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Plautus · Pseudolus §947-1009

Simia Disguised as Harpax Meets Ballio

Passage 16 of 21 · Latin

Summary

To execute their plan, Pseudolus guides Simia, disguised as the military messenger Harpax, to the house of the pimp Ballio. Upon meeting Ballio, Simia delivers a letter from his master and successfully wins his trust.

§947Lepidó victu, vino, únguentis et intér pocula pulpámentis; §948ibidem úna aderit muliér lepida, tibi sávia super savía quae det.
With delightful food, wine, ointments, and delicacies between cups; at the same place, a delightful woman will be present together, to give you kisses upon kisses.
§949Lepide áccipis me.
You welcome me delightfully.
§949bImmo si éfficies, tum fáxo magis id dícas.
Nay, if you accomplish it, then I will make you say so even more.
§950Nisi effécero, cruciabíliter cárnifex me accipito.
Unless I accomplish it, let the executioner receive me tormentedly.
§951séd propera mihi mónstrare, ubi sit ós lenonis aédium.
but hurry to show me where the entrance of the pimp's house is.
§952Tertium hoc est.
This is the third house.
§952bSt, tace, aedes hiscunt.
Sh, be silent, the house is yawning.
§952cCredo, animo malest §953aedibus.
I believe the house is feeling sick, the house.
§953bQuid iam?
Why so?
§953cQuia edepol ipsum lenonem evomunt.
Because, by Pollux, they are vomiting up the pimp himself.
§954Illicinest?
Is that he?
§954bIllic ést.
That is he.
§954cMala mercist
He's a bad article.
§954dIlluc sis vide, §955ut transversus, non proversus cedit, quasi cancer solet.
Look over there, please, how he moves sideways, not forward, just like a crab is wont to do.
§956Mínus malum hunc hominem esse opinor quam esse censebam coquom, §957nam nihil etiam dum harpagavit praeter cyathum et cantharum.
I think this man is less wicked than I thought the cook was, for so far he has stolen nothing besides a ladle and a tankard.
§958Heus tu, nunc occasio est et tempus.
Hey you, now is the opportunity and the time.
§958bTecum sentio.
I agree with you.
§959Ingredere in viam dolose: ego hic in insidiis ero.
Step into the street deceitfully; I will be here in ambush.
§960Habui numerum sedulo: hoc est sextum a porta proxumum §961angiportum, in id angiportum me devorti iusserat;
I kept the count carefully: this is the sixth alley closest to the gate, alley; he had ordered me to turn into that alley.
§962quotumas aedis dixerit, id ego admodum incerto scio.
which number house he said, I know very uncertainly.
§963Quis hic homo chlamydatus est aut unde est aut quem quaeritat?
Who is this cloaked man, or where is he from, or whom is he looking for?
§964peregrina facies videtur hominis atque ignobilis.
The man's appearance seems foreign and of low birth.
§965Sed eccum qui ex incerto faciet mihi quod quaero certius.
But look, here is someone who will make what I seek more certain from uncertainty.
§966Ad me adit recta.
He is coming straight to me.
unde ego hominem hunc esse dicam gentium?
Where in the world should I say this man is from?
§967Heus tu, qui cum hirquina barba stas, responde quod rogo.
Hey you, standing there with a goatish beard, answer what I ask.
§968Eho, an non príus salutas?
Hey, do you not greet me first?
§968bNulla est mihi salus dataria.
I have no safety to give away.
§969_970Nam pol hinc tantumdem accipies.
For, by Pollux, you shall receive just as much from here.
§969_970bIam inde a principio probe.
Already right from the start, excellent.
§971Ecquem in angiporto hoc hominem tu novisti? te rogo.
Do you know any man in this alley? I am asking you.
§972Egomet me.
I know myself.
§972bPauci istuc faciunt homines quod tu praedicas, §973nam in foro vix decumus quisque est qui ipsus sese noverit.
Few men do that which you declare, for in the forum there is scarcely one in ten who knows himself.
§974Salvos sum, iam philosophatur.
I am safe, now he is philosophizing.
§974bHominem ego hic quaero malum, §975legirupam, impurum, peiurum atque impium.
I am looking for a wicked man here, a law-breaker, impure, perjured, and impious.
§975bMe quaeritat, §976nam illa mea sunt cognomenta; nomen si memoret modo.
He is looking for me, for those are my nicknames; if only he would mention the name.
§977quid est ei homini nomen?
What is that man's name?
§977bLeno Ballio.
The pimp Ballio.
§977cScivin ego?
Did I not know it?
§978ipse ego is sum, adulescens, quem tu quaeris.
I myself am he, young man, whom you seek.
§978bTune es Ballio?
Are you Ballio?
§979_980Ego enim vero is sum.
Indeed, I am he.
§979_980bVt vestitu’s, es perfossor parietum.
By your clothing, you are a house-breaker.
§981Credo, in tenebris, conspicatus si sis me, apstineas manum.
I believe, if you should see me in the dark, you would keep your hands off.
§982Erus meus tibi me salutem multam voluit dicere.
My master wished me to say many greetings to you.
§983hanc epistulam accipe a me, hanc mé tibi iussit dare.
Take this letter from me; he ordered me to give this to you.
§984Quis is homost qui iussit?
Who is that man who ordered you?
§984bPerii, nunc homo in medio lutost; §985nomen nescit, haeret haec res.
I am ruined, now the man is in the middle of the mud; he doesn't know the name, this business is stuck.
§985bQuem hanc misisse ad me autumas?
Who do you say sent this to me?
§986Nosce imaginem: tute eius nomen memorato mihi, §987ut sciam te Ballionem esse ipsum.
Recognize the portrait: you yourself mention his name to me, so that I may know you are Ballio himself.
§987bCedo mi epistulam.
Give me the letter.
§988Accipe et cognosce signum.
Take it and recognize the seal.
§988bOh, Polymachaeroplagides
Oh, Polymachaeroplagides!
§989purus putus est ipsus.
It is pure and simple himself.
novi.
I know it.
heus, Polymachaeroplagides §990nomen est.
Hey, Polymachaeroplagides is the name.
§990bScio iám me recte tibi dedisse epistulam, §991postquam Polymachaeroplagidem elocutus nomen es.
Now I know I have correctly given you the letter, after you have spoken the name Polymachaeroplagides.
§992Quid agit is?
How is he doing?
§992bQuod homo edepol fortis atque bellator probus.
What, by Pollux, a brave man and a fine warrior does.
§993sed propera hanc pellegere quaeso epistulam (ita negotium est), §994atque accipere argentum actutum mulieremque emittere.
But hurry to read through this letter, I beg (such is the business), and to receive the money immediately and release the woman.
§995nam necessést hodie Sicyoni me esse aut cras mortem exsequi, §996ita erus meus est imperiosus.
For it is necessary that I be in Sicyon today, or else suffer death tomorrow, so dictatorial is my master.
§996bNovi, notis praedicas.
I know, you tell it to those who know.
§997Propera pellegere épistulam ergo.
Hurry to read through the letter then.
§997bId ago, si taceas modo.
I am doing so, if only you would be silent.
§998milés lenoni Ballioni epistulam §999conscriptam mittit Polymachaeroplagides, §1000imagine obsignatam quae inter nos duo §1001convenit olim.
'The soldier sends this written letter to the pimp Ballio,' 'Polymachaeroplagides sends,' 'sealed with the portrait which formerly was agreed' 'between us two.
sumbolust in epistula. §1009Harpax calator meus est, ad te qui venit—
The token is in the letter.' 'Harpax is my servant, who comes to you—'

Notes

  1. 949bfaxo magis id dicas — faxo is an archaic future (or perfect subjunctive) form of facio, used here with a paratactic subjunctive (dicas) without ut to express a strong future assurance: "I will make sure that you say..."
  2. 952canimo malest aedibus — The impersonal expression animo male est (to feel sick/faint) is combined here with the dative of interest aedibus (to the house), humorously personifying the house as feeling sick and about to vomit the pimp.
  3. 968bsalus dataria — A wordplay on salus (meaning both "greeting" and "safety/salvation"). The adjective dataria (to be given away) creates a blunt rejection, meaning "I have no greetings/safety to distribute to others."
  4. 984bhomo in medio lutost — A figurative expression "the man is in the middle of the mud," indicating that Simia is stuck in a difficult situation (in a quagmire) as he cannot produce the correct name of the master.
  5. 996bnotis praedicas — You speak to those who know (notis, dative plural of notus used substantively), an idiomatic way of saying "you are preaching to the converted."

Cite this passage

Plautus, Pseudolus §947-1009. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi016.humanitext-lat2:947-1009

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

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