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Plautus · Poenulus §657-726

Introducing the Disguised Slave and Handing Gold to Lycus

Passage 11 of 22 · Latin

Summary

The Aetolian witnesses introduce the disguised servant (Milphio) to the pimp Lycus and suggest a deal. After the witnesses depart, the servant deceives Lycus with sweet talk and hands over the gold in front of Agorastocles, completing the trap.

§657locum sibi velle liberum praeberier, §658ubi nequam faciat.
(He said that) he wished for a free place to be provided for him, where he might do mischief.
nos hominem ad te adduximus.
We have brought the man to you.
§659tu si te di amant, agere tuam rem occasiost.
If the gods love you, this is your opportunity to do your business.
§660Itane?
Is that so?
§660bIlle est cupiens, aurum habet.
He is eager, and he has gold.
§660cPraeda haec meast.
This prey is mine.
§661Potare, amare volt.
He wants to drink, to love.
§661bLocum lepidum dabo.
I will give him a delightful place.
§662At enim hic clam furtim ésse volt, ne quis sciat §663neve arbiter sit.
But he wants to be here secretly and stealthily, lest anyone know or lest there be any witness.
nam hic latro in Sparta fuit, §664ut quidem ipse nobis dixit, apud regem Attalum; §665inde huc aufugit, quoniam capitur oppidum.
For he was a mercenary soldier in Sparta, as indeed he himself told us, under King Attalus; from there he fled here, since the town was captured.
§666Nimis lépide de latrone, de Sparta optume.
Delightful indeed about the mercenary, and excellent about Sparta.
§667Di deaeque vobis multa bona dent, quom mihi §668et bene praecipitis et bonam praedam datis.
May the gods and goddesses grant you many blessings, since to me both give good advice and offer a fine prey.
§669Immo ut ipse nobis dixit, quo accures magis, §670trecentos nummos Philippos portat praesidi.
Nay rather, as he himself told us, so that you may take greater care of him, he carries three hundred Philippic coins as a safeguard.
§671Rex sum, si ego illum hodie ad me hominem adlexero.
I am a king, if I entice that man to myself today.
§672Quin hic quidem tuos est.
Why, indeed, he is already yours.
§672bOpsecro hercle hortamini, §673ut devortatur ad me in hospitium optumum.
By Hercules, I entreat you, urge him, to turn aside to me for the best hospitality.
§674Neque nos hortari neque dehortari decet §675hominem peregrinum: tuam rem tú ages, si sapis.
It is neither fitting for us to urge nor to dissuade a stranger: you will do your own business, if you are wise.
§676nos tibi palumbem ad aream usque adduximus: §677nunc te illum meliust capere, si captum esse vis.
We have brought the wood-pigeon right up to your threshing-floor: now it is better for you to catch him, if you wish him to be caught.
§678Iamne itis? quid quod vobis mandavi, hospites?
Are you going already? What about what I commissioned you, guests?
§679Cum illoc te meliust tuam rem, ádulescens, loqui: §680illic ést ad istas res probus, quas quaeritas.
Young man, it is better for you to speak of your business with that fellow: he is excellent for those matters which you are seeking.
§681Videre equidem vos vellem, quom huic aurum darem.
Indeed, I would wish you to see when I give him the gold.
§682Illinc procul nos istuc inspectabimus.
We will watch that from over there at a distance.
§683Bonam dedistis mihi operam.
You have given me good assistance.
§683bIt ad me lucrum.
Gain is coming to me.
§684Illud quidem quorsum asinus caedit calcibus.
Where on earth is that donkey kicking with its hoofs?
§685Blande hominem compellabo.
I will address the man gently.
hóspes hospitem §686salutat.
A guest greets a guest.
salvom te advenire gaudeo.
I rejoice that you have arrived safely.
§687Multa tibi di dent bona, quom me salvom esse vis.
May the gods grant you many blessings, since you wish me to be safe.
§688Hospitium te aiunt quaeritare.
They say you are seeking hospitality.
§688bQuaerito.
I am indeed seeking it.
§689Ita illí dixerunt, qui hinc a me abierunt modo, §690te quaeritare a muscis.
So those said, who just now departed from me here, that you were seeking it from flies.
§690bMinime gentium.
Not in the least.
§691Quid itá?
Why so?
§691bQuia a muscis si mi hospitium quaererem, §692adveniens irem in carcerem recta via.
Because if I were to seek hospitality from flies, upon arriving I would go straight to prison.
§693ego id quaero hospitium, ubi ego curer mollius, §694quam regi Antiocho óculi curari solent.
I am seeking that hospitality where I may be treated more softly than King Antiochus' eyes are accustomed to be treated.
§695Edepol ne tibi illud possum festivom dare, §696siquidém potes ésse te pati in lepido loco, §697in lecto lepide strato lepidam mulierem §698complexum contrectare.
By Pollux, indeed I can give you that delightful treatment, if indeed you can allow yourself to be in a delightful place, on a delightfully spread bed, a delightful woman to embrace and caress.
§698bIs, leno, viam.
You know the way, pimp.
§699Vbi tu Leucadio, Lesbio, Thasio, Chio, §700vetustáte vino edentulo aetatem inriges; §701ibi ego te replebo usque unguentum geumatis, §702quid multa verba? faciam, ubi tu laveris,
Where you may water your life with Leucadian, Lesbian, Thasian, Chian, wine, toothless with old age; there I will fill you up even to the taste of ointments, why many words?
§703ibi ut bálneator faciat unguentariam.
I will make it so that when you have bathed, there the bath-keeper acts as a perfumer's shop.
§704sed haec latrocinantur, quae ego dixi, omnia.
But all these things which I have said act like robbers.
§705Quid itá?
Why so?
§705bQuia aurum poscunt praesentarium.
Because they demand immediate gold.
§706Quin hercle accipere tu non mavis quam ego dare.
Why, by Hercules, you do not wish to receive it more than I to give it.
§707Quid si evocemus huc foras Agorastoclem, §708ut ipsus testis sit sibi certissumus?
What if we call Agorastocles out here, so that he himself may be the most certain witness for himself?
§709heus tu, qui furem captas, egredere ocius, §710ut tute inspectes aurum lenoni dari.
Hey you, who are catching the thief, come out quickly, so that you yourself may watch the gold being given to the pimp.
§711Quid est? quid voltis, testes?
What is it? What do you want, witnesses?
§711bSpecta ad dexteram.
Look to the right.
§712tuos sérvos aurum ípsi lenoni dabit.
Your servant will give the gold to the pimp himself.
§713Age, accipe hoc sis: hic sunt numerati aurei §714trecenti nummi, qui vocantur Philippei.
Come, take this please: here are the counted gold pieces, three hundred coins, which are called Philippei.
§715hinc me procura; propere hosce apsumi volo.
With this take care of me; I want these to be spent quickly.
§716Edepol fecisti prodigum promum tibi.
By Pollux, you have made a prodigal steward for yourself.
§717age, eamus intro.
Come, let us go inside.
§717bTe sequor.
I follow you.
§717cAge, age, ambula, §718ibí, quae reliqua, alia fabulabimur.
Come, come, walk on, there we will talk about the other remaining things.
§719Eadém narrabo tibi res Spartiaticas.
At the same time, I will tell you about Spartan affairs.
§720Quin sequere me ergo. — §720bAbduc intro.
Why, follow me then.— Lead him inside.
addictum tenes. — §721Quid nunc mi auctores estis?
You hold him bound.— What do you advise me now?
§721bVt frugi sies.
That you be thrifty.
§722Quid si animus esse non sinit?
What if my mind does not allow me to be?
§722bEsto ut sinit.
Let it be as it allows.
§723Vidistis, leno quom aurum accepit?
Did you see when the pimp received the gold?
§723bVidimus.
We saw it.
§724Eum vos meum esse servom scitis?
Do you know that he is my servant?
§724bScivimus.
We knew it.
§725Rem adversus populi saepe leges?
That it was a matter often against the laws of the people?
§725bScivimus.
We knew it.
§726Em istaec volo ergo vos commeminisse omnia,
Well then, I want you to remember all those things,

Notes

  1. §657praeberier — Archaic present passive infinitive (= praeberi). Frequently found in early Latin comedy such as Plautus.
  2. §670praesidi — Genitive singular of praesidium (safeguard, protection, reserve; contracted form of praesidii). Here it functions as a genitive of purpose or specification ("as a safeguard" or "for security").
  3. §684Illud quidem quorsum asinus caedit calcibus — A proverbial expression meaning "where on earth that donkey is kicking with its hoofs." A metaphorical jibe at the proud departure of the witnesses or the self-defeating/clumsy nature of the action.
  4. §700edentulo — The adjective edentulus (toothless) normally refers to old people, but here it anthropomorphically modifies vino (wine) to describe very old wine that has lost its sharpness or bite ("smooth with age").

Cite this passage

Plautus, Poenulus §657-726. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi015.humanitext-lat2:657-726

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