§457bTetigi, inquam, et pultavi.
(Theo.) I touched it, I say, and I knocked.
§457cVah.
(Tran.) Oh!
§457dQuid est?
(Theo.) What is it?
§458Male hercle factum.
(Tran.) A bad deed, by Hercules.
§458bQuid est negoti?
(Theo.) What is the matter?
(Tran.) It cannot be said how shameful and evil a deed you have done.
§460Quid iam?
(Theo.) What now?
§460bFuge, obsecro, atque abscede ab aedibus.
(Tran.) Flee, I beg you, and depart from the house.
§461fuge huc, fuge ad me propius.
Flee here, flee closer to me.
tetigistin foris?
Did you touch the door?
§462Quo modo pultare potui, si non tangerem?
(Theo.) How could I knock if I didn't touch it?
§463cOmnis tuos.
(Tran.) All your family.
(Theo.) May all the gods and goddesses make that omen fall upon you— (Tran.) I fear whether you and those men will be able to purify yourselves.
§466Quam ob rem? aut quam subito rem mihi adportas novam?
(Theo.) Why? Or what new thing do you bring me so suddenly?
§467Et heus, iube illos illinc ambo abscedere.
(Tran.) And hey, order those two to depart from there.
§468Apscedite.
(Theo.) Depart.
§468bAedes ne attigatis.
(Tran.) Do not touch the house.
tangite §469vos quoque terram.
You too, touch the earth.
§469bObsecro hercle, quin eloquere
(Theo.) I beg you, by Hercules, why don't you speak?
§469a §470Quia septem menses sunt, quom in hasce aedis pedem §471nemo intro tetulit, semel ut emigravimus.
(Tran.) Because it is seven months since anyone set foot inside this house, once we moved out.
§472Eloquere, quid ita?
(Theo.) Speak, why so?
(Tran.) Look around, please, is there anyone who might catch our conversation?
§473bTutum probest.
(Theo.) It is quite safe.
§474Circumspice etiam.
(Tran.) Look around again.
§474bNemo est.
(Theo.) There is no one.
loquere nunciam.
Speak now.
§475Capitale scelus est.
(Tran.) It is a capital crime.
§475bQuid est? non satis intellego.
(Theo.) What is it? I don't quite understand.
§476Scelus, inquam, factum est iam diu, antiquom et vetus.
(Tran.) A crime, I say, was committed long ago, ancient and old.
§477Antiquom?
(Theo.) Ancient?
§477bId adeo nos nunc factum invenimus.
(Tran.) And indeed, we have just now discovered it was done.
§478Quid istúc est sceleris? aut quis id fecit? cedo.
(Theo.) What kind of crime is that? Or who did it? Tell me.
(Tran.) A host killed his guest, caught by his hand; that fellow, I think, who sold this house to you.
§481Necavit?
(Theo.) Killed?
(Tran.) And took away gold from that guest, and buried that guest here, in this very house.
§483Quapropter id vos factum suspicamini?
(Theo.) Why do you suspect that this was done?
§484Ego dicam, ausculta.
(Tran.) I will tell you, listen.
út foris cenaverat §485tuos gnátus, postquam rediit a cena domum, §486abimus omnes cubitum; condormivimus:
When your son had dined out, after he returned home from the dinner, we all went to bed; we fell fast asleep.
By chance, I had forgotten to put out the lamp; and suddenly he let out a very great shout.
§489Quis homo? án gnatus meus?
(Theo.) Who? My son?
§489bSt, tace, ausculta modo.
(Tran.) Shh, be quiet, just listen.
§490ait vénisse illum in somnis ad se mortuom.
He said that the dead man came to him in his sleep.
§491Nempe ergo in somnis?
(Theo.) Indeed, then, in his sleep?
§491bIta.
(Tran.) Yes.
sed ausculta modo.
But just listen.
§492ait illum hoc pacto sibi dixisse mortuom.
He said that the dead man spoke to him in this way.
§493In somnis?
(Theo.) In his sleep?
(Tran.) It would be a wonder if he spoke to him awake, seeing that he was killed sixty years ago.
§495interdum inepte stultus es, Theopropides.
Sometimes you are foolishly silly, Theopropides.
§496Taceo.
(Theo.) I am silent.
(Tran.) But look at what [the dead man] said to him: "I am Diapontius, a guest from across the sea.
§498hic habito, haéc mihi dedita est habitatio.
Here I live, this dwelling has been assigned to me.
For Orcus refused to receive me into Acheron, because I was deprived of life prematurely.
per fidem §501deceptus sum: hospes me necavit isque me §502defodit insepultum clám in hisce aedibus, §503scelestus, auri causa.
I was deceived by trust: my host killed me and he buried me unburied, secretly in this house, wicked man, for the sake of gold.
nunc tu hinc emigra.
Now move away from here.
§504scelestae haé sunt aedes, impia est habitatio”. §505quae hic monstra fiunt, anno vix possum eloqui.
This house is wicked, the dwelling is unholy." What monsters happen here, I can scarcely tell in a year.
§506St, st.
(Theo.) Shh, shh.
§507Quid, obsecro hercle, factum est?
(Theo.) What, I beg by Hercules, happened?
§507bConcrepuit foris.
(Tran.) The door creaked.
§508Hicin percussit!
Did he knock!
(Tran.) I don't have a drop of blood, the dead are summoning me alive to Acheron.
§510Perii, illisce hodie hanc conturbabunt fabulam.
(Tran.) (Aside) I'm ruined, those people inside will ruin this story today.
§511nimis quám formido, ne manifesto hic me opprimat.
I fear too much lest he catch me red-handed here.
§512Quid tute tecum loquere?
(Theo.) What are you saying to yourself?
§512bAbscede ab ianua.
(Tran.) Stand back from the door.
§513fuge, obsecro hercle.
Flee, I beg by Hercules.
§513bQuo fugiam? etiam tu fuge.
(Theo.) Where shall I flee? You flee too.
§514Nihil ego formido, pax mihi est cum mortuis.
(Tran.) I fear nothing, I have peace with the dead.
§515Heus, Tranio.
(Voice inside) Hey, Tranio.
§515bNon me appellabis, si sapis.
(Tran.) You will not call me, if you are wise.
§516nihil ego commerui, neque istas percussi fores.
I have deserved nothing, nor did I knock on those doors.
§518bApage hinc te.
(Tran.) Go away from here!
§518cQuae res te agitat, Tranio?
(Theo.) What is disturbing you, Tranio?
§519quicum istaec loquere?
With whom are you speaking?
§519bAn quaeso tu appellaveras?
(Tran.) Or, I beg, had you called me?
So may the gods love me, I believed that dead man was complaining because you had knocked on the doors.
§522sed tu, etiamne astas nec quae dico optemperas?
But you, do you still stand there and not obey what I say?
§523Quid faciam?
(Theo.) What shall I do?
§523bCave respexis, fuge, operi caput.
(Tran.) Take care not to look back, flee, cover your head.
§524Cur non fugis tu?
(Theo.) Why don't you flee?
§524bPax mihi est cum mortuis.
(Tran.) I have peace with the dead.
§525Scio.
(Theo.) I know.
quíd modo igitur? cur tanto opere extimueras?
Why just now, then? Why had you feared so greatly?
§526Nil me curassis, inquam, ego mihi providero: §527tu, ut occepisti, tantum quantum quis fuge, §528atque Herculem invoca.
(Tran.) Don't worry about me, I say, I will look out for myself: you, as you started, flee as fast as anyone can, and call upon Hercules.
§528bHercules, ted invoco. —
(Theo.) Hercules, I call upon you!—