§590sed isti iam sciunt, negoti quid sit?
But do those men already know what the business is?
§590bOmne in ordine.
Everything is in order.
§591Tum vos animum advortite igitur.
Then pay attention, you all.
hunc vos lenonem Lycum §592novistis?
Do you know this pimp Lycus?
§592bFacile.
Easily.
§592cAt pol ego eum, qua sit facie, nescio.
But by Pollux, I do not know what his face looks like.
§593eum mihi volo demonstretis hominem.
I want you to point that man out to me.
§593bNos curabimus.
We will take care of it.
§594satis praeceptumst.
Enough instruction has been given.
§594bHic trecentos nummos numeratos habet.
He has three hundred coins counted out here.
§595Ergo nos inspicere oportet istuc aurum, Agorastocles, §596ut sciamus quid dicamus mox pro testimonio.
Therefore, Agorastocles, we ought to inspect that gold of yours, so that we may know what to say soon in our testimony.
§597Agite, inspicite.
Come, inspect it.
§597bAurum est profecto hoc, spectatores, comicum: §598macerato hoc pingues fiunt auro in barbaria boves; §599verum ad hanc rem agundam Philippum est: ita nos adsimulabimus.
This, spectators, is indeed comic gold: when this gold is soaked, oxen in barbarian lands grow fat; but for carrying out this business, it is a Philippus: so we shall pretend.
§600Sed ita adsimulatote quasi ego sim peregrinus.
But pretend as if I were a stranger.
§600bScilicet, §601et quidem quasi tu nobiscum adveniens hodie oraveris, §602liberum ut commostraremus tibi locum et voluptarium, §603ubi ames, potes, pergraecere.
Of course, and indeed as if you, arriving today with us, had entreated that we show you a free and pleasurable place for you, where you might love, drink, and play the Greek.
§603bEu, edepol mortales malos.
Ah, by Pollux, what wicked fellows!
§604Ego enim docui.
For I taught them.
§604bQuis te porro?
Who taught you, then?
§604cAgite intro abite, Agorastocles, §605ne hic vos mecum conspicetur leno neu fallaciae §606praepedimentum obiciatur.
Come, go inside, Agorastocles, lest the pimp see you here with me, and an obstacle be thrown in the way of our trickery.
§606bHic homo sapienter sapit.
This man is wisely wise.
§607facite quod iubet.
Do what he orders.
§607bAbeamus.
Let us depart.
sed vos— §607cSatis dictumst.
But you— Enough has been said.
abi.
Go.
§608Abeo.
I'm going.
§608bQuaeso, di immortales, quin abis?
I pray, immortal gods, why don't you go?
§609bQuid est?
What is it?
§609cFores haé fecerunt magnum flagitium modo.
These doors just committed a great outrage.
§610Quid id est flagiti?
What outrage is that?
§610bCrepuerunt clare.
They creaked loudly.
§610cDi te perduint.
May the gods destroy you.
§611pone nos recede.
Step back behind us.
§611bFiat.
Let it be done.
§611cNos priores ibimus.
We will go first.
§612Faciunt scurrae quod consuerunt: pone sese homines locant.
The parasites do what they are accustomed to: they place people behind them.
§613Illic homo est, qui egreditur, leno.
That man coming out over there is the pimp.
§613bBonus est, nam similis malist.
He's a good one, for he looks like a bad one.
§614iam nunc ego illi égredienti sanguinem exsugam procul.
Right now, as he comes out, I will suck his blood from a distance.
§615Iam ego istúc revortar, miles: convivas volo §616reperire nobis commodos, qui una sient; §617interibi attulerint exta, atque eádem mulieres §618iam ab re divina credo apparebunt domi.
I shall return to that place soon, soldier: I want to find suitable guests for us, who may be together with us; in the meantime they will have brought the entrails, and at the same time the women, I believe, will now appear at home from the sacrifice.
§619sed quid huc tantum hominum incedunt? ecquidnam adferunt?
But why are so many men coming here? Are they bringing anything?
§620et illé chlamydatus quisnam est, qui sequitur procul?
And who on earth is that cloaked man who follows at a distance?
We, citizens of Aetolia, greet you, Lycus, although we bring this greeting to you unwillingly.
May you all be fortunate—which I know for certain will not happen, nor will Fortune allow it to happen.
That treasure of fools is located in their tongue, so that they make a trade of speaking ill of their betters.
He who does not know the way by which he may reach the sea ought to seek a river as a companion for himself.
§629ego male loquendi vobis nescivi viam: §630nunc vos mihi amnes estis; vos certum est sequi: §631si bene dicetis, vostra ripa vos sequar, §632si male dicetis, vostro gradiar limite.
I did not know the way of speaking ill of you: now you are my rivers; it is certain that I will follow you: if you speak well, I will follow you along your bank, if you speak ill, I will walk by your path.
To do good to a bad man is just as much a danger as to do bad to a good man.
§634bQui vero?
How so, indeed?
§634cScies.
You shall know.
If you do any good to a bad man, the benefit perishes; if you do any bad to a good man, it demands a lifetime.
§637Facete dictum.
Wittily said.
sed quid istúc ad me attinet?
But what does that have to do with me?
Because we have come to you for the sake of your honor, although we wish well to pimps only gently.
§640Si quid boni adportatis, habeo gratiam.
If you bring anything good, I am grateful.
Of good from our own we neither bring nor give to you, nor do we promise, nor indeed do we wish it to be given.
§643Credo hercle vobis: ita vestra est benignitas.
By Hercules, I believe you: such is your kindness.
§644sed quid nunc voltis?
But what do you want now?
This cloaked man whom you see, Mars is angry with him.
§645bCapiti vestro istuc quidem.
May that indeed fall upon your own head.
§646Nunc hunc, Lyce, ad te diripiundum adducimus.
Now, Lycus, we bring this man to you to be plundered.
Today the hunter will walk home with his prey: the dogs are cleverly driving the wolf into the nets.
§649Quis hic est?
Who is this?
§649bNescimus nos quidem istum qui siet; §650nisi dudum mane ut ad portum processimus, §651atque istum e navi éxeuntem oneraria §652videmus.
We indeed do not know who he is; except that a little while ago in the morning, as we proceeded to the harbor, we saw him coming out of a merchant ship.
adiit ad nos extemplo exiens; §653salutat, respondemus.
He came up to us immediately upon coming out; he greeted us, and we answered.
Wicked mortals, how skillfully they enter into the deception.
§655Quid deinde?
What then?
§655bSermonem ibi nobiscum copulat.
There he joined in conversation with us.
§656ait sé peregrinum esse huius ignarum oppidi;
He said that he was a stranger, ignorant of this town;