Humanitext Reader

Plautus · Pseudolus §891-946b

Ballio's Vigilance and the Disguised Simia's Arrival

Passage 15 of 21 · Latin

Summary

The pimp Ballio leads the cooks into his house and resolves to guard against Pseudolus. Meanwhile, Pseudolus meets with his helper Simia, who, disguised as the soldier's messenger, prepares to execute their deceptive scheme.

§891propera.
Hurry.
§891bQuin tu is accubitum, et convivas cedo,
Why don't you go to recline, and bring the guests?
§892corrumpitur iam cena. — §892bEm, subolem sis vide: §893iam hic quoque scelestus est, coqui sublingulo.
The dinner is already being ruined. — Look, please see his offspring: already this fellow too is a rascal, the cook's under-licker.
§894profecto quid nunc primum caveam nescio, §895ita in aedibus sunt fures, praedo in proxumo est.
Truly I do not know what to guard against first now, so much are there thieves in my house, and a robber is next door.
§896nam mi hic vicinus apud forum paulo prius, §897pater Calidori, ópere edixit maxumo, §898ut mihi caverem a Pseudolo servo suo, §899ne fídem ei haberem.
For just a little while ago in the forum, this neighbor of mine, the father of Calidorus, warned me with the greatest earnestness to guard against his slave Pseudolus, and not to trust him.
nam eum circum ire in hunc diem, §900ut me, si posset, muliere intervorteret; §901eum prómisisse firmiter dixit sibi, §902sese abducturum a me dolis Phoenicium.
For he said that he is going around today, to trick me out of the woman, if he could; he said that Pseudolus had firmly promised him that he would carry off Phoenicium from me by tricks.
§903nunc ibo intro atque edicam familiaribus, §904profecto ne quis quicquam credat Pseudolo. — §905Si umquám quemquam di immórtales voluére esse auxilio ádiutum, §906tum me ét Calidorum sérvatum volunt ésse et lenonem éxtinctum, §907quom te ádiutorem génuerunt mihi tám doctum hominem atque ástutum.
Now I will go inside and charge my household that indeed no one should trust Pseudolus in anything. — If ever the immortal gods wanted anyone to be helped with assistance, then they want me and Calidorus to be saved and the pimp destroyed, since they have produced you for me as an helper, such a learned and clever man.
§908sed ubi íllic est? sumne ego homo ínsipiens, qui haec mécum egomet loquar sólus?
But where is he? Am I a foolish man to speak these things with myself alone?
§909dedit vérba mihi hercle, ut opínor: §909amalus cúm malo stulte cávi.
He has deceived me, by Hercules, as I think: I, a rogue, have foolishly guarded against a rogue.
§910tum pól ego interii, homo si ílle abiit, neque hoc ópus quod volui hodie éfficiam.
Then by Pollux I am ruined, if that man has gone, and I shall not accomplish this work which I wanted today.
§911sed eccúm video verberéam statuam: ut it, út magnifice infert sese.
But look, I see a whipping-post of a statue: how he walks, how magnificently he carries himself.
§912ehem, te hércle ego circumspéctabam, nimis métuebam male, ne ábiisses.
Hey, by Hercules I was looking around for you, I was terribly afraid that you had gone.
§913Fuit meum ófficium ut facerém, fateor.
It was my duty to do so, I confess.
§913aVbi réstiteras?
Where had you stopped?
§913abVbi míhi libitum est.
Where it pleased me.
§914Istúc ego sátis scio.
I know that well enough.
§914bQuor érgo quod scis mé rogas?
Why then do you ask me what you know?
§915At hóc volo monére te.
But I want to warn you of this.
§915bMonéndus ne me moneas.
Don't warn me, who need no warning.
§916Nimis tándem ego aps te contémnor.
Really, I am despised too much by you.
§917Quippe égo te ni contémnam, §918stratióticus homo qui clúear?
Naturally, for if I did not despise you, how could I be called a soldierly man?
§919Iam hoc vólo quod occeptúmst agi.
Now I want what has been begun to be done.
§919bNumquíd agere aliud mé vides?
Do you see me doing anything else?
§920ámbula ergó cito.
Walk quickly then.
§920bImmo ótiosé volo.
No, I want to walk at my leisure.
§921Haéc ea occásiost: dum ílle dormít, volo §922tú prior ut óccupes adire.
This is the very opportunity: while he sleeps, I want you to be the first to seize the chance to approach him.
§923Quid próperas? placide, né time.
Why do you hurry? Take it easy, do not fear.
§923aita ílle faxit Iúppiter, §924ut ílle palam ibidem ádsiet, §924aquisquís illest, qui adest a mílite.
May Jupiter grant indeed, that he may be present openly in the same place, whoever he is, who is here from the soldier.
§925numquam édepol erit illé potior §925aHarpáx quam ego.
Never, by Pollux, will that Harpax be better than I.
habe animúm bonum: §926púlchre ego hanc éxplicatám tibi rém dabo.
Keep a good heart: I will give this matter beautifully sorted out to you.
§927síc ego illúm dolis átque mendáciis §928ín timorém dabo mílitarem ádvenam, §929ípsus sese út neget ésse eum quí siet §930méque ut esse aútumet qui ípsus est.
In this way, with tricks and lies, I will throw that foreign soldier into fear, so that he himself will deny that he is who he is, and will claim that I am he who he himself is.
§930bQuí potest?
How is it possible?
§931Occídis me, cum istúc rogitas.
You kill me when you ask that.
§931bO hóminem lepidum.
Oh, delightful man!
§932Té quoque etiám dolis átque mendáciis, §933quí magistér mihi es, ántidibo, út scias.
You too, with tricks and lies, who are my master, I will surpass, so that you may know it.
§934Iúppiter té mihi sérvet.
May Jupiter preserve you for me.
§934bImmó mihi.
Nay, for myself.
§935séd vide, ornátus hic me satin cóndecet?
But look, does this costume suit me well enough?
§935aOptúme habet.
It is excellent.
§935abEsto.
Let it be.
§936Tantúm tibi boni di immórtales duint quántum tu tibi óptes; §937nam si éxoptem, quantúm dignu’s tantúm dent, minus nihiló sit.
May the immortal gods give you as much good as you would wish for yourself; for if I should wish, and they should give as much as you deserve, it would be nothing at all.
§938néque ego hoc homine quémquam vidi mágis malum et máleficum.
And I have never seen anyone more wicked and mischievous than this man.
§938aTun íd mihi?
Is that to me?
§938abTaceo.
I am silent.
§939sed egó quae tibi bona dábo et faciam, si hanc sóbrie rem accurássis.
But I will tell you what good things I will give and do for you, if you manage this matter soberly.
§940Potin út taceas? memorem ímmemorem facit quí monet quod memor méminit.
Can you be silent? He makes a mindful person unmindful, who warns of what the mindful remembers.
§941teneo, ómnia in pectore cóndita sunt, meditáti sunt mihi dóli docte.
I hold it, all things are stored up in my breast, my tricks are learnedly meditated.
§942Probus ést hic homo.
This is an honest man.
§942bNeque hic ést neque ego.
Neither is he, nor am I.
§942cAt vide né titubes.
But see that you do not slip.
§942dPotin út taceas?
Can you be silent?
§943Ita mé di ament— §943bIta nón facient: mera iám mendacia fúndes.
So may the gods love me— They will not do so: you will now pour out pure lies.
§944Vt ego ób tuam, Simia, pérfidiam te amo et métuo et magni fácio.
How I love you, Simia, for your perfidiousness, and fear you, and value you highly.
§945Ego istúc aliis dare cóndidici: mi optrúdere non potes pálpum.
I have learned to give that to others: you cannot push flattery upon me.
§946Vt ego áccipiam te hodié lepide, ubi efféceris hoc opus, §946bHá ha hae.
How delightfully I shall receive you today, when you have accomplished this work— Ha ha hae.

Notes

  1. 891bis accubitum — is is the second person singular present indicative of eo ('to go'). accubitum is the accusative supine of accubo ('to recline'), expressing purpose: 'to go to recline.'
  2. 893sublingulo — An insulting compound noun literally meaning 'under-licker,' referring to a cook's low-ranking assistant or dish-washer.
  3. 909amalus cum malo stulte cavi — A juxtaposition meaning 'I, a rogue, have foolishly guarded against another rogue.' Placing these matching terms without a conjunction highlights the ironic mutual suspicion between the tricksters.
  4. 911verbeream statuam — Literally 'a whipping-post of a statue.' A characteristically Plautine comic expression comparing a hardened, frequently beaten slave to an unfeeling, solid statue.
  5. 933antidibo — An archaic future form of antideo ('to surpass' or 'go before'), equivalent to ante-ibo. Used here by Simia to boast that he will outdo even his teacher Pseudolus in trickery.
  6. 937minus nihilo sit — Meaning 'it would be less than nothing.' Pseudolus sarcastically remarks that Simia's merit is so non-existent that giving him his exact desert would amount to giving him nothing at all.
  7. 940memorem immemorem facit — Meaning 'he makes a mindful person unmindful.' A proverbial phrase stating that giving unnecessary reminders to someone who already remembers a plan well will only serve to distract and confuse them.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Pseudolus §891-946b. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi016.humanitext-lat2:891-946b

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.