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Plautus · Trinummus §546-611

Philto Refuses the Land and Secures the Dowryless Betrothal

Passage 9 of 19 · Latin

Summary

Stasimus deters Philto from accepting the field by asserting it is cursed, securing his own source of livelihood. Philto then persuades Lesbonicus to betroth his sister without a dowry, and Stasimus reports this sudden engagement to Callicles.

§546multo Surorum iam antidit patientia.
already far surpasses the endurance of the Syrians.
§547sed istést ager profecto, ut te audivi loqui, §548malos in quem omnes publice mitti decet, §549sicut fortunatorum memorant insulas, §550quo cuncti qui aetatem egerint caste suam §551conveniant; contra istoc detrudi maleficos §552aequom videtur, qui quidem istius sit modi.
But that field is indeed, as I heard you speak, into which it is fitting that all bad people be publicly sent, just as they speak of the islands of the blessed, whither all who have spent their lives chastely should gather; on the contrary, that evil-doers should be thrust down thither seems fair, since indeed it is of such a character.
§553Hospitium est calamitatis: quid verbis opust?
It is the lodging-house of calamity; what need is there for words?
§554quamvis malam rem quaeras, illic reperias.
Whatever bad thing you may seek, you would find it there.
§555At tu hercle et illi et alibi.
But, by Hercules, you would find it both there and elsewhere.
§555bCave sis dixeris
Please take care not to say that I told you this.
§556me tibi dixisse hoc. §556bDixisti arcano satis.
You have spoken secretly enough.
§557Quin hic quidem cúpit illum ab se abalienarier, §558si quem reperire possit cui os sublinat.
Indeed, he for his part is eager for it to be alienated from him, if he can find anyone whose face he can smear.
§559Meus quídem hercle numquam fiet.
By Hercules, it will certainly never become mine.
§559bSi sapies quidem.
If indeed you are wise.
§560lepide hercle dé agro ego hunc senem deterrui; §561nam qui vivamus nihil est, si illum amiserit.
By Hercules, I have delightfully deterred this old man from the field; for we have nothing to live on, if he loses it.
§562Redeo ad te, Lesbonice.
I return to you, Lesbonicus.
§562bDic sodes mihi, §563quid hic est locutus tecum?
Please tell me, what has he been speaking with you?
§563bQuid censes? homost:
What do you think?
§564volt fieri liber, verum quod det non habet.
He is a man: he wishes to become free, but he has nothing to give.
§565Et ego esse locuples, verum nequiquam volo.
And I wish to be rich, but in vain.
§566Licitumst, si velles; nunc, quom nihil est, non licet.
It was allowed, if you had wished; now, since there is nothing, it is not allowed.
§567Quid tecum, Stasime?
What about you, Stasimus?
§567bDe istoc quod dixti modo: §568si ante voluisses, esses; nunc sero cupis.
About that which you said just now: if you had wished before, you would be; now you desire too late.
§569De dote mecum convenire nil potest: §570quid tibi lubet tute agito cum nato meo.
Concerning the dowry, no agreement can be made with me; do whatever pleases you with my son.
§571nunc tuam sororem filio posco meo.
Now I ask for your sister for my son.
§572quae res bene vortat.
May this matter turn out well.
quid nunc? etiam consulis?
What now? Are you still deliberating?
§573Quid istíc? quando ita vis: di bene vortant.
What else? Since you so wish: may the gods turn it to good.
spondeo.
I promise.
§574Numquam edepol quoiquam tam expectatus filius §575natus quam illuc est spondeo natum mihi.
By Pollux, never was a son born to anyone so eagerly expected as that word 'I promise' is now born to me.
§576di fortunabunt vostra consilia.
The gods will prosper your plans.
§576bIta volo.
I wish so.
§577Sed, Stasime, abi huc ad meam sororem ad Calliclem, §578dic hoc negoti quo modo actumst.
But, Stasimus, go off here to my sister, to Callicles, tell how this business has been transacted.
§578bIbitur.
I shall go.
§579Et gratulator meae sorori.
And congratulate my sister.
§579bScilicet.
Of course.
§580I hac, Lesbonice, mecum, ut coram nuptiis §581dies cónstituatur; eadem haec confirmabimus. — §583dic Callicli, me ut convenat.
Come this way with me, Lesbonicus, so that in person, for the wedding, a day may be appointed; on the same occasion we will confirm these things.— Tell Callicles to meet me.
§583bQuin tu i modo.
Why don't you just go?
§584De dote ut videat quid opus sit facto.
So that he may see what needs to be done about the dowry.
§584bI modo.
Just go.
§585Nam certumst sine dote haud dare.
For it is determined not to give her without a dowry.
§585bQuin tu i modo.
Why don't you just go?
§586Neque enim illi damno umquam esse patiar §586bAbi modo.
For I will never allow her to suffer loss Just go away.
§587Meam néglegentiam.
from my negligence.
§587bI modo.
Just go.
§587cNullo modo §588aequom videtur quin quod peccarim §588bI modo.
By no means does it seem fair but that what I have sinned Just go.
§589Potissimum mi id obsit.
should especially harm me.
§589bI modo.
Just go.
§589cO pater, §590enumquam aspiciam te?— §590bI modo, i modo, i modo.
O father, shall I ever behold you?— Just go, just go, just go.
§591tandem impetravi abiret.
At last I have prevailed on him to go.
di vestram fidem,
Gods, protect us!
§592edepol re gesta pessume gestam probe, §593si quidem ager nobis salvos est; etsi admodum §594in ambiguo est etiam nunc quid ea re fuat.
By Pollux, though the affair was most badly managed, it has been managed well, if indeed the field is safe for us; although very much it is in doubt even now what may happen in that matter.
§595sed id si alienatur, actumst de collo meo, §596gestandust peregre clupeus, galea, sarcina: §597effugiet ex urbe, ubi erunt factae nuptiae, §598ibít istac, aliquo, in maximam malam crucem, §599latrocinatum, aut in Asiam aut in Ciliciam.
But if that is alienated, it is all over with my neck, I must carry shield, helmet, and pack abroad: he will flee from the city, when the wedding has been made, he will go thither, somewhere, to the greatest bad cross, to serve as a mercenary, either to Asia or to Cilicia.
§600ibo huc quo mi imperatumst, etsi odi hanc domum, §601postquam exturbavit hic nós ex nostris aedibus. — §602Quó modo tu istuc, Stasime, dixti?
I will go whither I was ordered, although I hate this house, since he chased us out here from our own house.— How did you say that, Stasimus?
§602bNostrum erilem filium §603Lesbonicum suam sororem despondisse.
That our master's son, Lesbonicus, has betrothed his sister.
em hoc modo.
Look, in this way.
§604Cuí homini despondit?
To what man has he betrothed her?
§604bLysiteli Philtonis filio, §605sine dote.
To Lysiteles, the son of Philto, without a dowry.
§605bSine dote ille illam in tantas divitias dabit?
Without a dowry will he receive her into such great wealth?
§606non credibile dicis.
You speak of what is not believable.
§606bAt tu édepol nullus creduas.
But, by Pollux, don't believe it at all.
§607si hoc non credis, ego credidero— §607bQuid?
If you don't believe this, I will believe— What?
§607cMe nihili pendere.
That I don't care a straw.
§608Quam dudum istuc aut ubi actumst?
How long ago or where was this done?
§608bIlico hic ante ostium, §609tam modo, inquit Praenestinus.
Right here before the door, just now, as the Praenestine says.
§609bTanton in re perdita, §610quam in re salva Lesbonicus factus est frugalior?
In such a ruined state of affairs, has Lesbonicus become more frugal than when his affairs were safe?
§611Atque equidem ipsus ultro venit Philto oratum filio.
And indeed Philto himself came of his own accord to ask for his son.

Notes

  1. 551quo cuncti qui aetatem egerint caste suam conveniant; contra istoc — The relative adverb `quo` refers to the antecedent `fortunatorum insulas` (the islands of the blessed), introducing the relative clause. In contrast, the adverb `istoc` (thither, to that place) is used in the main clause to refer to the wretched field.
  2. 558cui os sublinat — The phrase `os sublinere alicui` (literally "to smear someone's face") is a common colloquial idiom in Roman comedy meaning "to deceive" or "to trick someone." The dative relative pronoun `cui` indicates the object of the trickery.
  3. 575tam expectatus filius natus quam illuc est spondeo natum mihi — This compares the birth of a long-awaited son (`filius natus`) with the utterance of the word 'spondeo' ('I promise') by Lesbonicus. The word `spondeo` is treated metaphorically as a newborn child (`natum [esse] mihi`) to Philto.
  4. 588Neque enim illi damno umquam esse patiar ... quin quod peccarim ... mi id obsit — `damno esse` is a predicative dative meaning "to be a loss" to her (`illi`). The subsequent `quin` clause depending on the negative expression `nullo modo aequom videtur` ("it seems by no means fair but that...") expresses a strong conviction: "it seems entirely unfair unless my own transgression should harm me above all."
  5. 609tam modo, inquit Praenestinus — `tam modo` ('just now') was recognized as a dialectal or colloquial expression characteristic of Praeneste (modern Palestrina). Plautus here jokes about this regional linguistic feature to evoke laughter from the Roman audience.

Cite this passage

Plautus, Trinummus §546-611. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi019.humanitext-lat2:546-611

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