Humanitext Reader

Plautus · Pseudolus §1272-1335

Pseudolus receives the money and invites Simo to feast

Passage 21 of 21 · Latin

Summary

Pseudolus, thoroughly drunk, appears before Simo and receives the promised twenty minae. After teasing Simo, he eventually persuades him to join the drinking party, concluding the play with an address to the spectators.

§1272cum scórtis relíqui, et meúm scortum ibídem, §1272asuó cordi atque ánimo opsequéntes.
I left them with the courtesans, and my own mistress was there too, indulging their own heart and soul.
sed póstquam §1273exúrrexi, oránt med ut sáltem.
But after I got up, they begged me to dance.
§1274ad hunc me modum intuli illis satis facete, §1274animis ex discipulina, quippe ego qui §1275probe Ionica perdidici.
In this manner I introduced myself to them quite gracefully, exceedingly according to training, since indeed I who learned Ionian steps perfectly.
sed palliolatim amictus §1275asic haec incessi ludibundus.
But wrapped in a mantle, thus I strutted about here playfully.
§1276plaudúnt et parúm clamitánt mi, ut revértar.
They applaud and keep shouting to me that it's not enough, that I should return.
§1277óccepi dénuo, hóc modo: nólui §1277aídem; amicaé dabam mé meae, §1278út me amarét: ubi círcumvortór, cado:
I began again, in this way: I didn't want the same thing; I was giving myself to my mistress, so that she might love me: when I turn around, I fall!
§1278aid fúit naenia lúdo.
That was the dirge of the game.
§1279ítaque dum enitór, prox, iam paene ínquinavi pállium.
And so while I struggle to get up, oops! I almost soiled my mantle.
§1280nímiae tum volúptati edepol §1280afúi ob casúm.
Then, by Pollux, I was a source of immense amusement because of my fall.
datur cántharus: bibi.
A cup is given: I drank.
§1281commúto ilicó pallium, íllud posívi; §1282inde húc exií, crapulám dum amovérem.
I immediately change my mantle, I laid that one aside; then I came out here, to shake off my hangover.
§1283núnc ab ero ad erum méum maiorem vénio foedus cómmemoratum.
Now I come from my master to my older master to remind him of our pact.
§1284áperite, aperite, heús, Simoni mé adesse aliquis núntiate.
Open up, open up! Hey, someone announce to Simo that I am here!
§1285Vóx viri péssumi me éxciet foras.
Simo: The voice of a most wicked man calls me outside.
§1286séd quid hoc? quó modo? quíd video ego?
But what is this? How? What do I see?
§1287Cúm corona ébrium Pseúdolum tuom.
Pseudolus: Your own Pseudolus, drunk, with a garland.
§1288Líbere hercle hóc quidem.
Simo: By Hercules, quite freely indeed!
séd vide statum.
But look at his posture.
§1289núm mea grátia pértimescít magis?
Does he fear me any more on my account?
§1290cógito, saéviter blanditerne ádloquar.
I am thinking whether to address him harshly or gently.
§1291sed me hóc votat vim fácere nunc §1292quód fero, sí qua in hoc spés sitast mihi.
But this which I carry forbids me to use violence now, if any of my hope is placed in him.
§1293Vír malus viro óptumo obviam it.
Pseudolus: A bad man goes to meet a most excellent man.
§1294Dí te ament, Pseúdole.
Simo: May the gods love you, Pseudolus!
fú i in malám crucem.
Go to the gallows!
§1295Cur égo adflictor?
Pseudolus: Why am I being afflicted?
§1295bQuid tú, malum, in os igitúr mi ebrius inrúctas?
Simo: Why on earth, you plague, do you belch in my face while drunk?
§1296Mólliter síc tene mé, cave né cadam: §1297non vídes me ut madide mádeam?
Pseudolus: Hold me gently like this, watch out that I don't fall: Don't you see how wetly soaked I am?
§1298Quae ístaec audáciast, té sic intérdius §1299cúm corolla ébrium incédere?
Simo: What impudence is that of yours, to walk around in broad daylight, drunk, with a garland?
§1299bLubet.
Pseudolus: It pleases me.
§1300Quíd, lubet? pérgin ructáre in os mihi?
Simo: What, 'it pleases me'? Do you keep belching in my face?
§1301Suávis ructús mihi est.
Pseudolus: My belch is sweet to me.
síc sine, Simo.
Let it be, Simo.
§1302Credo équidem potesse té, scelus, §1303Mássici móntis ubérrumos quáttuor §1304frúctus ebíbere in hora úna.
Simo: Indeed I believe that you, rogue, could drink up the four most abundant vintages of Mount Massicus in a single hour.
§1304bHiberna áddito.
Pseudolus: Make them winter hours.
§1305Hau mále mones, sed díc tamen, §1306únde onustám celocem ágere te praédicem?
Simo: You suggest not badly; but tell me anyway, from where am I to declare that you are steering your laden yacht?
§1307Cúm tuo fílio pérpotaví modo.
Pseudolus: I have just been drinking hard with your son.
§1308séd, Simo, ut probe táctus Ballio est!
But Simo, how beautifully Ballio was swindled!
§1309quaé tibi díxi, ut effécta reddidi!
How I delivered the things I told you, accomplished!
§1310Péssumu’s homo.
Simo: You are a most wicked man.
§1310bMulier haec facit.
Pseudolus: The woman causes this.
§1311cúm tuo fílio líbera accubat.
She lies down free with your son.
§1312ómnia, ut quícque egisti, órdine scio.
Simo: I know everything in order, just as you did it.
§1313Quíd ergo dubitas dáre mi argentum?
Pseudolus: Why then do you hesitate to give me the money?
§1313bIús petis, fateór.
Simo: You ask for what is right, I confess.
tene.
Here, take it.
§1314át negabás daturum ésse te mihi.
Pseudolus: But you said you wouldn't give it to me.
§1315onera húnc hominem atque me cónsequere hac.
Load this man and follow me this way.
§1315bEgone ístum onerém?
Simo: I load him?
§1315cOnerábis, scio.
Pseudolus: You will load him, I know.
§1316Quid ego huíc homini faciám? satin ultro et argéntum aufert et me ínridet?
Simo: What shall I do to this man? Is it not enough that he both carries off the money of his own accord and mocks me?
§1317Vae víctis.
Pseudolus: Woe to the vanquished.
§1317bVorte ergo úmerum.
Simo: Turn your shoulder then.
Pseudolus: There.
§1318bHóc ego numquam rátus sum §1319fore me, út tibi fierem súpplex.
Simo: I never thought this would be, that I should become a suppliant to you.
§1320heu heú heu.
Alas, alas, alas.
§1320bDesine.
Pseudolus: Stop.
§1320cDóleo.
Simo: I suffer.
§1320dNi doléres tu, ego dolérem.
Pseudolus: If you did not suffer, I would suffer.
§1321Quid? hoc aúferen, Pseudole mi, aps tuo ero?
Simo: What? Will you carry this off, my Pseudolus, from your master?
§1321bLubentíssimo corde atque ánimo.
Pseudolus: With a most willing heart and soul.
§1322Non aúdes, quaeso, aliquám partem mihi grátiam facere hinc árgenti?
Simo: Won't you venture, I beg, to remit some part of this money to me?
§1323Non: mé dices avidum ésse hominem nam hinc númquam eris nummo dívitior; §1324neque té mei tergi mísereret, si hoc nón hodie ecfecíssem.
Pseudolus: No. You would call me a greedy man, for you will never be a coin richer from this; nor would you have had mercy on my back, if I had not accomplished this today.
§1325Erit úbi te ulciscar, sí vivo.
Simo: There will be a time when I shall take vengeance on you, if I live.
§1325bQuid mínitare? habeo térgum.
Pseudolus: Why do you threaten? I have a back.
§1326Age sáne igitur.
Simo: Well, go on then.
§1326bRedi.
Pseudolus: Come back.
§1326cQuíd redeam?
Simo: Why should I come back?
§1326dRedi módo: non eris decéptus.
Pseudolus: Just come back: you won't be disappointed.
§1327Redeó.
Simo: I am coming back.
§1327bSimul mecum i pótatum.
Pseudolus: Come and drink along with me.
§1327cEgone éam?
Simo: I should go?
§1327dFac quod te iúbeo: §1328si is, aút dimidium aut plús etiam faxo hínc feres.
Pseudolus: Do what I tell you: if you go, I'll warrant you'll carry away either half or even more from here.
§1328bEo, duc mé quo vis.
Simo: I am going, lead me where you want.
§1329Quid núnc? numquid íratus és aut mihi aút filió propter hás res, Simó?
Pseudolus: What now? Are you at all angry at either me or your son because of these things, Simo?
§1329bNil profécto.
Simo: Not at all indeed.
§1329cI hac.
Pseudolus: Go this way.
§1330Té sequor.
Simo: I follow you.
quín vocas spéctatorés simul?
Why don't you invite the spectators as well?
§1331Hércle me isti haú solent §1332vocáre, neque ergo ego ístos; §1333vérum si vóltis adplaúdere atque ádprobare §1334húnc gregem et fábulam, §1335in crástinum vos vocábo.
Pseudolus: By Hercules, they are not accustomed to invite me, and therefore I do not invite them; but if you want to applaud and approve this troupe and play, I will invite you for tomorrow.

Notes

  1. 1272aopsequentes — Grammatically a nominative plural, but here interpreted in context as an accusative plural (archaic -es spelling) agreeing with `illos` in the preceding line (§1271), indicating that they are satisfying their own desires.
  2. 1283commemoratum — The supine (accusative of purpose) of the transitive verb `commemorare`, used with the verb of motion `venio` to express purpose ("in order to remind").
  3. 1291sed me hóc votat vim fácere nunc quód fero — The word order is inverted. The subject is the relative clause `quod fero` (what I am carrying, i.e., the twenty minae), which controls the main verb `votat` (an archaic form of `vetat`, "forbids"). `me` is the accusative object, and `vim facere` (to use violence) is the infinitive complement of `votat`.
  4. 1304bHiberna áddito — The neuter plural accusative adjective `hiberna` is the object of the future imperative `addito` ("add"), implicitly modifying `tempora` ("hours"). Since the ancient Romans divided daylight and darkness into twelve equal hours each, winter hours (`horae hibernae`) were actually shorter. Thus, it is a humorous exaggeration: "make them winter hours (which are shorter)."
  5. 1320dNi doléres tu, ego dolérem — A present counterfactual conditional sentence using the subjunctive imperfect (`doleres` and `dolerem`). It means "If you (Simo) were not suffering now (as you actually are), I (Pseudolus) would be suffering (as I am actually rejoicing)." `ni` is an archaic form of `nisi`.
  6. 1328faxo hinc feres — An archaic future/affirmative expression `faxo` (an old form of `faciam`, meaning "I will see to it" or "I warrant") directly followed by the future indicative `feres` without a conjunction. This syntax is characteristic of Plautine Latin to express a strong promise.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Pseudolus §1272-1335. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi016.humanitext-lat2:1272-1335

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