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Plautus · Mostellaria §529-598

The Arrival of Misargyrides and the Return of Theopropides

Passage 9 of 18 · Latin

Summary

Theopropides returns and reports that the house's former owner denied the murder. While Tranio tries to handle the situation, the moneylender Misargyrides arrives and loudly demands his interest, complicating matters.

§529Et ego—tibi hodie ut det, senex, magnum malum.
(Tran.) And as for me—may a god give you a great disaster today, old man.
§530pro di immortales, obsecro vestram fidem, §531quid ego hodie negoti confeci mali.
O immortal gods, I implore your protection, what a troublesome evil business I have accomplished today.
§532Scelestiorem ego annum argento faenori §533numquam ullum vidi quam hic mihi annus optigit.
(Mis.) I have never seen any year more ruinous to interest-bearing loan than this year which has fallen to my lot.
§534a mani ad noctem usque in foro dego diem, §535locare argenti nemini nummum queo.
From morning till night I spend the day in the forum, and I can lend a single coin of money to no one.
§536Nunc pol ego perii plane in perpetuom modum.
(Tran.) Now, by Pollux, I am clearly ruined forever.
§537danista adest, qui dedit argentum faenore, §538qui amica est empta quoque opus in sumptus fuit.
The moneylender is here, who lent the money on interest, with which the mistress was bought and which was needed for expenses.
§539manifesta res est, nisi quid occurro prius, §540ne hóc senex resciscat.
The matter is clear, unless I run to meet it beforehand, lest the old man find this out.
ibo huic obviam.
I will go to meet him.
§541sed quidnam hic sese tam cito recipit domum?
But why indeed does the old man return home so quickly?
§542metuo ne de hac re quippiam indaudiverit.
I fear lest he has overheard something about this matter.
§543accedam atque adpellabo.
I will approach and speak to him.
ei quam timeo miser.
Oh, how I fear, miserable me.
§544nihil est miserius quam animus hominis conscius, §545sicut me † habet.
Nothing is more wretched than a man's guilty conscience, just as mine holds me.
verum utut res sese habet, §546pergam turbare porro: ita haec res postulat.
But however the matter stands, I will proceed to cause confusion further: so this situation demands.
§547unde is?
(Tran.) Where are you coming from?
§547bConveni illum unde hasce aedis emeram.
(Theo.) I met the man from whom I bought this house.
§548Numquid dixisti de illo quod dixi tibi?
(Tran.) Did you say anything to him about what I told you?
§549Dixi hercle vero ómnia.
(Theo.) By Hercules, indeed I told him everything.
§549bEi misero mihi, §550metuo ne techinae meae perpetuo perierint.
(Tran.) Ah, wretched me, I fear lest my tricks are ruined forever.
§551Quid tute tecum?
(Theo.) What are you saying to yourself?
§551bNihil enim.
(Tran.) Nothing, indeed.
sed dic mihi, §552dixtine quaeso?
But tell me, did you tell him, please?
§552bDixi, inquam, ordine omnia.
(Theo.) I told him, I say, everything in order.
§553Etiam fatetur de hospite?
(Tran.) Did he even confess about the guest?
§553bImmo pernegat.
(Theo.) No, he completely denies it.
§554Negat scelestus?
(Tran.) The scoundrel denies it?
§554bNegitat inquam.
(Theo.) He repeatedly denies it, I say.
§554cCogita: §555non confitetur?
(Tran.) Think: does he not confess?
§555bDicam si confessus sit.
(Theo.) I would say so if he had confessed.
§556quid nunc faciundum censes?
What do you think should be done now?
§556bEgon quid censeam?
(Tran.) What do I think?
§557cape, obsecro hercle, cúm eo úna iudicem §558(sed eum videto ut capias, qui credat mihi): §559tam facile vinces quam pirum volpes comest.
Appoint, I beg by Hercules, a judge together with him (but see to it that you get one who would believe me)— you will win as easily as a fox eats a pear.
§560Sed Philolachetis servom éccum Tranium, §561qui mihi neque faenus neque sortem argenti danunt.
(Mis.) But look, there is Philolaches' servant Tranio, who give me neither interest nor the principal of the money.
§562Quo té agis?
(Theo.) Where are you going?
§562bNec quoquam abeo.
(Tran.) Nowhere am I going.
né ego sum miser, §563scelestus, natus dis inimicis omnibus.
Indeed I am wretched, wicked, born with all the gods hostile to me.
§564iam illo praesente adibit.
Already in that man's presence he will approach.
ne ego homo sum miser, §565ita et hinc et illinc mi exhibent negotium.
Indeed I am a wretched man, so much do they cause me trouble both from here and from there.
§566sed occupabo adire.
But I will anticipate him by approaching.
§566bHic ad me it, salvos sum, §567spes est de argento.
(Mis.) He is coming towards me, I am saved, there is hope for the money.
§567bHílarus est: frustra est homo.
(Tran.) He is cheerful: the man is deceived in vain.
§568salvere iubeo te, Misargyrides, bene.
I bid you a very good day, Misargyrides.
§569Salve et tu.
(Mis.) Good day to you too.
quid de argentost?
What about the money?
§569bAbi sis, belua.
(Tran.) Go away, please, you beast.
§570continuo adveniens pilum iniecisti mihi.
Immediately upon arriving, you threw a spear at me.
§571Hic homo est inanis.
(Mis.) This man is empty.
§571bHic homo est certe háriolus.
(Tran.) This man is certainly a soothsayer.
§572Quin tu istas mittis tricas?
(Mis.) Why don't you drop those trumperies?
§572bQuin quid vis cedo.
(Tran.) Why indeed, tell me what you want.
§573Vbi Philolaches est?
(Mis.) Where is Philolaches?
§573bNumquam potuisti mihi §574magis opportunus advenire quam advenis.
(Tran.) You could never have come to me more opportunely than you do.
§575Quid est?
(Mis.) What is it?
§575bConcede huc.
(Tran.) Come over here.
§575cQuin mihi faenus redditur?
(Mis.) Why is my interest not paid to me?
§576Scio té bona esse voce, ne clama nimis.
(Tran.) I know you have a good voice, do not shout too much.
§577Ego hercle vero clamo.
(Mis.) By Hercules, indeed I will shout.
§577bAh, gere morem mihi.
(Tran.) Ah, humor me.
§578Quid tibi ego morem vis geram?
(Mis.) In what way do you want me to humor you?
§578bAbi quaeso hinc domum.
(Tran.) Go home from here, please.
§579Abeam?
(Mis.) I go away?
§579bRedito huc circiter meridie.
(Tran.) Return here around noon.
§580Reddeturne igitur faenus?
(Mis.) Will the interest be paid then?
§580bReddeturne.
(Tran.) It will be paid.
abi.
Go away.
§581Quid ego huc recursem aut operam sumam aut conteram?
(Mis.) Why should I run back here or take and waste pains?
§582quid si hic manebo potius ad meridie?
What if I stay here instead until noon?
§583Immo abi domum, verum hercle dico, abi modo.
(Tran.) No, go home; I speak the truth, by Hercules; just go away.
§585Quin vos mihi faenus date.
(Mis.) No, give me the interest.
quid hic nugamini?
Why do you trifle here?
§586Eu hércle, ne tu—abi modo, ausculta mihi.
(Tran.) Well, by Hercules, indeed you—just go away, listen to me.
§587Iam hercle ego illum nominabo.
(Mis.) By Hercules, now I will call out his name.
§587bEuge strenue.
(Tran.) Bravo, vigorously!
§588beatus vero es nunc, quom clamas.
Indeed you are happy now when you shout.
§588bMeum peto.
(Mis.) I demand my own.
§589multos me hoc pacto iam dies frustramini.
You have been baffling me in this way for many days now.
§590molestus si sum, reddite argentum: abiero.
If I am troublesome, return the money: I will go away.
§591responsiones omnes hoc verbo eripis.
(Tran.) You snatch away all answers with this word.
§592Sortem accipe.
Take the principal.
§592bImmo faenus, id primum volo.
(Mis.) No, the interest, I want that first.
§593Quid ais tu, ómnium hominum taeterrime?
(Tran.) What do you say, most loathsome of all men?
§594venisti huc te extentatum? agas quod in manu est.
Did you come here to stretch yourself? Do what is in your hand.
§595non dat, non debet.
He does not give, he does not owe.
§595bNon debet?
(Mis.) He does not owe?
§595cNe frit quidem §596ferre hinc potes.
(Tran.) Not even a chaff can you carry away from here.
an metuis ne quo abeat foras §597urbe exulatum faenoris causa tui, §598quoi sortem accipere iam licet?
Or do you fear lest he go away abroad into exile from the city for the sake of your interest, when he is now permitted to receive the principal?

Notes

  1. 529Et ego—tibi hodie ut det, senex, magnum malum. — A counter-prayer by Tranio in response to Theopropides' preceding oath *Hercules, ted invoco*. A verb of praying (such as *precor*) is omitted after *Et ego*, and *ut det* is an optative subjunctive with the subject (a deity) left understood.
  2. 532Scelestiorem ego annum argento faenori — *argento faenori* refers to 'money lent on interest.' Syntactically, it can be interpreted as a dative of reference modifying *annus* or qualifying the comparative *scelestiorem* ('more unlucky with respect to interest-bearing money').
  3. 544nihil est miserius quam animus hominis conscius — *conscius* is used here with the pregnancy of 'having a guilty conscience.' The comparison with *sicut me habet* ('as it possesses me') in line 545 emphasizes the internal anxiety of one who knows his own deceit.
  4. 558sed eum videto ut capias, qui credat mihi — *videto* is a future imperative. The clause *ut capias* functions as the object clause of *videto* ('see to it that you get'). Within it, the relative clause *qui credat mihi* uses the subjunctive *credat* to denote a characteristic of the antecedent *eum* ('the kind of person who would believe me').
  5. 569bAbi sis, belua. — *sis* is a colloquial contraction of *si vis* ('if you please', 'if you will'). *belua* ('beast', 'monster', or 'blockhead') is a vocative used as an insult.
  6. 595cNe frit quidem — The emphatic negative construction *ne ... quidem* ('not even'). *frit* refers to a tiny grain of chaff or something of negligible value, emphasizing an absolute minimum negation.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Mostellaria §529-598. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi013.humanitext-lat2:529-598

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