellarem; deinde, postquam occasio est, §125conqueritur mecum mulier fortunas suas: §126ait sése Athenas fugere cupere ex hac domu, §127sese illum amare meum erum, Athenis qui fuit, §128neque peius quemquam odisse quam istum militem. §129ego quoniam inspexi mulieris sententiam, §130cepi tabellas, consignavi, clanculum §131dedi mércatori cuidam, qui ad illum deferat §132meum erum, qui Athenis fuerat, qui hanc amaverat, §133ut is huc veniret.
Palaestrio enters as Prologue.] Palaestrio "I have the kindness to explain this plot to you," "if you will have the good-will to listen;" "but whoever does not wish to listen, let him go outside," "so that there may be a seat for him who wishes to listen." "Now, the reason why you have taken your seats in this festive place," "both the plot and the name of the comedy" "which we are about to act, I will declare to you." "In Greek, the name of this comedy is 'Alazon'," "which we in Latin call 'Gloriosus'." "This town is Ephesus; that soldier who went hence to the forum is my master," "a braggart, shameless," "filthy, full of perjury and adultery." "He claims that all women chase after him of their own accord:" "wherever he goes, he is a laughing-stock to all." "And so the courtesans here, while they lead him by the lips," "you may see most of them with wry kisses." "For I have not been serving in slavery under him for long;" "I want you to know this, how I came to him" "into slavery from the master whom I served before." "Pay attention, for now I will begin the plot." "I had an excellent young master at Athens;" "he loved a courtesan who lived with her mother in Attic Athens," "and she loved him in return; which is the finest kind of love to cultivate." "He was sent as a public envoy to Naupactus" "on important business of the state." "Meanwhile, this soldier happened to come to Athens," "he insinuated himself into the company of my master's mistress," "and began to flatter her mother" "with wine, jewels, and sumptuous delicacies," "and so the soldier made himself very intimate there with the bawd." "As soon as an opportunity came to this soldier," "he tricked that bawd, the mother of the woman" "whom my master loved; for the soldier, behind her mother's back," "hurried her daughter onto a ship," "and carried the woman, against her will, here to Ephesus." "When I knew that my master's mistress had been carried off from Athens," "as fast as I could while alive, I got myself a ship," "and embarked, so that I might report the matter to my master at Naupactus." "When we had sailed out into the deep, what the gods willed happened," "pirates captured that ship in which I was carried:" "I was ruined before I reached my master, where I had begun to go." "He who captured me gave me as a gift to this soldier." "After he brought me home to his house," "I saw that mistress of my master, who had been at Athens." "When she looked back at me, she gave me a sign with her eyes" "not to address her; then, when there was an opportunity," "the woman lamented her fortunes to me:" "she said she longed to flee from this house to Athens," "that she loved my master, who had been in Athens," "and hated no one more bitterly than that soldier." "Since I perceived the woman's mind," "I took some tablets, sealed them, and secretly" "gave them to a merchant to deliver to him—" "my master, who had been at Athens, who loved her—" "so that he might come here.
is non sprevit nuntium; §134nam et venit et is in proximo hic devertitur §135apud suom paternum hóspitem, lepidum senem; §136isque illi amanti suo hospiti morem gerit §137nosque opera consilioque adhortatur, iuvat. §138itaque ego paravi hic intus magnas machinas, §139qui amantis una inter se facerem convenas. §140nam unum conclave, concubinae quod dedit §141miles, quo nemo nisi eapse inferret pedem, §142in eo conclavi égo perfodi parietem, §143qua commeatus clam esset hinc huc mulieri; §144et sene sciente hoc feci: is consilium dedit. §145nam meus conservos est homo haud magni preti, §146quem concubinae miles custodem addidit. §147ei nos facetis fabricis et doctis dolis §148glaucumam ob oculos obiciemus eumque ita §149faciemus ut quod viderit ne viderit. §150et mox ne erretis, haec duarum hodie vicem
He did not disregard the message;" "for he both came and is staying here next door" "with his father's guest-friend, a charming old man;" "and he accommodates his loving guest," "and encourages and assists us with his help and advice." "And so I have prepared great schemes here inside," "so that I might bring the lovers together." "For there is one room, which the soldier gave to his mistress," "into which no one but herself sets foot;" "in that room I dug through the wall," "by which there might be a secret passage for the woman from here to there;" "and I did this with the old man's knowledge: he gave the advice." "For my fellow-slave is a fellow of no great worth," "whom the soldier appointed as a guard over his mistress." "Upon him, with witty devices and clever tricks," "we will throw dust in his eyes and so" "make him not to have seen what he has seen." "And lest you err soon, she today, playing the part of two..."