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Plautus · Mostellaria §814-875

Tour of Simo's House and Tranio's Deceptions

Passage 13 of 18 · Latin

Summary

Theopropides, guided by Tranio, inspects Simo's house, which he believes he bought. Tranio deceives him with non-existent paintings and exaggerated claims about the house's features, followed by a monological song of Phaniscus regarding the virtues of a faithful slave.

§814et bene monitum duco, atque esse existumo humani ingeni.
And I think it well advised, and I consider it to be of a humane character.
§815quid nunc?
What now?
§815bQuin tu is intro, atque otiose perspecta ut lubet.
Why don't you go inside, and leisurely inspect as you please.
§816Bene benigneque arbitror te facere.
I think you act well and kindly.
§816_bFactum edepol volo.
Indeed I wish it done.
§817Viden vestibulum ante aedis hoc et ambulacrum cuius modi?
Do you see this vestibule before the house and this walk, of what sort they are?
§818Luculentum edepol profecto.
By Pollux, splendid indeed.
§818bAge specta postes cuius modi, §819quanta firmitate facti et quanta crassitudine.
Come, look at the door-posts, of what sort they are, with what strength they are made and with what thickness.
§820Non videor vidisse postis pulchriores.
I seem not to have seen more beautiful door-posts.
§820bPol mihi §821eo pretio empti fuerant olim.
By Pollux, to me they had been bought at that price once.
§821bAudin fuerant dicere?
Do you hear him say 'had been'?
§822vix videtur continere lacrimas.
He seems scarcely to hold back his tears.
§822bQuanti hosce emeras?
For how much had you bought these?
§823Tris minas pro istis duobus praeter vecturam dedi.
I gave three minae for those two, besides the carriage.
§824Hercle qui multo improbiores sunt quam a primo credidi.
By Hercules, they are much worse than I believed at first.
§825Quapropter?
Why so?
§825bQuia edepol ambo ab infimo tarmes secat.
Because, by Pollux, the woodworm is cutting them both from the very bottom.
§826Intempestivos excisos credo, id eis vitium nocet.
I believe they were cut out of season, that defect harms them.
§827atque etiam nunc satis boni sunt, si sunt inducti pice; §828non enim haec pultiphagus opifex opera fecit barbarus.
And yet even now they are good enough, if they are smeared with pitch; for no porridge-eating barbarian craftsman did this work.
§829viden coagménta in foribus?
Do you see the joints in the doors?
§829bVideo.
I see them.
§829cSpecta, quam arte dormiunt.
Look, how tightly they sleep.
§830Dormiunt?
Sleep?
§830bIllud quidem, ut conivent, volui dicere.
That indeed, how they wink, I wanted to say.
§831satin habes?
Do you have enough?
§831bVt quidquid magis contemplo, tanto magis placet.
The more I contemplate anything, the more it pleases me.
§832Viden pictum, ubi ludificat cornix una volturios duos?
Do you see the painting, where one crow mocks two vultures?
§833Non edepol video.
By Pollux, I do not see it.
§833bAt ego video.
But I see it.
nam inter volturios duos §834cornix astat, ea volturios duo vicissim vellicat.
For between the two vultures the crow stands; it pecks at the two vultures in turn.
§835quaeso huc ad me specta, cornicem ut conspicere possies.
I pray you, look here towards me, so that you may be able to perceive the crow.
§836iam vides?
Do you see it now?
§836bProfecto nullam equidem illic cornicem intuor.
Indeed I look at no crow there.
§837At tu isto ad vos optuere, quoniam cornicem nequis §838conspicari, si volturios forte possis contui.
But look in that direction towards yourselves, since you cannot perceive the crow, if perchance you can look upon the vultures.
§839Omnino, ut te absolvam, nullam pictam conspicio hic avem.
Altogether, to let you off, I perceive no painted bird here.
§840Age, iam mitto, ignosco: aetate non quis optuerier.
Come, now I let it pass, I forgive you: because of your age you cannot see it.
§841Haec, quae possum, ea mihi profecto cuncta vehementer placent.
These things, which I can see, indeed all of them please me vehemently.
§842Latius démum est operae pretium ivisse.
It is worthwhile to have gone further in.
§842bRecte edepol mones.
Indeed you advise rightly.
§843Eho istum, puere, circumduce hasce aedis et conclavia.
Hey, boy, lead this man around this house and the rooms.
§844nam egomet ductarem, nisi mi esset apud forum negotium.
For I would lead him myself, if I did not have business at the forum.
§845Apage istum a me perductorem, nil moror ductarier.
Away with that guide from me, I care nothing for being guided.
§846quidquid est, errabo potius quam perductet quispiam.
Whatever it is, I would rather lose my way than have anyone guide me.
§847Aedis dico.
I mean the house.
§847bErgo intro eo igitur sine perductore.
Therefore I go inside without a guide.
§847cIlicet.
Go then.
§848Ibo intro igitur.
I will go inside then.
§848bMane sis videam, ne canis— §848cAgedum vide.
Wait, please, let me see, lest the dog— Come, look.
§849_850Est! abi, canis.
Shoo! Go away, dog.
est! abin diérecta? abin hinc in malam crucem?
Shoo! Won't you go away straight? Won't you go hence to the bad cross?
§851at etiam restas? est! ábi istinc.
Are you still standing there? Shoo! Go away from there.
§851bNil pericli est, age modo.
There is no danger, come along now.
§852tam placidast, quam feta.
She is as gentle as a dog that has just littered.
quam vis ire intro audacter licet.
You may go inside as boldly as you wish.
§853eo ego hinc ad forum. — §853bFecisti commode, bene ambula.
I am going hence to the forum.— You have done conveniently, may you walk well.
§854Tranio, age, canem istam a foribus aliquis abducat face, §855etsi non metuenda est.
Tranio, come, make someone lead that dog away from the door, even if she is not to be feared.
§855bQuin tu illam aspice ut placide accubat; §856nisi molestum vis videri te atque ignavom.
Why don't you look how gently she lies; unless you want to seem troublesome and cowardly.
§856bIam ut lubet.
Just as you please now.
§857sequere hac me igitur. — §857bEquidem haud usquam a pedibus apscedam tuis. — §858Serví qui, quom culpá carent, tamén malum metuont, §859ei sólent esse eris utíbiles.
Follow me this way then.— Indeed I will not depart anywhere from your feet.— Slaves who, when they lack fault, yet fear punishment, their master find useful.
§860nam illí qui nil metuónt postquam sunt málum meriti, §861stultá sibi expetunt consília: §862exércent sese ad cúrsuram, sed eí si reprehensí sunt, §863fáciunt de maló peculiúm quod nequeunt dé bono.
For those who fear nothing after they have deserved punishment, seek foolish plans for themselves: they exercise themselves in running, but if they are caught, they make a savings from bad which they cannot from good.
§864_865augent ex pauxillo de parant.
They increase from very little, and lose it.
§866mihi in pectore consili malam rem prius §867quam ut meum
To me in my breast, a plan is brewing, before a bad thing falls on me than that my...
§868ut adhúc fuit, mihi corium ésse oportet, §869sincérum atque ut votem vérberari.
As it has been until now, my hide ought to be uninjured, and as I wish, free from beating.
§870si huíc imperábo, probé tectum habébo, §871malúm quom impluít ceteris, ne impluát mi.
If I command this, I shall have a well-covered roof, when it rains evil upon others, so that it may not rain upon me.
§872nam ut sérvi volúnt esse erum, ita solet §873boní sunt: bonúst; improbí sunt, malús fit.
For as slaves want their master to be, so he is wont to be: if they are good, he is good; if they are wicked, he becomes bad.
§874nam núnc domi nostrae tot péssimi vivont, §875pecúli suí prodigí, plagigéruli.
For now so many of the worst live at our house, prodigal of their own savings, bearers of blows.

Notes

  1. 814humani ingeni — Genitive singular `ingeni` of `ingenium`, functioning as a predicate genitive with `esse` to denote quality or characteristic: 'it is characteristic of a humane nature' or 'belongs to a kind heart'.
  2. 821fuerant — Pluperfect indicative. In `§821b`, Tranio draws attention to Simo's choice of `fuerant` (they had been) instead of a simple past `erant` (they were), highlighting the slip of tongue implying that the house is no longer Simo's.
  3. 828pultiphagus — A compound adjective meaning 'porridge-eating'. Used as a derogatory or mocking epithet for Romans or barbarians, indicating here that the work was not done by some clumsy, uncivilized laborer.
  4. 837isto ad vos optuere — Combination of the adverb `isto` (in that direction) and `ad vos` (towards yourselves). Tranio plays on a double meaning, suggesting that since they cannot see the painted crow, they should look at each other, the 'two vultures' who are being tricked.
  5. 858Servi qui, quom culpa carent, tamen malum metuont — Beginning of the canticum (song) by the slave Phaniscus. `malum` functions substantively as 'harm' or 'punishment'. He sings of slave morality, claiming that those who fear punishment even when innocent are the ones most useful to their masters.
  6. 870si huic imperabo — The demonstrative `huic` refers back to `corium` (hide/skin) from `§868`. He metaphorically states that if he controls his own skin (by behaving well), he will keep his roof intact and protect himself from the rain of blows.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Mostellaria §814-875. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi013.humanitext-lat2:814-875

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

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