Humanitext Reader

Plautus · Persa §302-368

Plotting the Trick and Saturio Persuading His Daughter

Passage 6 of 14 · Latin

Summary

After sending Sophoclidisca away, Toxilus meets Sagaristio, who has brought the money, and they plan to trick the pimp. Meanwhile, the parasite Saturio decides to sell his own daughter to satisfy his hunger, ignoring her moral pleas.

§302Paratum iam esse dicito, unde argentum sit futurum, §303iubeto habere animum bonum, dic me illam amare multum; §304ubi se adiuvat, ibi me adiuvat.
(Toxilus) Tell her that it is already prepared, whence the money is to come, order her to be of good courage, and say that I love her much; where she helps herself, there she helps me.
quae dixi ut nuntiares, §305satin ea tenes?
What I told you to announce, do you hold them well enough?
§305bMagis cálleo quam aprugnum callum callet.
(Sophoclidisca) I know it better than a wild boar's hide is hard.
§306Propera, abi domum.
(Toxilus) Hurry, go home.
§306bNunc ego huic graphice facetus fiam.
Now I will become graphically witty towards this fellow.
§307subnixis alis me inferam atque amicibor gloriose.
I will carry myself with arms akimbo and greet him gloriously.
§308Sed quís hic ansatus ambulat?
But who is this walking with arms akimbo?
§308bMagnifice conscreabor.
(Sagaristio) I will clear my throat magnificently.
§309Sagaristio hic quidemst.
(Toxilus) It is indeed Sagaristio.
quíd agitur, Sagaristio? ut valetur?
What's going on, Sagaristio? How are you?
§310ecquid, quod mandavi tibi, †estne in te speculae?
Is there any hope, in regard to what I commissioned you?
§310bAdito.
(Sagaristio) Come close.
§311videbitur.
It shall be seen to.
factum volo.
I want it done.
venito.
Come.
promoneto.
Remind me.
§312Quid hoc híc in collo tibi tumet?
(Toxilus) What is this swelling here on your neck?
§312bVomicast, pressare parce; §313nam ubi quí mala tangit manu, dolores cooriuntur.
(Sagaristio) It's an abscess, spare pressing it; for when anyone touches it with an evil hand, pains arise.
§314Quando istaec innatast tibi?
(Toxilus) When did that grow on you?
§314bHodie.
(Sagaristio) Today.
§314cSecari iubeas.
(Toxilus) You should order it to be cut.
§315Metuo, ne immaturam secem, ne exhibeat plus negoti.
(Sagaristio) I fear lest I cut it before it is ripe, lest it cause more trouble.
§316Inspicere morbum tuom lubet.
(Toxilus) I would like to inspect your disease.
§316bAh ah, abi atque cave sis §317a cornu.
(Sagaristio) Ah, ah, go away and please beware of the horn.
§317bQuid iam?
(Toxilus) Why now?
§317cQuia boves bini hic sunt in crumina.
(Sagaristio) Because there are two oxen here in the purse.
§318Emitte sodes, ne enices fame; sine ire pastum.
(Toxilus) Let them out, please, lest you kill them with hunger; let them go to pasture.
§319Enim métuo, ut possim reicere in bubile, ne vagentur.
(Sagaristio) Indeed I fear whether I can drive them back into the stall, lest they wander.
§320Ego reiciam.
(Toxilus) I will drive them back.
habe animum bonum.
Be of good courage.
§320bCredetur, commodabo.
(Sagaristio) You shall be trusted, I will lend them.
§321sequere hac sis.
Follow this way, please.
argentum hic inest, quod mecum dudum orasti.
Herein is the money which you so earnestly begged of me just now.
§322Quid tú ais?
(Toxilus) What do you say?
§322bDominus me bovis mercatum Eretriam misit.
(Sagaristio) My master sent me to Eretria to buy oxen.
§323nunc mi Eretria erit haec tua domus.
Now this house of yours shall be my Eretria.
§323bNimis tú facete loquere.
(Toxilus) You speak too wittily.
§324atque ego omne argentúm tibi hoc actutum incolume redigam; §325nam iam omnes sycophantias instruxi et comparavi, §326quo pacto ab lenone auferam hoc argentum, §326bTanto melior.
And I will bring all this money back to you safe and sound immediately; for I have already planned and prepared all the tricks, by what means I may take this money from the pimp, (Sagaristio) So much the better.
§327Et mulier ut sit libera atque ipse ultro det argentum.
(Toxilus) And that the woman may be free and he himself may voluntarily give money besides.
§328sed sequere me: ad eam rem usus est tua mihi opera. —
But follow me: for that business I need your assistance.
§328bVtere ut vis. —
(Sagaristio) Use me as you wish.
§329Quae res bene vortat mi et tibi et ventri meo §330perennitatique adeo huic, perpetuo cibus §331ut mihi supersit, suppetat, superstitet:
(Saturio) May this matter turn out well for me and for you and for my stomach, and even for this perpetuity, so that food may continuously remain, be supplied, and survive for me.
§332sequere hac, mea gnata, me, cum dis volentibus.
Follow this way, my daughter, me, with the gods willing.
§333quoi rei opera detur scis, tenes, intellegis; §334communicavi tecum consilia omnia.
You know, hold, and understand for what matter trouble is being taken; I have shared all my plans with you.
§335ea causa ad hoc exemplum te exornavi ego.
For that reason I have adorned you after this fashion.
§336venibis tu hodie, virgo.
You shall be sold today, my girl.
§336bAmabo, mi pater, §337quamquam libenter escis alienis studes, §338tuin véntris causa filiam vendas tuam?
(Daughter) Please, my father, although you gladly seek after other people's food, would you sell your own daughter for the sake of your stomach?
§339Mirum quin regis Phílippi causa aut Attali §340te potius vendam quam mea, quae sis mea.
(Saturio) It would be strange if I should sell you for the sake of King Philip or Attalus, rather than for my own, since you are mine.
§341Vtrum tú pro ancilla mé habes an pro filia?
(Daughter) Do you hold me as a handmaid or as a daughter?
§342Vtrum hercle magis in ventris rem videbitur.
(Saturio) By Hercules, whichever shall seem more for the interest of my stomach.
§343meum, opino, imperiumst in te, non in me tibi.
In my opinion, the authority is mine over you, not yours over me.
§344Tua istaéc potestas est, pater. verum tamen,
(Daughter) That power is yours, father.
§345quamquam res nostrae sunt, pater, pauperculae, §346modice et modeste meliust vitam vivere; §347nam ad paupertatem si admigrant infamiae, §348gravior paupertas fit, fides sublestior.
But nevertheless, although our circumstances are very poor, father, it is better to live life moderately and modestly; for if disgrace migrates to poverty, poverty becomes heavier, and character more worthless.
§349Enim véro odiosa es.
(Saturio) Indeed you are troublesome.
§349bNon sum, neque me esse arbitror, §350quom parva natu recte praecipio patri.
(Daughter) I am not, nor do I think I am, when young as I am, I rightly advise my father.
§351nam inimici famam non ita ut natast ferunt.
For enemies do not carry a rumor as it originated.
§352Ferant eantque maximam malam crucem; §353neque ego ínimicitias omnes pluris existimo, §354quam mensa inanis nunc si apponatur mihi.
(Saturio) Let them carry it and go to the greatest hanging; nor do I value all enmities more than if an empty table were set before me now.
§355Patér, hominum immortalis est infamia; §356etiam tum vivit, cum esse credas mortuam.
(Daughter) Father, the disgrace of men is immortal; even then it lives, when you would believe it to be dead.
§357Quid? metuis, ne te vendam?
(Saturio) What? Do you fear lest I sell you?
§357bNon metuo, pater.
(Daughter) I do not fear, father.
§358verum insimulari nolo.
But I do not wish to be accused.
§358bAt nequiquam nevis.
(Saturio) But in vain you do not wish it.
§359meo modo istuc potius fiet quam tuo §360fiat.
It shall be done rather in my way than in yours.
quae hae res sunt?
What are these matters?
§360bCogita hoc verbum, pater: §361erus sí minatus est malum servo suo, §362tametsi íd futurum non est, ubi captumst flagrum, §363dum tunicas ponit, quanta adficitur miseria!
(Daughter) Consider this word, father: if a master has threatened punishment to his slave, although that is not to be, when the whip is taken up, while he takes off his tunics, with how great misery is he affected!
§364ego nunc quod non futurumst formido tamen.
I now fear what is not to be, nevertheless.
§365Virgo atque mulier nulla erit quin sit mala, §366quae praeter sapiet quam placet parentibus.
(Daughter) There will be no maiden or woman but that she is bad, who is wise beyond what is pleasing to her parents.
§367Virgo atque mulier nulla erit quin sit mala, §368quae reticet, si quid fieri pervorse videt.
There will be no maiden or woman but that she is bad, who is silent, if she sees anything done perversely.

Notes

  1. 305bMagis cálleo quam aprugnum callum callet — A wordplay typical of Plautus, crossing calleo (to know, understand) with callet (is hard), which derives from callum (tough hide, skin)—the etymological root of the verb itself.
  2. 308ansatus — An adjective derived from the noun ansa (handle). It humorously describes a posture with arms akimbo, resembling a jar with handles, denoting an arrogant or self-important manner.
  3. 317cboves bini hic sunt in crumina — Sagaristio's joke where the money (silver coins) entrusted by his master for buying oxen is metaphorically called "two oxen in the purse (crumina)," explaining the swelling on his neck.
  4. 342Vtrum hercle magis in ventris rem videbitur — The second part of the alternative utrum... an construction (an pro filia) is omitted, and in rem is an idiomatic expression meaning "to the advantage of." The whole phrase translates to "whichever shall seem more to the advantage of my stomach."
  5. 365nulla erit quin sit mala — A double negative construction with quin and the subjunctive (there will be no maiden but she is bad). By connecting the premise in lines 365-366 ("a daughter who is wiser than her parents wish is bad") with the assertion in lines 367-368 ("a daughter who keeps silent when seeing wrong is bad"), she logically and ethically justifies her own act of reproaching her father.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Persa §302-368. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi014.humanitext-lat2:302-368

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

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.